Press Statement
Date: 12 February 2016
Delhi Government should not sponsor Saraswati Puja
We citizens and residents of Delhi are alarmed to hear of the official decision by Government of Delhi as announced by its Minister of Tourism to hold a large scale religious ceremony in the form of Saraswati Puja on February 13, 2016 at the Central Park in the heart of Delhi. We believe that while state institutions concerned with public safety must do their duty at religious events, the state’s responsibility must end there. The government must not use public funds to sponsor religious events.
This decision by the Government of Delhi violates the secular character of theConstitution and sets an unacceptable administrative and legal precedent, because it will open doors open for misuse of public money. Citizens who are religious believers are free to hold any religious ritual at their will and expense. They can also seek state intervention if their freedom of religion is constrained in any way. But as regards sponsorhip, the state machinery should stay neutral.
- We wish to make clear that our position on this is not directed at any particular form of belief and would be the same for all religions.
- We ask the Government of Delhi to desist from sponsoring the announced Saraswati Puja, and leave it to citizen’s bodies to perform pujas.
- We demand that government return the funds spent on preparations for the event to the public exchequer.
- We also request the artists scheduled perform at the upcoming Puja to avoid supporting this event until it is made clear that it is a private and not state-sponsored function.
Signed by:
- Aasavari , Researcher, Lokniti, CSDS
- Achin Vanaik, Academic
- Aditya Nigam, Academic, CSDS
- AKP Sinha, Ciitzen
- Ali Javed, PWA
- Amalendu Upadhyaya, Editor www.hastakshep.com
- Amit Bhaduri, JNU
- Amit Malik
- Amit Nain
- Anand Patwardhan, filmmaker
- Anita Rampal, Academic, DU
- Ann Ninan
- Apoorvanand, Academic, DU
- Aradhna Pradhan, Research Scholar, JMI
- Asheesh Mamgain, Journalist
- Ashok Lal, Dramatist
- Ayesha Kidwai, Academic, JNU
- Bipin Kumar Sharma
- Bonojit Hussain
- Chitra Joshi
- Dhruv Narayan , Managing Editor, Samajik, CSD
- Dilip Simeon
- Dipak Dholakia (people’s Alliance for Democracy and Secularism - PADS)
- Dipta Bhog, Writer and Educator
- Dunu Roy
- Dwaipayan Bhattacharya, Academic, JNU
- Dwijendra Kali, Academic, DU
- Farah Naqvi, writer and Educator
- Ghazala Jameel, JNU
- Girish Nikam, Journalist
- Harbans Mukhia, Historian
- Haridas T
- Harsh Kapoor, sacw.net
- Harsh Mander, Writer, Social Activist
- Iqbal Ahmad, Journalist
- Ira Singh
- Jagdeep Chhokar
- Janaki Nair, Academic, JNU
- Janaki Rajan, Academic, JMI
- John Dayal, Member, National Integration Council
- K. M. Shrimali, Historian
- Kausar Wizarat
- Kavita Krishnan, AIPWA
- Kavita Srivastava, PUCL
- Kirti Jain, Theatre Director
- Kumar Prashant, GPF
- Kumar Sundaram, CNDP
- Leena Dabiru, Lawyer
- M. Aamir Khan, Activist
- Madhavi Kane
- Madhu Bhaduri
- Mahtab Alam, Amnesty International
- Manasi Thapliyal, Academic, AUD
- Manoj Jha, Academic, DU
- Manoj Mitta, Journalist
- Mansi Sharma, Social Activist
- Moggallan Bharti, Research Scholar
- Monami Basu, Academic, Kamla Nehru College, DU
- Mukul Dube
- Mukul Kesvan, Academic, JMI
- Mukul Mangalik
- Mukul Priyadarshini, Academic, Miranda House, DU
- Mushirul Hasan, Academic
- N D Pancholi, lawyer
- N. Jayaram, Bangalore
- Naveen Gaur, Academic, Dayal Singh college, DU
- Navrekha Sharma
- Neelima Sharma
- Nidhi Gulati, Academic, DU
- Nishant Natya Manch
- Nivedita Menon, Academic, JNU
- Omita Goyal, Editor
- Ovais Sultan Khan, Activist
- Pamela Philipose
- PK Ravindranathan
- Poonam Batra, Academic, DU
- Prabhat Kumar , Research Scholar, DU
- Pradeep Kumar Datta, Academic
- Purwa Bharadwaj, Writer and Educator
- Rahul Govind, Academic, DU
- Rahul Pandita
- Rahul Roy, Film Maker
- Rajesh Sinha
- Ram Rahman, Photographer, Designer
- Ramesh Mumukshu, RTI Activist
- Rana P Behal
- Richa Kohli
- Rizwana Fatima, Research Scholar, Du
- Romila Thapar, Historian
- S V Rajadurai
- Sadhna Saxena, Academic, DU
- Sakshi Aravind
- Samuel Philip Mathew, ’Studies in History’, Centre for Historical Studies, JNU
- Sandeep Tanwar, Academic
- Sania Hashmi, Filmmaker
- Sanjay Kumar, People’s Alliance for Democracy and Secularism
- Sanjay Sahay, Editor, Hans
- Sanjeev Kumar, Academic, Desh Bandhu College, DU
- Sarah Hashmi, Actress
- Sarita Sabiruddin
- Satish Deshpande, Academic, DU
- Satya Shivraman, Writer and Researcher
- Satyam Shrivastava, Director, Sruti
- Shabnam Hashmi, Social Activist
- Shahid Anwar, Dramatist
- Shameera Ashroff
- Shamsul Islam
- Shikha Sen
- Shirin
- Shweta Tripathi, Drector, Sruti
- Sohail Hashmi, Filmamker, Writer
- Sonia Jabbar
- Sonia Mamgain
- Subhash Gatade, New Socialist Initiative
- Suman Keshari
- Sumithra
- Tanvir Aeiyaz, Ramjas College, DU
- Tapan Bose
- Udaya Kumar, Academic, JNU
- Vineet Tiwari, PWA
- Vineeta Bal, Delhi
- Vinerjeet Kaur
- Vipin Tripathi
- Vrinda Grover, lawyer
- Zoya Hasan, Academic