Awaaz - South Asia Watch News |
||
| News and information provided in conjunction with South Asia Citizens Wire and other sources Wednesday, November 12, 2003Posted by: Awaaz / 11/12/2003 06:04:30 PMALL INDIA DEMOCRATIC WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION 121, Vithalbhai Patel House, Rafi Marg, New Delhi- 110001 [India] tel no. 23710476, 23319566 Press Release Oct. 22, 2003 The All India Democratic Women's Association condemns the trivialisation and sensationalisation of the issue of rape at the BJP Bhopal election rally addressed by the Prime Minister. It is perhaps for the first time in the history of our country that a Prime Minister gives public sanction to such low political standards that damage struggles against sexual assault against women and promote public cynicism. The increasing violence against women is most definitely an issue that political parties must address but to exhibit a victim of rape to win votes as was done at the rally is to mock at the efforts of women's organizations to bring anti-rape struggles on to the political agenda. AIDWA along with other women's organizations has always supported rape victims who speak out against sexual violence against them and have provided public platforms for them in their struggles for justice. But the BJP's efforts to manipulate the issue and exploit the woman concerned for electoral purposes is made clear by the fact that they have not lifted a finger to help the woman they paraded. Her complaint of rape made in 1994 was rejected by the court who convicted the criminals for the murder of her husband while exonerating them of the charge of rape. Since it knew of the case why did not the BJP appeal against the court decision and help the woman in her struggle for justice all these years ? Women demand a public apology from the BJP . Brinda Karat (General Secretary) ENDS. Frontline, October 25 - November, 07, 2003 CINEMA Ayodhya, a picture of diversity T.K. RAJALAKSHMI Two documentaries made by Vidya Bhushan Rawat lead the viewer to a surprising tranquillity within Ayodhya, which has a rich diversity of religious denominations and a long history of their peaceful coexistence. AYODHYA is more or less synonysmous with strife and an unresolved issue in the context of the events of December 1992, when kar sevaks brought down the Babri Masjid. However, what is striking is that despite all these years of communal polarisation, particularly around Ram Janmabhoomi, there seems to be a strange tranquillity within the town and among its people, exemplified in the rich diversity of religions and history of their harmonious coexistence over centuries. The place by itself evokes no hostility - if anything, there is remorse among those who may have partaken in bringing down the Babri Masjid - and the people are emphatic that the problem is not religion, but a specific brand of politics. In fact, why should religion be a problem for the people of Ayodhya, asks Vidya Bhushan Rawat, an independent film-maker and social activist, who has recently completed two documentary films on the rich variety of religious denominations that exist there. What is left unsaid is an uncomfortable fact and this is what Rawat does very revealingly. Through the lens of his camera, he digs out that which is invisible to the public; he shows that people are fed up with the continuous sense of tension in the town each time the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) decides to launch a nationwide campaign on the issue of constructing a Ram temple or each time the Bharatiya Janata Party decides to make the temple an issue. The two documentaries, which have less in terms of narrative and more in terms of content and information, were completed recently, after over one and a half years of research. Titled Ayodhya Se Maghar Tak: Ayodhya Ki Sanskritik Viraasat (From Ayodhya till Maghar: Ayodhya's Cultural Heritage) and Viraasat Ki Jung (The Struggle to Define a Legitimate Heritage), the films detail the innumerable Sufi shrines, which, unknown to many, have coexisted for centuries with Buddhist, Sikh and Jain shrines. It is not a treatise on the religiosity of the place but more an exposition on the history of coexistence among the people of Ayodhya. The problem, as Usha Gupta, one of the persons interviewed, says, "has come from outside", referring to political interference. The Sufi shrines are well maintained by the people and are visited by persons belonging to all communities, including many people from the majority community. Ayodhya is also called "Khurd Mecca" or the "Small Mecca" because of the presence of several tombs or dargahs of Sufi saints. Dargah Naugazi, an impressive grave 18 yards (16.2 metres) long, named after a pir (saint) called Nuh Aleihi Salaam, is located in a narrow lane. Interestingly, Nuh is believed to be Noah and the grave the famous Ark. Another interpretation is that the mound perhaps was built over the remains of the Ark. The shrine, visited by scores of devotees, has no independent custodian. Ram Milan, a devotee who makes an offering every day, says that for him the dargah is no less than a temple. He experiences a lot of mental peace when he visits the dargah. Ram Milan, like most of Ayodhya's residents, is not interested in the background of the pir. And like the rest, he is not the kind who would willingly desecrate a place of worship. The films are not about the beliefs of people. However, they reiterate that intolerance among the people is not a natural trait but the outcome of a consciously cultivated process. For instance, the Dargah of Sayyed Mohammad Ibrahim, named after a 17th century figure, was fiercely protected by the local people, including several Hindus, when its dome was attacked in December 1992. Sayyed Mohammad Ibrahim is believed to have been born during the reign of the Mughal emperor Shah Jehan and ruled a small principality. Influenced by Sufi teachings, he renounced his worldly pursuits. According to local legend, he arrived in a boat, pictures of which are depicted on his shrine. A large number of Hindu halwais, or confectioners, from the Hanumangarhi area visit the shrine every Tuesday and makes offerings and distribute prasad. The Teen Darvesh dargah, whose dome was also targeted by bigots in December 1992 after the demolition of the Babri Masjid, is near Naugazi. No one knows the identity of the three saints buried there but it has a large following coming from all communities. The most notable after Naugazi is the dargah of Sheesh Paigambar. Considered one of the holiest shrines in the town, some people believe the saint to be the son of Adam. There is a spot called the Ganesh Kund, on the southern side of the grave, where devotees take a dip. There appears to be no contradiction of faiths here. In fact, there are several features that are seen as protests against religious orthodoxies including patriarchy. For instance, the dargah of Badi Bua located at a railway crossing between Ayodhya and Faizabad, is one of the few dargahs of women in the area. Badi Bua was the sister of Hazrat Khwaja Nasiruddin Chiragh Dehli, the spiritual successor of the Hazrat Khwaja Nizammudin Auliya, the Chisti Sufi of Delhi. Legend has it that she was a strikingly beautiful woman, who chose to serve God by serving the poor. She faced a lot of opposition from the clergy, to which she is supposed to have declared famously: Na Aalim Rahega, Na Zalim (There shall be no place for either the cleric or the oppressor). Badi Bua's shrine is revered by one and all. THE film-maker has tried to bring out the contrasts in the prevalent ethos of Ayodhya. In Viraasat Ki Jung, while in one scene people are shown praying at the Ram Ghat in the calm waters of the Sarayu at the break of dawn, there is another, of the Trishul Deeksha ceremony of Pravin Togadia held in Delhi. Maghar, where the poet-saint Kabir is said to have spent his last days, is 150 km from Ayodhya. It is said that the Brahmins of Ayodhya persuaded Kabir to turn to Kashi, where he could attain moksha. Instead, he went to Maghar, which, it was believed, would turn a person into a donkey in the afterlife. Kabir died at Maghar and there is a structure dedicated to him on which his teachings are engraved. The people of Ayodhya can never forget December 1992. "The Masjid was broken, there is no doubt about that. It will be a matter of pride for the entire world if the locals rebuild it jointly. Aaye di ke bawaal se log pareshaan ho gaye hain, rozi roti ka sawaal bana hua hai (People are fed up with the vitiated atmosphere, they are more concerned with issues of livelihood). The business class and the working class can no longer tolerate the tense atmosphere in the district," says a local resident in Viraasat Ki Jung. He says that the local people will oppose any organisation seeking to inflame passions around the mosque and temple. At the Anees and Chakbast Library in Faizabad district, there are some people who actually express remorse at what had happened. Says one: "The Babri Masjid should not have been brought down. But it happened." Then he clarifies that he had gone for the parikrama but not for the demolition. Evidently, there is a feeling among the people there that what happened was grossly wrong. The sense of compositeness is exemplified in Raj Rani's statement. A Dalit woman, she lives near the Dargah Shaikh Shamsuddin Fariyad Ras, which is located in a prominent Hindu locality. She says that the dargah is as important to her as Ram and that the Baba has never failed her in times of distress. Similarly, the 700-year-old Dargah Bijli Shaheed is revered by the Dalit family that lives in front of it. An upper-caste family maintains the dargah of Makhdoom Shah Fateullah. Rajpal Singh, a member of the family, does not associate the dargah with any religion. He says that people visit it to cure themselves of ailments. In Akbarpur district, formerly part of Faizabad district, is the dargah of Kachhauchcha Sharif, deemed to be the resting place of the famous Sufi Sayyed Ashraf Jahangir Samnani. Born in 1307 in Samnan province of Iran, he was motivated to travel to India by a Sufi seer. Travelling through Samarkand and Bukhara, he went to Bengal and Jaunpur, where he set up a Sufi centre. Samnani visited Ayodhya and breathed his last in Kachhauchcha Sharif. This place attracts people from all denominations. It is said that more Hindus than Muslims visit the shrine. Similarly, the two famous Jain temples in Ayodhya and the Gurudwara Brahmakund Sahib - where three prominent Sikh gurus, including the founder of the Sikh religion, Guru Nanak, are known to have preached - are symbolic of the peaceful coexistence of various communities over the centuries. There is also a strong Buddhist influence in the Awadh region. Ayodhya was said to be the second most important pilgrimage site after Shravasti, the capital of Koshal. Sacred Buddhist sites such as Kushinagar, Sarnath and Shravasti were once part of the Awadh province. "Celebrate Ayodhya's cultural heritage - do not destroy it" is the message of both the documentaries. Ayodhya is much more than the birthplace of Ram, and the people of Ayodhya believe in this. There is some local history attached to these shrines and it appears that the grip of orthodoxy has weakened considerably over the years as people have experimented with other faiths. The area has a history of rejecting orthodoxies, a practice that continues as people flock to the Sufi shrines. There are about 80 important dargahs in Ayodhya town itself with several others spread over Faizabad district. Rawat says that Ayodhya was known as Shahar-e-Auliya or the city of Sufis. It is also the land of Mangal Pandey, who led the Meerut rebellion in 1857 and the famous vocalist Begum Akhtar; it is also the place where freedom fighter Ashfaqullah Khan was hanged (the hanging took place at the Faizabad Jail). It was in fact this heterogeneity that was attacked in December 1992. Ayodhya's heritage is multi-cultural and multi-religious, and this has to be recognised and preserved. It is here that both the documentaries successfully show that the dominant forms of showcasing places and people's opinions may not reveal everything and that there is a lot that is unsaid, unheard and unseen. The Times of India OCTOBER 26, 2003 THE TIMES OF INDIA CITIES: MUMBAI Docu-maker faces VHP's wrath TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2003 01:42:56 AM ] MUMBAI: Shubhradeep Chakravorty is the latest filmmaker to face the wrath of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad for screening his documentary 'Godhra Tak: The Terror Trail' on the Godhra incident of 2002, that provoked a communal conflagration. Originally scheduled for a screening at Hotel Nalanda in Ahmedabad, the hotel owners pulled out following threats. After its screening was rearranged at Khet Bhawan, VHP activists intimidated Chakravorty. "They abused and threatened me, and tried to force me to apologise for making the film. Later they tried to seize my tapes," said Chakravorty. He was later released on the intervention of Mahesh Bhatt, who spoke to the Gujarat home minister. Chakravorty presented his film at a private screening organised by Communalism Combat at Mumbai's Press Club on Thursday. Film-makers Mahesh Bhatt and Anand Patwardhan spoke in his support at the screening. The one-hour film revisits Godhra by recording the testimonies of those involved. It makes its point decisively when central forensic expert V.N. Sehgal explains why the inflammatory material that set coach S6 of the ill-fated train on fire, could not have been thrown from outside, but was an inside job, giving lie to the conspiracy theory. While a number of Muslim victims exhibit the horrendous wounds inflicted on them by the saffron brigade, the film cuts to Vinay Katiyar dismissing them casually, "It's all lies meant to rubbish the kar sevaks." The film's voice over observes that it is the mobs calling the shots and that there is a real danger of Godhra being repeated elsewhere. Mahesh Bhatt, who introduced the film at its screenings in Delhi and the Films South Asia in Kathmandu, said, "Apathy and fear are the main reasons the saffron brigade gets away with it. When a film-maker has to apologise for screening his films to the press, it is sad that we are not outraged enough. Despite our claims of being the world's largest democracy, fascism is in full bloom in the by-lanes of Gujarat." Anand Patwardhan, veteran at battling the government censorship of his documentaries, said that, "Censorship happened either through the censor board or through extra-parliamentary censorship through bodies like the VHP." He battled for over a year to get his 'War and Peace' cleared without cuts. Subsequently, its screening was prevented at the Chavan Centre in Mumbai and in Kolkata. A number of documentaries have emerged from Godhra, including Ramesh Pimple and Geeta Chawda's Aakrosh,Gopal Menon's 'Hey Ram: Genocide in the Land of Gandhi', Gauhar Raza's 'Junoon ka Badhta Kadam' and 'Evil Stalks the Land', and Suma Josson's 'Gujarat:, A Laboratory of Hindu Rashtra.' Most have been struggling to show their films. For instance, film-makers Ramesh Pimple and Geeta Chawda, have been battling the censors, seeking a clearance for 'Aakrosh'. Following a complaint by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the Mumbai police confiscated tapes of Gauhar Raza's 'In Dark Times' and 'Junoon ke Badhte Kadam' and prevented their screening at a Mumbai college. In July, the VHP prevented film-maker Gopal Menon from attending a public function addressed by Praveen Togadia in Kerala. As Teesta Setalvad of Communalism Combat pointed out, "It is ironic that these film-makers are prevented from screening their films when lakhs of CDs and tapes on communal issues circulated by the VHP are not confiscated." "They abused and threatened me, and tried to force me to apologise for making the film. Later, they tried to seize my tapes " ENDS. irinnews.org 27 October 2003 PAKISTAN: Focus on renewed debate over faith-based laws [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] © IRIN If Nazia Bashir loses her case, she could face the death penalty under Pakistan's Hudood laws KARACHI, 27 Oct 2003 (IRIN) - Since October 2002, 18-year-old Nazia Bashir has been fighting a rape case that could, if she loses, lead to her being charged with adultery and sentenced to 100 lashes or death by stoning under Pakistan's Hudud (singular: hadd), or Islamic criminal code, laws. Nazia taught the Koran to girls at a madrasah in the southern port city of Karachi co-owned by Maulvi Nazir, whom she has accused of raping her. "His son said that his mother wanted to see me," she told IRIN from behind a black veil, only her eyes visible behind wire-framed spectacles. "She had never called me before, but I went. She and her sister-in-law gave me a drink that made me unconscious. Maulvi Nazir then took me somewhere else, and for four days he looted my honour. On 12 October, he made me sign a marriage contract as a condition to be freed." "He said that now [as a non-virgin] I'm no use to anyone else, so my family would have to marry me to him," she added. "But I have read the Koran, I know that using force doesn't make the marriage valid." "At first, her family was distraught," Khalida Ahmad, a socio-legal officer at the War Against Rape, an NGO which helps rape victims, told IRIN in Karachi. "Her father brought poison to kill them all, but an uncle rallied them, and they got the case registered." Now the family is pursuing the case despite intimidating phonecalls and threats that include their house being fired upon. HUDUD LAWS INSPIRE FEAR But Khalida finds these threats less worrying than the threat posed by the law itself - the Hudud laws, under which rape cases are registered, and under which a rape victim who is unable prove her case risks being accused of adultery. These laws make consensual sex outside marriage a cognizable offence, while marital rape and raping a child-bride are no longer offences. Last year, a district court in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), which borders Afghanistan, convicted Za'faran Bibi, a pregnant young woman, for adultery after she complained of rape, and sentenced her to death by stoning. An intense campaign by women's groups led to an international outcry. In August 2002, the Federal Islamic Court acquitted her, ruling that pregnancy was no proof of adultery - as in the internationally known case of Amina Lawal in Nigeria more recently. The Hudud Ordinances were promulgated in 1979 by the then military dictator, Gen Ziaul Haq, as part of his "Islamisation programme". In addition to adultery and fornication (Zina) offences, they deal with offences related to theft, alcohol and drug consumption, and false accusations in court (Qazf). Their fifth component is the Whipping Ordinance, which prescribes hadd punishments such as up to 100 lashes or stoning to death. STEEP INCREASE IN WOMEN PRISONERS In 1979, there were only 70 women in prisons country-wide. After the promulgation of the Hudud laws, that figure shot upwards, reaching 6,000 by 1988, mostly under the Zina Ordinance. Since the end of Ziaul Haq's era in 1988, the number of Zina cases has dropped: the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan estimates that in 2002 there were 2,200 women prisoners in Pakistan. The imprisoned women were usually "the poorest of the poor", Nasir Aslam Zahid, a former supreme court judge and one-time chairwoman of the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW), which recommended a repeal of the Hudud laws in its 1997 report, told IRIN in Karachi. The 1997 report notes that prior to the introduction of Hudud, adultery was not a criminal offence, but a personal matter. Only directly affected persons - a wife or husband - could register cases, but only against men, as a protection for women in a male-dominated, feudal society where women are rarely in control of their lives; the offence was punishable with a relatively minor fine and/or imprisonment, and the state could not be a party. "These laws are mostly used for revenge," Parveen Parvaiz, a Karachi-based lawyer, told IRIN. "Mostly, it's parents registering cases against daughters who marry against their wishes, and men trying to get back at ex-wives who remarry." WOMEN'S COUNCIL RECOMMENDS REPEAL Now, another government-formed NCSW has recommended that these laws be repealed, thus reviving this debate. The recommendation was met with vehement opposition by religious parties. Veiled women demonstrated against it, and the NWFP provincial assembly, which is dominated by the religious groups that swept into power in the provincial legislature on the strength of anti-US sentiments following the US-led campaign in late 2001 to oust the Taliban in Afghanistan, passed a unanimous resolution condemning the recommendation as part of a "conspiracy against Islam". But there was also support for it: women's groups in Karachi and the capital, Islamabad, staged noisy counter-protests defending the recommendation. Pakistan's higher courts have always overturned Hadd sentences on appeal, and most women accused of Zina are eventually acquitted - as many as 95 per cent, according to a former chief justice of the Federal Islamic Court, Mohammad Afzal Zullah. But acquittal does not compensate for years of imprisonment, humiliation and social ostracism, activists note. Hudud supporters cite the high acquittal rate as proof that the problem lies not in the law, but in its implementation. "At least those thousands of women are only in prison," Dr Farida Ahmad, president of the Jamiat-e Ulema-ye Islam (JUI) women's wing and a member of the National Assembly, told IRIN. As a member of the committee that recommended the repeal of the Hudud Ordinance, she cast one of the two dissenting votes. "After all, women haven't been punished under these laws, thanks to the strict evidence requirements," she stressed. Conviction under Hadd can take place on voluntary confession of the accused - or the eyewitness testimony of four adult Muslim men of good character. The evidence of women and religious minorities is excluded by default, although they can be punished under these laws. In Zina cases, the four Muslim men of good character must be eyewitness to the act of penetration - a condition so impossible to fulfil that many interpret it as a safeguard against false accusations of promiscuity, since the punishment for false accusation (Qazf) in Hadd cases, is 100 lashes. So far, there had been no Qazf convictions, the NCSW chairwoman, former Supreme Court Judge Majida Rizvi, told IRIN in Karachi. In the 1980s, at least some women convicted under Zina suffered the pain and humiliation of the whip - 15 stripes each under Ta'zir (discretionary punishment as opposed to the compulsory Hadd punishment) which is part of the Hudud Ordinances. NEED FOR REFORM "If a law is not being implemented properly, that's an administrative matter," Shaiq Usmani, a retired Sindh high court judge, told IRIN in Karachi. "But this law itself is wrong, it can never bring about any justice - so it can't be an Islamic law, because Islam is about justice." "It is a flawed legislation that can't be fixed, its drafting is flawed, its motive is flawed," Majida Rizvi asserted. "It was brought in undemocratically, as an ordinance. If the present government really wants to bring in laws based on Islam, then the proposed laws should be circulated and debated publicly and in parliament, and it should ensure that they are in conformity with the injunctions of Islam, which the Hudud laws are not." The government has yet to make public the most recent NCSW report, which the religious lobby is unlikely to accept quietly. With vocal women's rights groups determined to continue fighting for repeal, the controversy is likely to rage on for some time yet. ENDS. October 28 2003 Deep Turmoil Among [Muslim] Thinkers by Batuk Vora Ahmedabad: More and more moderate and sensible Islamic scholars are making their space among larger Muslim community amidst many a die-hard conservatives. "Reform or Perish" is a new slogan rendered by the reformers or moderates. This actually is becoming a global phenomenon, with retiring Malayesian Prime Minister Mohathir Mohammed calling upon all the Muslims to go back to their original roots - to knowledge and peaceful co-existence, as ordained in his 'Fifth Column' write-up in Hong Kong based weekly Far Eastern Economic Review. Voicing his extreme concern over the prevalence of absurd understanding or ignorance among large number of his community members about the tenets of Quran, which had laid down a word 'Eelam' to be followed and 'go to even China to learn new knowledge'’ Dr J.S.Bandukwala, professor of physics at M.S.University at Vadodara and a victim of as many as three attacks on his life during the carnage, expressed his anguish recently in a speech delivered at Ahmedabad. Founder of a new rationalist organization called SPRAT and one who is tirelessly working for the reforms in the Muslim society, I.S.Jowher, former faculty consultant at IIM and a banker by profession, organized a recent seminar on reforms that was attended by a large number of Muslims and scholars at Ahmedabad. "Both Muslim extremist ruler-politicians and Hindutva hardliners betray their own religions. Neither Islamic jihad was going to last, nor the Hindu extremists. These are all a temporary phenomena. Ultimately what will stand out and remain unblemished will be original Islamic message of peace and respect to all religions and Hindu ethos of tolerance and true humane principles. Common man has not abandoned true religion" asserted Maulana Wahiduddin Khan here in a special question-answer session with this writer some time back at Ahmedabad. Dr. Bandukwala became a target of Hindu extremists during the carnage on March 1st 2002, his house was attacked but he found warm support from his Hindu neighbourers. During the second similar attack, he escaped from the house but his young daughter could not make it and faced the crowd and saved herself in utter frustration, but his automobile was burnt down, his household belongings and property was destroyed. Later on she migrated to U.S. after marrying a Hindu boy. One of the reasons of such attacks, he surmised, was perhaps his long association with communal harmony. He had condemned V. S. Savarkar’s two nation theory and told a gathering just few hours before Godhra massacre that "India had only two ways to go ahead: one that of Gandhiji and the other of Savarkar". Obviously, "Hindu fanatics could not take it". Bandulwala reminds his listeners that conservatives kneel to Allah all the time without keeping in mind the Prophet’s own message of knowledge. Conservatives became angry at him when at one time, after Salman Rushie episode and Bandulwala’s words about Rushdie, Muslims issued a Fatwa and condemned him as non-muslim. At other time, he joined a fast in defence of Dalit people. He now implores his community people: "Oh, my brothers and sisters, remember that last 800 years of Islam have perverted this noble religion and conservatives have cut down very thread of knowledge and education. Muslims started arriving to India from 11th century onward, from Bukhara, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey and Yemen. They spread their religion as a religious duty. Nobody made Muslims out of Hindus by sword. New Delhi based Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, well known Islamic scholar in entire Asia, told during one of his visits to Ahmedabad, that "I have investigated far and wide through thousands of books in libraries but never foiund any support to this theory that Hindus were converted to Islam through sword". During his last visit here, he specifically said to this writer in reply to a question that "both Muslim extremist ruler-politicians and Hindutva hardliners betray their own religions. Neither Islamic jihad was going to last, nor the Hindu extremists. These are all a temporary phenomena. Ultimately what will stand out and remain unblemished will be original Islamic message of peace and respect to all religions and Hindu ethos of tolerance and true humane principles. Common man has not abandoned true religion". He went further in a recent public meeting by saying that Muslims had not cared for a thousand years to condemn Mohammed Gazni who looted Somnath temple five-six times. No surprise, his comments found good publicity in RSS media every where. Caravan, a movement run by I.S.Jowher for communal harmony and reforms, set its goals to establish librarties and reading rooms in Muslim areas, basic literacy through schools and videos, educational and vocational workshops, etc. Five Caravan centers are already functioning in Gujarat. Jowher reminds people that it is true out of 240 POTA detenues in Gujarat post-carnage, one is Sikh and all the rest are Muslims. It is no longer a case of justice delayed but justice denied outright and communal vindictiveness in different form. The killers of 2000 Muslims are most likely to go scot-free. The deep frustration and distrust against administration is sowing deep roots of terrorism, according to many Muslim businessmen here, who recently observed a 100 percent Bandh against police astrocities and wrongful detentions statewide. ENDS. SAHMAT 8, Vithalbhai Patel House Rafi Marg, New Delhi-110001 Tel-23711276/ 23351424 e-mail: sahmat@vsnl.com 27.10.2003 Press Statement on Mallika Sarabhai The manner in which noted actress and danseuse Ms. Mallika Sarabhai, is being intimidated and harrassed in Gujarat on patently trumped up charges is very disturbing. Even a cursory reading of the facts of the case, in which Ms. Sarabhai is sought to be implicated by the local police under various sections of the IPC makes it quite clear that this is being used as political vendetta by the state administration and police. Strictly in accordance with the terms of the contract the Darpana Academy of the Ms. Sarabhai returned the money received in advance from a number of aspiring dancers who wished to go on a foreign trip but could not do so on denial of a visa. After months of investigations when nothing tangible could be found either against the Academy or Ms. Sarabhai, the state administration and its political leadership utilised the services of a local NGO whose pro-government record is well-known to file a police case against the Academy and Ms. Sarabhai. It is well known that Mallika Sarabhai has been in the forefront in filing an appeal in the Supreme Court of India demanding compensation and justice for the victims of the Gujarat carnage of last year. The appeal is coming up for hearing now. The timings of the filing of a case against Mallika Sarabhai is to stifle her voice that is seeking justice for the victims of communal violence. This is nothing but a blatant political vendetta and an attempt to muzzle the voice of dissent using state machinery. We express complete solidarity with Mallika Sarabhai. We are confident that the opinion of the creative community and democratic citizens is fully behind her at this juncture. We appeal that the prime minister advise the Narendra Mody government to desist from the vindictive course of hounding Ms. Mallika Sarabhai. for SAHMAT M.K.Raina, Vivan Sundaram, Indira Chandrasekhar, Madan Gopal Singh, Ram Rahman, Tejbir Singh, Mala Singh, Prabhat Patnaik, Utsa Patnaik, Irfan Habib and others. ENDS. The Times of India 'Mallika Sarabhai is being framed' TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2003 12:05:52 AM ] MUMBAI: Prominent personalities from all over the country have condemned the alleged victimisation of noted dancer Mallika Sarabhai by the Narendra Modi government in Gujarat. In a memorandum addressed to Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani and Mr Modi, the signatories alleged that over the past few days, the Gujarat government was trying to 'frame' Ms Sarabhai, who is based in Ahmedabad, in a false case of human trafficking. A case has already been registered under sections 14, 34 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). A few months ago Ms Sarabhai's Darpana Academy in Ahmedabad had planned a trip to the US for some of its students. The trip did not fructify, after which monies were returned to the students. However, one of the students lodged a complaint and the government initiated a police inquiry and a probe by the charity commissioner. The signatories said Ms Sarabhai cooperated fully with the inquiries. Nevertheless, she was being harassed, the activists alleged. Some of the signatories include Vijay Tendulkar, Jaidev Hattangady, Kuldip Nayar, Shabana Azmi, Atul Setalvad, Javed Akhtar, Zoya Hasan, Irfan Habib, Teesta Setalvad, Javed Anand and Asghar Ali Engineer. They alleged that Ms Sarabhai was being targeted because of her stand against the anti-Muslim pogrom in Gujarat. She is the key petitioner in a petition in the Supreme Court in this regard. In the past she was threatened by vested interests who wanted her to withdraw the petition. The personalities have called for an immediate end to the victimisation of Ms Sarabhai. A young woman who was a short term student of Darpana has accused Ms Sarabhai of duping her. She has alleged that Darpana had promised to procure a US visa for her by including her in a dance troupe to the US. The tour was allegedly a ruse to help students to illegally emigrate to the US. However, Ms Sarabhai has rejected the charge. She had stated that when the visas were rejected, all the monies for the cancelled tour were refunded along with the passports to the students concerned. Fearing her arrest, Ms Sarabhai has applied for anticipatory bail in a court in Ahmedabad which is likely to come up for hearing on Tuesday. She has also sent out a note to friends appealing for support. The other signatories include Rajmohan Gandhi, B.G. Verghese, Alyque Padamsee, Dolly Thakore, Chitra Palekar, Mushirul Hasan, Vivan Sundaram and J.B. D'Souza. ENDS. Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2003 18:29:32 +0530 Subject: Mallika Sarabhai and the Government of Gujarat Dear friends, In order to express our solidarity with Mallika Sarabhai, who is suffering persecution in the hands of the Gujarat government for her courageous stand against injustice in the state sponsored pogrom of 2002, a meeting of citizens has been organised at the India International Centre Annexe, New Delhi at 12:30PM on 1 November, 2003. You are warmly invited to attend this meeting. Warm regards, Harsh Mander ENDS. Togadia's trishul distribution function banned in Madurai Press Trust of India Madurai, October 28 Police on Tuesday banned 'Trishul distribution programme' by VHP leader Praveen Togadia but permitted a meeting to be addressed by the leader on October 30 at a function here,to mark 'Thevar Jayanthi' celebrations. Police commissioner Vijaykumar told PTI here that the ban on the programme was being imposed under Section 41(A) of the Tamil Nadu City Police regulatory act. The main objective of the ban was to protect communal harmony, and maintain peace in the city. However, the meeting to be addressed by Togadia had been permitted, he said. The 'Joint Action Council Against Communalism' had sought Tamil Nadu Governor PS Ramamohan Rao's intervention to prevent distribution of 'Trishuls', fearing that it would pose a threat to communal harmony. VHP and Bharatiya Forward Bloc had claimed that Togadia, who would participate in Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar 'gurupooja' celebrations, would distribute 'Trishuls' at a function in the city. ENDS. Financial Times Oct 30 2003 Indian court acquits Muslim professor By Edward Luce in New Delhi Published: October 29 2003 13:35. Last Updated: October 29 2003 13:35 A New Delhi appeals court on Wednesday overturned last year's conviction of a Muslim academic who had been sentenced to death for his alleged role in orchestrating a suicide terrorist attack on India's parliament two years ago. Wednesday's ruling, in which S.A.R. Geelani, a professor at Delhi University was freed after almost two years in custody, comes as an embarrassing blow to the New Delhi police which had based much of its case on Mr Geelani's role in the outrage. The court also acquitted Navtoj Sandhu, wife of Shaukat Hussain Guru, whose death sentence was on Wednesday confirmed by the court. Ms Sandhu had been sentenced to five years for withholding knowledge of the conspiracy. The court also upheld the death sentence against Mohammed Afzal. All five terrorists, whom New Delhi says were from Pakistan, were killed in the attack. "This ruling is a real triumph for India's judicial system," Ram Jethmalani, lawyer to Mr Geelani, told the Financial Times. "It showed that the judiciary has the courage to take on the establishment." The attack, which New Delhi says was carried out by two Pakistan-based terrorist groups, claimed 12 lives and came close to wiping out a large chunk of India's political leadership, including senior cabinet ministers. It was followed by a tense nine-month military stand-off between the two nuclear powers. Wednesday's ruling is likely to raise further questions about alleged police misuse of India's tough prevention of terrorism law which was enacted a few weeks after the attack. Human rights groups say that the law allows India's police to detain people indefinitely even where normal evidence is lacking. The verdict is also likely to add to calls for reform of India's police. "Clearly the police are not trained for long enough or well enough," said Kuldip Nayer, a commentator and former Indian high commissioner to the UK. "To have put someone so obviously innocent as Mr Geelani through all this right up to a death sentence is a sad reflection on their methods." Opponents of the anti-terrorist law also highlighted a recent case where Iftikar Geelani, a Kashmiri journalist, was detained for several months having been found in possession of a document that he downloaded from the internet. The document was widely available and unclassified. They also point to the alleged misuse of the law in the Hindu nationalist BJP-ruled state of Gujarat, where riots last year claimed up to 2,000 Muslim lives, following a mob attack on a train in which 58 Hindu passengers were incinerated. The state government has detained 240 people under the law, of whom 239 are Muslim. "If you have a law like this, which you shouldn't, then you must ensure the police are independent from political interference, which they aren't," said Mr Nayar. New Delhi recently announced the creation of state committees to review detentions under the law. But critics say the move is insufficient. ENDS. Dear friends, I am forwarding to you an appeal to Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee to stop harassment of Dr. Mallika Sarabhai. To see the text of the appeal and sign it you have to click the link (URL) given below: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/260152273 If simple clicking it does not take you to the petition window, you may have to highlight the link, and copy-paste it in the browser's Address box at the top. The click should take you to the appeal window. Simply click on 'continue' button, and fill in the optional boxes labeled 'organization' and 'Any comments?' Finally, click on the 'submit' button and bingo, you would be done. You would be able check your own signature along with othersí by clicking on 'review signatures' link. Thanks you, Regards, Satinath Choudhary ENDS. The News on Sunday, November 2, 2003 ...AND JEHAD GOES ON If known exponents of jehad are able to preach their beliefs openly, there must be something lacking in the government's commitment to curb militancy By Zulfiqar Shah Maulana Masood Azhar's recent countrywide tour to address a number of widely publicised 'jehad conferences' surprised many. Particularly those who thought that the days of propagating jehad were over after General Musharraf had declared a ban on militant and jehadi organisations last year, are now having second thoughts. The ban was seen as a major shift in Pakistan's decades old policy of supporting jehad in Kashmir and Afghanistan. But the recent resurgence of jehadi outfits -- even those which were banned -- and sudden spurt in their activities has created doubts about the Musharraf regime's seriousness in taking on the jehadis. Masood Azhar's tour -- widely considered as a major proof of the resurgence of jehadi activity -- not only defies President Pervez Musharraf's claims made in his speech on January 12, 2002, but also raises questions as to whether it could have taken place without the government's consent. "The tour has established that he enjoys the state support," says an analyst who wanted not to be named. "It's astonishing that on one hand Musharraf says he is against jehadis and on the other hand he has given Masood Azhar free hand to hold jehad congregations throughout Pakistan," says Iqbal Hyder, former minister for law and parliamentary affairs and executive council member of Human rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). "Masood has been operating under complete patronage of government agencies," he claims. Maulana Azhar, freed from an Indian jail in exchange for a hijacked Indian passenger plane and the chief of now banned Jaish-e-Muhammad, is still considered the most wanted person in India. In his home country, he is treated as a jehadi hero by a section of the society, particularly by those who support jehad in Kashmir and elsewhere in the world. In Karachi, his jehad conference was held on October 18, 2003. Followed by wide publicity though pamphlets, posters and banners all around the city, the conference was able to attract thousands of people to come and listen to him. Even the city government headed by Jamaat Islami's Naimatullah Khan, which otherwise is very quick in removing unauthorised advertisement banners and hoardings, gave the organisers free hand for the publicity of the conference. Though the banners were removed after the conference ended, the pamphlets and the posters are still there, occupying a large space on the walls of private and public buildings in Karachi. These pamphlets and posters describe Masood Azhar as a jehadi hero and the 'conqueror of Indian Jails'. Contrary to past practice when Jaish's functions were closed for many people especially media, Masood Azhar's jehad conference in Karachi was an open event. The way it was publicised clearly showed that the organisers wanted to draw as many people as they could. Masood Azhar, who has renamed his organisation as Pyam-e-Islam, has addressed similar conferences attended by thousands of people in Hyderabad and Nawab Shah in Sindh and Lahore and other cities in Punjab. The focus of his speech at all these conferences was the 'noble notions of jehad' in Kashmir. Besides addressing the conferences, Masood Azhar also held closed door meetings with his party cadre on how to make the organisation more effective, says a source. Analysts believe the tour was aimed at strengthening Masood Azhar's relationship with the Jaish cadre split in two groups some time ago. The other group being headed by Abdullah Shah Mazhar. Those who believe that allowing Masood Azhar's tour is a manifestation of the government's reaffirmation of its undeclared support to jehad in Kashmir, also fear that this policy of 'one step forward, two steps backwards' will harm Pakistan's interest locally as well as globally. "Free hand to jehadis will damage Pakistan's credibility at the international level," says Iqbal Hyder. "Pakistan can only succeed in establishing its credibility at the international level if it changes its policy towards jehad in Kashmir," he adds. Iqbal Hyder also asserts that Pakistan's claim to being a leading partner in the war against terrorism cannot be taken seriously unless the country "changes its policy of jehad in Kashmir policy." There are others who think that the government is serious in restricting the activities of the jehadis but at the same time they point out the enormity of the task. "It is not going to be an easy task," says Dr Muttahir Ahmed, professor at the department of International Relations at University of Karachi. "These people (the jehadis) have roots in the society. They have been active for the last 15-20 years. So it's not easy to root them out immediately," he adds. Muttahir also says that holding of the conference by Masood Azhar did not mean that the government supported his activities. "Because a section of the society supports jehad and the jehadis, the holding of a jehad conference should not come as a surprise." Government consent or not, in an international scenario which puts Pakistan in a difficult position vis-a-vis jehad and the jehadis, the resurgence of the jehadi activities is sure to create more problems for the country. It is necessary for the government to come clean on the issue. If it is serious in not allowing militancy, it has to implement its writ throughout the country without sparing anyone. It's also important that President Pervez Musharraf cannot portray Pakistan as a liberal and modern state until public expression of jehadi sentiment and honouring of jehadi leaders is not checked. ENDS. Posted by: Awaaz / 11/12/2003 06:02:54 PM Date: Sat, 1 Nov 2003 11:54:50 +0000 (GMT) From: Shabnam Hashmi In a meeting held at IIC annexe the following statement was adopted. It was also decided to form an Alliance for the Defence of Democracy and to organize a Peace Concert in Ahmedabad where Mallika Sarabhai, Nafisa Ali and Habib Tanveer , ( all three of them have been targeted lately) would be invited as the Chief Guests. Released to the press by Shabnam Hashmi 4, Windsor Place, New Delhi-110001 Tel- 23327367/ 66 Press Statement on Mallika Sarabhai In the world's largest democracy, Freedom of Expression, Freedom of Press and Freedom of Speech come at a heavy price. Relentless harassment of tehelka.com that led to its closure, Income Tax raids on Outlook and its editor, physical assaults on journalists for "making attempts to project Gujarat as a violent and disturbed State", cases against social-activist Nafisa Ali, The Indian Express and Divya Bhaskar for allegedly fomenting communal passion and now a fraudulent case against Mallika Sarabhai. The powers-that-be are increasingly using law as an instrument of oppression of voices of dissent putting at stake the very essence of democracy. The harassment of accomplished classical dancer Mallika by a regime in Gujarat which has committed horrendous crimes of genocide and has tried to use every means to prevent justice to prevail is yet another incident. She is being hounded, and also "framed" in criminal cases, because she had initiated a Public Interest Litigation in the Supreme Court of India against Gujarat government for the genocide it had committed last year; and has persisted in not withdrawing the case. After the state sponsored carnage in Gujarat in February and March 2002 one of the first voices to be raised in protest was that of the accomplished classical dancer. With rare eloquences, courage and passion, she express her anguish at the massacre and her words stirred the conscience of the nation. The recent slew of cases that have been filed against here are blatant political vendetta by the Government of Gujarat. The attempt clearly is to try to crush her spirit and silence her voice. We, the undersigned, strongly condemn the partisan and malicious use of state authority against Mallika Sarabhai and to express strong solidarity and admiration for her fearless espousal of the truth. Abhilasha Kumari, Prof, Delhi Admiral Ramdas, Retd Admiral Indian Navy, Mumbai Amit Sengupta, Senior Journalist, Delhi Anand Patwardhan , Filmmaker, Mumbai Aniket Alam, Journalist, Hyderabad Anil Nauriya, Supreme Court Advocate, Delhi Aniz Azmi, Theatre Director, Delhi Anjum Rajabali, Journalist, Bombay Apoorvanand, Arun Gandhi , Founder and President, M.K.Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence , USA Arvind Koshal Ashok Lal, Playwright/Poet Asad Zaidi, Poet, Delhi BG Verghese Bela Bhatia Bhinish Shakeel Cedric Prakash, Director, Prashant, Ahmedabad Deb Mukerji, Ambassador Digant Oza, Senior Journalist, Ahmadabad Dilip D'Souza. Ela Gandhi, Member of Parliament, South Africa, Mahatma Gandhi’s Grand Daughter George Verghese, Senior Journalist, Delhi Gita Bharali, Research Associate,North Eastern Social Research Centre, Guwahati Githa Hariharan Writer, Delhi Gulammohammed Sheikh, Artist, Baroda Harsh Mander, Social Activist, Writer, Delhi Hiren Gandhi, Samvedan Cultural Programme, Ahmedabad Javed Mir, ActionAid, Kutch Jerry Almeida, ActionAid, Delhi Kamal Mitra Chenoy Prof., Delhi KN Panikkar , ENDS. Petition USA PETITION TO STOP HARRASSMENT OF DR MALLIKA SARABHAI STOP HARASSMENT AND INTIMIDATION OF DR MALLIKA SARABHAI To Hon’ble Atal Bihari Vajpayee Prime Minister of India New Delhi India Dear Hon’ble Shri Vajpayee You are urged to take immediate steps to stop the harassment and intimidation of Dr Mallika Sarabhai,who is the Pride of Gujarat. Times of India of Tuesday, October 28th 2003 has headlined a story entitled “Mallika Sarabhai Is Being Framed” and it has put the Government of India and the State Government of Gujarat in a very bad light. As you very well know that Dr. Mallika Sarabhai has been very outspoken in condemning the massacre of innocent human beings in the State of Gujarat after the Godhra incident of February 2002. Dr. Sarabhai has refused to withdraw her case against the State Government of Gujarat for lack of failure to prosecute the perpetrators of the senseless violence and also the failure of the State to provide adequate relief and rehabilitation of the survivors in the Supreme Court. Dr. Sarabhai has categorically denied any wrongdoing and the charges of human trafficking against a person of her stature is absurd. Despite this she did co-operate fully with all the inquiries of the authorities. Efforts of Gujarat Government to deny her bail is gross miscarriage of justice. Many prominent citizens of India such as Rajmohan Gandhi , Kuldeep Nair, Shabana Azmi, Asghar Ali Engineer, J B D’souza, Dolly Thakore Alyque Padamsee B G Verghese have already protested this outrageous effort to silence one of the few voices of sanity in the State of Gujarat. We respectfully ask you to take immediate steps to reverse the misguided effort to force Dr Mallika Sarabhai to withdraw her public interest litigation, otherwise irreparable harm will be done to India’s reputation that got tarnished in all parts of the world. We the undersigned Non-Resident Indians both individuals and organizations are awaiting your confirmation that the right steps have been taken to set the wrong that has been done to Dr Mallika Sarabhai. Sincerely yours, Individuals: Shrikumar Poddar, USA Dr K S Sripada Raju, USA Uma Balakrishnan, USA Kaleem Kawaja, USA S.M.Bhagat, USA Hari Sharma, Canada Rasheed Ahmed, USA Ruchira Gupta, USA Imtiazuddin, USA Gautam & Urvi Desai, USA Amit Shah, USA Zubair Patel, USA Rajesh Veeraraghavan, USA Sami Uddin. USA Dr. Chander Balakrishnan, USA Srividhya Venkataraman ,USA Dr. Jawaid Quddus, USA Mayurika Poddar, USA Dr. Satinath Choudhary Zafar Iqbal, PhD Organizations: International Service Society, USA Vaishnava Centre for Enlightenment, USA India Development Society, USA India Foundation, USA Seva International, USA Bharatiya Educational Foundation, USA Assn of Indian Muslims of America,, USA Develop in Peace, USA Gujarati Muslim Assn of America, USA International South Asia Forum, Canada Am Fed of Muslims from India, USA S.Asian Network for Secularism & Democracy, Canada NRIs for Secular and Harmonious India CC: The President of India The Deputy Prime Minister of India The Chief Minister of Gujarat The Speaker of Indian Parliament ENDS. The Daily Times November 05, 2003 Violent students attack 'un-Islamic' varsity show KARACHI: Arguing that display of "obscene" material and listening to music were against the teachings of Islam, a group of enraged students on Tuesday ransacked the Department of Visual Studies of the University of Karachi, destroying musical instruments, sculptures and paintings, They said the practices were particularly offensive in the holy month of Ramazan. The department was holding its "Degree Show 2003," its first-ever such event, displaying projects prepared by final year students. The projects include several graphical illustrations combined with music, a documentary on eunuchs and some paintings, posters and sculptures. The show was attacked after some students declared the exhibition a "display of obscene and objectionable material" in Ramazan. Personal computers were among the other things destroyed. According to some students, playing music and bringing musical instruments inside the university was strictly prohibited in accordance with the university notification. They said if the university administration was not willing to ban such activities, it was the right of the students to stop by force any activity which was against the teachings of Islam. The chairperson, of the Department of Visual Studies, Dr Duriya Qazi, denied there was a display of obscene or objectionable material on the occasion. "We hold such exhibitions and shows to attract employees and people associated with the fine arts to increase job prospects for our students." Admitting that music was being played at the department, Dr Qazi said nobody approached her or any of the department's other faculty members to express disapproval or reservations regarding the show. Later, a team of university officials, including the advisor on students' affairs and campus security officer visited the Department of Visual Studies, asked details of the incident and assured teachers and students about the provision of security. -Staff Report ENDS. In Defence of Malika Sarabhai: Documents, news reports and letters FROM SACW. In the past issues of SACW a series of news items, letters and online petitions have been circulated on in defence of Malika Sarabhai. Two documents, fact sheet and FAQs, put together by Shrikumar Poddar (one of the prime movers in gathering support for Dr.Sarabhai world wide) after verification by Malika Sarabhai's colleagues and lawyers provide full background on this move to target Malika Sarabhai, are downloadable from the SACW web site The ULS are: http://www.sacw.net/Alerts/MalikaSarabhai/FAQ2%2004.10.2003.doc http://www.sacw.net/Alerts/MalikaSarabhai/Fact%20Sheet%20Mallika%20Sarabhai.doc ENDS. The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?msid=272006 NRI panels allege Gujarat govt 'harassing' Sarabhai PTI[ FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 07, 2003 03:28:42 PM ] NEW YORK: Two US-based NRI organisations have condemned the attempts by, what they alleged were, "elements" within the Gujarat government to "harass and humiliate" the eminent scholar and a human rights activist Mallika Sarabhai for "political reasons." Federation of Indian American Christian Organisations of North America and Non-Resident Indians for Secular and Harmonious India claimed that Sarabhai is a world renowned classical dancer who ran one of the prestigious classical dance schools, the Darpana Academy, in Gujarat India. "Some people working with religious extremist political parties in Gujarat are trying to bring false charges to tarnish Dr Sarabhai's name because she has been vocal in the past, in denouncing religious extremist parties and their tactics," they alleged. Sarabhai, they claimed, has been an outspoken critic of the Gujarat state government for its "active support of genocide against Non-Hindus." Jayachand Pallekonda, President of FIACONA, claimed, "the government of Gujarat is revealing its pettiness in provoking the police and the public prosecutor to harass this distinguished artiste and prominent human rights activist. These actions only add to the negative national and international perception of the present government of Gujarat." "The charges brought against Dr Sarabhai of being involved in an illegal immigration racket are absurd," Shrikumar Poddar of NRI-SAHI claimed. ENDS. November 5, 2003 By Fax to 011-91-11-2419-0017 By Email to The Honorable Robert D. Blackwill American Ambassador to India United States Embassy Shanti Path, Chanakyapuri New Delhi 110021 India Dear Mr. Ambassador: We are writing in support of Mallika Sarabhai, a uniquely distinguished dancer, choreographer, actor, and teacher in Ahmedabad, India. Ms. Sarabhai is a well known artist and educator whose contributions to Indian art, culture, and society are legendary, both within the country and around the world. In addition, she is a passionate and dedicated advocate for social justice and human rights. At her home base in Ahmedabad, Mallika Sarabhai is co-director of the Darpana Academy for Performing Arts, a prominent institution founded in 1949 by her mother, the esteemed Mrinalini Sarabhai. Darpana has trained approximately 25,000 students in dance, drama, music, and puppetry arts, and performance ensembles from Darpana have presented thousands of programs in 94 countries. Darpana is indeed one of the foremost research, training, and performance institutions in Asia, with a remarkable history that also includes work with the underprivileged, free training for needy students, and numerous arts programs in schools. The educational and performance activities of Darpana have always been conducted with the utmost professionalism under the leadership of Mrinalini Sarabhai, Mallika Sarabhai, and their staff. We were shocked and deeply distressed to learn that Mallika Sarabhai has been accused of improprieties in the administration of touring programs from Darpana to the United States. We are familiar with the details of these touring programs through our long collaboration with both Darpana and with the American organizer of the tours. Mallika Sarabhai is a person of impeccable integrity and dignity. In addition to being false, there are credible indications that these baseless charges have been leveled against Ms. Sarabhai for political purposes, to persecute and silence her in response to her courageous leadership on human rights issues in Gujarat. The ACC is a foundation established by John D. Rockefeller 3rd that supports cultural exchange in the arts between the United States and the countries of Asia. Mallika Sarabhai is one of our most distinguished fellows, who has inspired countless audiences worldwide-from heads of state to ordinary people-with her extraordinary talent, her brilliant intellect, and her devoted concern for the well-being of men, women, and children everywhere. It is our understanding that she has appropriately answered all inquiries put before her and has cooperated fully with the authorities in Gujarat. Any assistance which you can offer to clear her name, including a public statement of support, will be most appreciated. This brings gratitude in advance for your kind and urgent attention. Sincerely, Elizabeth J. McCormack Chairman Richard S. Lanier President Ralph Samuelson Director ENDS. Posted by: Awaaz / 11/12/2003 06:01:40 PM The Times of India, NOVEMBER 07, 2003 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com:80/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?msid=270589 INTERVIEW Long Distance Call Recently, some 80 NRI organisations came together to form an umbrella body called 'Promise of India' (POI), with a view to voicing their collective concerns on communal harmony and development issues. Raju Rajagopal , an erstwhile San Francisco Bay Area business entrepreneur, chairs the steering committee of POI and devotes all his time on voluntary initiatives. In the past, he has worked extensively in Gujarat, both after the earthquake and the communal carnage. He spoke to Aruna Srinivasan about the need to consolidate the various NRI voluntary efforts working for the welfare of India: The role of NRIs has increasingly come under a shadow in India, thanks to the involvement of many of them in overt political causes. Where do you place your initiative? I don't want to give our initiative any political name. POI does not take any political positions nor has it any political leanings. Our prime concern is to uphold the true Indian spirit. We are only concerned about reiterating India's true potential and ethos, and emphasise its harmony in plurality. We have great faith in the Constitution, which was designed to protect every citizen's rights. We want to capture the spi-rit of that positive India. We want to make a concerted effort to prevent any further bloodshed in the name of religion or caste and support development issues. Why the name, 'Promise of India'? It was a group decision by the steering committee of 12 members. The word 'promise' has two meanings. One, the promise made to every citizen of India in our Constitution by our founding fathers. We want to reaffirm the nation's faith in the Constitution and the rule of law. And, second, the promise that the nation holds. We feel that India has begun to discover its true potential in recent years. But in terms of economic and social development, there is much work ahead. We believe that India can set a good example in tackling poverty. We are making great strides in bringing rural areas and marginalised communities into the mainstream. More significantly, we can demonstrate to the world that multiple faiths can co-exist amidst diverse cultures and ethnicities. What explains the appeal of rightwing nationalism for a lot of NRIs? I really don't know. But I guess, since many NRIs are politically active in the US, they perhaps think that they have to take a political position and support a political ideology in India. And with increasing terrorism around the world, including 9/11, and its alleged association with Islam, many perhaps feel that a right wing party may be able to tackle terrorism better. Whatever the reasons, their political leanings are not necessarily based on religious ideology. How do you plan to achieve your goals? Since we may not be very familiar with lot of things happening in India, we try to collaborate with the NGOs already working here. We identify areas where we can provide resources or expertise. Also, given the current environment, we can be more proactive in insisting that NGOs sensitise their own staff as well as their target community to the issue of communal harmony. As Persons of Indian Origin (PIO), we want to express our concerns and contribute our resources not only in business but also in social causes. We want to bring back peace and social harmony. There are so many NRI groups working for one cause or another. How different will POI be? Many NRI organisations are already working in the field. But they remain confined in their own little areas. We wanted to bring them together in one umbrella body for a more consolidated effort. Individually, each organisation will continue to do its own work. The POI coalition will give expression to our collective beliefs. Right now our focus is on mobilising support. We already have the support of 43 prominent members like M S Swaminathan, N Ram, Shabana Azmi and Desh Deshpande. When we have the support of major religious leaders from various faiths, we would consider that a major achievement. That will be a great moral support to our secular initiatives. What distur-bed me during the Gujarat violence was that many prominent spiritual leaders remained silent. And so did many other Indians who believe in peace. We want this silent majority to speak out. When there is violence, we are told to be silent, because speaking about violence may make matters worse. When there is relative peace, we are told that speaking up for harmony could spark violence. Those who support POI believe that silence is not an option anymore. What explains the cultural conservatism of NRIs? Is it a kind of insecurity? No, I don't think so. It is a natural phenomenon associated with an immigrant community. I have heard people explain this as insecurity. But, compared to some of the earlier immigrant communities which arrived in the US, and were anxious to blend quickly into the American 'melting pot', the Indian diaspora is one community that has never faced any identity crisis or insecurity in the US. However, when the second generation of Indian immigrants sees other immigrants having their own cultural groups in the universities, they also want a sense of belonging. They are eager to trace their roots and know more about their culture. But some vested interest groups take advantage of this and try to enrol them into their ideologies. ENDS. November 8, 2003 ACTION ALERT Protest Vindictive Action Against Human Rights Defender and Group by Jayalalitha's Vindictive Government Illegal "Search" of premises of People's Watch Group was at the Forefront in Securing a Ban Against Togadia's Entry Stand Up and Be Counted ! [...] The undersigned citizens, groups and organisations strongly protest the vindictive action of the Jayalalitha government against a dynamic and vibrant human rights' group People's Watch¸ headed by Henri Tiphagne who is at the forefront of human rights struggles and human rights education all over India, especially South India. On November 5, a whole posse of policement armed with a search warrant raided the premises of the office of People's Watch and raided it on fictitious charges. Over 150 policemen present from all ranks upto the rank of ADGP, came on November 5, 2003, this "search" took place in their office. The whole "search" of the building was accompanied by very intensive Intense "videography" involving 2 police videographers who were more interested in capturing everything in the office through their videographic expedition. The whole process was witnessed by one Mr. Mohan, Tahsildar, Madurai South Taluk who is known to Mr Tiphagne and who categorically informed him that he was not informed that he was coming to these premises. The fact that nothing was proved in this 'search' is self-explanatory. What needs to be stated however is the backdrop against which this 'search' which is nothing short of an attempt to intimidate a right's group and it's leading activist -took place. Most significantly, Mr Tiphagne and People's Watch were directly and actively involved in securing a ban from the Collector, Madurai against VHP International General Secretary, Praveen Togadia for distribution of tridents. The grounds for securing the ban was that Mr Togadia's track record of delivering hateful and venomous speeches was detrimental to peace and public tranquillity. This move resulted in strong political protests against Togadia;s proposed entry from October 27-30, 2003 in Madurai. PW, has been at the forefront of human rights' struggles of various dimensions. It's director also serves as a member of the National Core Group on NGOs constituted by the NHRC two years ago. The group works in the State of Tamil Nadu in the field of Human Rights Monitoring, Intervention and Education. Its activities often demands it to deal with a number of cases involving police excesses. On 27th and 28th October 2003 the organisation was instrumental in processing several cases indicating very serious human rights violations and gross negligence of duty on the part of the Tamil Nadu Police in 2 of the 3 historic public hearings conducted under the aegis of the National Commission for Women and the Tamil Nadu State Commission for Women - on 27th October 2003 at Virudhunagar and on 28th October 2003 at Madurai For all this committed work PW and Henri Tiphagne are being targeted. In the backdrop is also the action of the TN Assembly against journalists of The Hindu. At a national level, the Gujarat government's targeting of Ms Mallika Sarabhai in a false case and before that Ms Nafisa Ali in a defamation case speaks of the increasingly harsh and vindictive conducts of governments in India against outspoken persons devoted to humane values and human rights. It appears that India is functioning less and less like a democracy and more like a banana republic where the rule of law has no place. We appeal to you to immediately add your name to this appeal for an immediate stop to such vindictive tactics by the State of Tamil Nadu against a Human Rights Group and its director, Mr Henri Tiphagne. Justice Hosbet Suresh (retired) Aruna Roy (MKSSS) Teesta Setalvad (Communalism Combat) Javed Anand (Communalism Combat) Kumar Saptarshi, Yuvakrand Varsha Deshpande, Yuvakrand Anoop Singh, Chhatisgarh Mukti Morcha-CMM) Mohamed Jawahirullah (TMMK, Chennai)Farooque Shaikh (cine artiste, Mumbai) Rajendra Prasad (SAHMAT, Delhi) Dolphy D'Souza (AICU/VOTE, Mumbai) Nikhil Wagle (editor, Mahanagar, Mumbai) Anand Patwardhan (film maker,Mumbai))Ram Rehman (eminent photographer) Kamal Mitra Chenoy, JNU Anuradha Chenoy, JNU Alyque Padamsee (Communications) L.S.Hardeniya, EKTA and National Integration Committee, BHOPAL Agneya, Senior Journalist, BHOPAL Advocate Rajani, PUHR Advocate Amala. PUHR Satya S., Mangalore Peer Badshah, Shimoga Murali, Centre for World Solidarity Dr Roop Rekha Verma, Lucknow Dr Swati, Varanasi ENDS. Citizens Committee in solidarity with Dr. Mallika Sarabhai 104, "B"Wing, Accord, Lokhandwala, Andheri (W), Mumbai - 400 053. Urgent Press Conference and Protest Meet Citizens Committee in Solidarity with Dr. Mallika Sarabhai on 12th November 2003 at Press Club, Mumbai. Dear Editor/Chief Reporter, Gujarat Government headed by Narendra Modi did little to succor for the lakhs of traumatized victims of last years communal massacre and justice to the victims is still a distant dream and relief and rehabilitation of victims has reduced to a mockery. Thousands of people are living a traumatized life and minority community is still persecuted, harassed and living under indirect social, economic boycott. Those who choose to speak for the victims and expose the misrule of Narendra Modi Government and pursuing the issue of communal violence with Indian Government, Judiciary are facing serious threats and harassments in the state of Gujarat which includes Dr. Mallika Sarabhai. We have arranged a Press Conference to highlight this issue and protest the misrule of Narendra Modi Government; the fact sheet will be given at the venue. Press Conference [In] Solidarity with Dr. Mallika Sarabhai Venue: Press Club, Near Azad Maidan, V.T. , Mumbai - 400 001. Date and Time 12th November 2003, (Wednesday) Time 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Speakers : Dr. Mallika Sarabhai - Ahmedabad Shobhaa De - Columnist, Mumbai Javed Akhtar - Film Personality Rohit Prajapati - Civil Rights Activist, Gujarat Nikhil Wagle - Social Activist, Editor Mahanagar Ramesh Pimple of People's Media Initiative Jatin Desai of Democratic Secular Front Citizens Committee in solidarity with Dr. Mallika Sarabhai Subodh More Contact Tel: 9821109295 Shyam Ranjankar 022 - 31055812 ENDS. Citizens For Justice and Peace November 8, 2003 Press Release Two Human Rights Defenders, associated with the Citizens for Justice and Peace, have been receiving renewed threats in connection with their work related to justice for the victims of the Gujarat carnage, be it the BEST Bakery case or the victims of the Godhra burning of Coach S-6 of the Sabarmati Express. Shri Rais Khan Aziz Khan Pathan, the full-time coordinator of CJP, has received two threats in the past week on his mobile, details of which have been sent by CJP to the DGP, Gujarat State, Mr Chakrovarty, CP Ahmedabad, Mr Kaushik and other officers of the Gujarat State. On October 23, 2003, Teesta Setalvad, Secretary CJP formally applied to the Mumbai police for protection after repeated warnings from the field office of the CJP in Gujarat. Before this she had been granted protection only in Gujarat. The Mumbai police have provided protection since November 6, 2003. The details of the threats received by Shri Rais Khan on the mobile are : 1) The first of the recent threats in the last week was received by Mr RaisKhan on November 4, 2003 at 9.28 a.m. when he was in Viramgam following the violence that broke out there last Sunday. The only details that showed up on his mobile was of the date and time. The male voice said that, " We know you are in Viramgam; keeping a track every minute; protection ke saath ghum rahe ho; pro ke saath hi uda donge; (with protection we will finish you); Gujarat chod ke nikal jao;(Leave Gujarat and go); Tum jab se yahan hon Gujarat ka vatavaran kharab hua hai (Since you have come to Gujarat atmosphere has been received) 2) The second threat was received by him on November 7, 2003 at 17.31 minutes when again only the date and time showed up on my mobile. We urge your esteemed publication to give prominent coverage to the threats received by representatives of a group committed to justice, peace and reconciliation in Gujarat. Teesta Setalvad Secretary ENDS. MOVEMENT FOR SECULAR DEMOCRACY C/o Narmad Meghani Library, Opposite Natraj Railway Crossing, Mithakhali, Ellisbridge Ahmedabad 380 006 Tel/ Fax : (079) 6404418. email-dnrad1@sancharnet.in In the New Year meet of Movement for Secular Democracy held on 8th November, 2003, a resolution was passed condemning the communal incidents in Viramgam and Ahmedabad , and signed by the citizens and a memorandum was sent to the Governor of Gujarat: - MEMORANDUM To , Shri Kailashpati Mishra The Honorable Governor of Gujarat Gandhinagar We, the peace-loving people & citizens of the state, would like to inform you that we are shocked by the incidents which took place in Viramgam and Shah-e-Alam area of Ahmedabad. A strong consensus from the entire world has risen to provide justice to the carnage affected and security to the witnesses and even the Supreme Court of India expressed special concern about it which made us hopeful that the new year will spread the light of ' Aman, Ekhlaas & Insaaf' in Gujarat. But we are sorry to note that the atmosphere of New Year greetings became bloodstained by the incidents of Viramgam and those followed it. These have been done with intention to encash vote-bank and with shrewd political motives but we clearly believe that this is not possible without the direction and support of the State. So, at this stage, we again request you to see that the responsible get proper punishment and the rule of law be maintained in the state. The Signatories are Prakash N. Shah (Convenor MSD), Balawantbhai Shah(senior Journalist),Batuk Vora(journnlist),Bharat Pathak, Ila Joshi, Suvarna, Fr.Cedric Prakash, Fr. Francis Parmar, Vinod Shukla,Ganapat Rathod,Vismay Shah, Damini Shah,D. N. Vashi, Mehul Trivedi,Ayub Ibrahim, D.Ramkrishnan,Ramesh. Yadav,N.I. Parmar, Kanu Khadadiya,Kantibhai Vyas,Ashish Mehata, Beena Macwan,Himmat Shah,Anil Patel, Rama Vora,Hastimal Sagara, Fr.Mangalam,Veronica M. D'souza, Suryabehn Shah,Daniel Macwan, R.R.Soman, Dr.Hanif Lakadawala, Janakbhai Dave, Kokilaben Dave, Jayesh Patel, Bhaveeka Shah, Hemant Mehta,Nayana Shah,Bhaveek Raja, Dwarika Nath Rath and others N.B.This text is free translation from Gujarati. The Memorandum is in Gujarati Language. ENDS. Posted by: Awaaz / 11/12/2003 05:30:29 PM The News on Sunday October 12, 2003 HUDOOD LAWS: Extremely misused In line with the NCSW's recommendation that Hudood laws be repealed, many legal and religious experts hold that these laws do not fulfil the criteria for providing justice under national, international or religious law By Beena Sarwar "This law is used mostly for revenge," says Parveen Parvez, a lawyer at Karachi's City Courts, talking about Pakistan's Zina, or adultery, laws that are part of the Hudood Ordinance of 1979. "Most cases are registered by parents against their daughters who have married of their own choice, or husbands whose wives re-marry after divorce." Although overall, the number of women booked under this law hasdecreased compared to when it was first enforced in 1980, Parveen says she has only seen zina cases increase in the last ten or twelve years that she has been practicing. In 1979, there were only 70 women in prisons all over Pakistan. By 1988, this figure was an astounding 6,000 (six thousand). The number of prosecutions under the Zina Ordinance not only multiplied, they became the majority of the cases against women being dealt with. In three years (1994-96), the Women Police Station Karachi South, registered 113 cases against women, 94 out of which ((80 %), were registered under the Zina Ordinance. In 1988, 47 per cent of the women in Punjab prisons had been charged with zina. Besides the two kinds of cases that Parveen identifies as being predominantly booked under Zina, three other categories of women are adversely affected by these laws, notes Dr Farida Akhtar, president of the JUP's women wing in Karachi and a Member of the National Assembly representing the MMA. "Girls who are raped are also imprisoned in our jails under the zina laws. Then there are the prostitutes - but some 'dalal' or other always gets them out. And fifth, there are those girls who are forced into this profession by their fathers and brothers, I have met such girls in jail myself, who say they were forced, and arrested during a police raid." So shouldn't these laws be repealed, considering that they have led to thousands of women being unjustly accused of adultery, and then imprisoned? "But all these thousands of women have only been imprisoned," retorts Dr Akhtar. "None of them have been punished under the Hudood laws so far, because of the condition requiring four witnesses. That is what has saved them." The argument that every law can be misused may be correct to some extent. But, thus stated, it addresses the wrong question. Certainly, the strict condition for four adult Muslim males who are truthful and abstain from major sins to bear witness against anyone accused of Zina, has led to most such cases being acquitted -- eventually, anyway -- 95 per cent, according to a statement by former Chief Justice of the Federal Shariat Court M. Afzal Zullah. But conversely, this condition has also been inverted so that a woman who has been raped is also required under this law, to provide these four 'tazkiat-uz-shahood' -- or else risk being accused of adultery herself. Lower courts have pronounced severe sentences under the Hudood laws in several such cases. Some such high profile cases of the 1980s include 13-year old Jehan Mina, raped and made pregnant by an uncle and his son, and sentenced to a hundred lashes, reduced to 15 in view of her tender age. The blind maid servant Safia Bibi was sentenced to a similar punishment. In both cases, the fact that the raped girls had become pregnant was used against them, as proof of the sex act having been committed. The men were acquitted on benefit of doubt in both cases. Besides sentences of whipping and imprisonment, several women have also undergone the trauma of being sentenced to death by stoning, the most recent case being that of Zafran Bibi in Kohat last year. In all these cases, there was a huge public outcry by Pakistan's women's rights activists, and much unwanted international attention to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. And in all these cases, as in most zina cases, the higher courts of appeal acquitted the women. In August 2002, the Federal Shariat Court finally established the principle in the Zafran Bibi case that a woman's pregnancy was not proof of adultery. A similar principle was established by an Islamic court in Nigeria recently, when Amina Lawal was acquitted of adultery and the sentence of stoning to death awarded by a lower court overturned. But in Pakistan, besides imprisonment, at least some women have undergone the pain and humiliation of being whipped, like Lal Mai, administered 15 lashes in public in Bahawalpur on Sept 30, 1983, and Rukhsana Yusuf, 15 lashes in Karachi Central Jail, on July 18, 1987. The reason for such injustices, believes Farida Ahmed, are our flawed 'administrative and procedural' measures. As a member of the Special Committee constituted by the present National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) to review laws relating to women, her's was one of the two dissenting votes against Committee's recent recommendation that the Hudood laws be repealed. The other dissenting vote came from Dr Sher Zaman, Chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology. The 17-member Committee was headed by retired High Court Judge Majida Rizvi, who also headed the now defunct NCSW; besides the members mentioned above, it included members of the Council of Islamic Ideology and religious scholars, in addition to lawyers and retired judges. The majority upheld the Committee's recommendation that the Hudood laws be repealed. As expected, the recommendation once again ignited the ongoing 20-year old debate about the Hudood laws. Veiled Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) women demonstrated in Islamabad against the NCSW recommendation, and in favour of retaining the Hudood laws. The NWFP Assembly passed a unanimous resolution condemning the NCSW recommendation as part of the 'conspiracy against Islam'. Men and women activist groups demonstrated in Islamabad and Karachi in support of the NCSW, and against the Hudood laws. Such demonstrations have been taking place on and off for years. But until now, the related reportage and debate was limited mostly to the print media -- especially English and Sindhi publications. Now, for the first time television in Pakistan covered the issue, thanks to the private channels that have recently emerged. But two decades of a lack of public debate has contributed to the continuing misconceptions about these laws. People often assume that they are Islamic, and therefore justified. But, as the women's rights activist Nasreen Azhar boldly stated on a talk show recently, "Unfortunately, when anything that is done in the name of Islam, people keep quiet and are afraid to say anything." (Capital Talk, Geo). Many legal and religious experts are clear that in any case, these laws do not fulfil the criteria for providing justice under national, international or religious law. "If there are only administrative problems, it is another matter," says retired Sindh High Court judge Shaiq Usmani. "But there are flaws in the very drafting and enactment of these laws." His belief that the driving principle in the religion of Islam is the provision of justice, and therefore, any law which leads to injustice cannot be in conformity with Islam, is shared by many, including Justice Majida Rizvi. "We studied each line, each word, of the Zina Ordinance, to see whether those who drafted these laws correctly interpreted religion, and applied its principles," she says. "The majority of the members were of the view that there are so many flaws in these laws, that it would be impossible to correct them. Therefore, we came to the conclusion that these laws should be repealed, and if the government really wants to enact Hudood Laws, this should be done after a thorough study, and after there is a debate in parliament and in public to ensure that any such law is actually in conformity with the injunctions of Islam." Like many others, she brushes aside the suggestion that this is God's law, and cannot be tampered with. "This is a man-made law, it was brought in by presidential ordinance, without any parliamentary debate," she asserts. Dr Aslam Khaki, a Supreme Court lawyer and honorary counsel to the Federal Shariat Court, agrees. A product of madrassah education himself, he unhesitatingly cites the relevant Quranic verse or hadith when crossing swords with the self-appointed custodians of Islam. "The motive behind these laws was political, not religious," he states. "Gen. Ziaul Haq had come into power after toppling a popularly elected government, and he had to justify his act. The slogan of Islamisation was convenient for this purpose." Groundwork for this step had already been laid. In a bid to pander to the religious lobby, Prime Minister Z.A. Bhutto had already outlawed gambling, horse-racing and the sale of alcohol to non-Muslims, instituted Friday as the weekly holiday instead of Sunday and allowed the Ahmedis to be constitutionally declared as non-Muslims. Rather than achieving support from the conservatives, each step only encouraged them to demand more -- rather like the camel who started out by putting a hoof in the tent, and ending up by ousting the tent's owner and taking over the entire tent. The 'elections in 90 days' promised to the nation by the initially obsequious Gen. Zia turned into eleven long years. The war against Communist USSR in neighbouring Afghanistan provided yet more fodder for the 'Islamisation' plan, and extending the general's stint in power with Washington's blessings. It was against this backdrop, with political opposition decimated by repressive policies against activists that included whipping, torture, and executions, and the religious lobby firmly by his side, that Gen Zia played havoc with the constitution -- in the name of Islam. This havoc included the Hudood laws, introduced by presidential ordinance in 1979, and enforced in 1980. They deal with four kinds of offences that would from now be liable to 'hadd' (extreme) punishment, while the fifth part pertains to the punishment to be administered for these offences. The offences, as defined by the new law, are Offences against Property (crimes of theft and armed robbery); Offence of Qazf (bearing false witness or making false accusations); Prohibition (drug trafficking and alcohol consumption); and Offence of Zina (rape, abduction of women and zina or adultery). The fifth part of Ordinance, dealing with the punishment, is Execution of the Punishment of the Whipping Ordinance. Two sets of punishments are provided by these laws, hadd and tazir. Hadd punishment can only be administered on confession of the accused or if the act has been witnessed by four adult Muslim males who are truthful and abstain from major sins. Non-Muslims can only bear witness where the accused is also a non-Muslim, and the testimony of women is thus excluded by default. "So if a crime is committed in a place where there are only women, the rapist or thief can't be brought to justice, because the only witnesses are women. What kind of justice is that?" asks Justice Majida Rizvi. "Are they trying to say that Islam does not recognise women as witnesses, when the murderers of Hazrat Usman were caught on the evidence of just one woman?" Recommendations of the 1997 report The NCSW's recommendation to repeal the Hudood laws made echoes the recommendation by another government-instituted commission, the 1997 Report of the then Commission of Inquiry for Women, chaired by Supreme Court Judge, Nasir Aslam Zahid -- who was also on the recent Committee. While the present Commission's report is yet to be made public, the 1997 Report notes that earlier, under the Pakistan Penal Code, adultery was a personal crime -- complaints could only be made by the husband of the adulteress, but females could not be punished under this law. The offence was compoundable and bailable, and if the complainant dropped the charges, criminal proceedings were automatically dropped. The punishment was five years or a fine, or both. The state could not be a party. The Report summarises the reasoning behind this leniency: the authors of the PPC argued that within the prevalent feudal and patriarchal social structures, women were rarely in total control of their lives and actions. "Making them liable to willing adultery in such unequal circumstances, where even the false hint of it would doom the women to life, would frequently amount to injustice. Besides, the very criminal liability of a woman would have the effect of enlarging the circumstances of her victimization, since she would then be open to blackmail, to threats of her implication in willing acts of zina. Finally, it was thought that such a provision would lead to the traditional rules and norms being made even more inhibiting for women and raise the level of their social oppression and of familial control of their lives. Thus the writers of the Penal Code concluded that they would not throw into a scale already loaded against women, the additional weight of the penal law. "Their apprehensions proved only too true after the Ordinance came in. In the pre-Zina Ordinance period, there were only a handful of reported cases of adultery. As soon as the law was changed to include women within the scope of its punishment, allegations of zina started to run into thousands. This clearly indicates that as long as it was only the male who could be punished for adultery, there was a reluctance to prosecute. The Ordinance became a tool in the hands of those who wished to exploit women." (1997 Report of the Commission of Inquiry for Women, p. 65-66). ENDS. October 12, 2003 PRESS RELEASE Faizabad, 12 October. Jankshetra, a group of intellectuals, writers and cultural activists, made an appeal to the peace loving people of Ayodhya and Faizabad to discourage the activities of the karsevaks coming to take part in the program organized by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad on the 17th of the month. The appeal reminded them of the killings, looting and arson following the previous Shilapoojan program of the VHP.The activities of the Hinduttva forces has always played a great havoc on the common people. Women and children have suffered the most in the repercussion of such communal activities. The appeal asserted that only the discouragement of these activities by the general public could bring these antisocial programs to an end. ENDS. [The latest film under attack by the Hindu right ] BAJRANG UP IN ARMS OVER 'VULGAR' MOVIE TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ SUNDAY, OCTOBER 05, 2003 12:53:38 AM ] http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/xml/uncomp/articleshow?msid=216487 AMRITSAR: The Bajrang Dal is demanding a ban on the ongoing filming here for Gurinder Chadha's Indo-British movie, Bride and Prejudice. They burnt her effigy on Saturday and petitioned the deputy commissioner. The film, they alleged, denigrates Indian culture and values, by the filming of sensual scenes of our actresses with foreign actors. Their state convenor, Rakesh Madan, told journalists Bride and Prejudice was misrepresenting Indian culture ENDS. http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20031005/punjab1.htm PROTESTS MARK SHOOTING OF 'BRIDE AND PREJUDICE' Aishwarya shoots in 'old house' amid security Rashmi Talwar Amritsar, October 4 Protests marked the first day of shooting by Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai on the sets of Indo-British production "Bride and Prejudice" here today. Activists of the Bajrang Dal and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) burnt the effigy and shouted slogans against film director Gurinder Chadda in the busy Hall Bazaar area, protesting against the shooting here. They alleged that the film would exhibit "improper and vulgar" scenes that were against Indian and Punjabi cultural values and would adversely affect the perception of the Holy City the world over. Mr Rakesh Madaan, state activist of the dal, gave a memorandum to the Amritsar Deputy Commissioner demanding a halt to the shooting of the film. They also demanded that the Censor Board of India should ban the movie. ENDS. Sabrang Alternative News Network Citizens for Justice and Peace October 13, 2003 Press Release "Ban Yatra Politics, End the Sacrificing of Innocent Lives in the Name of Religion" -----Appeal to the UP Chief Minister Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav and to Union Home Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Shri LK Advani Families of Godhra victims who's wives were burnt alive in the S-6 Coach of the Sabarmati Express appeal for and end to the politics that takes innocent lives. They demand a) A Ban on Future Ayodhya Yatras especially the one planned from October 15, 2003 Four Victim Families who lost their wives/mothers.sisters in the gruesome mass burning of 59 innocent people on board the S-6 Coach of the Sabarmati Express on February 27, 2002 have appealed to the UP ChiefMinister Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav and Union Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani to immediately prohibit the planned rath yatra to Ayodhya on October 15, 2003. In a fervent appeal made through Citizens for Justice and Peace, an organisation dedicated to struggling for justice to the victims of violence, they have made this appeal. Sworn affidavits accompany this appeal for peace and against the politicisation of religion. The names of the Godhra victim families on who's behalf we are making this plea are: Dr Girshbhai Rawal, 82 years old, lost his wife Sudhabehn in the Godhra tragedy and his son, Ashwinbhai when he was stabbed at Ramol on April 16, 2002. Ashwinbhai was the local Bajrang Dal President and a BJP card holder. Ashwinbhai's wife, Belabehn and 18 year-old daughter Khushboo; Bharatbhai Panchal, 40 years old lost his wife Jyotibehn in the Godhra tragedy. His daughter Shefali, now 16 years and son Dhawal; Prakashbhai Chodagar, 35 years old, lost his wife Nilimabehn (Amibehn) in the tragedy. Their children are Harsh, 8 years and younger son, Meet (4 years); Sharadbhai Mhatre, 42 years, who lost his wife Malabehn. The letter, a copy of which is attached, states that the Godhra victims " , have expressed their concern that these rath yatras invariably vitiates the atmosphere and become the cause or result of violence. The affidavits of some of these relatives are annexed. We also believe that these yatras only serve political purposes. Moreover they have the searing impact of ripping apart the centuries' old harmony and lived secularism of Indian society which is also the basic structure and part of the Indian Constitution. "Our country and the Indian polity has been held ransom to this politico-religious mobilisation for over almost two decades now and this must stop. We apprehend that the yatra which is scheduled to start on October 15, 2003 will also lead to a cycle of communal violence and cause heightened insecurity among the minority communities all of which will further vitiate the already surcharged atmosphere in the country. In the context of what has happened during the similar yatras and agitations in the past, we strongly urge and demand that you prevent the forthcoming rath yatra by issuing prohibitory orders and also ensure that there is no problem of outburst of violence and no problems concerning law and order." Sworn affidavits of the victim families have also been attached to the letter. An excerpt from Dr Girishbhai Rawal's affidavit states: "*After 19 months of loss, I say and submit that I feel that me and my entire family, as also other victims of the Godhra tragedy, have been made sacrificial goats by the VHP in their political game. I say this because my wife participated in the yatra spontaneously thinking it was a religious event. In her life and mine we did not share the communal sentiments that are part and parcel of the VHP/BJP's politics. Since this tragedy of the Godhra incident and our family members have been used by the VHP and the BJP to amass crores of rupees, here and abroad, and also win the last elections. Worst still, they were used for justifying the murders at Naroda and BEST Bakery have been shockingly committed and justified. Fifty-nine people burnt in Godhra and 2500 people massacred all over Gujarat! Who has done all these things and who has benefited this things? On many occasions the VHP and BJP have held functions with big names from the NRI world and collected large sums of money while they made us sit on the dias as scape goats. Where has this money gone and what has it been used for? * The Honourable Supreme Court should investigate the collection of funds and what they are used for by the VHP and BJP. Cassettes and CD's were made, T-shirts were distributed, all around the death of 59 persons by burnings in the S6 coach in the Sabarmati Express. But those forces that are capitalizing on this tragedy have no concern for the poor and innocent lives lost, they are interested in their own politics and are again trying to begin one more yatra. As victims of Godhra burning, and personally as a father who has suffered his son's joining the VHP and becoming a victim of their hate propaganda by absorbing it in his heart and mind, I earnestly feel that all such yatras like the Ayodhya yatra which is political and not religious, which causes and uses violence should be banned. The Central government will not do it so it is up to the Honourable Supreme court to take this historic step. * The investigation into the causes and fallout of the Godhra tragedy too are being suppressed by the current BJP establishment. The kind of threats and intimidation that are used to avoid fair testimony in Courts and before the Nanavaty-Shah Commission, and the fact that no real impartial truth has come out so far suggests clearly that unless the Honourable Supeme Court takes a direct and personal interest in the Godhra and Other Investigations, Justice will not be done. The police is completely under the sway of the BJP and VHP politics in the State and therefore we urge you to respond to our appeal in the matter. Even Courts in Gujarat cannot function free of the communally surcharged atmosphere which the establishment is doing nothing to diffuse. In fact statements of senior functionaries of the state and the center further aggravate the situation andpolice atrocities against innocent minorities continue." The CJP will be following its commitment to file an intervention petition on behalf of the Godhra S-6 victims in the Supreme Court very shortly. Teesta Setalvad Secretary Citizens for Justice and Peace Shri Vijay Tendulkar (President), Shri IM Kadri (Vice President), Teesta Setalvad (Secretary) Members: Shri Cyrus Guzder, Shri Titoo Ahluwalia, Shri Alyque Padamsee, Shri Javed Akhtar, Shri Ghulam Pesh Imam, Shri Nandan Maluste, Shri Anil Dharker and Shri Javed Anand ENDS. ANHAD DISPATCH NO.1. FOUR DAY WORKSHOP OF FUTUTRE RESOURCE PERSONS Dear Friends, Over the last six months Anhad in close collaboration with over hundred other organisations has organised 14 residential camps to equip the participants in countering the RSS/ VHP/ Sangh Parivar hate propaganda and prejudices. The session which specifically deals with countering Myths is a whole day session taken by Dr. Ram Puniyani. It is physically not possible For Ram to go to every workshop and to every corner of India . This whole day session is a very essential part of the workshop . Anhad is organising a four day intensive training workshop with Ram Puniyani ,where he will train others to take his session. The workshop will be in Delhi from October 27-30, 2003. The venue will be decided in a few days time. Who can participate: Maximum number of participants: 30 1. People who are seriously concerned with the rise of right wing in India. 2. Who would be ready to give time whenever Anhad needs them to take a session. 3. They are highly articulate and have enough intellectual capacity to grasp the issue ( only heart in the right place is not sufficient) 4. Preferably they have attended Ram's session in one of our workshops or elsewhere. It is essential for the participants to read Ram Puniyani's Primer on Communalism before the workshop begins. The final decision on participants will be taken by Anhad. You can nominate people from your organisations/ or self nominate . Please send the details to NO. 2 YOUTH FOR PEACE Anhad launched its Youth For Peace programme in Delhi on September 27, 2003 with a concert by Indian Ocean at the Lal Chwok Open Air Theatre, Pragati Maidan. The programme was attended by over 3500 students from schools and colleges. Youth For Peace had its meeting on 12th October . Youth for Peace is organising a day long workshop with Ram Puniyani on October 26th , 2003 . The main agenda for Youth for Peace is to work amongst students in schools and colleges on the questions related to communalism and peace . Youth For Peace felt that it was neccessary for the present members of Youth 4 Peace as well as for those who want to join it to get a basic orientation on the issue before they actually start working in schools and colleges. Those wishing to join Youth 4 peace and attending the workshop should write to A workshop with Ram Puniyani for Youth For Peace . Venue: 4, Windsor Place, Ashoka Road, Opposite Kanishka Hotel, New Delhi-110001. Tel- 23327367/ 66 (There is a big tree at the back under which 100 people can sit very comfortably- the workshop will be under the tree) Sincerely Shabnam Hashmi ENDS. The Times of India, October 15, 2003 Interview Healing Touch for Godhra [ Monday, October 13, 2003 11:59:46 Pm ] Even before the Sabarmati Express coach was set alight at Signal Falia on Feb 27 last year, Godhra knew Dr Shujaat Vali as a gynaecologist who was trying to bring Hindus and Muslims in the town closer. In the ensuing riots, his nursing home was prevented from being burnt down by Hindus who prevailed upon miscreants in their own community. After last month's communal clash in Godhra, peace activists conducted a survey there. He spoke to Jyoti Punwani about the exercise: Tell us about this survey. To protest against the communal violence on September 4 during the Ganesh yatra, we organised a fast. A week later, a rally was taken out at which we distributed a questionnaire, prepared after a detailed discussion amongst all NGOs. The rally passed through the main areas of Godhra. A total of 428 persons answered the questionnaire, 55 per cent Muslim and 45 per cent Hindu. What was the response of the people? Very enthusiastic. They seemed eager to fill in the questionnaire. We could sense their sincerity and seriousness. They felt that their opinion counted. What were the findings? We asked four questions. The responses were: 89 per cent felt that recurring riots were the main hurdle in Godhra's progress; four per cent disagreed; the rest didn't answer this question. Over 84 per cent believed that the route of religious yatras should be appropriately planned. Nearly as many felt that religious and political rallies should be banned in times of communal tension. How will these findings help? The administration should pay attention to them and take decisions on the basis of these results. Before the Ganesh yatra, most people had felt that if it was not allowed to pass through Muslim-dominated areas, trouble could be avoided. The administration, too, seemed to agree with this view. But it felt it had no grounds on which to order the change of route. Now, on the basis of the results of this survey, they will be able to convince organisers of yatras not to take them through sensitive areas. Godhra saw no deaths in mob violence after Feb 27 last year, though the Sabarmati Express was burnt there. Why did the recent violence take place? The Friday namaz coincided with the Ganesh yatra. So, there was a lot of tension already. Muslims decided to observe aself-imposed curfew. When the yatra reached Rani Masjid, near Polan Bazaar, some miscreants wrote "Jai Shree Ram" on the blackboard outside the masjid. This provoked stone-throwing from both sides, and finally resulted in looting and arson. After Feb 27, the administration had initiated peace efforts. Have they been continuing? They came to a stop just before the elections. In June this year, however, we again got together and decided to do something at least once a month. In Godhra, 11 NGOs jointly organised a 'Mehndi Harifai' in which 176 girls participated. One Hindu and one Muslim girl sat opposite each other and applied mehndi on each other's hands. Girls from all strata of society took part in this. In July, we organised a qawwali and in August, a mushaira. Both were attended by Hindus and Muslims. After the violence in September, we observed a day's fast in the sensitive Patelwada, conducted the survey, distributed pamphlets and organised a peace rally in which 2,000 persons participated, despite it being a working day. Are the two communities as polarised as they were after the burning of the train? Most Hindus still feel that Muslims were responsible for the riots because they burnt the train. They feel Muslims are the main cause of conflict. Muslims, on the other hand, believe that they are being falsely targeted by politicians from the majority community. Especially after Maulana Umerji's arrest (as the chief conspirator behind the burning of the train), Muslims, specially Ghanchis, feel cowed down and defeated. They feel that communal forces want to destroy them, and there is no justice for them in India. So, is there no contact between the two communities? What about financial dealings? Gradually, Hindu traders have again started dealing with Muslim retailers and transporters. But these dealings have yet to reach the earlier level. Hindus still avoid Signal Falia's garages. Business there is very bad; electricity comes for just two to four hours a day. Otherwise, the fear of physical harm has reduced and both communities have become less wary of visiting each other's areas. The middle classes of both communities have begun to see through the communal propaganda, and within these sections, the hatred that had sprung up last year has lessened. Among Muslims, the main cause of anger is the continuing arrests of those they feel are innocent in connection with the train incident. The anger is not against Hindus, but against political parties and state functionaries. What can be done to restore normality in Godhra? As is happening in Ahmedabad, economic compulsions and interdependence alone can bring peace to Godhra. The government and public institutions should think about setting up common spaces for both communities to work and trade together. In Godhra, each community is confined to its ghetto. What was the response to the Nanavati-Shah Commission in Godhra? Very bad. Hindus were not interested, except those active in politics. Muslims had no faith in judges. The few witnesses who deposed were not satisfied with the commission. ENDS. [October 15, 2003] AIDWA ANTI-DOWRY CONVENTION IN GORAKHPUR, UP As part of the on-going AIDWA [All India Democratic Women's Association] national campaign against dowry and its expanding dimensions, the Gorakhpur district unit of AIDWA organised an anti-dowry convention in the city on the 11th October. Gorakhpur is currently the hub of the activities of the Hindutva brigade led by the Hindu Mahasabha MP, Mahant Adityanath. For over a year, the Mahant and his Hindu Yuva Vahini hoodlums have been terrorising and attacking poor Muslims in the city and in the villages of the district and neighbouring districts on some pretext or the other. Lives have been lost and many homes and shops burnt down. To have organised a convention of this kind in the prevailing atmosphere and that too by a weak unit was most commendable and was welcomed by many sections of the population including the media, teachers, workers and, of course, women. The convention that began at 12 noon and continued till 3.00 pm was held in the Journalists Association Hall in the heart of the city. More than 250 people attended. Many women including AIDWA activists, members of Samakhya, and others and progressive writers, trade unionists, teachers, youth and students attended. The convention began with an anti-dowry skit that had been prepared and was acted by AIDWA activists and their young daughters. Malti Devi, Dsst President of AIDWA, welcomed all the participants and welcomed Madhu Garg (State President), Jagdish Pandey (Veteran leader of the teachers movement), Veena (Samakhya) and Subhashini Ali (President, AIDWA) on the dais. She spoke of the way in which the district unit had been preparing for this event for the last 2 months. Many area meetings had been held and the initiative had been widely appreciated. She also said that there were some people who felt that this was a very dangerous campaign and they were openly preventing women from attending the convention! Madhu Garg placed the main points of the AIDWA perspective before the convention and formally inaugurated it. The first speaker was Mansa a young dalit student in BA Final who spoke forcefully about the way in which advertisements promoted dowry and greed. She was followed by Shweta Verma a student of B Sc Part 1 who wanted young girls like herself to reject dowry demands even if they had to remain unmarried. Sumitra, a Dalit woman, said that earlier in her community only 20 annas were spent on a marriage and, much later, this amount went up to 51/- but now thousands had to be spent. Advocate Deep Prakash Pathak explained the laws relating to dowry and dowry harassment and violence and lamented the fact that the police and the judiciary were largely unsympathetic. In between the speakers, anti-dowry songs were presented by Mahila Samakhya and Pramod a DYFI activist. Sundari from Samakhya related the case of a young girl who was killed because her dowry was insufficient on her wedding night itself. But due to the intervention of women activists at least her husband and his family members were arrested. Krishna related the heart-rending story of Pushpa who gave birth to her fourth daughter. Her husband refused to go to the hospital to see her and she actually died the next day. Talat Aziz of Dehat orgn. spoke about dowry being a serious problem among Muslims even though there was no religious sanction of any kind for the practice. She said that it was very unfortunate that so-called religious Muslim leaders never condemned it. After this several women and one man who had themselves married into other castes and communities or who had arranged dowryless and intercaste marriages for their children were introduced and also felicitated. This part of the programme created quite a stir in the audience! Arun Sharma, a DYFI activist, spoke of his own marriage to a Muslim girl and of the problems that they had faced; Simran Tirke, Dsst.Secy, AIDWA, described how she a non-tribal married a tribal man and, as a result, her parents faced severe social ostracism but because they were so fond of her husband they faced all this with great determination; Pushpa Sharma, Dsst. Vice-President said that she had refused to take dowry at the time of both her sons' marriages and, in fact, the second marriage had been an inter-caste one - her daughter-in-law also addressed the audience; Parvati Sharma, AIDWA Dsst leader said that even though both her sons were permanent railway employees, she had married both without taking dowry and one of the marriages was an inter-caste one; Kusuma Devi said that she married her son to a girl who was adopted. The audience listened to these brave and unusual people with rapt attention and applauded them enthusiastically. Jagdish Pandey appreciated AIDWA's efforts and congratulated the organisation and Veena Rana of Mahila Samakhya said that her organisation would work closely with AIDWA on the issues of dowry and womens eqauality. The last speaker, Subhashini Ali, spoke about the effects that globalisation and liberalisation were having on our society. The rampant consumerism and use and re-invention of "tradition' for commercial and exploitative purposes was driving dowry demands and fuelling violence against women. In turn, this was aggravating the problem of female foeticide and infanticide leading to the widening of the gender gap. She appealed to all sections to make the struggle against dowry an integral part of all campaigns and struggles against globalisation, She concluded by saying that women had to organise and campaign so that their issues became part of the agenda of political parties who, by and large, exploited womens issues for their own ends but were not really concerned about their problems and about gender injustice. After she spoke, several young boys and girls came to the dias and made a vow not to take dowry or to agree to a marriage where dowry was being demanded. One leader of the teacher's movement even announced that not only would he not take dowry at the time of his son's marriage but he welcomed any suggestions from people in the audience about an educated girl who would be willing to marry his son! The convention ended on this fairly optimistic note. Subhashini Ali ENDS. Ayodhya Diary [Oct 17, 203] VHP: Tents Down in Ayodhya Today [16.10.2003] the tents standing for the proposed Sankalp Karyakram [vow making program] of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad were pulled down on the direction of the state administration. It has become obvious that the administration is firm enough on not allowing any untoward happening on the 17th of the month. It is now very difficult for the VHP to go according to its scheduled program. The administration’s grip on the place of the program has tightened. Keeping in view the program of theVHP the dense barricading in Ayodhya has separated one mohalla from the other. While the administration has stopped the infiltration from out side it has made the movement in Ayodhya difficult too. Now the VHP will depend on the local activists or those in the hidings. This marks the crumbling of the VHP power in Ayodhya.In a face saving attempt it is trying to come to a compromise with the administration to organize its symbolic Sankalp Karyakram at some place away from Ramsevekpuram, the proposed site. The firebrand statements are not made any more by the VHP spokes persons. The administration is keeping a vigil on the intrusion of karsevaks on the borders of Faizabad and Ayodhya.Yesterday, in an unprecedented move, the forces arrested more than 200 karsevaks from the Karsevakpuram.Likewise the forces arrested a number of people in the adjacent cities including the capital of UP, Lucknow.The arrests made on a big scale has minimized the possibility of the intrusion of the karsevaks in Ayodhya from distant places. This has also curbed the power of Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s followers in the near by cities. Mr. [V.].N.Rai, the IG zone and in charge of the action, was in jubilant mood while he informed the journalists about the arrests. It is not improper here to inform that [V.].N.Rai is a noted Hindi novelist and the editor of a reputed Hindi literary magazine 'Vartaman Sahitya'. He is given the responsibility of dealing with the karsevaks by the chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadov.A sensitive job to a sensitive person. Today the arrests continued. Karsevaks were arrested from a train at Sultanpur station. Adityanath, the troublesome Jogi of the Gorakhnath temple, was stopped on his way to Ayodhya.It is in the air that the RSS is planning to mobilize its cadre from the areas meeting the borders of Ayodhya and Faizabad.But over all the entire mood in the Hinduttva camp is somber. And it becomes obvious in the statements made by its leaders.L.K.Adwani has advised Mulayam not to stop the karsevaks from coming to Ayodhya.VHP has said that things will go peacefully if the karsevaks are allowed to move freely. The Prime minister has already advised Mulayam Singh to have faith in the VHP people. But no one is ready to believe those who demolished the Babari mosque in spite of their promise to the court in the year 1992. The VHP has a good track record of breaking such promises in the past. Moreover, once the mob gathers the administration is helpless and can't control it. So the people of Faizabad and Ayodhya view the decision of the administration as a correct one, that is, don't let the mob collect lest it should go out of control. A communal mob has no psychology. From the very beginning of this program of the VHP the people of Faizabad were against such trouble creating ceremonies. The Vyapar Mandal [business circle] was very quick to oppose it. Earlier the BJP and VHP leaders used to collect money for such programs from this class. But the business people soon found out that these activities harmed their business every time the political Hinduism gathered the masses. The shops in Ayodhya either remain closed or devoid of costumers while the Hinduttva forces clash with the administration. Many sants of Ayodhya have turned against the program showing resentment at the way the VHP functions. Another group of saints criticizes the way VHP makes use of religion in its politics. Some sants have started a Budhi Sudhi Yagya [a prayer for the purification of the mind] for the VHP leaders. It is said that Nritya Gopal Das, the head of the Ramjanm Bhumi Nyas, was also opposed to the timing for it was to fall in the Kalpwas period [the time the pilgrims stay in Ayodhya for a month for spiritual enlightenment]. But the VHP argued that the timing would be correct as they wont have to work hard to collect mass as a great number of Hindu believers would be already available during the Kalpvas period. Nritya Gopal Das is not arrested because he is in the Kalpwas. He feels himself alienated in the stalemate of politics. There is the rumour of the reaching of Ashok Singhal in Ayodhya and administration is making the search. What happens on the next and final day is still to be seen. There are many ways of face saving in politics, but there is no doubt that coming down of the tents and bhagwa flags in Ram Sevakpuram shows the slipping of the public support for the Hinduttva forces. It also exhibits that the communal forces can be nailed down if the administration possesses some will power and the support of a government. Raghuvanshmani / 00.10am / 17.10.2003 Faizabad, UP,India ENDS. The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, October 17, 2003 The BJP's long record of extremism & duplicity sits ill with its feigned moderation WHY WE CAN'T TRUST THEM By Praful Bidwai Whatever happens in Ayodhya today, it is plain that the sangh parivar, including the BJP, has decided to milk the Ram temple issue brazenly for political gains. The way the latest, hysterical, mobilisation was launched, led by Central minister Swami Chinmayanand, no less, and the manner in which the RSS-BJP have misinterpreted the Archaeological Survey report on the Ayodhya excavation as if it vindicated 'revenge against history', and decisively established the case for building only a temple and not a mosque, permit no other conclusion. The BJP and its associates are playing with fire. The last time they sent karsevaks in significant numbers to Ayodhya was February last year. The result—via the Ramsevaks’ roguish behaviour on their return journeys, and repeated minor altercations with Muslim vendors in Godhra—was the barbaric burning alive of 59 people and the reign of terror that followed, with the butchery of 2,000 Muslims with state complicity. One can only (anxiously) speculate about the consequences of unleashing the same extremist forces once again. But it's clear that VHP and Shiv Sena fanatics cannot be trusted to behave moderately and peacefully. Their entire agenda is inflammatory and provocative in the first place. It's to compound a horrible wrong—the Babri demolition—by visiting yet more vengeance upon the religious minorities, further humiliating them, and disenfranchising them politically and out of public life. Yet, we have Prime Minister Vajpayee urging us to 'trust' the VHP. This is so counter-intuitive and so violently contradicted by experience and by the VHP's abusive descriptions of him, that it raises another question: can we trust Vajpayee and other 'moderate' BJP leaders? The short answer, after the 11 year-long charade of investigation and prosecution in the Babri demolition case, is a resounding no. To start with, the government rigged the chargesheet, illegitimately splitting it and dropping the conspiracy charge from that assigned to the Rae Bareli ‘special court’. Thus, those guilty of planning, instigating and supervising a crime against the Constitution, would be tried for minor offences—akin to booking a murderer for a parking offence. Now it turns out that the Rae Bareli judge's verdict discharging L.K. Advani was based on flagrant misreading and distortion of a key eyewitness—Anju Gupta, an IPS officer charged with Advani's security on D-Day. According to an Indian Express story, based on the judge's order, Gupta testified that Advani and other leaders provoked the mob with inflammatory speeches and made no effort to stop the demolition. 'Advani was sad only about the fact that people were falling off the domes and dying'. According to Gupta, Advani appealed to the karsevaks to descend from the domes, but only because the mosque was being demolished from the inside. He fully participated in the celebrations that followed the fall of three domes. Uma Bharati and Ritambhara hugged him in ecstasy. Gupta's account is fully corroborated not just by countless other eyewitnesses, including TV crew and print journalists, but above all, by the highly reliable, accurate reports of the Citizens’ Commission on Ayodhya, comprised of Justices O. Chinappa Reddy, D.A. Desai and D.S. Tewatia, themselves based on the examination of 90 witnesses and cross-checking of numerous accounts. Advani, say the reports, was pivotal to the well-planned conspiracy that led to the Babri demolition—right through periodic mobilisations of the mid-1980s (he became BJP president in 1986), his Toyota rath-yatra of 1990, which left a bloody trail, to the nuts-and-bolts planning for December 6, which took place at a crucial closed-door meeting at Vinay Katiyar's Faizabad house the previous day, attended by, among others, the RSS's H.V. Seshadri and K.S. Sudarshan, VHP's Ashok Singhal and Vinay Katiyar, Shiv Sena's Moreshwar Save, and BJP's Pramod Mahajan. Advani was the star | ||