[sacw] Letter to the editor on attacks on Kabirpanthis

[Harsh Kapoor]

FYI [The following letter was sent to a prominent Indian Newspaper]
South Asia Citizens Web
-----------------------------------
Letter to the editor :
February 20, 1999

Sir,
This is to bring to your attention the attacks on 'Kabir Panthis', by members
of B.J.P., V.H.P., Shiv Sena and other affiliates of Sangh Parivar, in
Jammu and Kashmir. On 13 th Sept. the procession of Kabir Panthis was
attacked by the members of Sangh Parivar in Akhnoor. The persecution of
Kabir Panthis by these "Cultural Nationalists" is on the rise and their
(Kabir Panthis') property and lives are also under threat.In violation of
the democratic rights guarenteed by the constitution, entry of Sant
Madhu Paramahans has been barred in to the state(J&K), under the pressure
of these "Cultural Terrorists"

Kabir is the tallest amongst those who stood against the orthodoxy and
obscurantism imposed by the Mullahs and the Brahmins. He opened the doors
of his knowledge to all the poor of the society ,irrespective of their
religion and caste. For him different Gods are the manifestation of the the
same spiritual force. He did succeed in bringing together people from both
the religions around him. Also as the pioneer in Syncretic Religion and
composite culture his words found a pridee of place in Guru Granth Sahib.
Sangh parivar (SP) is guided by the precepts of Hindu Rashtra, and in
pursuit of this it has been persecuting those following "Foreign
Religions" (Muslims and Christians) so far. With persecution of Kabir
Panthis the messege being sent is loud and clear that all traditions
,which dont conform to the SP defined culture (i.e. Brahminical Hinduism
based religion) will have no place in the scheme of things being dictated
by SP. This assault on the democratic rights of different sects has to be
condemned and opposed tooth and nail to save the basic tenets of Indian
Constitution, which seems to be more and more under threat with the
progenies of SP taking aggressive stance in the social and political
scene. We all must reject this insult of Indian Constitution and the
threat to the the democratic rights of different types of minorities.

P.R.Ram
(Secretary)
EKTA: Committee for Communal Amity
Mumbai, India.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
eGroup home: http://www.eGroups.com/list/act
Free Web-based e-mail groups by eGroups.com