[sacw] SACW #1 | 04 Mar. 02 [Communal' Violence in Gujarat, India]

[Harsh Kapoor]

South Asia Citizens Wire - Dispatch #1 | 04 March 2002 {INDIA SPECIAL}

__________________________

#1. Report of Meet & text of Memorandum Presented To India's Prime=20
Minister (sonia jabbar)
#2. Peace event and Harmony March to Ayodhya cancelled
#3. Citizens for dismissal of Gujarat Govt
#4. Apalled by carnage, Indian expats call for dismissal of right-wing govt=
s
#5. On the Gujarat situation (Medha Patkar & Sanjai Sangvai)
#6. A peace march of journalists, intellectuals, citizens on Monday,=20
4th March (New Delhi)
#7. Delhi university, sit-in to condemn the systematic killing of=20
innocents in gujarat (4th March)
#8. Muslim villagers fleeing firebomb attack are electrocuted by=20
murderous Hindus (Peter Popham)
#9. Gujarat : Where the trishul is held high ( Darshan Desai )
#10. Gujarat, why an ugly violence marks India's most prosperous=20
state ( Darshan Desai)
#11. In the Name of God (Mansi Bhatia)
#12. Spreading hatred in the name of Ram (V.B.Rawat)
#13. NAPM & Other Secular Organizations Condemn Barbaric Killings in Gujara=
t
#14. On events in Gujarat (Narayan Desai)
#15. Sectarian Violence Racks India (Paul Watson)
#16. India's dangerous flames (The Economist)

________________________

#1.

Date: Mon, 04 Mar 2002 00:29:00 +0530
From: sonia jabbar

Dear Friends,

Some of us met with the PM today. I'm enclosing the formal press=20
release. I don't think any of us left the meeting satisfied. No=20
explanations were provided, no assurances given. It felt like being=20
in a sere wasteland. I was deeply disappointed by the lack of a=20
humane response. However, this should only make us more determined=20
not only to resist these forces, but seriously question our political=20
system which allows people without conscience or moral authority to=20
hold the highest offices of our land.

This afternoon we gathered at India Gate which was packed with=20
families on Sunday afternoon. We were about a hundred and fifty with=20
banners and placards. We threaded through the holiday makers singing=20
songs of love and amity between the communities. I felt we were=20
welcome and that people were open to our message. At dusk we lit=20
candles.

Tomorrow, Mon. 4 March, 10:30 am Join the journalists at a protest at=20
the Press Club. As many of you already know the press has been under=20
tremendous pressure to toe the government line. If you havent already=20
please counter the Hindutva hate mail campaign by emailing ndtv for=20
their unbiased Gujrat reportage. (newshour@n...)
11:00 am Protest at Delhi University. Vivekananda Statue.

We are planning to send a team to Gujrat on a fact finding and=20
humanitarian mission. Do we have volunteers from Delhi? Please email=20
me if you are interested. Right now opinion seems divided on when the=20
mission should leave. Things should be clearer by tomorrow, but it=20
will be good to know soon if people are willing to go.

As I prepare to turn in for the night just a few moments ago I hear a=20
sound which makes me rush out onto my terrace. The spring breeze=20
brings me bits of song from, I think, Arab ki Sarai as the Dargah is=20
surely too far away. It is the qawwals singing praises of Nizamuddin=20
Auliya. My heart lifts. This they will never be able to kill, burn or=20
maim.

regards
sj

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

PRESS RELEASE
Mar. 3, 2002.

A group of concerned citizens including the noted Gandhian, Nirmala=20
Deshpande, Rev. Valson Thampu, Syeda Hameed, Prakash Louis and Sonia=20
Jabbar met the Prime Minister and presented a memorandum with seven=20
recommendations that would help contain the violence engulfing the=20
country this past week. The text of which has been reproduced in full=20
below.

The Prime Minister gave the group a patient hearing and agreed that=20
there was a grave crisis in the country. However, he added that it=20
would be an exaggeration to state that all of Gujrat was burning when=20
the violence was limited to a few places. He also said that the media=20
had not played a constructive role in the crisis, by continuously=20
showing scenes of carnage.

When asked why it took so long to deploy the army, Mr. Vajpayee=20
answered that the non-availability of adequate forces made it=20
impossible to extend protection to all areas. When asked about the=20
possibility of banning groups like the VHP, he said that there were=20
legal implications which needed to be addressed, but in any case=20
there were negotiations on with the VHP to bring the Ayodhya issue to=20
a close.

The delegation pressed the Prime Minister to rise to the occasion as=20
befitting a mature statesman, and pointed out that if General=20
Musharraf could ban fundamentalist organisations in Pakistan, why=20
could Mr. Vajpayee not do the same here. =93He is a dictator and can=20
ban anyone. We are a democracy,=94 the Prime Minister replied.

TEXT OF THE MEMORANDUM PRESENTED TO THE PRIME MINISTER

We gather before you today to mourn the lives of hundreds of innocent=20
Indians which have been brutally extinguished in the name of=20
religion. We stand before you to plead for the lives of thousands of=20
others which may be lost if you hesitate or falter for even another=20
moment. Indeed, the very fabric of this great country stands to be=20
rent asunder if immediate action is not taken by you. The whole world=20
is watching, Sir, and all the gains in repute and prestige that you=20
have built for this nation through painstaking efforts over the last=20
few years stands to be lost forever. The events of the past few days=20
have reduced us to the same level as our neighbours: a nation prone=20
to bouts of uncontrolled barbarism.

And yet, as we know, it is never too late to avert disaster. As=20
concerned citizens, we humbly submit a series of recommendations=20
which we believe will act as a salve to the wounds of the nation:

1. The Prime Minister must address the people of India immediately=20
outlining the steps taken to stem the chaos engulfing the nation. It=20
is imperative to instill a sense of confidence in those who have been=20
shaken by the terrible carnage of the last few days. The only way=20
that India can resolutely disprove the two-nation theory is by=20
providing an unshakeable sense of security to its minorities. But=20
words, however soothing must be backed by firm and steadfast action.

2. The custodians of the safety and welfare of the people of Gujrat=20
have failed miserably in their duty. On the contrary they have aided=20
and abetted the cold-blooded murder of hundreds of Indian citizens.=20
The Prime Minister cannot hesitate in holding them accountable and=20
dismissing them from office.

3. The truth of the Godhra episode must be brought to light and the=20
guilty punished in an exemplary fashion. Crimes perpetrated in the=20
name of religion and politics must no longer go unpunished.

4. An immediate impartial inquiry must be conducted into the=20
communal carnage in Gujrat, with special focus on state inaction and=20
the avoidable loss of life and property resulting from it,=20
responsibility should be fixed and the guilty be punished.

5. The Home Minister must perform his duty in accordance with his=20
office as guardian of the nation=92s internal security, and leave=20
immediately for Gujrat to oversee the security arrangements. The=20
government must not allow, at any cost, any further rioting or=20
killings.

6. The communal tension created on account of the Ram mandir issue=20
and the threat to build the mandir in total defiance of the court=20
orders, belong to the realm of terrorism and need to be handled as=20
such. There must no longer be any talk of a compromise. The VHP and=20
the Bajrang Dal must be treated on equal par with SIMI and be banned=20
with immediate effect.

7. This would allow the administration in Ayodhya and the rest of=20
the country to apply the strictest laws of the land to curb the=20
unruly karsevaks and prevent them from further damaging the nation=92s=20
polity.

We realise that there are many political compulsions which may make=20
even the strongest of men falter. But, Sir, we respectfully submit=20
that India has too many politicians and too few statesmen. Let=20
history remember you as the Prime Minister who showed great resolve=20
in this terrible crisis and guided the nation out of darkness. We are=20
confident that the people of India will stand by your decision.
Yours faithfully,

Nirmala Deshpande, Rev. Valson Thampu, Syeda Hameed, Prakash Louis,=20
and Sonia Jabbar

_____

#2.

National Alliance of People's Movement=20=20=20=20=20=20
9/982, Indira Nagar
Lucknow-226016, U.P.
Phone: 347365, 342435
e-mail: ashain@s...
=20
Dated: 3rd March, 2002

Dear Friends,
We returned from a trip to Faizabad=20
today. Ayodhay has been emptied of the Ram Sewaks. The last thousand=20
of them will also be sent out soon. The administration has become=20
very strict now and is not allowing anybody to go into=20
Faizabad-Ayodhya. The atmosphere is tense

In view of this we are withdrawing our programme of Peace and Harmony=20
March to Ayodhya which was scheduled from 5th to 10th March, 2002,=20
and subsequent meeting in Ayodhya on 10th and 11th March.

Local actions are being planned at various places -=20
Lucknow, Faizabad, etc. However, we realize that given the magnitude=20
of the situation today we are not going to be able to make any impact=20
on the worsening communal situation.

It is with a deep sense of remorse and anguish that a=20
fast for communal harmony and peace is being undertaken in Lucknow.=20
We can only hope that the madness will come to a halt and normalcy=20
will return soon.

Sandeep-Arundhati Dhuru-Tulika Srivastava-Madhavi Kukreja

_____

#3.

The Times of India
MARCH 03, 2002

Citizens for dismissal of Modi Govt
TIMES NEWS NETWORK [ SUNDAY, MARCH 03, 2002 11:27:59 PM ]
EW DELHI: A group of citizens has requested the Chief Justice of=20
India to use the Supreme Court's inherent powers to intervene in the=20
ongoing mobilisation of temple-building crowds at Ayodhya.

The alternative may be a repetition of what took place in 1992, when=20
a similar mobilisation of anti-mosque crowds went totally out of=20
control and the court and the nation were faced with a tragedy that=20
was not supposed to happen, but could have been easily foreseen,=20
notes the appeal.

It has been signed by artist Vivan Sundaram and academic Prabhat=20
Patnaik, and journalists Nikhil Wagel, Teesta Setalvad and Javed=20
Anand, and several other eminent persons.

The consequences of inaction and submitting to the threats of bodies=20
like the VHP have been on tragic display over previous days, at=20
Godhra, at Ahmedabad and elsewhere, it says.

The group has separately asked for dismisal of the Gujarat=20
administration and restoration of normalcy to be entrusted to the=20
Army, besides the identification and punishment of those responsible=20
for the killings of the past few days.

In a separate meeting, here in Delhi on Sunday, a group of senior=20
Muslim representatives, who included the Imam of Jama Masjid and the=20
head of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind, appealed to Muslims to maintain=20
unity and to the government to immediately stabilise law and order in=20
Gujarat. It also resolved to have a delegation meet the President,=20
the Chief Justice of India and the chairman of the National Human=20
Rights Commission, in this regard. Besides, it has asked for generous=20
compensation to the kin of those killed.

Another group of citizens from different religions ^ Nirmala=20
Deshpande, Valson Thampu, Syeda Hamid, etc ^ met Prime Minister=20
Vajpayee to request a number of measures to stop the spreading cycle=20
of violence and despair. They asked for the dismissal of those=20
responsible for allowing the collapse of law and order in Gujarat, an=20
immediate and impartial probe into what happened and how and to ban=20
groups creating communal tension in Ayodhya. The PM, they said, was=20
polite, but didn't quite agree with the recommendations.

_____

#4.

Arab News
Sunday, March 03, 2002

Apalled by carnage, Indian expats call for dismissal of right-wing govts
By Arab News Team
http://www.arabnews.com/Article.asp?ID=3D13214

______

#5.

Dear Friends,

As the Gujarat situation is worsening, there is some more disturbing news.

1. Prabhubhai Tadvi, one of the main activists of Narmada struggle,=20
in the colony affected villages, is missing for last two days. We are=20
trying to locate and find him. Maybe, the current anarchy is being=20
used by the goons, their own scores. Prabhubhai has been mainstay=20
of the Narmada struggle in Gujarat.

2. Prof. J.S. Bandukwala., a prominent human rights activist in=20
Baroda, was targeted by the fanatic mobs. Though he and his family=20
was saved by their Hindu neighbours, we learnt that his house was=20
destroyed by the goons. Medha talked with him and expressed=20
solidarity and support.

3. The progressive friends in Baroda, are planning area peace action=20
and committees rather than demonstration and dharna at this=20
juncture. In Tandalja area, a communally sensitive area, there was=20
complete peace and amity due to this effort and not a single untoward=20
incident took place when other parts of Baroda were witnessing=20
heinous acts. These groups, like Inquilabi Communist Sangathan,=20
Vadodara Kamdar Union, Sahiyar-Women's organization, Parivartan etc.-=20
are trying to build on that for the larger action.

4. The Baroda and Ahmedabad groups are meeting today ( Monday, 4th=20
March) to chalk out the actions. Also, In Ahmedabad, a peace action=20
will be held on 5th March.

Medha Patkar
Sanjay Sangvai

______

#6.

A peace march of journalists, intellectuals, activists
and concerned citizens will be held on Monday, 4th
March, at 10.30 am, starting at Press Club, Raisina
Road. Please join us to express your solidarity with
the victims of the communal violence in Gujarat.

______

#7.

friends
a dharana is being organised in delhi university, vivekanand statue=20
to condemn the systematic killing of innocents in gujarat and the=20
state government's connivance in it
mon 4 th march 2002
time 11 a.m.
vivekanand statue, north campus, delhi university

in solidarity
subhash gatade

_____

#8.

The Independent 04 March 2002
Muslim villagers fleeing firebomb attack are electrocuted by murderous Hind=
us
By Peter Popham in Ahmedabad

http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?x33223257&f=3D8436

_____

#9.

Indian Express Sunday, March 03, 2002 | OP-ED

Where the trishul is held high

The lines have always been blurred between the Sangh Parivar=20
components in Gujarat. So why should Godhra and its fallout surprise=20
any, wonders DARSHAN DESAI

GUJARAT IS where it all began, the acknowledged fountainhead of Hindu=20
'nationalism'. This is where L K Advani launched his rathyatra to=20
Ayodhya, effectively paving the way for the BJP's rise to power in=20
the state and at the Centre. This is where the Hindu-Christian divide=20
was emphasised and widened, again with great electoral success. And=20
it was the BJP government in the state which withdrew the circular=20
barring government staff from participating in RSS activities.

In Gujarat, the fountainhead of militant Hindu nationalism, it's=20
tough to know where the BJP ends and the Sangh Parivar begins. That's=20
why it did not surprise many when, on Wednesday, the demand for a=20
Zero Hour discussion on the Godhra tragedy in the Gujarat Assembly=20
came from not the Opposition, but ruling party MLA Maya Kodnani,=20
whose VHP affiliations are no secret.

Nor did too many eyebrows rise when almost all the BJP MLAs jumped to=20
their feet, shouting ''Shame, shame'' at the Opposition Congress=20
members even before the government could frame a reply. Just as some=20
members make no bones about their extreme right-wing leanings, so is=20
the Congress supposed to be ''pro-minorities''.

In the aftermath of the Godhra tragedy, the lines between the BJP and=20
the VHP became more blurred than ever. The man pushed to the=20
forefront was Minister of State for Home Gordhan Jhadaphia, another=20
BJP member who has never hidden his VHP loyalties. This is his first=20
stint in power; when he was appointed home minister in the Narendra=20
Modi government, the common reaction among officials and journalists=20
was: ''Time for curfew passes!''

Jhadaphia went on record to say that the government viewed the Godhra=20
incident ''very seriously and will initiate exemplary action''=20
against the perpetrators. Chief Minister Narendra Modi - who himself=20
wears his RSS pracharak badge on his sleeve - went on to announce an=20
award of Rs 2 lakhs for each of the train passengers killed in Godhra.

The two then rushed to Godhra, but they had been beaten to it by=20
Ashok Bhatt and Bhupendra Lakhawala, two ministers with the Modi=20
government. Bhatt and Union minister of state for defence Harin=20
Pathak, incidentally, had been removed from the state and union=20
ministries because of their role in the 1985 communal riots. Both are=20
now back in power.
There's more. Ever wondered why Modi chose to fight his election in=20
Rajkot city? That is the strongest bastion of the RSS - it has 80=20
Sangh shakhas, the highest concentration in the state - so what=20
better place for a pracharak to launch his new course? After securing=20
his place in the Assembly, Modi's first stop in Ahmedabad was the=20
Hedgewar Bhawan, the RSS headquarters.

Among those campaigning for Modi in Rajkot was Purshottam Solanki,=20
Minister of State for Fisheries. A former TADA detainee, he was=20
indicted by the Srikrishna Commission investigating the post-Ayodhya=20
Mumbai riots and is wanted in several crimes in Mumbai.

Remember the Bible-burning incidents in Gujarat in the late-90s? They=20
happened in Rajkot, and set the tone for the anti-Christian movement=20
in the Dangs in South Gujarat and the campaign against the elopement=20
of Hindu girls with Muslim youths that followed.

Subsequently, the BJP captured the entire tribal belt, snatching=20
almost all the seats from the Congress.

If further proof were needed of the two faces of the state=20
government, it is available in 'Damleji'. Bhaskarrao Damle, senior=20
RSS leader in the state, once famously called for official files=20
during Keshubhai Patel's tenure. His clout has not diminished any in=20
the new regime. When visitors lined up to wish the chief minister=20
during the Gujarati New Year celebrations in November last year, Modi=20
and everyone else present in the room stood up to return the=20
greetings.

The only one who continued to be comfortably ensconced in his=20
armchair was Damleji, as he is respectfully known. No hidden cameras=20
are necessary to capture senior BJP ministers touching Damleji's feet=20
at first sight. It's all in a day's work in Gujarat, the Sangh=20
Parivar's laboratory of Hindu nationalism.

____

#10.

Indian Express
Sunday, March 03, 2002
Profile

Driving the wedge
Gujarat, why an ugly violence marks India's most prosperous state
DARSHAN DESAI
GUJARATIS are once again talking of 'Us' and 'Them'. Gujarat has once=20
again been pushed into a communal fire, with its scared people once=20
again witnessing barbaric killings. Once again the ineffective police=20
force and the rioters look like two sides of the same coin. In fact,=20
this time it is worse.
http://www.indian-express.com/ie20020303/cent4.html

_____

#11.

Rediff.com
Rediff Diary

In the Name of God
by Mansi Bhatia

Vikram Patel, Swastik Mehta, Heeralal Shah, Iqbal Mehmood, Aslam Khan.
The names in themselves hold no significance for me. They are part of=20
the statistics splashed in newspapers across the country the morning=20
after the communal violence in Gujarat.
Hundreds of innocent people are being killed in the name of religion.=20
Hindus blame the Muslims; Muslims, the Hindus. The opposition parties=20
point to the irresponsibility of the government. And in this war of=20
words, the common man is butchered. [...].

Full Text : http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/mar/02diary.htm

_____

#12.

March 1, 2002

Spreading hatred in the name of Ram
By V.B.Rawat returning from Ayodhya

The electorate of Uttar-Pradesh have given their verdict and Ram party has
been reduced to just third position. The Hindutva brigade's chief architect
Ashok Singhal said in an interview that since BJP left Ayodhya hence they
had to face this defeat. But the fact is that if BJP uses Ayodhya for
electoral gain, then their position be reduced to nothing.

Visiting Ayodhya makes one realize how peaceful this town would have been i=
n
the past. A classical center of India's multicultural heritage, Ayodhya
today is peacefully tense as numerous 'car sevaks' as defined by the media
and terrorists defined by a large number of others, are reaching.
Interestingly, the participation of local populace in such programme is
almost naught except for a few Brahmin-bania stalwarts of the VHP. It is
here the tragedy lies. By denying the local population to have a say in
their religious affair, Ashok Singhal and his allied organizations want to
send a clear signals that they give a damn to the local culture of Ayodhya
which is truly multicultural in the spirit of Ganga-Jamuni Tehjeeb. Hoards
of Karsevaks coming from Gujrat and Rajasthan are creating utter nonsense.
And as Abdul Khaliq, a local activists informs me, that these Karsevaks fro=
m
Gujrat have been harassing the Muslims in various localities. Sabarmati
Express became notorious for brining these elements from Gujarat and
creating trouble in the otherwise peaceful area of Ayodhya and Faizabad. On=
e
girl was killed in various incidents so far happened in and near Ayodhya as
hood looms of Karsevaks attacked and assaulted the local Muslims.
Unfortunately, the media is not able to react and report on this issues.
Still one has to realize that Godhara incident is not an isolated one and
definitely condemnable one as it gives a lease of life to already
discredited government in Gujrat and their friends at the Center. It is the
same home minister, Lal Krishna Adwani who rode on his infamous w(rath)
yatra from Somnath to Ayodhya. Today, Ayodhya does want to talk about 'roti=
,
kapada aur makan'. People don't want to loose their roji roti as ghost of
October 1990 and then December 1992 looms large when a large number of
casual workers lost their work for many days. " Who will fetch my family i=
f
the city is under curfew for indefinite period. These people no nothing but
to create tension and do their politics. It is not Ram but politics', says
Ram Lakhan, a vegetable vendor in Ayodhya.

At Faizabad when I visit to Dargah Gulab Shah Baba, its manager Munne Khan
tells me that his dargah has more Hindus than the Muslims and people from
all community come here but unfortunately, people from outside don't want t=
o
make us feel happy. He says that even in December 1992, not a single Hindu
from Ayodhya or Faizabad was involved in rioting. All these people were
outsiders, who don't know the great culture and tehjeeb of Ayodhya.
Definitely, the signals for politicians are not good from Ayodhya and
Faizabad. Though BJP MLA Lallu Singh has won from the constituency but that
does not make him very popular leader here. People here know how the
administration was communalized during the elections. Most of the Muslims i=
n
Ayodhya and Faizabad vouched that it is not the local people who are
communal but the outsiders who want to play politics in the name of either
Babari Masjid `or Ram Janambhoomi. This fact was proved from a talk with a
local Muslim leader who happened to be hardcore when he said: unfortunately=
,
the people here are sleeping while people outside Ayodhya and Faizabad are
very much interested in building a mosque." The man was speaking some truth
but not the entire truth. Most of the Muslim masses in India have itself
reacted in a very dignified way so far and the leaders have virtually becom=
e
disused at the moment. It is the same way as the Sadhus and so-called
Sanyasies are not workless except for the purpose of Ram temple keep them
busy.

The administration of Ayodhya led by its District Magistrate was doing its
best to provide best services for the bhakt of Rama. Speaking to people fro=
m
different communities in Ayodhya makes one concern about the future of
communalization of atmosphere. Muslims of the area are under tremendous
pressure and if the government continues to pressurize them and put them
under various acts including POTO or gangsters act, and then no doubt they
will turn to terrorism one day. If every democratic institution is closed
for them then what is the alternative for them. Mohammad Hashim Ansari is
about 80 years of age and one of the oldest persons in Ayodhya. Living in
front of the Ramjanambhoomi-Babari Masjid, he recalls how the local
administration helped install the idols of Ramchandraji in the night of
22nd-23rd December 1949. Despite his best efforts, he could not succeed in
getting them legally removed from the said place. He is not disheartened ye=
t
is sad at the turn of events even after so many years.

Haji Mehboob, who live near Ramjanambhoomi Thana at Ayodhya is in a very
pensive mood these days and has an equally angered response: Muslims of
Ayodhya will not allow them to reconstruct Rammandir at the place of Babari
Masjid. We are ready to give land for a grand temple of Lord Rama but not a=
t
the place where Babri Masjid stood.

At Faizabad, Advocate Syed Aftab Raja Rizvi says that now the RSS and its
ilk have lost all the issues hence they have to have some issues to keep
them in the limelight. The issue of Rama attracts the emotions of Hindus an=
d
hence they continue to do so but how long will they befool the masses.

Mr Abdul Khaliq and Dr Anees take me to various places in Faizaad where
administration during the Rajnath Singh time tried its best to communalise
the situation in Ayodhya and Faizabad so that BJP could easily win an
impossible election. Khaliq says: The first instance was that the 'Sant
Yatra was permitted to pass through the crowded Chowk area which is
predominantly a Muslim locality and where heavy vehicles and even tempos an=
d
vikrams are not allowed to ply. Why this was given permission when the same
is not granted to Muslims whenever they organize their programme. Moreover,
the district magistrate is a party to do all this. He personally donated a
big ghanta (bell) to the Hanumangarhi temple recently. Should the district
magistrate be doing all this, he says.

It was early hours of the morning when I was roaming around the crowded
chowk area to visit some of the libraries and scan through the day's
newspapers when a crowd of armed police men started coming in and with them
a number of vehicles with red light over their head. The policemen were
gathering near the chowk masjid. I asked my rickshawala to rush fast and
find as what happened. I could see the tension growing as the policemen wer=
e
already posted in a very large number. To my horror, I found bulldozer was
being called in the crowded locality to demolish the 'illegally owned house=
s
and shops. I could see people particularly women and children virtually
begging to the policemen and the authorities, to stop this demolition but
without any positive response. I thought that the tension would grow furthe=
r
and did not know much about the issue hence I went back to my hotel and
tried to contact some of the residents of the area. Dr Anis, an old man,
full of emotions narrated the events as how they are facing an
administration, which is there to teach the Muslims a lesson. What happened
I asked? Mr. Rawat, he said, " they have put bulldozer on an entire area
where poor Muslims were resettled in 1950s. This was a waqf land he
remarked. Long back in the 50s, after partition many refugees had arrived
here the government forced the local Muslims out of this place to make way
for them. The displaced people that time were resettled in the open land
which was used for Sarai by the Nawabs. According to sources, this land was
in fact a waqf land though in technical terms it may not be so at the
moment." While the people were settled, the adjacent area to the Chowk
Mosque had about 15 shops rented out to shopkeepers. The map for these shop=
s
was passed in as early as on December 3rd, 1966 by the Municiple board of
Faizabad's. Now the district magistrate and the Faizabad-Ayodhya authority
have given notices to demolish these shops also. Faizabad-Ayodhya
development authority came into existence in early 90s. In 1857, the
property was handed over to Nuzul (management) to the Commissioner. In thos=
e
days commissioner for Nuzul and Waqf was just one person. After 1925,
Anjuman Himayat e Islam used to look after the mosque. After independent th=
e
Masjid was separate from Nuzul and handed over to the Imam and then some
shops were constructed. The people who were dislocated from the place were
actually resettled by the government of UP in 1952 from Chowk area which wa=
s
made available to the refugees under the name of Mukherjee market. Informed
sources told this author that the district administration and local
authorities have no locus-standi on the matter as the entire area was waqfe=
d
in 1790 by Nawab Hussain Raza, the Nawab of Avadh for the Sarai (Inn)
purpose. The maidan where the small time vendors used for their shops was a
historical ground where movement for freedom of India were launched and man=
y
political meetings took place. It is also interesting to note that while
the legally owned shops of the Muslims are being dislocated, permission for
temples is given without any second thought. On a visit to a Jain temple in
Ayodhya, the local management of the temple informed this writer that they
have got a grant of about a crore rupees from the state government for the
beutification of the temple. It is therefore important to note how the loca=
l
administration is behaving.

In the dislocation of the shops of the vegitable vendors and other small
businessmen which include Hindus also, the government did not give any prio=
r
notice. Says Dr Anees, that they were not given any alternative plan
regarding their settlement. How cruel can they be when the cries of old
women with children with them did not melt their heart.What message are the=
y
sending to the Muslims say Abdul Khaliq and adds " Do they want that Muslim=
s
just sit silent against this or come with begging bowl to the minister.
These are poor people and illiterate and may turn to militancy once they
feel that there is no way to get justice for them." However he add that it
is people like him who are doing their best to bring the illiterate Muslims
also to the mainstream and have faith in country's judicial and political
system, though they are complexly disillusioned with political set up of th=
e
country at the moment. The administration claims that they
Were doing it to beautify the city and also as Supreme court has given many
judgments to demolish the illegal encroachment. Question is what is illegal
encroachment and should the administration not look into its own record and
speak to the people. How is it that all the 'illegal encroachment' is done
by the 'Muslims' and not by any other community, says a vendor who has been
living in that area for long? And see the irony of this beautification
drive, just behind this so-called beautified place is one of the dirtiest
places of Faizabad where the entire garbage of the town is thrown. Informed
sources say that the administration brought a slaughter house here for whic=
h
sources informed that the local authorities have about fifteen Lakh rupees
yet nothing was done to clean the place. The local residents are annoyed at
this: First they claim that they are beatifying our place and just behind
this are the huge garbage. They never made any attempt to take it to
elsewhere. Dr Anees is deeply emotional as he sees both the rubbles of the
demolished structure as well as this place, which is full of rotten stuff
and say "because we are Muslims and need to be taught a lesson, hence all
the dirt should be here. The beatification of the city must be at the cost
of Muslims and Dalits. Isn't it an irony that the place which was once rule=
d
by the Nawabs is being reduced to a highly communalized zone.'

Unfortunate part of the administrations canard was that even the mosques ar=
e
attached by the district administration at Ayodhya. Some of the Muslim
leaders complain that to catch a gangster, the property of another fellow
with same name was attached. This fellow was a tenant to a mosque property
but the administration did not hesitate in attaching the Mosque itself. He
was lodged under the gangsters act and later on found to be innocent. Many
more cases of harassment of the minority community are coming in from
Ayodhya and Faizabad. The fear of gangster act and POTO is mainly there in
the Muslim localities. One wonder what will happen to the community if
continuously pushed to the wall. Says, Abdul Khaliq : The patient of Muslim=
s
in the city is running out. Our community is not educated and it is
difficult to preach patience to them at the moment when all the roads for
them are blocked. On the one hand every Muslim feel threatened and on the
other those spreading hatred are roaming and threatening the government.
Muslim community has reacted very carefully to recent war cries as well as
the issue of POTO and Ram temple. Hundreds of Car Sevaks are roaming
shouting provocative slogans in the city yet no action is taken and the
district magistrate say that unless the organization is banned he cannot do
anything. Paradoxically, the peaceful Muslim areas have been declared as
'sensitive', while Sangh has been given a free hand to do whatever they wan=
t
to do.

The situation in Lucknow is complicated though the Muslims felt reassured
with Mulayam's chances of forming the government yet they also know that BJ=
P
may not allow him to form the government as in 1990 Mualayam's tough stand
against Hinduvta forces foiled their efforts. Hence they would like their
own government in Lucknow which is raising fear among the Muslims.

So people of Ayodhya and Faizabad need to complimented that despite all
their efforts the matter has not been communalized and they remained calm
and peaceful hence there is need for them to target Muslims, their sources
of income so that they come in talking term of the Hindutva brigade and get
in fixed in their vote bank politics. The Muslims of the city are adamant t=
o
fight their battle legally. Says one veteran social activist: " Muslims
have suffered a lot from partition of India. Their problem increased rather
than reducing. The political leaders played their politics and left the
masses to fend themselves. Though the frustration is growing among the
ordinary masses yet we are trying every effort to bring the people believin=
g
in the rule of law. Muslims in India can fight their battle only through th=
e
legal process. We have full faith in the law of the land. Let the Sangh als=
o
say that it would welcome any judgement of the Supreme Court on the issue o=
f
Babari Masjid-Ramjanambhoomi". True, but are the Hindtuva's Sadhus ready to
accept the verdict of the Supreme Court, ask a Dalit Student from Saket
Degree College of Ayodhya and then add that those who believe in Manu's
constitution are not supposed to adhere to civilized and democratic
behavior, which are antithesis to Brahmanical code of conduct, which Manu
defined. See most of those sitting with Ashok Singhal come from the upper
caste Hindu communities who are too afraid of change in the political set u=
p
of the country as accepted by Lal Krishna Advani some time back that his
Rath Yatra was to counter the Mandal report. So one can assume why BJP and
Hindutva forces desperately want to build the Ram temple. It is to halt the
Dalit-backward march to power and reformulate the Hindu system under the
Brahmanical hierarchical system, says the Dalit activist. Hence we have to
see how much blood they want to shed for attaining their Goal ?

______

#13.

Date: Fri, 1 Mar 2002 22:00:41 +0530

Dear [...],

All peace loving and conscientious people would be shocked by the mob
fury manifested in Ahmedabad, Vadodara and other parts of Gujarat
following the heinous attack on the Sabarmati Express at Godhra. The
increasing number of deaths of innocent citizens and cases of massive
arson and loot are appalling. The gross inability of the state
government machinery in handling the situation is scandalous. It is
the duty of any government to protect the life and property of all its
citizens irrespective of caste, religion or party. A government which
proves incapable of doing so loses its moral right to govern. The
central government including the President need to take cognizance of
the accelerating violence and lawlessness and take the sternest
possible measures to restore normalcy and peace. Only firm, immediate
and impartial action at this stage can put a halt to the carnage.

Narayan Desai

______

#14.

Los Angeles Times | March 2, 2002
THE WORLD
Sectarian Violence Racks India
Riots: Scores are burned alive in Hindu-Muslim clashes in western state.

By PAUL WATSON, TIMES STAFF WRITER
AHMADABAD, India -- Neighbors battled neighbors with sticks, steel=20
rods and swords in the narrow dirt lanes of this city's Naroda=20
district, where dozens of homes and shops were looted and burned=20
during three days of violence between Hindus and Muslims. [...].
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-000015747mar02.story?coll=
=3Dla%2Dheadlines%2Dfrontpage

______

#15.

The Economist | From The Economist Global Agenda

India's dangerous flames
Feb 28th 2002

A simmering row over the planned construction of a Hindu temple at=20
Ayodhya, in northern India, has boiled over into an ugly outbreak of=20
communal violence. In 1992 some 3,000 people died in riots following=20
the demolition of a mosque on the same site
http://www.economist.com/agenda/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3D1018857

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