[sacw] SACW #1 | 29 Mar. 02

[Harsh Kapoor]

South Asia Citizens Wire - Dispatch #1 | 29 March 2002
http://www.mnet.fr

__________________________

#1. Bangladesh : a) several opposition leaders, intellectuals,=20
cultural activists inhumanely tortured in remand in police custody=20
(ASK)
b) Amnesty International Text re developments in Bangladesh
#2. India: URGENT appeal re Holi in Gujarat
#3. India: An Open Letter to the Mask of Sangh Parivar (Ram Puniyani)
#4. India: Javed Akhtar Interview (Lalita Panicker)
#5. India: reaction to the Statement by Farooq Sheikh (Amit Chakraborty)
#6. India: Rumours mask the brutal reality of Gujarat violence (Jawed Naqvi=
)

__________________________

#1.

28 Mar 2002 14:34:12 +0600
URGENT APPEAL

Ain-O-Shalish Kendro (ASK), Dhaka, Bangladesh was informed that=20
several opposition leaders, intellectuals, cultural activists were=20
inhumanely tortured in remand in police custody. According to=20
victims' statements given in the court and as published in the news=20
papers, it is known that they were taken to an unknown place=20
blindfolded, were beaten severely, subjected to electric shock in the=20
most sensitive parts of their bodies, as well as having their bodily=20
integrity violated. Inspite of the Court's reminder that torture in=20
custody was not permitted, they were so tortured.=20

There have been various reports of recent police action against=20
political, civil and cultural organisations; for example, a rally in=20
protest against water scarcity organised by civil society in=20
Chittagong on the occasion of World Water Day- could not be held due=20
to police action.

ASK is expressing great concern against such oppressive action from=20
the establishment. The flagrant violation of peoples civil and=20
political rights may endanger democratic process and human rights in=20
Bangladesh.

Our urgent appeal to all Human Rights Organisations and activists all=20
over the world is to be aware of this situation and express=20
solidarity to protect democracy and human rights in Bangladesh.

Sultana Kamal
Executive Director

o o o o o

A related urgent appeal from Amnesty International at=20
http://www.stoptorture.org/steps/index.htm:

2002-03-27
TORTURE: URGENT ACTION NEEDED
3866

Name: Bahauddin Nasim & 1 other
Country: Bangladesh

Bahauddin Nasim (m)
Dr Mohiuddin Alamgir (m)

The above named two senior members of Bangladesh's main opposition=20
party, the Awami League, have reportedly been severely tortured in=20
police and army custody. They appear to have been arrested on=20
politically motivated grounds. There are strong fears that they may=20
be at risk of further torture. Dr Mohiuddin Alamgir has reportedly=20
been denied medication for his diabetes, without which he may become=20
gravely ill and eventually go into a coma.

Bahauddin Nasim is a private secretary to the leader of the Awami=20
League, Sheikh Hasina. The Awami League was in power from July 1996=20
until October 2001, when it was defeated by the Bangladesh=20
Nationalist Party (BNP), under Begum Khaleda Zia.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Bahauddin Nasim was detained at the Dhaka Zia International Airport=20
on 28 February, when he was due to fly on a visit to New York. He was=20
told that he was being detained on suspicion that he had organized an=20
attack against a motorcade rally of opposition leader (now Prime=20
Minister) Begum Khaleda Zia in June 2001. The next day, 1 March, a=20
court remanded him in police custody. His lawyers warned the court=20
that he might be tortured, and the court specifically told the police=20
that he should not be mistreated in custody.

While he was in police and army custody in the capital, Dhaka,=20
Bahauddin Nasim says security forces tied his hands and feet and=20
covered his head with a bag, hung him upside down from what felt like=20
a ceiling fan, and spun him round while beating him severely with=20
glass bottles filled with water on his buttocks, knees, elbows, hips=20
and genitals. He also says he was given electric shocks. He was=20
reportedly tortured for five days, in the joint interrogation cell=20
used by army and police for interrogation.

Following a court order of 1 March, he was allowed visits by his=20
lawyers and family, and he told them how he had been tortured. When=20
he complained that he was in severe pain, the Bangladesh authorities=20
appointed a medical board to examine him. The board delivered a brief=20
note to the Court stating simply that Bahauddin Nassim had "mild ache=20
at dorsal spine". They made no mention of his complaint that he had=20
been tortured, and there are grounds to believe that the medical=20
board may not have recorded or disclosed the details of the alleged=20
torture in this note. His family have asked for Bahauddin Nasim to be=20
allowed to receive medical attention from an independent medical=20
authority, so far without success.

Dr Mohiuddin Alamgir was arrested at Dhaka Zia International Airport=20
on 15 March, for investigation of allegations that he had instigated=20
government officials and employees to join a rally against the then=20
BNP government of Begum Khaleda Zia, in early 1996. The current BNP=20
government has started disciplinary proceedings against more than 180=20
civil servants who joined the rally.

On 24 March, Dr Alamgir was brought to court following an application=20
on his behalf for the police to produce him before the court. He=20
testified that while he was in police custody three masked men had=20
beaten him with lathi (bamboo sticks) and glass bottles filled with=20
water. He said he was beaten severely on his buttocks, feet and other=20
muscular parts of his body, and was not allowed his medicine for=20
diabetes. He asked the magistrate to record his statement, but the=20
magistrate reportedly simply noted that he had been tortured and did=20
not order an investigation.

Thank you for taking action in Amnesty International's campaign to=20
stamp out t orture. You have joined the many other people who have=20
taken action to stamp out torture.

The next step for you to take is to send a message directly to the=20
proper auth orities. Amnesty International has designated the=20
following contacts of having r esponsibility in the case of Bahauddin=20
Nasim & 1 other. An appeal from you to th e authorities will have=20
impact. You can help stop torture. Every appeal counts. A personal=20
message to perpetrators of torture is an individual's most powerful=20
tool in the fight to stamp out torture. PLEASE CONTINUE TO ACT.

**************************************************

Recommended Actions

Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in English or=20
your own l anguage: * expressing concern at reports that Bahauddin=20
Nasim and Dr Mohiuddin Alamgir have been tortured in custody; *=20
urging the government to ensure that the prisoners' statements that=20
they hav e been tortured are properly investigated by an independent=20
body; * urging the authorities to bring to justice any police=20
officers or members of the security forces found to have used=20
torture; * urging the authorities to allow the prisoners to be=20
examined by an independe nt and impartial medical body.

Email: pmo@p...

Please send a copy of your message to us at Amnesty International by=20
copying u s in at cc.appeals@a... If you should receive a=20
reply from the official you have emailed please send a copy to us at=20
gov.replies@a...

Or write to: Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia Prime Minister=20
Office of the Prime Minister Gona Bhaban Sher-e Bangla Nagar Dhaka=20
Bangladesh

Telegram: Prime Minister Zia, Dhaka, Bangladesh Fax: +880 2 811=20
3243 Salutation: 'Dear Prime Minister'

**************************************************

Write to: Mr Altaf Hossain Chowdhury Minister of Home Affairs -=20
Ministry of Home Affairs Bangladesh Secretariat Building 4 Dhaka=20
Bangladesh

Telegram: Minister of Home Affairs Chowdhury, Dhaka, Banglad=20
Telephone:- Fax: +880 2 8619667 Salutation: 'Dear Home Minister'

**************************************************

Write to: Mr Nurul Huda Inspector General of Police - Police=20
Headquarters Fulbaria Dhaka Bangladesh

Telegram: Inspector General Huda, Fulbaria, Dhaka, Bangladesh=20
Telephone:- Fax: +880 2 956 3362 Salutation: 'Dear Sir'

______

#3.

URGENT ATTENTION * URGENT ATTENTION * URGENT ATTENTION * URGENT=20
ATTENTION

We appeal that

=A7 The President makes a call for restraint or a stop to Holi=20
(dhuleti) celebrations in Gujarat;
=A7 The President as Commander of the Armed Forces calls the Army to=20
be on a red alert and be present at all sensitive locations tomorrow=20
March 29, 02 in the state of Gujarat especially Ahmedabad
=A7 The President directs and ensure the preventive arrest of all=20
those lumpen leaders (many of whom, unfortunately are elected=20
representatives of the ruling BJP) who have been witnessed as leading=20
the violence in Gujarat in the past month.
=A7 The President directs the removal of chief minister Narendra Modi=20
and his cabinet who have failed in their basic constitutional=20
obligations

Teesta Setalvad=20
Javed Anand

An extremely disturbing, inflammatory and seditious pamphlet (text=20
included) is being distributed in hundreds of thousands in Ahmedabad=20
city for the past 48 hours. It is calling upon the trained and armed=20
cadres of the RSS, VHP, BD and BJP to indulge in more violence=20
tomorrow, the day of the festival of Holi--March 29, 02.

It uses filth and abuse that reveals the mindset of the perpetrators=20
of violence; it is anonymous so that authorship and responsibility=20
cannot be pinned down in law and action not taken; moreover, past=20
outbursts of systematic violence in Gujarat reveal that such=20
pamphlets have worked their intent in furthering murder and=20
destruction on the streets.
" From Vatva to Naroda, Bapunagar to Kalupur,
On 29th March there will be a call, take Ram's name and attack,
We will kill Muslims the way we destroyed Babri,
We will burn Jamalpur and empty Dariyapur,
Whether it is an old chawl or miya's, we will not leave you,
We Hindustanis swear we will seek you out and kill you,
This is the tradition of Raghukul and we never foreswear,
Let Sonia have dogs like Farroukh Shaikh or Haji Bilal,
We will treat them like Aisan Jaffery,
Muslims have darkened the skies with the smoke from burned shops,
We will cut them and their blood will flow like rivers."

(From the text of the pamphlet received by us enclosed as an annexure=20
[posted below])

The record of the present government in provoking cadres for the=20
first two days by calling the reaction to Godhra swabhavik pratikriya=20
(understandable/natural reaction)and worst still, marginalising those=20
IAS/IPS officers who have resisted political influences and performed=20
their duties as enshrined in the Indian Constitution leaves little or=20
no room for doubt that the grim intent to further perpetuate=20
annihilation and violence against the minority community as=20
enunciated in the pamphlet need not be an empty threat.

The President of India and the Chief Justice are called upon to=20
respond to this state of affairs which is like nothing experienced by=20
the Indian union before. In a desperate hope, the Prime Minister of=20
India, Atal Behari Vajpayee and Home Minister L.K.Advani are also=20
being appealed to-- to honour their Constitutional Duty if not their=20
Ideological Affiliations.

Instead of responding after death and mulilation have taken place,=20
the Indian State -- that still remains wedded to the Indian=20
Constitution -- must call for a restraint or stoppage to Holi=20
(dhuleti) celebrations, call for the President as Commander of the=20
Armed Forces to call the Army directly to red alert and be present at=20
all sensitive locations and finally to ensure the preventive arrest=20
of all those lumpen leaders (many of whom, unfortunately are elected=20
representatives of the ruling BJP) witnessed as leading the violence.=20

Finally the occasion calls for the immediate removal of the chief=20
minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi and his cabinet and the handling=20
of law and order by a machinery, unhindered by political affiliations.
The occasion demands an intervention by the President of India Shri=20
K.R. Narayanan. The occasion also behoves interventions by the Chief=20
Justice of the Supreme Court.

Teesta Setalvad=20
Javed Anand
Annexure
Text of Pamphlet (received by us on March=20
28, 02)=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20

Wake up=8A. Get up=8A.=20
Be united
{Reply to bricks with stones}
Today the minority community is trying to crush the majority=20
community. The Muslims should be ashamed that even after 50 years of=20
independence they have not become Hindustanis, but they have no idea=20
of the strength of the majority community.Muslims are traitors as=20
compared to Hindus-the Godhra killings and the razing of the Sindhi=20
market have proved this. Till now, Muslims were showing their=20
treachery only in Kashmir, then they extended their activities to the=20
Parliament in Delhi and now they have made a great blunder by=20
challenging Gujarat. Now the Muslims cannot be protected from the=20
Hindus by either the police or the army-or the vote-seekers or the=20
political parties who pamper them.
When India got her independence, there were 3 crores (30 million)=20
Muslims in India. Now on the 50th anniversary, there are 35 crores=20
(350 million). Understand=8Abe warned=8A, in five to ten years they will=20
be as many as us. Nobody is preparing a cricket team that=20
(?army)=8A..that is being prepared by Pakistan.

Police and army you also beware, you are also Hindus. You can also be=20
attacked. You should also support Hindus. We Hindus support the=20
police and the army fully.

My Hindu brethren, unite and form a Free Indian Army just like the=20
one during the struggle for independence. Annihilate the enemy and=20
lighten the burden of sin, which the country is carrying.
>From Vatva to Naroda, Bapunagar to Kalupur,
On 29th March there will be a call, take Ram's name and attack,
We will kill Muslims the way we destroyed Babri,
We will burn Jamalpur and empty Dariyapur,
Whether it is an old chawl or miya's, we will not leave you,
We Hindustanis swear we will seek you out and kill you,
This is the tradition of Raghukul and we never foreswear,
Let Sonia have dogs like Farroukh Shaikh or Haji Bilal,
We will treat them like Aisan Jaffery,
Muslims have darkened the skies with the smoke from burned shops,
We will cut them and their blood will flow like rivers.
Free Indian Army is the union of Hinduism. Thousands of our brethren=20
have joined it.
You also join and give your support to save Hindustan.
Thanks to Narendra Mody, we salute you, after Sardar Vallabhbhai=20
Patel, a hero is born
Gujarat is proud and the glory of India is in your hands.=20

0 0 0 0
[Also See News Report in Hindustan Times
http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/280302/detNAT03.asp ]

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#3.

Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2002 10:44:08 +0530 (IST)

Putting Crocodiles to Shame
An Open Letter to the Mask of Sangh Parivar

Ram Puniyani

Dear Mr. Prime Minister,

The nation watching your shedding the crocodile tears, sorry your
performance was far superior to the proverbial crocodiles' shedding tears,
has become a matter of routine by now. One wonders if as a measure of
complimenting you in your skills, crocodiles themselves may adopt the term
Vajpayee tears. Surely the faculty of your alma mater, the RSS, are
overwhelmed with joy at the performance of one who can call the Gujarat
anti-Muslim Pogroms as a shame, a kalank, one who can pretend so
convincingly that he is disturbed by the genocide of Muslims in Gujarat
and is in grief, while celebrations are on in his patriarchal Parivar
house. Incidentally your alma mater is also complimenting itself for the
ease and efficiency with which Hitler's gas chambers have been given more
innovative adaptations in their Laboratory of Hindu Rashtra, Gujrat.

How else does one explain the utter silence, apathy and just a mild
reprimand, if at all, to The Chief Minister of Gujarat, another fellow
swayamsevak, who is brusquely claiming his efficiency in controlling the
riots in 72 hours, when even after three weeks, Gujarat is continuing to
burn? How else can one explain your not being able to find time to wipe
the tears of the haggard community whose back is being broken by
destroying their sourcebof livelihood? How else can one explain utter and
total disregard in providing any relief to a community battered and
butchered in the most heinous crimes ever committed in India?

One keeps being reminded of your frame of mind in these situations. You
must be constantly memorizing your Shakha Bible "We or our nationhood
defined", where your Guruji gives instructions about dealing with the
'internal threats to the Nation' a la Germanyt which preserved it
'Nationalism' by wiping out the minorities in a physical way. You are not
a good product of Shakha for nothing, you do remember the instructions
given to you very well.

Except for those who have been gullible enough to be impressed by your
'shows ' of beinx a 'good man', most of us have seen your mask slipping
too often and seeing your brutal face as a 'swayamsevak', willing to pay
any price to uproot the democratic values, wanting to pursue the agenda of
Hindu Rashtra. One remembers the times of Babri demolition when you were
supposed to be uncomfortable etc. and later the ease with which you
asserted that this is what happens if the sentiments of majority are
ignored for long. We also recall your call for national debate on
conversions in the wake of anti-Christian attacks. We also recall your joy
of being amongst your clan in Staten island in the dollar land and
declaring your privilege of being a swayamsevak. We know where your real
loyalties lie. We come to know at such occasions that it is not Indian
'Tan Man' (body and soul), which you are proud of but it is 'Hindu Tan man
Hindu Jeevan', (Hindu soul and body; Hindu Life), which keeps you ticking.
It is at those times that your true credentials are reemphasized to your
own ideological kith and kin, and your worth and importance to the
'peddlers of hate', the Sangh Parivar, becomes more obvious.

Your gentleness is projected to trap the power hungry allies like
Fernandes, Mamata or Paswans into the net of NDA, which is a ruse to keep
strangulating the plural culture and democratic ethos of the country. We
remember that you fed Khichdi to the greatest Kar sevak turned Ram sevak
of the present epoch, the one who 'used' Lord Ram to collect votes and
bring your party to power, Mr. Advani. And later he duly complemented not
only your ability to cook the Khichadi but also realized your
indispensability to lead the Maha-khichadi coalition. He realized your
capability and potential of creating secular illusions by genuine sounding
expressions while hiding the iron claws of Hindutva in the maze of
brilliant oratory. And correctly he proposed your name for the Prime
Minister-ship, while he was in a position to nominate himself for this top
slot. But he knew better and you were anointed to lead the Mahakhichadi.
Many a components of this Mahakhichadi, which you are using to spread the
Secular aroma, had to use your name, 'good man in a bad party' etc. so
that they could shamelessly plunge to enjoy the spoils of power while
dumping their old principles and values.

You in your majestic style have since been making most of the 'correct'
noises to ensure that they are kept in good humor while your Parivar
members can keep digging at the democratic, plural and composite roots of
our Nation, can keep harassing the minorities one after the other to
implement the hidden agenda, which any way is not so hidden by now, of
Sangh Parivar in a subtle and manifest way.

If at all there is some RSS sponsored 'Hindutva Ratna' award you do
deserve it many times over. Nothing has proved it more than the present
Gujarat carnage being done right under your nose when you are busy
touching the feet of mahants and acharyas and making the show of weeping
into your handkerchief for the 'kalank' of Gujarat. The 'beauty' of your
'kalang strategy' is to kill many birds with a one or two 'touching
words', literally so. While your Parivar member, Modi is getting kudos
from all the Khaki knickerwallahs, whole nation is watching helplessly the
crimes against the humanity, crimes of commission and proactive omissions.
Your coining of terms of sorrow, one after the other is enough to keep
your 'conscience' clear of the failure in doing your constitutional duties
of providing security to the people of this country. But any way, deep in
your heart you know you are doing no wrong, as swearing by this
constitution is another play acting, as you know that this constitution is
based on 'western values' so should be scrapped, (as your boss
Sarasanghchalak Sudarshan enunciated so clearly), and the one based on
Hindu Dharma Granthas has to be brought in. What better Hindu values we
need with one of your alma mater killing father of the Nation for his sin
of pampering the minorities and another one supervising the Anti-Muslim
pogroms in such a 'competent' fashion. Fortunately for you, the
swayamsevak colleague doing his 'patriotic' duty in Gujarat is doing such
a 'brilliant' job in your Laboratory of Hindu Rashtra that you just have
to silently clap while shedding the crocodile, nay Vajpayee tears, for the
horrific violence, which is shaking most of the nation barring you and
your Parivar.

May Lord Ram bless you for providing oratorical velvet cloak to the
Trishul shaped dagger of your own Sangh Pativar.

Sincerely

An Enraged Indian

(Writer works with EKTA, Committee for Communal Amity, Mumbai)

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#4.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=3D5105658
The Times of India
FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2002
INTERVIEW
Sangh's Flop Show

'Moderate Muslim' is a term commonly used to describe eminent script=20
and lyric writer Javed Akhtar. It is a term he resents. Does it mean=20
that all Muslims are fundamentalists, unless specified otherwise, he=20
queries. Akhtar spoke to Lalita Panicker about his growing disquiet=20
over the Sangh Parivar's attempts to communalise Indian society:
Do you see a pattern in recent developments like Ayodhya, the Gujarat=20
carnage and now POTA?
Yes, I do. There is an attempt to marginalise and terrorise political=20
dissidents, adversaries and minorities. I share the fears of all=20
liberal and secular people about POTA. The government says it needs a=20
stronger law to fight terrorism, but shies away from defining=20
terrorism. Why, because any definition of terrorism will make it=20
obvious that the VHP and Bajrang Dal indulge in terrorism against=20
minorities. Obviously, a government that wants to hide this reality=20
will use this draconian law against minorities.
In Gujarat, only Muslims were arrested under the Prevention of=20
Terrorism Ordinance while not even an FIR was registered against=20
others who committed the same kind of heinous crimes! The subsequent=20
withdrawal of POTO in Gujarat and Maharashtra shows how callously it=20
was used. Mr Narendra Modi was forced to step back because his=20
discriminatory actions were becoming a source of great embarrassment=20
to the BJP at the Centre and its allies. In Maharashtra, those=20
opposing POTO have been accused of double standards. Its withdrawal=20
is nothing but political expediency.
We have seen what happened with the Terrorist and Disruptive=20
Activities (Disruption) Act.
Over 77,000 people were arrested, but the conviction rate was less=20
than two per cent.
Why is Gujarat so prone to such violence?
Gujarat is the citadel of the sangh. Given an opportunity, they would=20
like nothing better than to turn the whole country into Gujarat.
Do you think they will succeed?
No, they won't. There is a world of difference between 1992 and 2002.=20
People outside Gujarat are deeply repulsed and disgusted by what has=20
happened. I have spoken to people in six different cities after=20
Gujarat. There is a strong sense of disenchantment among different=20
strata of people.
But Narendra Modi is something of a hero in the sangh.
That should tell you about the morality and aspirations of the sangh pariva=
r.
In a recent TV discussion, you mentioned that RSS ideologues believe=20
that ultimately the minorities should not be given even the right to=20
vote. This was immediately refuted by Uma Bharati.
Do you stand by your statement?
I do. Mr Golwalkar, who is referred to as Guruji even by Mr L K=20
Advani, published 'We: or our Nationhood Defined' in 1939. In chapter=20
five, page 48, he says the minorities may stay in the country=20
''wholly subordinated to the Hindu nation, claiming nothing,=20
deserving no privileges, far less any preferential treatment, not=20
even citizens' rights''. Uma Bharati's denial was no surprise. Truth=20
has always been a dispensable commodity for members of the sangh=20
parivar.
What could be a solution to the Ayodhya imbroglio?
The government should understand that the fundamentalists of both=20
communities are part of the problem, and can never be part of the=20
solution. The particular plot in Ayodhya does not belong to either=20
the VHP or the Babri Masjid Action Committee. It belongs to the=20
nation. Educated, secular and liberal people should come forward to=20
find the solution.
But the government prefers to talk to fundamentalists. When has it=20
ever talked to any sensible person? Civil society should get together=20
and campaign for a national monument to be built in that place.
Do you think 9/11 has affected the way people view Muslims across the world=
?
The sangh parivar's obsessive hatred for minorities existed much=20
before 9/11. Ultimately, their attack is not on secularism but on=20
democracy and its institutions. This is pure fascism. Look at how=20
Slobodan Milosevic started his cleansing campaign. He dug up the=20
grave of a king called Lazaar who had died 800 years ago, and put it=20
in a coffin that was paraded on a chariot through every city. His=20
message was: the Turks came and killed him and now you must take=20
revenge. The concept of time vanished, people reacted
as though the incidents happened only yesterday.
Do you see a distinction between the BJP, VHP, Bajrang Dal etc?
I am not so sure. In Rajasthan, where the state administration moved=20
quickly to prevent any copycat violence, we see the spectacle of the=20
state unit president of the BJP sitting in dharna protesting against=20
the Rajasthan police. On the other hand, in Gujarat, where an=20
unprecedented genocide has taken place, the BJP has expressed its=20
total satisfaction with the police force, except for some officers=20
who dared to mention BJP, VHP or Bajrang Dal activists in their=20
reports. What does that tell you?
How long do you think this kind of ugliness will last?
This is the beginning of the end. The sangh and its affiliates have=20
exposed themselves. An average Indian cannot stomach such ugliness of=20
thought and deeds. There is tremendous frustration in the sangh=20
today. It is seeing political power slipping out of its hands.
People change, priorities change, aspirations change. The sangh=20
parivar is like a mediocre film producer who has given one hit and=20
wants to remake it. But a formula doesn't work indefinitely.
To what extent has minority fundamentalism contributed to the events=20
which have happened?
The sangh has every reason to thank minority fundamentalists. Their=20
vitriolic and aggressive
propaganda has been of the greatest help to the sangh.
What should ordinary Muslims do?
They are in a really unenviable position. All they can really do is=20
hope to survive in places like Gujarat. They must understand that=20
this is not a Hindu/Muslim problem. It is a clash of secularism and=20
democracy versus fascism and intolerance. They have to improve their=20
lot by lending strength to secular forces and by becoming secular=20
themselves.
What clout do Muslim fundamentalists have?
In recent years they have lost a lot of their clout. Whatever is left=20
should be fought by liberal, secular Muslims. Just as the sangh=20
parivar represents a minuscule proportion of Hindus, Muslim=20
fundamentalists are also the mad fringe of society.
What explains the inaction of the other members of the National=20
Democratic Alliance (NDA)?
Did they react to the Christian-bashing we saw earlier? Did they=20
react when Murli Manohar Joshi tried to saffronise and irrationalise=20
education? They make a hue and cry, even as they assure the=20
government that it is in no danger of being toppled. The NDA has kept=20
issues like personal law, Article 370 and Ayodhya out of their agenda=20
but the allies cannot hide behind this fig leaf! The BJP is using=20
them to further its own ends. If they go along with this, they will=20
lose whatever credibility they have left. When the BJP eventually=20
drops them, they will have no place to go.

______

#5.

The Times of India

A common Hindu and a common Muslim are not interested in a mandir or
masjid at Ayodhya.
FAROOQ SHEIKH

[ SUNDAY, MARCH 17, 2002 12:10:20 AM ]
There's no point in saying that the Muslims should, as a gesture of
peace, gift the piece of land or that the Hindus should let a mandir
and masjid co-exist there.
A common Hindu and a common Muslim are not interested in a mandir or
masjid at Ayodhya. It is an issue raked up by politicians and they
want to take as much political mileage out of it as they can.
They will not accept any peace formula as long as they can squeeze
something out of the situation.
In 1992, an apolitical congregation of multi-religious heads had
suggested a compromise formula. If that had been accepted how would
these people have became celebrities overnight?
The common man has to make a conscious effort to see through the
demagogic tirade carried on by both sides.
We need to realise that till this happens politicians will continue
to use us as cannon fodder. Indians need to sit together and decide
on the issue.
(As told to Sakina Yusuf Khan & Rachna Subramanian)

My Reaction on the Statement of FAROOQ SHEIKH

I am not sure whether I will fall in the category of a 'Common Hindu'=20
as standardised by FAROOQ SHEIKH since the specifics in this regard=20
were not pronounced in the statement. So I need to introduce myself=20
most precisely before I put forward my reaction on FAROOQ SHEIKH's=20
statement.

I was born to a Hindu family in the than East Pakistan. During my=20
childhood and school days and as a member of minority community in=20
East Pakistan I became an ardent adherent of Hindu religionism=20
without caring a little even about the Hindu religious practice and=20
rituals. As a member of the minority community it was my way of=20
looking for self-identity and honour in the face of minority bashing=20
perpetrated by the majority community in East Pakistan. After I=20
migrated to India, as a college student, I saw Hindu majority here=20
behaving in the same manner with the Muslim minorities. And so I=20
became a staunch critique of Hinduism and gradually developed hatred=20
against religion. Now in my fifties I have become anti-religion=20
because of its senseless, irrational outfits; because of innumerable=20
bloodsheds and loss of lives caused in the name of religion from time=20
immemorial.

With this background if I am considered as a 'common Hindu' or even=20
not, I declare avow that I am very much interested in Masjid - Mandir=20
issue of Ayodhya. I am interested in rebuilding the 'Babri Masjid' at=20
the same spot where it was demolished. I am not interested whether in=20
the newly built structure 'Namaz' will be offered by the Muslims or=20
not. I am not even interested in the fact that Muslims were not=20
offering 'Namaz' in the said mosque for ages before its demolition.

I am not concerned about whether demolition of 'Babri Masjid' hurled=20
a severe blow at the psyche of the Muslim citizens of India who=20
became apprehensive about their status in post-demolition India. It=20
is the problem of the Muslims that how they will react when pushed=20
back to the wall because of idiosyncrasies of Hindu religionism. I am=20
concerned because it reminds me of Nazi Hitler who started with=20
cleansing of Jews but to finish with cleansing of all those who held=20
rational, scientific views and fought against Fascism. Demolition of=20
'Babri Masjid' made me scared about the future of people like us who=20
are committed to fight against Hindu zealots and their religionism,=20
their fascist approach.

It is not that through demolition of 'Babri Masjid' the space for=20
Muslims for offering their 'Namaz' or prayer has reduced to a great=20
extent. But it has undoubtedly reduced the space for secular and/or=20
anti-religion people to the minimum. The debris of 'Babri Masjid' has=20
brought down the claim of building a 'secular' India, right after the=20
partition of Indian sub-continent in August 1947 on a religion based=20
demarcation, to its debris. Those who propagated that through=20
demolition of 'Babri Masjid' they will make the Muslims of India bow=20
down for their survival before the majority community have in reality=20
thrown down their gauntlet on us who believe in secularism, pluralism=20
of the society. If we do not take up the gauntlet India will go down=20
in the history as a country of non-pluralistic, undemocratic,=20
fundamentalist society. To me rebuilding the 'Babri Masjid' at the=20
same spot where it was demolished is not an issue of providing=20
healing touch to the bruised hearts of Indian Muslims, rather a=20
challenge to defeat the machinations of the 'Hindu fascists.

Some people justify demolition of 'Babri Masjid' arguing that 'Babri=20
Masjid' was built up by Mogul emperor Babur after demolishing the=20
existing 'Ram temple' there. Without challenging the historicity of=20
the argument if we take the argument at its face value we land in a=20
sort of proposition that justifies the action of the people in power=20
acting in a manner detrimental to the values, ethos and sentiments of=20
the people not in power. Babur did it. So the Hindu fundamentalists=20
now in power are doing it. Muslims may, now onwards, do their utmost=20
to thrive into power to undo whatever 'wrong' have been done to them.=20
And the history will go on repeating itself in a spiral. Is that the=20
situation we would like to visualize after stepping into 21st=20
Century? Is that what humanity demands! No -- Never.

And hence, whether I am termed as a 'common Hindu' or not, I demand=20
from the core of my heart to rebuild the 'Babri Masjid' at the same=20
spot where it was demolished.

(AMIT CHAKRABORTY)

______

#6.

DAWN
28 March 2002

Rumours mask the brutal reality of Gujarat violence

By Jawed Naqvi

You remember idols of Lord Ganesha drinking milk all over the=20
country, in fact all over the world, a few years ago? I too had=20
witnessed the "miracle" at that time, in a Sri Lankan temple in=20
Colombo.
Flashing the journalist's accreditation card had helped, as always,=20
to go straight to the sanctum sanctorum, avoiding mile-long queues of=20
obviously the more genuine devotees. A Hindu priest took me through a=20
short-cut that opened to a side entrance of the shrine. Therefore,=20
instead of feeding Ganeshji with milk, because he was looking away=20
from me, I ended up feeding a marble statue of the Nandi bull, Lord=20
Shiva's vehicle, who gulped down all of the brimming teaspoonful of=20
the white liquid without trace.
In Delhi too, there were miles upon miles of meandering queues,=20
during the few days the "miracle" lasted, of devotees at various=20
temples where the so-called milk-drinking marathon was underway. As=20
often happens at the time of these inexplicable mysterious events,=20
there arrived on the stage a few groups of science students from the=20
premier technology institutes of Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai etc who=20
tried very hard to explain the whole affair as an optical illusion or=20
as what they called a capillary action of the marble or stone statues=20
that "appeared" to gulp down tons of milk each day.
As often happens in contemporary India, there were no takers for the=20
rationalists and their scientific theories of capillary action.
People just love to go berserk in India. As they did when a "monkey=20
man" appeared one day in a mohalla recently who attacked residents,=20
mostly housewives, at will. In one case he bit off someone's ear and=20
left scratch marks on the bodies of others. Newspapers were again=20
full of these stories.
The mystery creature was said in several reports to have been spotted=20
by a lot of people but in reality not one journalist or policeman=20
came up with a single eyewitness who could actually describe the=20
beast cogently. The whole thing turned out to be a hoax.
Rumours and myth-making always play a major role of aggravating the=20
insecurity of fractious societies. One full year before the Babri=20
mosque was razed by a Hindu mob in Ayodhya, hundreds of people were=20
calling newspaper offices to find out whether the mosque had been=20
bombed or simply pulled down with bare hands of the karsewaks=20
(volunteers). One year before the event mind you.
And invariably the callers would say that they knew so and so who had=20
heard the news of the demolition on the BBC! So in India if you want=20
to float a rumour, you quote the BBC, and if you want to crush a=20
breaking story, you quote the Doordarshan. That's the equation=20
between their respective credibility profiles that came into play on=20
the day of the imagined demolition of the mosque, roughly a year=20
before Dec 6, 1992.
There have been some rare exceptions to this insidious procession of=20
rumour-mongers in in the country's history. Sardar Patel, generally=20
regarded with suspicion by many for his pro-Hindutva leanings, did=20
the one good turn of his life when he grabbed the radio upon Mahatma=20
Gandhi's assassination to tell the world that his killer was a Hindu=20
Brahmin. That one announcement had saved goodness knows how many=20
innocent lives as communal tempers were quickly calmed all across the=20
country.
Sustained disinformation, superstition, irrational core beliefs,=20
rumour-mongering, everything has played a hand in the ongoing=20
conflagration in Gujarat. Just take that one criminal carnage in=20
Godhra that was efficiently used by quasi-fascist groups and their=20
political patrons in Delhi to rationalize the "natural reaction of=20
the Hindus" to allegations of pre-planned Muslim assault on their=20
train.
That the phrase, "natural reaction", is not Newtonian but very often=20
a convenient fascist construct is evident from its use elsewhere. For=20
example, when a bunch of Muslims allegedly attacked a Christian=20
school not too long ago in Hyderabad over some all too familiar claim=20
of disrespect to Islam, the local Muslim leader used precisely the=20
same phrase, "natural reaction", to justify the vandalism against the=20
school by his goons.
But rarely has the phrase been used to such devastating effect by=20
everyone conniving in the anti-Muslim pogroms, from ministers to the=20
junior most fanatic, as happened in Gujarat.
Nirmala Deshpande, the indefatigable octogenarian Gandhian activist,=20
was speechless after what she saw in Ahmedabad. The lady has seen a=20
few riots, but never she said had she ever witnessed the kind of=20
brutality that she saw in Gujarat. For days after he traumatic visit,=20
Deshpande couldn't speak. Words would get stuck in her throat. Her=20
terrified eyes and trembling hands and lips were all proof of what=20
she had seen.
Two senior journalists, including an Indian and a British=20
correspondent, and a senior officer of the Indian administrative=20
service have given us spot reports that cannot be questioned for=20
their objectivity. They try to demolish some of the myths widely=20
circulated by the quasi-fascist Sangh groups and even more widely=20
believed.
Says Saeed Naqvi, a senior Indian journalist, after visiting the=20
Godhra railway station: "The kar sevaks, on their way back, were=20
misbehaving with some Muslims in the train. They were teasing Muslim=20
women in burkas, and asking Muslims to say "Jai Sri Ram". It was=20
completely uneducated and crude behaviour on the part of these=20
sevaks. There was a lot of sloganeering in the trains all along, and=20
these incidents of misbehaviour."
Naqvi's story is corroborated by a news report in the Jan Morcha=20
newspaper, a Hindi daily published from Faizabad, near Ayodhya, on=20
Feb 25, the place and the time the unfortunate train started its long=20
journey. It also tallies with the findings of Peter Popham of the=20
London-based The Independent newspaper.
"Remember, there were only 58 dead bodies in the train," says Naqvi,=20
flagging us to a problem that lies ahead. "What happened to the rest=20
of the karsevaks? Also, remember, the 58 people to die were mainly=20
women and children. So what happened to the men - the karsevaks?
"How do I know all these things? I know this because I asked the=20
station superintendent. And what is stopping the administration from=20
doing the same and getting to the bottom of the matter?
There are so many missing links in this. How did they actually die?=20
Why isn't the administration trying to answer these questions? Why=20
aren't they taking the list from the ticket collector and tracing the=20
people who escaped from the train? They are all eyewitnesses, aren't=20
they? Track them down. When the Sept 11 attacks happened at the World=20
Trade Center, the US authorities didn't have any names. Here, we have=20
so many.
Peter Popham's account of the Godhra incident is equally revealing=20
insofar as it questions all the axioms of the original sin that=20
triggered the calamity.
"Official investigations are in under way, but the massacre has=20
become a political football and it is hard to imagine any conclusions=20
untainted by political calculation. Fortunately, conscientious local=20
journalists have been hard at work. The evidence they have amassed,=20
together with new witness accounts obtained by The Independent,=20
paints a clear and persuasive picture of an avoidable tragedy,"=20
Popham wrote last week after visiting Godhra.
He adds: "What happened in car S/6 was the hideous finale. The story=20
began nearly 36 hours earlier.
"On the evening of Monday, Feb 25, at 5.30pm, several hundred=20
karsevaks in the temple town of Ayodhya, in Uttar Pradesh, tramped to=20
the nearby station of Faizabad and boarded the Sabarmati Express.=20
They were Gujaratis, and they were going home. Gujarat, in western=20
India, has been the most fruitful breeding ground in the whole=20
country for Hindu nationalists.
"And the karsevaks are Hindu nationalists in the raw: young men with=20
modest education and poor prospects inflamed, thanks to clever=20
propaganda, with a zeal to right India's historic wrongs and repair=20
the Hindus' wounded pride. The organizations that find, inspire and=20
recruit these suggestible young men are the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and=20
Bajrang Dal _ pseudo-religious paramilitary groups committed to=20
building the Ram temple, creating true Hindu rule in India and=20
putting India's 150 million Muslims in their place.
"These were the sort of people who joined the train that Monday=20
evening: young men, heads wrapped in saffron headbands, happy and=20
elated after their stint at the holy site. Think football supporters=20
on the move in one of the old supporters' specials. Many were also=20
drunk or stoned, or equipped to get that way: flexible, tolerant=20
Hinduism has no hard and fast rules about such things. And they were=20
coming back to Gujarat, the only state in the Indian union that is=20
still 'dry'. All the more reason to have a bottle or two tucked away."
Popham then goes into a description of the scuffles and the carnage.=20
Journalists always exaggerate, goes the fascist health warning=20
attached to most sensible news reporting out of Gujarat. But Harsh=20
Mander is a serving government official. What does he make of his=20
visit to Ahmedabad and its surrounding regions?
"As one who has served in the Indian Administrative Service for over=20
two decades, I feel great shame at the abdication of duty of my peers=20
in the civil and police administration. The law did not require any=20
of them to await orders from their political supervisors before they=20
organized the decisive use of force to prevent the brutal escalation=20
of violence, and to protect vulnerable women and children from the=20
organized, murderous mobs. The law instead required them to act=20
independently, fearlessly, impartially, decisively, with courage and=20
compassion.
"If (any present) official had so acted in Ahmedabad, she or he could=20
have deployed the police forces and called in the army to halt the=20
violence and protect the people in a matter of hours. No riot can=20
continue beyond a few hours without the active connivance of the=20
local police and magistracy. The blood of hundreds of innocents are=20
on the hands of the police and civil authorities of Gujarat, and by=20
sharing in a conspiracy of silence, on the entire higher bureaucracy=20
of the country."
There is much more detail, gory detail of man turning into beast in=20
all the above accounts. But before we go into that, we have to=20
resolve whether we have the ability to divine a rumour from a fact.

--=20
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