[sacw] SACW | 30 Oct. 02

[Harsh Kapoor]

South Asia Citizens Wire | 30 October 2002

__________________________

#1. De-freezing Kashmir (Harsh Sethi)
#2. Pakistan: Confessions of a reluctant feminist (Asim Ghani)
#3. India: Invitation to discuss on Gujarat Genocide and the coming=20
Gujarat elections (3rd Nov, Baroda)
#4. India: Nation, Temple and Holy Penis Fatwa ...'No Orgasm while on=20
Pilgrimage only during riots'
#5. India: Saga of the Holy Cow in Secular India
#6. India: Can any good come of Hindutva? (editorial, The Economic Times)

__________________________

#1.

The Hindu
Wednesday, Oct 30, 2002
Opinion - Leader Page Articles =A0=A0=A0

De-freezing Kashmir

By Harsh Sethi

Central to any peace process is the need to establish confidence on=20
the ground... Steps are needed towards a reconciliation of the deeply=20
divided regions, religious and ethnic groups.

MANY WHO saw the recent elections in Jammu and Kashmir as=20
representing "a new window of opportunity" for cessation of violence=20
and, hopefully, a sustained process towards durable peace, had felt=20
let down by the continuing imbroglio over government formation. No=20
matter how we interpret the verdict =8B as a mandate against the=20
"misgovernance of the National Conference" and its record as a=20
"spoiler" or as a rejection of Pakistani intrusion and armed=20
militancy =8B even the non-participants admit to the electorate's=20
courage and yearning for change. It is this groundswell that might=20
fade away, possibly turn sullen and resentful, if our political class=20
continues to remain an obdurate prisoner of its selfish compulsions.

But even had we witnessed a speedy Congress-PDP coalition, clearly=20
the most desirable outcome, and not the unseemly wrangling over who=20
would occupy what chair, the road ahead would remain thorny. For a=20
start, despite the plethora of writing and analyses, there is little=20
clarity or consensus over what exactly constitutes the Kashmir=20
problem. The senior-most commentator on Kashmir, Balraj Puri,=20
continually reminds us that it is a mistake to treat Kashmir as our=20
own Muslim majority State. Such a formulation only foregrounds=20
religious identity and disregards the immense ethnic and linguistic=20
variety in the State, hiding the fact that the Kashmiri-speaking=20
Muslim too is a minority. To treat Kashmir as the unresolved business=20
of Partition, thus as a Muslim problem and go along with another=20
division would be a tragedy.

Equally disingenuous is to treat this problem as one created by=20
Pakistan, ostensibly under a (mis)apprehension that "Kashmir runs in=20
its blood", a mirroring of the favourite Indian formulation locating=20
Kashmir as an integral part of the Indian Union. Both these views=20
foreground territory over people and lock parties into non-negotiable=20
positions. Similarly, to treat Kashmir only as a failure of the=20
central Indian leadership to provide a fair and honourable rule is to=20
miss out on the inability of different strata and segments within the=20
State to amicably resolve their internal differences over the kind of=20
political dispensation they are willing to live under. It is not=20
insignificant that the residents of Ladakh, a region constituting=20
over two-thirds of the State, chafe under the rule of the Valley and=20
seem keen on opting out of a collective future.

Often, there is an insufficient appreciation that the problem,=20
howsoever defined, appears insurmountable both because many of the=20
key players have a vested interest in the status quo, even a=20
continuation of the conflict, but equally because an obsession with=20
end results (the demand for final settlement) creates inertia and=20
stops one from even embarking on the initial steps. Obversely, moves=20
without a road map of the process can easily turn counter-productive.=20
And this remains the greatest obstacle, that none of the parties to=20
the conflict even on the Indian side =8B the Union Government, the=20
major political parties in the state (NC, Congress, PDP, BJP), even=20
the separatist forces =8B has announced a Kashmir policy.

The divisions within the Union Government are too well known to merit=20
recounting. Given the strand which advocates a military solution, an=20
abrogation of Article 370 and a complete integration of the State=20
within the Union =8B all policies which have failed =8B this is hardly=20
surprising. Equally distressing is the standoff between the ruling=20
coalition and the principal Opposition party, indicating the absence=20
of a national consensus.

Even at the state level, barring the NC whose primary raison d'etre=20
was to somehow retain power, other combatants seemed trapped in a=20
syndrome best described as "security of defeat". Having not expected=20
to win, they had not thought about what they might do in the event of=20
victory. No wonder, other than the routine rhetoric of manifestos,=20
there is no plan in place.

Pakistan, of course, represents a bleaker picture. Not only is no=20
elected Government in place, any new constellation will have to=20
involve religious, hard-line parties, so far committed to continuing=20
the jehadi struggle. Neither the Army nor the ISI can be expected to=20
change track easily. And no one knows how strong or stable Pervez=20
Musharraf is in this volatile situation.

Nevertheless, post-9/11 and now the elections, the situation does=20
offer prospects for initiating a peace process. For a start, few=20
among the international community are willing to extend support to=20
the use of terrorist violence as state policy and pressure to rein in=20
the militants has grown on the Musharraf regime. Within Kashmir, the=20
main separatist force, the Hurriyat Conference, has eschewed the use=20
of violence and called for a step-by-step negotiation process, even=20
subduing its demand for bringing Pakistan on board in the first=20
instance.

There is, however, a quandary. The Indian Government looks to the=20
international community, in particular the U.S., to bring pressure on=20
the Musharraf regime as part of the international war on terror i.e.=20
treats terrorism as a multilateral issue, but reverts to the mantra=20
of bilateralism the moment the discussion is on Kashmir. Given the=20
experience of Palestine, Bosnia, Northern Ireland, and closer home,=20
Sri Lanka, this may well be short-sighted and may contribute to=20
giving out mixed signals.

Kashmir today represents a battered and brutalised society, one that=20
will demand immense courage and patience before it can experience a=20
sense of normality. There is a lot that civil society actors, not=20
political entities, can do, and in fact are doing, to not just=20
alleviate suffering but instil confidence in a populace that feels=20
neglected. More than the exposes of human rights excesses by security=20
forces, or even the many Track II and III initiatives that seek to=20
engage the many political actors, the work with widows and orphans,=20
restoring schools, involving children in creative work and so on=20
demonstrates that Indian civil society has not forgotten Kashmir. If=20
anything, compared to the Northeast, Kashmir has always excited=20
greater attention and passion.

This is important for another reason too. Not surprisingly, political=20
violence and its ramifications occupy a disproportionate share of our=20
imagination, as if this suffering is the only problem. And even here,=20
because media attention gravitates towards high-profile events and=20
actors, troubles elsewhere are relegated to a permanent backburner.

Nevertheless, the continuing armed conflict too demands attention.=20
And there is much that can be done by both the Union and State=20
Government (once in place) without waiting for a breakthrough with=20
Pakistan. Central to any peace process is the need to establish=20
confidence on the ground. Why not think of reviving the failed=20
ceasefire of 2000, this time without repeating many of the mistakes=20
of the past? Or decommissioning irregular forces, both the mujahideen=20
and the `renegades'? Of course, without demilitarisation and troop=20
withdrawal, police reform and a re-institution of the rule of law, no=20
lasting ceasefire is possible.

Steps are needed towards a reconciliation of the deeply divided=20
regions, religious and ethnic groups. We seem to have forgotten the=20
Kashmiri Pandits, stuck in camps and scattered all over. Are they=20
only a semiotic pawn in the many political battles. Is this not time=20
to take a fresh look at the many proposals/reports for internal=20
autonomy and devolution of powers. There is no dearth of proposals=20
for reconstruction, nor interest, both within the country and=20
outside. If only our political leaders are willing to step outside=20
their self-created cocoons, there is a world ready to be re-made.

______

#2.

The Daily Times (Lahore)
October 30, 2002

Confessions of a reluctant feminist

Asim Ghani

A newspaper letter-writer recently voiced alarm at the prospect of=20
Maulana Fazlur Rehman becoming prime minister. He said he=B9d emigrate=20
to Papua New Guinea if that happened. Since then there has been a=20
spate of similar letters. Qazi Hussain Ahmad=B9s statement last Sunday=20
that the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) would abolish co-education can=20
make you wonder if it=B9s really time to leave this country.
The most striking thing in Qazi=B9s speech, at an MMA =B3women=B9s=20
convention=B2 in Peshawar, is not so much this threat, as the fact that=20
he doesn=B9t know what he=B9s talking about. =B3We will set up separate=20
universities for girls,=B2 he declared; the same, needless to say, goes=20
for schools and colleges. He promised vocational training centres=20
exclusively for women. Qazi Hussain Ahmad must have worked out the=20
astronomical expenses involved, the planning, infrastructure and the=20
years and years of completion required, the female teaching staff=20
that would need to be found for segregated vocational and technical=20
training. It reminds me of a news item a few weeks ago, on a decision=20
in the NWFP, Qazi=B9s home province, to convert all government schools=20
into English-medium schools. And who will teach all the subjects in=20
English, as well as the language itself? Staff which will have=20
received six months=B9 training in Peshawar. For some reason that he=20
left unexplained, he wants the NWFP Governor=B9s House and Frontier=20
House, the chief minister=B9s residence, turned into educational=20
institutions; for girls and women, let=B9s assume, because of the high=20
walls of the buildings.
And that=B9s the leader of the Jama=B9at-e-Islami, Pakistan=B9s=20
best-organised political party. He=B9s vice president of the MMA, the=20
alliance whose important figures are claiming that the MMA=B9s=20
unforeseen success in the elections has given it a popular mandate to=20
rule Pakistan.
But something clearly slipped Qazi=B9s mind in the heat of the moment.
He pledged that women would have equal opportunities and =B3there will=20
be no job restrictions=B2 on them. (Thank goodness!) In addition, women=20
will be provided =B3a conducive atmosphere in which to work with=20
dignity.=B2 If you carry his philosophy on female education to its=20
logical conclusion, doesn=B9t it then follow that if women are to work=20
=B3with dignity,=B2 workplaces will be segregated too?
For women (indeed, for anyone) dignity is synonymous with equality =8B=20
complete equality, it should be emphasised here, since women=B9s status=20
and rights are under discussion. But in wide areas of the NWFP we saw=20
a different =B3dignity=B2 in action on Oct. 10. Women, including a large=20
number in the city of Peshawar itself, were strictly prohibited from=20
voting. In the tribal areas, draconian measures were threatened=20
against any male who dared help a woman go to a polling station. The=20
Jama=B9at leader, who immediately after the elections had sworn to=20
cover up the heads of =B3the daughters of the nation=B2, came up with a=20
tardy criticism of this; it was, he said in his speech, =B3wrong.=B2 How=20
many MMA legislators-elect in the NWFP kept their wives, daughters,=20
mothers and sisters from voting is an interesting moot point. The=20
=B3wrong=B2 happened to be the right thing for the MMA: we=B9ll never know=
=20
to what extent the absence of women voters contributed to its=20
electoral success. (This is to say nothing of allegations that the=20
MMA=B9s =B3vote bank=B2 was swollen by hundreds of thousands of Afghan=20
refugees who had illegally secured Pakistani national identity cards.)
=B3There will be no restrictions on women,=B2 Qazi went on, =B3but they=20
have to live in accordance with the teachings of Islam.=B2 Does this=20
mean men will be free not to follow the teachings of Islam?
The MMA will also end honour killings, which Qazi did condemn as=20
=B3un-Islamic.=B2 Meanwhile, laws will be passed to stop violence against=20
women and =B3sexual harassment of women.=B2 Is it not =B3sexual harassment=
=B2=20
when a woman is raped and then condemned to death for adultery?=20
Zafran Bibi, whose punishment of being stoned to death was overturned=20
by the Federal Shariat Court in June amid national and international=20
outrage, was not the only victim of Ziaul-Haq=B9s Zina and Hudood laws.=20
There are a number of rape victims in prison even now. But defending=20
Zia=B9s ultra-obscurantist legislations is an article of faith with=20
Pakistan=B9s religious right. Zafran=B9s case, the Meerawala gang rape=20
and the forced =B3marriages=B2 of eight girls in Abbakhel near Mianwali,=20
which again caused universal uproar, were met with virtual silence by=20
our clerics. (It doesn=B9t bear reminding that the annulled marriages=20
of the girls =8B two as young as three and five =8B had been duly=20
solemnised by a local maulvi.)
It was a little redundant for the Jama=B9at leader to give this=20
assurance to the thousands of burqa-clad women bussed to the=20
convention (whose =B3massive participation=B2 he flaunted as proof of=20
MMA=B9s popularity among women): that the MMA won=B9t force them to wear=20
the burqa. Nor would it carry out a Taliban-style crackdown on women.=20
Let=B9s skip the fact that he isn=B9t known to have uttered a word of=20
criticism of the Taliban=B9s hideous victimisation of women, that the=20
Jama=B9at and most other parties now in the MMA supported the militia=B9s=20
five-year long rule. Let=B9s recall the incident in which the Taliban=20
shaved the heads of Pakistani football players to punish them for=20
turning up in =B3immodest=B2 shorts for a match. Maulana Fazlur Rehman,=20
the prime ministerial hopeful who is the unanimous parliamentary=20
leader of all six components of the MMA (as the Qazi reminded the=20
convention), seemed to approve.
Again, since his audience were all in burqa, why did Qazi Hussain=20
Ahmad have to be behind a curtain? You see, even if he couldn=B9t see=20
the women, they could have seen him through their veils. But he=B9s one=20
of the most photographed Pakistani figures these days, and also=20
appears on television, so they can see his face anyway. It would be=20
silly to say to him, if you=B9re so punctilious about purdah, why don=B9t=20
you stay away from photographers and television?
Since the Jama=B9at leader appears to be an unlikely convert to the=20
idea of equal opportunities for women, here=B9s a shibboleth to test=20
his earnestness: Is one woman, or two women, equal to a male witness=20
in testimony?
I don=B9t know how my fellow-alarmists reacted to Qazi=B9s speech. I=20
laughed out loud =8B particularly at his addressing women from behind a=20
curtain.
Asim Ghani is a staff writer

_____

#3.

From: ramesh pimple
Subject: urgent invitation
Date: Tue, 29 Oct 2002 12:13:40 +0000 (GMT)
Sub: meeting on 3rd November at Baroda to discuss the
issue of Gujarat Genocide and the coming elections at
Gujarat.

Dear Friends and Comrades,
When Gujarat was in the grip of worst ever, mindless
communal violence and thousands were butchered,
killed, the whole society was sharply divided on
communal line, all the political parties were mute
spectators or maintained silence on this issue, the
handful social activist and human right activist gave
resistance to fascist forces whatever way it was
possible.
The issue of Gujarat Genocide is very much alive and
needs to be kept alive. Ruling political party BJP
wants this issue to be closed and Congress is
unwilling to take it up.
There is an urgent need to take this issue before the
masses of Gujarat and the country, the principles of
secularism, peace, democracy and tolerance must be
protected.
Many social Activists from Gujarat and elsewhere feel
that we must utilize coming Assembly election as an
opportunity to go to the masses with this message.
Though we believe that BJP must go but also it is
important that issue of Gujarat Genocide should not be
allowed to close down and mainly it must be kept alive
at political level and in new Gujarat Assembly also.
Therefore an urgent meeting has been called at Baroda
on 3rd November, 2002 at 10 a.m. at Sardar Bhavan,
Jubilee baug, Raopura, Baroda and you are requested
to attend this meeting and also inform other groups,
activists, forums, organizations, NGO=92s, cultural
activists, journalists, dalit, Adivasis, minority
activists to attend the meeting.
We are looking forward to have activists from all over
the country for the meeting, you please spread the
message across the country, though the notice is very
short but it is also very important to meet and
deliberate and draw the strategy. We are going to
discuss concept of People=92s candidate to put up in
Gujarat Assembly Elections in 4-5 constituencies with
or without support of the Congress.
We again appeal you all to attend the meeting and
extend the support and solidarity.
Regards,
Ramesh Pimple, Kirit Bhatt, Rohit Prajapati and many
others.
Contact: (0265) 412499
Mobile No. 9821109295

______

#4.

[ Nation, Temple and the Holy Penis: Male sexuality is very serious=20
business for the Hindu Right. ]

o o o

Rediff.com
October 29, 2002

Kerala shelves plan to distribute condoms at Sabrimala

D Jose in Thiruvananthapuram

The Kerala government has shelved its plan to distribute condoms to=20
potential transmitters of AIDS at the Sabarimala pilgrim centre,=20
leaving the hilly district of Pathanamthitta vulnerable to the=20
disease.

AIDS control agencies in the state are upset over the decision, which=20
was apparently taken under pressure from Hindu organisations.

The agencies had proposed the programme after it was found that AIDS=20
cases were on the rise in the district after every pilgrim season.

Six people are undergoing treatment for the disease at the General=20
Hospital. No authoritative studies are available on the AIDS scene in=20
the district, which incidentally produced the state's first AIDS=20
patient. But media reports said the cases are going up alarmingly.

The location of the pilgrim centre in the district is considered as=20
the major factor for the increase.

Besides, the district also has large number of migrants, who are=20
treated as high-risk category. The pilgrim season from November to=20
January brings large number of drivers, beggars and traders, who are=20
considered as other potential transmitters of AIDS.

The Kerala AIDS Control Society had proposed to distribute free=20
condoms to this category.

But many Hindu organisations viewed it as part of a conspiracy to=20
discredit the shrine.

The Ayyappa Seva Sangham, an organisation of the devotees of the=20
principal deity at the Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala, argues the=20
Sabarimala cannot pose any threat since women in their puberty age=20
are not allowed there.

"Majority of the pilgrims undertake the pilgrimage after observing=20
abstinence for 41 days. How can they imagine of indulging in any=20
sexual activity during or after the pilgrimage? We would not allow=20
anybody to insult them," Sangham vice-president Paramsivan Nair said.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other members of the Sangh Parivar also=20
echoed similar feelings and vowed to resist the move at any cost.=20
State Devaswom and Cultural Affairs Minister G Karthikeyan did not=20
wait for these organisations to unleash an agitation. He directed the=20
Devaswom management not to allow the distribution of the condoms in=20
the hill shrine.

Kerala AIDS Cell convenor Dr N Prasannakumar believes that these=20
organisations had opposed the programme out of misunderstanding. "We=20
had never proposed to distribute condoms to the pilgrims. We targeted=20
only the drivers, beggars and other high-risk categories. They pose=20
threat everywhere," he said.

Dr Prasannakumar told rediff.com that AIDS was a major threat in=20
pilgrim centres all over the world. "Authorities in most pilgrim=20
centres have already started taking preventive measures. The Kerala=20
government will have to take the situation seriously sooner or=20
later," he added.

Dr Abraham Mathew, director of the State Management Agency, the=20
project support unit of Kerala AIDS Control Society, said that it was=20
unfortunate that the government had shot down the proposal without=20
taking a scientific view of the situation.

He said that his agency would continue with the awareness programmes=20
at Sabarimala and other places in the district.

______

#5.

[All secular Groups in Delhi and in India must forcefully come out in=20
defence the Delhi Municipal authorities and force the all religious=20
operations to pay property tax. Dont let the Temple, Mosque, Church=20
etc get away with it. Please speak up citizens, tax payers .... and=20
defend the shrinking secular spaces in India . This a great=20
opportunity to campaign. Take it up. ]

o o o

The Hindu
Wednesday, Oct 30, 2002

Religious leaders oppose tax

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI OCT. 29. Religious leaders today strongly opposed the move=20
to impose property tax on places of worship like temple, mosque,=20
gurudwara and church arguing that they were engaged in social and=20
charitable services and were exempted from taxes including income tax.

This unanimous view of religious leaders was expressed at a meeting=20
convened by the Expert Committee on Property Tax for seeking their=20
views on the issue of imposition of house tax on properties belonging=20
to religious institutions.

Headed by K. Dharamarajan, the Committee argued the religious=20
structures should pay property tax as they impose a great pressure on=20
civic services provided by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. The=20
religious leaders argued that they were not getting services free as=20
they were paying for the water and electricity bills. "If you can pay=20
for these, then why not for disposal of garbage,'' was the argument=20
being put forth by the MCD.

Despite the vehement opposition of the religious leaders, Mr.=20
Dharamarajan was of the opinion that there was need to evolve some=20
kind of modalities so that religious structures share a part of the=20
financial burden they impose on MCD by exerting pressure on civic=20
services. Nearly two-dozen religious leaders from all the sects and=20
religions participated in the meeting that went on for about two=20
hours.

On the issue of providing services, the proposal of larger=20
institutions having high incomes paying a voluntary tax was also=20
considered. An alternative suggestion was the institutions themselves=20
could take up cleaning services outside the premises.

Many institutions said that they are already providing such services,=20
which could be further strengthened.

``We are doing service to society. We do not have any source of=20
income. How can we be expected to pay property tax.

The civic body should continue with the existing policy of exemption=20
on places of worship,'' said Father Charles from Catholic church.=20
Maha Mantra Das from ISKCON temple in South Delhi suggested that the=20
MCD could take the help of corporate bodies and other private=20
organisations who can sponsor the cleanliness of the religious places=20
instead of some advertisement rights to them.

______

#6.

The Economic Times
Tuesday, October 29, 2002
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/articleshow?artid=3D26694579

EDITORIAL
Can any good come of Hindutva?

TIMES NEWS NETWORK =A0[ WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2002 12:33:00 AM ]
Last month, Francis Fukuyama and Nadav Samin published an article,=20
'Can Any Good Come of Radical Islam?' (in the Wall Street Journal and=20
Commentary) arguing that the many versions of radical Islamism aren't=20
fundamentalist Islam, but adaptations of early-20th century European=20
ideology: Fascism, Nazism and Bolshevism.

This is an astute observation that has an uncanny fit with Hindutva,=20
propounded by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the parent of=20
the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The RSS, founded in 1925 and=20
consolidated through the 1930s, drew inspiration from the German=20
Nazis.

Through the 1990s, as the Congress drifted and other political=20
parties floundered, many Indians thought the BJP would become the=20
party of the future. They expected the BJP, led by Atal Bihari=20
Vajpayee, to morph into a mainstream conservative party, as the=20
compulsions of governing a large, diverse country like India diluted=20
its anti-minority, anti-liberal politics.

That never happened. Today, the BJP scurries around in a no-man's=20
land between hard Hindutva and mainstream conservatism.

So far, things seem to play exactly according to the Fukuyama-Samin=20
(F-S) script. Unfortunately, F-S don't stop by pointing out the=20
European roots of radical Islamism. They say that Nazism and=20
Bolshevism 'modernised' Germany and Russia and then take a leap of=20
faith to assert that radical Islamism might 'modernise' Islamic=20
nations. Really? Did Nazism and Bolshevism 'modernise' Germany and=20
Russia? Can Hindu extremism 'modernise' India?

Unfortunately, F-S haven't bothered to define 'modernisation'=20
precisely, so I have to help myself to a definition. In my book,=20
modernity is a combination of four things: liberalism (your freedom=20
of thought, belief and expression end where my nose begins),=20
democracy (every so often, everybody gets a chance to endorse or kick=20
out regimes), scientific temper (everything you say is subject to=20
testing, dogma be damned) and capitalism (a bad system for making=20
things, money and jobs for which no better alternative has been=20
found). Now ask yourself: do totalitarian regimes create modernity by=20
design or accident?

Germany was a capitalist nation by the late 1850s. By the late 19th=20
century, its educational system was the envy of the western world.=20
Around the same time, the first Reichstag came into being with=20
limited powers. Its powers fluctuated, but by the first decade of the=20
20th century, parliament was the most powerful political institution=20
in Germany.

By 1914 Germany was a 'modern' nation judged by contemporary European=20
standards. It didn't have to wait for the Nazis to become a modern=20
nation, it was already there by WW I, as 'modern' as it would be till=20
1989.

If you buy my definition of modernity, Russia is Germany's mirror=20
image. Its first brush with liberalism occurred during Gorbachev's=20
perestroika. Democracy came with the first multi-party presidential=20
election of 12 June, 1991. Capitalism was anathema to the Bolsheviks=20
and is barely a decade old.

The Bolsheviks even injected ideology into science: Lysenko, a faker,=20
became Stalin's scientific commissar and pushed Russia into famines=20
through his insane grain-breeding practices. Russia still has some=20
way to go before it becomes a truly modern nation.

Totalitarianism breeds decline and regress, not modernity. China's=20
half-baked capitalism rests on atrophied political institutions. When=20
Kim Jong Il says that the Juche Idea (whatever it is) has led North=20
Korea into a modern paradise, he's kidding nobody. We'd love to=20
believe the Taliban sowed the seeds of its own destruction, led to=20
war and the emergence of Hamid Karzai, who will manfully haul=20
Afghanistan into the modern age by its bootstraps.

Or that Saudi Arabia will go from extreme Wahhabism to become west=20
Asia's model democracy. Or that Narendra Modi, Praveen Togadia and L=20
K Advani will turn India into a modern, democratic superpower,=20
hugging liberal values to its chest.

You need to be smoking some serious stuff to take these scenarios=20
seriously. India's democratic structure, its scientific temper and=20
its liberal institutions survive despite assaults by the sangh=20
parivar to demolish them, not because the parivar is out to nurture=20
these things. That's why we need to be careful about glib theories=20
like the F-S thesis. As a piece of counter-intuitive writing, the F-S=20
thesis hits home.

But its conclusion "about the modernising power of totalitarian=20
regimes "is bunkum. I fear that when F-S talk about the 'modernising'=20
effect of totalitarian ideologies, some folks will take them=20
seriously and look the other way as the lights go off in our part of=20
the world.

____

#9.

Date: Mon, 28 Oct 2002 18:50:26 -0000
Subject: [indiathinkersnet] The saga of the Holy Cow
Reply-To: indiathinkersnet@yahoogroups.com

THE SAGA OF THE HOLY COW

The cow has no politics.But there is a class in India which thrive
on 'cow politics'. Having no other relevant issue take up,they
have picked on the poor old cow which knows nothing of this.
For in the name of the cow,5 Dalit boys were lynched to death
by the fascist Manuvaadis of Hindutva.The high priest of the
Vishwa Hindu Parishad held that the life of the cow was more
important than that of the Dalits.The martyrdom of the Dalits
at the hands of the 'gau-bhakts' led to the families of the
Dalit martyrs and 100 other families to abandon Hinduism and
convert to Buddhism.

Jayanti Natarajan MP,asked BP Singhal MP -BJP and brother of
Ashok Singhal of VHP whether he was not wearing leather shoes
during a TV debate.He was quick to skip the issue. The Manuvaadis
and the Hindu nationalists have no problem in wearing leather
shoes,belts,sit on leather seats,have daily pills with cow extract
coating,use pastes or creams that use cow bone powder and so on.
Publicly,these CEO's of Hindutva and their elitist supporters
lament the fate of gau-matha.They need the humble cow to
attack the Dalits and oppress the Minorities.

The Indian nation erred in having special and discriminatory
legislations for just one class of cattle and that too on religious
grounds.The law is anathema to secularism.How could killing
of one particular animal for food become a crime? That too
in nation where people die of hunger or are left to eat
rats and lizards.They have even had a 'National Commission
for Cattle' just like the "National Human Rights Commission'.
Why hasn't there been a 'National Commission for Pigs' or
other beasts? The anti-cow slaughter law was an appeasement
of a particular religion even as it denied the right of dietary
habits of the Indian citizen.

The anti-cow slaughter law has been a hammer to torture
the Muslims and the Dalits.In UP,where even the possession
of canned American beef may be culpable,the law has been
used to persecute the Muslims.Hindutva fascists would connive
with the colluding cops who would raid Muslim homes on
the ground that they had killed a cow.But when no body of
cow is found,they would book them for 'concealing or
destroying evidence'!!

The Hindutva fascists allege that it is the Muslims who always
kill the cow and consume it.Dr Jha did prove in his book
that the Hindus,including the vedic Hindus did consume beef.
Even today a large number of Hindus in many parts of India
consume large quantities of beef. The anti-Muslim slant
was always visible.The tanneries and leather industries
have been run by the Muslims.Hindutva forces used the pro-cow
sentiment to hinder their business.Cases where filed in
courts to close down these crucial industry under the garb
of pollution.This was despite the fact that these people
had no problem with throwing the bodies of the rotten
cows and half burned dead bodies of human beings in
the same Holy rivers.

Are the self-proclaimed gau-bhakts aware of the ground
realities where the cow has become the ruse for fodder
scams and illegal cow slaughter?Has anyone considered
how much torture the cows undergo in the hands of the
owners?

*Pregnancies are induced in cows for milk.
*Natural sex is denied and in vitro fertilisation with
videshi brands has become the rule.The cow
has come an artificial golden goose.
*The cows are fed with hormones to boost yield.
*The teats of cows are directly injected with chemicals
to induce larger milk flow.
*The horns of cows are destroyed through painful process.
*There is forceful separation of calfs,especially males from
the mother cow.
*There is male infanticide .
*The cows are let to feed on paper and plastic etc.
*Once the cow has aged,they are pushed into the streets
to perish.Many sell them to slaughterers for a quick buck.

The cow is certainly a useful and animal and so is the
buffalo which produces more milk or the goat the
milk of which is supposedly of better quality.The
bulls, incidentally are victims of eternal torture be they
in farms or pulling heavy loads.They have their noses
pierced with crude instruments and ropes are run
through them.Hot iron is applied to their backs ,supposedly
to discipline them ! They are whipped simply for the
sake of it and above all the bulls are denied their
natural longing for sex with cows.Thus we can see
that the love for cow is rather political and discriminatory,
even based on gender.

That the cow which contributes so much to the Indian
economy and the existence of poor peasants is a fact.
The kings of the ancient used religious sanction to
protect the economically important cows.They wanted
to prevent the killings of the cows at the time of
draughts too.Today we see thousands of cows and
other cattle perish in states like Rajasthan and Gujarat
at the time of draught.At the same time there is a big
racket making big bucks out of gau-shalas and fodder.

The leather industry in India is also quite important.
It provides employment to millions,especially those
from the lowest rungs of the social ladder.Otherwise
we would have to import the leather products from
abroad.The swadeshi-vaadis will have to wear videshi.
There has to be dead cows to have leather.It is better
to use the skins rather than allowing it to go waste.
Cows also have to be killed if there are out break of
epidemics as has been the case abroad.Today these
gau-mathas are being killed slowly due to disease and
pain,uncared for after a whole life of service.They
are not even entitled to mercy killing.

It is apparent that the gau-bhakt netas have no real
love left for the cow.It is nothing more than a gimmick.
They are promoting intolerance of people who have
alternate dietary habits.Religious fatwas should have
no place in secular nations.It is perfectly right to
enforce laws meant to regulate slaughter of animals
in hygienic and the most painless manner.But for the
state or the religious heads to dictate what to eat and
what not to eat is utter non-sense.

VD Savarkar,the father of modern Hindutva had a more
functional brain than many of his ideological offsprings
of today.They should listen to him who said ..
"The cow is just an animal. Do Gopalan (breed the cow)
and not Gopujan (do not worship the cow).".
His offsprings assert that the life of human beings are
inferior to that of the cow !

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