[sacw] SACW | 1 May 02

[Harsh Kapoor]

South Asia Citizens Wire Dispatch | 1 May 2002
http://www.mnet.fr

ANNOUNCEMENT: Please note that regular SACW dispatches will be=20
interrupted between May 2 - May 14, 2002.

__________________________

1. Join the Advertisement Campaign in the Indian press initiated by=20
Indians in California
2. Support another advertisement effort in the Indian press initiated=20
by Indians abroad
3. Middle ground quakes (Rajni Kothari)
#4. Riots have hurt India's image abroad: CII chief (Neeraj Saxena)
#5. On Indian government's decision to blank out the live telecast of=20
parliamentary debate on the horror of Gujarat.
#6. Bombay Citizens rally round riot-affected
#7. A Rally for Harmony is being organised by Kolkata citizens (May 9)
#8. Calcutta womens group Maitree's Gujarat campaign. On 1st May
#9. Manufacturing Myths (K N Panikkar)
#10. India's sectarian divide (The Economist)
#11. Riots take a toll on social life in Surat (Amarendra Jha)
#12. Now, pipe bombs surface in Baroda
#13 While politicians wrangle, Gujarat survivors wait (Ranjit Devraj)
#14. Revulsion grows toward Vajpayee's party (B. Gautam)
#15. Organizations doing relief work in Gujarat.
#16. Call For Papers : State and Nation Making in Contemporary Africa and A=
sia

__________________________

A:

For The Sake of Our Future Generations
Let Us Speak Up
Before It Is Too Late!

ooooo
"Nobody is feeling good about being in Gujarat right now. Sad example=20
of things to come=8Ain other Indian states. This is no longer an issue=20
for the state government=8Ait affects the risk profile of the country.=20
Corporates are not doing enough to fulfill their social=20
responsibility."
---
"GCCI estimates losses to date at Rs. 225 crores. Railways, Trucking,=20
Textiles, Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Cosmetics and Diamond=20
industries report losses. Cement sales down 20%, GM car production=20
down 20%, Tourist traffic down 65%, Cellular business down 35%. FDI=20
in the state expected to decline. Estimated Total Loss: Rs. 10,000=20
crores!
---
"=8Aindustry associations have been told to shut up=8ABusiness leaders=20
who dared to speak out have allegedly been summoned and=20
silenced=8A[They] are afraid to come forward with humanitarian aid for=20
Gujarat's victims=8AThe state will pay a heavy price for believing that=20
economic prosperity will be unaffected by bigotry and intolerance=8A"

Financial Times, Hindustan Times, Asia Times, Indian Express and=20
other sources, April 2002
oooooo

This is a defining moment for our nation.
The choices before us have never been starker:

We can remain on the sidelines, and allow communal forces to plunge=20
us deeper into our worst nightmare, shattering our economic dreams=20
and risking our nation's security;

We can speak up forcefully against the continuing violence and=20
lawlessness, and work together to usher India into the Twenty-First=20
Century, with economic growth, social justice and opportunity for all.

As concerned Indians from India and the Diaspora we appeal to=20
business and civic leaders in Gujarat and the rest of the nation to=20
demand that our elected leaders take immediate and meaningful steps=20
to:

* Rehabilitate the victims of violence without any further delay
* Stop any further bloodshed in the name of religion
* Apprehend and punish all those guilty of crimes
* Renounce the politics of hate and intolerance
* Initiate a dialogue for communal harmony

Endorsed by:
Indians For Collective Action (ICA),
California, USA
Coalition Against Communalism (CAC) California, USA
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(If you wish to defray the cost of this public service message,=20
please write to communal_harmony@y...)

_____

#2.

From: Hari Sharma <sharma@s...>
Subject: FUNDS NEEDED-Statement in Newspapers

Dear friends:

As you will recall, we had collected signatures and some money to=20
place the following statement (with about 200 names) in various=20
Hindustani and Gujarati papers of India.

Despite many efforts by our contacts in India, no newspaper was=20
willing to take on the job. We believe it was due to the atmosphere=20
of severe intimidation that has been prevailing in the country.

But we just learnt that it would be possible, ultimately, to put the=20
statement in at least one Gujarti paper. We are also putting it in=20
the Delhi edition of the English paper Hindu, as well as in the=20
respectable monthly Hindi magazine HANS.

Many of you had generously pledged some money for this project. I=20
have just been informed by the people in CERAS of Montreal that only=20
a few checks arrived there.

KINDLY OBLIGE BY SENDING YOUR CONTRIBUTION, URGENTLY. We are short of=20
the needed funds by about a $1000.00. Kindly contribute generously,=20
and mail your check to:

>CERAS
>2520 Lionel Groulx
>suite # 13
>Montreal
Quebec H3J 1J8

Counting on your valuable support.

hari sharma
president, SANSAD
president, INSAF

>In the Name of God
>
>For a week this March, Gujrat burned. For a week, murder and mayhem=20
>gripped the state as mobs of fanatic Hindus, instigated and led by=20
>the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, (VHP) systematically hunted Muslims all=20
>over Gujrat, set their homes on fire and reduced their communities=20
>to ashes.
>
>Brutality reigned, dividing people from one another. The killings at=20
>Godhra deserve our condemnation and the guilty must be punished in=20
>the court of law. But who will punish the VHP and the Hindutva=20
>forces for perpetrating terror on innocent people? Who will punish=20
>the government of Gujrat that actively aided and abetted the carnage=20
>unleashed by the VHP? Who will punish the Indian State that=20
>ceaselessly assaults our humanity in the name of religion?
>
>We will not be intimidated by people who rationalize systematic=20
>planned killings of innocent people for the simple reason that they=20
>pray to a different God. We will not let people, who unleash=20
>violence to appease their Gods, speak for our communities.
>
>We stand in solidarity with the people of India who have steadfastly=20
>and resolutely opposed the forces of religious fundamentalism.=20
>Together we will continue to struggle for a just, secular and=20
>democratic India.

ps: the "dated" aspect of the statement (in the first paragraph) will=20
of course be changed.

_____

#3.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/010502/detide01.asp
The Hindustan Times
Wednesday, May 1, 2002

Middle ground quakes
Rajni Kothari

A propos the spread of communal riots in Gujarat, it needs to be said=20
that it would be a mistake to think that this is going to be confined=20
to Gujarat and can be contained within it.

For the reality is that what has started in Gujarat is a phenomenon=20
that has nationwide implications; indeed international implications=20
as well.

For this time it was not some stray happening in one area (though=20
Godhra continues to be mentioned), but in fact a development that can=20
lead to an increasingly growing conflict and confrontation between=20
Hindutva and Islam. Something that started with Ayodhya and has been=20
kept in the forefront during the last 10 years or so, forcing certain=20
'jamaats' within the minority community to get organised to face the=20
'Hindu onslaught' and on whose behalf Muslim opinion could well be=20
mobilised globally.

In fact, the global reaction is not limited to countries owing=20
loyalty to Islam as was recently found in the highly troubled=20
responses of the EU and various countries that have on the whole been=20
well disposed to India. They all see in the attack on Muslims in=20
India an issue which can no longer be called an 'internal matter' but=20
has large global implications both in respect of human rights and the=20
growth of a dangerous ideology.

They all point to the grave danger of large-scale 'ethnic cleansing',=20
which could well endanger the lives of thousands, if not millions, of=20
people. Within India, human rights advocates see the growth of a=20
dangerous onslaught against not just one community but the whole=20
secular and democratic ethos of the country. This has been further=20
accentuated by the consequences in India which cut across national=20
boundaries and can be used by Pakistan in which the threat to=20
'Muslims' can be highlighted. It is also a situation that heightens=20
the threat to Hindus in places like Kashmir and can be made part of a=20
national tirade against Muslims that is producing a growing=20
polarisation.

The result is a dangerous polarisation which goes far beyond Gujarat=20
and could take on a national character. The fact that highly educated=20
Muslims living in cosmopolitan societies are beginning to feel that=20
the attack is aimed at them, could well oust them from their present=20
habitats and shake their confidence in a pluralistic India - thereby=20
pushing them to a dangerous communal space.

The more such a divide engulfs the social fabric, the more one is up=20
against the startling conclusion that while the Sangh parivar swears=20
by nationalism, it is really the pernicious two-nation theory that it=20
subscribed to.

All this is almost reminiscent of the pre-Partition days, though now=20
there is a much greater role played by elements within the majority=20
community. What is happening now is a polarisation far beyond what=20
was proposed by the proponents of Pakistan. It is a polarisation=20
which leaves no middle ground for elements which may not want to join=20
either opposing camp.

Once this happens there will be no room for genuinely secular forces=20
who would fight and struggle for democratic and secular values and=20
ideologies. If anything, they will get pushed out of the mainstream,=20
occupying small ideological ghettoes, holding demonstrations or=20
rallies in this city or that and at best able to find some electoral=20
base in deep rural habitats. (The rural areas situated near the=20
cities have already fallen victim to the communal virus).

Incidentally, the polarisation that is emerging is not just=20
inter-communal. It is also urban versus rural, westernised versus=20
indigenous, opposing segments (on communal lines) within diverse=20
regions, as well as within institutions. Such a spread within=20
educated people is perhaps the most disturbing aspect of this=20
polarisation. For it is from these professional classes that the=20
middle ground was found.

Once this happens, society could get polarised and come apart. At the=20
same time, the more constructive and creative polarities - of class,=20
ideologies, occupations and professions - are getting eroded. This is=20
an extremely serious development which was not there throughout the=20
various ups and downs that the country has had.

It is a direct assault on the very idea of India that I have all=20
along assumed to be there and which had given me grounds for hope=20
even in the middle of many erosions of the democratic process.=20
Temperamentally, I happen to be an optimist. I have for long been=20
optimistic even when we as a nation went through trying times and=20
when I happened to be critical of what was developing in the=20
socio-political arena.

I have, of late, been examining what lies behind this optimistic=20
streak. I find that it was the reality of India encompassing great=20
diversity, a pluralistic worldview and a multi-cultural and=20
multi-religious terrain which formed the basis of Indian identity. If=20
today I find this very basis of hope and expectation eroding, I=20
cannot escape the possibility that with it will also erode the=20
'middle ground'.

It is this slipping of the middle ground and the accentuation of=20
polar positions that makes me and other like me feel despondent.=20
Where shall we, who were always seeking some basis of hope and=20
survival of democratic values, find ourselves in a situation of=20
growing polarisation and a dwindling of the middle ground? Perhaps=20
more than all other challenges we have had to face, this one may well=20
prove to be the most grievous.

A polarised India will not be the India that came into being at the=20
end of the national movement, which was there through the Nehruvian=20
era, through the remaining years of Congress rule, throughout the=20
coalition era under the rule of middle-range parties and even the=20
BJP-dominated coalition government. For the NDA too allowed a lot of=20
scope for the 'middle ground' as well as for accommodating a=20
diversity of political and ideological positions.

With what is happening now, we will witness the undermining of=20
various attempts at giving shape to democratic politics that have=20
been tried, from the Congress system to the NDA model of governance.

The writer is Chairman, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies

_____

#4.

The Times of India
Riots have hurt India's image abroad: CII chief
NEERAJ SAXENA
TIMES NEWS NETWORK [ TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2002 9:38:05 PM ]
http://203.199.93.7/Articleshow.asp?art_id=3D8490158

_____

#5.
[ On Vajpayee-led government's decision to blank out the live=20
telecast of the debate on the horror of Gujarat. ]
TODAY'S EDITORIALS
Stigma of Gujarat
http://203.199.93.7/articleshow.asp?art_id=3D8488725

_____

#6.

Mumbaikars rally round riot-affected
TIMES NEWS NETWORK [ TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2002 1:48:20 AM ]
MUMBAI: Concerned about the continuing communal violence in Gujarat,=20
Mumbaikars from diverse walks of life gathered at the Indian=20
Merchants Chamber (IMC) on Monday to brainstorm on ways to help the=20
riot victims.
http://203.199.93.7/articleshow.asp?art_id=3D8407782

_____

#7.

Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 12:07:44 +0530

Dear Friends
A Rally for Harmony is being organised by Kolkata citizens on the occasion
of Rabindranath Tagore's birth anniversary on 9 May.

The programme begins at 7 pm, in front of 10 Sudder Street (associated with
Tagore, where he composed one of his famous mystic / love poems). "Alpona"
would be made in front of the house. There will be cultural groups
presenting songs, poetry recitation, street plays etc.

Posters, banners and festoons carrying messages of peace and harmony would
be displayed.

The Rally will leave this spot at 8 am and proceed towards Park Circus,
accompanied by the performing artists.

Rakhis would be distributed to and tied among people as a symbol of unity /
fraternity.

Your participation and support in making this important event of the people
of Kolkata successful is earnestly urged.

Best wishes and regards

V Ramaswamy

Contact persons:
Dipali Bhattacharya (R: 246 9000, Mob: 98300 27923)
Badhan Das (R: 464 6392, O: 249 2027)
V Ramaswamy (R: 417 2496, Mob: 98300 69413)

_____

#8.

Subject: 1st May programme of Maitree
Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 09:53:40 +0530

Dear Friends,
This is to inform all of you about Maitree's Gujarat campaign. On 1st=20
May, Maitree will be taking out two matadores. People are asked to=20
come to the Gana Unnayan Parshad office at 10Gomes Lane, Kolkata 14=20
at 8 AM. The cars will leave at 9AM. The first stop will be Santosh=20
Mitra Square (via Dixon Lane). Speeches, songs -- 9-15 to 9-30. >From=20
Santosh Mitra Square the route to be followed will be Sashi Bhusan De=20
Street, Hind Cinema, Subodh Mullick Square, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road,=20
Nonapukur Tram Depot, Mallik Bazar -- halt 10-15 to 10 - 45. From=20
Mallik Bazar we will be going to Jhowtolla via Beck Bagan. Stop at=20
Jhowtala Road residential area from 10-45 to 11-00
>From Jhowtala the road will be through Broad Street and Ballygunge=20
Place, to Hazra Road, stopping at the Hazra Park. -- 11-30 -- 11-45.
>From Hazra Park to Bastuhara Bazar via Kalighat- Tollygunge Road.=20
Stop there. From Bastuhara Bazar through Tollygunge Road, Prince=20
Anwar Shah Road to Masjid and Usha Gate -- 12-30--12-40 and 12-45 -=20
1-00.
It was decide by Maitree that in this programme, in view of the=20
gravity of the Gujarat situation, all others campaigning on the issue=20
will be welcome. A fresh leaflet is to be distributed. I will be=20
circulating the text when I get the Bengali in hand.

In solidarity

Soma Marik

_____

#9.

The Times of India
TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2002

LEADER ARTICLE
Manufacturing Myths
K N PANIKKAR
[ TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2002 12:52:49 AM ]
HE enthusiasm of the minister for human resource development for=20
rewriting history has done incalculable damage to the discipline, but=20
has, paradoxically, yielded some positive results.
It has generated an unprecedented public interest in matters history,=20
which is a pre- requisite for democratising historical knowledge.
The public is taking an intelligent interest in the discipline, the=20
most intricate historical issues are being openly debated and the=20
grain is carefully separated from the chaff.
In the process, much of the fabrication of evidence by communal=20
ideologues and the propagation of falsehood by the Hindutva=20
champions, some of them recent converts, lodged by the sangh parivar=20
in the Indian Council for Historical Research and the NCERT stands=20
exposed.
Further, some of the fundamental traits of the method of history have=20
come to be generally recognised and respected. The debate has quite=20
unequivocally foregrounded the idea that history is a professional=20
field of specialisation, like any other branch of knowledge.
Earlier, history attracted some public attention in 1997 when the=20
then government at the instance of the RSS had sought to withdraw the=20
same history books which are now under attack.
The difference between the two instances is well marked - in 1997 the=20
government had referred the allegation against these books to a group=20
of historians who, including the present chairman of the ICHR, had=20
then defended these books.
Consequently, the government dropped the suggestion to withdraw these=20
books. In contrast, the present decision to delete certain historical=20
facts from the textbooks was taken, if the newspaper reports are to=20
be believed, by the minister himself.
There is no indication that he did so after observing the generally=20
accepted procedure of academic consultations.
The only promise he held out is that in future he would seek the=20
opinion of religious leaders for ascertaining whether any historical=20
fact included in the textbooks is likely to injure the religious=20
sensibilities of students.
There can hardly be any objection to the rewriting of history, in=20
fact, this is a continuous process brought about by changing=20
interpretations or discovery of new facts.
The present attempt to rewrite history, however, is not a result of=20
any such movement within the discipline. It is externally-induced and=20
politically-motivated.
This is not to suggest that history is natural and historiography is=20
immune to politics. Far from it. History is often invoked all over=20
the world as a major source of legitimacy for political and social=20
power.
The instances of rulers appropriating historical antecedents, which=20
had made an indelible impression on popular imagination, are very=20
many.
The rise of Louis Napoleon in France was facilitated by his name with=20
which the people of France associated the past greatness of the=20
nation.
Even colonialism tried to appropriate elements from the Indian past=20
for gaining the consent of the subjected. That history is deeply=20
enmeshed in modern politics is, therefore, not surprising.
The historical interpretation, historiography in general reflects the=20
changing paradigms of power. The shifts from the colonial to the=20
nationalist and from the nationalist to the Marxist are not merely=20
changes in the interpretative modes, but reflective of the contest=20
for social and political power as well.
However, different interpretations are not histories out to suit the=20
procrustean bed of politics, but reconstruction of the past=20
undertaken within the methodological imperatives of the discipline,=20
respecting what Marc Bloch described as the historian's craft.
The communal history officially supported and sponsored to serve the=20
interests of Hindu sectarian politics is an exception to this general=20
rule. Communal history is thus characterised by unprofessional=20
practice, evidenced by the fabrication of sources, deletion of=20
historical facts and unsubstantiated generalisations, to conjure up a=20
past that would justify a communal present. The latest example of=20
this unprofessional and politically motivated attitude is the haste=20
with which the minister of human resource development rushed to=20
publicise the discovery of the 'oldest' civilisation in the Gulf of=20
Khambat, even before the archaeo- logists looked at the evidence.
A central question in the present controversy is the relationship=20
between history and nation. The nation as conceived and constructed=20
by secular historiography, regardless of its differing interpretative=20
modes, is a multi-religious and multi-cultural formation, sharing a=20
common historical experience.
In the view of communal history, on the other hand, nation is=20
embedded in each religious community. Both Hindu and Muslim=20
communalisms share such an approach.
Central to the Hindu communal view of the nation, therefore, is the=20
historical experience of the Hindus, which as V D Savarkar had mapped=20
out, is characterised by continuous conflict with the invaders.
The revision of history, undertaken under the aegis of the present=20
government, focuses on the right of the Hindu to the nation by virtue=20
of being the inheritors of history.
The concept of the outsider as the enemy, the effort to prove that=20
the Aryans are the original inhabitants of India and to establish the=20
antiquity of Indian civilisation as well as its unequalled=20
contribution to world civilisations are intended to reinforce the=20
legitimacy thus sought from history.
The ideologues of the sangh parivar who now control the apparatuses=20
of the state see the dissemination of a communalised history of the=20
nation as an important factor in the construction of political=20
legitimacy.
The earlier governments also promoted secular history for political=20
reasons - they were engaged in creating a secular state and society.=20
The present government is also foregrounding communal history for=20
political reasons.
Its concept of the nation is religious and its politics is rooted in=20
communalism. However, in the former, history as a discipline was not=20
a casualty.
The communal intervention is not limited to the realm of academic=20
history. In fact, the influence of communalism on academic history is=20
very minimal. But not so on popular history.
Through the activities of several organisations the popular=20
historical consciousness is being manipulated to usher in a communal=20
historical consciousness.
Among the many imperatives of historical practice, a meticulous=20
adherence to the veracity of evidence is perhaps the most important.=20
The evidence for a historical event is always multiple and the=20
historian uses his professional competence and judgment to grade=20
their precedence as well as their relevance.
What distinguishes communal history from other genres of historical=20
writings is that it shows no respect for evidence.
Either the existing evidence is overlooked or new evidence is=20
fabricated in order to turn myths into history. The cases of the=20
Babri masjid and Harappan seal are examples of this logic of=20
'alternate' history.
_____

#10

The Economist
India's sectarian divide
Apr 30th 2002
>From The Economist Global Agenda
http://www.economist.com/agenda/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3D1108736

_____

#11

Riots take a toll on social life in Surat
AMARENDRA JHA
TIMES NEWS NETWORK [ TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2002 4:47:52 AM ]
SURAT: The aftereffects of the continuing communal violence in=20
Ahmedabad and Vadodara can be seen even in places like Surat, with=20
the social bonds between the communities taking a beating.
http://203.199.93.7/articleshow.asp?art_Id=3D8420233

_____

#12.

Now, pipe bombs surface in city
TIMES NEWS NETWORK [ TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2002 4:44:01 AM ]
VADODARA: The city police have been surprised by the use of crude=20
bombs made out of steel pipes during the recent communal violence.
http://203.199.93.7/articleshow.asp?art_ID=3D8419966

_____

#13

Asia Times
May 1, 2002

While politicians wrangle, Gujarat survivors wait
By Ranjit Devraj
NEW DELHI - As India's politicians wrangle for political mileage from=20
a pogrom against Muslims in western Gujarat state that began two=20
months ago, scorching summer temperatures and disease stalk some=20
150,000 people who fled their homes, say volunteer groups.
These people now live in open-air makeshift camps, where conditions=20
are fast deteriorating and humanitarian help is sorely needed.
On Tuesday, Parliament began debating a censure motion over the=20
government's handling of Gujarat, where a pro-Hindu, Bharatiya Janata=20
Party (BJP) government led by chief minister Narendra Modi stands=20
accused by voluntary organizations and opposition parties of being=20
behind the pogrom against the Muslims in the state - and then=20
blocking humanitarian relief to survivors.
At the national level, the BJP is desperately trying to keep together=20
the 23-party National Democratic Alliance (NDA), many of whose=20
regional constituents have bitterly criticized their major partner=20
for its handling of the Gujarat crisis.
"Forgotten," said Dr P V Unnikrishnan, "is the plight of over 150,000=20
internally displaced people living in insecure conditions and in=20
inhumane relief camps.".
Unnikrishnan is main coordinator for emergencies and humanitarian=20
action with Oxfam (India), which on Monday released an independent=20
report called "Gujarat Genocide 2002: A Humanitarian Crisis" and=20
carrying the subtitle "Waiting for Peace, Justice and Relief".
"Unending violence, constant terror, official apathy and uncertainty=20
make their [Muslim victims] future fragile. There is an urgent need=20
to step up humanitarian efforts," said the report, facilitated by the=20
Bangalore Initiative for Peace and Relief.
Unnikrishnan says that not only was the Gujarat government not=20
providing adequate relief to the inmates of the camps, but it was=20
preventing voluntary groups from providing it. "This is in contrast=20
to last year's devastating earthquake in Gujarat, when the same=20
government encouraged voluntary agencies, including foreign ones, to=20
liberally provide relief," he said.
International groups with medical expertise such as the Red Cross and=20
the Paris-based Doctors Without Borders, which were active in the=20
days and weeks after the January 26, 2002 earthquake that leveled=20
Gujarat, are conspicuous by their absence this time around. Yet there=20
is a constant threat of epidemics breaking out.
Thus far, the partisan attitude of the BJP government in Gujarat has=20
strained relations between the party and its secular allies in the=20
NDA, which rules India at the national level.
Already, one allied political party, the Lok Jan Shakti, has=20
announced that it will vote against the government. Its leader, Ram=20
Vilas Paswan, announced on Monday his resignation from the cabinet of=20
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in protest of the unabated=20
violence in Gujarat.
Paswan, a powerful grassroots leader and a dalit (a member of India's=20
lowermost caste in the Hindu social hierarchy) two weeks ago wrote to=20
Vajpayee and urged him to sack Modi for his role and that of the=20
Rashtriya Swasevak Sangh (RSS) or National Self-help Organization,=20
which its critics call fascist, in the pogrom.
But many believe that Paswan's resignation was prompted by the BJP's=20
forging of an expeditious alliance with his rival dalit leader,=20
Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party or People's Socialist Party, in order=20
to rule India's largest state of Uttar Pradesh.
Despite irreconcilable differences between between the dalits and the=20
high-caste people who support the BJP, Mayawati was sworn in as chief=20
minister of Uttar Pradesh on Monday evening. She has already pledged=20
that the 13 members of parliament from the BSP will vote in the=20
government's favor on Tuesday.
Those votes from a newfound ally are crucial for the BJP at a time=20
when several constituents of the NDA have said that they plan to=20
abstain from voting to show that while they support the government,=20
they oppose its blatantly fundamentalist stand on Gujarat.
Dissenting NDA partners include the Telugu Desam Party, which rules=20
southern Andhra Pradesh state, and the Trinamul Congress from West=20
Bengal. Southern Tamil Nadu chief minister Jaylalitha said her AIADMK=20
party would abstain because it was "not proper" for the chief=20
minister of one state to demand the resignation of another chief=20
minister.
While most regional parties have disassociated themselves with the=20
BJP's communal agenda and declared themselves to be secular, their=20
main rivalries are with the powerful opposition Congress party or,=20
like the Trinamul Congress, with the leftwing alliance that rules=20
West Bengal state.
The All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA), which has taken=20
a leading rule in relief and rehabilitation work in the camps, has=20
released a separate report on conditions in them and in areas of=20
Gujarat affected by the violence. "Even as the pogroms continue, and=20
scarcity and insecurity stalk the camps, thousands of men women and=20
children are rendered refugees in their homeland," the AIDWA report=20
said. "In many cases, return to their homes is impossible, and in=20
almost all instances, the means of livelihood and survival of all the=20
victims have been destroyed."
Most of the reports indicated a pre-planned campaign against=20
prosperous Muslim homes and businesses and recorded the large-scale=20
rape and sexual abuse of Muslim women and the killing of their men.
"Our visits to the affected areas and the interactions with the=20
affected communities have been a traumatizing experience. No words=20
can describe the agony and suffering inflicted on them," said Dr=20
Thelma Narayan, a leading epidemiologist and member of the Bangalore=20
Initiative.
"We saw a number of patients complaining of ill-defined symptomatic=20
complaints as well as sleeplessness, irritability and fearfulness,"=20
added Srinivasa Murthy, another member of the Bangalore Initiative's=20
team and a mental health expert.
Murthy, who was chief editor of the World Health Organization's World=20
Health Report 2001, says the psychosocial needs of the affected=20
require urgent action.
(Inter Press Service)
_____

#14

The Japan Times
Friday, April 26, 2002=20
Revulsion grows toward Vajpayee's party
By B. GAUTAM
Special to The Japan Times
NEW DELHI -- India's secularism is in flames. The western Indian=20
state of Gujarat, perhaps the most economically prosperous region in=20
the entire country, has been in the midst of communal carnage for=20
many weeks now.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?eo20020426a1.htm

_____

#15

Organizations doing relief work in Gujarat.

There are over 100 relief camps scattered all over Gujarat with over=20
one lakh (100,000) victims. There is shortage of food, water and=20
medical help. Most government functionaries, particularly Ministers,=20
do not bother to visit most of the camps, as their only inmates are=20
Muslims. There is urgent need to reach food, water and medical help=20
to the victims.
The following is some of the organizations doing relief work in=20
Gujarat - medicines (neatly labelled), clean clothes and funds are=20
urgently needed -

1. SAHAJ,
1, Tejas Apartments,
53, Haribhakti Colony,
Race Course,
Vadodara,
Gujarat - 390 007

2. Centre for Education and Training,
Engineer House, 4th Floor,
86, Bombay Samachar Marg,
Fort, Mumbai - 400 023
Contact: Mihir Desai
Phone: 022-2677385 / 022-2676680

3. Indian School of Social Sciences,
C-702 Dhiraj Regency,
Western Express Highway,
Opp. Bhor Industries,
Borivili (East),
Mumbai - 400 066
Contact: Sudhir Paranjape
Phone: 022-8850300
E-mail: paranjape@n...

4. 'Prashant',
Hill Nagar,
Near Kamdhenu Hall,
Drive Road,
Ahmedabad - 52
Contact: Father Cedric Prakash
Phone:- 7449744 / 7455913

5. St. Xaviers Social Service Society,
Opp. St. Xaviers High School,
Navrangpura,
Ahmedabad - 380 009
Phone:- 6304928 / 6303577

6. Aman Ekta Manch,
Lajpat Bhavan,
Lajpat Nagar-IV,
New Delhi - 24
Contact: Vani Subramaniam / Malvika / Kiran
Phone:- 011-6854504 / 011-6510254

7. Action Aid India Society,
71 Uday Park,
New Delhi - 110 049

8. Gandhi Peace Foundation,
221-223 Deendayal Upadhyaya Marg,
New Delhi - 2
Contact: Ramesh Sharma
Phone: 011-3237491/93

____

#

>CALL FOR PAPERS
>
>State and Nation Making in Contemporary Africa and Asia
>
>The initiative undertaken by the Council for the Development of=20
>Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) based in Senegal and=20
>the International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES) based in Sri=20
>Lanka to open a scholarly 'Afro-Asian Dialogue' is about to=20
>culminate in a major conference on STATE AND NATION MAKING IN AFRICA=20
>and ASIA to be held >from 10-12 September 2002 in Addis Ababa.
>
>The objectives of the conference are to:
>
>1. Provide a platform/space for African and Asian scholars to=20
>produce and sustain comparative knowledge in the social sciences.
>2. Consolidate the creation of a new networked community of scholars=20
>located primarily in Africa and Asia and who are working towards=20
>creatively transforming the framework for understanding the=20
>experiences of their countries and continents.
>
>Theoretical and empirical research on state and nation making in=20
>Africa and Asia in the period after colonialism is now facing new=20
>challenges. These challenges are being debated within the context of=20
>the post cold war conjuncture, ongoing processes of globalisation=20
>and continuing domestic struggles for social justice in both=20
>continents. With specific regard to the domestic struggles taking=20
>place, questions of equality, freedom, citizenship, democracy,=20
>identity, violence and entitlements are being articulated and=20
>contested. In the light of these, the following sub themes will be=20
>considered by the conference:
>
>=85 Citizenship and political community
>=85 Socio economic inequality, group worth and entitlements
>=85 Globalisation, boundaries and livelihoods
>=85 The perpetration and survival of violence
>=85 Ethno religious differences and the politics of tolerance
>=85 Democracy, decentralisation and contestations
>
>Persons wishing to present papers at the conference on any of the=20
>above themes should kindly submit a 1-2 page synopsis of their=20
>papers to the address below by 30th may 2002.
>
>The sub-themes in which abstracts and papers fit should be clearly=20
>indicated. Authors of abstracts which are selected for inclusion=20
>will be notified by 15th June 2002. The deadline for submission of=20
>full papers is 30th July 2002.
>
>Abstracts from scholars based in Asia should be sent to Pradeep=20
>Jeganathan and those from scholars based in Africa to Sheila=20
>Bunwaree, copied to Bruno Sonko.
>
>Dr Sheila Bunwaree
>Director Research & Documentation Department - CODESRIA
>
>and Dr Bruno Sonko
>Programme Assistant - CODESRIA
>CODESRIA - BP 3304, Dakar, Senegal
>Tel 221 8256597 / Fax 221 824 12 89
>Email: sheila.bunwaree@c...
>Email: bruno.sonko@c...
>
>Dr Pradeep Jeganathan
>Senior Research Fellow - Afro Asian Conference
>ICES, 2 Kynsey Terrace - Colombo 08 - Sri Lanka
>Email: jega@u...
>

--=20
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