[sacw] SACW Dispatch (2 Sept.99)

[Harsh Kapoor]

South Asia Citizens Web Dispatch
2nd September 1999
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Contents:
#1. India: SABRANG ALERT - AUG 31, 1999
#2. Bangladesh: Webpages on ongoing excavation of 1971 war victims
#3. Janes Defence Weekly on India Pakistan
#4. Sri Lanka: Religious Fundamentalism Threatens Women
#5. 21st International Conference on Privacy & Personal Data
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#1.

SABRANG ALERT (AUG 31, 1999)

SECULARISM: SECURITY TO LIFE AND PROPERTY TO ALL

>DARA SINGH STRIKES AGAIN
27 Aug, 1999
"The infamous Dara Singh, prime accused in the murder of Australian
missionary Graham Staines and his two sons, struck again yesterday. After
lying low for more than seven months, Singh attacked the shop of a Muslim
youth, Shaikh Rahman, in Pedisbeda village, 145 km from Baripada, and set it
on fire. He also attacked Rahman and threw him into the fire.
A badly-burnt Rahman was shifted to Karanjia Hospital later, but succumbed
to his injuries. Singh, absconding since Staines ghastly murder, surfaced
around 4.30 pm yesterday at Pedisbeda's weekly market and attacked Rahman's
shop. Singh and his associates had threatened the deceased.
Rahman received severe burns on both his legs and body and died at around 10
pm yesterday.

>DARA SINGH COMMITS TRIPLE MURDER
January 23, 1999
Dara Singh committed a tripple murder when he torched alive Graham Steins
and his two young sons. The Wadhwa Commission was appointed to investigate
the killings.
Dara Singh has miraculously escaped the hands of the Orissa police.

>'DARA SINGH IS NOT A HINDU': BAJRANG DAL
30 Aug MID DAY
The state Bajrang Dal has been quick to condemn the killing of Rehman, the
young Muslim trader, by Dara Singh, at Padiabeda.
State coordinator of Bajrang Dal Pratap Sarang, talking to MID-DAY, said,
"Dara Singh has a record of criminal activities in Koonjhar and Mayurbhanj.
He committed the dastardly murder of Staines and now he has brutally
butchered this Muslim trader. We demand exemplary punishment to Dara. No one
who behaves like him can be a Hindu."
''The Congress was trying to involve us; now the Congress government has a
lot of explaining to do. How could a crime like this be committed at a time
when the police was supposedly alert after the Staines murder? Whose
patronage is Dara getting? It is that of the Congress government - not that
of the Bajrang Dal or the Sangh Parivar government."

>'BANDH CALLED AS DARA ELUDES ARREST'
August 30, 1999
All political parties except the BJP and its ally, the Biju Janata Dal, have
called a statewide bandh on Wednesday in protest against last week's killing
of a Muslim trader at Padiabeda village in Mayurbhanj district in which Dara
Singh, prime accused in the Staines case, is allegedly involved.
The Orissa government has increased the award for Dara Singh's head to Rs. 3
lakhs.

SANGH PARIVAR'S FASCISM BUT WHY ARE SEUCULAR PARTIES SILENT?
WHERE DOES IT AS A SECULAR PARTY STAND ?

DEMANDS:
All secular parties should take a categoric stand on the matter.

Secularism at the very basic level means equality in protection of life and
property. This is where minorities have suffered the most ?

Which party is prepared to pledge itself to this basic, inviolable right in
a secular state?

That we stand for the Equal Right to Life and Protection of One and All that
is the basic principle of every secular DEMOCRACY.

These two background articles are very useful on the issue of the the
Steins' murder

Wadhwa Backgrounders
Two excellent articles on the murder of Graham Steins and his sons in Orissa
in January 1999 by Dara Singh, a Bajrang Dal and RSS member. They were both
written on August 19-20,1999 before Dara Singh struck again committing
another ghastly murder, his time of a Muslim trader, Rehman also in Orissa.
Except the left parties, all political formations, even the so-called
secular ones are silent.

(17th august, The Statesman)
Tushar Gandhi, great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation
who gave his life fighting the divisive and hate-mongering politics of
communalism :
"THE MURDER OF STEINS AND HIS TWO SONS AND THE EVENTS LEADING TO IT ARE VERY
SIMILAR TO THE PLOT THAT LED TO THE KILLING OF MAHATMA GANDHI. IN BOTH
CASES, MORE THAN THE ACTUAL MURDERERS IT IS THE ORGANISATION BEHIND THEM
THAT ARE THE REAL CULPRITS. "

After the murder of the Mahatma on January 30, 1948, although it was common
knowledge that the murderers were known sanghis and Hindu Mahasabhaites ,
both the organisations were never proven guilty of their role in the killing
of the Mahatma. The help that Godse and his gang got before and after the
murder was only because the entire sangh machinery was geared up for action.
Godse of Pune got his initial funds and weapons for the failed attack
ofJanuary 20, 1948 from Mumbai and Aurangabad. He received funds and
hospitality everywhere in the offices of the Hindu Mahasabha and the Sangh.
Although there was supposedly bad blood between the two organisations. After
the bomb attack of January 20, Godse was again sheltered by the sanghis and
the Mahasabhaites. Known Mahasabha and sangh members assisted their
unhindered return to Mumbai and their hunt for a suitable weapon. All this
while Madanlal Pahwa, the bomber of January 20 was singing to the Delhi
police and had revealed the identity of his co-conspirators. He had gone to
the extent of warning them, "phir ayega". The killer will come back.
Nathuram and Apte flew back to Delhi from Gwalior and carried out their deed
on Jan 30, 1948. The Hindu Mahasabha and the RSS immediately arranged their
defence. Apart from this at various places the sanghis and the Mahasabhaites
distributed sweets to celebrate the killing of the Mahatma. Godse vented his
spleen in court and try to justify his act by painting himself as the
ptotector of Hinduism and an avenger of Bharatmata. Who put these ideas
into his mind ? Was he born with the poison in his mind? If the final act
then was due to the poisoned mind, then wouldn't the poisoner also be guilty
of the crime?
The Bajrang Dal and the other sanghi organisations may not have issued
written or verbal orders to kills the Steins but the systematic hate
campaign launched by the sanghi organisation was a pre-planned ploy to
trigger of acts by lunatic fringe.
That the two actions happened simultaneously but did not have any bearing
on each other is unbelieveable ; There was a definite nexus.
The other pointer to all the pogroms against the Christians was being
orchestrated and premediated is the fact that the minds of the common people
were systamatically desensitised. The gruesome murder of Graham and
particularly the two innocent children did not generate sufficient revulsion
among the people on the street. The propagandist shouted down every protest
under the new found slogan of Hindu Dharam Khatre mein hein.
The hasty and uncalled for character certificate given to the Bajrang Dal by
home minister L K Advani in the wake of the Steins killing was similar to
those given to the Sangh and the Mahasabhaby their sympathisers in the Govt
and Administration in the wake of the murder of the Mahatma.

Dara Singh a known follower of the Bajrang Dal's programmes is conveniently
being shown as a rouge. But the aren't the people who spread the carnad of
mass conversions by Christian missionaries more to blame for the killings of
the Steins?Are the Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Danga Vahini not
guilty for poisoning the minds and triggering off the acts of the lunatics.
Is then the Rashtriya Svayam Sevak Sangh the provider of the poison not
guilty of the fanatical acts of its offsprings?
The clean chit may elate the Sangh's but will the bloodstains of its victims
wash off so easily ? Legally they may walk away---but morally they are
murderers

(15th August, The Indian Express)
DARA LINKED TO SANGH : GOVERNMENT COUNSEL
By Vrinda Gopinath

ACCORDING TO THE COUNCIL'S SUBMISSION, BASED ON THE MATERIAL ON RECORDS
BEFORE IT "THERE IS SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT DARA SINGH'S
ASSOCIATION WITH THE RSS AND THE BAJRANG DAL RENDERS THE MATTERS OPEN TO
FURTHER ENQUIRY AND INVESTIGATION BY THE CBI "
Counsel took the view that no organisation should be given a clean chit
until further notice. Govt counsel, senior advocate of the supreme court,
Gopal Subramaniam, and his team of three advocates, noted in their
submission, "It appears that even in order to rule out the involvement of
any organisation, it is appropriate to that a thorough investigation is
undertaken by the CBI
According to the counsel's report, the material on record baesd on witness
accounts and police record show that Dara Singh was an active member of the
Go Suraksha Samiti, a programme sponsered and implemented by the Bajrang Dal
and the VHP that he had campaigned for the BJP in the parliamentary
elections of 1998 ;
He attended RSS camps he held out himself as a Bajrang Dal activist
And that he believed in the strong propagation of Hindutva. The counsel
believes one telling evidence of his association with the Sangh Parivar was
the submission made by an official witness, Lalit Das , former
suprientendant of police of Keonjhar. (Manoharpur village where the crime
was committed is located in this district. Dara Singh's association with the
BJP was so well known that it was not necessary to inqiure into his
antecedents " said Das. The counsel's report however said that " Dara Singh
is an active /supporter of the Bajrang Dal there is no doccumemntary
evidence to prove that he is a member or office bearer of the organisation".
The report also noted that any person in the age group of 15-45 can become a
member of the Bajrang Dal with an annual fee of Rs 5 but no membership card
is issued except for a receipt

SABRANG ALERT NO. 2

ADVERTISEMENT CAMPAIGN CREATES WAVES

The week-long ad campaign that has been exposing the prime minister's
leadership and the sangh parivar has created waves all over the country.
The India Today, The Asian Age and Zee TV have reported at the RSS anger at
the ad that appeared on Tuesday, 31 Sept. It uses Rajendra Singh's quotation
on the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi made last year, Jan 1998 on the 50th
anniversary of the assassination.
Many newspapers like the Asian Age and small newspapers in UP etc are
carrying the ads which they term as "Conscientising Voters."

This is going to be Communalism Combat's and Sabrang's reply to the RSS
stand that the sangh had nothing to do with Gandhiji's assassination:

YES
IT WAS THE IDEOLOGY THAT KILLED THE MAHATMA

In a letter to the RSS chief, Golwalkar, on the ban on the RSS following
Gandhiji's assassination, Sardar Vallabhai Patel had written,
" It was not necessary to spread poison in order to enthuse Hindus and
organise for their self-protection. As a final result of their poison, the
country had to suffer the sacrifice of the invaluable life of Gandhiji. The
RSS man expressed joy and distributed sweets."
(from a publication, sympathetic to the sangh parivar, Truth Triumphs,
distributor : Sahitya Niketan, Hyderabad -57. Published in 1997; According
to the book, the Letter was written by Sardar Vallabhai Patel on 11th
September 1948)
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#2.
Web pages on the ongoing excavation of newly discovered killing-fields
from Bangladesh's 1971 liberation war have been launched.

http://www.liberationmuseum.org

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#3.
From: Janes Defence Weekly, Vol 32 No 8, 1 September 1999

* Rivals claim battlefield neutron capability
Both India and Pakistan are claiming the capability to build neutron
bombs for use as battlefield weapons, barely six weeks after
disengaging militarily in northern Kashmir state.

* India has initiated preliminary talks with Dassault Aviation of France
over the purchase of up to 18 Mirage 2000D fighter aircraft to form
part of Delhi's projected minimum nuclear deterrent.

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#4.
SRI LANKA: Religious Fundamentalism Threatens Women

By Feizal Samath

COLOMBO, Aug 21, (IPS) - Gains made by women in achieving equality and
freedom from fear and violence are under threat from religious
fundamentalism in many parts of Asia, says an internationally known human
rights advocate.

Dr Radhika Coomaraswamy, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence
against Women, believes that in many regions of the world, women face
serious obstacles set up by extremist groups.

Whether it be the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in India or
Islamic fundamentalists in Pakistan, these movements successfully
camouflage themselves as cultural renaissance.

''We see this fundamentalism growing in South Asia and the Middle East,''
the Sri Lankan scholar, now preparing for a visit to Afghanistan, told IPS .

She said religious fundamentalism is among crucial issues that would
confront women in the new millennium and it was up to the international
community to work with local groups to fight against oppression of women in
whatever guise.

Coomaraswamy, Sri Lanka's best known human rights activist is due to visit
Afghanistan from Aug 29 to Sep 12 to review the situation of women there.

She will be accompanied by Kamal Hossein, a former foreign minister of
Bangladesh and presently UN Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan. They are
traveling from Pakistan.

News reports and accounts by volunteers say that the situation in
Afghanistan, particularly with regard to women and children, is appalling.

Taliban fundamentalists who stormed and took over Kabul in September 1996,
have banned education for girls and women with schools and universities
closed to them.

Jobs outside the home are not permitted except in all-female hospital
wards. Western clothes and makeup are banned and there are reports of
women's lips being mutilated after lipstick was detected.

High-heeled shoes that clatter and sandals are forbidden and women may not
use public toilets and baths.

Women may not speak to men other than family members, or attend social
gatherings other than weddings and funerals, where men and women are
segregated, the reports said.

The UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women usually visits
countries on invitation by concerned governments. The invitation from
Afghanistan however has come from the former Rabbani government, which is
recognised by the U.N.

''The Rabbani government controls a small strip but I hope to get
permission from the Taliban to visit Kabul, once I get to Pakistan. UN
agencies are generally given permission to visit Kabul,'' Coomaraswamy said,

Coomaraswamy and her Geneva-based coordinator are expected to visit
Kabul, Kandahar and Jalalabad where she plans to document the plight of
women and submit a report to the U.N.

Since her appointment in 1994, the rights specialist has traversed the
world probing and reporting on the situation of women and raising their
problems effectively at international fora.

''Violence against women in the home and in armed conflict seems to be
universal phenomena and though it differs in different regions in terms of
intensity, we have found it everywhere,'' she said listing out common
problems faced by women in most countries.

A global approach was necessary to deal with these issues, she said adding
that she has advocated the use of international standards in local law to
tackle these problems.

''Governments generally recognise these problems but inaction by the state
is one of the main reasons why violence persists.. ....they must implement
programmes to prevent gender-related violence,'' Coomaraswamy noted.

The U.N received no complaints from the Scandinavian countries because
''the situation relating to women there is good.''

Coomaraswamy who is visiting India, Nepal and Bangladesh this year to
study the problems of trafficking of women is critical of a South Asian
draft convention due to be signed by regional leaders at their annual
summit in Nepal in November.

''This was disappointing from the framework of international norms mainly
because it seemed to be a law and order convention and not even a rights
convention. The definition of trafficking was very limited and did not take
into consideration the modern forms of trafficking,'' she said.

The convention also did not have any specific violations dealing with
human rights abuses and it spoke of rehabilitation and repatriation of
victims without a properly planned programme, she said.

Other UN officials say that UN Human rights commissioner Mary Robinson has
written to the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
secretariat in Katmandu saying the convention was below international
standards.

Robinson has recommended that the convention not be taken up at the
leaders' summit.

Coomaraswamy said many Nepalese and Bangladeshi girls are either bought or
kidnapped by middlemen and taken, across the border, to the brothels of
Bombay and Calcutta in India.

''Many of them are underaged children abducted against their will and
subjected to sexual slavery,'' she said.
''Nepal is trying to formulate extensive legislation to prevent this but
the corruption in the criminal justice system is such that border guards
can be bribed... police can be bribed, so there is a whole culture of
tolerance that has to be dealt with,''

The Sri Lankan expert, whose is the executive director of the
Colombo-based International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES) has not been
allowed to probe her own country's situation. ''One does not go to one's
own country since one would be not be an impartial observer.''
(END/IPS/fs/rdr/99)

[c] 1999, InterPress Third World News Agency

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#5.
The 21st International Conference on Privacy and Personal Data
Protection. Hong Kong, September 13-14, 1999. A distinguished group
of over 50 speakers/panelists from overseas and Hong Kong will explore
the theme of "Privacy of Personal Data, Information Technology &
Global Business in the Next Millennium."" Sponsored by the Office of
the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data in Hong Kong. Contact:
icc@a...

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