[sacw] SACW | 28 Dec. 02

[Harsh Kapoor]

South Asia Citizens Wire | 28 December 2002

__________________________

#1. Pakistan: The depths of degradation (Ardeshir Cowasjee)
#2. A march towards fascism [in India] (Sitaram Yechury)
#3. Crackers in Pakistan! (Geeta K Menon)
#4. [The agenda of the far right in Pakistan] Post-election issues=20
(Dr Mahnaz Fatima)
#5. Bruised Memories : Communal Violence and the Writer edited and=20
introduced by Tarun K. Saint

__________________________

#1.

Dawn
22 December 2002

The depths of degradation
By Ardeshir Cowasjee

Sir Cowasjee Jehangir (1812-1878), civil engineer and master=20
constructor of Bombay, was asked in 1847 by the British government to=20
execute certain irrigation projects in Sindh.
He completed his work in 1850 and before he returned to Bombay,=20
wishing to do good by the province of Sindh and recognizing the needs=20
of its people, he secured a large acreage of land at Giddu Bandar on=20
which he constructed a hospital for the mentally ill. In=20
acknowledgement of the great philanthropist's gift, the grateful=20
people of Sindh named it the Cowasjee Jehangir Mental Hospital.
In 1967, the psychiatrist, Dr Haider Ali Kazi, a kinsman of that=20
erudite man Allama Kazi, was appointed by the government of Pakistan=20
to head the hospital. In 1975, in keeping with the times, Dr Kazi=20
arranged to have the hospital renamed as the Sir Cowasjee Jehangir=20
Institute of Psychiatry. He served the hospital with the utmost=20
devotion and capability, developing and improving its facilities,=20
until he retired in 1999.
Thereafter, quite naturally, things began to deteriorate and the=20
patients now suffer from want of a top class psychiatrist. Dr Kazi,=20
with great justification, now laments the fact that neither the=20
government nor the people of Sindh have bothered to do anything to=20
ensure that the hospital is maintained and kept in adequate condition=20
to be able to treat the many mentally afflicted souls of this=20
neglected province.
Dr Kazi also relates how during his tenure he had no help from any=20
quarter in his efforts to keep at bay the notorious land grabbers of=20
Sindh - such as Jam Sadiq Ali, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's minister of=20
housing and town planning in Sindh, and his Sindh health minister=20
Katpar. These two did their best to get their hands on the hospital's=20
land ostensibly for the purpose of constructing a low-cost housing=20
colony.
Much later, when the MQM was created by Ziaul Haq and his men for=20
their nefarious purposes, the party's rough and ready men did their=20
best to grab it, ostensibly to build on it an Urdu university. The=20
last serious attempt at grabbing was made under the governorship of=20
Lt-General Moinuddin Haider by a famous hotelier and land developer=20
of Hyderabad. To Dr Kazi's great credit he and his supporters in the=20
medical field have managed to stave off all attacks and preserve the=20
hospital land in toto.
In the second half of the 1990s, psychiatrist Prof Syed Haroon Ahmed,=20
presuming (mistakenly) that Sir Cowasjee was one of my forefathers,=20
approached me, seeking a donation from our family for the=20
establishment by the members of the Pakistan Association for Mental=20
Health of an Institute of Behavioural Sciences (IBS) in Karachi to=20
treat the many mentally sick of the city and the province. Though Sir=20
Cowasjee was no kinsman, he was a fellow Parsi and Zoroastrian, well=20
known within the community. Knowing the many who suffer from mental=20
problems (one expert has put it that out of our total population=20
approximately 20 per cent are afflicted), my brothers, Cowasjee and=20
Cyrus, and I, the trustees of the family Foundation, were the first=20
to donate a substantial sum to the project.
At the opening ceremony of one of the structures, our national=20
nuclear treasure, Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, was strutting around looking=20
highly important (as indeed he is judging from his collection of gold=20
medals). I enquired from Dr Ahmed as to how he fitted into the=20
organization and was told that the man wished to be a member and help=20
in the collection of funds.
Early this month, traumatized and agitated trauma-healer Haroon Ahmed=20
came and asked if I was on talking terms with Abdul Qadeer Khan.=20
Unbelievably, he with a team of men had physically attacked the IBS=20
in an attempt to take it over, and had filed a suit in the Sindh High=20
Court (1232/02), he as plaintiff versus Haroon Ahmed and the Pakistan=20
Association for Mental Health. No, I could not talk to the man, but=20
who was Khan's lawyer? He turned out to be another doctor, this time=20
a doctor of law, Farogh Naseem. Did I know him? Yes, I did.
Naseem is a member of the legal fraternity, has always opposed me,=20
and is a great favourite of the land grabbers and law-breaking=20
builders. Haroon showed me a copy of Khan's plaint. It opens up:
"The plaintiff is a national hero. He is singularly responsible for=20
facilitating the requisition of nuclear technology for Pakistan,=20
developing the 'enrichment of uranium plant' at Kahuta, and an atomic=20
bomb for the country. He has also been the recipient of many awards,=20
including the national awards of 'Nishan-i-Imtiaz' and=20
'Hilal-i-Imtiaz'. Apart from being a renowned scientist of=20
international repute, the plaintiff is a philanthropist with many=20
charitable projects to his credit.
"It is pertinent to point out that the plaintiff derives great=20
respect and trust in society, with the result that many on his solo=20
call richly contribute to any charitable endeavour."
The Pakistan Association for Mental Health, a voluntary association=20
registered under the Voluntary Social Welfare Agencies (Registration=20
and Control) Ordinance, 1981, through its president Dr Haroon Ahmed=20
has in turn filed in the High Court of Sindh, Suit No.1259 against Dr=20
Abdul Qadeer Khan and others, from which I reproduce the following=20
excerpt:
"On 10/12/2002, Dr A. Q. Khan, defendant No.1, who is only the patron=20
of the IBS dispossessed the plaintiff, the allottee of the property=20
where IBS is situated, in the manner outlined hereunder.
"Defendant No.1 entered the premises with armed men and in the=20
company of his brother, Mr Qaiyum Khan, Mr S. M. Farooq, General=20
(retired) Riaz Chowhan, Colonel (retired) Tariq-uz-Zafar, Colonel=20
(retired) Arshad Anwer, Mr Hulail Naqvi and Mr Mushtaq Ahmed.
"It was the peak time for examination of patients. About forty=20
patients were awaiting consultation. It is to be noted that patients=20
suffering from mental disorders of various kinds are particularly=20
vulnerable and susceptible to trauma when faced with a situation such=20
as was created by defendant No.1, his companions, and the armed=20
guards.
"The armed men accompanying defendant No.1 and his associates=20
confronted the IBS security guards, pushed them aside and adopted=20
positions in a somewhat dramatic battle order. A real law and order=20
situation could have erupted. In order to protect the lives as well=20
as the emotional stability of the patients, IBS doctors opted against=20
confronting their assailants.
"Thereafter, defendant No.1 summoned the Honorary Associate Executive=20
Director of IBS, Dr Mohammad Suleman, and informed him that IBS has=20
been taken over and that there has been a change of administration.=20
He was directed to leave and subsequently Colonel Tariq-uz-Zafar, who=20
claimed to have been appointed Executive Director of IBS, forcibly=20
herded the entire staff into a room and proclaimed the change of=20
administration. He further stated that whoever wishes to continue may=20
do so and those who do not may go.
"The entire episode severely traumatized and distressed the patients=20
of IBS. The professional staff of IBS were also traumatized and all=20
of them have since resigned.
"It is to be noted that the suit was submitted before this honourable=20
court on 9/12/2002. The illegal action particularized above took=20
place on 10/12/2002 after having forcibly and illegally dispossessed=20
defendant No.2 and the governing body of IBS, defendant No.1 obtained=20
an injunction on the basis of fraudulent misrepresentation in Suit=20
No.1232 of 2002. It is submitted for the information of this=20
honourable court that one member of the dispossessed governing body=20
of IBS is a learned judge of this honourable court, Mr Justice=20
Musheer Alam."
So far, the land and assets of the IBS are safe. The learned judge of=20
the Sindh High Court, Qurban Ali Alvi, is seized of the matter. As it=20
is subjudice, no comment is being made. However, I would urge those=20
who administer all our schools and educational and health=20
institutions which are funded by the people and possess grababble=20
land, buildings and assets, to obtain copies from the court of the=20
papers relating to these two suits so that they are apprised of the=20
dangers that beset them.
On December 16, I received an e-mail from one of my regular=20
correspondents on the subject of 'Renaming institutes - the next=20
step'. A passage is reproduced:
"One can count at least 30 different institutes from major=20
organizations to schools, colleges, commercial centres, hospitals,=20
football grounds, roads, and even graveyards... that AQK managed to=20
name after himself. The government's announcement to change the name=20
of KRL to Institute of Industrial Control Systems was therefore=20
received as a sensible and progressive act which in fact will do good=20
to the institute as well as the individual. It is indeed a good=20
beginning...".
The depth of our degradation is unfathomable.

_____

#2.

The Hindu
Saturday, Dec 28, 2002

A march towards fascism

By Sitaram Yechury

Only a frontal, secular confrontation can now stop this communal=20
juggernaut from seeking to metamorphose India into a fascistic "Hindu=20
Rashtra".

THE BJP'S phyrric victory in Gujarat and the consequent=20
`Modification' of India that it is seeking to undertake brings into=20
sharp focus the ongoing battle between alternative visions that was=20
sculpted during the course of our freedom struggle. Intense debates=20
took place on what should be the character of independent India. This=20
ideological churning during the 1920s produced three distinct=20
visions. What was later to become the main stream of the people's=20
movement represented then by the Congress envisioned independent=20
India to be a secular, democratic republic. This included federalism,=20
social justice and economic self-reliance as highlights. Distinct yet=20
not antagonistic was the Left vision which suggested that independent=20
India cannot stop with the attainment of the Congress vision but=20
needed to proceed further to convert the political independence of=20
the country into a truly economic independence of our people, i.e.,=20
establishment of socialism.

Distinct, antagonistic and conflicting with this was the right-wing=20
vision which envisaged independent India to be a country whose=20
denomination and definition would be defined by the people's=20
religious affiliations. This vision found a twin expression - the RSS=20
that advocated its fascist "Hindu Rashtra" and the Muslim League=20
which advocated a separate Islamic state.

In fact, the RSS vision was articulated even before its formation by=20
V.D. Savarkar in 1923 in the pamphlet, "Hindutva: Who is a Hindu?".=20
The RSS was founded in 1925. In his Presidential Address to the Hindu=20
Mahasabha on December 30, 1937, Savarkar said: "There are two nations=20
in the main: the Hindus and the Moslems in India". Mohammad Ali=20
Jinnah propounded his two-nation theory in 1939. In this very year,=20
the then RSS chief, M.S. Golwalkar, chillingly articulated the=20
fascistic character of the "Hindu Rashtra" in his treatise, "We, Or=20
Our Nationhood Defined".

Having declared that all others except Hindus are foreign elements,=20
Golwalkar proceeds to state: "there are only two courses open to the=20
foreign elements, either to merge themselves in the national race and=20
adopt its culture, or to live at its mercy so long as the national=20
race may allow them to do so and to quit the country at the sweet=20
will of the national race... There is, at least should be, no other=20
course for them to adopt. We are an old nation; let us deal, as old=20
nations ought to and do deal, with the foreign races, who have chosen=20
to live in our country."

And how should `old nations' deal? "To keep up the purity of the Race=20
and its culture, Germany shocked the world by her purging the country=20
of the Semitic Races - the Jews. Race pride at its highest has been=20
manifested here. Germany has also shown how well-nigh impossible it=20
is for Races and cultures, having differences going to the root, to=20
be assimilated into one united whole, a good lesson for us in=20
Hindusthan to learn and profit by."

Jinnah's vision divided the country, harmed the community that he led=20
and with the break up of Pakistan in 1971, it completely exposed the=20
falsity of the two-nation theory.

Hindu communal fanaticism claimed the life of Mahatma Gandhi when,=20
after Partition, the Congress continued to adhere to its vision of=20
the Indian republic. All through these years, however, these communal=20
forces remained active waiting for an opportunity to advance their=20
objective. The recent events in the country resoundingly vindicate=20
this.

The Left vision was not merely an extension of the Congress vision.=20
It simultaneously contained its critique. The objectives, laudable as=20
they may be, were contained in a vision that was simply unsustainable=20
unless backed by radical economic reforms sweeping away feudal=20
vestiges. This was not possible under the stewardship of the=20
Congress, which for its political survival allied specifically with=20
the very elements that prevented such profound economic changes. The=20
Congress' political compulsions to remain the ruling party laid the=20
seeds of negation of the very vision that it espoused.

The resultant popular discontent amongst the people led not only to=20
protest against the policies of the Congress but more importantly=20
developed a sense of disenchantment with the Congress vision itself.=20
It is this that engendered the rise of the communal agenda.

The sharpening all-round crisis reached a decisive stage in the=20
mid-1980s. The seeds of economic liberalism were laid in the later=20
half of this decade, to become all embracing in the 1990s. The crisis=20
also engendered sharp decline in political morality. In order to=20
retain political power, the Congress adopted disastrous shortcuts.

On the other hand, the consequent growing discontent and=20
disenchantment continued to feed the RSS activities in the later half=20
of the 1980s when it started mounting a fresh offensive. In order to=20
meet this offensive, one of the disastrous shortcuts the Congress=20
employed was an appeasement of communal forces. The reopening of the=20
locks at the Babri Masjid, the shilanyas undertaken by Rajiv Gandhi=20
at Ayodhya, and the appeasement of the Muslim community in the by now=20
infamous Shah Bano case - all projected the Congress as a pale=20
saffron outfit.

The subsequent vacillation of the Narasimha Rao Government at the=20
time of the Babri Masjid demolition and the refusal to mount a=20
secular confrontation of communalism in the recent Gujarat campaign=20
have only reinforced this direction. Further, an autopsy of the=20
election results in Gujarat shows that in as many as 36 seats the=20
result would have been the opposite had only the Congress worked for=20
a `one to one' contest.

Thus, a secular confrontation of communalism which was the hallmark=20
of the Congress during decisive phases of the freedom struggle has=20
now been replaced by a communal onslaught against secularism led by=20
the RSS. It needs to be underlined that secularism for us, in India,=20
is no western concept borrowed in modern times. Way back in the third=20
century B.C., Emperor Asoka commanded in his edicts, "Whosoever=20
honours one's own sect and condemns other sects, out of devotion to=20
one's own sect, intending to glorify it, in acting thus injures his=20
own sect the more."

The RSS never tires of accusing all modern elements, particularly the=20
Communists and the secularists, of having borrowed western concepts.=20
Never mind that they are today wielding control over state power in a=20
system of parliamentary democracy borrowed entirely from the west.=20
Further, if there is any ideology that in the 20th century was=20
defeated by a people's upsurge, it was fascism. It is precisely this=20
ideology of fascism that the RSS has appropriated for itself in=20
India. Golwalkar's hero was Hitler while Moonje's hero was Mussolini.=20
The latter played an important role in the formation of the RSS in=20
1920s. The former gave the RSS both its ideological construct and the=20
organisational linkages to achieve their objective.

Humanity paid a heavy price to defeat this menace. The decisive force=20
in liberating humanity from fascism has been that of the Soviet Red=20
Army and the Communist underground resistance in many of these=20
countries. Similarly, in India, the people are already paying the=20
price for this march towards fascism. However, as the experience of=20
the 20th century shows, these forces are destined to be defeated. The=20
tragedy, however, will be the immense loss of innocent life and=20
destruction of property that this fascist monster will gurgle.

Finally, it needs to be underlined that Savarkar coined the term=20
"Hindutva" as a political slogan. He, in fact, states: "Here, it is=20
enough to point out that Hindutva is not identical with what is=20
vaguely indicated by the term Hinduism."

In this context, it is necessary to remind ourselves once again that=20
it was a majority of Indians, a majority of whom belong to the Hindu=20
fold, that rejected the RSS vision of a "Hindu Rashtra" and embraced=20
the secular, democratic, republican Constitution. It is only such a=20
frontal, secular confrontation that can now stop this communal=20
juggernaut from seeking to metamorphose secular, democratic India=20
into a fascistic "Hindu Rashtra".

_____

#3.

Date: Wed, 25 Dec 2002 18:23:02 -0800 (PST)

CRACKERS IN PAKISTAN!

Geeta K Menon

Narendra Modi said that if the BJP loses in Gujarat,
they will celebrate with crackers in Pakistan. Nothing
is further from the truth. Pakistan celebrates now
with the BJPs resounding victory in Gujarat. The VHP
( and therefore the BJP) and Pakistan have an
identical agenda.They both believe in the one nation
theory that the founding fathers of India refuted.
Pakistan believes India is no place for the Muslims
and so does the VHP ( 29 VHP members won in Gujrat
under the BJP banner.) That the BJP and Pakistan
believe in different ideologies is the first big
Indian myth that these elections have exploded.
The second myth is that the Indian electorate are
wise and sagacious when it comes to exercising their
franchise even if they are uneducated and poor. The
Indian voter has always been gullible, parochial,
communal and often downright stupid. When Mrs Gandhi
raised the slogan -Garibi Hatao! they thought their
poverty will now go away and voted her to power.We
have seen that Patels have to be fielded for Patel
votes , Yadavs for Yadav votes, and irresepective of
the party or the manifesto they represent, often
Muslims too for Muslim votes. Since politicians and
even the media cannot afford to say it for different
reasons we have never called the Indian voter silly,
gullible or stupid - but he has always been.
The third myth is that the BJP is a national
party. It has shown it is a communal party- a hindu
nationalist party - a phrase that the western media
uses to describe them but which they publicly detest.
How else will you explain a particular candidate (now
an MLA) being shown on TV during the campaign saying -
" I will not go to them ( Muslims) and ask them , beg
them for votes" . Even the Prime Minister of the
nation ( not of Hindus , but a nation with 150 million
Muslims) said on the 17th of Dec that "there were
not enough Muslim voices against Godhra...THEY are not
even repentent ..... but it is my responsibility to
take THEM with us."
Doesnt the sad state of our country hurt us as
Indians? We dont even have an Indian Prime Minister
but merely a hindu one!
Contrast this with Gandhiji's vision of India
(chiselled on Rajghat)"--where every individual thinks
of his family before himself, the family thinks of the
community before themselves, the village before the
community, the district before the village, the state
before the distict, and that the States think of the
Country before themselves. Our politicians have of
course turned Gandhi vision on its head.. two of our
states are forever fighting over water in between
breaks in fighting over Veerapan! And Gujarat has
proved that votes count more even if it is at the
cost of isolating an entire community -not a MINORITY
community because 150 million is not a minority that
can be wished away, even if you are Hitler. But the
VHP or the BJP dont have the vision to realise that or
they just dont care.

The fourth and last myth , but which is yet to be
broken.. is that Indians care about their children
and the legacy that they leave them. I am a 36 year
old housewife who has little to do but to try and
bring up two kids with what I think are right values
and a sense of pride in their country.I am fighting a
losing battle. And I am not a Muslim. I dont envy a a
Muslim mother with two kids to bring up with the right
values in our India. Can you find me some answers, Mr
Vajpayee??

_____

#4.

DAWN
22 December 2002
Magazine

Post-election issues
By Dr Mahnaz Fatima

Segregation is a concept that should remain a thing of the past. If=20
dusted and broughtout again for the implementation by the MMA, it=20
will only sink us deeper into non-issues we are grappling with again=20
at the turn of the century.
People are beginning to see that the induction of Muttahida=20
Majlis-i-Amal (comprising six religious parties) is neither expected=20
to have an impact on the influence of foreign lending agencies, nor=20
on the various foreign policy fronts. The presence of the right will=20
most likely be felt on the front of social policy that is likely to=20
be put in reverse gear.
The policy on women is already beginning to surface in the guise of=20
issues taking the form of coeducation, segregation, head scarves,=20
electronic (PTV) media, and cable TV policies.
The MMA members took these up as matters of "foremost significance=20
for the nation," as soon as election results were received. One of=20
the MMA members addressed a gathering of party women in which=20
coeducation and segregation surfaced as key issues that the MMA would=20
be dealing with on a priority basis. That is, coeducation would be=20
abolished and segregation would be introduced. The print media=20
editorials lost no time in cautioning against the above outlook=20
(Dawn's editorial, Oct 22, 2002).
Since the MMA has emerged as the third largest group in the national=20
elections and is also being pursued eagerly for support by the larger=20
party, its pronouncements with regards to women comprising almost=20
half the population can no longer be ignored. If half the country is=20
likely to be affected and profoundly, it is time to address these=20
upcoming issues that we thought had been left behind two or three=20
decades ago. Let us take them up sequentially and in parallel, if the=20
need be.
Segregation makes no sense on earth that men and women are supposed=20
to cohabit by design. Coeducation, therefore, develops tolerance and=20
respect for the other gender and thereby healthier male-female=20
relationships essentially required in life. Some of the most heinous=20
crimes against women are committed in the most backward pre-historic=20
tribal societies, where men and women are kept segregated like=20
animals in a zoo. And some of the worst harassment and teasing in=20
public places has been experienced by burqa-clad women whom perverts=20
find intriguing, like it or not.
Segregation is a concept that should remain a relic of the past that,=20
if dusted and brought out again for implementation, will only sink us=20
deeper into non-issues we are grappling with again at the turn of the=20
century. Unless this move is contained, we will have taken a giant=20
leap in reverse to the times when the late Prime Minister, Zulfiqar=20
All Bhutto, had pulled shrouded women out in the early 1970s from=20
behind a tent in which they had been kept sheepishly huddled in a=20
public meeting. He had said without any inhibitions whatsoever that=20
the world is for the women to live in as freely as it is for the=20
menfolk. There is, therefore, no concept of gender-based distinction.=20
The Law of Evidence is an example when two clergy representing a=20
particular sect had actually walked out from the late General Ziaul=20
Haq's hand-picked Shura as it was not in conformity with their=20
religious beliefs.
None of the above thoughts are any more Western than the concepts of=20
nation-states, parliamentary democracy, capitalism, and technology;=20
all of which we have embraced fondly and irrespective of their=20
origins in the West. Even though women's integration in society is=20
not a notion borrowed from the West, it is viewed as such by our=20
ultra-right who wish to borrow selectively from the West as suits=20
them.
One must know whether it is a good or bad influence that one has=20
adopted from the West. Unfortunately, it is the retrogressive=20
influences that women in the country will need to stand up against=20
after the turn of the century. This time, these seem to be=20
originating from inside the country, or so it might appear on the=20
surface. The symptoms, in this case, are more important to address=20
than the cause. In the process, women will need to guard themselves=20
against losing their right to be the head of the government - the=20
first right a post-revolution Iran granted to its women. It was an=20
Islamic revolution that started off on the note of healthy=20
integration of women into the mainstream. Here, we just have a=20
semblance of it taking off on the note of segregation.
Another symbol of the West that the right views as a bad influence is=20
cable TV. This is despite the fact that cable is not just a source of=20
world news and events, but also of healthy and informative=20
programmes. As for the assault on moral values, it cannot be shut out=20
by banning cable. If this is the only route, then our morals must=20
really be fragile and vulnerable. While some channels can be blocked=20
technically, the most effective barrier is the moral values we impart=20
not just by speech, but by deed that alone can sell well to the young=20
and leave a lasting impression.
So, in a globalizing world, morals cannot be preserved through forced=20
seclusion or isolation. Rather, these should be built to inculcate a=20
moral strength capable of withstanding all temptations. This would,=20
however, be possible if religion is viewed not merely as a form of=20
rituals, but as a complete code of conduct to be acted out in all=20
facets of life and far beyond rhetoric that tends to erode the=20
credibility of most intentions. Is there a policy in the works in the=20
above direction? It is conspicuous by its absence again.
In a similar vein, is the PTV policy being focused upon? A corollary=20
to PTV policy is the women's head-covering policy found all too=20
important by the late Gen Ziaul Haq who, at the same time, did not=20
quite view a bare-headed Madam Noor Jehan's melodious renderings as=20
unreligious. For those who think that the head scarf is a sign of our=20
religion and culture, they ought to also appreciate the fact that=20
folk music is our culture, too. Is music religious or unreligious?=20
Also, if there is a flexibility on the requirement of beards, then=20
why an emphasis on women's head scarves?
Original religious sources may not have categorically specified head=20
scarves or veils for women. Later interpretations may have required=20
them, as women's hair are supposed to emit some rays that distract=20
the opposite gender. Logically then, it is the men who should be=20
donning the veil. During the current reformist debate raging in Iran,=20
a conservative clergy had remarked that there would be no harm in=20
relaxing this requirement in their country, provided the women=20
remained focused on their professional, career and life goals, and=20
would not try to emulate the glamour of some women.
Part of the solution, therefore, lies with women if they were to=20
dress sober and professionally, as it is distraction that needs to be=20
dealt with for which there could be alternative routes rather than an=20
infringement on their basic right to breathe, see, hear and move=20
freely that is imposed rigidly by at least one faction of the MMA.
Head scarves would then be a matter of individual choice. Seeing the=20
popularity of the Western dress for men, dress issues are either=20
trivial or non-existent if seen against the backdrop of the overall=20
requirements for a religious life that should actually be lived more=20
and preached less. This shortcoming is what the bane of our social=20
life is, rather than womankind that the ultra-right wants to make=20
invisible to preserve eroding morals. Women need to rise and block=20
this escape route for those who cannot deliver on their campaign=20
promises in the realm of economics and politics.

_____

#5.

Bruised Memories
Communal Violence and the Writer

edited and introduced by
Tarun K. Saint

Price Rs 475.00 =A3 27.50 $ 38.50
ISBN 81 7046 190 1

This unusual volume explores India's history of recurring communal=20
violence through the feelings and emotions, both of creative=20
persons-writers, poets, artists-and of those who comment on society=20
and politics. Poems, short stories, memoirs, and essays together=20
probe how it feels when violence erupts, turning neighbours into=20
enemies and home into an alien land.
Contributors include Amitav Ghosh, Amlan Das Gupta, Anjan Sen, Ashis=20
Nandy, Badiuzzaman, Bhisham Sahni, Bilquis Zafirul Hasan, D. R.=20
Nagaraj, Deeba Zafir, Dilip Jhaveri, Dilip Simeon, Harish Trivedi,=20
Husain-ul-Haq, K. Satchidanandan, Ketaki Kushari Dyson, Mahasweta=20
Devi, M. K. R. Nair, M. V. Narayan, Nabaneeta Dev Sen, Naghma Zafir,=20
Ranjit Hoskote Ravikant, Shampa Roy, Shormishtha Panja, Sisir Kumar=20
Das, Subha Dasgupta, T. P. Rajeevan, Vijay Dan Detha.

Seagull Books
26, Circus Avenue, Calcutta 700 017.
Ph: 91 33 2403636, 91 33 2407942 Fax: 91 33 2805143
e-mail: books@s...

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