Secular Action Network June 2008

Secular Action Network – June 2008
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Vol.III No.6 June 2008
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1. Edit
Terrorism: A Political Cancer
The blasts in Jaipur (13th
May 2008), have once
again brought to fore the
grim reality of global and
local political scenario. In
a short span of time close
to hundred innocent lives
were lost. What was
heartwarming was the
calm with which the
society handled this grim
tragedy. The amity with
which the post blast
situation was handled
certainly needs million
respectful salutes.
But political parties are
what they are, taking
advantage of such
tragedies to bake their
political breads. The BJP
leadership was quick
enough to say that the
blasts are taking place as
the central government is
weak, the withdrawal of
POTA has given rise to a
situation where terrorists
can make merry. Most
such criticism is aimed at
scoring brownie points,
forgetting that during BJP
led NDA regime with
POTA in operation, the
attacks on Parliament, Red
fort and many other acts of
terror were very much
there.
Despite Advani's lie that
he did not know about
foreign minister accompanying
the terrorists to
Kandhar, there were acts
Secular Action Network – June 2008
2
of terror a plenty when he
was the Home/deputy
prime minister and was
trying to cultivate the
image of an iron man.
Also the argument that
BJP ruled states with
glorious strength are free
from terrorist acts also
comes to a naught with
this tragedy.
Petty political thinking
apart, the world today is
gripped by this insane
phenomenon, which like a
cancer has spread over a
period of last two decades.
The analogy of cancer for
terrorism is very apt as
many features of this are
matching with the
behavior of cancer in
human body. Cancer has
multiple etiologies
(causative factors) and
same is true of terrorism.
It is time that while
improving our
investigation methods we
need to desist from
politicizing and communalizing
these tragic
events. The seeds of this
cancer were sowed by the
global super power so just
being shortsighted to
blame the neighboring
country and the religious
community is counter
productive. There is a need
to cultivate amity and trust
and that's possible if we
see that essentially it the
secondary metastasis of
the Al Qaeda clones, very
difficult to control by
superficial means. Better
intelligence, better
policing and a deeper
understanding of the
phenomenon will go a
long way to overcome this
suffering of the country.
2. Jaipur Blasts
(a). Wisdom Foundation
PRESS RELEASE
The Wisdom Foundation
strongly condemns the
heinous act of terrorism
committed in Jaipur this
Tuesday as it condemns
every such act committed
in India and the world over
.It is a crime of humanity
against humanity. Our
hearts and sympathies lie
with the bereaved in their
grief. The mindless killers
have to be brought to
books.
Terrorism has to be
brought to an end, with
neither qualm nor
compunction, neither
apologies nor regrets. The
people of India have a
duty towards the nation:
They should not assume
the role of silent onlookers
but should bring the evil
elements in their midst out
into the open so that they
can be visited with
condign punishment. The
situation calls for firm
handling. . Strong action
has to be taken.
The terrorists, whatever
their origin, share a
common aim of raising the
tensions between India’s
religious groups and
dividing people. By
attacking Hindu temples,
prayers and
neighbourhoods in
Rajasthan's capital, they
probably hope to provoke
an angry backlash.
Unfortunately Islam is
being invariably associated
with terrorism especially
by media generally. Such a
view is not only erroneous
but contradictory to the
Quranic vision. Islam not
only means peace but
shows the direction
towards non-violence and
peace-building. It asserts
that if you save one life it
is as if you have saved all
humanity and if you take
one life it is as if you have
killed all humanity. It
forbids suicide and there
naturally suicide killings.
Killing of innocents
cannot be condoned.
Terrorism has no religion
or nationality The Darul
Uloom recently held an
anti-terrorism Conference
where Terrorism was
condemned in no uncertain
terms. Scholars of Islam
condemn violence and
terrorism at all levels.
Secular Action Network – June 2008
3
Their views must be
published and made
known to the public at
large.
(b). Media Cell
Very few blast cases in
India has reached to legal
and logical conclusion and
the main culprits are still
are free. Same patterns are
repeated every time. Home
ministry has an easy way
out than to our neighbor,
security agencies claim
that they have already
informed the state police.
Media plays the news two
three days declaring Huji,
ISI, SIMI, but nothing is
changing. Police arrests
some people (Khabris) but
finally we the Indians are
loosing our lives at regular
interval. There must be
some investigative stories
in these blasts cases
beginning from Nanded.
(c). PUCL Report - Excerpts
The Jaipur Terror Scapegoat: The Poor Bengali Muslim Migrant
On the evening of the 13th of May, 2008,
nine bomb blasts ripped through the spine of
the walled city killing more than 66 people
and injuring over two hundred people. Like
in other 8 cities where similar attacks took
place since 2005 Jaipur too stood together
and thankfully no communal riot followed.
Instead people belonging to different faiths
and communities came together on the third
day and paid their respects to the deceased
and remembered the unity of this city over
several hundred years, which had been
marred by three major riots in 1989, 1990
and 1992. Always communal amity, is what
everybody pledged for all the times.
The medical community at the SMS
Hospital and other Private Hospitals that
admitted patients responded with zeal and
saved several lives. That night 56 patients
were brought in dead and five who came in
gasping died soon after. The death toll by
the end of the week grew to 66. More than
277 injured were also brought in on the
night of the blast out of which 134 were
admitted in the various Hospitals and the
rest were discharged. Some of the patients
have ended up with permanent impairments,
assessments are still being made and the
medical Community of the SMS Hospital
even today affirm their commitment to the
patients.
In the next few days it became clear that
more than half of those who lost their lives
were around the two Hanuman temples.
More than 35 lives were lost at the
Chandpole Hanuman Mandir. At least a
third of the shoppers and passer byes who
got killed were children, school going girls,
college going boys and of course the flower
seller, the bangle seller, the key makers
including two police men. Destroying
dreams
The city put its best foot forward and
collectively tried to cope with this tragedy.
When occupants of the hospital wards learnt
that blast victims were being brought into
their ward, on their own they gave up their
beds for the victims of the bomb blast. Long
Queues of youth stood outside the hospital
for blood donation, a youth group decided to
provide attendants and a group of senior
citizens decided to carry out Jal Sewa in
Hospital. Scores of such stories expressing
the good side of the Human kind filled the
news pages and were broadcasted by the
channels.
At our own end we initially with other
groups got involved with relief work. We
also collected a100,000 rupees and gave it to
the Relief society in the Hospital for
medicines and other consumables needed.
Secular Action Network – June 2008
4
We also provided attendants and have
planned to do a detailed survey of the
families of the injured and that of the
deceased. This survey will be carried out
now in the first week of June, 2008.
Conclusions
1. The serious violation of the human
rights of the Muslim migrants in the
city especially those of Bengali
origin would be an issue for the
PUCL to expose and ensure justice
for the poor.
2. It was decided that the first level of
intervention would be to put
together the report of the various
PUCL teams and make it public.
3. On the basis of the facts collected
by the teams an application should
be sent to the NHRC which should
then be asked to intervene.
4. A delegation should also meet the
Collector and the Chief Secretary
and the DG police and ask them to
respond to the situation of hunger
that was stark in Bagrana and in
those homes where the men had
been taken away and the women had
been left behind.
5. Immediate suspension of the SHO
Sanganer Sadar for arresting Pappu
Ahmed of Buxawalla Basti due to
which his wife Afsana could not be
provided with medical support and
she died on the 21st May, 2008 and
for arresting the Ram Lal who had a
hearing impairment. The inhuman
manner in which Pappu Ahmed was
also denied the right to be there at
the time of her burial.
6. Even the SDM did not hear them
when Pappu was produced in front
of him and he Basti people tried to
tell that his wife was serious.
7. Action should be taken against all
SHOs for keeping people without
arrest for more than 6 days.
3. Center for Study of Society and Secularism –Programs of May 2008
List of Activities conducted by center
1) Police workshop at Goregaon East, Mumbai – 8th May 08
2) Lecture on Terrorism in Surat – 11th May 08
3) Police workshop at Dahisar East, Mumbai – 12th May 08
4) Seminar in Delhi on Composite Culture – 17th May 08
5) Workshop on Interfaith Dialogue to meet Challenges of communal problem in
Kanyakumari - 20th May 08
Details of the programs
1) Police Workshop at Goregaon 8thMay 08
A one-day Police
workshop was conducted
by CSSS on “Communal
Harmony” in Goregaon
East where about 100
Police officers were
present. There were many
Police officers of Different
Grade Level from
Constables to Assistant
Commissioner of Police.
Dr Asghar Ali Engineer
Discussed about the types
of Conflict, i.e. regional
conflict, language conflict
etc. He mentioned that it is
easy to mobilize people on
the basis of religion, caste
Secular Action Network – June 2008
5
and language as it the
power of politics, which
divide the people. He also
mentioned about the
politicization of religion.
Religion is used a means
to rule by the politicians.
The entire workshop was
very interactive in nature.
2) Lecture on Terrorism Surat 11th May 08
A one-day conference was
held in Surat on 11th May
08 on “Terrorism from
Islamic Perspective”.
About 2500 thousand
people mostly Muslims
from Surat District
attended the Conference.
These Muslims included
those teaching and
studying in various
Madarsas in the Surat
District along with
eminent citizens,
intellectuals and activists.
The main organizers
included Anjuman–ETahamuz–
E-Madaris and
CSSS also Participated in
it. The Conference was
addressed among others by
Swami Agniwesh, Prof
Ram Puniyani, Dr Asghar
Ali Engineer, and Senior
Journalist Mr. Digant Oza.
They all spoke about the
causes of terrorism and
emphasized that terrorism
is a political phenomenon
and cannot be associated
with any religion much
less with Islam. There
were many madarasa
teachers and Islamic
theologians who spoke and
emphasized that Islam is a
religion of Peace and it has
nothing to do with
terrorism. Those who
associate terrorism with
Islam are either ignorant or
those who have there own
political agenda.
3) Police Workshop Dahisar 12th May 08
Dr Asghar Ali Engineer
started the session by first
discussing about the
History of partition where
he mentioned about the
reasons of partition,
distortion of history by
British, Politics of religion
and most important the
role of our Politicians
today and British are same
only as both aim at divide
and rule.
.
4) Seminar in Delhi on Composite Culture 17th May 08
A one-day seminar was
held in Delhi on
“Preservations of
Composite Culture of
India”. The workshop was
organized by Urdu
Tehzeeb.com and Islamic
Cultural Center on 17th
may 08 where Dr Asghar
Ali Engineer was invited
to speak on Composite
Culture. The seminar was
inaugurated by Governor
of Haryana Mr. A.R.
Kidwai, other speakers
were Dr Sayeda Hameed,
Baroness Emma
Nicholson, Prof Abdul
Haq, Yawar Abbas, and
Asad Mufti. Dr Engineer
gave details on composite
heritage of India and cited
numerous instances of
contribution made by
Muslims, Hindus,
Christians and others in
involving composite
culture. He observed that
in all fields like music,
architecture, painting,
poetry and language.
Muslims have made a very
rich contribution. He also
observed that not only in
the North India But from
Kashmir to Kanyakumari
our culture is composite.
He also gave numerous
instances of various
religions, sects that came
into existence as a result of
adherent Islam in India.
Those who participated
were prominent writer,
journalists, and activists.
There was great
appreciation of the
presentations.
Secular Action Network – June 2008
6
5) Workshop on Interfaith Dialogue to meet challenges of communal Problem 20th
May 08
A one-day workshop was
organized in Kanyakumari
by CSSS and Local
Church organization on
“Interfaith Dialogue to
meet challenges of
communal problem”. Dr
Engineer as keynote
speaker observed that
India is highly diverse
country and there is
bewildering diversity in
not only in the field of
religion but also in the
field of culture, language,
caste and ethnicity. Where
there is diversity
otherisation is bound to
happen, and if there is
otherisation there is bound
to be misunderstanding
and misconceptions about
other. The only useful tool
to understand other is
interfaith and intercultural
dialogue. In absence of
such dialogue the vested
interest promote the
concept of clash of
religions and cultures
which destroys harmony
and peace, there fore in a
diverse society dialogue
should take place at
various levels of society,
also to come together to
struggle for common
problems is also a sort of
dialogue as unity and
solidarity builds up during
such co operative and
coordinated action we can
call it a dialogue of life.
This was followed by
interactive session, a
number of questions were
raised to which Dr
Engineer replied there
were 75 participants most
of them were prominent
citizens and activists of
Nagar coil which is head
Quarters of Kanyakumari
District.
4. Reports
HUMANIST MOVEMENT
Delhi, 03 May 2008
PRESS RELEASE
India – Pakistan Relations: Time for a new beginning
Ever since the British left
the divided and wounded
Indian shores, people on
both sides of the border
(India and Pakistan) have
seen and faced plenty of
violence. This useless
violence has resulted in
tragedy for many families
on both sides. All this has
no future, other than
serving
the interest of weapon
suppliers.
Human being has learnt
that Violence has no future
and it brings only misery
for all involved/targeted.
Both the Indian and
Pakistan Governments
have announced their
wishes for permanent and
durable peace on the
borders and the time has
come for these wishes to
turn into reality. Increased
People to people contacts
have shown abundant
feelings on both sides for
peace
and normal living among
the citizens of both
Nations.
It is clear : People love
each other and want
Peace and nothing else.
Gandhi is now recognized
and followed the world
over and 02 October 2007
was celebrated joyfully
by people on both sides
of the border as
International Day of
Nonviolence. Taking
Gandhi's teaching of
Nonviolence, its time
that both the
Governments begin
taking independent (of
weapon suppliers),
sincere and practical
steps to begin the end of
violence on/from both
the sides.
Secular Action Network – June 2008
7
Humanists feel that the
time to give Peace a
chance has come and this
opportunity must not be
lost. Change is in the air
and this opportunity is the
right one for both the
sides. Taking example of
the Bolivian President
Honorable Evo Morales
who announced the
unilateral renunciation of
war as a tool of conflict
resolution with its
neighbors, both the Indian
and Pakistan Governments
should make a similar
announcement (without
waiting for the other side
to do it first) and follow
this with concrete daily
steps to make Peace
happen in real life for
peoples on both sides.
R10, 3rd floor, Khirki
Extn, New Delhi 110017.
Phone : 9810120918.
Email: info@humanistmovement.org
InterNet :
www.humanistmovement.org
HUMANIST MOVEMENT
Possible steps that both the Governments can take:
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row on both the sides, starting with Sarabjit
Singh as an example. Indian should also do
the same with similar prisoners on their side
of the border;
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complete details of all the prisoners held by
each one and their crimes. A joint permanent
commission should be setup to review these
cases impartially and considering that those
prisoners who undertook actions (for which
they were arrested) due to their respective
Government sending them for such acts
(Army is ordered by the Government), they
can easily be pardoned by both the sides. In
any case, till these matters are resolved, no
one should be killed;
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both the Governments should renounce
Death penalty with immediate effect.
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consisting of representatives of both the
Governments (Politicians and Officials),
Peace activists from both the sides, UN,
Globally respectable Peace personalities like
Nelson Mandela, Dalai Lama, Aung San
Suu Kyi and Silo should be formed with the
aim of forming concrete steps that will bring
Peace in the region.
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increased and a target date for open borders
should be announced.
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Nuclear and Conventional arms with both
the
nations to achieve a peaceful border among
the two nations. Sudhir Gandotra –
Spokesperson.
R10, 3rd floor, Khirki Extn, New Delhi
110017. Phone: 9810120918.
Email: info@humanistmovement.org
Internet: www.humanistmovement.org
5. News
Hindukaran of Adivasis
May 12, 2008 68 EM-lines (700 words)
INDIA Church Leaders Dispute Hindu Claim on Mass Conversion of Christians
MUMBAI, India (UCAN) -- Church people and others see a political game in a Hindu leader's
claim that he "reconverted" hundreds of Christians to Hinduism.
Swami Narendra Maharaj organized a "mass conversion" on April 27 in Shimpoli, Borivili, a
suburb of Mumbai, 1,410 kilometers southwest of New Delhi.
Secular Action Network – June 2008
8
The Hindu leader told reporters he brought back 1,793 Christian tribal people to Hinduism.
Participants in the four-hour ceremony reportedly took an oath never to abandon Hinduism.
Swami Maharaj claimed they came from villages in Thane and Nashik districts, and he
accused Christian missioners of forcibly converting tribal people.
Bombay archdiocese and Vasai diocese share Thane district, while Nashik diocese covers
Nashik district, all in Maharashtra state. Mumbai, formerly Bombay, is the state capital.
Archbishop Felix Machado of Nashik has denied the claims. He says Hindu "gurus and
swamis" have "a hidden agenda to seek publicity by claiming to convert a large number of
tribal Christians."
Archbishop Machado told UCA News on May 8 that no Catholic from his diocese has become
Hindu. "Our parishes and mission stations attached to them have personal rapport with each
Catholic through schools, social work and other excellent infrastructure." Church people would
know immediately if a Catholic were to leave, he said.
The prelate served as undersecretary of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue
before taking charge of Nashik diocese this past March. Pope Benedict XVI granted him the
personal title "archbishop" as a special gesture of appreciation for his work.
The archbishop recalled meeting former Indian prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee at the
Vatican when Vajpayee met with Pope John Paul II in 2000. He said he challenged the pro-
Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (Indian people's party) politician to prove the Catholic Church
indulged in forced conversions in India.
Auxiliary Bishop Percival Fernandez of Bombay also denied Christians were converted at the
Shimpoli event. The bishop, who oversees the archdiocesan territory that includes Shimpoli,
told UCA News on April 7 that those alleging to convert Christians should produce baptismal
certificates to prove their claim. He also asserted, "There has not been a single case of forced
conversion in our archdiocese."
Bishop Fernandez said Bombay archdiocese annually baptizes around 300 adults from other
religions, who spend up to two years in catechism. Each also must produce an affidavit saying
he or she is converting of his or her own free will. Although no law demands such an affidavit,
the archdiocese has made it a rule in order to avoid allegations, he explained. "Our priests
know this strict rule and they all follow it," he added.
Father Peter Almeida, the Vasai diocesan spokesperson, told UCA News on May 8 that parish
priests in the tribal belt have no information about Catholics going back to Hinduism. However,
he said he could not deny the possibility that some members of Protestant denominations
might have changed religion.
Joseph Dias, general secretary of the Mumbai-based Catholic Secular Forum, sees the reconversion
claim as a political game. Such events, Dias told UCA News, are a prelude to
"minority bashing," or disparaging of religious minority communities, that he expects will
precede the general election, due later this year. He said he has written to the Maharashtra
government to restrain Swami Maharaj from dividing Christians and Hindus, the predominant
community.
Ram Punyani, a Hindu and secretary of All India Secular Forum, called the mass reconversion
claim "bogus." He told UCA News the event was a "preparatory act to whip up
sectarian sentiments to strengthen the Hindu vote bank." Swami Maharaj's disciples, he
recalled, recently attacked two Catholic nuns near Alibag, south of Mumbai.
Maharashtra ministers reportedly go often to the Hindu center Swami Maharaj heads near
Ratnagiri to seek his blessings.
Secular Action Network – June 2008
9
Chandrakant Naik, an organizer of the re-conversion ceremony, denied it was politically
motivated. Most of the reconverted Christians were "recently married couples who were
originally Hindus," he told UCA News.
"Your (Christian) missionaries indulge in conversion activities by force, fraud and allurements"
to convert poor and illiterate tribal people, he alleged. Naik said he wants Christian missioners
to undertake only social service, not conversions. He pointed out that "no Hindu leader has
said anything against" Blessed Teresa of Kolkata, an "epitome of selfless service."
Report by Michael Gonsalves
6. Prayers for peace in Prison
INMATES OF ARTHUR ROAD JAIL GATHER EVERY MORNING TO
PRAY FOR PEACE AND RELIGIOUS HARMONY FINDS
Prayers in Penance
It’s surprising but Arthur Road Jail at
Mumbai Central, today, seems far
different from the dreary, torturous image
described by several novels and
newspapers. The ambience is now
peaceful and calm. On the contrary,
mornings are serene, and the jail premises
clean and green. “There are 21 barracks
inside the prison, each of which contains
more than 100 inmates. We have a lot of
manpower in the jail that needs to be put
to constructive use, so we make the
inmates clean the premises at regular
intervals,” says a jail official.
With an intention to develop religious
tolerance and transform the lives of the
prisoner, the jail authorities have now
introduced the concept of Sarva Dharma
Prarthana – a secular union of all religions
and faiths. This initiative by Mumbai
Sarvodaya Mandal, a charitable trust, takes
place every day within the prison premises.
Prayers are composed in Hindi and it
consists of teachings from Hinduism, Islam,
Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism, and Tavo
(Jewish teachings.
“Prisoners hail from various religions, so it
is essential for us to teach them to live in
harmony and accept all religions,” says
Swati Sathe, superintendent, Arthur Road
Jail.
Every morning volunteers from the
Mumbai Sarvodaya Mandal visit the
jail premises to conduct prayers. They
have arranged to display 3.7 feet banners
of the prayer in each barrack in order to
make it easier for the inmates to
remember the chants.
“There has been a remarkable change in
the behavior of the inmates. They seem at
peace and all of them are making a
sincere effort to co-operate with each
other while performing their daily
activities. The prisoners look forward to
the prayer sessions everyday,” smiles
Sathe, who has been the initiator of the
praying sessions.
The jail authorities now plan to expand
this spiritual journey for the inmates and
are trying to conduct spiritual healing
classes twice a day. The jail premises
also have a mini community centre,
where the inmates learn basics of
computers. This special section works as
a rehabilitation center for prisoners who
are drug addicts.
Secular Action Network – June 2008
10
“The prison is not just meant for making
an individual realize his mistakes: it is
also a place for changing the way one
looks at life and go back into the world as
a better person,” concludes Sathe.
It’s inspiring to know that even with the
burden of a criminal past, the inmates of
the jail are living in a peaceful present
and moving towards a happy future.
Source: The Times of India, dt. 17.05.2008
7. Important Event: Training Program
Training Programme for Muslim Women in Mumbai in June
The Institute of Islamic
Studies, Mumbai, run by
Asghar Ali Engineer, is
going to organize a
training course in
'Rights of Muslim
Women- Theory and
Practice' for those who
are actively involved in
promoting and working
for the awareness of
Muslim women's rights.
This training will equip
them with adequate
knowledge and skills to
do their work more
effectively and
efficiently.
Subjects that will be dealt with in the course include:
1. Islam and its origin and development.
2. Position of Women before Islam.
3. Evolution of Islamic Shariah.
4. Concept of Women in Qur'an.
5. Position of Women in Shariah.
6. The Personal Law in India.
7. Personal Law reforms in Islamic countries.
8. Personal Law reforms and codification of law in India.
These subjects will help
participants to grasp
how the Shariah was
evolved, what steps can
be taken for reforms and
what the possibilities of
empowerment and
liberation of Muslim
women are.
In all there will be 40
participants from all
over India. The training
will be for the period of
3 days from 27th June to
29th June 2008 (both
days inclusive). For
further details and
registration mail at
csss@mtnl.net.in
8. Forthcoming Seminar
'Scapegoats and Holy Cows': State 'Response' to Terrorism
May 29, 2009
Seminar
Time 10am to 4pm
Secular Action Network – June 2008
11
Venue: Main Auditorium, India International Centre, Max Mulellar Marg, New
Delhi-110003
Speakers:
A. Bimol Akoijam, Associate Fellow, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies
Arun Shrivastava, Certified Management Consultant
Dr Syed Ahamed Anwar, State Secretary, Human Rights Wing. TMMK, Tamil Nadu
Justice Rajinder Sachar, Former Chief Justice, Delhi High Court
Hilal Ahmad Meer, Journalist, Greater Kashmir, J & K
Kavita Srivastava, General Secretary, PUCL, Rajasthan
Mahesh Bhatt-Director, Producer, Filmmaker, Social Activist
Nasiruddin Haider Khan, Senior Journalist, UP
PC Tiwari, Human Rights Law Network, Uttrakhand
Prof KN Panikkar, Historian, Social Activist, Writer
Sheema Mohsin, Social Activist, PUCL, Karnataka
Siddharth Vardarajan, Senior Journalist, the Hindu, Delhi
Zaheeruddin Ali Khan, Editor, Siasat, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
Zakia Jowher, Social Activist-Gujarat
-----------------------------------------------------------
Every now and then the Indian State, reaches
out its 'long arms of injustice' to pick a
scapegoat from amidst the Indian population to
cover up its own incompetence to provide
security to its citizens.
The hapless creature, decorated and
demonized by the 'fashion designers' of Indian
officialdom, is then paraded before the entire
nation to create a public spectacle prior to its
ritual sacrifice.
The Bengali speaking Muslim people of Jaipur
are the latest in a long line-up of such
scapegoats.
The Indian state's treatment of scapegoats is
in stark contrast to the 'holy cows' it protects,
irrespective of their trespasses or crimes
against the people of the country.
Whether it be the Hashimpura massacre of
1987, the Babri Masjid demolition and the
Mumbai riots of 1992, the Gujarat carnage of
2002, Nanded Bomb Blast April 6, 2006 or the
recent anti-national activities of the likes of Raj
Thackeray in Mumbai- no one gets even
arrested- leave alone punished for their
terrorist activities.
The seminar mentioned above is being
organised at a very short notice to register our
anguish and protest against the way innocent
people across India are being harassed,
picked up, arrested and tortured in the name of
fighting terrorism. It is also to register our
protest against the well designed plan of
demonising minorities in this country. We
might not be able to document all the cases at
this seminar but this is being organised as a
first step to plan a larger national level
campaign involving citizens and organisations
from across India to resist the state terror.
DO COME AND REGISTER YOUR
PROTEST.
PASS THE INFORMATION TO YOUR
FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES AND FELLOW
ACTIVISTS.
HRLN, PEACE, ANHAD
23, Canning Lane, New Delhi-110001
Tel-23070740/ 22; anhad.delhi@gmail.com
9. Resources
Review of Report of Independent People's Tribunal "The rise of Fascism in India"
Since the ascent of the United Progressive
Alliance [UPA] and their promise of a `riot free
India' many have assumed that communalism
and Communal Violence are on the doctrine due
to the presence of an avowedly secular
government at the center. As the memory of
Gujarat begins to fade, we risk becoming
Secular Action Network – June 2008
12
complacent in the fight against those responsible
for the 2002 pogrom. In this context, an
Independent people's Tribunal was convened in
March 2007 in order to assess the state of
communalism in an UPA-led India. During this
tribunal, over 300 victims and activists from 17
states came to relate their experiences of
communalism to a jury of eminent personalities
prominent in the struggle for communal
harmony.
The testimony during the tribunal exposes faith
in central UPA rule to be not only misguided,
but also extremely dangerous, as it fosters
complacency at a time in which the growth of
Hindutva activity, in both intensity and scope,
continues uninterrupted. It is a perilous mistake
to equate the efforts of Hindutva with
mainstream BJP Politics and further to assume
that the defeat of the latter cripples the former.
Instead, during the last four years, the Sangh
Parivar has continued its efforts on an
unprecedented scale, not only deepening their
influence in strongholds like Gujarat, Rajasthan
and Madhya Pradesh but also making
considerable headway in states thought to be
strongly secular such as Kerala, Goa and West
Bengal. Indeed, the two most visible
manifestations of Communalism, the communal
riot and the BJP, may have longer be central to
the ultimate objectives of Hindutva, as the
former invites scrutiny from an increasingly
active civil society and the latter moves toward
the center in an effort to be electorally viable.
Hindutva operates at a micro level, encouraging
the socio-economic and educational boycotts of
minorities, co-opting marginalized its
propaganda through the regional press. These
avenues of Hindutva activity often go unnoticed.
What this tribunal has aptly demonstrated is both
brutality of the communal riot and the everyday
forms of violence that are increasingly
dominating the expression of communalism in
India today. Most importantly, this tribunal has
clearly shown that both forms of violence are
engendered by the creation and perpetuation of a
particular worldview that can be legitimately
termed fascist. As a result of the inculcation of
this mindset, it seems that in many parts of
India, communal riots are no longer necessary to
devastate and suppress minority populations.
The socio-economic and educational boycotts,
the small-scale but daily physical violence faced
by minorities and assert the control and
supremacy of the majority. As such, it is
important that our focus move beyond the
communal riot to concentrate on how this
mindset is developed and disseminated, and
further how it manifests in the daily lives, rather
than the spectacular occurrences, of India's
minorities.
Perhaps the most critical and successful effort of
Hindutva forces in the creation of fascist mindset
has been their national project to constitute and
consolidate the Hindu community. Though the
Sangh Parivar began its movement largely
among the urban upper caste and middle class
Hindu population, it has in the last two decades
significantly extended its reach to co-opt Adivasi
and Dalit groups as the foot soldiers of its
militancy. The result of this effort was made
explicitly clear during the 2002 Gujarat pogrom.
Several of the deponents who testified during the
IPT described the efforts of the Sangh Parivar
among marginalized groups. In particular, the
efforts of the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram and the
Ekal Vidhyalayas, both extensively funded by
ministries of the Indian government and
foundations based in the Diaspora like the India
Development and Relief Fund, were singled out
for their importance in simultaneously promoting
a canonical and intolerant form of Hinduism, and
building the political institutions necessary to
promote violence.
The second major site of constituting and
consolidating the Hindutva forces has been
through textbooks. Education is crucial in
imparting certain ideas and visions about society
and those contained within it. Both the
government and the Sangh Parivar have
recognized this and used textbooks as a medium
to construct particular view of the Indian nation
and communicate its ideals and norms to
students. According to expert testimony, the
versions of the government and of the Sangh
Parivar [when in control of the government and
in private publishing] vary only in degree.
The pervasive communalization of the Indian
press is another disturbing trend borne out by the
IPT. This communalism appears to take two
forms; each epitomized by either the English of
Indian languages press. The native language
press in many areas, particularly Gujarat and the
Hindi Belt often represent the interests of the
Hindutva. They, through both sins of
Secular Action Network – June 2008
13
commission and omission, portray Muslims and
anti-national, while often fabricating or
exaggerating instances of violence against
Hindus. False information spread through the
language press has become a regular feature of
the buildup to a communal riot, as was famously
observed in Gujarat 2002. In the U.P. Section of
the IPT, we were told of the dangerous lies
spread by the language press during last year's
riots in Lucknow and Mau. Though Muslims
were the primary victims of the riots, the
language press falsely reported the kidnapping of
Hindu girls and slaughter in Hindu
neighborhoods. As in Gujarat's 2002 pogrom,
these fabrications had significant
consequences, sharpening the intensity of the riot
and inciting people to commit violence.
In order to understand how communal violence
appears in Indian today, it is crucial that we shift
our gaze from the communal riot to the process
by which communal violence is made routine. In
contrast to the riot, the most prevalent forms of
communal violence happen everyday. Among
others, manifestations of this include the denial
of education, social and economic boycott, and
deliberate harassment from the state, and
symbolic acts of humiliation. The pervasiveness
of this violence structures the experience of
India's minorities, and seriously undermines its
claim to be a free and secular Republic.
In every state, the testimony gathered at the
Independent People's Tribunal speaks of the
growth of this micro-violence, which is a result
of the increasing appeal and success of a
majoritarian fascist worldview. The growth of
this mindset, independent of secular political rule
at the center, is the single greatest warning of
this tribunal. Absence of concrete and zealous
efforts to undermine this propagation of this
worldview, communal violence is likely to
increase and perhaps engulf this nation.
As majoritarian fascism is fundamentally a
worldview, its effects are felt in the daily ways in
which victims go about their lives. As such, it is
crucial that activism be framed in those terms,
and formulates strategies that address the routine
material existence of a victim of communal
violence. Communal violence, whether in the
form of a riot or sustained discrimination,
continues long after the event itself, without
long-term strategies to ensure victim's continued
ability to earn a living. We are unlikely to make
a significant and lasting difference in their lives.
"The Report carries detailed versions of the
depositions and well witnessed experiences
during last 2 decades both during the NDA
regime and the present that goes like a horror
movie".
The dried up blood line with tiny drops around
on the cover page (and we know too well where
it springs down from..). will inspire you to try to
wipe it from the cover itself .. and the drops will
laugh instead of giving a cry in pain... It's only
one more way to express our tributes for those
innocent lives.. and costs just Rs.450/- (cost of
your shirt or pant or a week's tea cups .. in case
we can't eliminate fascism .let's see how it
eliminates some more .. and we may become of
them ..Some day.
Note: for copies; (Rs 450)
Please contact: HRLN, 576, Masjid Road, Jangpura, New Delhi - 110
014 (publications@ hrln.org) PH: 011-65908842, 24374501, 24378854,
24379855-56, 24376922, Fax: 24374502
++
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Editor: Ram Puniyani, ram.puniyani@gmail.com, www.pluralindia.com
Patron: Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer, Advisory Board: L.S. Hardenia, Digant Oza, Irfan Engineer
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