Muslim exclusion in India is deliberate: Prof. Javeed Alam

By TCN News

Hyderabad: Muslims in India are badly under represented in different spheres of life. Their exclusion is rather dramatic. However, like other backward communities, Muslim marginalization has its own history. Prominent Social Scientist, Professor Javeed Alam, Chairman, Indian Council of Social Sciences & Research (ICSSR) expressed these views on Friday while delivering a lecture on “Contemporary Muslim Situation in India: Temporal Dimension” at Maulana Azad National Urdu University.

He was delivering a lecture on “Contemporary Muslim Situation in India: Temporal Dimension”, Orgarnized by the Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy (CSSEIP). Prof. Khalid Saeed, Vice-Chancellor presided over the lecture. Tracing the history of Muslim exclusion & backwardness, Prof. Jevaeed Alam asserts it to be the result of colonial era & practices. Commenting on the political status of Muslim in India, he said that Muslim politics has disappeared from India after Independence. It is an era of region specific Muslim politics. Muslims, in religions terms may be called as a single community, but Muslims in India are not a singular community. Region & language are two of their major distinct features.

He focussed on Social Exclusion of Muslims and the present situation of the community in the country. He highlighted the plight of poverty in the country in general and Muslim Community in particular. He pointed out that colonial rule is responsible for the creation of poverty in India in general and Muslims in particular. In this country, disadvantaged sections and women have been preventing in accessing resources especially since the British rule. Pointing out regarding gender issues, he observed that women have no control over their “work”, “time” and “body”. Men would dictate and decide what women should do. He also pointed out that during pre-independent period there were Muslim Politics under the leadership of Mohammad Ali Jinnah but post-independent period witnessed for region specific politics. For example, politics of Muslims in Andhra Pradesh is different from neighbouring states. Similarly, politics in Uttar Pradesh is different from politics of Muslims in West Bengal. There is nothing called all India Muslim Politics at present.

Further, he says that there is no all India Muslim Communalism but there is all India Hindu communalism. Ideology of Hindutva, Sangh Parivar and its organizational set up are promoting this trend. In the wake of Sachchar Committee Report, all these realities came into lime light. He questioned that why Muslims are under-represented in employment and political Institutions. He pointed out in this connection, education and skill development is very low among the Muslims. He also pointed out about absence of infrastructural development (viz. roads, plumbing, roofed house, schools and medical facilities) in Muslim dominated 90 districts lead to further exclusion of the community. It is because of Indian democracy, it is possible to have Sachchar Committee Report whereas in other countries (like Pakistan and China) it would not be possible.

Government of India assigned ICSSR to carry out a study in 90 Muslim population highly concentrated districts all over India to find out the plight of poverty and other problems. He said that ICSSR has carried out it and submitted reports of 90 districts to the government.

It is important to focus on politics of citizenship. Exclusion of Muslims is very dramatic. They are under-represented in every aspect. It is all deliberate one in this country. Muslims are butchered, massacred across several states. Muslim have been marginalized and even made landless in West Bengal. As a Marxist he is also critical of state in this regard. Finally, in order to understand and addressing these pertinent issues centres like CSSEIP should play prominent role to address the issues of exclusion of Muslims and work out modality for their inclusion.

RSS believes only Hindus are Indians

Ram Puniyani

RSS is one of the major organizations in the country which influences and controls different political and semi political organizations, calling themselves as Sangh Parivar. It does claim to be a cultural organization, but it is implementing its political agenda of achieving Hindu Nation by creating organizations, which implement its ideology and political agenda at different layers, by different means. While its progenies claim that they are autonomous, their autonomy is a ‘controlled autonomy’, the boundaries of their autonomy are decided by RSS, which directly or indirectly controls them. It is due to these facts that the statement of the Sarsanghchalak (Chief) of RSS cannot be taken lightly, they tell us about the political ideology of this combine and give the indication of the dynamics of politics which this organization is going to implement in times to come.

It is in this light that what Mohan Bhagawat said on 28th February (2010) in Bhopal at Hindu Samagam needs to be understood and taken as a warning signal. While speaking on the occasion, Bhagwat said that those who were Indians are Hindus and one who was not a Hindu he cannot be Indian. He reiterated that Hinduism is not a religion, it is a way of life and that if Hindus become stronger, Nation will become stronger.

At one level there is nothing new in this formulation. There is a change in presentation format and intensity of their definition of Hinduism and Hindus. The starting point of RSS ideology is Savarkar’s definition of Hindu being one who regards this land from Sindhu (Indus) to sea as holy land and father land. Here there is a clear indication that followers of those religions which did not originate in India are not Hindus, i.e. Muslims, Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians are out of the ambit of this definition.

After this first round of elimination comes the statement that the one who is not a Hindu cannot be an Indian. Here the story becomes complete, to deny citizenship status to all the followers of these religions. Another of the favorite line of RSS is dropped in here; that Hinduism is not a religion but a way of life. This formulation at a time was upheld by court judgment, but can this be ideologically true? Is it theologically valid? How does one define religion, and how does one define way of life. Way of life is a much broader concept than religion. Way of life includes; regional nuances, culture, food habits, social associations, the struggle for livelihood and much more come under this umbrella. Many a times, people of different religions have a way of life which has a big overlap, and mostly people of same religion may have a way of life which is very different from each other.

The way of life of Kerala Muslim was much closer to the Kerala Christian and Hindu, the way of life of a Punjabi Hindu may be very different from the way of life of a Bengali Hindu or a Hindu settled in Mauritius or UK and USA. People do adjust and adapt to each other cutting across their religious faith. That’s how the syncretic traditions and culture developed and flourished in India. That’s how we have Ramdeo Baba Pir in Rajasthan with following amongst Hindus and Muslims and we have Satya Pir in Orissa revered by people of all communities. Who can forget saints like Kabir who united the society along the moral values coming from different religions, and who can ignore the fact that the Sufi saint shrines are frequented by people of all religions. In Mumbai the Mount Mary Church of Mahim is a place where people from all religions light the candles and pay obeisance to Mother Mary.

The formulation ‘way of life’ has been deliberately propped up to confuse the scope of religion. While religion is itself a very broad category, including moral values, rituals, holy books, way of worship, presence of clergy and specific festivals, that does not exhaust the term way of life, which is much broader to begin with and is ever expanding, ever changing, ever trying to attain newer paths due to the process of social transformation, which is the key to social progress and community life.

Coming to the formulation, ‘Hinduism is not a religion’, it is a mere eye wash to get legitimacy to put forward Hinduism’s claim to be the sole religion here in India. It is a clever ploy to impose Hindu religion on minorities. RSS knows like most others that Hinduism is a religion. Surely it is not a prophet based religion but it does have most features which qualify for it being called a religion. Mere absence of a prophet does not make it non-religion. As there is no prophet in Hinduism many ideologies, philosophies and faiths can survive within its pantheon. These range from the Atheist Charvak tradition to the belief in multiple Gods and Goddesses, to monotheism, to the concept of formless God, to the concept of God which is primarily based around virtuosity. But still Hinduism does qualify as a specific religion all the same. Hinduism has holy books, holy deities, rituals, specific philosophy, holy symbols like cow etc. Even RSS literature makes it clear that Hinduism is a religion. The oath admininistered at the time of joining RSS does mention Hinduism as a religion. Its books taught in various Sarswati Shishu mandirs etc. do refer to Cow as the Holy mother for Hindus, its biggest ever political campaign was in the name of Lord Ram’s temple in Ayodhya.

It is a deceptive and clever move by RSS to talk in many languages and dish out various formulations about Hinduism and Hindus. The idea is either to impose it on those who are not Hindus or to co-opt others into Hindus pantheon under the ploy that all are Hindus. Surely at one time the word Hindu began as a geographical category, for all those living on east of river Sindhu (Indus). After that the various locally prevalent religious traditions got clubbed as Hinduism and these traditions on one side were those based on Purush Sukta of Vedas (Brahmanism, caste hierarchy) and on the other, traditions which refuted Brahmanism (Shamanic traditions of Nath, Tantra, Bhakti Siddha etc,) Like most religions Hinduism is also diverse one, but it is religion all the same.

So formulation that those who are not Hindus are not Indians is a big insult to Indian Constitution. India became a nation through it struggle to get independence. The national movement, which led the people against British colonial powers also acted, played the role of uniting people of all regions, religions, castes and gender into a single identity of Indian ness. Interestingly RSS which is talking of India, patriotism etc. was not a part of national movement. Its patriotism was sleeping when the whole nation was struggling against British rule. On the contrary one of its trained pracharak of RSS went on to kill the spirit of Indian-ness, father of the Indian nation, Mahatma Gandhi. Contrary to what RSS says people of India rejected the ideology of RSS, its politics all through. Not only Hindu nationalism of RSS but also the Muslim Nationalism of Muslim League was also dumped by the people of India. It is only due to British Policy of ‘divide and rule’ that communalists like Muslim league and RSS survived, and the latter has hit back from the decade of 1980 due to multiple factors.

Indian Constitution is the embodiment of the values of national movement, the movement for getting freedom of the country. It is based on the values of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. Equality is mentioned to indicate that irrespective of religion, caste and gender, we are equal citizens. The ideas being propagated by RSS and its progeny are against the grain of Indian nationalism, against Indian Constitution, so there is an urgent need that we counter the communal ideology of RSS.

To say that nation will become strong if Hindus become strong, is again in total violation of the soul and spirit of Indian nationalism. The people of all religious communities have contributed to the making of this nation. People of all religious communities constitute Indian nation. The myth of Hindu unity or for that matter the unity of any people along religious lines had no place in History neither it has any relevance in today’s society. The states are formed on geographical lines and only those ideologies which are inclusive of all have a place in History. The exclusive, divisive notions like the ones’ of RSS, Muslim League of yesteryears and Muslim Communalism of today and Christian Fundamentalism prevalent in parts of West, deserve to be put in the dustbin, deserve to be rejected lock stock and barrel.

What does Hindu becoming strong mean. Today majority of Hindus are living below poverty line, problem of unemployment, displacement, regionalism and communalism are breaking the back of poor of the society. The whole notion of strength is misplaced. Strength of a community lies in its economic status, social security and human rights. And to talk of Hindu strength in the language of RSS is quite intimidtory to the non Hindus living in the country. We have to cater for all the religious communities and in addition to implement affirmative action for weaker sections of society.

We need to understand that the whole ideology and propaganda of RSS is against the values of Indian nationalism and should be treated with the contempt which such anti national ideas deserve.

Communal Violence Bill: How Useful To Victims?

By Asghar Ali Engineer
csss-isla.com

The Government has got clearance from the Cabinet for introducing the Communal Violence Bill in the coming session of parliament. The Bill was drafted originally in 2005 after 2004 elections in view of the Gujarat carnage of 2002 under the BJP Government headed by Narendra Modi. It was because of Gujarat carnage that Muslims voted for the Congress massively as a result of which NDA was defeated.

The Congress party had promised in its manifesto that it would bring the bill to prevent Gujarat like carnage against minorities. It did draft the Bill in 2005 which we, along with several other NGOs, human rights activists and legal experts, studied and found it wanting in many respects. We organized number of consultations and suggested number of amendments to make it really serve the purpose for which the Bill was drafted.

Mr. Shivraj Patil, the then Home Minister also held number of consultations in few cities and promised to consider various suggestions given by various NGOs and individuals but he did not incorporate these suggestions when final draft was presented. The present draft after going through standing committee and Cabinet too, is hardly better than the original draft. One wonders what Government wants. I would say this cure suggested is worse than the disease.

The present Bill already cleared by the Cabinet, seeks to give more power to the police. In fact police has always been the part of the problem, rather than part of the solution. Had police been fair and impartial, no communal riot can last for more than 24 hours. Those governments which have intended to control communal violence do nothing but ask the police to control violence within 24 hours else office in charge would be suspended. And communal violence stops before 24 hours.

All those who have investigated communal riots know what role police plays in communal riots from remaining spectators to actively helping the rioters instead of controlling it. In Gujarat and Kandhamal, to give two latest examples, but for the role of police, communal violence would have been controlled in no time. In all major riots police have played openly partisan role. In some cases they have even led rioting mobs.

And if you empower police more in such circumstances, as the present Bill seeks to do, one can very well imagine what havoc it is going to cause. It is victims who need to be empowered, not the police. In a consultation held in Delhi on 12-13 February by ANHAD, Institute of Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, Mumbai (part of CSSS) and several other organizations. They all unanimously rejected the present draft.

Also, another provision of the present draft Bill is to declare an area as disturbed area, if communal riots are not controlled. This is even worse than giving the police more power. It means to give police absolute power. Even when curfew is declared, it is enforced only in minority areas and police hardly enforces its provision in majority areas. Vibhuti Narain’s writings and his novel Shahar Mein Curfew brings this in sharp focus. Vibhuti Narain was a top police officer in the U.P. cadre.

If an area is declared disturbed area police will have powers to shoot anyone at its will. In Kashmir and in North Eastern states people have demanded repeal of disturbed areas act. The victims, instead of getting relief, would feel totally helpless. Any law which gives police more powers without making it accountable cannot be acceptable to those who care for human rights of victims.

Like any other official Bill, there is not a single clause to make administration, police or politicians accountable for their failure to control communal violence. If so, you don’t need any fresh law at all. Human rights activists have always maintained that present laws, if enforced sincerely, can very well take care of any situation. After all the Left Front Government in West Bengal and the RJD in Bihar successfully prevented and controlled communal riots for more than three decades in WB and one and half decade in case of Bihar.

If only state governments enforces section 153-A of Indian Criminal Code in right earnest and arrests all those who make hate speeches and vitiate communal amity, there will be no communal disturbances. No politician would like to go to jail for three years. My experience shows that right from Jabalpur riot in 1961 to Gujarat riots in 2002 to anti-Christian riots in Kandhamal, Orissa, not a single politician was arrested for openly and blatantly provoking communal violence.

Also, no standard and objective method has been laid down for working out reparations and relief measures. It all depends on the whims of chief minister today. Narendra Mody Government offered ridiculous amounts of Rs.500/- and Rs.300/- for houses completely damaged and defying public opinion closed down relief camps much before any concrete measures to rehabilitate the victims were made. Thanks to the private agencies that these camps could be run for a longer period.

Also, there is not much in the present Bill for investigations and successful trial of cases and launching of FIRs. It is well known that police is extremely reluctant to register FIRs and even when it does, it refuses to enter the names of the accused. And less said about the subsequent investigations, the better. The investigation is so shoddy that courts often dismiss the cases against the accused.

In most of the cases the police close them down saying not much evidence is available. In the case of Gujarat the police closed down hundreds of cases which could be reopened only under the Supreme Court orders. Despite all this the present Bill supposedly drafted to help the victims, make no provisions for all this.

It is, therefore, highly necessary to make drastic changes in the present Bill before it is discussed in the Parliament and if the Government is unwilling to introduce necessary changes, the M.P.s should study the Bill carefully and force the Government to bring about necessary amendments in the Bill. All the eminent participants of consultation in Delhi felt that the 59 amendments proposed by the government are nothing but mere tinkering.

The participants felt that neither do the proposed amendments make any structural changes to the Bill nor has the government factored in any of suggestions made by the civil society. The national consultation in Delhi on 12-13 February found fault even with the definition of the communal violence in the Bill. The consultation suggested the definition as “any targeted attack committed on the persons and property of individual or a group of persons on the basis of their religious identity, which can be inferred directly or from the nature or circumstances of the attack.

The consultation also felt that the government’s proposal to declare certain areas as “communally disturbed” was rejected. In fact it demanded that the Chapter II of the Bill be dropped completely arguing that the State already has sufficient powers vested in it by law and further empowering the State and Central governments would, therefore not remedy the situation. The Consultation felt that co-relation between crimes and disturbed area is false, dangerous and untenable, and must not find place in a law on communal violence.

The consultation also felt that instead of doubling the punishment which courts would be reluctant to apply anyway, it noted that other forms of punishment – disqualification from public office, debarring from professional associations or running from public office – should be included in the case of culpability of public officials.

The good example of such disqualification form contesting elections etc. is from Mumbai High Court Judgment delivered by Justice Suresh in late nineties when Bal Thackeray of Shiv Sena made provocative speech in Vile Parle and won the seat for his candidate. Justice Suresh disqualified him for 6 years from voting in any election or contesting any election or even campaigning for his party.

It had restraining effect on him. But this was one instance which was exceptional. If politicians are made to meet such punishment, it would indeed have great effect on them and would desist from temptation to provoke communal violence to win elections in an easy way. The reason why some political leaders are tempted to provoke communal violence, more than ideological reasons, is to win elections by polarizing the voters.

It takes us to yet in another field i.e. that of electoral reforms. In highly diverse country like India with so much religious, linguistic and cultural diversity, the first past the post method which we have blindly copied from England which was then a mono-religious and mono-linguistic society, is highly problematic. We need to either introduce 51% votes for winning or proportional voting or combination of both to remedy the situation. Such electoral method would lead to inclusive rather than exclusive as it is today. Candidates win elections by excluding certain class of people rather than including everyone.

Well until then this Bill needs to be drastically amended to give relief from communal violence.

Indian Elections In Kashmir: The Impact On Freedom

State assembly elections have been held in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir in the past and are likely to continue to be held in the future. If history is any guide, it can safely be inferred that they will neither be accepted by the people of Jammu and Kashmir as a substitute to the right to self-determination or plebiscite, nor they diminish freedom sentiments in the valley.

By Awais Bin Wasi

Introduction

In November-December 2008, the eleventh round of elections, comprising 87 seats, was held in Indian Held Kashmir (IHK). Although elections in this disputed area, which consists of the Kashmir Valley, Jammu and Ladakh regions[1], have always been a focus of world attention, the circumstances and turnout of the 2008 elections gave them added significance.

Indian officials tend to present elections in IHK before the international community as a touchstone for gauging the current trend and vigor of the freedom movement in the valley and for projecting future political developments. Following the 2008 elections, India claimed in the United Nations (UN) that the peaceful conduct of elections was an indication of the consent and acknowledgement of the people of Jammu and Kashmir regarding Kashmir’s accession to the Indian union.[2]

Voter turnout in the 2008 elections [3] was higher than analysts had expected. The elections were held in the backdrop of an unprecedented mass uprising in the wake of the Amarnath yatra controversy [4] . Most observers had projected that elections would either be postponed or, if they were held, voter turnout would be minimal. [5] However, the elections were held according to the stipulated schedule and a large number of people exercised their right to franchise, contrary to previous elections,, [6] in which successful boycott campaigns had kept voter turnout very low.

The high voter turnout was interpreted by some quarters, including even the Indian National Congress President Sonia Gandhi, as proof that the freedom movement in Kashmir had lost impetus. [7] The question arises whether the election results, or for that matter the conduct of the 2008 elections, really signify that support for freedom has decreased.

This question is examined in this paper based on a consideration of the historical dynamics of the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) state assembly elections, the environment and manner in which the 2008 elections were held, and an analysis of the implications of the elections’ results and aftermath.

Historical Background of the J&K Elections

It is necessary to analyze the track record of J&K state assembly elections to understand the place of elections in the debate on the Kashmir issue, and the historical context of the 2008 elections. The following table provides a quick overview of the results of state assembly elections in J&K since 1951.

In the very first state assembly elections, held in 1951, the National Conference (NC), under the leadership of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, won all 75 seats of the Constituent Assembly without any contest as the authorities rejected the nomination papers of the major opposition party-Praja Parishad-on frivolous grounds, and the independent contestants dropped out at the last moment. [9]

In the second elections, held in 1957, the NC secured 68 seats, of which 43 were unopposed, [10] while in 1962, NC candidates ran for 41 seats in the valley and were returned unopposed to 34. In 1967, the Indian National Congress secured 57 seats, of which 22 were returned unopposed. [11]

“On all the three occasions – 1951, 1957, 1962 – the government machinery was completely and unhesitatingly used in support of the ruling party; opponents were disqualified on flimsy and frivolous grounds; the few dauntless candidates dared to stand for the contest were mercilessly beaten or kidnapped; Peace Brigade men were employed to intimidate voters; and when even strong arm methods failed, the ballot boxes were tampered with enabling polling officers to declare the victory of the National Conference party men.” [12] The elections of 1962 were so thoroughly rigged, in fact, that Jawahar Lal Nehru, then Indian premier, was constrained to point out to G. M. Bakshi, the leader of NC at that time (as Sheikh Abdullah was in jail), that “it would strengthen your position more if you lost a few seats to bonafide opponents.” [13]

Dynamics of Elections 2008

The turnout and results of the 2008 elections need to be seen in the context of internal and external political dynamics operating at the time in J&K. The following discussion outlines the strategy adopted by the Indian government to assure a higher turnout in the elections, including the undemocratic means adopted to silence the boycott campaign, as well as the public perceptions and external factors that may have influenced the voting.

Click to Read The Full Report Here

Rape As An Instrument Of Politics

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat
Countercurrents.org

UP Congress is on a high these days. After Congress Chief Rita Bahuguna’s infamous words on rape, the debate started that chief minister Mayawati said the same things to the then chief minister Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav after she visited the Maderasa in Allahabad where some Muslim women’s were raped. Why were the channels running it for the whole day. Was it an effort to douse the flames created by the brahmanical sophistry? Is it just a slip of tongue or the very psychology of our political class which use victim as a tool to score a political point?

Well, if you have seen some surveys on these channels, then a majority of Indians have send roses to Rita Bahuguna. I think this is there way of doing Gandhigiri on channels and feeling happy that ‘some one’ had the guts to take their ’cause’. Justifications are there that Ms Bahuguna meant something else but if you see the whole social history and later on the post independent India’s socio-political climate, then one should not wonder that word rape has become a political instrument and the person who is victimized is tortured more by our actions and deeds.

And I call it mindset of a pervert society. A society which is full of fear from openness and which shows its strength through masculinity. Is not it strange that the victim of rape violence is asked to cover her face and live in indignity and hide while the perpetrators roam around with shouting slogans and taking shelter under various taboos. And this is what I call brahmanical mind beautifully exposed by Dr Mulk Raj Anand in his epic novel ‘Untouchable’, as how a priest of temple try to allure a girl Gulabo who is a sweeper in the temple to enter into the sanctum-sanctorum of the temple where she is normally prohibited to enter and then try to molest her. As soon as the girl retaliates and condemn him, the Brahmin priest shouts ‘polluted… polluted… blaming the girl for polluting the temple by entering into its sanctum-sanctorum.

The responses of both the UP government and the rival political party are according to their power base. But the way the whole script is being played showed that the even the women politicians play the script largely written according to the code of Manu Dharm Shastra, a code which degraded them and made them an object of ‘pleasure’.

No one knows the plight of those women who become victims and in whose name these political dramas are enacted. The script changes and politicians takes over and make it like a Bollywood scene where the aim of the director is not to really show injustice but to give more ‘material’ to our bruised and unsatisfied male egos, something to watch.

Our responses have been crude and humiliating and when this rhetoric comes from women then it become more painful. So, it is a country where the laws are made in such a way where the victim is more victimized and those who do it walk with their head high.

Just as section 377 was set aside by Delhi High Court, many of the activists, including those claiming to work for social justice, felt that by allowing the homosexual to do things according to their choices would amount to breaking of our social relations and that we are a society based society and individuals do not matter.

Why individual should do not matter? How can a society be developed by killing an individual. Dr Ambedkar said about Indian society: ‘The Indian society does not consist of individuals. It consists of innumerable collections of castes, which are exclusive in their life and have no common experience to share and have no bond of sympathy. Given this fact, it is not necessary to argue the point. The existence of caste system is a standing denial of the existence of those ideals of society and of democracy.”

Once we understand this feeling of Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar, we can easily analyse the root cause of our structural problems influenced by the brahmanical social order where for different set of rules and punishment meant for different communities. Therefore a rape committed by a Brahmin would definitely not attract the same punishment as done by some other community.

The atrocious laws and social taboos in our societies have turned against individuals and those who challenge to live according to their own life style face the brutality by the society. One should not therefore be amused about our whole marriage system and how it is an event to ‘celebrate’ and show your ‘strength’ and ‘power’ in the village rather than being an entirely private event of a few. And there are communities and traditions when you celebrate the first night ‘victory’. Also, communities have their way defined how to find the next morning whether the girl was a virgin or not.

It is therefore not ironical that during a mass marriage ceremony in Madhya Pradesh that the doctors were called to testify the girls after two of them developed labor pain. Now, mass marriage customs are very popular in India as it gives the political parties a license to become the custodians of the community. But as my friend Joane Payton referred why marriage can not be a private affair. Why should the state promote dowry by promoting such practices. There are number of other things as pointed out by some people that some marriages were just replayed to extract the paltry Rs 5,000/-. In fact a former Madhya Pradesh minister once said that people lodge false cases of rapes for compensations.

Now, that is the problem with the political parties. They link women’s dignity with compensation. At the same point of time we will have to understand how a woman has to face this violence in our society. Hence, she lives a life of miseries and there are no efforts by the family to revive her. That is why most of the people do not even want to let the incident out in open and file a case in the police. They know that if the ‘truth’ is out the girl would not be able to marry. And hence in many cases the women themselves refuse to accept the charges.

Of course, when rape becomes a male chauvinist debate among different constituent then it is shameful. Rather then condemning the act, we the launch counter offensive about why it was not done with others. Rita Bahuguna’s shameful tongue was the same brahmanical wisdom of challenging another woman. May be she wanted to look more sympathizer then Mayawati. Perhaps, she should remember Khairlanji which happened a few years back in Maharastra.

Rape will always be a powerful weapon in the armed struggles, communal disturbances, social upheavals as long as women’s virginity and purity are the ‘honor’ in our society. As long as we consider them as a matter of our ‘ijjat’, it will be used as a tool to dishonor them. Whether some boy picks up quarrel with another one in the village, it is the sister who has to face the consequences. The villagers will moan, communities will fight but the girl would be destined to live a life in isolation and misery. She can not come out hence even if she receive hefty compensation, unless our families are properly counseled no rehabilitation can take place and the money would go to the parents who would then find out a person for her and she would be tied for marriages but the stigma of being raped would also be there. There are very few cases where the girl would live a life of honor as she will not be accepted by the larger society.

The Supreme Court gave a historic verdict today after hearing a very passionate petition of an orphan girl who was raped by a warden in the Nari Niketan in Chandigarh. This girl is mentally challenged with an age of 19-20 years of age with an IQ of 9 year old. She became pregnant and she does not want to terminate her pregnancy now. It said that the girl has a right to keep her baby. Let us not go into what is right and wrong. Important point is that this girl’s desire to live her life with dignity must be appreciated.

The problem is many times, to save them from an adverse verdict, the lawyers advice the alleged rapist to ‘marry’ the girl and withdraw charges of rape. Law has never been reformative and any person who is different from others, find it difficult to get a good lawyer to present her case. How can the court grant permission to alleged rapist to marry the girl. It is because of the social taboos. Fact is that India may not be officially a Hindu Rastra but the laws of Manu are very powerful in our society and they prevail over a secular constitution.

Ofcourse, Manu’s Islamic cousins are not left behind. There are hundreds of Imranas and Mukhtar Mais who face these indignities. And what does Panchayats do, which many of our friends appreciate so much in the name of ‘golden’ culture? These Panchayat do not listen to the victim. They victimize them further. Imrana was asked to marry her ‘rapist’ father in law and call her husband as son while Mukhtar Mai was ordered rape by the ‘Jirga’in Pakistan. One need courage and patience of a Mukhtar Mai to face the law which is against her at every step. Therefore most of the women live in indignities as the psychology of rape is just not to kill the girl but to make her virtually a living dead where you are killed many time every time when people pour you with different questions and discuss about your fate. It also creates a psychology of indignity and guilt around her and her family. Laws have never been useful at all and politicians more dangerous than ever. One can find how many time they went to help Imrana. A typical response would be ‘either it is a community matter or ‘we have not read about it or heard it’.

The only answer against such heinous crime is to fight against it and not feel guilty and humiliated. And one woman who challenged it and became an icon was Phoolan Devi. Educated upper castes called her ‘dacoit’, but none ever came forward to encourage her live a life of dignity after she was raped and molested by the Thakurs in rural Kanpur Dehat region. She did not accept the defeat. She did not lead a life in miseries. She decided to avenge it. Many people might not justify what she did and none can justify those violent acts yet Phoolan revolt against the brahmanical system is an example that rather then feeling shame of their misdeeds, it is time to pay back with interest. She did not ask for any brutality or rape. She denied being part of any murder of people in Behmai yet she lived like queen. Whether you call it larger then life image or not, but Phoolan never believed in submitting herself to the fancies of these upper caste thugs. She became a legend in her life time who lived life with dignity and self respect.

But her legendary status was used by political class for their own reasons. She was converted into a docile homely woman who is very caring and very epitome of ‘Bhartiya naari’ i.e. Indian womanhood. She would tie Rakhi to many of these politicians who became her brothers and used her for political purposes. She got married and entered to parliament. Her status was used by the ambitious political class. A strong woman who fought against brahmanical patriarchy was therefore merged in it by the corrupt political class.

Politicians will thrive. The victim and their families will live life of marginalization. For a few days the media will make big stories and politicians know it well. Nothing will happen to them. Their ‘pativrata’ wives will not come for the rescue of bartered woman. They will stand by their corrupt husbands and relatives. That is what brahmanical value system tells us that nothing is bigger than blood relations…’ jis desh jaati main janm liya balidan usee per ho jawaen, which means you must sacrifice your self for your region and caste and defend it at any cost. At the end of the day even if we get out of the political debate of Rita Bahuguna and Mayawati, it is important who is good or bad, just find out who are the people facing charges of rapes in various jails of the country. Who are the victims? May be Rita Bahuguna can find the answer. Many of the shudra critique of Bahujan theory suggest that the violence perpetrated on Dalits are done by the shudras. They ignore the fact that Manusmriti was not made by the shudras. They forget that brahmanical violence may not be physical but more institutional and through knowledge. Rita Bahuguna has added Joshi in her status and her only quality to become president of Uttar-Pradesh Congress was her being a Brahmin. Just by having a Dalit cook at house does not resolve the crisis as she said. What she said was not an outburst but a continuous assumption of our patriarchical political thought that does not want to address the root cause but use the incident for political purposes. A counter social cultural revolution of Dalits-bahujan is the only alternative to brahmanical polity of India in which women are inherent partner in the movement otherwise, rape and molestation of women will always be a tool to not only spread terror among the marginalized sections of society but also used by the very exploiters who use it as a political weapon. Unfortunately, it is the bankruptcy of our political parties that they think to revive their political fortune on an incident which is a shame and need a sensitive approach to deal with.

www.manukhsi.blogspot.com

No Indo-Pak talks without Kashmir: Omar Abdullah

* IHK chief minister says Kashmir is ‘most outstanding issue’
* Seeks constructive engagement with Hurriyat leaders

By Iftikhar Gilani

NEW DELHI: There cannot be any discussion between India and Pakistan without Kashmir, Indian-held Kashmir (IHK) Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said.

Talking to Daily Times on Thursday, Abdullah said the joint statement issued by the prime ministers of India and Pakistan had a clear reference to ‘outstanding issues’. “If Kashmir has not been mentioned in the joint statement, it does not mean it has vanished,” he added.

Outstanding issue: Abdullah also distanced himself from fellow National Conference MP Sharifuddin Shariq, who recently criticised Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon, asking why India was discussing Kashmir with Pakistan when it was an integral part of India. He said the National Conference believed in sustained dialogue at all levels and Kashmir stood as the most outstanding issue.

Two-way: The IHK CM said the government wanted the Hurriyat Conference to be active and productive. He stressed the need to have a constructive engagement with the Hurriyat leader, saying he was willing to clap if they too contributed a hand.

Abdullah said there was a need to make some structural changes in the security setup to make a transition from confronting counter-insurgency to dealing with law and order.

As a chairman of the Unified Headquarters, which includes representatives of the Indian Army as well as security and intelligence agencies, Omar said he had asked them to adjust the deployment pattern of security force according to the changing circumstances. He said there was a need to provide greater role to Jammu and Kashmir Police in operational duties. “We have already decided to relieve 7,500 state police personnel from guard and VVIP duties to be inducted in operations,” he added.

Resolution of Kashmir imperative for prosperity: Kaira

Brussels, July 23 (KMS): Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas Qamar Zaman Kaira has said that peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue is imperative as it would bring development and prosperity in the region.

Talking to media men after his meeting with Member European Parliament and Chairman All Party Kashmir Group in EU Parliament, James Elles here, he said Pakistan has always supported amicable and peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue as per resolutions of United Nations. The Executive Director of Kashmir Centre Brussels, Barrister Abdul Majeed Tramboo was also present on the occasion.

The minister said, the long-standing issue of Kashmir has been lingering on the UN agenda for last six decades and urged the participation of Kashmiris in composite dialogue process between Pakistan and India.

Kaira said, “In dialogue process, involvement of Kashmiri leadership was a must as it would help them achieve their right to self‑determination.” He congratulated James Elles over his re-election as member EU Parliament and lauded the role of EU for highlighting the Kashmir issue at the international level.

Answering a question, Kaira, who also holds the portfolio of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, said at Sharm El Sheikh, meeting of Pakistan Prime Minister, Yusuf Raza Gilani with his Indian counterpart, Manmohan Singh was a right step and composite dialogue process would be initiated soon between the two countries in which all important issues including Kashmir would be on agenda.

James Elles appreciated the agreement to resume the dialogue process between India and Pakistan on all issues including Kashmir and said that peaceful resolution of this issue would bring development and prosperity in both the countries. Replying to a question on any roadmap on the Kashmir issue by the EU, he said that both India and Pakistan should prepare a strategy to resolve this vital issue and the EU would extend all possible support and assistance in this regard.

Barrister Abdul Majeed Tramboo highlighted the activities of the Kashmir Centre in creating awareness about the issue of Kashmir in European Union.

Minister for Kashmir Affairs, Qamar Zaman Kaira also visited exhibitions of Kashmiri arts and crafts held in connection with the Kashmir Week at EU and the human rights violations by the Indian troops in occupied Kashmir

Oppurtunity Knocks Obama Administration in South Asia

Dr. Fai

Washington, DC, June 18th, 2009. Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Executive Director, Kashmiri American Council/Kashmir Center, quoting US Under-secretary of State, William Burns, said that ‘”The US favours resumption of dialogue between India and Pakistan and wants the Kashmir problem to be solved keeping in view the aspirations of the Kashmiri people”. To that, Dr. Fai added that the issue of Jammu and Kashmir was first brought to the United Nations in 1948, and after the passing of Security Council Resolution 47, remains one of the longest-standing disputes in the UN system. In that official document which was co-sponsored by the United States, it categorically states that the final status of Kashmir will be decided in ‘accordance with the wishes and will of the people.’ However, today, the fabled Himalayan paradise lays in ruins, with the spirit of the proud and jovial Kashmiri people desolated and their livelihood in tatters. With tens of thousands deaths, horrific discovery of 4600 mass graves and the new gruesome and grotesque rape and murder of two innocent Kashmiri girls, finding a just and lasting peace, away from the shadow of guns, is growing increasingly elusive.

Read Complete Article : Oppurtunity Knocks Obama Administration in South Asia

Giving Cause To Separatism

By M Shamsur Rabb Khan

What happened at Shopian two weeks ago is not the first instance of cruelty by the security forces and shows how men in uniform, instead of protecting people, continue to indulge in the serious human rights violations. Which why the Kashmir valley has once again erupted with violent protests with slogans of separatism renting the air. Killing, abduction, torture, rape and fake encounters have been the routine affairs in J&K that the army and other security agencies have been found to be involved eve since terrorism took root in the valley 17 years ago. Time and again national and international agencies have accused security forces of human rights violations, including rape and extrajudicial killings. The Shopian incident has put the human rights issue back to the centre stage with lots of questions on the seriousness of the governments – both the central as well as the state – to work towards bringing normalcy.

Is the Indian Government making effort to bring peace and development in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) or continuing with a policy of repression, subjugation and inhuman torture by our security forces? Is the government aiding and abetting causes for the separatist tendencies among the people of the valley to continue via inflicting barbarous act like rape? Is the government not guilty of enraging the honour of the people and disrupting the peaceful environment of the valley and creating cause to show that there is problem in the state? Are the policy makers, leaders, demagogues, experts and activists who lauded the people for turning to democratic and peaceful ways through their active participation in the recent elections not guilty of keeping mum over the crime of our security forces as well as maintaining indifferent attitude towards the plight of Kashmiri women?

But this highly condemnable incident has come up at a time when the people of J&K have shown strong willingness to peace and development via active participation in elections – both Assembly and the Lok Sabha. On May 30, the two women – Neelofar Jan (22), and her sister-in-law Asiya Jan (17) of Shopian district – were abducted, raped and killed by the CRPF men, who, after chasing the unfortunate women before committing the crime, dumped them the stream. And now since the forensic report confirmed that the girls were raped and murdered, it is highly shameful for the guardian of law and order not to accept the heinous act. It is also embarrassing for J&K government, especially the chief minister Omar Abdullah, who said the women had drowned. In fact, a police statement in Srinagar earlier had said that the post mortem conducted on two women revealed no marks of violence. Nothing could be as blatant a lie as this when the administration tries to hush up the case, letting the criminals go scot free. More than that this is a glaring instance of mishandling of a sensitive issue by the young CM, who demanded repealing of the Armed Forces Special Powers (AFSP) Act just last month

Instances are many where the security forces have used rape as a convenient tool of subjugation, in addition to usual encounters in which innocent people have been killed. The women of J&K have been facing gargantuan task of saving themselves from the terror unleashed by men in uniform. This is simply a well calculated aggression by the security forces to inflict as much pain on the psyche of people as they could. While the government in Delhi, along with countless experts and analysts on situation in the valley, is working to restore peace and normalcy so that development process could be put on the track, the security forces are creating a situation that would easily be turned into massive anti-establishment protests. Focusing on a single aspect of terrorism, media’s role has been step-motherly towards the plight of the people. Remember the economic blockade of the Valley, ‘imposed by the stone-pelting agitators by attacking and burning Valley-bound trucks during Amarnath Shrine Board controversy’ (As Hindus, We Were Expected To Further The Cause With Our Stories, Tehelka 6 June 2009). What scar did it leave on the hearts of the people in the valley? Will not they be right in thinking that the Government of India, along with people in Jammu region and in close collusion with media, is totally hostile to their genuine rights and plights?

We have cases of young women of the state becoming pregnant, committing suicide, preferring to die rather than to dishonor their families. All human rights enshrined in The Charter, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and The Human Rights Covenants have been flagrantly violated by the Indian security forces. The 17 of militancy in J& K has left a trail of rape victims, who are living a miserable life. For example, over 9800 women have been raped and molested, 22100 women have been widowed till April 2007. Interestingly, these figures are much higher than Sierra Leone, Chechnya and Sri Lanka Let us remember the nights of 22-23 February 1991, when 5th Rajputana Rifles raped 53 women in Kunan-Poshpura (known throughout Kashmir as the “raped village”) aged between 13 to 85 years (including ill and mentally challenged) in disguise of a search operation, While Amnesty International says that on 18 May 1990 some of the soldiers dragged a new bride and her heavily-pregnant aunt from a bus and raped them in nearby fields in Anantnag. A study done by ‘Medicins Sans Frontieres’ in mid 2005 reveals that Kashmiri women are among the ‘worst sufferers of sexual violence among the world’.

The advent of terrorism proved a wrath for the people of J&K due to which the government provided special powers to armed forces through AFSP Act whereby they can shoot, arrest, search, seize, occupy and even kill when they deem it. Since AFSP Act contains no guidelines for ensuring effective control of the forces by the civil authorities, serious violations of human rights have been the daily phenomenon that has alienated the people and shaken their belief in them. While we can agree that armed forces are faced with tough circumstances, it does not mean they can not differentiate between innocent people and the terrorists. Cases of human rights violations have been reported from north states, especially Manipur where AFSP Act has been in operation since 1980, yet we see no sign of insurgency being ended. Hence, the AFSP Act has become more of a ‘reason less of a solution’ for insurgency in Manipur. Similar seems the case with J&K. It is high time New Delhi took drastic steps in checking highhandedness of the armed forces, with immediate prosecution of culprits of the Shopian incident. Else, the magnitude with which protests are on in the state may well turn into a full fledged separatist movement.

Kashmir-Shopian Tragedy

By Shah Waseem, Kashmir

Entire nation has been in deep shock and anguish over the deplorable incident of Shopian in which two women were allegedly raped and murdered. While the relatives of the victim and people blame C.R.P.F stationed in that area as the Culprits involved in this shameful act government despite promising quick action has been callous towards taking any head way in the inquiry of this incident as reportedly even F.I.R hasnâ⒬┢t been registered yet in the concerned police station. The probes called after such kinds of gross human rights violation have miserably failed to punish the perpetuators of these dastardly acts and this has been the prime factor that people have lost trust over these inquiries. And more so the unbridled powers enjoyed by troops under different draconian laws have make them to behave above the law of land.

There have been protests over this incident and it is quite natural, but the way authorities have dealt it with brute force resulting in killings and injuries to hundreds of youth can prove disaster for the government as this can pave way for the mass agitation on the pattern of last year. So it is better for the government to come up with truth and take stern action against the culprits in their own interest and restrains from putting restrictions on the pro-freedom leadership.

This heart rending incident has provided ammunition to the opposition part P.D.P to fire at the government. but the memory of people is no so short that they will forget the gory incident of similar nature of Badra Payeen, Handwara where in November 2004 troops raped mother daughter duo and then government led by Mufti Sayed at first even denied the reports and then tried to hush up the case. Then in opposition N.C had also led demonstrations against it. Kashmiri people have no trust over these sycophants who do this political gimmickry just for power and to enjoy the perks and privileges. These regional pro-India parties who are collaborators of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />New Delhi in their every heinous crime have been rejected and subjected to disgrace even in Jammu last year when they were kept hostage at airport for hours and on sangarsh samiti protest were made to sit outside on Aug 9. If at all they are sincere they should stop running with hare and haunting with horn and stop running passive â⒬Ŕseparatismâ⒬ when they get out of power to gain public sympathy. Rather they should work for the realization of national aspirations of people of Kashmir, which is complete independence of Kashmir.

People of Kashmir have proven time and time again their full commitment towards the struggle for independence and sovereignty and it is up to India to shun the obduracy and rigid stand and cooperate with Pakistan and pro-freedom leadership of Kashmir in working towards finding a durable solution to the vexed issue of Kashmir. The rejection of India towards the offer of talks from Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has putted spanner in the efforts of building a stable atmosphere in the sub-continent but India canâ⒬┢t run away from fulfilling its international obligations on Kashmir forever. As due to its domino effect Kashmir turmoil can engulf the peaceful areas of India. Soon India understands it the better for her.

Shah Waseem
E Mail : waseemshah57@yahoo.com
http://united-kashmir.blogspot.com
Srinagar, Kashmir

Police fire on Kashmir protesters

Travis Parry reports.

Security forces have reportedly used live rounds and tear gas on protesters in Indian-administered Kashmir, wounding at least seven people.

The demonstrators accuse paramilitary forces in the area of raping and murdering two women, whose bodies were found at the end of May.

On Sunday police said forensic tests showed the women had been raped.

New protests began after police broke up earlier demonstrations

Police in Indian-administered Kashmir have fired on thousands of protesters demonstrating against the alleged rape and murder of two young women.

Tear gas and live rounds were used to break up the march in Shopian town.

Protesters accuse Indian paramilitary forces of raping and killing the women. On Sunday police said forensic tests showed the women had been raped.

Protests over the deaths have raged in the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley since the bodies were found on 30 May.

One protester died during clashes last week with police, after being hit on the head by a tear gas shell.

More than 140 others have so far been wounded, about 40 of them during clashes on Monday.

At least four people were taken to hospital with bullet wounds after the clashes in Shopian on Monday, the BBC’s Altaf Hussain in Srinagar says.

‘Case of rape’

Our correspondent says police have imposed curfew-like restrictions in the city and some other towns in the valley to prevent marchers reaching Shopian.

Click here to watch Video

Shops are closed and schools, colleges and many government offices are shut across the valley.

The strike has been called by senior separatist leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

Mr Geelani, who had called on people to march to Shopian on Monday, was arrested on Saturday night.

The bodies of the two young women were found in a canal in the town of Shopian on 30 May. They had gone missing the previous evening.

The cause of their deaths is still being investigated, but police say a post-mortem examination shows they were raped.

“The forensic lab report indicates that an offence has taken place,” inspector general of police B Srinivas told the BBC.

“We have registered a case of rape and taken up investigation.”

The state government announced an inquiry into the allegations last Monday, insisting that the “initial findings do not suggest either rape or murder”.

SIT begins probe into Zakia’s complaint against Modi and his ministers

By Twocircles.net Staff Correspondent

Ahmedabad: The probe into the complaint filed against Chief Minister Narendra Modi and 62 others in connection with the post-Godhra riots of 2002 began today with Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team(SIT) “interacting” with Zakia Jafri and Teesta Setalvad.

The probe was ordered by the Supreme Court through its order on April 27 this year on a petition filed by Zakia, widow of slain former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri. The ex-MP was among 69 Muslims brutally murdered in the Gulberg Society on February 28, 2002, during the statewide anti-Muslim riots.

Speaking to mediapersons, SIT chief R K Raghavan said that SIT had officially begun the probe into the complaint filed in the apex court seeking probe against Chief Minister Modi, his seven cabinet colleagues and several senior IAS and IPS officers.

He said that they first called Zakia and Teesta because SIT wanted to know what happened on the day of riots in Gulberg society. As for Teesta, he said that she was called for interaction as she was convener of the Concerned Peoples Tribunal which had conducted a hearing in the matter and its findings had been used by Zakia in her petition.

Asked if Narendra Modi would also be called for probe or “interaction” as Raghavan preferred to call in connection with Zakia and Teesta, he said that whoever was needed for a probe as per orders of the Supreme Court would be interrogated.

According to SIT sources, two former judges of the Supreme Court including Justice P B Sawant, who had participated in the proceedings of the tribunal, would also be called for “interaction.”

Talking to Madhyamam, Teesta said that she was questioned particularly about former minister (now murdered) Haren Pandya who had deposed before the tribunal.

Belonging to anti-Modi camp, Pandya had deposed before the tribunal about a meeting held by Modi on February 27, 2002, after the Sabarmati train tragedy. In his depositions, he had stated that Modi had ordered the then DGP Chakravarti and senior IAS official Ashok Narayan not to take any action against the Hindu mobs venting their ire by attacking the Muslims.

Pandya had also revealed that there were four or five ministers also present in Modi’s meeting. However, Pandya had not revealed their names to the tribunal. Unfortunately, Pandya was murdered subsequently in broad daylight. While his family members accused Modi of plotting the murder, police arrested several Muslims from Hyderabad and Gujarat and about a half dozen accused in the case have been convicted in the case.

Thousands chant ‘freedom’ for Kashmir at mass rally

By Sheikh Mushtaq, Reuters

Relatives cry for a relative picked up by Kashmiri security forces then later found dead May 18. Tens of thousands of people shouting ‘we want freedom’ gathered in Indian Kashmir’s biggest city on Thursday to mark the anniversaries of the assassinations of a separatist leader and a Muslim cleric.

SRINAGAR, India – Tens of thousands of people shouting “we want freedom” gathered in Indian Kashmir’s biggest city on Thursday to mark the anniversaries of the assassinations of a separatist leader and a Muslim cleric.

Thursday’s rally was the biggest this year in Kashmir, which was hit by massive anti-India protests in 2008.

Shops, businesses and schools were closed in much of the scenic valley in response to a strike called by the region’s main separatist alliance, the All Parties Hurriyat (Freedom) Conference.

Most of the streets in Srinagar, Kashmir’s summer capital, were deserted except for security patrols.

Hurriyat, an alliance of political separatist groups, called the strike to mark the anniversaries of the deaths of Moulana Mohammad Farooq, the chief cleric of Kashmir, and Abdul Gani Lone, a moderate separatist leader.

Unidentified gunmen killed Farooq at his home in 1990, while Lone was shot dead during a public meeting in 2002.

Indian authorities and separatist guerrillas blame each other for the assassinations.

More than 50,000 people, led by Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, marched towards the “Martyrs’ Cemetery”, where many of those killed in the nearly two-decade-old revolt against New Delhi’s rule, including Lone and Farooq, are buried.

The Himalayan region is at the heart of a decades-long dispute between India and Pakistan, who have fought two of their three wars over the issue since they won freedom from British rule in 1947.

Overall violence has fallen significantly across Kashmir since India and Pakistan began peace talks in 2004, although New Delhi has imposed a “pause” in that dialogue since the Mumbai attack in November last year.

© Copyright (c) Reuters

Hyderabad shootout leaves cops in a tizzy, adds tension between Muslims and police

By Mohammed Siddique, TwoCircles.net

Hyderabad: The firing on two policemen, killing one of them in Hyderabad by the suspected terrorists has left the city police in a tizzy as an unheard of outfit Tehreeke-Ghalba-e-Islam accepted the responsibility for the incident and described it as a “revenge attack” for the indiscriminate police firing on Muslims two years ago.

Home Guard Balaswamy was killed and Constable Rajinder Prasad was injured when two unknown motor cycle borne youth shot them at the Falaknuma bus stand in the old city of Hyderabad.

The police found a note in Urdu at the scene of the incident, signed by one Mohammed Faseehuddin owing the responsibility for the attack and warning more such attack to avenge the death of 9 people in the police firing after the blast in Mecca Masjid on May 18, 2007.

As the attack took place on the second anniversary of the incident and the personnel from Falaknuma station were targeted, the police suspected that the attack had some connection with the incidents at the Mecca Masjid. The note came as a confirmation of the suspicion.

However there was some contradiction in the statements of the police officials. While the Police Commissioner B Prasad Rao said that the hand of another organization Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Shaaer-e-Islam was suspected, the other officials held TGI responsible.

The body of Balaswamy was taken to his native village in Mahbubnagar district after the postmortem and the government has announced a compensation package for his family. The injured constable Rajinder Prasad was undergoing treatment at Care Hospital

Red alert was sounded in and around the city to nab the culprits and police was questioning some people. The investigations were focused on one Viqaruddin Ahmad alias Ahmad Khan, suspected activist of Lashkar-e-Tayyeba, who is absconding since December last when he had opened fire and injured two policemen in the old city.

It may be recalled that when agitated Muslim came out of Mecca Masjid after the bomb blast during the Friday prayers, the police had opened fire killing nine people. The police later said that it opened fire to prevent attack on a petrol pump and in self defence as a mob was attacking on them. But the television footage of the incident showed that the people running away in opposite direction or lifting the injured were targeted by the police.

It was significant that the assailants chose to target the men from Falaknuma police station. The policemen from this station were among those who opened fire. That more people were killed in firing than the blast had also left the Muslim community in Hyderabad infuriated and government had come under tremendous pressure to take action against the guilty policemen. But the government constituted a judicial commission headed by Bhasakar Rao and the hearing was concluded last year. But it is yet to submit the report.

The note left behind by the assailants said, “Hamara Inteqam Jaari Rahega. Woh Sab Policewale jo hamare Musalaman Bhaiyon per goli chalaye, unsab ko maut ki saza milegi” (Our revenge will continue. We will give death penalty to all those policemen who fired at our Muslim brothers”.

Strangely, the terror activity came to the fore just when the YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s government was about to take over for the second term after elections. The problem had risen its head even when YSR had come to power for the first tenure in May 2004 and the local police had arrested a religious leader and TTSI leader Moulana Naseeruddin triggering a chain reaction including the Muslim women raiding the police commissioner’s office to protest forcing the government to release him. Later Moulana Naseeruddin was handed over to Gujrat police in connection with the Haren Pandya murder case and he is still in Sabarmati Jail of Ahmedabad.

A few months later a suicide bomber – allegedly a Bangladeshi- blew himself up in Task Force office headquarter killing a guard and it also triggered series of arrests.

Later the police claimed to have busted a conspiracy to attack the Director General of Police office with an oil tanker and also to target some senior police officials.

The relations between the police and the Muslim community further soured after the bomb blast in Mecca Masjid and then twin blasts at Gokul Chat and Lumbini Park in August 2007. The police picked up about 100 Muslim youth suspecting their involvement and many of them were subjected to inhuman torture.

Later all the arrested persons were acquitted by the court. However the bitterness and distrust remains.

The rise of Narendra Modi

By Praful Bidwai

Has the Bharatiya Janata Party abandoned even the pretence of playing by democratic rules and observing minimal political decorum and decided to stoop to the lowest possible level? Going by its reaction to the Supreme Court’s order to the Special Investigation Team to inquire into the alleged role of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, his ministers and officials in abetting the terrible communal violence of 2002, it would seem so.

The court’s stipulation that the SIT must complete the investigation within three months shows that even seven years after the butchery of 2,000 Muslims in Gujarat, the pogrom continues to haunt India’s public debate.

The order is in line with the Supreme Court’s directions to transfer major legal cases pertaining to the carnage out of Gujarat. It expresses scepticism about the Gujarat government’s ability and inclination to do justice to the victims of the orgy of killing, rape, arson and looting that followed the Godhra train tragedy of Feb 27, 2002.

Instead of recognising its gravity, the BJP has poured scorn on the court order, maligning it as politically motivated and timed to coincide closely with polling day in the general election in Gujarat. Modi has melodramatically pledged to go to jail if found guilty, but to be “reborn to serve Gujarat”.

The BJP’s self-styled legal luminaries have declared that “there’s no evidence” to indict Modi, and Gujarat’s Slobodan Milosevic will turn the “secular brigade’s” attack “to his advantage” in the Gujarat elections, where the BJP hopes to improve on its 2004 score of 14 of 26 seats.

The SIT cannot be accused of secularist zeal. Since it was set up under a former Central Bureau of Investigation director by the Supreme Court in 2008, the outfit has only filed one new charge-sheet in the 10 cases it has investigated.

The complaint, made by Zakia, widow of former MP Ehsaan Jafri, names Modi and 62 other functionaries of the Gujarat government, including 11 cabinet ministers, three sitting MLAs and 38 bureaucrats and police officers. Among the latter are the then state chief secretary and police chief.

Based on a senior police official’s diaries, eyewitness accounts and media reports, the petition alleges that Modi’s cabinet met after the Godhra incident, and ordered top civil servants and policemen to allow “Hindus” (read, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, RSS and Bajrang Dal thugs) “to vent their anger”, and backed the bandh called by militant Hindutva groups.

This mirrors the findings of over 30 independent reports compiled by national and international citizens’ initiatives, former bureaucrats, scholars, feminists, civil society organisations and human rights groups. They show that following Modi’s directives, Gujarat’s government machinery refused to restrain armed mobs from killing Muslims, raping and sexually humiliating Muslim women, burning homes, destroying mosques and pillaging property worth Rs4,000 crores.

Consider the official-Hindutva mob collusion. Two ministers (Ashok Bhatt and I K Jadeja) positioned themselves in police control rooms or chiefs’ chambers and prevented personnel from being sent to rescue people from lynching. State police chief K Chakravarthi and Ahmedabad police commissioner PC Pandey delayed imposing curfew and failed to prevent the butchery although they had prior intelligence.

What followed was independent India’s worst-ever communal carnage conducted with state backing, which involved elaborate planning and preparation, and later, extensive cover-up and destruction of material evidence.

These facts are too well-established to need substantiation. The only way to suppress them is to exclude them from Station House diaries or First Information Reports, distort them through “rolling FIRs”, or name nobody for sinister acts of violence.

This is precisely what the Modi government did. It also rigged further inquiries through the Nanavati Commission and sabotaged the CBI’s investigations by destroying records, abducting reliable witnesses, and leading false evidence. This compounded the original offence. The groundwork had been laid by April 2002 for the charades of inquiry that shielded or exculpated the culprits.

This systematic seven-year-long sabotage of justice could have been pre-empted had the BJP-led central government dismissed Modi in early March 2002 and imposed president’s rule on Gujarat for violating the constitution.

But beyond appealing for restraint – as if there were two sides to blame for the violence – the government did nothing. It wouldn’t have brought Gujarat under president’s rule unless pushed unrelentingly by the secular opposition.

Gujarat’s second tragedy was that the secular parties failed to mount sustained pressure on the Vajpayee government. Had all the top leaders of the non-NDA parties resorted to extraordinary actions, they could have generated irresistible pressure – actions such as launching relay dharnas in all state capitals, and sitting on a collective fast-unto-death in Gandhinagar.

In 1974, Morarji Desai had secured the dismissal of the Chimanbhai Patel government by going on a hunger-strike for a far lesser offence: corruption.

Gujarat’s third tragedy was that the state-level opposition didn’t even try to mobilise powerful protests. Modi continued to tyrannise Gujarat, mocking the constitution, gutting institutions, and politically disempowering both Muslims, who form 12 per cent of Gujarat’s population, and a larger chunk of secular non-Muslims.

Then followed the fourth tragedy: Assembly elections, when lakhs of victims continued to live in fear in makeshift camps amidst a total breakdown of law and order. Gujarat is a place where high court judges and inspectors-generals of police had to flee their homes because they were Muslim. In 2002, communal polarisation grew into a state of near-apartheid. To conduct elections amidst such conditions is to mock democracy.

The BJP, and the man who presided over the butchery of 2002, deserves to be politically punished, even if some criminal cases against the culprits cannot be brought to completion soon. Assuming that the SIT conducts an honest job, it will still take years for the 63 people named for instigating the riots in Zakia Ahsan’s petition to be brought to justice.

However, some minimal justice will be done if the public rebuffs Modi and his ideology of Moditva (bloodsoaked Hindutva, coupled with ruthlessness, machismo and disregard of democratic norms) by voting against it overwhelmingly.

By the time these lines appear in print, polling in Gujarat will have ended. But people in other states can still express their disgust with the BJP’s divisive, exclusionist and hate-filled politics.

This is not a call for vindictiveness. The Congress has at least apologised for the 1984 anti-Sikh violence and withdrawn Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar’s candidature in Delhi. The BJP continues to be in denial of the Gujarat pogrom. It must be punished more severely than in 2004 because it’s embracing Moditva today.

A campaign was launched even before the Supreme Court order to promote Modi as the BJP’s prime minister-in-waiting after L K Advani. It was initiated by two senior BJP leaders, Arun Shourie and Arun Jaitly.

In part, this campaign is explained by the BJP’s own disenchantment with Advani, whose leadership has failed to impress its members. In part, it’s meant to promote a new concept of ubermensch (superman)-style leadership, which delights in ruthlessness, cruelty, undemocratic elitism and “getting things done” (for the privileged, as in the case of the ugly, huge subsidies given to Tata Motors by Modi).

The BJP’s capitulation to Moditva will be a greater disgrace than its humiliation at the hustings.

The writer, a former newspaper editor, is a researcher and peace and human-rights activist based in Delhi Email: prafulbidwai1@yahoo.co.in