SACW | 12-13 April 2005
sacw
aiindex at mnet.fr
Tue Apr 12 16:23:59 PDT 2005
South Asia Citizens Wire | 12-13 April, 2005
[1] Nepal: Arrests, confiscations, threats - the
crackdown continues (RSF Press release)
[2] Bangladesh: Fanatics at it again (Editorial, The Daily Star)
[3] 'India, Pak must end hostility' (Report in The Tribune)
[4] India: A camera, a dargah, a temple, and
police terror (Chinmayee Manjunath)
[5] India: Fear returns to AP - open war between
the state and the Naxalites (Edit, Deccan Herald)
[6] India: In the name of Cow Protection -
Attacks on Minorities - Hindu Right in Karnataka
[7] India: Moral policing on the rise - reports from Hyderabad and Bombay
[8] Books and Book Reviews:
(i) 'Towards a Democratic Nepal by Mahendra Lawoti' (reviewed by Harsh Sethi)
(ii) 'Dr Ambedkar and Untouchability: Analysing
and Fighting Caste by Christophe Jaffrelot'
[9] Announcements:
(i) Conference: From the Colonial to the
Postcolonial: South Asia in Transition, 1937-1960
(Chicago April 15 - 16)
(ii) Words of Women - Zubaan and the India
Habitat Centre (New Delhi, April 8 and 18)
(iii) Rainbow Festival - people with alternative
sexual orientation (Calcutta, June 24-26)
--------------
[1]
Reporters without borders / Reporters Sans Frontières
5 rue Geoffroy Marie
75009 Paris
www.rsf.org
Press release
12 April 2005
NEPAL: ARRESTS, CONFISCATIONS, THREATS - THE CRACKDOWN CONTINUES
The crackdown on the Nepalese press that began
when a state of emergency was declared on 1
February is continuing, Reporters Without Borders
said today, citing new cases of arrests of
journalists and censorship of news media.
"The reasons given by the Nepalese authorities to
justify this crackdown on the news media are
completely unacceptable," the organization said.
"Press freedom poses absolutely no obstacle to
internal peace and security. On the contrary, it
is an essential element for a return to
democracy."
Reporters Without Borders said it nonetheless saw
a glimmer of hope in a new accord reached between
the Nepalese government and the Office of the UN
High Commissioner for Human rights allowing for
monitoring offices to be set up in Nepal with the
job of preventing the continuation of human
rights violations.
In a single day (8 April) in the eastern town of
Dharan, at least six journalists working for two
local daily newspapers, the Blast Times and the
Morning Post, were arrested while covering
protests by various political parties. Those
detained included Kesab Ghimire, Kishor Karki and
Bimal Sakaya.
Although released at the end of the day, they
were given strict orders not to write articles of
a political nature or report on that day's
pro-democracy demonstrations, and they were
warned of reprisals if they did not comply. The
authorities went on to seize that day's issues of
the two newspapers and forced staff to hand over
the keys to their offices.
There have been other, equally alarming cases
testifying to the desperate plight of press
freedom in Nepal. On 7 April, journalists were
banned from covering a debate on the state of
emergency and intellectual freedom organized by
the teachers' association at Padma Kanya College,
a leading women's university in Kathmandu.
Bheri FM news editor Kamalraj Regmi was meanwhile
transferred on 10 April to a prison in the
western district of Surkhet after being held in
the custody of the security forces for 12 days
under the state of emergency, also known as the
Peace and Security Act.
______
[2]
The Daily Star - April 12, 2005
Editorial
FANATICS AT IT AGAIN
The govt must take a firm stand
The Ahmaddiyas in Shyamnagar upazila of Satkhira
district have sought government protection in the
face of eviction threat issued by the
International Khatame Nabuat Movement (IKNM) --
an outfit campaigning for declaration of the
Ahmaddiya community as non-Muslim. The IKNM has
distributed leaflets asking them to leave the
place. This amounts to incitement of violence
against a community, and should therefore be
regarded as a culpable offence in the eye of law.
The local administration has assured the
Ahmaddiyas reeling under threats that necessary
steps would be taken to protect them. The
government can not view this as an ordinary law
and order situation, rather it should treat the
issue as one having a direct bearing on the
constitutional and legal rights of citizens to
pursue their faith. Clearly, the situation has
become complex enough with the followers of IKNM
and other like-minded parties being undeterred in
their mission against the Ahmaddiyas. This
degeneration has a lot to do with the placatory
attitude of the ruling coalition marked by their
imposition of the ban on Ahmaddiya publications.
That surely emboldened the bigots with a
persecution mentality. Then there was another
outrage over whether the members of the community
had the right to use the term mosque to describe
their place of prayer. The failure to be tough on
the elements seeking to strip the Ahmaddiyas of
their rights has created a situation where the
fanatic elements are renewing the same threats
against the community. The Shyamnagar situation
indicates that the vilification campaign has been
revived yet again.
The nearly 4,000 Ahmaddiyas in Shyamnagar are
reported to be passing their days amid great
uncertainty and a sense of insecurity. The
government will be well-advised to immediately
activate its law enforcing agencies and
neutralise the elements posing a threat peace. It
is a question of safeguarding the rights of a
section of people being relentlessly targeted by
a fanatic group.
______
[3]
The Tribune - April 10, 2005
'INDIA, PAK MUST END HOSTILITY'
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, April 9
Human rights activist and journalist Praful Bidwai said here today
that India and Pakistan needed to sit together and seriously discuss
the issue of demilitarisation for ending hostility.
Speaking at a seminar on 'Prospects of peace and security in South
Asia' in the context of arrival of India and Pakistan peace march
that reached here yesterday on its way from Delhi to Multan, at the
Ramgarhia College for Women here today, Mr Bidwai said, "India and
Pakistan stand at a historic crossroad, but they can end 58 years of
hostility and war and live peacefully by allowing free movement of
people".
He said, for this, it was not enough that there was improvement in
state-to-state relation and people-to-people contact or even discuss
Kashmir. "They must put the issue of demilitarisation and reduction
of forces and work towards nuclear disarmament", he asserted.
He said India had doubled its military spending since 1998 and
Pakistan has followed the same. Today India's defence budget stands
at Rs 1 lakh crore ($ 23 billion), including establishment cost and
pensions. Pakistan's declared military budget last year was Rs 200
billion ($ 4.5 billion). In reality, it probably was $6.8 billion
and is expected to rise by 25 per cent plus. Both countries spent
more on military than on health or education. Both have their foot
pressed on a nuclear accelerator. Unless this change is brought
about there can be no durable and sustainable peace between them,"
he said.
Dr Sandeep Pandey, who is leading the padyatra, said during the
march till date, we have met scores of people and exchanged ideas of
peace and brotherhood with them in person. People of both the
countries are longing for peace. This desire of the people has to be
developed into a strong movement so as to force the governments take
further effective measures, particularly for the nuclear disarmament
of the region."
Dr L.S. Chawla, president of the Indian Doctors for Peace and
Development (IDPD), said no country could benefit from nuclear
weapons.
Other dignitaries present on the occasion included Mr Dewan Jagdish
Chander, Mr Ranjodh Singh, Dr Balbir Shah, Dr R.P.S. Aulukh, Mr
Tejinder Mohi, Dr Daler Singh, Dr Gurpreet Ratan, Mr D.P. Maur, Ms
Gurcharan Kochar, Mr Vijay Kumar, Mr Amrit Pal, Mr Sohan Singh, Mr
Kuldeep Binder, Mr Ramadhar Singh.
Earlier, in the day, the march went to Punjab Agricultural
University after passing through main bazaars of the city. A welcome
function was organised by the PAU employees union and the PAU
Students Association (PAUSA) in which over 300 persons participated.
This was addressed by Mr Praful Bidwal, Dr Sandeep Pandey, Dr L.S.
Chawla, Dr R.P.S. Aulakh, Mr D.P. Maur, Mr Sarwan Singh, president,
PAUSA Ms Gurcharan Kochar, Mr Tejinder Singh Mohi, Ms Kusum Lata, Dr
Gulzar Pandher. Large number of schoolchildren also participated in
the function.
A play on Indo-Pak relations, directed by Prof Sompal of Doraha, was
also staged
______
[4]
Tehelka, April 16, 2005
A CAMERA, A DARGAH, A TEMPLE, AND POLICE TERROR
Right to record: Why was a filmmaker hounded by the police at Bababudangiri?
Chinmayee Manjunath
Bangalore
This was what the police asked S. Vijayakumara, a
filmmaker, and Charitha, a researcher, at the Urs
last month in Bababudangiri, 30 km outside of
Chikamagalur. The two were detained overnight and
threatened for having ?dared to attend a Muslim
festival?. A dargah and temple stand at this site
and have been a communal flash point in recent
years, triggered by the rss/vhp.
Vijayakumara has been filming at Bababudangiri
for four years and is associated with Pedestrian
Pictures, a Bangalore-based media activist group.
Charitha is studying at Mysore University. They
arrived at Bababudangiri on March 26 this year,
when the Urs started. ?From day one, there were
unhealthy vibes,? says Vijayakumara. While press
photographers were left alone, he was followed
and questioned because he filmed the police
removing the chadars from the shrine. Both of
them were being constantly watched by the police.
On March 27, at around 10 pm, Vijayakumara was
approached by two plainclothes policemen who said
that Charitha was waiting for him at the police
station. ?I got worried about her and went,? he
said. Charitha had been questioned earlier while
she was taking a walk.
Both of them were then jailed separately and
interrogated. ?It was terror tactics. Where are
you from, why are you here, again and again??
said Vijayakumara. Charitha was told, ?Women who
walk alone like you cannot be respected. Why are
you here without your family?? They were not
allowed to speak with one another or call their
friends or family.
Eventually, Superintendent of Police (Rural) hd
Kulkarni came in from Chikamagalur and took on a
harsher tone. ?They used foul language against me
and the Muslim community,? says Vijayakumara.
Charitha was asked what her relationship was with
him. By about 1am, they were moved to
Chikamagalur. When Vijayakumara wanted to use the
phone, he was told to ?shut up before we kick
you?. Circle Inspector Kashi asked, ?Why don?t
you just make a film on Hindu gods??
The questioning continued into the night and by
the time they were released, it was 11am on March
28. Their confiscated cameras and mobile phones
were returned; but the police had checked all the
dialled telephone numbers and questioned them
about it. Kulkarni told Vijayakumara, ?We will
leave that girl but you will not be spared.?
Though complaints have been lodged with the
deputy commissioner of police, Chikamagalur, no
action has been taken. Neither has a reason been
given for their detention. It is ironic that at
Bababudangiri, known as a historic symbol of
peace and secularism, the knowledge of another
religion is banned and the right to freedom is
muzzled so brazenly.
______
[5]
Deccan Herald - April 12, 2005
Second Edit
FEAR RETURNS TO AP
IT IS OPEN WAR BETWEEN THE STATE GOVERNMENT AND THE NAXALITES IN ANDHRA PRADESH
Once again, it is war between the state and the
Naxalites in Andhra Pradesh. The brief interlude
of peace, initiated as a fulfilment of its
election promise by the new Congress government
from May to December 2004 that led to peace talks
in October last, has been shattered. The
possibility of resuming the peace dialogue is
getting remoter by the day as each side regresses
into its earlier ways of violence and
counter-violence. The state once again is
resorting to encounters and has eliminated
important leaders and cadres of the CPI (Maoist)
in the last four months. The Maoists on their
part have been going after "soft targets" killing
the so-called informers, local politicians,
setting Road Transport Corporation buses on fire
and targeting lower rung policemen. In this kind
of war between the state and armed rebels, those
who suffer the most are the people caught in the
crossfire.
The two sides should make all efforts to resume
the peace dialogue that ended after the first
round in October, 2004. The government's
insistence that Maoists should renounce arms
before coming to the negotiating table seems to
be an excuse for not resuming the dialogue. The
allegations against Maoists that they "misused"
the peace period to strengthen themselves smacks
of naivete, to say the least. The cynics might as
well see a quid pro quo arrangement in Maoists
indirectly supporting the Congress during
elections and the new Congress government looking
the other way as Maoists went on a "fund raising"
spree, for about six months from May 2004. As
Maoists became more brazen and careless and their
couriers fell in the police net with several
lakhs of rupees in cash, the state, egged on by
the police department, turned hostile towards the
Maoists.
The Andhra Pradesh government should bear in mind
that the alienation of the people, their
suffering and overall setting back of the
development clock are too high a price to pay.
The peace process may be slow, frustratingly so,
but it is a better option than the rough and
ready methods that are counter-productive and
damage the social fabric.
______
[6]
Deccan Herald, March 17, 2005
STRIPPING INCIDENT: DK CONG PANEL FLAYS SANGH PARIVAR
The Karnataka Komu Souharda Vedike in Udupi will hold a protest on March 19.
Mangalore, DHNS:
The Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee
has strongly flayed Sangh Parivar members for
stripping naked two persons belonging to a
minority community and assaulting them
mercilessly for allegedly transporting cattle at
Malpe police station limits on Sunday night.
The assault on an aged person and his son was a
shame on the democratic system, the Committee
said and flayed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
(RSS), Vishwa Hindu Parishat (VHP) and Bajrang
Dal for attack on the minorities. Alleging that
the police too were indirectly involved in the
incident, the Committee has called upon all the
people to ban all the Sangh Parivar associations.
The Committee also submitted a memorandum to the
deputy commissioner in this regard.
The delegation comprised Mayor Purandaradas
Kuloor, Deputy Mayor Sujatha Ahalya, former mayor
Krishnappa Mendon, District Congress Vice
President Ivan D'Souza, Ibrahim Kodijal,
Kalavathi, Padmanabha Amin, Sarala Karkera, Appi,
Ashraf and Farooq among others.
Assns flay incident
Meanwhile, DYFI, Samastha Karnataka Sunni
Students' Federation (SKSSF) and Karavali
Janajagrutha Okkuta (KJO) in separate press
releases have flayed the incident. They have
compared the heinous incident to that of
American/British soldiers' torture on Iraq
soldiers. All the three organisations have
threatened to launch agitations if the police did
not take immediate action and stop such inhumane
incidents.
Protest on March 19
The Karnataka Komu Souharda Vedike in Udupi has
demanded Superintendent of Police S Murugan and
DySP U R Pangam's suspension over the Sunday's
incident.
In a press meet, Vedike President Rama Diwana
said a protest has been organised on March 19 in
Udupi and many State-level progressive thinkers,
writers, poets will take part in the protest. Few
of the people who are likely to participate in
the protest include Murugarajendra Math
(Chitradurga) seer, Sri Revannasiddeshwara Math
(Dharwad) seer Basavaraja Devaru, Sanath Kumar
Belagali, K L Ashok, Kalkuli Vittal Hegde, K M
Sharief and Annar Sadath among others.
A certain Hajabba was transporting a calf in a
Omni van when the accused Kantha Poojary stopped
him, took Hajabba to a nearby field and assaulted
him. When Hajabba did not return home till late
in the night, his son Hasanabba went on searching
his father when he found his father being beaten
up by a group of people at Moodabettu. When he
went to rescue his father, he too was beaten up.
The incident created furore not only in the
coastal districts but also in the assembly. Both
the persons are recovering in the hospital.
[7] [MORAL POLICING IN HYDERABAD AND BOMBAY]
The Telegraph
April 11, 2005
Moral police prowl Hyderabad parks
G.S. Radhakrishna
Look over your shoulder
Hyderabad, April 10: Lovebirds beware! A band of
about 100 men will be on the prowl in Hyderabad's
parks, scanning the greens for students looking
for a moment of precious intimacy.
The Federation of Culture Upgradation and Social
Services (Focuss) was launched yesterday to wage
a campaign against kissing and petting in public
places, especially parks.
Mohsin, a 55-year-old ex-serviceman who is the
honorary secretary, said they would pick out
"errant" teenagers in school uniform and counsel
them.
B. Ramesh Kumar, a member who retired from the
state police force five years ago, said a survey
has found that it is mostly schoolchildren
between 13 and 16 who go to parks looking for
private space.
Such youngsters are often blackmailed and abused
by local thugs who catch them getting physical,
he added. "More than six out of 10 cases of young
girls running away from homes is due to such
acts."
Focuss chose Ugadi, the Telugu New Year's Day
today, to launch its campaign, distributing
pamphlets in parks, cinema halls, temples and
community centres.
It also plans to offer guidance to victims of
blackmail. "We will observe confidentiality and
work under the umbrella of the police, if needed,
to nab the culprits," said Purushottam Rao,
another member and a former postmaster.
Mohsin proposes to open branches in other cities
in the state to counsel young victims of
harassment. But, he added: "For enlisting our
support, they should vow not to do such acts in
public."
Focuss has drawn up a charter which prescribes
that every member should oppose display of
affection between the sexes in public.
"Members should accost men and women who dress
indecently or misbehave in public," added
Purushottam Rao.
The charter says:
- Kissing and petting in public should be discouraged
- A campaign should be waged against indecent
dressing in schools and colleges, by teachers too
- Protest should be made against screening of
adult movies in public places, outside cinema
halls
- Drive should be launched against wild parties in hotels
- Campaign should be run against "wild rituals"
and women-only pujas in some ashrams and temples
The outfit's members - most of them retired men
who meet on morning and evening walks - have
planned to break up into teams that will patrol
about 10-12 parks to start with. They will be
armed with identity cards and are also planning
to get a stamp of approval from the police.
Law-keepers generally welcomed the moral police,
only wondering whether they would be effective.
A senior officer was sceptical. "Everybody
preaches morals. One has to see whether Focuss is
really for social good or just a club of some
dirty old men who want to spoil the pleasures of
the young," he said.
The city police have launched a major offensive
against dance bars that have opened in the city
over the past two years. "This used to be a
nawabi passion.Š But dancing girls are now
available for Rs 100 in bars and, outside the
city, in dhabas," said police commissioner Dinesh
Reddy .
Women's organisations, which have been running a
campaign against dance bars, have also not warmed
to Focuss.
The problem should be solved at the root, they
say, and suggest allowing boys and girls to meet
freely in schools. P. Sandhya, a prominent member
of AP Mahila Samakhya, said if teenagers are
allowed to interact with the opposite sex in
schools, they will not head to parks and there
will be no need for moral police.
o o o o
Mid Day - March 31, 2005
Police State
By: A Mid Day Correspondent
Mumbai's eight commandments
Don't dance!
If you go to a dance bar, you will damage the
cultural texture of the state, says the home
minister. Pray, what is the cultural texture of
the state? If the home minister can answer that,
the bar owners will be only too happy not to
damage it.
Don't read!
What you can read is no longer up to you - there
are plenty of organisations for just that kind of
thing, you see. And it seems they're not big fans
of The Da Vinci Code, Midnight's Children or
James Laine's book on Shivaji.
They broadly believe you are not fit to decide
what to read and that the 'wrong' books could
warp your mind. Whew, thank God for them!
Don't play!
The Shiv Sena has decided that you must never be
able to experience the excitement of an
India-Pakistan match at the Wankhede.
If you dare challenge their wisdom, expect to wake up to
more stories of dug-up pitches.
It's the price of exercising your Constitutional right, you see.
Don't cuddle!
Hey, what's that hand of yours up to? Make sure
it's nothing more than a quick hug or the cop on
the corner (who must have a thousand more
important things to do) will pounce on you
gleefully, drag you to the nearest police station
and book you for indecent behaviour.
Don't watch!
Change the channel, avert your eyes, it's a
disgusting show of skin! A wet saree scene is
unnatural, EVERYONE knows that.
Why even educated, learned people like college
professors (not to mention community
organisations) believe this sort of thing should
not be televised. If you're the kind of weirdo
who wants to watch it anyway, stay put on the
sofa till midnight, when curfew is lifted.
Don't celebrate!
If you want to do something silly like show your
girlfriend you love her, make sure it's not with
teddy bears and red roses on Valentine's Day.
Don't you know Western culture is depraved? God
forbid it corrupts your pure Indian heart.
Don't look!
We obviously don't have enough moral policing, it
seems, because the railways, of all
organisations, has decided to do their bit.
Underwear, they said, is too dirty a word for
your fragile mind, and went on a rampage when
such ads sprung up on billboards.
Their latest stunt is blackening Udita Goswami's
bare back in Zeher posters. We still don't know
how censorship fits into their job description.
Don't wear!
Many Mumbai colleges have long had bans on
sleeveless shirts, short skirts and anything else
that's on their list of things
that are 'against Indian culture'.
Culture police feast on your freedom
Self-appointed moral guardians could kill city's liberal tradition
The next time you hear a story about faraway
Afghanistan and shake your head in disbelief at
its citizens' oppression and lack of freedom,
take a step back and peer out into your own
backyard.
These days just about everybody - colleges, the
police, community organizations and even the
railways - wants to decide what you can see,
hear, wear, do and say. It may not be long before
Mumbai loses its spirit, vitality and above all
openness to these self-ordained culture cops, all
of whom are armed with the usual sanctimonious
justifications.
Take Pratibha Nathani, for instance. This St
Xavier's College professor makes regular rounds
of police stations to check the broadcast of
anything with a hint of sex and violence. She
says, "I am appalled at the sex and violence on
TV. These can have a disastrous effect on
impressionable minds.
There were suicides after Dhananjoy Chatterjee's
hanging in Kolkata, and rapes and murders
elsewhere. I think this is all the effect of
television. I am not deciding what society can or
can't watch. I am merely concerned that our laws
to curb sex and violence on television are not
being implemented."
The police, self-appointed sworn enemies of
smitten couples everywhere, have their own take
on the matter. Sanjay Surve, assistant police
inspector at Bandra police station, says, "It's
not a question of where lovers should sit. It is
about their safety.
They can sit wherever they want - Bandstand,
Carter Road or Bandra-Worli sea link. Our main
aim in restricting them from sitting at these
places after 8 pm is to protect them from the
risk of being mugged, robbed or even killed."
Even what you can watch and read is no longer in
your hands - these decisions are taken by
community organisations. Angry protests, street
marches and appeals to the government greet the
release of every book that is deemed even mildly
controversial.
Johnson Therattil, president of the Kerala
Catholic Association, opposed the movie Sins and
Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. "The story of the
Da Vinci Code ridicules the bible and does not
have any historical background. It affects
people's beliefs the illiterate people can get
carried away.
In a country like India, where so many religions
co-exist, restraint is necessary. If such things
are allowed to continue, it will destroy our rich
culture. Today, we love our family. But such
influences will slowly lead to the breakdown of
our joint family system."
Even the Shiv Sena has a similar explanation
for... you guessed it, Valentine's Day. Their
justification? "Valentine's Day is not our day,
as there is no mention of it in our calendars. It
is just a marketing gimmick.
People are not so enthusiastic about rakhi, then
why are they about V-Day? Moreover, why should
students spend so much when they don't earn? We
don't want to encourage it as it is a
Westernisation of our culture," says the Sena's
Pramod Navalkar.
How can they take such a blatantly dictatorial decision?
Bar owners, girls upset over decision
Danish Khan
______
[8]
[BOOK REVIEWS]
(i)
Economic and Political Weekly, April 9, 2005
Book Review
Nepal in Crisis
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Towards a Democratic Nepal: Inclusive Political
Institutions for a Multicultural Society
by Mahendra Lawoti;
Sage Publications,
Delhi, 2005;
pp 345, Rs 395.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Harsh Sethi
It is not often that books get released at
opportune times. True, Nepal's experience with a
decade and a half of multiparty parliamentary
democracy has rarely been smooth. Nevertheless,
with the country once again under emergency rule,
reminiscent of the earlier dismissal of the
Koirala government by the present king's father,
Mahendra Lawoti's book should enjoy an avid
readership. Further, more than the fact of an
assertive and ambitious ruler exercising
extra-constitutional power, hardly an uncommon
occurrence in fledgling third world democracies,
Nepal has for some years been trapped in a near
civil war situation, with Maoist insurgents in
control of large swathes of the countryside. How
the country will negotiate these troubled times
is thus a matter of great concern, not only for
its people but also the region.
For those interested in Nepal, Mahendra Lawoti is
no unfamiliar name. Alongside many of his
colleagues - Lok Raj Baral, Krishna Khanal,
Krishna Bhattachan, and the younger Krishna
Hachhethu - he has consistently drawn attention
to the structural and ideational anamolies in the
Nepalese situation, in particular the remarkable
degree of exclusion of the vast majority of
Nepal's population - itself a mosaic of many
castes, ethnicities, languages and regions - from
any effective participation in the country's
political and economic governance. That the
erstwhile autocratic regime of the Ranas was
oligarchic, concentrating all power in a few
clans and families, is not surprising. Nor is the
reluctance of various monarchs - from Tribuvan to
Gyanendra - to open out spaces for participation.
More intriguing, and troubling, for the
democratic future of Nepal has been the singular
inability of the various political parties - of
all ideological shades - to make both themselves
and the polity more inclusive. When a few upper
caste hill groups exercise hegemony over all
institutions - legislative, executive, judicial -
as also control most civil society organisations,
a drift towards violent, extra-parliamentarism is
to be expected. Mahendra Lawoti's book lays out
the problem of exclusion and its consequences in
all its complexity - political and cultural - in
different domains.
For a start, there are weaknesses in
the constitutional design. Despite formal
recognition of Nepal as a multicultural,
multi-religions and multilingual society with
people seen as the ultimate source of power and
legitimacy, not only does the constitution permit
unnecessary leeway to the monarch, often elevated
to the status of an incarnation of Lord Vishnu,
there is insistence on one religion (Hindu) and
one language (Nepali). Lawoti is, like many
others exercised with the problems of inclusion
and exclusion, very critical of
the first-past-the-post Westminster style
parliamentary electoral system which invariably
marginalises smaller groups. His discussion of
different systems of proportional representation,
decentralisation, and vigorous affirmative action
programmes, including reservation, need careful
and sympathetic engagement if Nepal is to emerge
out of its current crisis and institute just,
equitable and legitimate representative rule.
This is crucial since many external analysts,
even those not advancing cultural arguments for
the weakness of Nepali democracy, tend to
foreground an assertive monarchy as the source of
Nepal's troubles. There is undoubtedly a problem
with the space accorded to monarchy, as an
activist monarch like Gyanendra has shown. But as
Lawoti demonstrates, ethnic/religious/cultural
violence has occurred more frequently after 1990
(post the institution of multiparty democracy)
than before. This may today have been
overshadowed by the threat of Maoist insurgency,
and hence has received less attention, but the
threat exists nonetheless.
In the absence of accommodative institutions and
practices, dissent (made easier under democracy)
is seen as a 'law and order' problem and thus
sought to be quelled by force - thereby further
sharpening the conflict. Lawoti does not even
rule out the possibility of secession.
Maoists' Initial Appeal
Lawoti's analysis of the Maoist movement needs to
be read in the context of a unitary state,
exclusionary institutions, and fragile
parliamentary norms and practices. Significantly,
he does not dismiss the Maoists as 'terrorists',
despite expressing little sympathy with their
means, tracing their initial appeal and
subsequent growth and consolidation, particularly
amongst 'excluded' social segments to the failure
of the political system and formal actors. What,
however, he fails to address are the
specificities of the current context. The Maoists
in Nepal, like any significant social force, do
not reflect textbook teleology. They are armed,
control large parts of the country, and have
forged international links, including with left
wing militants in India. They are also, like any
large movement, divided in factions and
tendencies, each advancing somewhat different
political projects. Since this book is singularly
reminiscent in its treatment of regional and
international actors - the Indian state,
left wing groups in India, the ISI of
Pakistan and the US - it would be hazardous to
assume that if only Nepal somehow crafted a more
inclusive institutional design, there is the
likelihood of a peaceful future.
Nevertheless, Mahendra Lawoti's discussion of
various institutional arrangements - to be put
into place through a constituent assembly -
federalism, formation of new regions,
non-territorial federalism, sub-autonomy within
autonomy, minority rights, a powerful upper house
of nationalities, and a shift to a proportional
electoral system drawing upon the work of Will
Kymilca and Arend Lijphart and the latter's
theory of consociationalism - deserve serious
scrutiny. Clearly, if and once the dust settles,
political actors in Nepal have to imagine a
differently constituted state. Lawoti's book
provides useful inputs.
A final caveat. Social science sets great store
by design. What analysts and theorists
insufficiently appreciate is the time and space
needed for institutions to gather roots, evolve
norms and conventions for healthy practice. In
south Asia, India was lucky in its early years -
partly because of the character and legacy of its
'national movement' and partly because many of
the leaders got the time and space to make their
distinctive contributions. Most of us fail to
appreciate the importance of restraint in public
affairs. Hopefully, the future Nepal, in its
tryst with democracy will not forget the lessons
from its past.
(ii)
Christophe Jaffrelot
DR AMBEDKAR AND UNTOUCHABILITY
Analysing and Fighting Caste
Hardback / 206ppp / ISBN 81-7824-125-0 / Rs
495.00 / South Asia rights / Copublished with
Columbia University Press and C.Hurst & Co, London
'Š a work of the first importance [which] will
find a wide and appreciative readership, both
within the academy and outside it. It is a
subtle, thoughtful and above all well-rounded
study which nicely balances the personal and the
historical, the intellectual and the political,
to give us what we haven't had so far (and yet so
badly need)-a multidimensional portrait of this
extraordinary and under-appreciated
figure.'-Ramachandra Guha
'Ša very valuable addition to the literature.
Jaffrelot's viewpoint is both fresh and very
knowledgeable. He brings a political scientist's
expertise to Ambedkar's actions which is not
duplicated in other work. In addition he
considers Ambedkar's thought in an evolutionary
perspective, keeping in mind the constant of his
pragmatism.'-Eleanor Zelliot
B.R. Ambedkar (1891-1956) was the first Dalit or
low-caste Hindu to be formally educated to the
highest level, gaining his PhD in the West.
Despite this huge achievement he remained true to
his background and origins, fighting for Dalit
rights throughout his life. No one today doubts
Ambedkar's status as India's first and foremost
Dalit.
For years, Ambedkar waged a singular and lonely
battle against India's brahminical and
higher-caste political establishment, which
included Mahatma Gandhi, who resisted Ambedkar's
effort to formalize and codify a separate
identity for lower-caste Hindus.
Nonetheless, Ambedkar became Law Minister in the
first government of independent India, and
chairman of the committee which drafted the
Indian constitution, and was able to modify
Gandhian attempts to influence India's polity.
In the final stage of his life Ambedkar distanced
himself from politics and sought solace in
Buddhism, to which he converted a short while
before his death.
Jaffrelot's major new book focuses on the three
key areas that are central to a full
understanding of India's pioneering Dalit:
Ambedkar as social theorist; Ambedkar as
statesman and politician; and Ambedkar as an
opponent of caste Hinduism and advocate of
Buddhism as a method of release from Hindu social
oppression.
In each case, Jaffrelot argues, Ambedkar was the
first to forge new political, symbolic, and
emotively powerful strategies for Dalits. These
not only proved effective in Ambedkar's own
lifetime, they resonate powerfully even today.
CHRISTOPHE JAFFRELOT is director of CERI (Centre
d'Etudes et Recherches Internationales) at
Sciences Po in Paris. His books include The Hindu
Nationalist Movement and Indian Politics (1996)
and India's Silent Revolution: The Rise of the
Low Castes in North Indian Politics (2003).
______
[9] [Announcements: ]
(i) [Conference]
The University of Chicago Department of History,
the Modern South Asia Project, the
Committee on Southern Asian Studies, the South
Asia Center, and the Nicholson Center
for British Studies present:
"From the Colonial to the Postcolonial: South Asia in Transition, 1937-1960"
April 15 and April 16, 2005
9 am - 6 pm
The Franke Institute for the Humanities
The University of Chicago
1100 East 57th Street
Chicago, Illinois 60637
The aim of this conference will be to examine the confluence, in the wake of
decolonization, of global and national influences in the reconfiguration of
South Asian societies and polities. The participants will include a range of
distinguished and up-and-coming scholars from North America, the United
Kingdom, South Asia and Australia. They approach the issue of decolonization
in different but mutually reinforcing ways, through constitutionalism,
sports, regionalisms, housing, gender, minority issues, and class formation.
The published volume of papers from the conference will be dedicated to the
memory of Professor Bernard Cohn, who had a sustained interest in the
history of decolonization in the subcontinent.
o o o o
(ii)
Zubaan and the India Habitat Centre will be
continuing its programme of conversations with
women writers, Words of Women
This month we have two writers, Manjushree Thapa
on Friday 8th of April and Arupa Patangia Kalita
on Thursday, 28th of April. Urvashi Butalia and
Mitra Phukan will be in conversation with the two
writers respectively. Manjushree Thapa is the
author of the recently, well received Forget
Kathmandu: An Elegy for Democracy and her widely
acclaimed novel The Tutor of History. Her other
published works include a travelogue, Mustang
Bhot in Fragments, and translations of Nepali
literature. Her essays and short stories have
appeared in several anthologies, journals and
magazines in Nepal, India and USA. Arupa Patangia
Kalita is one of Assam's leading award-winning
novelists. She has more than ten novels and short
story collections to her credit including
Mriganabhi (1987) and Millenniumar Sapon (2002).
Started last year, this programme, entitled Words
of Women, has so far featured Mahashweta Devi,
Indira Goswami, Githa Hariharan, Mridula Garg,
Manjula Padmanabhan, Mrinal Pande, Mitra Phukan,
Kamila Shamsie, Kunzang Choden, Bulbul Sharma,
Manju Dalmia, C.S. Lakshmi (Ambai), Namita
Gokhale, Paro Anand, Shauna Singh Baldwin,
Shobhaa De and we hope to include many more other
women writers in the months to come
We'd be delighted to welcome you to this discussion. The venue is Casurina
at the Habitat Centre, Lodi Road at 7 pm.20
The programme usually lasts just over an hour.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Jaya Bhattacharji
For ZUBAAN
Zubaan,
K-92, FF,
Hauz Khas Enclave,20
New Delhi - 110016
Email: zubaanwbooks at vsnl.net
o o o o o
(iii)
THE RAINBOW FESTIVAL
24th to 26trh JUNE 2005
KOLKATA,
INDIA
Commemorating Stonewall Riots Day, June 1969
The Beginning of the Gay Liberation Movement
A venture by INTEGRATION Society, Kolkata, India
Dear Friends,
Hereís wishing all of you success and joy, encompassed
in the vibrant colors of the Rainbow!
Colors connote the Rainbow, which affords all of us
happiness and joy; where we are different and yet
together.
About INTEGRATION Society . . .
INTEGRATION Society, Kolkata has been working as a
Communication Initiative on Health and Human Rights
for the Youth and Sexual Minorities since 1999, it has
taken up quite a few events that have given the issues
of alternative sexuality quite a public visibility.
Especially, The Rainbow Festival, the only Gay Pride
of India happening in Kolkata since 1999, has made a
remarkable space in the media and among the public.
'Visibility' being the prime objective INTEGRATION
Society picks up events that are not only media
sensational but also with strong voices and
recommendations. From audio play to short film, from
poster presentation to art and craft exhibition all
had been executed by INTEGRATION Society, Kolkata
since the beginning of its journey.
About THE RAINBOW FESTIVAL
Among all the activities what Integration Society has
earned a space for in India, is organizing THE RAINBOW
FESTIVAL, the most impact-making event concerning
people with alternative sexual orientation and gender
Identity.Ý This is to commemorate the Stonewall Riots
Day, June 26, 1969, the red lettered day in the
history of the social movement of gay liberation.
Today, in India, with a different set of developmental
and rights issues to grapple with, more than 100
groups, over last few decades have been showing
admirable and encouraging efforts in running the
socio-political movement of people with alternative
sexuality and gender identity towards achieving a
healthy and safe lifestyle and space. But it is still
not enough to do away with all kinds of
discrimination, stigma, taboo and harassment that LGBT
people face in this country. Not enough to ensure
equal space and dignity for every individual
irrespective of their class, cast, language, religion,
sexual preferences and so on.
How we Celebrate THE RAINBOW FESTIVAL . . .
INTEGRATION Society as an initiator organizing this
Pride walk since 1999 in Kolkata. A great concept
coming from Mr. Owais Khan in 1999 naming it as
'FRIENDSHIP WALK' has gradually evolved in to a
festival and became popular asÝ 'THE RAINBOW
FESTIVAL', has achieved an increasing popularity over
these years. By 2004, the city had seen the greater
gathering around the Rainbow Festival and felt the
presence of LGBT communities throughout India raising
a chorus for their rights To Love And To Be Loved.
Organisations Like Companions On A Journey from
Shrilanka, Naz Foundation from Delhi, Fellowship From
Orissa, Amtie, Bandhan, DMSC, PLUS, Prataya, SAATHII,
Swikriti from Kolkata and so many individuals from
various parts of the world coming together we were
about 300 friends that matched steps with each other
and sang chorus for equality and dignity. For the
cultural events mainstream performing art groups like
Sapphire Creations, OnStage, X-Pose and quite a few
talented individuals with their solo performances have
expressed support and solidarity to this greater cause
in different years.
The last time was remarkable not only in terms of the
number of participants, also looking at the variety,
including some lesbian friends showing up for the
first time, it gained a real feeling of togetherness.
The mainstream, the women groups, other developmental
initiatives, Kolkata Police and the media increasingly
have come around supporting this mega event.
Needless to mention that it is always YOUR
contribution that brought all the success to THE
RAINBOW FESTIVAL. In a country like India, in a
society like ours, sexuality still being dumped under
the carpet, YOU, from that very society standing up
beside us is undoubtedly deserve a great salute.
This year, the effort is to increase the periphery of
partners in this venture by encouraging more
organisations and individuals, be them community, be
them mainstream to match steps with us and share the
joy and happiness of being together. The idea is to
create a stage to embrace and celebrate diverse,
disjointed and different sexualities - where you can
meet, interact, speak, explore, discover your true
self and breathe life without the constraints of
morality, tradition, rationality or political
correctness. Most importantly, this is to create a
space that is for all and it is all about life and
desire.
Inviting YOU at THE RAINBOW FESTIVAL 2005 . . .
Hence, we INVITE YOU and YOUR FRIENDS to come and
participate at THE RAINBOW FESTIVAL 2005 with all
possible capacity and strengthen the visibility and
the voice of equality and dignity for US.
This year, June 26th being Sunday, we would like to
hold the Pride Walk on the morning of 26th June 2005
along with some cultural event around that.
This year it will be three days long Festive Weekend
from 24th June 2005 to 26th June 2005 having various
cultural events. We will be keeping you informed about
the details of the entire festival as it gets
finalized.
We welcome all the Friends who had been there with us
in the past and friends who could not be with us on
those great moments togetherness and joy are also
welcome this time. So friends KEEP GETTING REDDY! We
sincerely hope to see more new faces with us!!
Unfortunately, INTEGRATION Society not being a funded
organization we regret for our limitations in handling
any kind of reimbursement for the participants. We
would consider your participation in this festival on
your own cost, a great contribution to the cause that
contributes towards the larger GLBT movement of India.
YOU become Part of THE RAINBOW FESTIVAL 2005 . . .
Let us come together and join hands. Not to create
conflicts, not to move away from tradition, not to
create divisions; but to break through all possible
barriers between people. This, to interpret life from
a new, inspiring perspective, to make this great event
even bigger success this year, we really need all of
you to come forward and lend your hands in various
ways.
To you all who are in a position to contribute to this
great event in other ways, INTEGRATION Society looks
up to you for your support. To ensure better
participation and to increase the scope of the
programme the budget of the festival for this year
will increase up to Rupees Two Lakhs (Rs. 2,00,000/-).
Whether you are an organization or an individual,
funding or sponsoring any particular or partial
expense of the budget will be considered as a great
contribution from your side.
YOU can help us by . . .
- Forwarding this Announcement/Invitation
Mail to your friends for better spread of words all
over
- Join us here in Kolkata during THE
RAINBOW FESTIVAL 2005
- Fund or Sponsor any particular or partial
expense of the festival
- Volunteer with you capacity and talents
to make this festival a better success
Any amount is welcome in cheque/draft/money order
payable to :
PALM AVENUE INTEGRATION SOCIETY
And to be posted to :
RAFIQUEL HAQUE DOWJAH
84 Jhawtalla Road, Flat No.2
Kolkata 700 017, India
For any clarification you may call at : 91-9339029922
Or mail at : integrationsociety at yahoo.co.in
Needing Your Best Wishes & Early Response
With Solidarity
RAFIQUEL HAQUE DOWJAH
Secretary, INTEGRATION Society, Kolkata, India
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Love and Let People Love Their Way . . .
_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
Buzz on the perils of fundamentalist politics, on
matters of peace and democratisation in South
Asia. SACW is an independent & non-profit
citizens wire service run since 1998 by South
Asia Citizens Web: www.sacw.net/
SACW archive is available at: bridget.jatol.com/pipermail/sacw_insaf.net/
Sister initiatives :
South Asia Counter Information Project : snipurl.com/sacip
South Asians Against Nukes: www.s-asians-against-nukes.org
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