[sacw] SACW #2 (11 Nov. 01)

[Harsh Kapoor]

South Asia Citizens Wire | Dispatch #2.
11 November 2001
http://www.mnet.fr/aiindex

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

#1. India: The last liberal - Dharma Kumar (Ramachandra Guha)
#2. Can US-Pakistan ties be sustained, or are we between divorces?=20
(Michael Krepon)
#3. The Looming "Crusade" (Badruddin R. Gowani)
#4. South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) meeting in Delhi.
#5. India: Malegaon: anti war protest suppressed, communal riots provoked
A preliminary report, Friday, the 9th November, 2001

________________________

#1.

The Hindu
Sunday, Nov 04, 2001
Magazine

The last liberal

In the moral and intellectual world in which Dharma Kumar was raised,=20
an individual's caste and religion were completely irrelevant.=20
RAMACHANDRA GUHA remembers not only a brilliant historian but also a=20
distinguished liberal who passed away on October 19.
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mag/2001/11/04/stories/2001110400120200.=
htm

______

#2.

The News International (Pakistan)
Sunday November 11, 2001

Can US-Pakistan ties be sustained, or are we between divorces?
by Michael Krepon

President Musharraf's trip to the United States demonstrates how much=20
US-Pakistan relations have improved over the last two years. After=20
twelve years of sanctions and mutual recriminations, Washington and=20
Islamabad now have common interests. The United States needs=20
Pakistan's help to combat the Al-Qaeda network and their Taliban=20
hosts. Pakistan needs a chance to revive its economy and to be on the=20
right side of a global coalition against terrorism.

Is this simply a marriage of convenience, where Washington and=20
Islamabad downplay past grievances about each other's fidelity? Or=20
can this relationship last? If another divorce is in store, it will=20
be extremely messy. Those in Pakistan who now place their trust in=20
Washington would be discredited, and US hopes for a moderate=20
government in Islamabad would be dashed. Nuclear dangers and the=20
Kashmir dispute would surely flare. Much is riding on the abilities=20
of the Bush administration and the government of President Musharraf=20
to make a long-term success of their awkward new partnership.

To argue that Musharraf had no choice but to turn against the Taliban=20
after September 11 minimizes the risks he has taken in doing so. In=20
an interview aired on October 22 on CNN, Musharraf voiced the words=20
that are on many lips in Pakistan: "After the Soviets were defeated=20
in Afghanistan, we were left in the lurch." He then talked about a=20
sense of betrayal and abandonment that most Pakistanis feel. "One of=20
the prime topics discussed all around Pakistan," he said, is "are we=20
going to be abandoned again?"

Despite these sentiments and the agitation of religious parties,=20
Musharraf has provided intelligence support and remote air bases for=20
use by US military personnel, while permitting the overflight of=20
Pakistani territory by coalition forces. Washington has responded by=20
lifting layers of sanctions and providing economic assistance.

Secretary of State Colin Powell has rightly said that the United=20
States seeks broader, deeper, and lasting ties with Pakistan. General=20
Musharraf, who used to be personna non grata in Washington, is now=20
Pakistan's best bet for a stable transition back to national health.

Making this relationship work over the long haul won't be easy, as=20
was evident from the last divorce. During the 1980s, the Reagan=20
administration joined hands with another Pakistani military=20
strongman, General Ziaul Haq, to fight Soviet forces in Afghanistan.=20
Pakistan wanted and received major transfers of US military equipment=20
and help from international financial institutions. The United States=20
wanted to expel Soviet troops and administer a stinging defeat to the=20
Kremlin goals shared by Islamabad.

But Washington also wanted Pakistan to halt its nuclear weapons=20
programme, and here national interests diverged sharply. US officials=20
gave strong private warnings that conventional military support would=20
cease if Pakistan produced material for nuclear weapons. These=20
warnings were reinforced by an act of Congress. Pakistani leaders=20
gave private assurances of restraint and then broke them again and=20
again. In 1989-1990, a crisis over Kashmir reinforced Pakistan's=20
perceived need to have a nuclear counterweight against a more=20
powerful India. By then, Soviet troops had left Afghanistan. When=20
Pakistan again crossed the line of producing weapons'-grade nuclear=20
material, President George HW Bush imposed sanctions on Pakistan.

US efforts to prevent Pakistan from acquiring nuclear weapons might=20
have been naive, but they were plainly stated. Nonetheless,=20
Pakistanis felt jilted. Their leaders provided a narrative of=20
friendship scorned. Musharraf's question hangs over any new=20
partnership: Will the United States again take advantage of Pakistan=20
and then walk away once the Taliban have been routed?

Long-term partnerships require mutual commitments. This time around,=20
Washington and Islamabad need to be clear about their respective=20
responsibilities. Each side must view these obligations as voluntary=20
and necessary for national well-being. If the terms of a lasting=20
partnership are viewed as coercive or damaging to Pakistan's=20
interests, they won't be honoured by Islamabad -- just as before.

The nuclear issue need no longer be grounds for a future divorce.=20
Pakistan has worked hard and spent considerable resources to obtain a=20
nuclear capability, and it's not going to give it up.

Washington's clear priority at this point is to help Pakistan=20
maintain nuclear safety and security, which also coincides with=20
Islamabad's national interest. Wild speculation in the media about=20
Washington preparing to capture Pakistan's nuclear assets is not only=20
false, but also injurious to this common agenda.

The Kashmir issue has far greater potential to cause another rift in=20
relations. For the last decade, Islamabad's Kashmir policy has relied=20
heavily on jihadi groups that operate from safe havens in Pakistan.=20
While cutting ties to the Taliban, Pakistan's Army and intelligence=20
service continue to support a jihad in Kashmir. Musharraf's public=20
justification for helping Washington rested, in large part, on the=20
need to protect Pakistan's equities in Kashmir. It

is no secret that jihadis crossing the Kashmir divide receive=20
logistical, intelligence, communications, and fire support from=20
Pakistan.

The daily suffering of noncombatants in Kashmir results from the=20
actions of Indian security forces as well as jihadis. India must be=20
held responsible for its human rights abuses against Kashmiris, which=20
New Delhi claims will stop once militancy has subsided. Islamabad's=20
exposure is far greater because it cannot justify support for jihad=20
on national defence grounds. Complicity with the insertion of=20
militants into Kashmir makes Pakistan accountable for their actions.

Policies that have backfired on Pakistan in Afghanistan are also sure=20
to backfire in Kashmir. The distinction between terrorists operating=20
out of Afghanistan and jihadis who enjoy Pakistan's support in=20
Kashmir is not sustainable to the outside world -- and perhaps not=20
even within Pakistan's borders. Pakistan's equities on Kashmir cannot=20
be successfully advanced through jihadi groups that punish innocents=20
and fail to dislodge India. The chosen instruments of Pakistan's=20
Kashmir policy have weakened the country's domestic health and=20
international standing, without achieving their stated goals. The=20
"Talibanization" of Pakistan, marked by sectarian violence, a=20
non-performing economy and educational system, cannot be reversed=20
unless Pakistan's methods regarding Kashmir also change.

A long-term commitment by the United States toward Pakistan needs to=20
be accompanied by a demonstrated commitment by Pakistan's leaders to=20
their country's future well-being. US efforts will require=20
significant resources and the re-establishment of solid working=20
relations with the Pakistan Army. For its part, Pakistan must=20
demonstrate a sustained commitment to reform failing institutions of=20
governance and public services. The international community has no=20
business advising Pakistan to change its position on Kashmir; but=20
those who wish Pakistan well have every right to ask its leaders to=20
reconsider the instruments chosen to advance policy goals.

A broadening and deepening of US-Pakistan ties requires partnership=20
in the war against terrorism. This common front is in both our=20
nations' interest, unlike our previous divergence over the nuclear=20
issue. The sad history of US-Pakistan relations during the 1990s need=20
not and must not be repeated. The answer to General Musharraf's key=20
question therefore depends on a sustained US commitment to an old=20
friend and ally. It also depends greatly on Pakistan's stance toward=20
the militancy breeding within its borders.

The writer is the founding president of the Henry L Stimson Center=20
and is a known expert on security issues of South Asia
______

#3.

The Looming "Crusade"
by Badruddin R. Gowani

On September 11, 2001, the twin World Trade Center towers in New York=20
City and the Pentagon building near Washington, DC, became the target=20
of terrorists. They used the hijacked planes as missiles, resulting=20
in the total destruction of the twin towers and a partial destruction=20
of the Pentagon building. More than 6,000 people got killed due to=20
this ghastly act.

It has not yet been established as to who is behind this sickly act,=20
but the US government and the news media accuses Osama bin Laden, the=20
Saudi engineer, and his organization, "al-Qaida" or "The Base," and=20
indirectly the Taliban government of Afghanistan where bin Laden=20
lives.

President George W. Bush wants to wage "war," "crusade," and what=20
not. Seems like this is going to be a global war, literally, unlike=20
the European World War I and II. In his address to the joint session=20
of the Congress, he pointed out the nature of the war and prepared=20
the people of the United States for the probable loss of life of US=20
soldiers and civilians: "Now, this war will not be like the war=20
against Iraq a decade ago, with a decisive liberation of territory=20
and a swift conclusion. It will not look like the air war above=20
Kosovo two years ago, where no ground troops were used and not a=20
single American <life>was lost in combat." About the length, he=20
said, "It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach=20
has been found, stopped and defeated." Therefore, it is going to be=20
an infinite war because the more the US destroys the "terrorist"=20
groups; the more those kind of groups will crop up, unless the root=20
cause is addressed =96 which the US is least interested. Good for the=20
death merchants. Then he declared a world war: "And we will pursue=20
nations that provide aid or safe haven to terrorists. Every nation=20
in every region now has a decision to make: Either you are with us,=20
or you are with the terrorists." The rest of the world was offered=20
no room for explanation, negotiation, or diplomacy: "From this day=20
forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism=20
will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime." (See the=20
speech in Los Angeles Times, September, 21, 2001, p. 5). The=20
consequences of the above statements could be twofold: almost all the=20
countries can become legitimate target of the US wrath, and the US=20
lackeys would have the unrestrained blessing of their Master to=20
silence any kind of dissent in their countries in the name of curbing=20
"terrorism."

He also said that he wants to speak "directly to Muslims throughout=20
the world," and declared that "we respect your faith." (This time=20
the US is somewhat careful not to brand all Muslims as "terrorists."=20
(It is due to the rising number and the financial and political power=20
of Muslims in the US, and the plan for including many Muslim=20
countries in the upcoming war-coalition.) Then the disciple of the=20
Lord Jesus issued a fatwa: "Its <that is, Islam's> teachings are good=20
and peaceful, and those who commit evil in the name of Allah=20
blaspheme the name of Allah.

For the approaching "sustained" war, all kinds of strategies and=20
plans are being suggested and studied (see David White, "Allies=20
Contemplate Challenges of Mountain Warfare," "Financial Times,"=20
September 21, 2001, p.2), cause this time it is a "different war,"=20
"different enemy," "different weapons," "different offensive."=20
(Night Line, September 19, 2001.) Most of the hawks want a quick=20
war, whereas there are those who wants to approach it in a cautious=20
manner and remind us about the British and Soviet retreat from=20
Afghanistan. However, the US is militarily and economically the=20
strongest country with a will to unleash unlimited violence.=20
Additionally, it is going to fight through a coalition, mainly, in my=20
opinion, at the expense of Third World soldiers from poor countries=20
who would be provided with the air cover and naval support by the US,=20
British, and some other Europeans.

Let us say the US has full and correct information about all the=20
right targets in Afghanistan. It goes there and succeeds in getting=20
bin Laden "dead or alive" and captures or kills the Taliban=20
leadership and returns back happy and strong.

What if does not happen?

In that case, the scenario would be of a global nightmare.

Afghanistan =96 the target state
The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, providing General Zia=20
ul Haq, Pakistan's Islamic military dictator (who had come to power=20
in 1977 by overthrowing prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, and later=20
hanging him), a golden opportunity. It became very close to US,=20
Pakistan's ally, and got legitimacy in the eyes of the Western=20
leaders. Pakistan also became a conduit and a beneficiary of the US=20
arms and aid going to the Afghan Mujahids. The US pulled out of=20
Afghanistan after the Soviet retreat and the end of the People's=20
Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA). Mujahids then started=20
fighting among themselves.

In the mid 1990s, with US approval and Saudi Arabia's help, the=20
Pakistan trained Taliban (or students, i.e., of religious madrasas or=20
schools), took over Afghanistan through conquering territory from=20
different factions of Mujahids. The Taliban are ruthless rulers with=20
a medieval outlook for whom women, minorities, and other Muslims -=20
who do not fit their type - are anathema.

Economy? There is no such thing. Rather, it is experiencing a drought.

It is this devastated Afghanistan that the US now wants to destroy.

Well! These kinds of destructions also carry within themselves the=20
seeds of creation: more Muslim fundamentalists and "terrorists."

Pakistan =96 the frontline state
The five decades of friendship with the US has turned Pakistan into a=20
dependent state. It performs various tasks , which are required of=20
the client states. There have been ups and downs in the friendship=20
but Pakistan's location provides it with some or other opportunity to=20
be in the good books of the US. Zia and his cronies benefited a lot=20
=96 but it was an immense loss for Pakistan =96 with the Soviet invasion.=20
Now the US is befriending General Pervez Musharraf, the current=20
military ruler, whom President Bill Clinton treated as a pariah=20
during his five-hour visit of Pakistan in 1999. Zia planted the=20
seeds of fanatic Islam but was killed before tasting the fruits of=20
fundamentalism. All subsequent governments, including Musharraf=92s,=20
nourished and used it. Today Pakistan is home to several=20
fundamentalist groups who want to turn Pakistan into a Taliban like=20
state.

Economically Pakistan is in a mess. This year Pakistan has to pay $5=20
billion in interests on foreign loans =96 more than its expected=20
foreign-exchange earnings. A year ago Dr. Aijaz Ahmad wrote:=20
"Whether or not Pakistan will default at that point is a decision=20
that will be made not in Islamabad but in Washington =96 and Washington=20
is likely to demand a higher price for a favorable decision."=20
(Lineages of the Present: Ideology and Politics in Contemporary South=20
Asia, Verso, 2000, p. 307). Within few days of the bombing the US=20
asked for full cooperation in its war against Afghanistan and=20
Musharraf, as expected, offered Pakistan's "unstinted" support. As a=20
reward for its support Pakistan has asked for a write off of its=20
debts and US mediation in its dispute with India over the state of=20
Jammu and Kashmir, left unresolved by British when they quit in 1947.=20
As an indirect advantage, Pakistan is hoping that it would be able to=20
tame the militant groups. On September 24, 2001, $379 million=20
payments were rescheduled.

There is a saying in South Asia: when two bulls fight it is the tree=20
which is destroyed. To some extent, the analogy is applicable in=20
this case, although I should point out that the tree is not that=20
innocent and the bulls are of uneven sizes. Islamic militants want=20
Pakistan not to cooperate with the US. Pakistan has decided=20
otherwise. The war has kind of already started; last week a bomb=20
went off in the city of Sialkot killing five people and injuring=20
forty five, some of them critically, and three people were killed by=20
police during last Friday's nation wide protests by the militants.=20
Besides communalism, there is also a great deal of ethnic strife in=20
Pakistan. (In 1971, years of oppression of the more than 50% of the=20
population by the West Pakistan based Punjabi leadership forced the=20
province of East Pakistan to break away and lead a new life as=20
Bangladesh.) There are chances that Pakistan's participation in war=20
can create circumstances which could lead to its second break-up on=20
the pattern of Somalia, or it can survive a war between the Islamists=20
and the military and live under uncertainty like Algeria. (However,=20
there are many in the Pakistan army who are sympathetic to the=20
fundamentalists. The ISI or Intelligence Services Agency, an arm of=20
the military, has played an important role in the Afghan policy.)

For Pakistan, the best solution is to stay away from the war. The=20
friendship with the US is not going to solve any of its problems. It=20
should always remember: Technological god helps those who help=20
themselves.

Other Countries:
There are elements in the Indian government who would be pleased to=20
see the disintegration of Pakistan. However, the happiness would be=20
short lived, as it has its own separatist movements in Kashmir,=20
Punjab, and the states in the northeast. Not to forget the rising=20
power of the Hindu extremist groups associated with the ruling=20
religious party, BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party).
Other South Asian countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka=20
have been for long embroiled in political, religious, ethnic, and=20
economic turmoil. The adverse consequences of the war can add fuel=20
to the fire.
The neighbors such as Burma and China cannot remain immune if the=20
situation gets out of control.
Iran would experience a strange dilemma: some would like an end to=20
the Taliban nuisance (though some of the fanatics in Iran are not any=20
better), and the hard-liners would dread more US influence in the=20
region. They might become more powerful.
The Central Asian republics of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and=20
Turkmenistan, like Iran, have borders with Afghanistan and have not=20
been able to relish their freedom from the Soviet Union (now Russia)=20
in 1991.

______

#4.

The Hindu (India)
Sunday, November 11, 2001

Movement for human rights planned

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, NOV. 10. An idea conceived in the town of Neemrana in the=20
summer of 2000 is all set to take shape this weekend when human=20
rights activists from five neighbouring countries converge here to=20
lay the foundation of a movement for human rights in the region.

What was then called the South Asian Initiative for Human Rights is=20
now South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR).

This will be the banner under which over 500 activists from Pakistan,=20
Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and India will rally together for a=20
common cause for two days from Sunday.

The founding congress of SAHR will begin with a session titled=20
`Including the Excluded: A South Asian Vision' which would be=20
inaugurated by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,=20
Ms. Mary Robinson.

The other human rights advocates slated to address the opening=20
session are the former Prime Minister, Mr. I.K. Gujral, and Ms. Asma=20
Jahangir from Pakistan.

Apart from seeking a voice for the voiceless, participants at the=20
conference would also try to identify new challenges, examine the=20
crisis of the State, address the issue of conflict and peace, and=20
highlight the role of women as peace- makers.

On the second morning, the Nobel-laureate, Prof. Amartya Sen, would=20
deliver the keynote address on the main concern of the participants -=20
`Including the Excluded: Human Rights'.

There would also be a workshop on U.N. Mechanisms and Procedures=20
which would be chaired by the former Chief Justice of India, Mr.=20
Justice P.N. Bhagwati, and Ms. Damaris Wickramaskera of Sri Lanka.

Participants will make presentations on a number of subjects=20
including `Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions', `The=20
Situation of Human Rights in Afghanistan' and `Arbitrary Detention'.

As against the 100 activists who participated in the Neemrana=20
initiative, the group is now 500-strong with delegations from=20
Pakistan and Nepal running into three figures.

Some of the prominent participants include, Mr. Khalid Ahmed and Dr.=20
Mubashir Hasan from Pakistan; Mr. Rehman Sobhan and Ms. Hameeda=20
Hossain from Bangladesh; Mr. Daman Nath Dhungana and Mr. Kapil=20
Shreshta from Nepal; Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy from Sri Lanka; and Mr.=20
Justice M.N. Venkatachaliah, Mr. Kuldip Nayar, Ms. Aruna Roy, and Ms.=20
Shabana Azmi from India.

______

#5.

Malegaon: anti war protest suppressed, communal riots provoked

A preliminary report, Friday, the 9th November, 2001

by the joint Fact Finding Committee constituted by the Lokshahi Hakk=20
Sanghatana (LHS) and the Committee for the Protection of Democratic=20
Rights (CPDR)

Members: Vijay Hiremath, Advocate; Kannan Srinivasan, researcher;=20
Sakharam Sathe, Jennifer Coutinho, members, CPDR; Sanober Keshwaar,=20
Angel Mary, members, LHS.

The terms of reference of the enquiry were as follows:
1. (a)To enquire into the police firing on the 26th October 2001 in=20
Malegaon, Nasik District
(b)To ascertain and record facts about the killings and=20
injuries, loss of property following the firing and to ascertain the=20
cause of the subsequent riots
2. To record the local context of the incident, to gauge the=20
sentiments of the people of the area, to investigate the forces at=20
work in Malegaon, and to place all these in the context of the=20
politics at the state and national level at this point in time.
3. To review and record the State's response to the incident and the=20
response of the people.
The teams visited the riot affected areas of Malegaon, and Satana=20
town and the nearby villages of Patne, Ajang, Wadner (Khakhurdi),=20
Nampur, Talavde and Antapur. The team met the victims of police=20
firing and of attacks by communal organisations, the Additional=20
Superintendent of Police, local journalists, politicians, social=20
workers and visited the Farhan Hospital.

About Malegaon
Malegaon, in the Nasik District of Maharashtra, is one of the 3 main=20
powerloom towns in the state. It is famous for its lungis and=20
coloured saris. It first grew in the late 19th century when large=20
numbers of Muslim weavers fled here from North India to escape the=20
repression unleashed by the British in the aftermath of the First War=20
of Indian Independence in 1857. They settled here and at Bhiwandi,=20
the other town on the Agra Road, and over time these two towns became=20
powerloom centres. Malegaon lies in the Nasik district of=20
Maharashtra. Out of its population of 6.5 lakhs, over 70% are=20
Muslims. Most of them are Ansari Muslims -- descendants of the=20
weavers who settled here over a century ago --and they still have=20
links with their original homeland, now in Uttar Pradesh. Their=20
mother tongue is Urdu. The rest are local Maharashtrians called=20
Dakhani Muslims (i.e. from the Deccan) who consider their mother=20
tongue to be Marathi. Though there is amity between these two kinds=20
of Muslims, there is, however, no intermarriage between them.
Ninety per cent of the powerlooms are owned by Ansari Muslims, but=20
the loom workers are mainly Dakhani Muslims and Hindus from nearby=20
villages such as Soyegaon and Dyanegaon. There are no unions of the=20
workers in evidence here, though Nihal Ahmed has organised them in=20
the past. The traders in Malegaon are mostly Marwaris and Gujaratis:=20
they supply the raw materials to the loom owners and then buy the=20
finished product from them.
The Union Home Ministry has long ago described Malegaon as an=20
"ultra-sensitive" spot, mainly because of its large Muslim=20
population. Some residents said that the atmosphere here is always=20
tense, and small skirmishes take place often. One major reason=20
pointed out for this is that there are hardly any recreational=20
facilities or spaces for the citizens to let off steam.

Background to the riot
The tension in Malegaon has been building up for the last many months.
Early this year, the Muslims were hurt over the incident of the=20
burning of the Koran in Delhi. Then a liquor bottle was thrown into a=20
local masjid to provoke a riot. A quarrel between a Hindu girl and a=20
Muslim boy of Karajgaon was falsely reported as a rape. The bombing=20
of Afghanistan by the US and Britain has angered the Muslims, as it=20
has all democratic-minded people.=20
Nihal Ahmed led a morcha on October 19th, 2001, to protest against=20
the war -- the processionists were arrested, but later released by=20
the police. This sparked rumours all over the city that all Muslims=20
were supporters of Osama bin Laden and therefore of terrorism. All=20
these incidents reinforced the stereotyping of Muslims as terrorists=20
and anti-nationals in the minds of common Hindus and created a sense=20
of being wronged, and persecuted unfairly, in the minds of common=20
Muslims.

Generally deteriorating economic conditions have also raised levels=20
of stress for residents here. The powerloom industry has been in=20
recession for the last 8 months with only 50% of the looms operating.=20
The situation was slated to improve slightly , when the riots took=20
place. Now, people say, the economy has been set back by many months.=20
People are out of jobs, youth cannot find employment and everything=20
is getting dearer. Mr Raj Vardhan, the Additional Superintendent of=20
Police, opined that "The economic problem has created a schism=20
between Hindus and Muslims --each feels that the other is somehow=20
responsible for their economic downslide."

It is in this context that we must see the events which sparked off=20
the riots in Malegaon city.

Sequence of Events
Events were really sparked off by the suppression of an anti-war=20
protest by local Muslims by the SRP (state reserve police) and the=20
police. The anti-Muslim sentiment in these state forces manifested=20
itself in unwarranted lathi-charges and the consequent firing which=20
killed many innocent Muslims. We have tried to reconstruct events=20
below.
After Nihal Ahmed's morcha on October 19th, a SRP van was stationed=20
outside the Jama
Masjid (the biggest masjid in Malegaon) after the Friday prayers. At=20
2.15 p.m. on 26th
October (Friday) when people were coming out of the Jama Masjid after the =
Juma
prayers, a young man started distributing pamphlets in Urdu entitled=20
"Be Indian, Buy Indian"
which exhorted Indians to boycott American and British products in=20
protest against the
bombing of Afghanistan. (Even the Mr. Raj Vardhan, present Additional=20
Superintendent of
Police, then posted to ---- found nothing objectionable in the=20
pamphlet whatsoever.)
An SRP constable grabbed a pamphlet from the distributor, tore it up=20
and assaulted the man,
whom the SRP constables then arrested and dragged towards the van.=20
This angered the
crowd who immediately rushed to get the pamphleteer released.
Hearing the commotion, the Imam of the Jama Masjid, Mufti Mohammed=20
Ismael, rushed out of the Masjid and tried to disperse the crowd=20
around the SRP van. He was soon joined by Suresh Ahire, the=20
Superintendent of Police, R.K.Rathod, the Deputy Superintendent of=20
Police and Sheikh Rashid, the Congress MLA of Malegaon. The moment=20
Sheikh Rashid arrived on the spot, a section of the crowd started=20
shouting and clamouring for him to go back and became restive. They=20
managed to get the pamphleteer released from the clutches of the=20
police. In the melee, this section also damaged part of the=20
Navratri pandal which had been put up near the Masjid. The police=20
then lathi-charged the crowd and chased them out of the Jama Masjid=20
area. The crowd responded to this attack by pelting stones at the=20
police and the police kept lathi-charging and pushing them back.
It is reported that no sooner had the crowd been chased out of the=20
Jama Masjid area by the police than a huge group of Hindus led by=20
Dada Bhuse (the chief of the Shiv Sena-spawned outfit called Jaanta=20
Raja) arrived on the scene and held a demonstration to protest the=20
damaging of the Navratri pandal by the Muslims. Soon thereafter,=20
this crowd moved towards the Sangameshwar masjid destroying=20
Muslims' shops in front of it. Their numbers swelled as they went=20
along leaving a trail of selective destruction in their path.
In the meanwhile, the police continued the lathi-charge on the=20
namaazis and drove them towards
the Kidwai Road and Mohammed Ali Road area -- which is the main=20
Bazaar area of Malegaon city and is about half a kilometre away from=20
the Jama Masjid. As Friday was Bazaar day in Malegaon, the crowd of=20
namaazis was joined here by many people who had come to shop in the=20
bazaar.
Then, according to the police, a section of the crowd torched the=20
Gupta Dairy shop on Mohammed Ali Road after bringing out all the=20
property from inside the shop and burning it on the street.=20
The police then opened fire, firing a total of 35 rounds, leaving=20
three dead and 10 injured. One bullet pierced Bilkees Bano (52 years)=20
in the chest while she was hanging out her washing on the first floor=20
balcony of her house on Mohammed Ali Road. She died in hospital soon=20
thereafter.
Ijaz Baig Aziz Baig, the President of the Malegaon Municipality, was=20
witness to the police firing. He saw a young man on the street, later=20
identified as Ibrahim, get shot in the head and immediately slump to=20
the ground. Whilst people were running helter-skelter, another young=20
man came to pick up the bleeding Ibrahim but he too was shot down.=20
This young man was identified later as Shafique Azizullah, 23 years,=20
a vendor of ready made garments. The police did not bother to pick up=20
the dead and injured and take them to hospital. It was the people who=20
did this.
Baig stated that at the time of the firing the Tehsildar, Mr.=20
Sapkale, and the SP, Mr. Suresh Ahire were present on the spot.
The news that three people had been killed in police firing and=20
several others wounded spread like wildfire and the Muslim populace=20
got incensed. Consequent to this, the Imams of all the masjids in=20
Malegaon began to call the azaan beginning that evening right through=20
the night. This is a practice in times of emergency to give succour=20
to the people, as in time of floods, earthquakes, etc.
>From Friday evening through Saturday to Sunday, Hindu and Muslim mobs=20
went on a rampage in the town burning and looting shops, industrial=20
units, powerlooms and vehicles belonging to each others communities.

The police opened fire yet again on Friday night in the Azad Nagar=20
area. They claim they were challenged by a stone-throwing mob of=20
Muslims. Thirty-two rounds were fired here leaving two young men=20
killed. One of the victims was Mohammed Salim Shahadat Hussain, a=20
loomworker of 25, who is survived by a young wife and two infant=20
children. The other victim was also a 22 year old loomworker named=20
Rafique Shah Hamid Shah who was the only breadwinner of his family.=20
Three more youth were hit by bullets but they survived.

On Sunday, 28th of October, the police opened fire once more near the Mira
Datar Dargah in the early evening at 4.30 p.m. A police van came to=20
be stationed next to the dargah and a nearby masjid and someone=20
spread the rumour in the surrounding slums that the police had come=20
to destroy the masjid. This rumour was believed because some other=20
masjids had been desecrated in the past two days. So hundreds of=20
people collected and went towards the dargah and masjid to protect it=20
from destruction. The police called for more force and another van=20
arrived on the spot and started firing into the crowd. 24 rounds were=20
fired killing two men. One of the victims was Ahmed Khan Murad Khan,=20
a 22 year old stove repairer, who was hit in the chest and died on=20
the spot. The other victim was Sheikh Riyaz Sheikh Safiuddin, a 17=20
year old loomworker, who also was shot in the chest but died later in=20
the Farhan Hospital.

Destruction
On Friday itself a Hindu mob completely destroyed one of the bigger=20
powerloom units in Malegaon, the Diamond Mill, and all the small=20
houses of people in the compound. This powerloom unit was owned by=20
Haji Zahir Ahmed and Salik Rizvi and employed 300 loom workers. They=20
also damaged the masjid in the Diamond Mill compound and burnt down=20
all the vehicles parked there.
On Friday at 6 p.m., the A1 Bakery, owned by Mohammedbhai Kutchi, was=20
burnt down. The damage to this and another bakery is estimated the=20
damage to be 20 lakhs. A large warehouse was destroyed on the Old=20
Agra Road, a lorry and a forklift truck were also burnt down within=20
its compound. The Proprietor, Mohammed Ibrahim Mohammed Yasim=20
estimates the damage to amount to Rupees 25 - 30 lakhs. The team=20
visited the Paltan Masjid in the Camp area which has been severely=20
damaged due to arson committed around 6 p.m. on Friday 26th. There is=20
a police chowkey just outside the Masjid. The mob went up to the=20
minarets, damaged them and destroyed the speakers used to call the=20
azaan. The team visited the Apni bakery in Malegaon Camp which was=20
burnt down. At the Mohammed Baug Bada Kabrastan in Camp which the=20
team visited, the team saw twelve graves smashed up and the main=20
building severely damaged by fire. Workers say that this was done by=20
a mob shouting "Jai Bhavani". There is a large Shiv Sena poster just=20
outside the Kabrastan. The team visited Jain Plastics, an industrial=20
unit manufacturing agricultural pipes, owned by Abdul Jalil Ghulam=20
Mohammed, which was completely gutted. The damage here has been=20
estimated as Rupees sixteen lakhs.

The team also visited the Navkiran Powerloom Co-operative in Dyane=20
village on the outskirts of Malegaon headed by Nimba Kadam, where=20
extensive damage was done by what observers claim was a Muslim mob.=20
The extent of the damage is estimated at Rupees sixty lakhs, which=20
includes a pre-powerloom processing unit. About thirty lakhs was=20
insured. The team also visited Datta Mandir at Dyane where the idol=20
was taken out and destroyed.=20

The ones who survived the firings
At Farhan Hospital, the team met Rizwan Ahmed Iqbal Ahmed, 23 years,=20
who had gone to buy clothes on Kidwai Road and was shot in the leg by=20
the police. Saeed Ahmed Saeed Kader, 22 years, a hotel worker, was=20
speechless. He was hit in the right hand and in the stomach whilst he=20
was passing by on Mohammed Ali Road. Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari, 23,=20
powerloom worker, was shot in the foot and, as a result, his leg has=20
been amputated. Ashfaque Ahmed Abdul Khalil, 17 years, had gone=20
shopping to Kidwai Road to buy provisions for his mother when he was=20
shot through the lung. Mohammed Farooq Abdul Jabar, 39 years old, a=20
powerloom worker, had gone to collect his weekly salary when he was=20
shot in the stomach. Abdul Hamid Khan Abdul Khalil Khan, a young boy,=20
was shot in the head on Friday night. Irfan Amin Mohammed Amin, 17=20
years, a pan shop worker, was shot in the right thigh whilst at=20
Kidwai Road. Mohammed Ibrahim Mukhtar Iquilabi, 18 years, loom=20
worker, shot in the left arm on Sunday, 28th in the maidan in the=20
Mira Datar Nagar area. The team interviewed Dr. Sayyid Ahmed=20
Farhani, the head of the hospital.

The Police estimate that in Malegaon town the total loss amounted to=20
thirteen crore eighteen lakh one thousand six hundred and eighty four=20
rupees.
The police and every one we spoke to admitted that most of the=20
property destroyed belonged to the Muslims.

Murders during the riots
Apart from the twelve people killed in police firing, two people, one=20
Hindu and one Muslim, were murdered in the midst of the riots.

On Friday 26th October, at around 9 p.m., the mob that destroyed the=20
houses and powerloom unit in Diamond Mill compound, stabbed to death=20
a former Municipal Councillor named Khalil Ahmed Haji Mohammed Saeed=20
there itself. Khalil Ahmed was a much loved and much respected local=20
leader and was 47 years old. He was stabbed whilst he was trying to=20
reason with the crowd not to destroy the masjid which is situated in=20
the compound and where he had just offered evening prayers. His=20
murder was witnessed by his borther, Jalil, who himself too was=20
attacked but survived. Jalil, in his statement to the police,=20
implicated Dada Bhuse and a former Shiv Sena councillor named Suresh=20
Gawli, in the murder of his brother.

On Friday itself, a middle aged Hindu rickshaw driver named Bapu=20
Bacchav was murdered at Kalikutti sometime in the night. Bacchav used=20
to live in the predominantly Hindu area of Sriram Nagar (which is a=20
known Shiv Sena stronghold) and was a former vice-President of the=20
Shiv Sena shakha in Malegaon town. According to his mother, the=20
people of his area came to him armed with sticks on Friday night and=20
asked him to lead them to fight with a mob of Muslims who had amassed=20
on the other side of the river behind their area. Just as the Sriram=20
Nagar mob was crossing the river to take on the Muslims, the SP Ahire=20
arrived on the spot and fired in the air to disperse the crowd.=20
Everyone then rushed back to their homes except for Bapu Bacchav.=20
When he did not return, people began searching for him and found his=20
dead body at Kalikutti nearby -- he had been killed by a sword wound=20
on his head.

Anti-Muslim Attitude of the Police
That the prejudice of the police against Muslims in general can take=20
a very dangerous and destructive turn was evidenced in the Bombay=20
riots of 1992-93 and well documented in the reports by independent=20
bodies as well as the Srikrishna Commission. That public condemnation=20
and criminal prosecution (albeit delayed and half-hearted) have not=20
dimmed the police's hatred of Muslims can be seen in their behaviour=20
in Malegaon.=20=20

a. Most people of Malegaon whom we interviewed feel that had the SRP=20
not suppressed the distribution of the pamphlet, and had the police=20
not resorted to lathi charge so insensitively in response to the=20
demand of the crowd to release the arrested pamhleteer, subsequent=20
events would not have taken place. In people's minds, it was=20
ultimately the shooting at Mohammed Ali Road which triggered the=20
rioting.
b. Mobs from both communities indulged in arson and looting of shops=20
and houses of the other community. Most of the property destroyed was=20
that of Muslims. But all those who died in police firing are Muslims,=20
without a single exception. The police did not fire on marauding=20
Hindus mobs, only on Muslim mobs. When the team asked Mr. Raj Vardhan=20
to explain this anomaly, he accepted the truth of this fact but could=20
not offer any explanation.
c. Many Muslims we met said that when they rang up the police station=20
for help when their property was being destroyed, the policeman would=20
ask them their names and, on hearing that they were Muslims, promptly=20
put the phone down. If at all they answered, they replied that they=20
could not help due to lack of force.
d. There are two blood banks in Malegaon - one called the Ansar Blood=20
Bank which is in a Muslim locality and the other is Bhavsar's Blood=20
Bank which is in a Hindu locality. The Ansar Blood Bank is open 24=20
hours, but was compelled to close down for two full days during the=20
riots when its services were needed the most. Around midnight on=20
Friday the 26th, the police arrested Dr. Riyaz who was running the=20
bank on the night shift and took him away. As curfew was clamped, the=20
other doctor in charge could not come to take his place, with the=20
result that no blood was available for those wounded and dying in the=20
police firing. When questioned about Dr. Riyaz's arrest, the police=20
stated that they arrested him because he was a known instigator of=20
Muslim youth. It was only after two public-spirited citizens took the=20
initiative and made a curfew pass for Dr. Haroon, the other doctor=20
who also works at the blood bank, that the blood bank started=20
functioning again.
e. Several shops of Muslims right outside and next to the Chawni=20
Police Station have been completely gutted. It is a strange sight as=20
one should imagine that the police would normally take prompt action=20
against any arson at least in their own backyard. Here is an evident=20
case for disciplinary action against the concerned policemen.
f. Some Muslims who had lost their shops in the arson and looting=20
complained that even though policemen were present on the scene, they=20
did not lift a finger to stop the destruction from taking place.

Attacks in the villages
In the city, both Hindus and Muslims suffered loss of property, but=20
in the villages it was only the Muslim community that was attacked.
Muslims are a minority in the villages of Malegaon taluka and the=20
other nearby talukas such as Satana, Kalvan and Deola. There are, on=20
an average, about 25 to 30 families of Muslims in each village. From=20
27th October onwards, mobs of around 500 Hindu youth led by the Shiv=20
Sena and Jaanta Raja leaders went on a looting and burning spree from=20
village to village. People were mobilized by the spread of vicious=20
rumours such as the following: that Muslims had cut the breasts of=20
Hindu women in Malegaon and then inscribed the name of Osama bin=20
Laden on them; that Muslim men had stripped and raped Hindu women and=20
were keeping them confined in a masjid where they were being=20
repeatedly raped; that Muslim men had slit the stomach of pregnant=20
Hindu woman and yanked out the foetus with a sword; that Muslims had=20
destroyed mandirs and killed a pujari=8A
These rumours, according to the villagers interviewed and Mr. Raj=20
Vardhan, were spread by some people who travelled from village to=20
village in a vehicle. They were also reportedly spread by villagers=20
who were returning home from the Friday Bazaar at Malegaon and who=20
had to suffer a lot of inconvenience due to the curfew and the=20
rioting. People also told us that one Dr. Surana, the President of=20
the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of Deola Taluka, addressed a public meeting=20
in Deola on 29th October where he described how Muslims had cut the=20
breasts of Hindu women and stuck bin Laden's picture on them.

Such inflammatory rumours and false stories played an effective role=20
in mobilising Hindu youth to join the Jaanta Raja and Shiv Sena=20
rioters in attacking Muslims in the villages.
The mob would descend on the village shouting slogans like "Jai=20
Bhavani" and Jai Shivaji" armed with petrol cans and swords and=20
lathis. Local recruits would identify houses of Muslims which would=20
then be surrounded and threatened. The Muslims inside would be=20
permitted to slip away to safety from the back door and after that,=20
the mob would loot the house, smash the TV if there was one, take=20
away all the grain, and then burn any vehicle the family owned.=20
Furniture and other possessions were either brought out into the=20
street and burned or were destroyed in the house itself.
In the villages where the attacks have taken place, the local masjid=20
has been damaged or destroyed in almost all cases we investigated. In=20
Nampur village (Indira Nagar), a madrassa where 150 Muslim youth were=20
studying has been damaged.

About Jaanta Raja
The Jaanta Raja Mitra Mandal is an organisation set up by some=20
members of the Shiv Sena some years ago by a friend and admirer of=20
the Thane Shiv Sena leader the late Anand Dighe. The Jaanta Raja in=20
this area was set up by one Dada Bhuse, a 40 year old civil engineer=20
who resigned his job with the State Government Irrigation Department=20
some years ago to become a builder and businessman.

Jaanta Raja members undertake social service in the villages,=20
settling petty problems of the villagers and providing help in small=20
ways. Most of its members are young men. Its influence has grown=20
after these riots and the attacks on the villages and the common=20
Hindu villager perceives them as saviours -- they feel that if the=20
Jaanta Raja had not attacked first, then the Muslims would have=20
surely finished them off.

There are some cases of beating up of some Muslim women by the Jaanta=20
Raja troopers in some villages. In Nampur village, two women named=20
Sabiha Moosa Saeed (who is six months' pregnant) and Shugrahi Raj=20
Saeed were chased out of their home by the attackers and beaten with=20
big sticks. When the team met these women, their bodies bore marks=20
of the beating. But by and large the attackers concentrated on first=20
scaring the Muslims so that they would flee their homes; and then=20
looting and burning their property. Some Muslims told us that the=20
policy of the Jaanta Raja is not to kill Muslims, but to finish them=20
off economically and frighten them into submission as second class=20
citizens.
Most Muslims have not as yet returned to their villages since they=20
fled after the attacks. Those whom we met in the refugee camps in=20
Satana were feeling very insecure and were not confident of going=20
back to live in their villages. They have lost everything in the=20
attacks and the subsequent looting and burning.
Some of them are seriously contemplating shifting to the city where=20
they will be comparatively safer in Muslim localities. Those who have=20
land in the villages will most probably sell it off at throwaway=20
prices and then shift to the city.

Communal amity in the midst of communal madness
There have been many instances of communal amity in the midst of=20
this communal madness. In most villages, some Hindu neighbour or=20
other gave shelter to Muslim families on the run from the looters and=20
then escorted them to safety. For example, Anjana and Suresh Nikam of=20
Ajang village gave shelter to ten Muslim neighbours during the attack=20
on 27th October. When they intervened to stop the attacks on the=20
Muslims, they were threatened with death by the marauders. In Wadner=20
village, some Hindu families gave shelter to their Muslim neighbours=20
and then escorted them to their relatives' houses in Malegaon.
In Malegaon camp area, Dr. Yeshwant Deore risked his life to escort=20
young Muslim children home and young men of a Muslim family that=20
resides in his area, which is predominantly Hindu. Because of this,=20
he was accosted in the street and asked whether he was a Hindu or not=20
and told that if he were a Hindu, then he should not be helping=20
Muslims.
In the village of Ajmer Soundana in Satana taluka, no attacks could=20
take place because the police patil and sarpanch of the village took=20
prompt action by telling each and every family not to believe rumours=20
which were floating about and not to harm their Muslim brethren in=20
any way.

Conclusions
A peaceful anti war protest, asking that foreign goods be boycotted:=20
"Be Indian, buy Indian", was suppressed by the State.
So complete is the communalisation of the police and the paramilitary=20
organisations that all Muslims were portrayed as pro-Bin Laden,=20
supporters of terrorism. This action of the police gave rise to a=20
communal tension and subsequent riots.
Rumours spread by political parties and communal organisations were=20
responsible for the spread of the rioting and the continuing attacks=20
on minorities.
The police reaction was brutal and one-sided. Rioters belonging to=20
Hindu communal organisations moved around freely, and there was no=20
attempt to curb them.
Political leaders have sought mileage from this fresh polarisation of=20
the two communities; there may now be electoral advantage for more=20
than one political party.
The attacks in the villages were organised by Jaanta Raja, and have=20
been uncurbed by the local police.

Demands
1. We demand punitive action against those policemen who acted=20
communally and provoked further communal tension.
2. Action, both departmental and criminal, should be taken against=20
those policemen involved in communal acts of commission and omission=20
during the riots in Malegaon and the villages.
3. Criminal attacks on inhabitants of Malegaon, businesses in=20
Malegaon and villagers across the district should be investigated and=20
punished.
4. Government relief camps have to be set up for those who fled the=20
villages and have therefore been displaced; since all those relief=20
camps presently functioning in Malegaon depend on private initiative=20
and limited resources of community organisations.
5. Adequate compensation for all the dead and injured should be paid=20
promptly by the Government.
6. Compensation for those whose property has been destroyed should=20
likewise be paid.
7. The terms of reference of the judicial enquiry ordered by the=20
Government should include coverage of all the riot-affected villages,=20
police acts of commission and omission, and the role of political=20
parties and communal organisations.

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

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