Political Charter Adopted by the Aman Ekta Manch CONVENTION FOR THE DEFENCE OF INDIAN DEMOCRACY April 21, 2002, Rajendra Prasad Bhavan, New Delhi

Political Charter
Adopted by the Aman Ekta Manch
CONVENTION FOR THE DEFENCE OF INDIAN DEMOCRACY
April 21, 2002, Rajendra Prasad Bhavan, New Delhi

This convention expresses serious concern at the blatantly cynical attacks on all democratic norms and practices being mounted by the fascist machine of the RSS/VHP, with the benign connivance of the BJP which heads the Central government. The Godhra massacre has been unequivocally condemned by all democratic minded people. However, what has followed it in Gujarat has shocked the conscience of the entire country. Never before in our history have we been forced to witness this gruesome spectacle of the systematic and planned genocide of a hostage population over weeks, inside a state that has now been turned into no less than a concentration camp. Never before in our history have we been forced to watch the brazenness of a Central government that has allowed this macabre dance to go on unchecked for such a long period. All independent investigations, including that of the National Human Rights Commission and the Minorities Commission, have established the culpability of Narendra Modiís state government beyond any doubt.

The way in which the draconian POTA was passed and the way in which it is sought to be implemented by the Modi government, selectively against the minority community shows that the Central government is consciously abetting the crimes of the Modi government. The blatant justification of the doings of Modiís government by the BJP national executive and its cynical move to reap electoral benefits from this situation makes the Central government equally guilty in the matter. Today a situation has been created where neither the state government, nor the Centre, can be trusted in putting an end to violence, or in the disbursal of relief materials in an impartial manner.

We also note with concern the fact that in pursuit of their sinister aims, the fascist gangs are stopping at nothing. They have used rape and sexual violence as instruments of terror. They have systematically tried to subvert every institution of the state. There is a breakdown of the constitutional machinery and the Constitution itself hangs in a state of suspension ó a situation that is further shamelessly justified by the Prime Minister. Article 21, that guarantees the right to life, has become meaningless in the current dispensation in Gujarat. On the one hand the leaders of the Sangh combine are openly stating that they do not recognize the authority of the Supreme Court or any other institution; on the other, honest police officers and bureaucrats who attempted to stop these premeditated attacks on the Muslims, are being continuously hounded. The media is being labeled ëantinationalí for having exposed their game, and physical attacks on mediapersons have become common in the state. In fact, whoever, opposes their designs is branded ëantinationalí. Even common people who have tried to intervene out of purely humanitarian considerations have been targeted in this same perverted phraseology.

In the land of Mahatma Gandhi ó that apostle of nonviolence who fell to the bullets of the politics of hate espoused by the Sangh ó today lie the ruins of his dreams. What happened in Gujarat is really an assault on the pluralism and the best traditions of Indian culture.

This convention also notes with serious concern that while the RSS has sought to justify everything that has happened, it and its surrogate organizations have slowly but surely succeeded in producing, as some kind of common sense, the idea that they alone represent all the Hindus. This is a pernicious development. This idea, it needs to be asserted, has been made common sense through the naked use of terror, endless propagation of lies and browbeating of democratic and sane voices within the community into silence. In order to be able to carry out their genocidal activities against the minorities, they must first silence dissenting voices among the Hindus. The fear today, therefore, is all pervasive.

It is worthwhile remembering, in this context, that even at the time of its forming the Central government, following the 1999 elections, the BJP polled a mere 23.75 percent of the total votes. Recent election results in various states and in the Delhi Municipal Corporation have shown clearly that there has been a rapid erosion of even that support. Even if we assume that all BJP voters, in 1999, voted on the Hindutva plank ó which is certainly not the case ó the evidence shows that large masses of its voters have moved away from it.

It is urgently necessary therefore to contest the fascist claim therefore that they represent all the Hindus ó not to speak of representing the entire nation. We recognize that there are similar processes of marginalization of the saner, democratic voices at work within the Muslim community. One kind of aggressive sectarianism inevitably only strengthens the others. The inexorable result of the self-fulfilling logic of this kind of politics is that it stifles all differing voices within its own community and clears the ground for an endless civil war. And who but the poorest of the poor are made cannon fodder in this dangerous and cynical game? This is a tendency that must therefore be resisted in every possible way. A parallel effort therefore, needs to be made to expand and consolidate this fast shrinking space of democracy.

We can also not fail to underline at this critical juncture that the struggle has now acquired dimensions that envelope the entire South Asian region: sectarian jehadi Islam feeds on and in turn strengthens the Hindutva fascists. The recent attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh need also to be condemned in the harshest possible terms. While international opinion has rightly pinned down the jehadi terrorists, there is still no such clarity about the fascist/terrorist role of the RSS and its surrogate organizations. We need to understand and must break this symbiotic relationship between the two. This can only be done by strengthening and deepening subcontinental solidarities among democratic forces that have been growing over the past few years.

In the face of all this, we call upon all concerned ó democratic minded people of all communities, individual citizens, all political parties and mass organizations ó to resist this onslaught on democracy and democratic rights in a coordinated manner.

We demand that:
1. The Narendra Modi govt. be immediately dismissed and criminal proceedings be instituted against it as there is enough evidence of its culpability, in the independent investigations conducted till now.
2. In the light of the Goa meeting of the BJP and the PMs speech there, we also demand that the resignation of the Central government, forthwith.
3. In order to ensure impartiality all Relief and Rehabilitation work be conducted under the supervision of a specially constituted committee comprising representatives of all political parties, citizens' and human rights groups, and of the National Human Rights Commission. A special fund under its jurisdiction can also be constituted to ensure its impartial use.
4. All those, who have by omission or commission, been guilty of abetting violence in the state ó be it Godhra or the subsequent genocide ó be brought before an international trial.
5. A full-fledged and impartial inquiry into the Godhra incident be instituted and all the details be made public at the earliest. All those found guilty should be adequately punished.
6. Criminal proceedings be initiated against the VHP and Bajrang Dal.
7. All state officials who have been victimized for performing their duties must be immediately reinstated.
8. That Gujarat be placed under Presidentsí rule and elections be held only when normalcy returns.
9. All steps should be taken to ensure that with respect to the damages of all property and livelihoods, status quo as on February 27, 2002 be restored. The Central government must give interest free loans to rebuild houses and provide all else that might be necessary to give security and financial support to the affected people so that they can begin life afresh.
10. Immediate steps be taken to expedite the filing of FIRs by the affected people and police officials who refuse to do so be brought to book. We extend full support to the PIL filed in the Supreme Court recently and concur with its contention that fresh complaints be invited from the victims and these be treated as FIRs.

We call upon:
1. All people to strengthen resistance to extremist and sectarian politics within their respective communities and not allow a handful of terrorists to speak on their behalf.
2. All non-BJP NDA allies to break away from the BJP led government.
3. All non-BJP political parties to close ranks and not allow sectarian differences to come in the way of a bigger movement to defend the vitals of Indian democracy.

Let us join hands and coordinate our efforts across the length and breadth of the country in order to stall the menacing advance of the fascist gangs. Let us join hands to fight the virus of communalism in every form. We will not forget what the communal violence of the past decades, especially the 1984 anti-Sikh pogroms have done to our lives. We affirm that communal politics is opposed to all religiosity ó it is neither Hindu, nor Muslim nor Sikh, even though it might don a religious garb. We therefore, pledge to struggle at every level and build up resistance to these forces right from the mohallas and villages up to the all-India level.

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