[sacw] SACW | 5 Oct. 02

[Harsh Kapoor]

South Asia Citizens Wire | 5 October 2002

__________________________

#1. Sri Lanka: In the Shadows of Sattahip : The Many Faces of Peace=20
(UTHR Special Report)
#2. India: From Godhra to Gandhinagar=A0=A0(Rajdeep Sardesai)
#3. India: Words of wisdom! (Harbans Mukhia)
#4. India: The Vacuity of Secularism (Jakob De Roover)
#5. UK: Film Screening of War & Peace (1 November, London)
#6. India: Rationalists challenge Mother Teresa's 'miracle'
#7. India: Lesbian Suicide In Tamilnadu
__________________________

#1.

UTHR Special Report No: 15
Date of release: 04th October 2002.
In the Shadows of Sattahip : The Many Faces of Peace
http://www.uthr.org/SpecialReports/Uthr-sp.rp15.doc

_____

#2.

Mid Day
October 1,2002

>From Godhra to Gandhinagar
by Rajdeep Sardesai
http://www.mid-day.com/columns/rajdeep_sardesai/2002/october/32826.htm

_____

#3.

The Hindu
Saturday, Oct 05, 2002
Opinion - Leader Page Articles

Words of wisdom!

By Harbans Mukhia

K. S. Sudarshan is reproducing the ideological constructs of=20
precisely that despicable West he would like India to turn its back=20
upon.

IT IS very seldom that K. S. Sudarshan, Sarsanghchalak of the=20
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), in any public utterance fails to=20
lambast the Indian Muslims for being bullies (and correspondingly the=20
Hindus for being cowards) or for refusing to own up the ancient Hindu=20
mythological figures such as Ram and Krishna. Nor does he fail to=20
cite the example of Indonesian Muslims in contrast who actually own=20
up the figure of Ram in their land, and not being the worse for it.=20
In his much-awaited public address to Delhi's `intelligentsia' on=20
Mahatma Gandhi's birthday, he repeated these gems of wisdom, as=20
expected. These seem to constitute the limits of his knowledge about=20
Islam and Hinduism. The other highlight of his address as reported in=20
the press was staunch hostility to western forms of economy,=20
knowledge, culture, even means of achieving hygiene for which we=20
Indians are, he assured us, much better equipped thanks to the almost=20
unlimited availability of cow's urine.

One assumes that Mr. Sudarshan finds all the learning that the RSS in=20
its shakhas imparts for the complete education of an Indian,=20
especially a Hindu, adequate. Those of us Indians, including Hindus,=20
who did not have the benefit of getting educated in the shakhas, but=20
elsewhere in schools and colleges, will feel rather disturbed on two=20
counts. One, the grouping together of all Muslims and all Hindus=20
under single heads is actually the legacy of Western intellectual=20
endeavour from the 18th century onward and in particular of the=20
British colonial regime in India. The RSS has entirely and=20
unquestioningly imbibed all of this and keeps diffusing in its=20
shakhas and in such momentous public addresses as Mr. Sudarshan gave=20
on October 2 and is likely to repeat on several other occasions.

Second, his assumption that the Indian Muslims withdraw themselves=20
from any identification with Hindu religious or cultural symbols is=20
derived from his probably brief and limited acquaintance with his own=20
counterparts among the Muslims =8B persons such as Imam Bukhari or Syed=20
Shahabuddin. Just as Mr. Sudarshan projects himself and persons such=20
as Ashok Singhal and Praveen Togadia as the exclusive representatives=20
of the Hindu community, religion and culture, he also accepts the=20
Imam and Mr. Shahabuddin as the exclusive representatives of the=20
Muslim community, religion and culture. For him there are no other=20
shades outside of these, one pure white, the other a deep black, but=20
necessary for the sustenance of the first.

The first point first. The coming of Islam to India from the 10th=20
century on mediated through various agencies =8B conquerors,=20
theologians, sufi saints, traders, poets, scholars =8B created several=20
Muslim images of the Hindus, the term itself being of Arabic coinage.=20
For the conquerors, the Hindus were the archenemy whose territory was=20
open for grabbing through the battlefield. Incidentally, other Muslim=20
rulers too were similar enemies, for their territory had no more=20
sanctity against raids.

Mahmud of Ghazni, the archetypical Muslim conqueror, also had no=20
problem employing 300 Hindu soldiers and one General Tilak for waging=20
wars against other Hindus and they in turn had no problem helping him=20
either. For theologians, the Hindus were kafirs, who needed to be=20
converted to Islam by persuasion or force. For poets, however, kafir=20
was the term of endearment, always used as synonym for the beloved.=20
Sufis sought love rather than subjugation as the path of salvation=20
for all humankind. Hindus for them were no enemies, but friends.=20
Traders in their turn were more keen on earning their profits from=20
wherever they could and hardly cared about the religious identity of=20
their customers. Of scholars, al-Biruni was the most outstanding,=20
hardly the one who would think of killing or converting the Hindus.=20
But for al-Biruni our knowledge and understanding of the Hindu=20
religion and society of his day would be so much poorer.

All these differential images of the Hindu (and the Muslim) community=20
got erased with the advance of Western analytical categories, and=20
were replaced by homogenised categories such as the Orient as a whole=20
and Christendom, Hindu civilisation, Islamic world, etc. The British,=20
under the influence of both evangelical as well as utilitarian=20
philosophies, made these homogenous categories the premise upon which=20
to establish their governance in India. Mr. Sudarshan is reproducing=20
the ideological constructs of precisely that despicable West he would=20
like India to turn its back upon.

Second, if Mr. Sudarshan could find the determination to look at the=20
Muslim community beyond the shoulders of such stalwarts as the Imam=20
and Mr. Shahabuddin, and acquire some familiarity with the Indian=20
Muslims in the small towns and villages, his complaint that they shun=20
any association with the Hindu cultural legacies would disappear in a=20
jiffy, if, that is, he is willing to allow it to disappear. It is=20
here that the vast majority of Indians =8B Hindus and Muslims and=20
others =8B live and it is here that the neat boxes into which people=20
such as Mr. Sudarshan tend to fit Hindus and Muslims and Sikhs and=20
Christians and others quickly dissolve.

For, in these villages the Muslims grow up singing Radha and Krishna=20
bhajans and lyrics as integral parts of their lives and celebrate=20
Holi, Dussehra and Diwali as zealously as the Id ul-Fitr. Indeed,=20
even as they observe the roza (fast) during the month of Ramzan and=20
celebrate Id at the end of it, they know much about why Dussehra and=20
Diwali are celebrated.

Mr. Sudarshan might also be astonished to know that it is not=20
entirely a one-sided participation in the religious and cultural=20
festivals of the other; in numerous, mainly rural or semi-urban=20
locales, the Hindus also observe several Muslim festivals with equal=20
zeal or solemnity as the occasion demands. This indeed is the basic=20
feature of popular forms of all religions =8B Hinduism, Christianity,=20
Islam. Where theology tends to be fractious, popular religion is=20
assimilative.

It is not merely that Mr. Sudarshan's familiarity with Indian Islam=20
is very limited; it is the same with Hinduism. Several proselytising=20
religions, Christianity and Islam among them, are premised upon the=20
notion of the final truth being revealed to their prophet. The final=20
truth must in the end vanquish all falsehood. Thus in their=20
respective perceptions, Christianity or Islam must prevail over the=20
entire world some day before the Day of Judgment. Hinduism does not=20
contain the notion of the final truth, hence it is not a=20
proselytising religion and is not predicated upon the notion of final=20
triumph over the others. In his aggressive positing of irresoluble=20
conflict between Hindus, on one hand, and Muslims and Christians, on=20
the other, which implies the ultimate subjugation of the Christians=20
and the Muslims by the RSS-trained and led Hindus, Mr. Sudarshan is=20
abandoning that defining element of Hinduism which has allowed it to=20
survive for several millennia of history.

But then Mr. Sudarshan is aware that systems can be moulded not by=20
the force of truth or logic but by the relations of power and the=20
present dispensation is so perched that his words will carry weight=20
with it, never mind their threat to India's Indian-ness.

(The writer is Professor, Centre for Historical Studies, JNU.)

_____

#4.

Economic and Political Weekly (Bombay, India)
September 28, 2002
Special Article

The Vacuity of Secularism
On the Indian Debate and Its Western Origins

The rise of Hindutva has often been interpreted as a threat to the=20
secular state. Similarly, the recent outbursts of Hindu-Muslim=20
conflict are said to be related to the decay of secularism. The=20
author argues that the concept of secularism is fundamentally=20
obscure, since it is founded upon an arbitrary distinction between=20
the religious and the secular. The belief that religion should be=20
separated from politics is a normative dogma that precedes all=20
theoretical analysis of the Indian situation. Therefore, this concept=20
of secularism prevents us from understanding the problems of=20
pluralism in contemporary India, instead of helping us to solve them.

Jakob De Roover

[ Full text of the above paper (48k) is available for all interested.=20
Should you require a copy of the paper drop a note to=20
<aiindex@m...> ]

_____

#5.

South Asia Solidarity Group

invites you to

WAR & PEACE / JANG AUR AMAN

A documentary (Colour, 2 hours 28 mins, 2002)

Anand Patwardhan, 2002, India, 2 hours 28 mins

Friday 1 November

6.15pm

followed by a discussion with the director

ICA Cinema, The Mall, London SW1

This exciting new film by India's foremost political filmmaker is=20
currently banned in India.

Filmed over three years in India, Pakistan, Japan and the USA, War=20
and Peace uses the voices of ordinary people to expose the=20
contradictions inherent in jingoistic nationalism. It reveals the=20
mirror images of manufactured hatred on either side of the=20
India-Pakistan border. It goes on to focus on the way an aggressive=20
United States has become a role model, its doctrine of "Might is=20
Right" only too well-absorbed by aspiring elites of the developing=20
world. As we enter the 21st century, war has become perennial,=20
enemies are re-invented and economies are inextricably tied to the=20
sale and production of weapons. War and Peace draws its power and=20
emotional appeal from the growing movement for peace in both India=20
and Pakistan

Awards

* Grand Prize, Earth Vision Global Environment Festival, Tokyo, 2002
* Best Film, Mumbai International Film Festival, 2002
* International Jury Prize, Mumbai International Film Festival, 2002
* International Jury (FIPRESCI) Award, Sydney Film Festival, 2002

Reviews:

"The film itself is a tour de force, beautifully shot and often=20
darkly funny and much more riveting than the dry subject matter might=20
suggest."

Duncan Campbell - The Guardian, UK

"We should listen to our voices of dissent for our own sake and for=20
the sake of our children and their children. War and Peace is that=20
voice=92s most eloquent expression. Which is why it should be seen by=20
everyone, everywhere. In schools, in colleges, in factories, on=20
television. Urgently and often."

Anil Dharker, The Times of India

"Despite fears to the contrary the film turned out to be a massive=20
feel-good and a hope inducing document due to the space given to=20
voices for demilitarization and the grass roots peace process"

Chandra Siddan - The Hindu

"Perhaps the most important film in this year=92s Berlin Film Festival"

Reuters

WAR & PEACE / JANG AUR AMAN

Anand Patwardhan has been making politically charged documentaries in=20
India for nearly three decades. His films despite winning awards have=20
often been suppressed by the ruling elite, tackling as they do=20
subjects like street dwellers (Bombay our City, 1985), religious=20
fundamentalism (In the Name of God, 1992), the connection between=20
machismo and sectarian violence (Father, Son and Holy War, 1995) and=20
the plight of those displaced in the name of "development" (A Narmada=20
Diary, 1995).

tickets: ICA Box Office, 020 7930 3647 or tickets@i...

more details: South Asia Solidarity Group 020 7267 0923 or=20
<mailto:southasia@h...>southasia@h...

_____

#6.

BBC
Friday, 4 October, 2002, 11:59 GMT 12:59 UK

Mother Teresa's 'miracle' challenged

By Subir Bhaumik
BBC correspondent in Calcutta

A miracle attributed to Mother Teresa has been challenged in the=20
Indian state of West Bengal.
A rationalist group in the state says a woman reportedly cured of=20
cancer by placing a photograph of the nun on her stomach had=20
subsequently received treatment in government hospitals.

Mother Teresa: Revered by many

Doctors who treated the woman, Monica Besra, say she was in pain=20
several years after Mother Teresa died.
Vatican officials earlier this week approved the miracle, and said=20
this would strengthen her case for sainthood.
For several years Prabir Ghosh, general secretary of the Indian=20
Rationalist and Scientific Thinking Association, has challenged Hindu=20
"godmen" and exposed their miracles as what he describes as cheap=20
hypnotic tricks better performed by magicians.
Now he is challenging the claim of the Missionaries of Charity, who=20
say a photograph of their founder, Mother Teresa, when placed over=20
the stomach of 30-year-old Monica Besra, cured her of a tumour.

Undue publicity
Mr Ghosh described the claim as bogus and typical of the process of=20
cult building in all religious orders.
He says Mother Teresa could be considered for sainthood for her=20
services to the poor, adding that it was an insult to her legacy to=20
bestow her sainthood on false claims of miracles.

Mr Ghosh says several doctors have reported to the West Bengal=20
government that Ms Besra continued to receive treatment long after=20
Mother Teresa died.
He said Ms Besra was admitted to hospital with chronic headaches and=20
severe abdominal pain at least a year after Mother Teresa's death.
The doctors say that if the story of the miracle gets what they=20
describe as undue publicity, illiterate and poor villagers may stop=20
taking medical treatment for their maladies and seek miracle cures.
Mr Ghosh says his association, which seeks to promote rational and=20
scientific thinking in India, would expect the West Bengal Government=20
to take legal action against the Missionaries of Charity.
When contacted, the Missionaries of Charity did not react to the charge.

_____

#7.

Date: Sat, 5 Oct 2002 01:04:45 +0530
Subject: LESBIAN SUICIDE IN TAMILNADU
Priority: normal

Dear friend(s)

We are very sad at Sangama. Lesbian lovers Geethalakshmi and
Sumathi have committed suicide in Satyamangalam forest area of
Tamilnadu. Sumathi studied up to 10+2 and Geethalakshmi has a
bachelor=EDs degree in Arts. We are in the process of contacting
human rights activists in Tamilnadu and human
rights/feminist/queer activists in Bangalore to put together a
joint fact-finding team. No information has appeared in any
Kannada/English newspaper about this suicide. Please send us any
information (at sangama@s... or SANGAMA, Flat 13,
Royal Park Apartmnets, 34 Park Road, Tasker Town, Bangalore =F1
560051, Phone: 080 2868680/2868121) that you may get about this
suicide through various sources (Tamil media and media from
Tamilnadu)

Here is a free translation from an article that appeared in the
Tamil Daily Newspaper 'Dina Thanthi' (Bangalore edition, Page 10)
on 4th October 2002

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

DEAD BODIES OF 2 YOUNG WOMEN FOUND IN SHAKTHI FOREST AREA

HOMOSEXUAL LOVE BECOMES THE REASON FOR SUICIDE

"We are not able to live apart from each other" from their last
letter

Satyamangalam, October 4th 2002 - Dead bodies of 2 young women
were found at the Satyamangalam forest area, Erode district. They
had committed suicide as they could not live apart from each
other and they had a homosexual love relationship. They wrote in
their heartbreaking letter that they couldn't live apart from
each other.

Dead bodies in the forest

Geethalakshmi 27yrs, daughter of Thangavel from
Kallipatti(Gopi)and Sumathi 26yrs, daughter of Palaniappan from
Korathoor(Chennai)have committed suicide in Toranapallam near
Bannari in Satyamangalam forest area, Erode district. Police
started investigating the case of these 2 unmarried young women,
who committed suicide. They came across the letters written by
these women and found the following details.

Homosexual love

Sumathi and Geethalakshmi were staying together at a Yoga Centre
in Coimbatore for the last 3 years. Their close friendship later
turned into homosexual love. They were not able to live away from
each other. They were postponing marriage, as they were not
interested in getting married to men.=A0

Exposed

They were thrown out of the Yoga Centre when people at the Yoga
Centre came to know about their homosexual love relationship. As
they had no other way, they had parted from each other and got
back to their respective houses from Coimbatore. But they were
unable to bear the parting.

She came to meet

Under these circumstances Sumathi had come from Chennai to see
Geethalakshmi in Kallipatti, (Gopi). Sumathi stayed with
Geethalakshmi for 10 days. Geethalakshmi's parents did not bother
about Sumathi's stay, as they Sumathi and Geethalakshmi were
close friends. Away from others, Sumathi and Geethalakshmi spoke
to each other.

Inseparable

We cant live apart from each other any more; our homosexual love
will not be accepted by the society. Not only that others have
come to know about our homosexual relationship. Even if we get
married we have to live separately from each other. Together they
discussed and decided to commit suicide. According to their
decision they bought soft drinks, sweets and poison. They wrote
letters to their parents about their sad decision. They also
wrote a letter to the Guru in Yoga centre.

Suicide

They went ahead with their decision by leaving their respective
houses on 28th last month, on the pretext of visiting the
Bannariamman Temple. They went to Toranapallam forest near
Bannari and committed suicide by consuming poison. People found
their dead bodies in the forest only after four days.

Heartbreaking letter

These two women in their letter had clearly written, "we are not
able to live apart from each other and that is why we have
arrived at this decision". Sumathi in her letter to her father
wrote the following:

"Don't separate us after death"

"Father, my brother and sister-in-law have been cheating you.
Please give them separate property and one shop. Both of us have
done a mistake. This society will not accept our relationship. We
cannot live apart from each other. That is why we took this
decision. Whether you bury us or burn us do not separate us from
each other".

Sumathi and Geethalakshmi together wrote a letter to the Guru in
the Yoga Centre stating "we did a mistake because of which you
threw us out. After coming out we thought and realized that we
committed a big mistake. We cannot survive in this society. That
is why we arrived at this decision. Please forgive us".=A0

Parents' grief

Sumathi's parents, sister-in-law S. Veda and relatives from
Chennai came to Satyamangalam Police station. Sumathi's sister-
in-law S. Veda is an ADMK councillor of Chennai City Corporation.
Sumathi's younger sister came from Yoga Centre to Satyamangalam,
saw Sumathi's body and was crying loudly. Geethalakshmi's
parents, relatives and many others came from Kallipatti (Gopi)
and were crying loudly after seeing both the dead bodies.

Last wish fulfilled

The dead bodies of both Sumathi and Geetha were handed over to
their parents after the post-mortem. As per their last wish,
their bodies were burnt together on the same pyre in the
Satyamangalam burial ground. These two women committing suicide
because of their Homosexual love has become a major issue for the
people in the Satyamangalam area.
_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

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.
\\|//\\|//\\|//\\|//\\|//\\|//\\|//\\|//\\|//\\|//|//\\|//|//\\|//|//\\|//|
--=20