[sacw] SACW #1 (24 Oct. 01)

[Harsh Kapoor]

South Asia Citizens Wire | Dispatch #1.
24 October 2001
http://www.mnet.fr/aiindex

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

#1.Bangladesh: Civil society body - Treat repression on minority as a=20
national crisis
#2 Bangladesh: The protection of minorities: A critical challenge for every=
one
#3. Press Release: Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM)
#4. Press Release: Joint Action Committee for Citizens Rights & Peace=20
& Pakistan NGO Forum
#5. India: Manufacturing a divide (Aslam Qadar Khan)
#6. India: Hindu Right, War Hysteria, attack on minorties and UP=20
elections (Amit Sengupta)
#7. Book Announcement: ROOMS ARE NEVER FINISHED - Poems (Agha Shahid Ali)

________________________

#1.

News from Bangladesh
TREAT REPRESSION ON MINORITY AS A NATIONAL CRISIS

CIVIL SOCIETY BODY URGES POLITICAL FORCES

After visiting the affected areas, some leading citizens yesterday=20
said an exodus of minority people from the country might be=20
inevitable if confidence could not be brought back in them.

"Repression on minority people started in different parts of the=20
country after the election is not a local problem, rather it's a=20
national crisis," said a declaration of Sachetan Nagorik Samaj,=20
previously known as Sammilita Samajik Andolon.

The civil society body at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club=20
yesterday called upon the elected representatives and political=20
forces to be active from the grassroots level so that the minority=20
people do not feel insecure.

Prof. Anisuzzaman, Prof. Syed Anwar Hossain, Ajoy Roy, Khushi Kabir,=20
economist Prof. Mosharraf Hossain, Pankaj Bhattacharya, Prof. Mesbah=20
Kamal and freedom fighter Ziauddin Tarek Ali were present at the=20
press conference to urge all conscious citizens to raise their voice.

"The statements of ministers that news of repression on the=20
minorities is exaggerated is not true. Either they know that they are=20
lying or they didn't want to know the truth or reality is being=20
hidden from them," said their declaration.

They bitterly criticised the caretaker government of Justice Latifur=20
Rahman for what they said his failure to protect the religious=20
minority despite his administration having been cautioned much before=20
the election that the minority people might fall prey.

The Sachetan Nagorik Samaj leaders complained that Hindu people are=20
being compelled to celebrate the Durga Puja although images of the=20
goddess were damaged in different areas, people were tortured and=20
evicted from homes and women raped.

"We strongly condemn any bid to compel them to go for the puja as we=20
condemn refraining them from so," the citizens' body said apprehend=20
ing more repression on the Hindus after they celebrate the festival=20
without spontaneity.
Placing reports of incidents of repression that its leaders found to=20
be true they also made their observations from their investigation:

* On excuse of voting for a certain party, terrorist acts were=20
unleashed to evict the Hindus in a bid to capture their houses and=20
property. The acts included extortion, loot, damaging houses, arson,=20
armed attacks, killings and indiscriminate repression on women.
* Such incidents began since the caretaker government took over=20
and increased after the election in different areas, like Bhola.=20
Activists of the party defeated at the election also became targets.
* Terrorists with identity of the winning political party have=20
been continuing the medieval atrocities.
* Affected people do not think that common Muslims are involved=20
in the anarchic acts, rather terrorists patronised by the winning=20
party are involved.
* No political party came forward in this crisis to save the=20
minority. Neighbours in some cases provided shelters, but they had no=20
courage to resist it.
* Administration did not take any preventive measures to check=20
such atrocities on Hindus unleashed for at least one week after the=20
election, country's law system was silent.
* It is the most inhumane statement that some incidents might=20
happen during transition of power. However, the new government gave=20
assurances several times without any measures taken by the=20
administration and checking the terrorists in the rural areas.
* The evicted people want to go back home. They want support=20
from local MPs and leaders of ruling party. But they did not get it.=20
(UNB)

______

#2.

23 Oct 2001

For Immediate Release

The protection of minorities: A critical challenge for everyone
by A.H. Monjurul Kabir

The recent press reports from different parts of Bangladesh on the=20
alleged repression committed against the minority community, the=20
Hindu community in particular, is regrettable and anti-human rights.=20
In the last three decades, human rights abuses against the Hindu=20
minority in Bangladesh have largely gone unreported. Sadly,=20
Bangladeshi nationalism has not been fully successful to accommodate=20
the Hindu minority with propriety. The continuance of the Enemy=20
Property (Custody and Registration) Order II of 1965 of the then East=20
Pakistan Government albeit, under a new name, for about thirty years=20
in independent Bangladesh testified the deplorable trend. The=20
infamous Vested Property Act was repealed only early this year. It is=20
also unfortunate that the present Home Minister, despite admitting=20
'some incidents', had, in a wholesale manner termed the press reports=20
of repression on minority people exaggerated and unfounded.

In today's world, multi-ethnic states are the norm. The traditional=20
nation-state, where a distinct national group corresponds to a=20
territorial unit, has become an endangered species. Globalization and=20
the increasing movement of people across borders threaten to kill off=20
the nation state once and for all. However, some myths resist=20
reality, and majority or dominant cultures in countries around the=20
world still seek to impose their identity on other groups with whom=20
they share a territory. The South Asia is a stark reminder of this=20
trend.

The state religion of Bangladesh, as incorporated in the Constitution=20
of Bangladesh by the former dictator cum President H.M. Ershad, is=20
Islam. The purpose was to cash in religion for heinous political=20
gains. About 87 per cent of the population of Bangladesh is Muslim.=20
However, the minority Hindus, Buddhists and Christians have the right=20
to practice their religious beliefs. Article 2A of the Constitution=20
of Bangladesh clearly states that, "=8Aother religions may be practiced=20
in peace and harmony in the Republic."

---------------------------------------------------
The Finish approach
Although no country has a perfect record on minority rights, a=20
country like Finland for example has worked hard to implement=20
legislation in order to promote good ethnic relations among its=20
population. The Swedish-speaking Finns are the largest minority in=20
Finland at 5.71 per cent of the population. The status of the=20
Swedish-speaking Finns is exceptional compared to that of other=20
national minorities, due to the fact that Swedish is, in addition to=20
Finnish, an official language of Finland. In recent years, the=20
Government has redoubled its efforts to settle the question of land=20
ownership by the Sami, the indigenous people of Finland. Finnish,=20
Swedish or the Sami language is taught as the mother tongue of the=20
student, and under the new legislation, children who reside in=20
Finland permanently, thus including immigrant children, have both the=20
duty and the right to go to comprehensive school.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
----------------------------

International standards and monitoring

In 1992, the General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Rights=20
of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic=20
Minorities. As the only United Nations instrument that specifically=20
addressed the special rights of minorities, the Declaration can be=20
viewed as a point of reference for the international community. It=20
includes a list of rights that minorities are entitled to, including=20
the right to enjoy their own culture without interference, and the=20
right to participate effectively in decisions at the national level,=20
among others. States are requested to take measures in the field of=20
education in order to encourage knowledge of the history, traditions,=20
language and culture of minorities existing within their territories.=20
Also, States are asked to implement national policies and programmes=20
with due regard for minority interests.

Multilateral monitoring of the compliance of states to their=20
international commitments with regard to protecting minority rights=20
has increased transparency. Within the United Nations system, this=20
responsibility is shared by the Commission on Human Rights, the=20
Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of=20
Minorities, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,=20
and the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. A=20
Working Group on Minorities has also been established in order to=20
review the promotion and practical realization of the Declaration. It=20
serves as the focal point of the United Nations in the field of=20
minority protection and is the main forum for constructive dialogue=20
on the treatment of minorities by Governments.

Although all of the above mentioned bodies are integral to the=20
promotion of minority rights, it is the reports submitted on behalf=20
of the State parties to the International Convention on the=20
Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination that provide an=20
overview of the status of minorities within a specific country. The=20
Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) meets=20
twice a year to review State party reports as well as shadow reports=20
submitted by NGOs. In extreme cases, the Committee implements early=20
warning measures to assist Governments to prevent problems from=20
escalating into conflicts and identify cases where there is a lack of=20
an adequate legislative basis for defining and criminalizing all=20
forms of racial discrimination.

What needs to be done at national level?

No matter how effective international mechanisms might be, and they=20
are far from being sufficiently so at present, there is no substitute=20
for a concerted domestic initiative of implementing national=20
obligations towards these rights guaranteed internationally. The=20
implementation and compliance with international human rights=20
treaties and standards are ultimately national issues a reality,=20
which is often lost in the midst of rapid internationalisation of=20
human rights. Good governance plays a vital role in involving=20
minorities in societies and protecting their rights and interests.=20
Through recognition, dialogue, and participation, all the citizens of=20
a diverse society can form a greater understanding of one another's=20
concerns. The media and education have important roles to play in=20
this regard, as do political representatives and community leaders.

Other positives action taken by States include: legislative measures=20
that introduce higher maximum penalties for racially motivated=20
crimes; the use of ethnic monitoring to ascertain the number of=20
persons of particular ethnic and national origin in various kinds of=20
employment and the setting of targets to increase the employment of=20
persons of minority origins in fields where they were=20
under-represented; the establishment of new advisory bodies on=20
matters relevant to combating racism and intolerance, including the=20
launching and implementation public awareness campaigns intended to=20
prevent racial discrimination and increase tolerance; and the=20
establishment of human rights institutions and ombudspersons for=20
ethnic and racial equality.

What is happening in some parts of Bangladesh against the backdrop of=20
peaceful parliamentary election of October 1, 2001, is not conducive=20
to the growth of liberal democracy. The government, different=20
political, social organisations and all concerned to come forward to=20
resolve the problem. The government should ensure secure=20
rehabilitation of the affected persons by providing them adequate=20
compensation, publish reports of the incidents traced out by the=20
government as well as taking legal actions against the offenders.=20
Members of the society including students, teachers, social workers=20
and scholars to take long term initiatives to strengthen communal=20
harmony in the country. Tendency to make the minority people=20
scapegoats for political belief must be resisted.

State authorities need to ensure that minorities enjoy the=20
fundamental right to equality, both in written legislation and in=20
society at large. The roles of local government, civic organizations=20
and NGOs are important in this respect. Police, prosecutors and=20
judges need to be more aware of what constitutes racial=20
discrimination and racially motivated crimes and in some cases,=20
changing the composition of police forces to better reflect the=20
multi-ethnic communities they serve may be appropriate. It is also=20
incumbent upon minorities to integrate themselves into their=20
communities. Other recommendations include monitoring hate speech,=20
promoting empowerment through education, and ensuring adequate=20
housing and access to health care.

Human Rights are for everyone

Politically motivated statements and multifarious propaganda are=20
spreading misconception about the oppression and leading the crisis=20
towards a complicated ending instead of towards a fair solution.=20
Whatever might be the extent of the incidents, it was clear that=20
there was oppression on the minorities and that should be stopped=20
immediately. All concerned should also bear in mind that a single=20
instance of act of terrorism is enough to panic the people of a whole=20
community, at least, psychologically. The Hindu minority has little=20
effective leadership. Its only response to the situation has been to=20
vote with its feet. The divisive and conservative approach of the=20
community leaders, in fact, contributes to the growth of mutual=20
disbelief and hatred.

The mere holding of periodic elections is not the only yardstick of=20
measuring democracy or health of a society. Religious intolerance can=20
alone destroy the fabric of harmony from the society. Any society=20
that claims itself as democratic should have no place for=20
communalism. As a new century begins, each segment of our society=20
needs to ask itself certain questions. Is it sufficiently inclusive?=20
Is it non-discriminatory? Are its norms of behaviour based on the=20
principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?=20
Racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and all kinds of related=20
intolerance have not gone away. They very much persist in the new=20
century and that their persistence is rooted in fear: fear of what is=20
different, fear of the other, fear of the loss of personal security.=20
And while it is recognized that human fear is in itself ineradicable,=20
it is also maintained that its consequences are not ineradicable.

Source of Information: United Nations; Law Watch, A Centre for=20
Studies on Human Rights Law; United Nations Office of the High=20
Commissioner for Human Rights
A.H.Monjurul Kabir is Director of LAW WATCH, A Centre for Studies on=20
Human Rights Law<lawwatch@m...

______

#3.

Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM)
P.O. Box 5493
Santa Clara, CA 95056-5493, [USA]
Email: <mailto:info@h...>info@h...
Fax: 408-264-5670
Web Page: http://www.hrcbm.org

Press Release
Nearly 200,000 Hindu and Other Religious Minorities in Bangladesh=20
Terrorized by the Bangladeshi Government and Islamic Fundamentalists.

October 12, 2001
http://www.hrcbm.org/news/mahyem_ajkerkagaj.html
<http://www.hrcbm.org/news/janakant_news.html>http://www.hrcbm.org/news/jan=
akant_news.html

______

#4.

Joint Action Committee for Citizens Rights & Peace & Pakistan NGO Forum

October 17, 2001

PRESS RELEASE

We, Representatives of civil society organizations from all four=20
provinces of the country, gathered together at an emergency meeting=20
jointly organized by the Joint Action Committees for Citizens Rights=20
and Peace and the Pakistan NGO Forum in Lahore on 17th October, 2001,=20
draw your attention to the violent and devastating attacks on NGOs by=20
extremist armed groups and individuals in the wake of the US-led=20
military strikes in Afghanistan, especially in NWFP and Bajaur=20
Agency. At least a dozen NGOs have been attacked by unruly mobs. The=20
offices of Women and Children Welfare Organization, Young Welfare=20
Organization Health Society, Darul-Falah and Salik Development=20
Foundation in Takhtbai, Human Survival and Development, SPARC and=20
HRCP Core Group in Bajaur have been ransacked and burnt, and all=20
equipment has been stolen. In a few cases, the private homes of=20
individual NGO members have also been attacked, burnt, and completely=20
destroyed and their lives threatened.
The increasing threats and attacks on NGOs by these elements has been=20
acknowledged by the Federal Minister of the Interior, Lt. Gen.=20
(Retd.) Moin-ud-Din Haider, on national and international television=20
who said this was not to be tolerated. Despite this statement, no=20
effective action seems to have been taken to apprehend the culprits=20
and bring them to justice, nor to provide adequate protection to=20
those under threat.
Of equal concern is that in more than one case, the district=20
authorities did not make an effort to control the mobs and have not=20
provided timely support in filing and pursuing police cases.
The meeting called upon the government, in particular the Federal=20
Minister of the Interior, to:
1) Facilitate a speedy registration of FIRs in all such cases, and=20
proper follow-up,
2) Apprehend the culprits involved/nominated,
3) Ensure a full and proper investigation and ensure that justice is done,
4) Immediately provide adequate protection to NGOs and other civil=20
society groups, working for the benefit, welfare and human rights of=20
citizens.
5) Take proper measures to compensate the damages made to NGOs as=20
well as the individuals attacked.
It further urge the government to take serious note of incidents of=20
violence where religious extremists have attacked public property,=20
harassed citizens and targeted NGOs, especially in NFWP, Balochistan=20
and the Northern Areas.
The participants resolved to take this up with the highest=20
authorities and reiterated their commitment to peace, democracy and a=20
tolerant society.

[...] [...]
Secretary PNF Convenor JAC

______

#5.

The Hindustan Times (India) Tuesday, October 23, 2001
=20=20=09=20
MANUFACTURING A DIVIDE
by Aslam Qadar Khan

Vir Sanghvi's point in his column (Waiting for a Hindu backlash,=20
October 14) that there are not enough moderate Muslim voices is well=20
taken.

Yes, there are not enough such voices. More and more moderate and=20
liberal Muslims must make themselves heard.
Having said that, however, there are two points one would like to=20
make. First, the appeal for more moderate Muslim voices must not be=20
restricted only to times of crisis. The Indian media must make a=20
conscious effort to seek out moderate Muslim voices at all times.

Second, the sooner we accept the fact that there is no global Muslim=20
identity, the sooner we will stop pushing Muslims to the wall every=20
time there is some issue engulfing some Muslim country and providing=20
ammunition to both Muslim and Hindu extremists. If these two things=20
are not done, we will be manufacturing, rather than 'waiting' for a=20
Hindu backlash.
It is increasingly difficult for moderate Muslims to find space for=20
their voices. As Rajdeep Sardesai (Indian Express, October 16)=20
writes, the media love a fundamentalist. In fact, this love affair is=20
so much that the media seem to discourage liberal Muslim voices while=20
actively seeking out - if not encouraging - extremist Muslim opinion.=20
This is clearly evident by the disproportionate amount of time,=20
attention and space given to extremist Muslims in the media all over=20
the world.

When a handful of people listen to Imam Bukhari or wave a flag with=20
Bin Laden's face on it, Islam is seen as the problem. "Is Islam the=20
face of terrorism?", thunders a Star TV news programme.

But when thousands of kar sevaks pull down the Babri masjid, it is=20
not the Hindu religion but extremism that is clearly seen as the face=20
of such outrage.

It is a common complaint of moderate Muslims that their voices are=20
never provided with adequate space during 'normal' times. Articles=20
are not printed, meetings are not covered. But during times of=20
crisis, when Mullah Bukhari starts ranting, the media are there to=20
hold forth and listen.

Moderate Muslims are then asked to explain him, rationalise him and=20
prove our distance from him. We are more than willing to do this, but=20
how many times and how many of us need to do so? It is highly=20
annoying and frustrating to have to defend ourselves from the ravings=20
of extremist elements in the Muslim community.
And every time there is a 'Muslim' crisis - Shah Bano or the present=20
one - extreme voices become not only more appealing but also more=20
exciting for news consumption. It is far more difficult for moderate=20
Muslims already on the defensive to be heard.

The issue of a pan-Islamic identity is clearly nonsense. It is mostly=20
a media construction. It is raked up during times of crisis and=20
conveniently forgotten at other times. A UP Muslim has more in common=20
with a UP Hindu than he has in common with a Muslim from another=20
state, let alone another country.

Muslims do not share some sort of an identity which overrides their=20
national identities. There is no pan-Christian identity either.=20
Muslim countries fight against one other. There are secessionist=20
movements in Muslim countries too. Or are we forgetting Bangladesh?=20
Did Iraq not invade Kuwait?

There are countless examples which reduce the idea of a pan-Islamic=20
identity to what it is: a convenient propaganda tool in the hands of=20
extremists. It is used by non-Muslim extremists to lay the blame on=20
the Muslim minority in their country. It is used by Muslim extremists=20
like Bin Laden to muster whatever support they can for their dubious=20
causes. The success or failure of both such attempts is no proof for=20
the existence of any pan-Islamic identity.

We cannot dismiss the notion of a pan-Islamic identity. But far too=20
much is read into it. It has become the bane for Indian Muslims, used=20
to question our nationalism and loyalty. "Are you an Indian first or=20
a Muslim first?" is an absurd question to ask. We all live with=20
multiple identities. It is as absurd as asking whether one is a man=20
first or a father first or a husband first. Religion and nationality=20
are two separate things and they cannot - particularly in a secular=20
country - be in conflict.

There is very little Muslim support for Bin Laden from Muslims who=20
have nothing to do with him. But there may be support to him from=20
Muslim mullahs who have much to do with him. So one must understand=20
that while there are Muslims responding to Bin Laden, they are also=20
Muslims denouncing him.
Also, let us only worry about Indian Muslim support to Bin Laden -=20
which is quite meagre to begin with. Finally, let us distinguish=20
between supporting Bin Laden and expressing our deep grievances with=20
the American policy in various parts of the world.

Let us all - liberal Hindus, liberal Muslims and the media - actively=20
join forces to counter-extremism. Otherwise we may all have to bear=20
some responsibility for manufacturing support to the Hindu right.

______

#6.

The Hindustan Times, Tuesday, October 23, 2001

LOOK LOC, THINK LUCKNOW
by Amit Sengupta

There is no communication gap between the Sangh and the government.=20
It's UP on their mind.

If we hadn't talked of cultural nationalism, of which the Ram=20
Janmabhoomi movement is the symbol, we would not have got here.
It encapsulated our ideology and gave us an identity. L.K. Advani at=20
the golden jubilee celebration of the BJP in Delhi
If there is shelling going on at the Line of Control, don't be too=20
alarmed. It was not meant to scare Colin Powell. It could very well=20
be a saffron sign implying that the UP assembly elections are round=20
the corner.

Don't get too worked up either by the Centre's jumping-the-gun=20
foreign policy or why Saint George is now making his 17th pilgrimage=20
to Siachen despite the authenticated video images of Defencegate=20
whereby army officials are punished but politicians are rewarded.
There is no surprise element either in the prime minister's epical=20
knee-jerk dilemma since he just cannot decide which side he is on=20
within the parivar - with the moderates or with the hardliners.

All this confusion is deliberate; it's designed for UP Chief Minister=20
Rajnath Singh's electoral benefit. Because the only question now=20
haunting the Sangh is how effectively it can roll the communal=20
juggernaut in the divided hinterland of UP.

Every war cry, every act of religious tokenism, every aggressive=20
political posture, all public display of contradictory double=20
discourse in perfect synthesis (like the fine-tuned Advani-Vajpayee=20
rhetorical orchestra), every assertion of hate politics vis-=E0-vis the=20
Muslims, Christians or the Dalits, will henceforth be unleashed to=20
keep afloat the Sangh parivar's sinking ship in UP.

If UP sinks, then the discredited 24-party bandwagon led by the=20
RSS-BJP in Delhi, crawling with the help of rump opportunists and=20
'national socialists' might find itself with nothing but the shadow=20
of a Bajrangi trishul hanging in mid-air.
But they will not allow UP to sink. There are reports that George=20
Fernandes will actually be the trump card in the proposed Ayodhya=20
Cell mooted by the prime minister. Guess what is the trilogy of=20
leadership adorning the cover of the latest issue of Panchjanya=20
(October 29), the RSS mouthpiece? L.K. Advani in the middle, flanked=20
by Fernandes and Vajpayee. It's clear who is centre-stage in this new=20
phase of 'cultural nationalism'.

There are no masks. On top is a multi-headed Ravana, representing=20
Osama, Azhar Mehmood, Pervez Musharraf and Dawood Ibrahim. And below,=20
a quote from Tulsidas: Then spoke an agitated Ram, without fear there=20
can be no love. It matters little to the RSS that Tulsi was no=20
Muslim-baiter.

What the VHP leaders did in Ayodhya recently, is a clear sign about=20
their dubious intentions in the days to come. This is the only brand=20
of politics they know and they are masters of this craft. Come=20
October-November, the holiest months in the Hindu festival calendar,=20
and they will up their ante on the Ram temple. Every conceivable=20
Brahmanical code will be used to whip up atavistic passions, raise=20
the bogey of Islam, use secular religious community spaces for subtle=20
hate propaganda, and build a counter-culture of communalist=20
domination which goes in the name of cultural nationalism.

In their religious politics, you will never see the remotest trace of=20
the magnificent stream of consciousness which the Bhakti movement=20
represented, of Kabir, Chaitanya or Lallan Fakir; or the=20
anti-orthodox reform movements of Bengal and Maharashtra against the=20
caste society; or even the pro-Dalit secular response to Brahmanical=20
domination as propagated by Tukaram and Jyotiba Phule.

What you will find instead in temples across the suburbs of moffusil=20
towns are saffron leaflets distributed 'free', with a single, decoded=20
message: Kasam Ram ki khaate hain, mandir wahin banayenge.
In the India of their dreams, there can be no multiple religions, not=20
even within a vibrant philosophical essence such as Hinduism. If this=20
is religion, then god is truly dead.

You will never find Ashok Singhal, Vinay Katiyar, Acharya Giriraj=20
Kishore or Praveen Togadia in a poverty-stricken village where Dalits=20
are massacred, or when inter-caste young lovers are hanged to death=20
in the wild west of Rajnath Singh's UP. Hundreds of people can be=20
trapped in the vicious cycle of starvation deaths in Orissa and=20
Andhra Pradesh, dying slowly, fighting a back-breaking drought for=20
four years running. But it does not divert their attention from their=20
fixated gaze.

Several ancient Vishnu and Shiva temples in the Narmada valley will=20
get submerged if the dam is built, and so will the beautiful temples=20
of Garhwal if the Tehri dam is built, but the VHP and Bajrang Dal are=20
eternally obsessed with a singular agenda.
Come to think of it, all this has come about due to the 'Iron Man=20
Theory of Indian Politics'. The credit goes to the man who started it=20
all. No, this is not a reference to Sardar Patel, who knew the value=20
of secular moderation in a multi-cultural society.

This is the Ariel Sharon school of thought which is steadily gaining=20
ground in the nation's political unconscious, like the winter chill=20
which awaits the Delta Force of the US in ravaged, Talibanised=20
Afghanistan.
This is the chill of organised communalism from above which first=20
began with the rath yatra, which will now be combined with State=20
repression. Relatives of the three protesting individuals shot dead=20
by the police in Lucknow, soon after the ban on SIMI, will bear=20
witness to that.

Indeed, all those who wish to practise the secular politics of=20
dissent in democratic India should now be prepared to face this=20
double onslaught.
Once again, the nation will see how Hindu fundamentalism will be=20
repackaged as 'cultural nationalism' for quick vote bank politics.=20
Add to this the vicious circle of unreason: hate speeches, incendiary=20
pamphlets, aggressive deadlines, mob violence, and all the old=20
nightmares might just come back.

Last fortnight, six students of Delhi University were hauled up by=20
the police and charged with sedition. What was their crime? They were=20
distributing anti-war pamphlets. There is obviously nothing=20
inflammatory in the pamphlet, though everybody might not agree with=20
its stylistic nuance or political ideology. Soon after, three more=20
students were arrested from a Delhi University college for=20
distributing the same pamphlet. Is this a democracy or a police State?

Contrast this with the conduct of this government vis-a-vis the likes=20
of Ashok Singhal and Praveen Togadia. The VHP leaders recently=20
entered the make-shift temple site where the demolished Babri masjid=20
once stood. Since December 6, 1992, and what is considered the=20
darkest rupture in the social fabric of the nation since=20
Independence, this was the first such attempt by the Sangh, and you=20
can well imagine their desperation. The VHP cocked a snook at not=20
only the highest court of the land, but also at the Indian=20
Constitution, the nation's secular ethos, and, worst of all, the NDA=20
government's stated promise to stick to its manifesto which excludes=20
the Ayodhya issue.

But they all got away. Togadia dared the government to take action.=20
Singhal reportedly rushed off to Lucknow to give Rajnath Singh an=20
on-the-spot report. And the prime minister called it a mere 'security=20
lapse'. It was only after two days - and that too after the=20
opposition created a ruckus - that a FIR was lodged against the VHP=20
leaders. Surely, this FIR will meet the same fate as that of the=20
Liberhan Commission, instituted 10 days after the Babri masjid=20
demolition. Nine years later, the commission is still unable to book=20
the Sangh luminaries. This is the new ethos which has come to govern=20
the nation under the RSS-BJP regime. Absolute amnesty for policemen=20
accused of human rights violations, TADA Part II for terrorists (and=20
others), imprisonment for students distributing anti-war pamphlets,=20
and a clean chit for the Hindu fanatics who whip up communal tension,=20
defy the Supreme Court's orders.

The Sangh's experiment with truth is already under way in UP. This=20
was proved by the riots instigated soon after the Tehelka expos=E9 in=20
Kanpur, allegedly by the Provincial Armed Constabulary, which has a=20
track record of communal atrocities, including the massacre of=20
innocents in Maliana, Meerut; and the atrocities on Dalits, while the=20
latest Mandal reincarnation in UP seems to have bombed.

The SIMI can be banned in a perverse translation of the 'clash of=20
civilisations' theory to consolidate the Sangh's vote bank in UP. But=20
what about the Shiv Sena, the Bajrang Dal and the VHP? No, they and=20
those hoodlums who write Jai Sri Ram on the walls of Taj Mahal are=20
nationalists. The Indian State will protect them. This is the new=20
'cultural nationalism' of the new millennium India.

Sonia Gandhi has recently written a letter to the prime minister=20
which anticipates this scenario. She has warned of possible communal=20
tension in the backdrop of the war against terrorism. She has also=20
warned about the communalisation of education. The opposition and the=20
Left must read the chilling writing on the wall; nothing but an=20
organised mass movement and an intense and sustained secular response=20
can defeat the communal agenda of the Sangh parivar.

This regime in Delhi is adamant in its anti-secular stance, it is=20
absolutely thick-skinned. The RSS-led governments have proved to be=20
total failures in UP and Gujarat, but they still have a=20
civilisational agenda to fulfil. And UP is one obstacle which they=20
will try to cross - at any cost - the nation be damned.

______

#7.

ROOMS ARE NEVER FINISHED
Poems
By Agha Shahid Ali

For review copies or additional information, please contact Liz Countryman
at ecountryman@w... We regret that Shahid will not be available
for interviews.=20

***Finalist for the 2001 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD For Poetry***

ROOMS ARE NEVER FINISHED

Poems

Agha Shahid Ali

"It's hard to know what most to admire about this superb volume of poems...
Agha Shahid Ali commands a range of feelings available to very few, if to
any other, poets now writing in English. This is an incomparable work, an
unmatched achievement."
-Anthony Hecht

>From acclaimed poet Agha Shahid Ali comes a brilliant and haunting
new collection, ROOMS ARE NEVER FINISHED [W. W. Norton & Company; November
19, 2001; $22.00 cloth]. Recently nominated for a National Book Award, thi=
s
intensely personal book recounts the death of the author's mother and the
family's journey with her body from Northampton, Massachusetts, to their
native Kashmir. As he examines the landscape of his grief through poetry,
Ali speaks of his mother as "'the breath drawn after every line'"-both the
ghostly inspiration for his words and what wholly defies articulation.
Using the difficult and profound experience of her death as a framing
device, Ali deftly weaves together historical and mythic influences to form
a stunning and ultimately intimate exploration of grief and humanity.=20

Drawing on a wealth of poetic and historical resources-Hindu, Urdu,
Kashmiri, Christian, Muslim, and Jewish-ROOMS ARE NEVER FINISHED brilliantl=
y
weaves together vastly different voices, allowing for a dialogue across
cultures and across history that is ultimately restorative and liberating.
One element that recurs in these poems, echoing the pain of the author's
private loss, is the story of the death of Hussain, grandson of Mohammed.
The memorializing of Hussain's death at the Battle of Karbala, after troops
under Caliph Yazid laid siege to his family's caravan for ten days, is the
central rite of Shi'a Islam. Ali focuses on one aspect of Hussain's
passion, the grief of his sister Zainab, to widen the dimensions of his own
feelings of grief for his mother. Feeling a connection between Zainab's
pain and his mother's, Ali fashions a sorrowful line of inheritance:

You wait, at the end of Memory, with what befell
Zainab-
>From Karbala to Kufa to Damascus.
You are wearing black. The cry of the gazelle

fills the night. It is Zainab's cry. You cry it for us
so purely that even in memory it lets memory cease.

As the individual sorrows of these women intertwine to evoke a communal
suffering, Ali shows grief to be a mending force, a facet of the human
condition that joins us across worlds and across centuries; sharing it
becomes imperative to our understanding of each other and of ourselves.=20
Both poetically and politically important, ROOMS ARE NEVER FINISHED
is a stunning achievement, one that no lover of poetry should miss.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Agha Shahid Ali lives in Amherst, Massachusetts. He has
taught at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, New York University,
the University of Utah, and other places. His previous collections include
A Nostalgist's Map of America and The Half-Inch Himalayas.=20=20

TITLE: ROOMS ARE NEVER FINISHED
AUTHOR: Agha Shahid Ali
PUBLICATION DATE: November 19, 2001
PRICE: $22.00 cloth
PAGES: 96
ISBN: 0-393-04149-2

_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

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