[sacw] SACW | 20 May 02

Harsh Kapoor aiindex@mnet.fr
Mon, 20 May 2002 00:15:16 +0100


South Asia Citizens Wire Dispatch | 20 May 2002
http://www.mnet.fr

__________________________

1. The 'Talibanization' of Bangladesh (Ruth Baldwin)
2. Bangladesh: Satellite channels banned to 'resist the adverse=20
impact of alien culture on religious and social values'
3. Bangladesh: Banning Matir Moina: won't the government ever learn?
4. Bangladesh: Sexual Harassment and the Public Woman (Dina M Siddiqi)
5. The Band Played On - Continued Military Rule in Pakistan (Kamran Asdar A=
li)
6. Has the Bourgeoisie Truly Come of Age in India? (Nasir Tyabji)
7. India: Letter to the Editor, New York Times (Ratna Kapur)
8. Europe & India: The fuehrer rides again (Amulya Ganguli)
9. India: Gujarat - Farce Follows The Tragedy (ASHIS CHAKRABARTI)
10. Maoists 'ban' BJP for anti-terror law (Nityanand Shukla)
11. India: Appeal to alumni of Gujarat Arts institutions for ...=20
Artists Against Communalism (Ram Rehman)
12. India: SAVARKAR WAS DEAR TO THE BRITISH RULERS AND A SUPPORTER OF=20
TWO-NATION
THEORY! (Shamsul Islam)
13. Roy and Shanker Singh founder members of the Mazdoor
Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) and the National
Campaign for the Peoples Right to Information (NCPRI) on a lecture=20
tour of the US

__________________________

#1.

The Nation (New York), 5/18/2002
FEATURE STORY | Special Report

The 'Talibanization' of Bangladesh
by Ruth Baldwin

"I stand before you all today with a heavy heart to tell the tales of=20
the endless raging minority cleansing campaign," declared Dwijen=20
Bhattacharjya at the International Conference on Minority Cleansing=20
in Bangladesh, held on April 28 at a cavernous Indian restaurant in=20
Queens. "From Barisal in the south, to Savar in the center, to=20
Rajshai in the north, the trails of terror have swept across=20
Bangladesh."

While the media spotlight has been focused on Pakistan and=20
Afghanistan, the rise of fundamentalism in nearby Bangladesh has gone=20
virtually unnoticed. The nation's tradition of moderate Islam is=20
under threat as religious intolerance takes hold following the=20
victory of the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) in last October's=20
elections. "What is happening?" writes Shahriar Kabir, a documentary=20
filmmaker based in Dhaka, is the initial stage of the "Talibanizing=20
of Bangladesh's politics and society."

The BNP is led by Khaleda Zia, widow of the assassinated military=20
dictator General Zia, who amended the original Constitution,=20
replacing secularism with the "Sovereignty of Allah." Khaleda Zia was=20
swift to condemn the September 11 attacks and offer support to=20
America before the elections. But the fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami=20
party is a key partner in her governing coalition. The party has=20
argued that strict Islamic Sharia law should be implemented in=20
Bangladesh, just as it was by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Jamaat=20
collaborated with Pakistan during the bloody 1971 war of liberation,=20
and the seventeen parliamentary seats that they gained in October are=20
the first they have ever won.

Concern over the escalation of violence against the minority=20
population following the BNP-Jamaat victory had brought=20
Bangladeshi-Americans, congressmen, journalists and civil rights=20
activists together on this rainy Sunday afternoon in Queens. Hindu,=20
Buddhist and Christian communities, which represent 10 percent of=20
Bangladesh's population of 130 million, have been terrorized=20
collectively; secular Muslims, individually. Bidyut Saker, head of=20
the New York-based Bangladeshi Hindus of America, reports that at=20
least forty minority people have been murdered and thousands beaten;=20
hundreds of temples desecrated and statues destroyed; thousands of=20
homes and businesses looted or burned. William Sloan, president of=20
the Canadian branch of the American Association of Jurors, visited=20
Bangladesh in February and described his horror on seeing Hindu=20
victims of torture. One man's fingers had been cut off, another's=20
hand was amputated, still more were blinded and others had iron rods=20
nailed through their legs or abdomen. He also recalled the desperate=20
stories of women and children who had been gang-raped, often in front=20
of their fathers or husbands. Last December Amnesty International=20
reported that "over 100 women may have been subjected to rape?" and=20
all evidence "persistently allege[s] that the perpetrators have been=20
mainly members of the BNP or its coalition partner Jamaat-e-Islami."=20
Attorney Elizabeth Barna, a speaker at the conference who handles=20
asylum applications for many Bangladeshis, contends that the "number=20
is more likely to lie in the thousands." In a society where virginity=20
is a prerequisite for marriage, only a fraction of women ever report=20
such attacks. This culture of fear and violence has triggered an=20
exodus to India. Jana Masen, Asia Policy Advisor at the World Refugee=20
Survey, estimates that up to 20,000 people have fled across the=20
border since October.

The gathering also addressed the suppression of the press and=20
intimidation of journalists, in particular filmmaker Shahriar Kabir.=20
Kabir has dedicated his life to exposing those responsible for crimes=20
against religious minorities. His 1993 film Cry for Justice=20
documented the complicity of two Jamaat leaders, Matiur Rahman Nizami=20
and Delwar Hossain Sayedee, in the genocide of 3 million people=20
during the 1971 war of liberation. Last November Kabir was in=20
Calcutta filming the statements of Hindu refugees who had recently=20
fled Bangladesh for his new documentary, Cry for Amity. On his return=20
to Dhaka, he was arrested on charges of treason, and his passport,=20
videotapes and camera were confiscated. Detained under the Special=20
Powers Act of 1974, he spent fifty-nine days in the notoriously=20
overcrowded Dhaka Central Jail. Amnesty International declared him a=20
"prisoner of conscience." In response to a habeas corpus petition,=20
the High Court bench declared the extension of Kabir's detention=20
illegal, and on January 20 he was granted six months' interim bail.=20
But his persecution continues. As Kabir recently wrote to me: "My=20
life is under threat from religio extremists and fanatic Mullahs. A=20
very eminent Mullah named Maolana Delwar Hossain Sayedee, who is also=20
a parliament member and a leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, issued Fatwah=20
(religious decree) declaring me a Murtad (a person eligible to kill)."

Kabir's experience recalls the harrowing plight of Taslima Nasrin,=20
who wrote about the last wave of violence to engulf the country a=20
decade ago. In 1992 Hindu fanatics demolished the Babri Mosque in=20
Ayodhya, India, claiming it had been built on the birthplace of the=20
god Lord Rama. Muslims reacted with a campaign of retaliatory rage=20
which spread to Bangladesh. Nasrin, appalled by what she witnessed,=20
described the horrifying experience of one Hindu family in her novel=20
Shame, published in 1993. She was placed under fatwa by Muslim=20
leaders and, fearing for her life, fled to Europe, where she still=20
lives.

While the atrocities Nasrin described were triggered by events in=20
India, the current pogrom is being directed from within Bangladesh.=20
During the main Eid al-Fitr congregation in December at the national=20
mosque, the chief imam proclaimed in the presence of Cabinet=20
ministers and thousands of people: "President Bush and America is the=20
most heinous terrorist in the world." He continued, "The Americans=20
will be washed away if Bangladesh's 120 million [sic] Muslims spit on=20
them." A few weeks later Delwar Hossain Sayedee, the Jamaat leader=20
who subsequently placed Kabir under fatwa, decreed that all statues=20
except those of Muslim worshipers should be destroyed. The Hindustan=20
Times reported in January that eighteen terrorist training camps=20
backed by the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence directorate are=20
currently operating in Bangladesh. Several are run by=20
Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami, which is believed to have been founded in=20
1992 with money from Osama bin Laden. A more insidious threat is=20
posed by the exponential growth of madrassahs, or religious schools,=20
in the last decade. The April Far Eastern Economic Review revealed=20
that 64,000 are operating throughout Bangladesh. These are described=20
by a retired high-ranking civil servant as a "potential political=20
time bomb."

The conclusion of those speaking at the conference in Queens is that=20
this situation can be defused only if Khaleda Zia is pressured by=20
George Bush and his Western allies into meeting certain conditions.=20
These include: restoring secularism to the Constitution and=20
"promoting a pluralistic democracy"; ordering members of the BNP=20
alliance to stop their persecution of religious minorities;=20
instructing the police "to protect the minority communities"; the=20
repatriation of "refugees and displaced people"; the formation of an=20
"independent commission to investigate the atrocities"; and the=20
introduction of a "Minority Protection Act, which must include an=20
Affirmative Action Law and a Hate Crime Law." Unable to leave Dhaka=20
and still facing charges of treason that carry a death sentence,=20
Shahriar Kabir continues to struggle for "secularism, democracy and=20
human rights." The question remains whether the international=20
community will live up to its rhetoric and join his fight.

_____

#2.

The Daily Star (Dhaka)
20 May 2002

Chop on channels
HBO, Star Movies, MTV, Channel V and AXN among satellite channels banned
Staff Correspondent
In a surprise move, the government has decided to shut down eight=20
popular satellite pay channels and other "free-to-air" channels to=20
'resist the adverse impact of alien culture on religious and social=20
values'.
The decision was taken at a joint meeting of the Ministry of=20
Information, different TV channels, cable operators and channel=20
distributors at the conference room of the ministry.
Information Minister Tariqul Islam chaired the meeting.
According to an official handout, the meeting 'unanimously decided'=20
to close down five channels MTV, Channel-V, MGM, Hall Mark, and AXN=20
until further order.
The meeting also decided to close down three more channels Star=20
Movies, Star World and the HBO despite objections by the channel=20
distributors.
Moreover, the cable operators promised to close down five=20
'free-to-air' channels -- RAI TV, PTP, TVE, MTV and SNTV -- to show=20
respect to 'the socio-cultural and religious sentiment' of the=20
people, the handout added.
Besides, the cable operators also promised not to show movies from=20
VCD. The ATN Bangla assured that it would not telecast objectionable=20
foreign films in future.
Speaking on the occasion, the information minister thanked the=20
satellite operators and distributors for expressing their solidarity=20
with the people's sentiment 'spontaneously' by closing down 'harmful'=20
satellite channels.
He told the meeting that if necessary more channels will be closed=20
down. But the decision may be reconsidered on people's demand.
Talking to The Daily Star last night, President of the Cable=20
Operators' Association of Bangladesh (COAB) SM Anwar Parvez said the=20
meeting's decision was immediately carried out and "we switched off=20
all the identified channels."
He said the meeting discussed that programmes aired by these channels=20
were not suitable for family viewing. Besides, many countries=20
including Pakistan, Malaysia and Australia have restrictions on=20
certain channels which go against public values and culture, he noted.
Meeting sources however said that M/S Nationwide Cable Operators and=20
M/S Translink, distributors of Star Movies and the HBO respectively,=20
opposed the decision of shutting down these two channels.
Meanwhile, people in the city have condemned the government's=20
decision to ban these satellite channels.
Farhana Mirza, a housewife of Shaymoli, said, "Do they want to make=20
Bangladesh a fundamentalist state? How do we know if they will not=20
also shut down the remaining channels?"
Another housewife, Noushin Akter, said, "Many Islamic states have=20
satellite channels and I don't think their religious and social=20
values are at stake. It is an irrational decision aimed at making=20
people's life miserable."
Md Yunus, an engineer, said, "This is aimed at curtailing=20
entertainment for the people. The channels, which have been banned,=20
are quite entertaining and are liked by all. Besides, the state-owned=20
TV channel does not offer much of an entertainment."
Nakiba Haq, an account officer of a buying house, said, "Many of=20
these channels offer good educational programmes particularly for=20
children and mothers. Banning them means the government has a very=20
narrow view on public information."
Rashed Khan, a student of the Dhaka University, said, "There are many=20
cinema halls in the country which show pornography. Instead of=20
cracking down on them why the government bans the channels?"
Md Mozammel Huq, a school teacher, said, "The people in Bangladesh do=20
not have much options for entertainment. The decision was ridiculous."
Dr Abdul Quayum, a physician of a private hospital, said, "Religion=20
has nothing to do with satellite channels. They are purely of=20
entertainment nature and pose no threat to social values. The=20
decision is intended at turning Bangladesh into a fundamentalist=20
state."

_____

#3.

The Daily Star (Dhaka)
20 May 2002
Banning Matir Moina: won't the government ever learn?

Tanweer Akram, Alexandria, USA
It is a shame to learn that the authorities have banned, at least=20
provisionally, the film "Matir Moina" directed by Mr. Tareq Masud and=20
Ms. Catherine Masud. I do hope that the authorities will withdraw=20
this ban and allow the people to see this film and judge for=20
themselves the artistic and aesthetic qualities and the technical=20
merits of the film.

A film is work of art, a powerful medium of expressing a viewpoint.=20
To ban a film is to curb citizen's freedom of speech. I would remind=20
the authorities that the Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of=20
Human Rights states: "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion=20
and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without=20
interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas=20
through any media and regardless of frontiers." In banning a film or=20
a book, the authorities are curtailing the rights of the citizens. It=20
also reflects a silly form of foolishness. With the available=20
technology some people in the county should soon be able to easily=20
watch videos in the privacy of their home and/or obtain access to the=20
film through various sites in the Internet as soon as some people put=20
pirated version of the film the World Wide Web.

Of course the net effect of such banning will be depriving the makers=20
of the film any scope to cover their costs and to discouraging=20
creative, artistic and young from producing new and innovative films.=20
With such acts, we will remain confided to watching the idiocy of=20
third-rate Hindi films and CNN propaganda.

_____

#4.

http://www.himalmag.com/2002/may/analysis.htm
Himal, May 2002
Analysis

Bangladesh: Sexual Harassment and the Public Woman
Bangladeshi women who face harassment from males lack any access to=20
avenues of social or legal redress. The suicide of Simi Banu=20
tragically highlights the need for the law to protect not only
female 'modesty', but the very right to equality.

by Dina M Siddiqi

_____

#5.

MERIP Press Information Note 95
May 9, 2002

The Band Played On - Continued Military Rule in Pakistan

Kamran Asdar Ali

(Kamran Asdar Ali teaches anthropology and Middle East studies at the=20
University of Texas-Austin.)

On May 8, a bomb blast rocked central Karachi, killing at least 14=20
people, including a number of French nationals. This suicide bombing=20
comes on the heels of the brutal murder of Daniel Pearl, the Wall=20
Street Journal reporter, allegedly by Islamist extremist groups who=20
had recently fallen out of the favor of the Pakistani military=20
government. Similar explosions have hit churches and other places of=20
worship around the country this spring. In Karachi, Shia=20
professionals have been assassinated in escalating sectarian violence=20
that has gripped the larger cities of Pakistan.

Some have argued that elements within the Pakistani security services=20
are still involved in assisting the perpetrators of these attacks.=20
The guilty parties would be those elements of the state security=20
apparatus who have been left out in the cold by Gen. Pervez=20
Musharraf's regime. The military junta, in contrast, blames these=20
incidents on outside influences seeking to destabilize Pakistan.=20
Eight months after the September 11 tragedy, the regime seeks to=20
portray Pakistan as a changed polity. [...].
http://www.merip.org/pins/pin95.html

_____

#6.

Economic and Political Weekly (Bombay) May 4, 2002
Commentary

Has the Bourgeoisie Truly Come of Age in India?
Flat-footed entry into globalisation and the terrible events in=20
Gujarat have perhaps jolted the Indian bourgeoisie into a new phase=20
in their quest for modernity.
Nasir Tyabji
http://www.epw.org.in/showArticles.php?root=3D2002&leaf=3D05&filename=3D441=
5&filetype=3Dhtml

____

#7.

The New York Times
May 14, 2002

Indian Nationalists

Hindu Nationalists Are Enrolling, and Enlisting, India's Poor (May 13, 2002=
)
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/13/international/asia/13HIND.html

To the Editor:

In "Hindu Right Goes to School to Build a Nation" (front page, May=20
13), you provide an informed account of the nationalist education=20
policy of the Hindu right, yet you do not underscore the dangerous=20
implications of the ideological plank on which it is based.

The right's doctrine of "Hindutva" seeks to establish a Hindu state=20
in India, and demands either the assimilation of India's 130 million=20
Muslim citizens into the norms of the Hindu majority, or advocates=20
their annihilation, as demonstrated in the spate of recent killings=20
of Muslims in the western state of Gujarat.

The failure to protect the rights of religious minorities unmasks the=20
Hindu right's project as a fundamentally undemocratic and violent=20
one, and its nationalist educational policy as profoundly dangerous=20
for the country and the region's stability.
RATNA KAPUR
Washington, May 13, 2002
The writer is director of the Center for Feminist Legal Research, New Delhi=
.

_____

#8.

Hindustan Times (New Delhi) Monday, May 20, 2002
The fuehrer rides again
Amulya Ganguli
http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/200502/detide01.asp

_____

9.
The Telegraph, 20 May 2002

FARCE FOLLOWS THE TRAGEDY
FROM ASHIS CHAKRABARTI

Ahmedabad, May 19:=20
After the pogrom, the great "action" farce. Intense pressure of=20
national public opinion may have finally forced the Narendra Modi=20
government to reluctantly put up a show of "action" against Sangh=20
parivar activists leading the carnage in Gujarat, but it is doing=20
everything in its powers to reduce it to a farce.

Although everyone visiting the Shah Alam relief camp was told that=20
Bhawani Singh, a Gujarat state transport bus conductor, led the worst=20
killings at Naroda-Patia, he was picked up by the police only early=20
last week, over two months after the incident. Some of the "Ram=20
sevaks" who were on the Sabarmati Express at Godhra when it was burnt=20
and soon after went on the rampage in nearby areas were also picked=20
up last week.
So far, some 250-odd activists of the BJP, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad=20
and the Bajrang Dal have been rounded up in this show of action after=20
the reshuffle in the police earlier this month.

But these are small fish. None of the big fish, including ministers=20
Haren Pandya, who allegedly led the mob attack at Paldi, and Bharat=20
Barot, Naroda MLA Mayaben Kodnani or the VHP general secretary Jaidip=20
Patel, against whom seemingly irrefutable evidence is available, has=20
been touched.

Also, BJP youth wing leader of Vadodara, who is known to have=20
organised the printing and distribution of thousands of copies of=20
hate campaign "directives" against the Muslims much before the Godhra=20
killing of the "Ram sevaks", goes scot free.
But not catching the big fish is only a minor part of the farce. A=20
bigger subversion is taking place with the first information reports=20
filed with the police and the investigation procedures. In most cases=20
of violence, the police have either refused to accept FIRs or=20
insisted that the attackers be identified as "mobs" and not as=20
individuals, thereby rendering them virtually ineffective.

All possibilities of fair inquiries and justice for the victims are=20
being sabotaged by transfers of police officers crucial to=20
investigations.
Thus, V.M. Parghi, the deputy commissioner of police of Ahmedabad=20
city, who was in charge of the investigations into the worst=20
brutalities at Naroda-Patia and the Gulbarg housing society, has been=20
shifted. His transfer follows those of additional commissioner of=20
police Surolia and many other officers whom the government does not=20
trust enough.
Then comes the calculated sabotage of the legal judicial procedure.=20
Ridiculously, most of the lawyers appointed by the government as=20
public prosecutors to frame the charges are civil lawyers, with=20
little or no experience of criminal cases.
Obviously, their chargesheets, as and when they come, will fall far=20
short of the requirement for conviction, says a lawyer, one of the=20
few who have braved threats to their lives to take up cases for=20
victimised Muslim families.

"Even a leading lawyer like Girish Patel was threatened," says the=20
lawyer who is unwilling to be identified.
The "action" farce, therefore, is not amusing. In fact, fear still=20
stalks most people willing to fight state terror.
"Soon after the riots in the 1990s, we were able to organise peace=20
conventions in the open where thousands of people participated. This=20
time, not one such meeting could be held publicly even two-and-a-half=20
months after the killings. Such is the atmosphere of fear," says=20
Hanif Lakdawala, a well-known doctor, who is a leading member of the=20
Citizens' Initiative, which is independently probing the killings.
Right now, though, Muslim organisations and civil rights groups are=20
more worried over the process of relief and rehabilitation. The=20
government wants to close the camps as early as possible, although=20
conditions are not quite right for the refugees of violence to go=20
back to their homes, particularly in areas around Ahmedabad.
Gujarat High Court has allowed the camps to be there up to May 31.=20
The schools reopen next month and parents of both Hindu and Muslim=20
students are afraid to send their wards to schools in areas dominated=20
by the "other" community.

Despite Modi's claim of normality returning to the state, insecurity=20
and the fear of fresh violence still hang heavy on Gujarat.
_____

10.

Maoists 'ban' BJP for anti-terror law
By Nityanand Shukla, Indo-Asian News Service

Ranchi, May 19 (IANS) Two Maoists groups in Jharkhand have found a unique -
and illegal - way of registering their anger at a new anti-terror law under
which the government has outlawed them.
They have chosen to "ban" Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP), which lobbied hard for this law bringing it into
existence.
The Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) and the People's War Group (PWG) have
similarly "banned" various Hindu radical affiliates of the BJP's ideologica=
l
mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
The two groups have announced these measures as part of their "Ulta POTA
(Reverse POTA) diktat -- a reference to the Prevention of Terrorism Act
(POTA) that Parliament enacted in March in the teeth of stiff opposition.

Vajpayee's government had to call a rare joint session of Parliament to
rustle up a majority to pass POTA.
While the BJP insisted that POTA would help fight terrorism against India,
especially in Kashmir, the opposition parties alleged the government would
misuse POTA against political activists and its opponents.

The rules of the game under "Ulta POTA" allow these extremists groups to
kidnap state BJP leaders and "try" them in "people's courts".

Last Thursday, the MCC kidnapped BJP legislator Loknath Mahto and some
officials in Hazaribagh district as part of this campaign.
One such people's court "tried" and questioned them on various issues
including development in the district. They were freed only after eight
hours.
"We are not terrorists but fight repression from the government, landlords
and the mafias," MCC activist Nareash Marandi told IANS. "But still the BJP
government has banned us under POTA. It should naturally face the
consequences."
"Ulta POTA" has reportedly troubled some BJP leaders, especially in
Maoist-infested districts like Daltanganj and Chatra.
The two groups, which are said to have substantial support in the
hinterlands, called a three-day economic blockade earlier this month to
protest POTA.
Fifteen policemen were killed in a land mine blast in Koderma district and
railway tracks blown up at several places during this blockade.

More than 125 activists of both ultra outfits were later arrested.
Maoist ultras are active in 14 of Jharkhand's 22 districts. Their attacks
have claimed some 200 lives, including 96 security personnel, since the
state was carved out of Bihar in November 2000.

--Indo-Asian News Service

_____

#11.

Please forward

Dear Friends,
we at Sahmat have been talking about how the creative
community can make some statement on the Gujarat
situation. We have already raised funds through
exhibitions and performances, but over discussions
thought some kind of a statement and collective
meeting (maybe in Delhi) would make some impact.
Initially the idea was that Gujarati's come together
and make a call for peace, justice and rehabilitation.
But I have been speaking with (in person and phone and
e mail) with many of you ...David Abraham, Dadi
Padamjee, Pushpamala, Sujata Kesavan, Rekha
Rodwittiya.....any number of others....and it struck
me that there are so many people from all over India
who have studied at art and architecture institutions
in Gujarat in the last 30 - 40 years (or taught
there)...who are major figures in our contemporary
culture, that a collective statement going out from
them too would have a tremendous impact. NID, CEPT, MS
University Baroda, Darpana, Kumudini Lakhia's
school.....classical musicians, Dastkar etc.
etc........so many institutions have produced so many
of our finest contemporary cultural minds who are now
scattered all over the world. A contemporary cultural
statement or plea to bring back the rule of law and a
healing hand may mean something???

I'm just sending this out for reactions and as a
sounding board for you to react to. Please forward
this to all your fellow students, teachers etc. and
let's see if we can gather some creative energy for
something...Artists Against Communalism...or
something!!!!

Warmest, Ram

E mail:
<http://us.f104.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=3Dramrahman@y...&YY=3D866=
95&order=3Ddown&sort=3Ddate&pos=3D0>ramrahman@y...,<http://us.f104.mai=
l.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=3Dsahmat@v...&YY=3D86695&order=3Ddown&sort=3D=
date&pos=3D0>sahmat@v...,=20
<http://us.f104.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=3Dshabhashmi@h...&YY=3D=
86695&order=3Ddown&sort=3Ddate&pos=3D0>shabhashmi@h...

____

12
The following piece appeared in the largest circulated Hindi daily,
Hindustan, New Delhi, on May 19, 2002.
SAVARKAR WAS DEAR TO THE BRITISH RULERS AND A SUPPORTER OF TWO-NATION
THEORY!
Shamsul Islam

Union Home Minister, LK Advani was recently in Port Blair for the renaming
ceremony of a local airport as Veer Savarkar Airport. But the most
significant part of otherwise a routine public ceremony were his utterances
about Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and India's Freedom Struggle. He said that
pioneers of Hindutva like Veer Savarkar kindled fierce nationalist spirit
that contributed to India's liberation. He also told the audience that
Savarkar along with Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose did not get their due after
independence. He confessed that he idolized Veer Savarkar from his youth
days and was baptized to Hindutva after reading his writings on Hindu
nationalism. He candidly told the gathering that there was no reason to fee=
l
shy of, "Hindutva, propounded at great length by Veer Savarkar. It is an
all-encompassing ideology with its roots in the country's heritage". He als=
o
disclosed that Supreme Court in one of its judgments concurred with this
concept of Hindutva.
Unfortunately, our Home Minister is doing great injustice to both, Veer
Savarkar who religiously wanted India to be converted into a theocratic
Hindu Rashtra, as well as post-independence India, which chose to be a
democratic-secular polity on the eve of freedom from the British rule. LK
Advani who claims to be a serious follower of Savarkar's ideas must be
familiar with the fact that Savarkar like Mohammed Ali Jinnah's Muslim
League believed in Two-Nation Theory. While delivering presidential address
to 19th HM session at Ahmedabd in 1937, Savarkar said, "As it is, there are
two antagonistic nations living side by side in India, several infantile
politicians commit the serious mistake in supposing that India is already
welded into a harmonious nation, or that it could be welded thus for the
mere wish to do so... But the solid fact is that the so-called communal
questions are but a legacy handed down to us by centuries of cultural,
religious and national antagonism between the Hindus and Moslems.India can
not be assumed today to be a Unitarian and homogenous nation, but on the
contrary there are two nations in the main: the Hindus and the Moslems, in
India".
LK Advani and his likes must realize that if Savarkar with eternal love for
Two-Nation Theory was an Indian Nationalist then who can stop Jinnah from
claiming this status.
Advani and his peers in RSS who miss no opportunity to decry Congress and
Muslim League gang-up, solely responsible for partition of India must read
the following statement of Savarkar in 1942, which is available in the Hind=
u
Mahasabha publication, 'Hindu Rashtra Darshan'. This statement is a living
proof of hobnobbing between Hindu Mahasabha and Muslim League and goes on t=
o
tell, "In practical politics also the Mahasabha knows that we must advance
through reasonable compromises. Witness the fact that only recently in Sind=
,
the Sind-Hindu-Sabha on invitation had taken the responsibility of joining
hands with the League itself in running coalition Government. The case of
Bengal is well known. Wild Leaguers whom even the Congress with all its
submissiveness could not placate grew quite reasonably compromising and
socialable as soon as they came in contact with the HM and the Coalition
Government, under the premiership of Mr. Fazlul Huq and the able lead of ou=
r
esteemed Mahasabha leader Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerji, functioned successfull=
y
for a year or so to the benefit of both the communities."

Hindu Mahasabha under the leadership of Veer Savarkar played a highly
dubious and divisive role in the 'Quit India' Movement of 1942. While
Congress cadres and large sections of Indian masses were facing immense
repression of the colonial rulers and decided to boycott the state
institutions, Hindu Mahasabha decided to co-operate with the British rulers=
.
While addressing 24th session of HM at Cownpore in 1942, Savarkar thus
outlined the strategy of HM of co-operating with the rulers. "The HM holds
that the leading principle of all practical politics is the policy of
Responsive Co-operation. And in virtue of it, believes that all those
Hindu Sanghatanists who are working as Councillors, Ministers, Legislators
and conducting any municipal or any public bodies with a view to utilize
those centers of Government power.are rendering a highly patriotic service
to our Nation.The policy of responsive co-operation which covers the whole
gamut of patriotic activities from unconditional co-operation right up to
active and even armed resistance, will also keep adapting itself to the
exigencies of the time, resources at our disposal and dictates of our
national interest." In fact, he was jubilantly thankful to the British
rulers for banning Congress when he said, "As soon as Congress was removed
from the political field as an open organization under the government ban,
the HM alone was left to take up the task of conducting whatever Indian
National activities lay within its scope." He also declared that he was not
bothered, "of breaking up the so-called united front against the British
Imperialism."
LK Advani seemed highly concerned about Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose not
being accorded rightful place as a great freedom fighter in post
independence India. However, it will be far more shocking to learn that
Savarkar and HM not only opposed any armed uprising against foreign rulers
but also decided to help them in their war efforts. As early as 1941,
Savarkar declared in Bhagalpur, "From this point of view, situated as we
Hindus are at present, our best national interest demands that so far as
India's defence is concerned, Hindudom must ally unhesitatingly in a spirit
of responsive co-operation with the war effort of the Indian Government."
When Japan joined World War II which would later pave the way for INA to tr=
y
to liberate India from North-Eastern side, Savarkar declared, "Again it mus=
t
be noted that Japan's entry into the war has exposed us directly and
immediately to the attack by Britain's enemies. Consequently, whether we
like it or not, we shall have to defend our own hearth and home against the
ravages of the war and this can only be done by intensifying the
Government's
war effort to defend India. Hindu Mahasabhaits must, therefore, rouse
Hindus especially in the provinces of Bengal and Assam as effectively as
possible to enter the military forces of all arms without losing a single
minute."
How HM under the leadership of Savarkar decided to sub serve the interest o=
f
White rulers can be known by the following statement of his in late 1942.
"All our present programmes, it need to be mentioned, are based on the
assumption that Britain comes out at any rate so successful, of this World
War, as to continue to be the Sovereign power in India.
Savrkar had no faith in democratic principles or system and was a great fan
of Hitler. He declared at Madura in 1940, "There is no reason to suppose
that Hitler must be a human monster because he passes off as a Nazi or
Churchill is a demi-God because he calls himself a Democrat. Nazism proved
undeniably the saviour of Germany under the set of circumstances Germany wa=
s
placed in."
Savarkar went on to chide Nehru for opposing Fascism and Nazism in India.
"Surely Hitler knows better than Pandit Nehru does what suits Germany best.
The very fact that Germany or Italy has so wonderfully recovered and grown
so powerful as never before at the touch of Nazi or Fascist magical wand is
enough to prove that those political 'isms' were the most congenial tonics
their health demanded".
It is really unfortunate that LK Advani is trying to confuse the great
liberal, democratic, and secular heritage of India's Freedom Struggle with
thoughts and works of personalities like Savarkar who never wanted the kind
India, which we got in 1947. It is really outrageous to suggest that Suprem=
e
Court of India ever concurred with such a debased discourse of Indian
Nationalism.
___

13.

Dear friends,
We enclose with this letter, the schedule of Aruna
Roy and Shanker Singh founder members of the Mazdoor
Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) and the National
Campaign for the Peoples Right to Information (NCPRI)
who will address the annual conference and a series of
lectures organized by the Association of India's
Development in the United States from 24th May to 11th
June 2002.
Aruna Roy and Shankar Singh have been invited
to talk about the experiences and lessons drawn from
the Right to Information movement in India in making
democracy meaningful to ordinary people- in particular
the poor and marginalized. This movement has been part
of a larger resurgence of grass root democratic action
that provides great potential for hope and change.
However the increasing strength of fundamentalist
movements seen in its naked form in the spate of
communal killings and polarised atmosphere in Gujarat
threaten the foundations of democracy and the Indian
Constitution. Aruna and Shankar have recently spent a
week touring affected areas in Gujarat, and feel the
need for all those involved with India to address the
immediate tragedy and it's long-term implications.
It is also clear that there is a need for the
so-called ' silent majority' to make informed choices,
and get involved personally and collectively.
The AID conference organisers have urged us to
independently contact as many people\groups as we can
so that there might be wider participation in these
meetings. We write to you to ask for your help and
involvement in:
=85 Passing the word around about the scheduled meetings
so that interested people in the area attend.
=85 Contacting the local organizers and co-ordinate with
them in case it is felt there is a need for additional
meetings\programmes
=85 Contacting us or the AID conference co-ordinator
Nishant Jain at nishj@u... in case there are any
suggestions or queries.
[...]
The aid conference website
http://aidsfbay.org/conf2002/index.php?section=3DReading+List
or http://www.aidindia.org has more information
about both of them and their work.
With many thanks,
MKSS and other friends

Note: ... details of contact persons [...].

Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS)
Village: Devdungri, Post: Barar,
District Rajsamand
Rajasthan, Pin Code-313341
Tel:91-2951-43254, 91-2951-50655,(messages)
Fax:91-1463-88206 (attn:aruna roy)

Chapter Coordinator Email Phone
Ann Arbor Rachna Dhingra rachna@u... 734-657-6370
San Jose 5/29
Cincinnati Senthil jsknappi@y... 937-859-7025 Ann
Arbor
Charlotte Pankaj Arora pankajarora@c...
704-553-1279
Raleigh Deepak Suryanarayanan deepaksury@y...
919-466-0572
College Park Rajeev Natarajan rajeevpn@w...
301-345-8727 Raleigh
Boston Shrinaath Chidambaram shrinaath@e...
508-347-6865 College Park
Austin Nishant Jain nishj@u... 512-422-7169
Boston/Phoenix
Columbus Meenakshi Krishnan 614-353-7677
College Station Sai Vaddi vsv8003@a...
979-219-5325 Coordinate with Austin

--=20
_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

SACW is an informal, independent & non-profit citizens wire service run by
South Asia Citizens Web (http://www.mnet.fr/aiindex) since 1996.
To subscribe send a blank message to:
<act-subscribe@yahoogroups.com> / To unsubscribe send a blank
message to: <act-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com>
________________________________________
DISCLAIMER: Opinions expressed in materials carried in the posts do not
necessarily reflect the views of SACW compilers.
\\|//\\|//\\|//\\|//\\|//\\|//\\|//\\|//\\|//\\|//|//\\|//|//\\|//|//\\|//|=
//\\|//|//\\|//