[sacw] SACW #2 (29 August 01)

Harsh Kapoor aiindex@mnet.fr
Wed, 29 Aug 2001 01:28:48 +0100


South Asia Citizens Wire/ Dispatch No.2
29 August 2001
http://www.mnet.fr/aiindex

[ Interruption Notice: The SACW Posts will be interrupted between the=20
period 31st August to 7th of September 2001]

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[1.] Growing intolerance for dissent in South Asia
[2.] US/ Nepal: impact of the global gag rule on family planning=20
services abroad
[3.] India / Kashmir : Women refuse to obey 'burqa' order

-----------------------------------------

#1.

The Daily Star
August 26, 2001
Law & our Rights - Right Corner

Growing intolerance for dissent in South Asia
V.B.Rawat

OF late it has become easier for the fundamentalists in the Indian=20
Subcontinent to decry the voices of dissent and term them anti=20
religion as well as anti national. South Asia is passing through a=20
very peculiar situation where the minorities have lost faith in the=20
governance and majorities consider them anti national. These minority=20
majority relations have in fact affected the relations between=20
different countries. The Hindutva lobby in India always blame=20
Pakistan and Muslims for propagating fundamentalism in the region.=20
According to Hindutva brigade, the Hindu population in Pakistan=20
during the independence was about 12% but at the moment it has=20
drastically reduced to less than 3% while the Muslim population in=20
India has jumped from 12% to 20% and in some areas it has doubled.=20
Now, the ultra Hindus term it as Muslims global conspiracy to rule=20
over the world. They also say that in Pakistan the Hindus are being=20
forcibly converted into Islam and that's why their number has=20
drastically reduced. The Muslims rebut this and says that if that was=20
true than entire India would have been converted to Islam during the=20
1000 years Mughal period.

Various communal disturbances in India have shaken the confidence of=20
minorities in the governance. The blatant partisan role played by the=20
linguistic media and bureaucracy has also pushed the minorities to=20
the walls. Any thing about their rights is simply termed as anti=20
national. Thousands of Muslims were arrested under the Terrorists and=20
Anti Disruptive Activities Act ( TADA) and now hundreds of them are=20
arrested on the charges of being the agent of Inter Services=20
Intelligence ( ISI) of Pakistan. It is easier to blame them as a=20
majority of Muslims in India are economically deprived and react=20
strongly on the issue of identity and religion. The rise of Taliban=20
and Islamic fundamentalism in Pakistan and Bangladesh gave rise to=20
reactionary forces in the Hindutva. Though they were reactionary from=20
the very beginning yet they got legitimacy of a vast growing Indian=20
middle class only after growing fundamentalism in South Asia. In 1987=20
Rajiv Gandhi, the then prime minister of India, over turned the=20
Supreme Court ruling in the Shahbano case, giving a much needed push=20
to the Sangh Parivar. The Muslims had protested vehemently against=20
any changes in their personal laws. While the Hindu fanatics were up=20
in arms against this ' succumbing' of the government to Muslim demand=20
as a matter of 'appeasement' of minorities ignoring their own=20
misdeeds of the past. In the early 50's, the same Hindu fanatics did=20
not allow the progressive Hindu Code Bill drafted by Dr.B.R.Ambedkar.

But the problem is that the fanatics are using each-others fanaticism=20
to defend them. While Bal Thackery certainly defended Salaman=20
Rushdie's book ' The Satanic Verses' and recently released film=20
'Gadar', which was seen as offensive by the Muslim community. All of=20
a sudden, Thackerey started loving 'freedom of expression' and termed=20
the film as a great patriotic film, which every nation loving person=20
should see. Many would know that in the same Maharastra, a young=20
University student wrote a revealing article on lionisation of=20
Chhatrapati Shivaji and Rani Laxmi Bai. The lumpens of Thackrey=20
threatened the publication " The Illustrated Weakly of India' and=20
finally the Times of India group succumbed meekly to the bullying=20
tactics of the political class and apologised. In the Muslim=20
gatherings, the speakers would often cry foul against the fanaticism=20
of Sangh Parivar without trying to tell their own people to reject=20
fanaticism. Their leaders would bring stories as how the Hindu=20
fanatics opposed film 'water' and ' fire'. This was against the=20
spirit of 'freedom of expression'. Deepa Mehta become a role model=20
for many of them ignoring the vital fact that would they allow if=20
anything written about their own culture? The problem is that even=20
the 'progressive' communists don't lag behind in all this cultural=20
dramas. In their den, in West Bengal, the Principle of a college=20
would not allow a girl student to come in Jeans because it is against=20
the culture of the country. When Khushwant Singh termed Gurudev=20
Ravindranath Tagore's writing as very ordinary, the entire Bengali=20
bhadralok was up in arms against him and asked for an apology. Didn't=20
they think that Khushwant has a right to express his opinion if they=20
dislike him they can do so. One may not agree with what Khushwant=20
Singh says but one will have to agree to his right to express himself=20
freely. Fundamentalist Muslims hate Tasleema Nasreen and Salman=20
Rushdie but the likes of Thackrey loves them not because of their=20
literary work but because they decry Islam. Ambedkar wrote 'Riddles=20
of Rama & Krishna" and the book was sought to be banned by

The Hindu lunatics in the name of hurting the sentiments of=20
'majority' community but a massive demonstration of Dalits forced to=20
government to withdrawn its own work. Certainly Ambedkar, Phule and=20
Periyar are not liked by the upper caste fundamentalist Hindus as=20
these people tore apart the so-called tolerant Hindu social system=20
but none of the fundamentalist groups could threaten with=20
intimidation as they had a vast mass following. The problem with=20
fundamentalist and fanatics is that they cannot take on the mass=20
leaders who challenge them. The authors and dissenters who express=20
their individual freedom of expression and who are working=20
impartially on a subject become the target of these custodian of our=20
cultural system.

Prof. D.N.Jha, who teaches history in Delhi University, has become=20
the target of Hindu fanatics for hurting their sentiments. His book "=20
Holy Cow: Beef Eating in Indian Dietary Tradition", has become an=20
issue with the Hindu fundamentalists who have threatened him with=20
dire consequences. The Professor is living under the police=20
protection and many publishers have rejected his thesis as they=20
thought it would hurt the 'majority sentiments'. What Prof. Jha has=20
done? In a remarkable work of academic research he just informs us=20
that beef eating in India did not come after the Mughal rule but it=20
existed much before that and he has corroborated his research with=20
widely quoting texts from Vedas and Upnishads. Though, to a large=20
number of people this looks revealing yet I would like to remind that=20
Ambedkar and Periyar have exposed this long before. Ambedakar and=20
Periyar were not historian in the sense of Jha but none of the=20
fundamentalists could challenge them because they had a bigger mass=20
following. Now the same people who supported film 'Gadar' and opposed=20
Muslim protest to it have started talking about majority sentiments.=20
Jha has not said anything right or wrong about beef eating. He has=20
just brought forward in front of us the ancient Indian texts about=20
beef eating. What argument will the Hindutva lunatics give that=20
during Nepal, the only Hindu Rastra in the world has maximum quantity=20
of beef, though not exactly of cow but belong to the same community.=20
During the past few years, the Hindutva lobbyists got strength from=20
those ' great' souls who looked down upon us as Indians. Nirad C.=20
Chaudhuary and V.Naipal have become their heroes and are often quoted=20
in meetings. One does not know whether Naipal has information about=20
those people who like so much. Whether he understands that=20
subjugation of Dalits in the Hindu social order is a kind of=20
subjugation of thought and dissent.

In Nepal, after the massacre of king Veerendra, 'Kantipur' country's=20
largest circulated daily in Nepalese published an article of Babu Ram=20
Bhattarai, the second in command of the Maoists blaming India, RAW=20
and the monarchy for the Royal killings. Ghimire was arrested on the=20
charge of sedition and remained in jail for at least a week. In=20
Pakistan a senior journalist from leading Urdu daily Nawa-e-waqt was=20
demoted as sub editor after he asked General Parvez Musharraf, an=20
awkward question in his press conference in the post Agra Summit.

This growing intolerance to dissent is the reason for=20
minority-majority relations in the subcontinent. Every thing that=20
happens in each of the seven countries in SAARC virtually affects the=20
other country. India and Nepal claims to have been brotherly=20
relations. Everyone knows what exactly it means. Nepal being a Hindu=20
Rastra, the Indians always think it as the part of their country and=20
no challenge from them because they are surrounded by the Muslim=20
countries. But the recent outbreak of anti Indian sentiments in Nepal=20
has threatened this very basis. The recent Supreme Court Judgement=20
regarding the citizenship rights of about 3 lakh Indian has soured=20
the relations. Pakistan has a famous law for the minority bashing.=20
People from minority communities are arrested under the nefarious=20
'Blasphemy law'. Some of them are facing death sentences. This law is=20
easily manipulated by the Muslim fundamentalists to take away the=20
land of the minorities and threaten them with dire consequences. You=20
can just complain that the person belonging to minority community,=20
Ahmadies or atheists, that they said something against Prophet and=20
you will only get death sentence. There is no blasphemy if you=20
condemn other Gods and prophets of other religion. Great countries=20
have great laws. Why the enlightened Pakistanis don't fight against=20
this dangerous law? How this affect majority-minority relation in=20
India is clearly visible. Muslims are minority in India. Everything=20
that the majority Muslims does to Hindus in Pakistan and Bangladesh=20
will have reversal affect

Bangladesh too had an important law to tackle with minorities. This=20
was their infamous 'Vested Property Act', which gave government the=20
authority to seize the land of minorities in the name of enemy=20
property. There has been wide protest against this black law. The=20
Awami League Government repealed the controversial legislation during=20
its last year of term. In Sri-Lanka the relation between the majority=20
Sinhala Budhdhist and minority Tamils are well known to be told here.=20
Tamil's have reached to a stage of no return in Sri-Lanka and=20
president Kumartunga utilised democracy for her own purpose. Keeping=20
parliament in suspended animation because you don't have a majority=20
does not solve the problem. Why Tamils have reached this stage is=20
fact that majority Sinhalas pushed them to wall. Today, the Tamils=20
and Sinhalas have separate agendas and virtually no unanimity in=20
them. It is the hardliners who are dominating the Sri Lankan=20
politics. The situation in Tamilnadu gets tense if Tamils in Sri=20
Lanka are under threat.

In the social spectrum also, we find that dissent is a highly emotive=20
issue. While people might be discussing race and caste in Durban and=20
our urban middle class may say that caste does not exist and only=20
those who talks of caste are casteist, just four hour drive from=20
Delhi called Mujaffar Nagar had a horrific experience. A young boy of=20
16 years of age belonging to Jat community fell in love with a young=20
girl, 18 years of age, of a Brahmin family from the same village. And=20
their love became an eyesore for the entire village. Both were caught=20
'red-handed' and their parents and the entire village decided that=20
they should be hanged. So according to village justice system=20
prevalent in India they hanged the two young souls. Is this the=20
country we talk of most tolerant one? And shameful was the behavior=20
of our spineless political class. Irrespective of caste line, they=20
supported the move. Some of the columnists also supported that=20
marriage is not allowed inside the 'gotra' because our forefathers=20
had a very scientific view of the situation. Some of them suggested=20
that we should respect the village 'Maryada'. What is village=20
'Maryada'? Is it that each caste should limit itself to its own and=20
there should not be intermingling of caste? There should not be any=20
inter caste marraiges as it is against the Hindu ethos. The Hindu=20
ethos means caste is most important factor than anything else and if=20
any body challenge it he is outside the fold.

Similarly, a young Hindu girl who married to a Muslim boy in Gujrat=20
was threatened by the Hindu Mahasabha people. She was forcibly=20
brought back to 'Hindu dharma', purified by the priests chanting=20
slokas. Unable to bear the pain of separation from her beloved she=20
committed suicide. We always think that it would be great for inter=20
religious and inter caste marriages but are we prepared for this? It=20
is here our 'Maryada' comes in between. It is the dissenting note=20
that the youngsters are sending to their pontiffs and Pundits but our=20
great cultural guardians are there to give an instant justice to us.=20
The instant justice of barbaric age where dissent is considered as a=20
challenge to social norms. How can South Asian rise beyond their=20
narrow sectarian and religious mindset. As long as such things are=20
happening in the name of the dignity and honour of caste and sect. As=20
long as we honour the honoured killings of our daughters and sisters,=20
there is no hope for the South Asian. There is no hope for an=20
ever-lasting peace in the subcontinent because it is the=20
fundamentalists in every religion who are virtually holding us to=20
ransom. They can be made defunct only and only if people reject these=20
age-old notion of caste and religious pride.

Kashmir has been in the news for long. For some it is the war of=20
freedom, for others it is a war for inflicting strict Islamic code of=20
conduct. Hence there is a new code of conduct for women to step=20
outside in the Burqua only otherwise face the ire of the=20
fundamentalists. For many others it is time to indulge in ethnic=20
cleansing so their attack is selectively on the minorities in the=20
region so that their efforts for freedom become easier. All this=20
clearly proves that minorities in South Asia are considered as=20
dissenters and must be get rid off. Whether the Hindu right in India=20
or Muslim right in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Kashmir, there only=20
attempt is to threaten and intimidate the minorities and their view=20
point. But the biggest minority is the minority of dissenters who=20
both the Hindus and Muslims hate because they could challenge the=20
religious orthodoxy with in their own religion. In a recent=20
convention organised by some Muslim groups in Delhi, a self=20
proclaimed Shankracharya certified the Muslims as the patriots and=20
condemned those Hindu leaders who challenged the brahmanical=20
hegemony. His cryptic answer was : Jo apne dharm ka nahee hota who=20
kisi ka bhee nahee ho sakta. ( a person who cannot belong to his own=20
religion cannot be for others). This also reflect that a mere Indian=20
brand of 'Sarva dharma Samabhava' is highly impossible and will=20
hardly respect the dissenters because both the high priests of=20
secularism don't want to give space to the dissenters in their own=20
religion as candidly expressed by the Shankaracharya. There will=20
others who would find fault in others religion and express happiness,=20
which hurt the others and take on the streets if that hurt their own=20
religion. Hence it is not unusual that Bal Thackrey liked film=20
'Gadar', and the Shahi Imam and others certainly developed=20
appreciation for 'Fire' and 'Water'. Isn't it a tragedy that we look=20
into our own houses and give them the dissent a space in our society?=20
How long will we continue to remain ourselves in the medieval period?=20
How long we continue to treat dissent as anti social and anti=20
national. The biggest minority in our subcontinent are neither Hindus=20
nor Muslims but the right thinking dissenters who are equally=20
threatened by these religious goons who have taken over as the=20
cultural guardian of this subcontinent. Isn't it timed to leave the=20
culture on its place? Culture is for people and not vice versa. South=20
Asian must develop love for dissent otherwise it will not able make a=20
place for itself in the comity of civilised zones.

Rawat is a Delhi-based human rights activist

(C) Copyright The Daily Star.

_________

#2.

thenation.com
FEATURE STORY | Special Report
8/23/2001

Fighting the Global Gag Rule

by Isabelle Lindenmayer=20

In July, during the first US Senate hearing to examine the impact of=20
the global gag rule on family planning services abroad, the Foreign=20
Relations Committee heard the story of Min Min Lama, a teenage girl=20
living in the mountains of Nepal. At age 13, she was raped by a=20
family member--and sentenced to twenty years in prison for the crime=20
of having an abortion.

Unable to ignore Nepal's dangerously high maternal mortality=20
rate--one caused largely by unsafe abortions--the Nepal Ministry of=20
Health recently joined forces with a slew of nongovernmental=20
organizations to put an end to the country's restrictive abortion=20
law. Enter: George W. Bush toting the global gag rule, named for a=20
clause that prohibits US-funded NGOs from lobbying their governments=20
to legalize abortion. Exit: all NGOs involved in a decriminalization=20
movement that depends on US funds for survival.

The July Senate hearing was one of several attempts by some in=20
Washington to overturn the global gag rule. With the split currently=20
so close in Congress--a May House vote to uphold the policy passed by=20
a margin of only 218 to 210, and several Senate Republicans have=20
agreed to challenge the rule--there may be hope. On July 26, the=20
Senate Appropriations Committee marked up the Foreign Operations=20
Appropriations bill to include language overturning the gag rule and=20
increasing funding for family planning; on August 1, the Foreign=20
Relations Committee amended the Global Democracy Promotion Act to=20
include similar language. Most recently, the American Bar Association=20
voted to adopt a resolution against the gag rule.

Many Republican politicians, swearing that the gag rule will not=20
affect the health of women in developing countries, are quick to=20
point out that the European Union and private organizations have=20
picked up the financial slack created by what European activists deem=20
"American cruelty." But in the six months since Bush's decision to=20
reinstate the 1984 Mexico City Policy, there have been dramatic=20
consequences for the welfare of women abroad. Countries that have=20
thus far reported serious repercussions from signing on to the gag=20
rule or refusing US funds include Bangladesh, Bolivia, Peru, South=20
Africa, Tanzania and Turkey.

Nepal, with the fourth-highest maternal morbidity rate in the world,=20
is a prime example of a country dramatically affected by the change=20
in policy. Roughly six women in Nepal die every day from unsafe=20
abortions. At the same time, Nepal has one of the most punitive=20
abortion laws in the world--one in five women incarcerated in Nepal=20
are imprisoned for abortion. Women faced with the realities of=20
abortion are often young, with 50 percent of Nepali women bearing a=20
child by age 19.

The Family Planning Association of Nepal (FPAN), the country's=20
largest reproductive health and family-planning NGO, has received=20
financial support from the US government for nearly thirty years. In=20
1994 FPAN launched an advocacy campaign to liberalize the existing=20
abortion law. As a result, the Nepal Parliament is currently=20
considering ratification of the Eleventh Amendment of the National=20
Civil Code, which legalizes abortion up to the twelfth week; abortion=20
in cases of rape, incest or life-threatening conditions would be=20
allowed until the eighteenth week. Abortion after this period would=20
still be punishable by a prison sentence of five years.

The reinstatement of the gag rule forced FPAN to face either=20
deserting its advocacy campaign or losing its US funding. "This is=20
the challenge," Dr. Nirmal Bista, director general of FPAN,=20
explained. "Do I listen to my own government, which has asked FPAN to=20
help save women's lives, or do I listen to the US government?" Dr.=20
Bista chose the former and has lost almost $250,000 in US funds,=20
which could mean the closure of one or all three of FPAN's clinics.

The story of Nepal is one of many that will continue to surface as=20
this restrictive policy halts the progress of women's rights in=20
developing countries. There will come a time when the Bush=20
Administration can no longer pretend not to grasp simple logic--that=20
the penalty inflicted by the gag rule leads to the loss of=20
family-planning funds, which increases unintended pregnancies and the=20
demand for abortion services. Meanwhile, President Bush will continue=20
to assert his conviction that the United States has the right to=20
shape policy abroad, regardless of its effects on free speech,=20
democratic ideals or human lives.

For more information on how to participate in the effort to overturn=20
the global gag rule, see the following sites:

The Center for Reproductive Law and Policy (CRLP) provides a wealth=20
of information on the gag rule as well as explanations of the effects=20
of the gag rule worldwide. CRLP has filed suit against President Bush=20
for censoring the speech of Americans under the gag rule. You can=20
sign an online petition urging President Bush to repeal the policy,=20
or fill out a brief questionnaire on how the gag rule may affect your=20
organization.

International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) works with member=20
associations throughout the developing world and is one of the few=20
organizations that have refused to sign the global gag rule. This=20
site includes an online petition, questions and answers about the gag=20
rule and numerous links, commentary and news alerts.

Pathfinder International provides women, men and adolescents in the=20
developing world with access to quality family-planning services.=20
Take action by joining the group's e-mail action network and becoming=20
a "Pathfinder for Policy." The network provides updates on current=20
international family-planning legislation and sends out e-mail alerts=20
that include sample letters to members of Congress.

=A9 2001 The Nation Company

_________

#3.

The Times of India
AUGUST 29, 2001

Women refuse to obey 'burqa' order
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
RINAGAR: Kashmiri women are in no mood to wear the burqa as the=20
deadline of September 1, set by a little-known militant outfit=20
Lashkar-e-Jabbar, nears. Most young girls are against the forcible=20
imposition of any dress code.
Almost every garment shop in the Valley has started selling burqas or=20
the Iranian-type abhayia.
Inspector-general of police, Kashmir range, A K Bhan, has blamed the=20
media for creating the fear psychosis. He told Times News Network=20
that only one case of acid-throwing had been reported so far.=20
However, colleges and schools have been sensitised and a large number=20
of policemen deployed on the streets to check any untoward incident,=20
the IG said.
Disagreeing with Bhan, Dr Mohammad Amin Wani, superintendent of the=20
SMHS hospital here, said that two girls had been admitted to the=20
hospital with facial burns as a result of some chemical substance=20
thrown at them by some miscreants two weeks ago.
Several women's groups and NGOs have termed the attack on women as an=20
attack on humanity. "Throwing of acid on women is inhuman and=20
un-Islamic," said Sabyia Maviya, a collegiate. Another college-going=20
girl, Gousiya, said that she would defy the call with all her might.
The Muslim Khawateen Markaz chief in a statement said that the burqa=20
code was outrageous, adding the women of Kashmir had made=20
"unprecedented sacrifices" during the last decade.
Farheeda, chief of the Kashmir Mass Movement, also condemned the=20
forcible imposition of the dress code and said that right-thinking=20
members of society must rise to the occasion to help apprehend the=20
culprits. Incidentally, Farheeda has taken to wearing Iranian-type=20
abhayia after her recent visit to Pakistan.
Mumtaz Jehan, chairperson of the Mother Women Welfare Organisation,=20
said that the outfit which imposed purdah on women should provide=20
burqas to the poor as they could not afford to buy them. The=20
government should also fix the rates of burqas and abhayias to check=20
the steep rise in their prices, she added.
Former chairman of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference Maulvi Umar=20
Farooq said that the forcible imposition of the dress code was=20
un-Islamic and should be condemned in the strongest terms. This could=20
not be a part of the "freedom struggle", he said.
Several militant groups like the Hizbul Mujahideen, the=20
Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Jamait-ul-Mujahideen have disassociated=20
themselves from the forcible imposition of the burqa code. In fact,=20
reports from Kaller, in Shopain in south Kashmir, said that the=20
Lashkar militants have given out a different dress code for the=20
residents there - salwar-kameez for men and phiran for women.
The lone support for the dress code has come from the women's=20
militant outfit, the Dhukhtaran-e-Milat. Its chief, Ashyia Inderabi,=20
has asked Kashmiri women to observe purdah. She has threatened that=20
if they did not do so, her outfit would take "appropriate steps" to=20
force the Kashmiri women to wear the burqa.
The group had carried a campaign for the burqa in the early 90s by=20
throwing some chemical substance on the faces of many young girls.=20
But the campaign failed with the arrest of the Dhukhtaran chief in=20
1992.
Interestingly, all of Inderabi's associates wear the burqa which is=20
considered the trademark of the outfit.

_________

#4.

_________

#5.

_______

#6

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