[sacw] SACW #2 (8 Sept. 01)

[Harsh Kapoor]

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

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

[1.] SCHMEL LAUNCHER: Sri Lanka's New Weapon Against Tamils
[2.] Pakistan- India: Peoples' Voices at Wagah: Are the Two Leaders Listeni=
ng?
[3.] India's saffron sums don't add up
[4.] India's Fascists poison young minds
[5.] India: Police Atrocities on the Muslim Minorities in the Old=20
City of Hyderabad
[6.] India: Citizens condemn dictat by Lashkar-e-Jabbar imposing the=20
veil on Kashmiri women
[7.] Special anniversary issue, of the-south-asian is now on the net

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

#1.

SCHMEL LAUNCHER: Sri Lanka's New Weapon Against Tamils

'A Tactical Nuclear Weapon Without Residual Radiation'

The story first broke when a Sri Lankan newspaper [Sunday Leader;=20
12 August 2001] reported, "A multi-million dollar arms deal for a=20
weapon banned by the Americans and now manufactured and sold only by=20
the Russians has been negotiated by the Sri Lanka Army via a third=20
party and has resulted in senior army officers and weapons agents=20
crying foul."

This report and the follow-up article [19 August 2001] by The Sunday=20
Leader were more concerned with the corruption in the army than=20
about the consequences of the use such weapons.

The Defense Ministry denied the story. The denial published by the=20
BBC said, "The Sri Lankan Government has categorically denied=20
reports that it recently acquired weapons with chemical warheads as=20
part of its fight against the Tamil Tiger separatist rebels". The=20
Defense spokesman, however, admitted that "it had [only] bought=20
infantry rocket flame-throwers, which are not banned and do not have=20
chemical warheads." [BBC; 17 August 2001]. Brigadier Sanath=20
Karunaratne, the Defesne Ministry spokesman, on the other hand, in an=20
interview with the BBC's Sinhala program (Sandesaya) said: "Yes, we=20
have imported the Russian Chemical Weapons [i]".

What is it?

What are these so-called "Infantry Rocket Flame-Throwers" that the=20
Sri Lankan Defense Ministry admitted buying?

Infantry rocket flame-thrower is also known as "Schmel Launcher",=20
"Thermobaric Weapon" 'Fuel-air weapon' or 'Vacuum-Bomb'. It is a=20
shoulder-fired, single-shot, disposable weapon with a range of about=20
1,000 meters. It detonates volatile Chemicals in its warhead, with=20
the resultant indiscriminate devastation of people, livestock,=20
vegetation and buildings. The round is 93 mm in diameter. It has=20
three types of projectiles: thermobaric (RPO-A), incendiary (RPO-Z)=20
and smoke (RPO-D).

It is a controversial piece of armament, known not only for its=20
massive destructive effect on enemy forces, but also for its=20
capacity to indiscriminately kill civilians in large numbers and to=20
flatten villages and towns. It is one weapon that has been=20
universally condemned by numerous human rights groups for its massive=20
and indiscriminate destructive power against civilians caught in war.

What does it do?

A US army publication, Marine Corps Gazette [August 2000], called it=20
a weapon that "can have the effect of a tactical nuclear weapon=20
without residual radiation."

Its effects, when launched, were described by the same magazine as follow=
s:

"Fuel-air weapons work by initially detonating a scattering charge=20
within a bomb, rocket or grenade warhead. The warhead contents,=20
which are composed of either volatile gases, liquids, or finely=20
powdered explosives, form an aerosol cloud. This cloud is then=20
ignited and the subsequent fireball sears the surrounding area while=20
consuming the oxygen in this area. The lack of oxygen creates an=20
enormous overpressure. This overpressure, or blast wave, is the=20
primary casualty-producing force.

In several dozen microseconds, the pressure at the center of the=20
explosion can reach 30 kilograms per square centimeter (427 pounds=20
per square inch) =96 normal atmospheric pressure at sea level is 14.7=20
pounds per square inch =96 with a temperature between 2,500-3,000=20
degrees Centigrade [4,532-5,432 degrees Fahrenheit]. This is 1.5 to=20
2 times greater than the overpressure caused by conventional=20
explosives.

Personnel under the cloud are literally crushed to death. Outside=20
the cloud area, the blast wave travels at some 3,000 meters per=20
second [9843 feet per second]. The resultant vacuum pulls in loose=20
objects to fill the void."

A 1993 US Defence Intelligence Agency report said the following=20
about the Chemical effects of the warhead:

"Even if the cloud fails to detonate properly, victims will be=20
severely burned, and will probably also inhale the burning fuel.=20
Since the most common FAE fuels, ethylene oxide and propylene oxide,=20
are highly toxic, undetonated FAE should prove as lethal to=20
personnel caught within the cloud as most chemical agents."

Indeed, it is a dangerous weapon with enormous destructive power to=20
indiscriminately kill and maim large numbers of civilians, by the=20
village or town loads. It is, as the US army publication described,=20
"a tactical nuclear weapon without residual radiation."

The induction of this deadly weapon by an army that has never shown=20
any regard for the welfare of civilians is a dangerous escalation of=20
this unwinnable war.

Experience in the field.

The Russians used it against the Chechens in Grozny, with=20
devastating effect on civilians. Marine Corps Gazette [August 2000]=20
described:

"Unlike the first battle for Grozny (in late 1994-early 1995) or the=20
recapture of the city by the Chechens (in 1996), the Russians now=20
used quantities of fuel-air weapons, along with iron bombs,=20
surface-to-surface missiles with high-explosive warheads, massed=20
artillery and tank fire. These flattened large sections of the city=85"

Human Rights Watch, in a report dated February 2000, said the=20
following about the use of this weapon in Chechnya:

"According to one Russian military scientist writing for the Russian=20
military magazine Voyennyye Znaniya (Military Knowledge), FAE=20
weapons are effective against exposed personnel, combat equipment,=20
fortified areas and individual defensive fortifications, clearing=20
passages in minefields, clearing landing sites for helicopters,=20
destroying communication centers, and neutralizing strongholds in=20
house-to-house fighting in a city. In addition, he stated that=20
"fuel-air explosives are capable=85of completely destroying in a given=20
area vegetation and agricultural crops that have been planted." In=20
its destructive capability, it is comparable to low-yield nuclear=20
munitions. Used in large numbers, fuel-air explosives and other=20
blast weapons can have enormous destructive effects. When multiple=20
FAE warheads are exploded, the different blast waves reinforce each=20
other, increasing their destructive power. The effect of blast=20
weapons is also compounded in buildings and other enclosed spaces,=20
and is twelve to sixteen times more destructive than conventional=20
high explosives against targets with large surface areas, such as=20
frame buildings, bunkers, and vehicle shelters. Because FAEs cover a=20
wide area, they are prone to indiscriminate use, especially in or=20
near populated areas. Since this weapon is very effective against=20
personnel in fortifications, bunkers, and other buildings, Russian=20
forces may be tempted to use them in towns and cities where Chechen=20
fighters are dug in. In urban settings it will be impossible for the=20
Russians military to limit the destructive effect of this weapon to=20
combatants and very difficult for civilians to take shelter=85

Desperation =96 Adding Fuel to Fire.

In recent times, the LTTE has shown tremendous restraint while the=20
Sri Lankan army has displayed increasing desperation. Just this past=20
Christmas, the LTTE declared a unilateral ceasefire and stuck with it=20
for four months, despite repeated provocations. When the ceasefire=20
ended they returned Sri Lankan army offensives in kind, as in the=20
case of Agni Kheela (April 2001), and the attack on the airforce base=20
(24 July 2001) in response to aerial bombings in the north.

Given this scenario, what lies next if and when the Sri Lankan army=20
decides to deploy this newly acquired weapon is frightening. To=20
expect that LTTE will roll-over-and-play-dead in this event is for=20
the na=EFve. If Tamil civilians are 'gruesomely' killed with these=20
so-called flame-throwers, the LTTE will most likely respond in kind.=20
It has, in fact, said so. [LTTE Statement]

It is the need of the hour for all concerned to intervene and=20
publicly demand a reversal of this maddening trend. The=20
international community, especially the ones that have taken greater=20
interest in the war in Sri Lanka, should take the lead.

_________

#2.

Peoples' Voices at Wagah: Are the Two Leaders Listening?

Syeda Saiyidain Hameed

The shrill voices of hatred that have been heard since the last 2=20
months from both sides of the border were silenced for one evening.=20
On August 14, 2001 at the Wagah border, thousands of people collected=20
to celebrate friendship between India and Pakistan, an event which=20
owed nothing to the politicians. It was the effort of common people=20
of Punjab, from a platform which is called, Hind-Pak Dosti Manch.

Kuldip Nayar has been at the vanguard of this people to people=20
movement for many years. Since the last six years, on this very day,=20
he has gone to the border at the stroke of midnight, and lit candles=20
for peace between India and Pakistan. Sometimes alone, sometimes with=20
crowds, Kuldip has been determined to continue this tradition. Slowly=20
his caravan has grown. First it was people from Delhi along with some=20
local groups. Today, people of Amritsar have taken charge and have=20
taken ownership of the friendship campaign. Kuldip has transformed it=20
into a local initiative, homegrown and homespun, attended by people=20
from twenty villages around Attari as well as people from all walks=20
of life in the bustling, burgeoning town of Amritsar.

I had gone there with the very first group. That was the time when,=20
at the stroke of midnight, we walked on the strip called `no man's=20
land' with people like Nikhil Chakravorty. We reached the gate on=20
which was written `Islamic Republic of Pakistan', where we stood on=20
tiptoe to see if the Pakistan Rangers would permit any of our friends=20
to come up to their side of the strip. We learnt later that they had=20
not got permission to come to the checkpost. This time the respective=20
Home Ministries of India and Pakistan, denied permission to both=20
sides. Thanks to both governments, when midnight struck, there was no=20
one at either gate to light candles of friendship. Regardless,=20
thousands of candles were lit at the stroke of midnight, albeit 800=20
yards from the border. As light-bearers, we epitomised these lines of=20
the poet Majrooh Sultanpuri:

Jala ke mishal-jaan hum junoon sifaat chaley
(Having lit the taper of life we, mad people, set forth)

>From the start to finish it was a peoples' show, which accounted for=20
its vibrancy and vitality. Right from the time we Dilliwalas were=20
received at the Amritsar station and taken to the idyllic campus of=20
the Guru Nanak Dev University, we were felt the proverbial warmth and=20
hospitality of Punjab. We reached the border just before the retreat=20
ceremony was to begin. On both sides of the gate there were throngs=20
of Indians and Pakistanis, primarily youth, both men and women. It=20
was an exuberant, elated crowd. On the Indian side a smart military=20
band was playing popular Daler Mehndi and Mohd Rafi songs like `Bolo=20
Tara-ra-rara' and `Ye desh hai veer jawanon ka', while Pakistan was=20
playing songs of the chart-busting group, Junoon, like `Di hai mera,=20
mulk mer, jan meri, janan-e-jan'. We walked very close to an=20
enclosure where we saw hordes of Pakistani women; they were clapping,=20
waving flags and hands, shouting slogans. On the other end, thousands=20
of young men and boys were dancing, singing doing `nara-bazi'=20
(sloganeering). On our side, the crowd appeared more disciplined but=20
returned song for song and nara for nara. Our hosts from Amrtisar=20
told us that this `tamasha' happens every year. Since August 14th is=20
their celebration, they said, the Pakistanis have come out in much=20
larger numbers. At the end of the event they will become=20
uncontrollable, they said, and the police have to apply the stick! In=20
1993, there was a Punjabi Mushaira on this side. On the other side,=20
people had crept as close to the border as they could, to listen to=20
the poetry. So while poems were recited from this side, the `Wah!=20
Wah!' emanated from the other!

At the pitch of excitement when both sides were outshouting each=20
other, suddenly a voice permeated the din. It was recitation of=20
Surah-e-Rahman from the Quran. `Fabi ai ala rabbakumma tukazibaan'=20
meaning, `Then which of the favours of your Lord will you deny?'=20
Suddenly there was pin drop silence. The only sound was the Quranic=20
recitation, rising above the 6000-7000 people on both sides.

The actual retreat ceremony consisted of lowering of the two flags,=20
of the BSF and Pakistan Rangers marching down their respective=20
strips, and one officer from each side stepping on the no-man's land.=20
It was characterized by belligerent posturing, flailing of arms and=20
legs and aggressive strides. The young soldiers' faces were contorted=20
with hate-filled expressions. Their body language was similarly=20
strident. The stamping of feet, the facial distortion and overall=20
aggression was a total travesty.

At Jalianwala Bagh, later that night, Kuldip lit the torch of=20
friendship which was to light thousands of candles. It was pitch dark=20
when we walked through the narrow gulley, at the end of which the=20
Colonel Dyer had stood and showered bullets on ordinary Sikhs and=20
Hindus, Muslims and Christians, innocent people of Amritsar. A slight=20
breeze arose but even as the taper was lit, a nearby mosque called=20
the Azan for the Isha prayer. Kuldip said, `This is real India. And=20
it is this sound which rises in the vicinity of Golden Temple, which=20
gives us the hope, which keeps us going'.

It was past nine when we reached the pandal erected outside the Wagah=20
check post. On the way we saw hundreds of people, on cycles, on foot,=20
in bullock carts, and some in cars going to the venue of the concert.=20
I had never seen a Hans Raj Hans concert. The man is a musical=20
genius. His songs are riveting; stunning alike for the young and the=20
old. He sang and danced and his audience, consisting of men and women=20
from all the surrounding 20 odd villages around Attari and from=20
Amritsar, sang and danced with him. Among his audience were 55 girls=20
and boys who had taken the bus from Delhi, to show solidarity with=20
the cause. Most of them were students, some artists and others who=20
have taken up the issues of peace and nuclear disarmament as their=20
life's mission. They spent their own money to travel 12 hours on the=20
bus from Delhi to Wagah and had just reached the border when the=20
concert began. When we saw them they were swaying and dancing with=20
the music, oblivious of the fatigue of the non-stop journey.

Hans Raj Hans began with a message from his `Bari Behan' Abida=20
Parveen who he had spoken to before coming here. `She said, you go=20
and perform and I will sit at the shrines of the Pirs and Faqirs and=20
pray for the India Pkaistan friendship and peace.' The man who=20
usually charges a hefty sum for his concert had not only donated his=20
performance but brought along his entire band free of cost. What was=20
immensely important was that throughout the excitement of a rock=20
concert by Punjab's most popular star, the message of peace between=20
Pakistan and India remained predominant. First, Sonia Jabbar read the=20
Joint Declaration prepared on July 12, 2001 by 450 Pakistanis and=20
Indians (endorsed by over 200 organisations), at the Peoples'=20
Solidarity Conference held in Delhi, two days prior to the Summit.=20
Then members of the Hind Pak Dosti Manch read, one by one, the=20
resolutions they had drafted pertaining to peace between the two=20
countries. They were careful to stress that they fully respected the=20
separate identities of the two neighbours but desired that their=20
similarities should bring them close as friends and well wishers. One=20
could see how hard they had worked to prepare the documents. At the=20
end they asked the crowd to raise their hands in support. Thousands=20
of hands went up at once. Kuldip's face was glowing. I remembered=20
what he had said to me earlier, `Long after we are gone they will=20
remember us as people who tried to build peace'.

Hind Pak Dosti Manch had arranged a langar for 700 people. The food,=20
the service, banquet hall, everything had been donated free of cost=20
by common people. In the large hall close to the venue, the food was=20
simple, hot, delicious and plenty. I could not help thinking of the 5=20
star meals and air conditioned halls where `Peace' Conferences are=20
usually held and compare their desolateness with this vibrancy.=20
Students from Delhi who had arrived at the venue directly were=20
directed to the langar, well past midnight. They had lit the candles=20
and placed them at the outer gate of the checkpost as thousands of=20
little reminders that as far as India and Pakistan is concerned it is=20
the people and not the governments who will make the difference. That=20
time has come, has been proved by the Peoples Solidarity Conference,=20
the Hind Pak Dosti Manch and many other efforts all over India and=20
Pakistan.

As we have read in the histories of civilisations, it is the people=20
with Junoon (madness) in their heads, who dare to dream in times when=20
cynicism, suspicion, dejection and pessimism is the order of the day,=20
it is always they who, despite tyrants, despots and oppressors, have=20
brought in a new order.

(Syeda Saiyidain Hameed is a writer)

_________

#3.

Asia Times Online (atimes.com)
September 5, 2001

India's saffron sums don't add up

By Sultan Shahin

NEW DELHI -- If demolishing just one Babri mosque required 600,000=20
karsevaks, (religious zealots) how many karsevaks would be needed to=20
demolish two mosques?

This question was asked recently in a mathematics examination paper=20
for junior students in the western Indian state of Gujarat, which is=20
governed by the Hindu fundamentalist Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).

Perpetuating communal differences through mathematics must indeed be=20
rated as one of the unique distinctions of the Indian education=20
system. Tampering with school textbooks, giving them a communal,=20
sectarian color, depicting Muslims and Christians as foreigners and=20
promoting communal differences has been going on in Gujarat for the=20
past four years since the BJP came to power.

Up to now this has not raised much concern across the country, even=20
when Gujarat's capital of Ahmedabad recently experienced communal=20
violence, set off on a flimsy pretext. But now that the BJP-led=20
central coalition government has asked all states to bring their=20
curricula in line with BJP thinking, all opposition-ruled state=20
governments, and even some governments ruled by BJP allies, have=20
joined forces to oppose the move.

Chief ministers and education ministers of these states met in New=20
Delhi at the weekend and passed a resolution that the central=20
government must seek Parliament's approval before making any changes=20
in school curricula. The meeting included representatives from=20
different shades of the opposition, and significantly, two state=20
governments run by members of the ruling National Democratic Alliance=20
(NDA) - Jammu and Kashmir's National Conference and Meghalaya's=20
United Democratic Front. Another important coalition partner, the=20
Telugu Desam Party of the state of Andhra Pradesh, has also=20
criticized the move, but did not attend the conclave.

The meeting's resolution also expressed concern over what is called=20
"communalization and saffronization of education" - saffron being the=20
color of Hindu fundamentalism.

Convened by the Marxist Chief Minister of West Bengal, Buddhadev=20
Bhattacharya, the meeting protested against the central authorities'=20
"formulation" of school curricula through directives without=20
consultation with the states.

Asked to justify his presence at an opposition gathering, while his=20
National Conference was part of India's ruling coalition, Mohammad=20
Shafi said he was protesting against the fact that the NDA agenda=20
included not "tinkering" with education policy.

Jammu and Kashmir Education Minister Mohammad Shafi said the changes=20
being made in education were not acceptable to three-quarters of=20
India. "After this meeting the NDA leadership should take note of our=20
concerns, we are not ready to accept this because education is a=20
state subject," Shafi said.

Congress-ruled Delhi's Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said that by not=20
seeking parliament's approval of changes to the existing education=20
policy, the central government had attempted to "surreptitiously=20
inject a particular religious ideology".

The resolution, passed unanimously, said that changes at different=20
stages of education had been made, ignoring the Central Advisory=20
Board of Education. It disapproved of the recent introduction of=20
subjects such as jyotirvigyan (the science of astrology) and=20
pourohitya (priestly rituals for Hindu religious ceremonies),=20
observing that they could hardly be treated as disciplines worth=20
studying at university level.

In his over 90-minute reply during a two-day debate on=20
"Saffronization of Education" in parliament, Human Resource=20
Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi said the BJP-led government=20
was bound by national education policy and that the latest NCERT=20
document calling for changes "had been prepared in the most=20
democratic manner after wide consultations". The National Council for=20
Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is involved in coordinating=20
state efforts to revise education curricula.

The document was without any religious bias, Joshi asserted amid=20
frequent interruptions by opposition members whom Joshi accused of=20
conspiring to give an impression that the government was attempting=20
to change the education system in a clandestine manner and whom he=20
asked to rise above political considerations.

In a related development, India's apex court on Monday issued notices=20
to the Human Resource Development Ministry and the University Grants=20
Commission (UGC) of a petition seeking to quash the controversial=20
government decision to start degree and post-graduate courses in=20
astrology - jyotirvigyan - in various universities from this year.

The petitioners are scientists P M Bhargava, K Subhash Chandra Reddy=20
and Chandana Chakrabarti. Counsel for the petitioners, Prashant=20
Bhushan, said the decision of the UGC to start jyotirvigyan on the=20
grounds that astrology was a science had not been tested or proved=20
and to introduce such a course in universities was "illogical and=20
irrational".

"The scientific community considered the action in starting the=20
course as a giant leap backwards, undermining whatever scientific=20
credibility the country has achieved so far," the petitioners said.=20
The petition is still before the court.

The UGC at its October 16, 2000 meeting considered the proposal for=20
setting up of departments of Vedic (based on Hindu scriptures known=20
as the Vedas) astrology in universities and decided to approve in=20
principle the setting up of several departments in this course. The=20
name jyotirvigyan was given by the UGC to the astrology course on=20
January 25, 2001.

Communalization of education is, however, the chief cause of concern=20
for most of the secular intelligentsia A cross-section of concerned=20
people, including the education ministers of nine states and leading=20
academics was brought together in New Delhi by the non-governmental=20
Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust for a three-day convention last month.=20
This meeting, too, demanded in a memorandum (1) the withdrawal of the=20
controversial document designed by NCERT. Ministers from the states=20
of West Bengal, Pondicherry, Nagaland, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh,=20
Chattisgarh, Bihar, Karnataka and Rajasthan rejected the document,=20
which, they said, was prepared without consulting state governments.

The convention condemned the Human Resource Development Ministry's=20
attempts to "steamroll the educational system and fill research=20
institutions with persons of a certain ideological background".=20
Similar attempts have been made in the past by extremist Hindu=20
ideologues, but they were not done so blatantly, the convention=20
observed. The participants pointed out with concern the "stifling=20
silence" of some of the BJP's partners in power. They reiterated the=20
need to preserve the federal polity and the secular character of the=20
Indian republic by resisting communal onslaughts on education and=20
culture. Perhaps the most disturbing element, they said, is the=20
attempt to teach history by placing the entire Muslim period of 1,200=20
years out of the syllabus.

Historian Irfan Habib, former chairman of the Indian Council of=20
Historical Research, condemned the rewriting of history being=20
attempted. This included introducing Vedic nomenclature wherever=20
possible and tampering with the dates of historical texts in order to=20
emphasize their antiquity, he said. Official agencies promoted "new=20
discoveries" of Indian history in an attempt to establish the=20
antiquity of the Aryan civilization and its superiority over other=20
civilizations, especially the Harappan civilization.

Many of these "discoveries" lacked historical evidence, he explained.=20
For instance, it is claimed that humankind originally evolved in the=20
upper Saraswati region, that is, northern Haryana, neighboring Delhi,=20
and that India was the original home of the Aryans and other=20
Indo-Europeans. In order to support these claims it was necessary=20
that everything "Aryan" had to be dated to antiquity; therefore,=20
according to Professor Habib, the Rig Veda is said to have been=20
composed before 5000 BC and not circa 1500 BC. It is claimed that=20
bronze was "cast" in India by 3700 BC and writing originated in=20
India. The Indus culture, which was officially named the Harappan=20
culture, is referred to as the Saraswati-Sindhu culture, a Vedic=20
nomenclature.

K N Panikkar provides an explanation for the obsession to prove the=20
Aryans' Indian origins in an essay that he wrote recently, "According=20
to this view [Hindu communal view], all those who migrated to India=20
and their descendants are foreigners and therefore not a part of the=20
nation. Thus the Muslims, Christians and Parsis, who are not=20
indigenous to India and hence outsiders, should either 'Indianize'=20
themselves or live like second class citizens without any rights or=20
privileges."

As an example for biased history writing, Panikkar cited K S Lal's=20
book, The Growth of the Muslim Population in Medieval India (1973) in=20
which the author presents a picture of continuous decline of the=20
Indian population owing to massacres of Hindus by Muslims. Lal does=20
not give any statistical evidence in support of his claim. In The=20
Mughal Harem (1988), Lal talks about the "immoral" ways of Muslims,=20
ignoring the fact that Hindu rulers and nobles, too, were polygamous.=20
Habib also cited P N Oak's claim in the early 1960s that the Taj=20
Mahal and the Red Fort were originally built by Hindus and were=20
misappropriated by Muslims later. There was a deliberate denial of=20
Muslim culture, he said.

Another distinguished historian, Suraj Bhan expressed concern over=20
the attempts at the "Aryanization" of the Indus civilization. He said=20
chauvinistic nationalism and regionalism had caused a perceptible=20
decline in archaeological perspectives and methods and institutional=20
health, and these posed a real threat to the discipline of history.=20
One of the reasons for the attempt to identify the Vedic culture with=20
the Indus civilization was to prove that the former was one of the=20
oldest civilizations in the world, at least as old as the=20
Mesopotamian civilization. The Vedic culture was glorified because=20
the Vedas were considered the "source of Hindu social, political and=20
economic institutions" and Hindu culture was equated with Indian=20
culture, he said.

K N Panikkar explained that a major compulsion behind the attempt to=20
change the content of education was to realize the communal objective=20
of creating a Hindu national identity and a sense of national pride.=20
In this context, Panikkar quoted an article written by NCERT Director=20
J S Rajput in the Journal of Value Education, which says, "A sense of=20
belonging must be developed in every individual learner by focusing=20
on India's contribution to world civilization. It is high time that=20
India's contribution in areas like mathematics, sciences, maritime,=20
medicine, trade, architecture, sculpture, establishment of=20
institutions of learning was emphasized and made known to the=20
learners in order to develop a sense of belonging to the nation with=20
respect and an attachment to the past."

Pointing out that training in citizenship was an integral part of=20
value education in all countries, Panikkar said such education in the=20
Indian context should be rooted in secularism and democracy. However,=20
the NCERT prescription was totally devoid of such political content,=20
he said, and argued that it was a deliberate attempt to foster a=20
national identity derived from religious consciousness and not a=20
secular and composite consciousness. The UGC's Hinduism-oriented=20
courses and the kind of value education the NCERT sought to promote=20
were both part of the wider political project of the BJP-RSS combine,=20
he said. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is a an extremist=20
nationalist Hindu party that espouses a return to Hindu values and=20
cultural norms. The BJP is an off-shoot of it.

The changes in the content of education, Panikkar said, were planned=20
in the context of the unfettered entry of transnational capital. He=20
warned that there were grand plans to privatize education and make it=20
serve the needs of capital. According to Panikkar, industrialists=20
Mukesh Ambani and Kumarmangalam Birla have prepared a report on=20
educational reforms (called the Birla-Ambani report), prescribing a=20
market-led and knowledge-driven economy. The state's role, if any,=20
was minimal in the industrialists' scheme of things, he said. He=20
noted that there was essentially a convergence of interests of=20
globalization and communalization in that both were opposed to=20
plurality.

Romila Thapar warned that those who refused to understand the past=20
ended up misunderstanding the present. She criticized the NDA=20
government for setting aside significant events in its obsession with=20
the "Vedic capsule". Absence of rational critical enquiry=20
characterized the policymakers in education today, she said. There=20
was no pedagogical relevance for either yogic consciousness or the=20
spiritual quotient. "These are frills and cannot form the core of=20
knowledge," she said. By giving a single definition to Indian culture=20
and society and by projecting it through the educational system, the=20
RSS went fundamentally against the experience of both the past and=20
the present, she argued. She felt that secularists and others had=20
probably treated the term "secularism" casually, but today there was=20
a need to be constantly alert because Indian society could survive=20
only by practicing secularism. The education policy could not be held=20
to ransom by politicians and bureaucrats, she said, and demanded that=20
the names of those who had drafted the NCERT document be made public.

The opinion of intellectuals such as these, however, is not likely to=20
deter the BJP-led government from going ahead with its saffronization=20
project. In fact, in its 80-year-old history, Hindu fundamentalism=20
has heard such opinions many a time before, though perhaps not=20
expressed with such fervor, for it was too far from the seat of power=20
and was merely considered an aberration.

However, what may force it to stop from moving ahead is the fear of=20
losing its control of the central government. Thus the criticism=20
mounted by some of its allies is the greatest setback to its=20
saffronization of education project.

The saffronization project may not be implemented if it appears to be=20
leading to the fall of the government of Prime Minister Atal Bihari=20
Vajpayee. But it does need to be understood that it is a project very=20
close to the heart of BJP stalwarts such as Vajpayee himself and Home=20
Minister L K Advani.

Neena Vyas of the Hindu newspaper quoted one of the leaders in the=20
RSS, H V Seshadri, as saying recently that "secularism was a=20
millstone around the nation's neck". She adds, "The problem with the=20
Sangh Parivar [extreme Hindu group ] members is that they believe=20
that fundamentally Muslims and Christians cannot be loyal to this=20
country.

The direct or subdued attacks on them spring from this idea that they=20
can remain here only as foreigners whose loyalty will remain=20
questionable." In the context of attacks on Christians, for instance,=20
the prime minister made a reference recently to their indulging in=20
"forcible conversions", and on an earlier occasion he asked for a=20
national debate on the subject of conversions.

Notes
(1) Among the signatories were Congress working committee member=20
Arjun Singh, Communist Party of India general secretary A B Bardhan,=20
Communist Party of India (Marxist) politbureau member Sitaram=20
Yechury, All India Democratic Women's Association general secretary=20
Brinda Karat and prominent parliamentarians Eduardo Faleiro, Mani=20
Shankar Aiyar and Shabana Azmi. The participants included historians=20
Romila Thapar, Irfan Habib, K N Panikkar, Satish Chandra, K M=20
Shrimali, Mushirul Hasan, D N Jha and Suraj Bhan, economists Prabhat=20
Patnaik and C T Kurien, former vice- chancellor of the Manonmaniam=20
Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, V Vasanthi Devi, commentator and=20
lawyer A G Noorani, editor of Communalism Combat Teesta Setalvad, and=20
Anil Sadgopal of the Central Institute of Education.

(c)2001 Asia Times Online Co, Ltd. All rights reserved.

_________

#4.

05 Sep 2001

Fascists poison young minds

This Teacher=92s Day, it will be appropriate to think in terms of=20
preventing the indoctrination of the saffron agenda that threatens to=20
vitiate the atmosphere in educational institutions, writes HUMRA=20
QURAISHI

GONE are the days when pupils were happy to greet their teachers on 5=20
September without nagging suspicions and distrust. There was no=20
dispute over the syllabus either as students reposed faith in=20
politicians and bureaucrats as architects of their future.
Today, there is an atmosphere of unease. In the open are facts that=20
Union human resource development minister Murli Manohar Joshi and his=20
team of loyal mandarins have been working at dividing communities.

In August, at a SAHMAT-organised convention on saffronisation in=20
education, it was disturbing to hear what scientists and academics=20
from across the country had to say about Dr Joshi=92s strategy for=20
long-term indoctrination of his saffron agenda.
Nalini Taneja, teacher at the department of history, Delhi=20
University, cited texts being taught in 20,000 shishu mandirs and=20
Vidya Bharati schools with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh links.
And a sampling of the "poisonous" text revealed how young minds were=20
being distorted by twisted facts and communally worded texts. She=20
said: "The history texts are nothing but a bald and unadulterated=20
illustration of the RSS view of history and use of history for its=20
sectarian agenda. Aryans are the original inhabitants of India,=20
Indian civilisation is essentially Aryan civilisation, the ancient=20
period of history when Hindu kings ruled was golden and India had=20
enormous advantages during this period. The coming of Mughals brought=20
darkness, cruelty...Hedgewar, Gowalkar and Savarkar are among the=20
greatest freedom fighters, Muslims as a community are traitors,=20
Hinduism is synonymous with nationalism ...caste and child marriage=20
and sati are defended. Muslims, Christians and Parsees are called=20
foreigners.
"Urdu is referred to as a foreign language and it is claimed that the=20
first man on earth was born in India and that human beings are=20
referred to as manushya or manav after Manu....
"The range of backward notions expressed, and the lies concocted=20
could go on, as they do so relentlessly through the texts in=20
question, poisoning young minds, celebrating violence and vengeance=20
against the minorities for imagined wrongs ...."
>From Teesta Setalvad=92s account of the Gujarat government=92s efforts at=20
bringing in total saffronisation in education, it seems all is lost=20
and that we are set to confront a communally biased generation.
She reveals: =93On January 19, 2000 the Gujarat state education=20
department sent out a GR directing all schools to subscribe to the=20
RSS magazine Sadhana =85another circular brought out in December 2000=20
insisted on principals of all schools compulsorily sending their=20
teachers to Sanskrit training camps.
"In the Social Studies text books of the Gujarat State Board, Indian=20
culture is portrayed as Hindu culture =85."
There are numerous instances to prove that Keshubhai Patel=92s=20
two-year-old BJP government is trying to communalise minds.
In this three-day forum, each speaker gave a stark account of what is=20
transpiring on the education front.
Worse followed on 24 August. Distinguished professors Romilla Thapar,=20
Arjun Dev, Anil Sadgopal, Zoya Hassan and Prabhat Patnaik took Dr=20
Joshi to task, raising eight points wherein they stated: "Dr Murli=20
Manohar Joshi ,Union Minister of Human Resource Development, misled=20
Parliament with the statements he made in the reply that he gave to=20
the Lok Sabha on 20 August 2001=85the debate, which had been initiated=20
by Somnath Chatterjee four days earlier on 16 August, on=20
saffronisation of education concluded with Joshi 's reply.
"Space constraints come in the way of including all the eight points=20
but just for your sampling =96 The HRD minister said, =91Prof. Yashpal ,=20
Prof. M Mukhopadhyay , Prof. JN Kapoor, Dr Arvind Kumar, Dr Aniruddha=20
Rajan, Dr Sagat Mitra , Dr Ravinder Kumar, Prof. Yogendra Singh, Dr=20
Kapila Vatsyayan etc. discussed the preparatory material for the=20
National Curriculum Framework.=92
"The fact is that in all, 11 experts were invited, most of them to=20
give lectures to the Curriculum Group and not to discuss the issues=20
of curriculum ...according to our information Prof. Yashpal, Dr=20
Kapila Vatsyayan and Prof. Yogendra Singh have denied being a party=20
to the formulation of the NCF in its present form.
"The late Prof. Ravinder Kumar was invited to give a talk on the=20
=91Freedom Movement from 1857 to 1947=92 and not to discuss the problems=20
of the history curriculum =85"
Seven other points were raised whereby these experts proved that the=20
minister was equipped with half-baked facts and there could not be a=20
more damaging charge than this.
"The HRD minister reeled out a list of universities where astrology=20
is already being taught both at home and abroad =85the case of foreign=20
universities is really revealing.
"The HRD minister has gone to the website FindAstrologer.com and=20
clicked on it , deleted the correspondence courses from it and taken=20
the entire nation for a ride =96 as far as the universities of=20
Plymouth, London and Manchester in the UK are concerned we have=20
visited their websites and found no match for astrology!"

The irony is that even whilst writing these lines I can visualise Dr=20
Joshi reading out a well-worded speech on Teacher=92s Day and the=20
applause that will follow.

At least some teachers should wake up to the disaster waiting to=20
happen. For then, in addition to the emergence of a communally-biased=20
generation, with the introduction of astrology in the syllabuses, we=20
will probably have star-gazing bureaucrats waiting for days or months=20
for that auspicious moment to arrive before they can clear the files.

Instead of showering eulogies this Teacher=92s Day, it would be=20
appropriate to introspect and try and stop Dr Joshi and his loyalists=20
from spreading poison.
If Hitler used poisonous gas, the HRD minister is slow-poisoning us=20
with toxic texts. Fascism all the way.

(The author is a New Delhi-based freelance writer.)

_______

#5.

Condemn the Police Atrocities on the Muslim Minorities
in the Old City of Hyderabad

Press Release
Hyderabad
3/08/2001
The police raids, harassment, arrests, and torture have become the=20
order of the day in the old city of Hyderabad. The police officials=20
suspect every Muslim as an ISI agent. A Moulana who goes to give a=20
traditional sermon in a Masque is equated with a religious fanatic=20
who is going to be a threat to the national unity and integrity.

Only a few know outside the old city that the whole Muslim community=20
here lives in a perpetual concentration camp. The darkest secrets of=20
the police administration under the secular regime Chandrababu Naidu=20
do not come out!

Reading of Quran is a crime. This act is not less than ISI activity=20
in the old city. What type of religious freedom is this!

A bunch of intelligence officers watch out the Quran reading sessions=20
in the old city. For example, a study circle of Quran of 50 old and=20
young people used to meet in late K.M.Subani=92s house. The=20
intelligence officers always followed all 50 individuals, besides=20
some of them used to sit in the reading sessions to check what is=20
being preached. The women of the house were threatened that they=20
should not let their house for this study circle. They were forced to=20
shift the venue. However, the present house-owner is now again=20
threatened. Various management committees of the Masques in the old=20
city too were threatened.

There are many examples to cite. Moulana Md. Naseeruddin used to take=20
special traditional sermon sessions in the Masjid Saleema-Khatun, in=20
Himayatnagar. The police threatened the managing committee of the=20
Masjid and stopped his sermons. Same is the case with another Masjid,=20
Shah Mauzzam. All the sermons were forcefully stopped by the police=20
in the famous Masques in the old city like Jama Masjid and Daru Shafa.

On the midnight of 18 August, 50 people were watching a=20
videocassette on the demolition of Babri masjid in Saidabad. These=20
people are the members of Darsgah-E-Jihad-O-Shahadath. The cassette=20
they were watching was not of any secret one. It is a Newstrack Video=20
Cassette watched by every democrat in the country. However, in the=20
case of Saidabad watchers, the police raided on the show and arrested=20
14 people. Now they are languishing in the Moul Ali Central Prison.

Abdul Aziz and Nissar, along with 10 more Muslim youth, were arrested=20
a week ago. The police now want all the Muslims old or young, man or=20
woman whom these two youth met earlier. A gentle man, Muneeruddin=20
Mujahid was ordered by the area DCP to go and meet him.

Mr. Athar Qureshi, City President of Students Islamic Movement of=20
India was arrested on 30th night at 12.30 am and was taken to Santosh=20
Nagar police station. The CI C. Rajeswar Reddy beat him most brutally=20
along with his four constables. Later on, he was released after=20
Ganesh Immersion was over, but the police never told his family that=20
his was a preventive arrest! However, one wonders, why the leaders of=20
a student organization be arrested and beaten up most brutally=20
without giving a reason or were taken into custody for weird reasons.

Earlier on 11 August some students went to attend a student=20
conference in Delhi organized by SIMI. Athar Qureshi, being the SIMI=20
President of the city led the team. When they were attending the=20
meeting in Delhi, back at home in the old city, Athar=92s younger=20
brother Akbar Qureshi was illegally whisked away by the police on=20
15th August from his house and detained illegally for 3 days and=20
tortured cruelly. Adding insult to injuries literally, a big batch of=20
police visited the hospital where their mother works, and they=20
scolded, and abused her in front of every one at her work place. They=20
insulted her by saying that she gave birth to anti-nationals. Now,=20
the mother says that there could be nothing more hurting than this.

These are only a few incidents of harassment, illegal arrests and=20
torture in custody meted out to the Muslim in the old city. There are=20
hundreds and thousands of such incidents from every Muhalla of the=20
Purana Shahar.

The old city reels under the grip of fear when a Republic Day or=20
Independence Day and any Day of =91national=92 importance comes. A hunt=20
for ISI agents starts on such nationalist days.

Every Muslim in the old city is an ISI agent, supposedly working for Pakist=
an.

There will be no change in this pitiable situation, unless the=20
democrats in the state intervene.

We strongly condemn the undemocratic arrests of Moulana Md.=20
Naseeruddin (50), a local religious leader, Ahtar Qureshi Shahid=20
(22), Hyderabad city President of Student Islamic Movement of India=20
(SIMI), and Yasir (19), its General Secretary, on the night of August=20
30, 2000, from their houses.

There is a news item in some sections of press that they were already=20
being implicated in ISI-related case which was foisted on some other=20
people a week before.

Moulana Md. Naseeruddins family members informed our organization,=20
that the Hyderabad police arrested him earlier on 6 December 2000 and=20
while in custody he was given poison by the local police. As a=20
result, he became ill and his body suffers from pains. His hair=20
became stiff and he developed problems in his ears. It seems,=20
according to his family members, there was lead in the poison, which=20
incapacitated many functions of his body. We demand that these=20
allegations be investigated and justice to be done to him.

The Central Government has announced recently that it is=20
contemplating on banning the Students=92 Islamic Movement of India=20
(SIMI). AIPRF condemns any such undemocratic move. The Hindu Communal=20
forces have been threatening the very existence of our Muslim=20
brethren in our country. Such a move will further increase the sense=20
of insecurity in the community.

We hope that these arrests are not part of such sinister design as=20
banning of SIMI. We also appeal to all democratic minded and secular=20
people and intellectuals to condemn the arrests of the SIMI leaders=20
and the Moulana.

G N Saibaba, General secretary, All India Peoples Resistance Forum (AIPRF)
Leo Augustine, Telangana Rastra Samithi
KVK Subrahmaniam, APCLC
Dr. Quyyam Khan, Convenor, Majlis Bachavo Tehrik
Giriyadav, President, Praja Party
D.Punna Rao, AIPRF
Bhaskar Banni, RPI

_______

#6.

6 Sep 2001 17:26:19 +0530 (IST)
Dr. Ram Puniyani
Sec.EKTA(Committee for Communal Amity)
B-64, IIT Qutrs ,Powai,Mumbai 400076
-----------

The recent dictat by Lashkar-e-Jabbar that Kashmiri women should
compulsorily cover themselves with the veil is one of the most condemnabl=
e
threat to Kashmiri women. Earlier Dukhtaran-e-Millat had also played
havoc by playing similar role. It should be noted here that in the wake o=
f
this dictat some acid attacks have also taken place on girls. Kashmiri
women traditionally don't wear Burqua and this dictat of the less known
terrorist group has been condemned and opposed by different Muslim
organizations and prominent individuals.

The fundamentalist groups generally target women in the attempt to contro=
l
the ethos of society and controlling dictating their dress code is on top
of their list. We have seen such dictats in action earlier in
Khoemini's Iran and currently in Taliban controoled Afghanistan. Even
various groups basing themselves on Hindu Fundamentalist tendency have
also on occasion dictated the dress code for women, they should put on
bindi, they should not wear jeans etc. Coming from whichever
fundamentalist groups, such fatwas and dictates have to be
condemned and opposed in no uncertain terms. Kashmiri women more than eve=
n
the Kashmiri men have been the worst victim of the present impasse where
the cross border terrorism, violation of Human rights by state forces and
the actions of local militant groups have compounded the situation. It is
long overdue that a serious attempt to resolve the issue is made in all
the seriousness. It is long overdue that the alienation of Kashmiri peopl=
e
is recognized and steps taken to ensure that their democratic aspirations
are taken care of more than any other consideration in 'solving' the
Kashmir imbroglio.

Sincerely

Ram Puniyani(EKTA)
Ammu Abraham(Women's Center)
Anand Patwardhan(Film maker)
Asghar Ali Engineer(CSSS)
Dolphy D'Souza(VOTE,BCS)
Gaurang Mehta(Mumbai)
Jawaid Quddus(Wisconsin)
Jitendra Shah(VJTI,Mumbai)
M.Nauhad Ansari M.A.LLB, Banglore
Shamsul Islam(Nishant,Delhi)
Prashant Bhushan(LawyerSC,Delhi)
Yogesh Kamdar(PUCL,Mumbai)

_______

7.

The September issue, together with a special anniversary issue, of=20
the-south-asian is now on the net -
[URL www.the-south-asian.com ] and carries David Barsamian's=20
interview with Arundhati Roy, and articles on the WW II SOE Agent=20
Noor Inayat Khan killed by the Nazis in Dachau; the Indo-African=20
diaspora ; the architectural sites of south Asia that should be=20
defined as World heritage sites; Delhi's First Ladies; Beyond the=20
arclights - the second careers of Indian film heroines; and Phoolan=20
Devi. The Anniversary issue carries selected articles from the past=20
12 issues

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