[sacw] SACW #2 | 23 May 02 (India and the fallout from Gujarat Genocide 2002)

[Harsh Kapoor]

South Asia Citizens Wire Dispatch #2 | 23 May 2002
http://www.mnet.fr

__________________________

#1. India Confronts Its Own Intolerance (Kanwal Rekhi And Henry S. Rowen)
#2. Religious tension hangs heavy in sacred Hindu city (Diana Coulter )
#3. The women in Gujarat's camps - II (Vasudha Dhagamwar)
#4. Gujarat Videos Seized In Goa; BJP CM Threatens With 'inciting=20
Passions' Clause
#5. Report from Second Meeting of the group for a Coalition Against=20
Communalism (Bombay)
#6. Gujarat Victims Denied Medical Care, Say Volunteers (Meena Menon)
#7. Vinod Mehta in Outlook
#8. Whither Democracy, Welcome Mobocracy (Ra Ravishankar)
#9. Farewell to Rajdharma: Centre's Record of Shame in Gujarat (B G Verghes=
e)
#10. Our capacity to care (Harsh Mander)
#11. International art exhibition - In Support of The Riot Victims of=20
Gujarat (Hyderabad, India)

__________________________

#1.

Wall Street Journal
May 22, 2001

India Confronts Its Own Intolerance

By Kanwal Rekhi And Henry S. Rowen

As India and Pakistan teeter once again on the brink of war, the Indian
government=F3which holds the moral high-ground on the matter of terrorism o=
n
its soil=F3is being rattled by internal violence, most of it among Indians.=
The
severity and significance of this violence have not yet adequately been
conveyed in much of the American media. Its government=EDs response has beg=
un
to raise questions about the character of the world=EDs largest democracy.

For a country that remains largely secular in its public life, India has
recently experienced an extreme outburst of religious violence. In one
instance, on Feb. 27, a group of Muslims in the state of Gujarat attacked a
train carrying Hindus from a place of long-simmering tension over Hindu pla=
ns
to build a temple on the site of an ancient mosque. The deaths of 62 innoce=
nt
people brought immediate retaliation by Hindus, which resulted in more than
1,000 Muslim deaths. The past several weeks have seen at least 25 more
murders of Muslims.

Making the problem worse, a refugee problem is building up in Ahmedabad, th=
e
capital city of Gujarat, as Muslims from rural areas and city-dwellers whos=
e
homes have been burned pour into refugee camps. These are filthy, makeshift
places that have no running water or electricity, and that now house about
100,000 people.

Americans who know something about the history of communal violence in the
subcontinent might see these catastrophes as fitting a long-established
pattern. But what=EDs happening now is not just more of the same. During th=
e
weeks after riots began in Ahmedabad, the government has conspicuously fail=
ed
to enforce the law.

This is not because of general poverty or a constitutional inability of the
state to protect its citizens. The state government seems to be implicitly
supporting the rioters and shrugging off the plight of the refugees. If
anything, the local government=EDs attitude has shifted from lack of intere=
st
in its minority citizens before the riots to active hostility afterwards. T=
he
atmosphere is such that a state minister in Ahmedabad asked the government =
to
move the victims=ED camp because it makes his Hindu constituents feel insec=
ure.

The state=EDs chief minister, Narendra Modi, says the situation is under
control and that the people of Gujarat have reacted calmly to a grave
provocation. But the police chief in Ahmedabad said his policemen favor
rioters who are Hindus. The view is further supported by Harsh Mander, a
senior officer of the elite Indian Administrative Service, who described th=
e
Gujarat riots as a state-sponsored pogrom. There is little violence elsewhe=
re
in the country.

How can civic order be restored when the state government has no interest i=
n
doing so? The Indian constitution allows the central government to dismiss =
a
state government if it is failing in its duties and in the past New Delhi h=
as
taken over. Unfortunately, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, whose
Bharatiya Janata Party also rules in Gujarat, hasn=EDt done this. Would he =
have
failed to act=F3as he has done in the past in Bihar and some other states=
=F3if
the Gujarat ruling party wasn=EDt BJP?

Perhaps he fears that removing Mr. Modi, whose roots are in the BJP=EDs
powerful sister organization, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (National
Volunteer Corps)=F3a militant body for the promotion of Hinduism in India=
=F3will
lead to the selection of someone worse or even to his own dismissal.

Neither Mr. Vajpayee, nor his interior minister, Lal Krishan Advani, flatly
condemned attacks against minorities beyond pro forma platitudes about
violence not being tolerated. At a party congress in Goa, Mr. Vajpayee
actually condemned Muslims, saying, =ECIn Indonesia, Malaysia, wherever Mus=
lims
are living, they do not want to live in harmony.=EE Unlike President Bush, =
who
after Sept. 11 went to a mosque and severely condemned any effort to threat=
en
law and order, neither Mr. Vajpayee nor Mr. Advani has visited a mosque, an=
d
neither visited Gujarat during the initial phase of the riots. (Both visite=
d
later, when things were calmer).

There are several things the government must do to regain control. First, i=
t
must remove the BJP ministry in Gujarat, suspend the assembly and replace i=
t
with central rule until order is returned. Second, it must replace the bias=
ed
police force with an army ordered to enforce the law impartially. As Mr.
Mander of the Indian Administrative Service has written, =ECno riots can
continue beyond a few hours without the active connivance of the police.=EE
Third, the government must distance itself from groups that organize and
finance riots.

Many overseas Indian Hindus=F3including some in this country=F3finance reli=
gious
groups in India in the belief that the funds will be used to build temples,
and educate and feed the poor of their faith. Many would be appalled to kno=
w
that some recipients of their money are out to destroy minorities (Christia=
ns
as well as Muslims) and their places of worship. Mr. Vajpayee could deal a
severe blow to such covert causes by simply labeling them as terrorists.

India has many problems that it must tackle within the framework of its
democracy. It has struggled with them for over five decades=F3with little
success until 1991, when economic reforms brought new vitality to the
country. Now the handling of the Gujarat riots has shaken the faith of larg=
e
segments of the population in India=EDs future as a polity that cares for a=
ll
its citizens.

India is being provoked by Pakistani-based terrorists, but its failure to
protect innocent Muslims at home weakens the government both domestically a=
nd
internationally. The prime minister=EDs statement in Goa is a deplorable ef=
fort
to persuade his party that India=EDs future should not include its 140 mill=
ion
Muslims. Whatever actions the government takes against Pakistan will be
weakened by domestic divisiveness.

America has come to understand the imperatives of evenhanded treatment for
its citizens. Until India does so, the people of the world=EDs second-large=
st
democracy will be unable to accord the world=EDs largest democracy the resp=
ect
that many of us would like to see it deserve.

Mr. Rekhi is global chairman of The Indus Entrepreneurs, an organization of
South Asian businesspeople. Mr. Rowen is a professor emeritus at Stanford a=
nd
senior fellow of the Hoover Institution.

_____

#2.

Christian Science Monitor
from the May 22, 2002 edition

Religious tension hangs heavy in sacred Hindu city
In the Indian city of Mathura, Hindus and Muslims hold on to a shaky=20
peace at a holy site.
By Diana Coulter | Special to The Christian Science Monitor
http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0522/p07s01-wosc.html

_____

#3.

The Hindu, 23 May 2002

The women in Gujarat's camps - II
By Vasudha Dhagamwar
http://www.hinduonnet.com/stories/2002052300251000.htm

_____

#4.

GUJARAT VIDEOS SEIZED IN GOA; BJP CM THREATENS WITH 'INCITING PASSIONS'
CLAUSE

PANAJI, May 22: Gujarat cast its long shadow over the Goa elections, with
the BJP chief minister of the state, Manohar Parrikar, threatening action
against those screening videotapes on the carnage in that city.

Goa goes to the polls on May 30. Anti-communalism campaigners have been
showing the violence wreaked, allegedly with the complicity or involvement
of the Sangh Parivar. Many of the screenshots show victims blaming the BJP
and its allies for the violence.

In recent weeks, anti-communalism campaigners in Goa had taken forward the
drive to highlight the havoc caused by religious bigotry and intolerance in
Gujarat, and Congressmen apparently found this material just grist for thei=
r
party campaign mill, particularly in the minority areas of Goa.

Chief minister Parrikar, a self-acknowledged RSS member, came down hard on
those screening the video tapes on Gujarat, which he claimed was being done
with the intention of inciting communal violence in the state.

In another development, the Cuncolim police from South Goa speedily seized
the video cassettes at what they described as an "unauthorised meeting".
Officials charged that the no "prior permissions" has been taken for the
screening, and questioned whether the video "promotes communal tension" or
not.

Strangely, the films being shown in the state were by Delhi-based scientist
Gauhar Raza (45), whose 'Junoon ke Badhte Kadaam' (Evil Stalks The Land) is
his 12th in a series of films, with his earlier themes mainly centering
around science and technology.

Raza was also in town recently, and spoke emotionally about the impact of
the Gujarat violence, and its scale.

Another film that was brought here by anti-communalism campaigners was Gopa=
l
Menon's film "Hey Ram: Genocide in the Land of Gandhi".

This too was speedily put-together due to the carnage in Gujarat, in the
fallout of the Godhra massacre.

"This is the usual case of those speaking the truth being labelled as the
perpetrators of the crime," said Front for Communal Harmony spokesperson
Vidhyadhar Gadgil.

Parrikar has warned that "such actions" could be viewed as an "attempt to
incite communal passions" and the guilty could be booked under Section
153(A) of the Penal Code.

BJP came to power by defections in Goa in October 2000, and Goa is the firs=
t
state to go to the polls after the Gujarat violence. This has cast its long
shadow over the state, though it is not clear who would benefit, since
regional factors will play a considerable role here too in the May 30
polls.ENDS

_____

#5.

Dear Friends,

Second Meeting of the group for a Coalition Against Communalism - at the
YWCA, 75 Motlibai Street, Bombay Central (nr Maratha Mandir) on Saturday
25th May, 3.00 - 6.00 p.m.

We - the undersigned - met yesterday for a preparatory meeting to discuss
the agenda and proposals for the next larger meeting. (This preparatory
meeting was meant to be for 3 hours but eventually lasted 6 hours!!)

Anyway, given that many useful suggestions had been forthcoming from many o=
f
us at that Saturday meeting at Bhupesh Gupta Bhavan, we set about grouping
them under areas that need to be addressed in this struggle. Also, some
people had responded to our previous e-mail with suggestions for this
preparatory meeting.

The following are the sub-groups that we're proposing should be formed from
among all of us, to address specific areas respectively. We will discuss
each of these areas and their programmes for action at the larger meeting o=
n
the 25th. Those of us who would like to volunteer for one or more of these
sub-groups can do so at the meeting this Saturday - based on our skills and
inclination. A co-ordinator can be appointed for each sub-group and work on
the same can begin immediately thereafter. (It is also quite natural that
several of us can contribute to more than one sub-group and that several
tasks of these sub-groups will dove-tail into one another symbiotically.)

1. RELIEF WORK AND INFORMATION GATHERING IN GUJARAT

Apart from the need for material and other resources for the victims of the
violence, there is still an overwhelming need for volunteers to actually
visit Gujarat (not just Ahmedabad) to help in the relief work. We have been
trying to mobilise more people to come - even for three-four days at a time
- but there is an acute need for more help, more numbers.

Secondly, all of us know that the government is afraid of the truth and is
therefore either actively covering it up or ignoring the task of recording
facts. We need volunteers who will go around to smaller towns and villages
to gather information about what really happened, how many people have been
actually affected, and other relevant details. Volunteers will be guided an=
d
accompanied by NGO activists. This effort will be invaluable for legal
purposes, for procuring relief and compensation from the government, and fo=
r
eventually recording the reality of the Gujarat episode for all of us and
the world to see and understand what is happening in India.

2. EDUCATION

All of us agree that prejudices begin to form pretty early in life. There i=
s
a clear need to intervene at the level of schools and colleges to encourage
students to question the myths and propaganda that are being thrown at them
from everywhere. There is a need to sensitise young people to the
implications of their prejudice, to the dangers of generalisations, and to
try to understand the social processes underlying the Gujarat issue.

We have approached several teachers in colleges regarding this effort. The
response has been heartening, as they too are trying to work out ways to
include this issue in their courses/project work/even syllabi. We are tryin=
g
to arrange a meeting of college teachers to understand their need for
support for this. The Centre for Education and Documentation has volunteere=
d
to compile dossiers on a variety of topics concerning communalism. Some of
the ideas that came up yesterday were:
Form a group of teachers that we meet with regularly
Help CED and other Centres construct information dossiers for teachers and
students
Approach organisations/companies to sponsor an annual inter-college (or
inter-school) debate competition on communalism
Organise exhibitions of posters, film shows, other events for school and
college students

3. MEDIA AND INFORMATION

The mass media - especially the press and TV - are the prime channels for
ideas and information. The propagandists know that and have used it
effectively to spread their disinformation. We must set up a cell that will
Monitor the English and regional language newspapers and magazines for
falsehoods, disinformation, hate propaganda
Identify journalists and writers who have a secular outlook
Set up a documentation unit (an information bank - that'll include material
from the press, journals, statistical reports, government documents, census
material, demographic information, and all other relevant material that wil=
l
help INFORM people, will help counter the on-going hate propaganda with
information).
Create site/s on the Net, or sub-sites of existing sites like Sabrang/CED
Be regularly in touch with secular journalists
Counter hate propaganda by immediately providing material to journalist
friends to help them contradict it
Encourage proactive secular writing in the press
Aim to institute an annual award for the best writing on issues of
communalism (Say a Rajiv Tiwari Annual Award). A citation plus say Rs.1
lakh. (We could approach a corporate house to collaborate.)
Explore the possibility of raising resources for a professionally-run daily
paper that will fight the propaganda of communal organisations

4. BUSINESS

That Saturday all of us agreed that if the business sector were to become
more proactive about this issue and take a stand, it would definitely impac=
t
the State. Fortunately this time, some industrialists have spoken out. Our
business cell should
Aim to lobby with business forums (Chambers of Commerce, Trade Associations=
)
to pass a resolution on Gujarat, take a stand on it in the press, issue
public statements condemning it, bring pressure upon the government to act
to restore normalcy.
Try to get journalists to conduct a poll immediately with fund managers on
how Gujarat has affected investments into the country.
Prepare a dossier on Gujarat for Foreign Institutional Investors and their
clients (notably the pension funds) and for organisations that advise them
(such as Pensions & Investment Research in the UK) so they know exactly wha=
t
has happened in Gujarat, the sheer scale of the crimes committed, and are
encouraged to intervene in some form.
Investigate the several business houses that have been pouring money into
the coffers of the Sangh Parivar. We are aware of a few of them at least,
and plan campaigns against these financiers of genocide.
Contact the appropriate authorities internationally to seek an investigatio=
n
into the funding networks behind the VHP in the US.

5. CULTURAL ACTIVITIES

The most vibrant method of spreading feelings of harmony, solidarity and
peace is through arts and cultural forms. In earlier days almost every
performing art had a bunch of progressives making their own plays, films,
that served as symbols of protest and also highlighted social issues. Can't
we work towards reviving such movements? Already, organisations like IPTA
(Indian People's Theatre Association) are revitalising themselves to respon=
d
to the growth of communalism. There are also many individuals in different
arts that are agitated by Gujarat. Our cell must aim to
Hold cultural festivals and events celebrating the richness of a diverse an=
d
secular culture such as we have
Liaise and collaborate with existing associations like IPTA and others to
help them hold theatre-festivals, other activities
Approach the Azmi family with the idea of instituting a Kaifi Azmi Award fo=
r
the best progressive writing (plays, screenplays, novels, short stories,
poetry) that combats communalism of all kinds.

6. LEGAL CELL

Already people like Mihir and friends have been moving on this count in a
very focussed way. They need lots of help. This cell needs volunteers to
compile the evidence that will go into building a case around specific majo=
r
indictments; this will require considerable and focussed investigation in
the state
File more FIRs on individual cases to help victims
conduct the sort of scrutiny of the print media that will help file a case
against the media (two newspapers in particular)
launch a campaign to get India to sign and ratify the Statute of the
International Criminal Court
For all this and more, the cell will need volunteers immediately who are
interested in helping to compile reports from the media on these issues,
conduct legal research, etc.

7. WORKERS AGAINST COMMUNALISM

A group of individuals interested in constructing an anti-communal platform
among trade union activists and workers more generally. This will require a
great deal of imagination and hard work and cannot succeed without the
active involvement of the best trade unionists in the city.

There are many ideas, and lots of scope to do something. That is why we had
all got together on the 11th at Bhupesh Gupta Bhavan - because we feel
concerned enough to do something, whatever we can, in our own way. At this
meeting, we have to concretise that urge into action.

Looking forward to getting together with all of you.

In solidarity.

Mihir, Sandhya, Jairus, Rohini, Bharat, Ammu, Leena, Gaurang, Anjum

_____

#6.

IPS-Inter Press Service

21 May 2002

Gujarat Victims Denied Medical Care, Say Volunteers

By Meena Menon
MUMBAI - The continuing communal frenzy in India's western state of=20
Gujarat has not spared doctors, patients or, for that matter, Good=20
Samaritans who rush the injured to hospitals.
A report published in several newspapers about a man who was stabbed=20
by a mob of Hindu fanatics inside a hospital this month because he=20
had brought in a stabbing victim is typical of the situation in the=20
state, say health volunteers. Such is the prevailing atmosphere of=20
mutual hatred between Hindus and Muslims in Ahmedabad, Gujarat's=20
economic hub, that doctors now need to check the religion of their=20
patients before daring to treat them - for fear of being attacked by=20
fanatics.
For the 100,000 Muslims forced to live in makeshift camps in=20
Ahmedabad after a pogrom unleashed on the community after February=20
27, finding medical care and, for that matter, adequate shelter from=20
the searing 45 degrees Celsius summer heat and even food has become a=20
daily problem.
According to Dr Abhay Shukla of the Medico Friends Circle (MFC), a=20
voluntary organization, this is the first time in India's history=20
that doctors are being attacked just attending to patients belonging=20
to another faith. When the MFC released a documentary on the public=20
health situation in Gujarat at a news conference in Mumbai, the=20
nearest metropolis, this month, its team was heckled by hacks with=20
pro-Hindu leanings. The team was asked why it did not care to visit=20
Kashmir (where jihadist militants are active) or for that matter=20
Godhra in Gujarat, where a train carrying Hindu supporters of a=20
campaign to build a temple on the site of a mosque was firebombed on=20
February 27. That incident triggered the anti-Muslim pogrom.
Nevertheless, the team warned of a major public health crisis in the=20
makeshift camps that have sprung up without help from the government.=20
Already, inmates are suffering from ailments such as gastroenteritis=20
on top of the trauma of having been chased out of their burning homes=20
and beaten and raped by the mobs. The team found many cases of=20
unhealed burn injuries and victims who were prematurely discharged=20
from hospitals and got poor follow-up thanks to the continuing=20
violence. Cases of chickenpox, measles, typhoid, jaundice and=20
respiratory diseases and diarrhea, especially among children, are=20
common. Over two months after violence began in Gujarat, the camps=20
remain overcrowded and lack proper facilities. There is a 48 percent=20
prevalence of malnutrition among children, according to a study=20
carried out by Gujarat's department of health in one camp.
People cannot return home because of insecurity and continuing=20
violence. Most have nothing to return to because their homes have=20
been burned down by supporters of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) or=20
World Hindu Council, an affiliate of the ruling Bharatiya Janata=20
Party (BJP).
Jaya Velankar from the Forum for Women's Health based in Mumbai, and=20
a member of the MFC team, said that police have so far registered=20
only three cases of rape, although witnesses are ready to testify to=20
many more that occurred especially in the worst-hit district of=20
Panchmahals. Typically, the rampaging mobs took care to leave no=20
proof and burned to death many of the rape victims. She said many=20
women were gang-raped, assaulted and abused in a heinous fashion and=20
it was clear they were systematically targeted as a community.
Not even a fraction of the aid that poured in for the earthquake in=20
Kutch last year has been available to the victims of what some have=20
described as genocide, she said, adding that any help for the inmates=20
of the camps has come from members of the Muslim community or from=20
religious organizations.
Dr Ritu Priya from the Center for Social Medicine at New Delhi's=20
Jawaharlal Nehru University said there are reports of mobs roaming=20
through the wards of hospitals, wearing saffron headbands and=20
threatening patients and staff. The sanctity of the hospital and the=20
medical profession must be protected, she added. In a situation where=20
there is no respect for hospitals and their humanitarian work or=20
security against continuing violence, it is difficult to talk of=20
rehabilitation measures, said Dr Neha Madiwalla, another team member.=20
The team came across several women suffering from post-traumatic=20
stress disorder as a result of sexual assault and among children who=20
had witnessed the brutality.
Although the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is carrying out=20
a mental-health program, it is nowhere near the scale required.=20
UNICEF screened 723 children for signs of mental trauma and found 239=20
children in need of counseling, while another 12 needed psychiatric=20
care.
Many women are pregnant or have delivered in the camps, and=20
volunteers said it was difficult for them to be cared for. There is a=20
shortage of nutritional food for mothers or newborn babies. Women=20
also suffered from several hygiene-related infections and also the=20
mental trauma that follows sexual assault or the witnessing of such=20
assaults. Several of the women living in the camps arrived there=20
naked and with burn injuries. Doctors have generally disregarded=20
obvious and hidden signs of sexual assault and it is doubtful if any=20
medical evidence is available for rape cases, the team felt. In fact,=20
there is no female doctor attending to them.
A team of 88 doctors has to cope with the 70-odd camps in Ahmedabad=20
alone and visits are done on a weekly basis, which is inadequate.
Though officials deny any outbreak of diseases within the camps, the=20
MFC team found six people to have died of typhoid. Heat, poor=20
sanitation, inadequate provision of drinking water and bathing=20
facilities are adding to the misery of the victims.
Meanwhile, there has been a complete polarization of the medical=20
community in Gujarat. Warnings have been issued to Hindu doctors to=20
avoid Muslims areas and eight doctors have been attacked so far for=20
attending to members of the minority community. While a few doctors=20
remain undaunted and are carrying on with their tasks despite the=20
risk, there are almost none who dare take a public position on these=20
issues. Medical professional organizations have stopped inviting=20
Muslim doctors for their meetings in places such as Godhra, for=20
instance. This systematic pressure in segregating treatment of=20
victims can eventually lead to the setting up of separate hospitals=20
for members of different communities, team members warned.
There have been calls by the MFC and other organizations for the=20
cancellation of the registration of doctors who are members of the=20
groups such as the VHP, and especially those who had actually=20
participated in the pogroms or even led them.
Even on the medico-legal front there were several lapses. About 70=20
people died in Ahmedabad civil hospital alone, but no dying=20
declarations were taken from any of them. Also bodies were not kept=20
for the mandatory 72 hours, but were disposed of in a few hours.=20
Thus, the government's intention of disbanding the camps must be=20
resisted simply because the inmates are still safer in them than=20
anywhere else, the team members said.
(Inter Press Service)

_____

#7

Vinod Mehta in Outlook

Out Of True
To ignore clear and present danger is foolish. A
Goebbelsian campaign has been gathering strength over
the past six weeks or so. The people who gave us the
Gujarat carnage are assiduously spreading a canard:
they say what we are witnessing in the country today
is Hindus vs The Rest of India. The demonisation of
the Hindus en bloc (Narendra Modi accuses the media
and others of portraying the entire 50 million
population of the state as rapists, assassins and
thugs), thanks to relentless vilifying and relentless
accusations of exclusive responsibility for the riots,
it seems, is total. This, of course, is a manifest and
preposterous lie. Unfortunately, on the ground, it is
to some degree working. Increasingly, one finds mild,
moderate, sensible Hindus=97Hindus who feel a sense of
revulsion over the Gujarat barbarism=97come up and
complain that they are greatly perturbed, even
incensed, at what they perceive is non-stop
Hindu-bashing. The 100-odd letters I get every day and
the feedback from Outlook correspondents suggests that
the propaganda is finding some takers. I understand
quiet satisfaction prevails in certain quarters at the
success of the brilliant strategy=97a strategy they
believe is certain to fetch many votes. How should we
counter the lie? First, one must emphasise on every
possible occasion that the perpetrators of Gujarat and
their associates outside constitute no more than 8 to
10 per cent of India's population. The vast majority
of Hindus, including those Hindus who vote the BJP,
are as sickened by the events of the past two months
as the rest of us. Thus, it is not Hindus vs The Rest
of India, it is a tiny minority of Hindus vs The Rest
of India. Secondly, those who are on the side of the
angels would do well to reduce the decibel level of
their denunciation. The perpetrators, happily, stand
fully exposed and our combined energies might now be
usefully channelled into seeing how the rehabilitation
of the riot victims can be speeded up. Hinduism, one
of the world's great religions, is in grave danger of
falling into the hands of extremists determined to
pervert its sublime truths. We cannot allow that to
happen.

Repositories Of Grace
How has secular India faced up to the onslaughts
against the Constitution? All things considered,
pretty well. The government pretends, or likes to
pretend, that without media mischief they would have
"managed" the fallout, but the reality is that civil
society=97of which media is just one part=97has stood
shoulder to shoulder in defence of settled national
values. What has embarrassed the rulers most is not so
much the media coverage as the National Human Rights
Commission (NHRC). Us English-speaking hacks, writing
in our out-of-touch English publications, could be
dismissed as self-hating Hindus. However, you cannot
easily dismiss the investigations and conclusions of a
statutory body headed by a retired chief justice of
India. I believe Justice J.S. Verma and his team
worked with exemplary courage and professional
integrity and had the guts to take on both the state
and the Union government. The credibility of the nhrc
currently is on par with the Election Commission. The
highest court in the land has played a salutary role
too, as have scores of NGOs and the Minorities
Commission. Independent media bodies such as the
Editors' Guild have substantiated what the nation
already knew. The institutions protecting secular
India may be slightly battered and a trifle
demoralised but at moments of crisis they come
through.

Help Lines
Lots of enquiries from friends and readers about where
they can send money for the Gujarat riot victims. If
you are reluctant to send cheques to the CM=92s relief
fund or any other official relief agency for
understandable reasons, here are three organisations
which will make good use of your money and concern: =B7
Aman Ekta Manch: C/o Jagori, C-54, South
Extension-Part II, New Delhi 110 048 =B7 Citizen=92s
Initiative: Opposite St Xavier=92s School, Navrangpura,
Ahmedabad 380 009 =B7 ActionAid India Society:
ActionAid, 71 Uday Park, New Delhi 110 049

_____

#8.

Outlook, May 22, 2002=20=20=20=20
PLATFORM
Whither Democracy, Welcome Mobocracy
RA RAVISHANKAR
http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=3D20020522&fname=3Dravi&sid=3D=
1

_____

#9.

http://203.199.93.7/articleshow.asp?art_id=3D10699777
The Times of India
THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2002
EDITORIAL

Farewell to Rajdharma: Centre's Record of Shame in Gujarat
B G VERGHESE
[ WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2002 11:44:23 PM ]
L K Advani has hailed the twin debates on Gujarat in Parliament as a=20
"victory". For whom? Not for India. For if there is one statement=20
that stands out above all the self-serving and hideously=20
justificatory rhetoric from the treasury benches, it was a remark=20
made by the Prime Minister in reply to the debate in the Rajya Sabha=20
on May 6.
Atal Behari Vajpayee confessed that he went to Goa determined to=20
remove Narendra Modi. But once there, he reversed his decision.
The Prime Minister implicitly told the Rajya Sabha that if the chief=20
minister, hailed by many as a conquering hero, was removed, there=20
would be a strong backlash in Gujarat. From whom? Not from the=20
battered minority community but presumably from disciplined party and=20
parivar advocates of the action-reaction, provoker-provoked school of=20
vicarious liability.
Not long ago, Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray had warned anyone=20
listening that Mumbai would burn if he was so much as touched. The=20
Prime Minister, no less, has now announced that he has decided to=20
place the diktat of the mob above his oath of office.
Every Union minister on assuming office is pledged to "faithfully and=20
conscientiously discharge (his/her) duties ... and do right to all=20
manner of people in accordance with the Constitution''. But here the=20
prime minister pathetically tells Parliament, trustee of the=20
sovereign Indian people, that he is unable and unwilling to act=20
against the mob.
Farewell to Rajdharma. The country is up for blackmail by every=20
fascist thug or criminal. And the emperor has no clothes, stripped of=20
the last shred of moral authority.
Much subtlety has been displayed by many in debating whether it is=20
Article 356 or 355 that should apply to Gujarat. The governor,=20
exhausted by his strenuous exertions in favour of Article 356 in=20
Bihar not so long ago, has maintained a stoic silence. While Article=20
356 speaks of "failure of the constitutional machinery" in a state,=20
Article 355 enjoins on Union... ''to ensure that the governance of=20
every state is carried on in accordance with the provisions of this=20
Constitution".
But was the Constitution violated in Gujarat? Examine the evidence.=20
FIRs regarding murder, arson and rape were systematically rejected.=20
Specific names and details were replaced by vague non-actionable=20
references to "mob" violence.
Mr Modi, broadcasting over Doordarshan, said, "If raising issues=20
related to justice or injustice adds fuel to the fire, we will have=20
to observe restraint and invoke peace". So victims were being advised=20
not to add fuel to the fire and peace was "invoked" to prevent filing=20
of "provocative" FIRs.
According to Ahmedabad's police commissioner, curfew was openly and=20
blatantly violated by armed mobs, who also sparked fresh violence by=20
spreading rumours. Two Muslim sitting high court judges were forced=20
to flee their homes, one of which was torched. Hindu judges who=20
sheltered them were threatened.
Ahmedabad's IG police and other Muslim officers were attacked and had=20
themselves to seek protection. Dargahs, mosques and other shrines=20
were systematically desecrated and destroyed, as were Muslim homes,=20
mohallas, shops, establishments and factories; these were selectively=20
targeted.
Unsourced posters, pamphlets and handbills inciting hatred, violence=20
and economic and social boycott of Muslims were freely distributed at=20
street corners; other poisonous material, including inflammatory=20
photographs, was circulated by the VHP. Ministers repeatedly pressed=20
the administration to shut down relief camps in which over 100,000=20
hapless victims of violence had taken shelter in Ahmedabad alone.
Certain local newspapers that wantonly published totally unfounded=20
and incendiary reports and hate stories were honoured with personal=20
letters of appreciation from the chief minister.
The Baroda police commissioner's plea for action against these papers=20
went unheeded. The NHRC and minorities commissions found themselves=20
against a wall. Mr Modi said at one stage that peace would not return=20
as long as Parliament was in session. But the Union government,=20
ostrich-like, buried its head in the sand, citing dubious statistics=20
for dubious ends.
What happened in Godhra was certainly outrageous. Whatever the cause=20
or alleged provocation, the criminals responsible must be punished.
One expected the prime minister, any prime minister, to show=20
leadership and statesmanship. I wrote to Mr Vajpayee on March 4=20
stating that like countless other Indians, I had been "deeply=20
shocked, saddened, shamed and troubled by the appalling holocaust in=20
Gujarat".
It's not enough, I added, that the guilty be discovered and punished=20
after due inquiry. More than that, if we are to hold together and=20
move into the 21st century as a civilised nation, "we will have to=20
restore confidence, trust and amity in our plural yet obviously=20
fractured society whose genius has been accommodation and tolerance".
What we see today is the bitter fruit of the dragon-seed of hate=20
assiduously sown and nurtured by the party and parivar over the past=20
decade. The enemy is within. It will not succeed. India's silent=20
majority, now awakening, will prevail. But in the end there has to be=20
reconciliation, not strife. For this, truth and justice are a=20
necessary precondition. Now.
(The author toured Gujarat as a member of the Editors' Guild)

____

#10.

The Hindustan Times, Thursday, May 23, 2002

Our capacity to care
Harsh Mander

The carnage that has convulsed Gujarat since February 27, 2002 has=20
left in its wake a profound human tragedy that does not heal or=20
abate, only mounts with every passing day. The unremitting agony of=20
the survivors of the mass violence can be assuaged only by a colossal=20
national enterprise of caring and healing, in which the governments=20
and people of our land resolutely join hands. Tragically, there is=20
little evidence so far of this happening. [...]
http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/230502/detide01.asp

____

#10.

international art exhibition
IN SUPPORT OF THE RIOT VICTIMS OF GUJARAT
ITC Kakatiya Sheraton,Hyderabad
Inauguration on 24th May,2002.5:00 pm His Excellency Dr.C.Rangarajan
On view until May 26th The Governor of Andhra Pradesh
Daily,11am-7pm as kindly consented to inaugurate
Organised by Rasna Bhushan for Coalition for Peace and Harmony,Hyderabad
Please reach the venue by 4:45 pm
ALL SALES PROCEEDS WILL GO TO THE CITIZENS INITIATIVES, AHMEDABAD TO=20
USE FOR RELIEF AND REHABILITATION OF THE VICTIMS OF RIOTS IN GUJARAT.
CITIZENS INITIATIVES IS A COALITION OF 28 LEADING VOLUNTARY=20
ORGANISATIONS WORKING IN THE STATE OF GUJARAT

Organized by Rasna Bhushan for Coalition for Peace and Harmony,Hyderabad

Rita Bila (Sydney) Anita Dube (Delhi)
Archana Hande (Bangalore)
Hamid Bin Amar (Hyderabad)
Chitra Ganesh (New York)
Kavita Deuskar (Hyderabad)
Shyamsunder (Hyderabad)
Surya Prakash (Hyderabad)
Ambika Talwar (Los Angeles)
Laxma Goud (Hyderabad)
Samantha Harrison (Los Angeles)
Ayisha Abraham (Bangalore)
S.G.Vasudev (Bangalore)
K.Srinivaschary (Hyderabad)
Surekha (Bangalore)
Rahul Bhushan (Los Angeles)
S.Laxmanamurthy (Hyderabad)
Rajeshwar Rao (Hyderabad)
Krishnaraj (Bangalore)
Anna Bhushan (London)
Tamara Sanowar Makhan (Toronto)
Bari Kumar (Los Angeles)
Ram Rahman (Delhi)
Sonia Khurana (Delhi)
Pushpamala N (Bangalore)
Sheela Gouda (Bangalore)
Priya Das (Hyderabad)
Nik Groot (Toronto)
Zarina Hashmi (New York)
Sajid Bin Amar (Hyderabad)
Rachel Kalpana James (Toronto)
aikuntham (Hyderabad)
Wali Mohammed Siddique (Hyderabad)

RSVP:457 4527,457 2984 &715 5491

--=20
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