[sacw] SACW | 9 Jan. 03

Thu, 9 Jan 2003 02:52:29 +0100

South Asia Citizens Wire | 9 January 2003

CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY -- GUJARAT 2002: A report on the=20
investigations, findings and recommendations of the Concerned=20
Citizens' Tribunal
on http://www.sabrang.com.

FOREIGN EXCHANGE OF HATE- IDRF and the American Funding of Hindutva
A report on the US-based organization -- the India Development and=20
Relief Fund (IDRF), which has systematically funded Hindutva=20
operations in India.
http://www.mnet.fr/aiindex/2002/FEH/

__________________________

#1. Bangladesh: Journalist and human rights activist Shahriar Kabir,=20
released, another remains in detention
#2. Bangladeshi women bear brunt of misguided "fatwa" (Tabibul Islam)
#3. India - Pakistan: Sliding into nuclear abyss (Praful Bidwai)
#4. Book Announcement: Sri Lanka: The Arrogance of Power Myths,=20
Decadence and Murder by Rajan Hoole
#5. SAHMAT is organising the Preview of Kamal Haasan's latest film=20
Anbe Sivam (9 Jan., New Delhi)
#6. Greenpeace activists return Bhopal waste to company, 20 arrested
#7. The Mahabharata Complex of Hindutva (I.K.Shukla)
#8. India: Human Rights Organisations (CHRO) complaint to Kerala=20
Chief Minister on threat to well-known Writer, Paul Zacharia, from=20
followers of Mata Amrithanandamayi

__________________________

#1.

***NEWS FROM THE COMMITTEE TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS***

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

BANGLADESH: One journalist released; another remains in detention

New York, January 8, 2003-Journalist and human rights activist Shahriar
Kabir, who had been detained for one month on suspicion of conducting
"anti-state activities," was released yesterday.

However, another journalist, Saleem Samad, who was also accused of
conducting "anti-state activities," remains in custody despite a High Court
order to release him on bail. Samad was arrested on November 29 because of
his work with a documentary film crew for Britain's Channel 4 "Unreported
World" series. The filmmakers, who were also arrested in November and
subsequently deported, had interviewed Kabir. (See CPJ's January 6 protest
letter at www.cpj.org.)

Samad and Kabir have reportedly been tortured during their detentions.

"CPJ welcomes Shahriar Kabir's release, but we call on the government to
abide by the High Court's order and immediately release Saleem Samad," said
CPJ executive director Ann Cooper. "We also demand that the government
thoroughly investigate allegations of torture."

At about 5:00 p.m. on January 7, Kabir was released from jail in the
southern city of Chittagong following a High Court order declaring his
detention illegal. He returned last night to the capital, Dhaka.

The High Court has also ordered the release of Samad on bail, asking the
government to present evidence in court showing why Samad's detention shoul=
d
not be declared illegal. However, government authorities have ignored the
order and are keeping him in custody under the Special Powers Act, which
allows authorities to detain anyone suspected of anti-state activities for
up to 90 days without trial. A hearing is expected later this week.

Kabir, who was arrested on December 8, was also held under the Special
Powers Act.

CPJ is a New York-based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to
safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information about press
conditions in TK, visit www.cpj.org.

______

#2.

Inter Press Service

Bangladeshi women bear brunt of misguided "fatwa"

By Tabibul Islam

DHAKA , Jan 3 (IPS) It is not the first time that mullahs in a=20
far-flung village in Bangladesh have warned women against going out=20
to vote in upcoming elections, but critics say the latest such calls=20
show how hard it is to counter the issuance of misguided "fatwa" or=20
"religious edicts".

Some mullahs in Madargonj sub-district of Jamalpur district, about=20
200 km north of the capital Dhaka, have said that women who go to=20
public polling stations without a veil to vote would be violating=20
Islam.

The elections for the union council, lowest tier of the local bodies,=20
are to be held between Jan. 26 and Feb. 2.

But for decades, until last year's general polls, thousands of women=20
across this South Asian country have been unable to vote. About 30=20
percent of the 700 women voters completed primary education and can=20
read and write, but many are forced to remain inside their homes=20
during elections. In truth, Professor Nawab Ali, an authority on=20
Islamic law, says "fatwa" issued by mullahs or any other person are=20
not binding because the country is still governed by civil law. "No=20
one should indulge in issuing "fatwa" and bypassing civil laws in=20
force," he said.

The solution lies in using the law but also going beyond it,=20
activists say. Farida Akhter, a women's rights activist, said: "Only=20
the creation of awareness among women about their rights would save=20
them from the excesses of some mullahs and practices that support=20
them".

But changing deeply rooted practices is not easy, especially when it=20
comes to mullahs who enjoy the support and patronage of village=20
headmen and wield considerable influence in rural areas.

Take the case of Nazma, 24, who was flogged publicly following a=20
"fatwa" by a mullah in her village home in Comilla district, about=20
100 km north-east of Dhaka, in October. She was given 100 lashes in=20
front of her close relatives, neighbours and villagers for eloping=20
with her lover and marrying him.

Public lashings, though illegal, continue to happen, according to=20
rights campaigners who cite figures saying that up to 200 "fatwa"=20
prescribing lashings were issued by mullahs across the country from=20
1993 to 2000. These statistics were taken from newspaper reports,=20
which means the real figures could be higher.

Women were the victims of "fatwa" in 99 percent of the cases,=20
according to the Ain O Salish Kendra (Law and Arbitration Centre), a=20
human rights organisation in Dhaka.

Because of the issuance of "fatwa", at least 18 women committed=20
suicide in different parts of the country from 1993 to 2000, it added.

These suicides are murders, according to the centre. It said that=20
from 1993 to 2000, as many as 12 women went missing or had to leave=20
their villages following "fatwa" against them.

The law (barring "fatwa") failed to take its own course even in the=20
cases of direct killing that took place in the presence of hundreds=20
of people at several places,? the ASK report said.

The "khatib" or chief priest of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque,=20
Maulana Obaidu Haque, says that there are misconceptions of "fatwa",=20
an Arabic word that means decision or resolution.

"The purpose of "fatwa" is to explain the laws of "shariah" (Islamic=20
law)," he added. Therefore, he said, an Islamic scholar can pronounce=20
"fatwa" but none has the right to punish anyone. "Punishment can be=20
given only by a court, not the people who utter "fatwa"," he=20
maintained.

According to the Bangladesh Women's Council, 39 women were disgraced=20
by "fatwa" from January to October 2002. "The actual number of=20
repressed women and families will be much higher as most such=20
incidents occurring in remote areas are not reported," said a council=20
member.

Critics say some mullahs, especially those with inadequate knowledge=20
or training in Islamic jurisprudence, appear to be ignoring a January=20
2001 High Court judgement that outlawed the issuance of "fatwa".

In that landmark judgement, Justice Golam Rabbani and Justice Najmun=20
Ara Sultana "-the first woman high court judge in Bangladesh " ruled=20
that any "fatwa" by any unauthorised person is illegal. The judges=20
urged the national parliament to enact a law making issuance of=20
"fatwa" by unauthorised persons a punishable offence. However, no one=20
has been reported to have been penalised as yet for issuing "fatwa"=20
and ordering public whippings.

"The legal system of Bangladesh empowers only the courts to decide=20
all questions relating to legal opinion on Muslim and other laws in=20
force," the judges' verdict had said.

Salma Ali, executive director of the Bangladesh National Women=20
Lawyers Association, explains that the lower standing of women=20
accounts for their vulnerability to abuse in a patriarchal society.=20
Those in rural areas, often uneducated and poor, are also less likely=20
to challenge religious leaders.

More education and freeing them from poverty would shield women from=20
chauvinism and rights abuses resulting from religious practices, Ali=20
argues. But Mawlana Hasan, a Muslim cleric in Dhaka, argues that=20
"fatwa" is better able than the civil law system to respond to=20
society's ills, saying there are many corrupt politicians, officials=20
and police anyway.

"The procedure of civil law is cumbersome, time consuming and=20
expensive. The overwhelming majority of the poor people of this=20
country cannot expect to get justice from the present polluted legal=20
system," he argued.

In contrast, he said, "fatwa", which has the efficacy of rendering=20
instant justice, can respond to the needs of common people.

But a female advocate of the High Court pointed out: "The welfare and=20
legal matters of the people will be decided by the state law and not=20
through the "fatwa" as defined by inadequately educated mullahs." IPS

______

#3.

The News International
January 09, 2003

Sliding into nuclear abyss
Praful Bidwai

The more the rulers of countries like Pakistan and India emulate,=20
collaborate with, or strain to demonstrate their loyalty to,=20
hegemonic powers like the United States, the more they caricature=20
themselves-and mock at their own national interest. That is what=20
happened during the exchange of hostilities between Pakistani and US=20
troops in Southern Waziristan when Washington asserted its "right" of=20
"hot pursuit" in the "war against terrorism" and went on to bomb a=20
madrassa.

The US has once again shown just how disdainfully it treats its=20
allies. This is not the first time it has done this, least of all to=20
a state outside its core-alliance, NATO. America routinely treats=20
NATO members much like an emperor treats his vassals. Within an=20
alliance which is asymmetrical and demands unquestioning obedience=20
from the top, the minor allies are at best "consulted", or simply=20
told what to do.

For instance, there has never been a "dual trigger" on NATO's=20
weapons, one operated by the host member-state, and the other by the=20
US. Operationally, there has always been a single, unified, line of=20
command. Therefore, it's not for nothing that the UK, America's most=20
loyal ally, has been called its "Unsinkable Aircraft Carrier". The=20
latest report of a Pakistan-US deal on "hot pursuit", albeit to be=20
conducted "quietly", underscores the same asymmetry.

India may soon experience Pakistan's sense of hurt and humiliation=20
thanks to its two latest acts: signing away some of its sovereign=20
rights in Washington's favour, and doctrinally emulating the US. On=20
December 26, India signed a "bilateral" treaty with the US which=20
gives impunity to their citizens who may be wanted by multilateral=20
agencies or third countries for human rights offences including=20
genocide or crimes against humanity. By signing it, India has joined=20
the ranks of states like Gambia, Tajikistan, East Timor and Israel.

These bilateral pacts are worse than Status of Forces Agreements.=20
They are meant to sabotage the worthy global effort to bring into=20
force the International Criminal Court, to try crimes against=20
humanity. As of now, 139 states have signed the ICC's Rome Statute;=20
87 have ratified it. Notable exceptions are the US, China, India and=20
Pakistan. The US was originally a signatory, but "unsigned" the=20
Statute under Bush.

That isn't all. America blackmailed the UN into delaying the=20
functioning of the ICC and is asking a host of states to bypass the=20
Court altogether. That means that, say, if Henry Kissinger were to be=20
hauled up for war crimes while on a visit to India, New Delhi would=20
refuse to surrender him. This will work against the interests of=20
Indian (and American) citizens-as the Bhopal case shows.

The second example, of imitation, is worse. On January 4, India's=20
Cabinet Committee on Security offered a general commitment to=20
no-first-use (NFU) of nuclear weapons. But closely following the=20
December 2002 US "National Strategy to Combat Weapons of Mass=20
Destruction", it said India would use nuclear weapons in response to=20
"a major attack against India or Indian forces anywhere" made with=20
"biological or chemical weapons" too. This means killing lakhs of=20
non-combatant citizens in response to chemical or biological weapons=20
which kill on a smaller scale ie, a few hundred soldiers.

This further dents India's claim to nuclear "restraint" and=20
sobriety-even assuming that the embrace of horror weapons, and search=20
for "security" based on them, is compatible with "restraint". This is=20
part of New Delhi's further plan to "operationalise" its "nuclear=20
deterrent" by setting up a Nuclear Command Authority.

The NCA announcement validates this Column's assessment that India=20
and Pakistan are "hurtling towards inducting nuclear weapons into=20
their armed forces" and getting into a form of rivalry from which=20
they will find it hard to extricate themselves. The establishment of=20
India's NCA comes almost three years after Pakistan set up its own=20
command. The principal difference between the two NCAs pertains to=20
two items.

First, in India, authorisation for a nuclear strike is solely vested=20
with the civilian leadership, the Political Council, chaired by the=20
Prime Minister. The Executive Council, which is expected to have=20
military personnel and bureaucrats on it, will have a limited role:=20
eg, advise on security threats, etc.

In Pakistan, the military is unlikely to easily give up its=20
hitherto-unquestioned control over nuclear weapons and policy. In=20
February 2000, Islamabad announced that the NCA would be chaired by=20
the Head of Government. Then, the head was Chief Executive Musharraf.=20
Today, he is Prime Minister Jamali. But going by the NCA meeting last=20
Monday, which Jamali "attended", declaring Pakistan's nuclear weapons=20
to be in "good hands", he seems loath to assert his authority over=20
the NCA.

Exclusive control over nuclear weapons by the military poses a=20
problem: no military has the popular mandate to take a life-and-death=20
security decision, although civilian control doesn't guarantee=20
"responsible" decision-making-witness Hiroshima-Nagasaki.

The second difference is doctrinal. Pakistan has a nuclear=20
first-strike policy. India doesn't, but is under pressure to abandon=20
NFU. According to one report, the last National Security Advisory=20
Board-whose first avatar in 1999 produced the "Draft Nuclear=20
Doctrine"-had recommended that New Delhi rescind NFU. In practice, it=20
is unclear, given the lack of "strategic distance" between India and=20
Pakistan, if NFU will mean much once hostilities break out. The=20
temptation to retaliate the moment a strike is considered imminent=20
will be high. Differences notwithstanding, both India and Pakistan=20
face three similar problems in operationalising their "deterrents";=20
neither says how it proposes to resolve them. First, there is the=20
question of survivability of nuclear "assets", and, very important,=20
command structures. This problem is acute in a situation of=20
"decapitation" of military and political leaderships.

Second, and related to this, is succession within the command=20
authority and the ability of each state to install uninterruptible=20
communications channels between different levels of succession. The=20
general technological backwardness and accident- or=20
disaster-proneness of both societies will complicate matters here.

Third, India and Pakistan will inevitably have to move towards=20
demonstrating their capacity to inflict "unacceptable damage" upon=20
each other. This means they must be far more transparent in=20
projecting their capabilities: through deployment and high-alert=20
readiness to pull the trigger. This will impel both to escalate from=20
a state of "existential deterrence" to actual threats, backed by=20
battle-readiness.

Given the secrecy prevalent in the subcontinent's military=20
establishments, the absence of adequate testing of many sub-systems,=20
and lack of symmetrical perceptions of each other's specific=20
capacities, this could make for terrible strategic miscalculation and=20
panic reaction, greatly raising the chances of a pre-emptive or=20
launch-on-warning response.

The only way to contain these risks is to undertake Nuclear=20
Risk-Reduction Measures, discussed in this Column (July 4). But that=20
presumes a high degree of transparency and the will to negotiate.=20
That seems infeasible in today's situation, marked by the lowest=20
point in bilateral relations-lower even than in 1971.

This makes a Nuclear Armageddon likelier than before-unless India and=20
Pakistan urgently pull back from the brink. Kargil happened barely a=20
year after they overtly crossed the nuclear threshold. With their=20
NCAs and their ramshackle nuclear deterrents, the present situation=20
may be infinitely worse-to the collective peril of 1.3 billion South=20
Asians.

______

#4.

Sri Lanka: The Arrogance of Power Myths, Decadence and Murder by Rajan Hool=
e
2001; pp 504, $ 32.
Published by University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna), Sri Lanka.

Available from:
Suriya Book Shop,
SSA, 425/15, Thimbrigasaya Rd,
Colombo 5, Sri Lanka.

or

South Asia Books
P.O. Box 502
Columbia, MO 65205
USA
By e-mail: sabooks@s...

______

#5.

Dear Friends,

SAHMAT is organising the Preview of Kamal Haasan's latest film

Anbe Sivam

on January 9, 2003 at 6.30pm at the Siri Fort Auditorium II, Khel=20
Gaon Marg, New Delhi

The film has not been released commercially so far.

Screening would be followed by a discussion with Kamal Haasan. He=20
would also speak before the film.

Kamal Haasan is keen to get the feedback on the film especially from=20
the secular circle in Delhi.

I hope you can join us.

Shabnam

______

#6.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation
News Online
Wednesday, January 8, 2003. Posted: 09:48:58 (AEDT)

Greenpeace returns Bhopal waste to company, 20 arrested
Greenpeace says Dutch police have detained about 20 of its members as=20
they protested against US chemical firm Dow Chemical.
The environmental pressure group accuses the company of failing to=20
assist victims of the Bhopal disaster in India.
Dow Chemical took over the assets of Union Carbide, whose pesticide=20
plant in Bhopal was the cause of the world's biggest industrial=20
catastrophe.
About 3,000 people died and another 500,000 were seriously injured=20
when toxic gas leaked from the plant in December 1984.
Greenpeace says the death toll from persistent chemical poisoning in=20
Bhopal has now risen to 20,000.
The Greenpeace protesters deposited seven sealed drums containing 250=20
kilograms of toxic waste from Bhopal in front of Dow's largest=20
European operation, Dow Benelux, in the southern Dutch town of=20
Terneuzen, the environmental group said in a statement.
They also unfurled a banner demanding Dow Chemical clean up the=20
abandoned Bhopal site, which has been seriously contaminated since=20
the tragedy 18 years ago.
Among the arrested activists was Greenpeace's US executive director,=20
John Passacantando, as well as the leader of a victims' rights group=20
in Bhopal, the group said.
In a new report, Greenpeace says it has further evidence of severe=20
soil and water contamination around the Bhopal site.
It says the pollution includes BHC, "a mixture of toxic chemicals=20
that can damage the nervous system, liver and kidneys and which can=20
be passed from mother to child".
In November, the Bhopal Municipal Corporation said water in the area=20
around the factory, where some 20,000 people live, was not safe to=20
drink.
Dow Chemical was forced by a US court in November to release internal=20
Union Carbide documents showing the company cut crucial safety=20
features at Bhopal in order to save costs, British journal New=20
Scientist reports.
Union Carbide documents also showed that by 1989, the company=20
suspected that the surrounding grounds had been contaminated by=20
chemical by-products.
This was publicly confirmed by recent analyses, the journal said on Decembe=
r 4.
The umbrella victims group International Campaign for Justice in=20
Bhopal, which is supported by Greenpeace, wants Dow Chemical to=20
accept its liabilities in Bhopal, decontaminate the soil and provide=20
locals with clean drinking water, long-term medical care and full=20
compensation.

o o o

[SEE ALSO the below Information posted on the Greenpeace web site]

Dow refuses to clean up its mess or take back its waste
Company refuses return of Bhopal waste
=20
Tue 07 January 2003
NETHERLANDS/Terneuzen
Activists from the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal=20
wanted to give something back to Dow today: a few barrels of the=20
waste the chemical giant refuses to clean up. Dow's response: arrests=20
of over twenty activists.
Their crime: unloading four barrels of waste transported from India=20
aboard the Greenpeace ship "Arctic Sunrise" and delivering it to=20
Dow's largest chemical plant in Europe, near Terneuzen, the=20
Netherlands.
The poisonous waste is only a fraction of hundreds of tonnes that=20
have been strewn around the derelict pesticide plant in Bhopal since=20
1984 when Union Carbide, which is now owned by Dow, fled the city=20
after a gas leak at the plant killed 8,000 people and injured half a=20
million. No-one has accepted responsibility for the waste and the=20
chemical company still refuses to clean up the site. For 18 years,=20
chemicals have leaked into the soil and ground water in and around=20
the factory site and have been poisoning people who survived the gas=20
leak. Today, the death toll stands at 20,000 and is rising every day.=20
Children born to survivors are suffering health problems and 150,000=20
people are in urgent need of medical attention.
The Greenpeace activists included John Passacantando, Executive=20
Director of Greenpeace in the US and Rashida Bi, leader of the Bhopal=20
Gas Victim Women's Union. Three activists abseiled down the building=20
and hung eight huge photographs depicting Dow's corporate crime in=20
Bhopal and a banner which called on Dow to clean up Bhopal.
"We=B4ll carry on confronting Dow with this corporate crime until it=20
cleans up its toxic fallout in Bhopal and stops poisoning us. We're=20
already struggling to survive sickness from gas exposure without=20
adequate help from the company responsible, and are now facing a slow=20
death from exposure to these poisons. How can a corporation get away=20
with this?" asked Rashida Bi who travelled to the Netherlands to=20
return the waste.
A new report released by Greenpeace today presents further evidence=20
of severe contamination from chemical waste dumped at the plant.=20
Greenpeace scientists have identified numerous poisons in the waste,=20
including Sevin, the pesticide Union Carbide used to manufacture in=20
Bhopal, and BHC, a mixture of toxic chemicals that can damage the=20
nervous system, liver and kidneys and which can be passed from mother=20
to child in the womb.
"We will not let Dow bury this crime in India but will carry on=20
returning evidence to the company worldwide to confront it with its=20
responsibilities towards all those who are being poisoned because of=20
its failure to accept its pending liabilities in Bhopal. Corporations=20
like Dow benefit from a global market for the development of their=20
businesses but are not held globally accountable for their=20
operations. Until they are, crimes such as this will continue to be=20
committed and people and the environment will pay the price," said=20
Ganesh Nochur, campaigner from Greenpeace India onboard the 'Arctic=20
Sunrise'.
The International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal is calling on Dow to=20
accept its pending liabilities in Bhopal, to clean up the site,=20
provide people with clean drinking water, long-term medical care and=20
full compensation. It is also calling for international legislation=20
to be put in place to make sure companies, such as Dow, are held=20
responsible for pollution or accidents their operations cause,=20
wherever they occur.

BOX: All activists arrested were released by police at 5pm. They are=20
charged with disobeying police orders to leave the Dow headquarters.=20
The police have seized the waste barrels.

Act:
Tell Dow to clean up Bhopal rather than suing bhopal survivors!
http://act.greenpeace.org/ams/e?a=3DBhopal&s=3Dblue2

______

#6.

The Mahabharata Complex of Hindutva
I.K.Shukla

It is weird but true that prime criminals always quote Mahabharata=20
self-righteously in vindicating themselves and justifying their=20
crimes perpetrated ostensibly against someone or something evil. This=20
vileness, they defend, in common parlance, as Holy War or Dharma=20
Yuddha. It is this epic that has been mostly used in Hindu society as=20
a shield against indictment and denunciation of crime and criminals.=20
Swearing by it and religiously seeking sanctuary in it do the trick.=20
For brainwashing on such a mega scale Mahabharata takes the cake.

Before I delve deeper into the shenanigans that this epic sacralized=20
and made eternally venerable, let me advert to Vajpayee=92s recent glib=20
reference to the epic and his ugly glee over Gujarat ethnocide of=20
Muslims, calling it Vijaya Parva (The Victorious Phase). Sad to say,=20
either he never read the epic properly or he has appropriated the=20
miasma of the epic he so gloatingly chose to spread. In any case,=20
analysis and critical deconstruction have been anathema to the Sangh=20
creed in which he was bred and to which he is inured. This lack of=20
scholastic discipline stunts the mental growth that should=20
characterize adult maturity. Bereft of it, Vajpayees will remain ever=20
mired in delusion and purvey adharma, the dogma of deceit and=20
degeneracy, as dharma.

With ideological blinkers on, what Vajpayee and his tribe seek is a=20
"victory" like that in Mahabharata. That is, massive death and=20
immeasurable destruction in India as that in the epic. Only someone=20
obtuse in morals and dense in perception would desire such a victory,=20
would call such an ignoble and colossal defeat a victory, and mega=20
death and devastation culminating in the end of an epoch detailed in=20
the epic a desirable goal. Such ones are beyond the pale of reason,=20
sensibility, morality, and humanity.

In a perceptive study of the epic, titled YUGANT, Irawati Karve=20
rightly termed her critical appraisal as The End of an Epoch,=20
something in the nature of an apocalypse. Not only was death and=20
destruction detailed in the epic on a monstrously gigantic scale, the=20
killing field of Kurukshetra succeeded in writing finis to a=20
civilization too. And, the glossy captions like Mahaprasthanik Parva=20
failed to spare the sky which was smoke-choked from the pyres of=20
combatants or the wail of uncountable widows and mothers piercing the=20
horizon.

There was none left to enjoy the "victory". No one had won, there=20
were no victors, there were only victims at the end of the day, all=20
damaged and destroyed irredeemably, unfit for and bereft of any=20
semblance of human life. This indeed was some victory.

And it is such victory that the Hindu Taliban, headed by Vajpayees=20
and Advanis, are pledged to score =96on the dead heap of Indian=20
citizens whose forefathers contributed signally to the edifice of=20
Indian culture and Indian nation over a millennium. It is such a=20
cataclysm that the saffroNazi warlords threaten to engulf India in.=20
It is such an extensive and deep vista of desolation that the=20
HinduTaliban, consumed by their own treasonous past and inferiority=20
complex, would morph India in. All because, averse to secular=20
pluralism and democratic egalitarianism, they are, as inveterate and=20
anointed fascists, avowed enemies of modernity and freedom, civic=20
values, and human rights.

It is not fortuitous that the Hindu manqu=E9 predators hark back to=20
Mahabharata so frequently, so daringly. They have kinship with the=20
arch sophists and reprobate characters of the epic. And like them,=20
they are usurpers and destroyers, not authors and architects of a=20
civilization that the epic showcased. Like them they are cowards who=20
won by deceit and fraud, or fled from straight fight whenever such an=20
exigency confronted them. Like them they are unscrupulous, greedy,=20
bloody, and immoral. Like them they cover themselves with the fig=20
leaf of pomposity and pretensions. Like them, they all are permissive=20
and presumptuous. Like them, they all are hollow men.

Just as Yudhishthir, Bhim, and Arjun suddenly appeared from nowhere=20
to stake a claim to Hastinapur, at the instigation and with the=20
connivance of the protean pseudo-moralist Vidur, so did the RSS/BJP=20
with forbears, steeped in fascism and Nazism, at the farthest remove=20
from anything Indian in culture and history, and its vermin offspring=20
like Bajrang Dal, Durga Vahini, etc.

Vyasa, related to these abominable characters, as befitting a=20
partisan, twisted the truth and boldly decided to call white black,=20
black white. This ignominious creation, a masterpiece of=20
psychological coup de=92tat, in the manner of miasma, overwhelmed the=20
senses for ages to come. It was a feat unique and unprecedented in=20
the history of literature. It was a distorted and doctored history at=20
its dishonest best. Nothing rivaled or excelled it, in India or=20
elsewhere. Not on this scale, not with such ingenuity.

For a full recounting of the Pandavas=92 deceit and charlatanism,=20
Krishna=92s role as an abettor, Vidur=92s treachery, Kunti=92s collusion=20
and illicit liaison with Vidur, the full spectrum of the great and=20
grievous loss of Suyodhan and Sushasan, for the craven duplicity of=20
Yudhishthir not only in declaring Ashwatthama dead and thus rendering=20
his father Drona grief-stricken and vulnerable, but also with regard=20
to Draupadi, and for a startled look into the dark labyrinth of=20
intrigue and plots encompassing several cognate issues and events, I=20
urge the reader to read MAHABHARATER MAHARANYE, a Bengali monograph=20
on the epic by Smt. Pratibha Basu (Vikalp, 1 Bidhan Sarani/2nd Floor,=20
Kolkata-73; 1997), whose radical reconstruction of the epic, in a=20
bold new analysis, shines light on its dark tunnels and scathingly=20
hauls in the dock all the wrong-doers, big and small. Its English=20
translation is under preparation in Calcutta. Its Hindi version is=20
due soon in Delhi.

With her astute critical sense and panoptic vision, Basu dissects in=20
fine detail the rampant promiscuity, the fabricated myths to cover it=20
up, the unending series of bloody conspiracies, the rank criminality=20
of the putative high and mighty, the regimen of deceit and dishonesty=20
shamelessly and brazenly touted as dharma, and proves that it is, in=20
fact, not Bharat dynasty's history, but that of Satyavati and=20
Dwaipayana Vyas=92 dynasty. She avers, it is an opportunist's haven,=20
and there is nothing in it of dharma or adharma. Too, it is the last=20
revenge of the shrewd and dark sirens, the Anarya women on their Arya=20
seducers. This part of the book, in a coherent sequence, is as=20
revealing as it is really gripping.

To quote her: "The religious ones like Vidur and Yudhishthir, and the=20
viceroys of God, like Krishna, are surrounding us sizeably today too.=20
Duryodhan, by nature, is of a somewhat restrained and tolerant=20
nature, but everybody has come to regard him otherwise, thanks to the=20
magic of propaganda=85 In Bharat, where even today caste=20
discrimination is paramount, the difference between the high and low=20
caste is determined by the color of the skin, I see in this story of=20
the Kshatriyas the dominance of the dark ones everywhere, the total=20
degeneracy of the blue blood, and its eventual disappearance."

This story was originally named Jaya Kavya (Victory Poem) by Vyas, a=20
biased and complicit protagonist of the dark drama of immoral=20
usurpation. But it was, in deed and fact, Kshaya Kavya (Poetry of=20
Devastation), Vidhwans and Vinash Kavya (Poetry of Destruction and=20
Ruin). Vajpayees have chosen it, quite aptly, as their model of=20
victory, a victory drenched in blood, singed in fire, cluttered with=20
corpses. Nothing else is expected of fascists whether they wear black=20
caps like Vajpayees, or brown shirts like the Nazis, or black shirts=20
like Italian fascists.

Mahabharata is a cautionary tale, a mega tragedy of unimaginable=20
dimensions, of gory greed, rank dishonesty, crass immorality,=20
humongous hubris, and diabolical violence. So were the Third Reich=20
and Italy=92s Fasci del Combattimento. Before Hitler committed suicide=20
and Mussolini was shot dead each had consigned millions of innocents=20
to death in their wild pursuit of dominating the untermenschen.

If it was victory in the eyes of its alien masters, the HinduTaliban,=20
in their bid to enslave Indian citizens and rule over a regimented=20
hell, have learned from these mentors and models far more than just=20
very well. This is the well trodden path of "cultural nationalism"=20
which has historically presided over bonfires of millions of humans=20
before itself being turned to ashes =96 a terribly costly consummation=20
but eminently well deserved.

7Jan.03

______

#7.

Confederation of Human Rights Organisations (CHRO) complaint to=20
Kerala Chief Minister on threat to well-known Writer, Paul Zacharia,=20
from followers of Mata Amrithanandamayi.

January 08, 2003

To : Mr. A. K. Antony
Chief Minister of Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram

Dear Mr. Antony :

Sub.: Threat to Writer Paul Zacharia from followers of Mata Amrithanandamay=
i

We draw your attention to the threat wielded against Paul Zacharia,=20
well-known writer and journalist, by the followers of Matha=20
Amrithanandamayi. A campaign has been launched against him by the=20
inmates of Amrithapuri, the HQ of her operations in Kerala, through=20
their website :=20
http://amma.hindunet.org/amma-l/archives/1002/0067.html.

For example, initiating the hate campaign, one of the "Ashram"=20
inmates, Amritswarup, wrote in the website : "The venomous mind of=20
Zackaria has been pouring forth poison through his pen for quite some=20
time now. He has crossed the lines of all decency. It is high time to=20
respond to this evil minded writer befittingly. Amma's children=20
should spring to action now. He considers our silence as weakness.=20
We should not let this extremely wicked person harass our most=20
Beloved Amma who has offered Herself to the world. COME=20
ON.......LET US DO IT NOW....GATHER AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN...STOP=20
KEEPING QUIET TO THIS ADHARMIC PERSON..."

You can find in the website more such unholy messages from the holy=20
men and women of this holy place!

Not only Zacharia, but also people like Dr. K. N. Panicker,=20
Vice-Chancellor of Sanskrit University, and Ms. Kamala Surayya, whom=20
your Government bestowed the much prestigious Ezhuthachan Award on=20
January 01, 2003, are undergoing various threat perceptions in=20
Kerala, for adopting firm stands much to the dislike and chagrin of=20
Sangh Parivar. Please click the following link to read the article,=20
"A saffron offensive", by R. Krishnakumar in Frontline (Volume 19 -=20
Issue 24, November 23 - December 06, 2002) :=20
http://www.flonnet.com/fl1924/stories/20021206002504900.htm The=20
very introduction to the article says : "The Sangh Parivar's media=20
offensive against secular writers and intellectuals in Kerala=20
reflects the growing stridency and influence of communal voices=20
within the State."

Recently, as ardent devotees of Matha Amrithanandamayi, you and other=20
dignitaries like Union Minister O. Rajagopal, Senior Congress leader=20
K. Karunakaran, your Cabinet Member T. M. Jacob, etc., called upon=20
her to receive her blessings at Thiruvananthapuram on January 04,=20
2003. Since such a widely publicized high profile "holy" exercise=20
took place amidst the threatening hate campaign launched by her=20
devotees against Zacharia, we are aghast and concerned as to what=20
message it renders to the general public in Kerala.

However, we wish to remind you being Chief Minister of the State, as=20
well as the Minister controlling Home (police) portfolio, that it is=20
your Constitutional obligation to safeguard the life and property of=20
all citizens of the State. In the present instance of open threat=20
perceptions to Zacharia emanating from the followers of Matha=20
Amrithanandamayi and other powerful Hindutva forces, we urge you that=20
your personal devotion to her should not stand in the way of=20
executing your Constitutional obligations. Similar to your right to=20
remain as a devotee of Matha Amrithanadamayi, people like Zacharia=20
and others also have undeniable, undeterred and unfettered rights to=20
freely express as well as disseminate their views and opinions. May=20
we also remind that it is you who are duty bound to protect these=20
basic rights of all citizens?

We request you, as Chief Minister, to treat this issue with utmost=20
seriousness it calls for and to initiate stern urgent measures so as=20
to nip the ongoing Sangh Parivar schemes of Gujaratisation of Kerala=20
in its very bud.

Let future history not record that the steady process of=20
Gujaratisation of Kerala by Sangh Parivar was paved during your=20
present ruling period.

Awaiting all positive steps from you,

we remain
Mukundan C. Menon=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20
Secretary General (CHRO)

Dr. Abdul Salam
Secretary (CHRO)

Mukundan C. Menon
3, Rams' Cottage Ambalathumukku Pettah
Thiruvananthapuram-695 024 (Phone: 0471-476262)

_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

SACW is an informal, independent & non-profit citizens wire service run by
South Asia Citizens Web (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.
\\|//\\|//\\|//\\|//\\|//\\|//\\|//\\|//\\|//\\|//|//\\|//|//\\|//|//\\|//|