[Reader-list] Dharna

[tarunksaint]

Friends,
Please join if possible; this is a time for unity amongst antifascist groups/individuals, not further balkanisation. The debate on Gandhi can wait awhile.
Apologies to those who may have received this already.
Rgds,
Tarun




Dear Friends,

THE AMAN EKTA MANCH CALLS FOR A DHARNA AT JANTAR MANTAR ON 30TH APRIL, 2002,
FROM 11:00 AM TO 2:00 PM.

THE DHARNA IS TO PROTEST AGAINST THE STAND TAKEN BY NDA ALIES ON GUJARAT AND
PUT PRESSURE ON ALL POLITICAL PARTIES TO VOTE AGAINST THE BJP IN PARLIAMENT
IN THE DEBATE ON THE 30TH
OF APRIL, 2002.

THE DEMAND DRAFT ADOPTED BY THE AMAN EKTA MANCH AT THE CONVENTION ON THE
21ST OF APRIL, 2002 WILL ALSO BE GIVEN TO VARIOUS POLITICAL PARTIES. PLEASE
FIND BELOW A COPY OF THE DEMAND DRAFT.

PLEASE COME WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY AT THE DHARNA.

Aman Ekta Manch


Political Charter
Adopted by the Aman Ekta Manch
CONVENTION FOR THE DEFENCE OF INDIAN DEMOCRACY
April 21, 2002, Rajendra Prasad Bhavan, New Delhi

This convention expresses serious concern at the blatantly cynical attacks
on all democratic norms and practices being mounted by the fascist machine
of the RSS/VHP, with the benign connivance of the BJP which heads the
Central government. The Godhra massacre has been unequivocally condemned by
all democratic minded people. However, what has followed it in Gujarat has
shocked the conscience of the entire country. Never before in our history
have we been forced to witness this gruesome spectacle of the systematic and
planned genocide of a hostage population over weeks, inside a state that has
now been turned into no less than a concentration camp. Never before in our
history have we been forced to watch the brazenness of a Central government
that has allowed this macabre dance to go on unchecked for such a long
period. All independent investigations, including that of the National Human
Rights Commission and the Minorities Commission, have established the
culpability of Narendra Modi's state government beyond any doubt.

The way in which the draconian POTA was passed and the way in which it is
sought to be implemented by the Modi government, selectively against the
minority community shows that the Central government is consciously abetting
the crimes of the Modi government. The blatant justification of the doings
of Modi's government by the BJP national executive and its cynical move to
reap electoral benefits from this situation makes the Central government
equally guilty in the matter. Today a situation has been created where
neither the state government, nor the Centre, can be trusted in putting an
end to violence, or in the disbursal of relief materials in an impartial
manner.

We also note with concern the fact that in pursuit of their sinister aims,
the fascist gangs are stopping at nothing. They have used rape and sexual
violence as instruments of terror. They have systematically tried to subvert
every institution of the state. There is a breakdown of the constitutional
machinery and the Constitution itself hangs in a state of suspension - a
situation that is further shamelessly justified by the Prime Minister.
Article 21, that guarantees the right to life, has become meaningless in the
current dispensation in Gujarat. On the one hand the leaders of the Sangh
combine are openly stating that they do not recognize the authority of the
Supreme Court or any other institution; on the other, honest police officers
and bureaucrats who attempted to stop these premeditated attacks on the
Muslims, are being continuously hounded. The media is being labeled
'antinational' for having exposed their game, and physical attacks on
mediapersons have become common in the state. In fact, whoever, opposes
their designs is branded 'antinational'. Even common people who have tried
to intervene out of purely humanitarian considerations have been targeted in
this same perverted phraseology.

In the land of Mahatma Gandhi - that apostle of nonviolence who fell to the
bullets of the politics of hate espoused by the Sangh - today lie the ruins
of his dreams. What happened in Gujarat is really an assault on the
pluralism and the best traditions of Indian culture.

This convention also notes with serious concern that while the RSS has
sought to justify everything that has happened, it and its surrogate
organizations have slowly but surely succeeded in producing, as some kind of
common sense, the idea that they alone represent all the Hindus. This is a
pernicious development. This idea, it needs to be asserted, has been made
common sense through the naked use of terror, endless propagation of lies
and browbeating of democratic and sane voices within the community into
silence. In order to be able to carry out their genocidal activities against
the minorities, they must first silence dissenting voices among the Hindus.
The fear today, therefore, is all pervasive.

It is worthwhile remembering, in this context, that even at the time of its
forming the Central government, following the 1999 elections, the BJP polled
a mere 23.75 percent of the total votes. Recent election results in various
states and in the Delhi Municipal Corporation have shown clearly that there
has been a rapid erosion of even that support. Even if we assume that all
BJP voters, in 1999, voted on the Hindutva plank - which is certainly not
the case - the evidence shows that large masses of its voters have moved
away from it.

It is urgently necessary therefore to contest the fascist claim therefore
that they represent all the Hindus - not to speak of representing the entire
nation. We recognize that there are similar processes of marginalization of
the saner, democratic voices at work within the Muslim community. One kind
of aggressive sectarianism inevitably only strengthens the others. The
inexorable result of the self-fulfilling logic of this kind of politics is
that it stifles all differing voices within its own community and clears the
ground for an endless civil war. And who but the poorest of the poor are
made cannon fodder in this dangerous and cynical game? This is a tendency
that must therefore be resisted in every possible way. A parallel effort
therefore, needs to be made to expand and consolidate this fast shrinking
space of democracy.

We can also not fail to underline at this critical juncture that the
struggle has now acquired dimensions that envelope the entire South Asian
region: sectarian jehadi Islam feeds on and in turn strengthens the Hindutva
fascists. The recent attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh need also to be
condemned in the harshest possible terms. While international opinion has
rightly pinned down the jehadi terrorists, there is still no such clarity
about the fascist/terrorist role of the RSS and its surrogate organizations.
We need to understand and must break this symbiotic relationship between the
two. This can only be done by strengthening and deepening subcontinental
solidarities among democratic forces that have been growing over the past
few years.

In the face of all this, we call upon all concerned - democratic minded
people of all communities, individual citizens, all political parties and
mass organizations - to resist this onslaught on democracy and democratic
rights in a coordinated manner.
We demand that:
1. The Narendra Modi govt. be immediately dismissed and criminal proceedings
be instituted against it as there is enough evidence of its culpability, in
the independent investigations conducted till now.
2. In the light of the Goa meeting of the BJP and the PMs speech there, we
also demand that the resignation of the Central government, forthwith.
3. In order to ensure impartiality all Relief and Rehabilitation work be
conducted under the supervision of a specially constituted committee
comprising representatives of all political parties, citizens' and human
rights groups, and of the National Human Rights Commission. A special fund
under its jurisdiction can also be constituted to ensure its impartial use.
4. All those, who have by omission or commission, been guilty of abetting
violence in the state - be it Godhra or the subsequent genocide - be brought
before an international trial.
5. A full-fledged and impartial inquiry into the Godhra incident be
instituted and all the details be made public at the earliest. All those
found guilty should be adequately punished.
6. Criminal proceedings be initiated against the VHP and Bajrang Dal.
7. All state officials who have been victimized for performing their duties
must be immediately reinstated.
8. That Gujarat be placed under Presidents' rule and elections be held only
when normalcy returns.
9. All steps should be taken to ensure that with respect to the damages of
all property and livelihoods, status quo as on February 27, 2002 be
restored. The Central government must give interest free loans to rebuild
houses and provide all else that might be necessary to give security and
financial support to the affected people so that they can begin life afresh.
10. Immediate steps be taken to expedite the filing of FIRs by the affected
people and police officials who refuse to do so be brought to book. We
extend full support to the PIL filed in the Supreme Court recently and
concur with its contention that fresh complaints be invited from the victims
and these be treated as FIRs.

We call upon
1. All people to strengthen resistance to extremist and sectarian politics
within their respective communities and not allow a handful of terrorists to
speak on their behalf.
2. All non-BJP NDA allies to break away from the BJP led government.
3. All non-BJP political parties to close ranks and not allow sectarian
differences to come in the way of a bigger movement to defend the vitals of
Indian democracy.

Let us join hands and coordinate our efforts across the length and breadth
of the country in order to stall the menacing advance of the fascist gangs.
Let us join hands to fight the virus of communalism in every form. We will
not forget what the communal violence of the past decades, especially the
1984 anti-Sikh pogroms have done to our lives. We affirm that communal
politics is opposed to all religiosity - it is neither Hindu, nor Muslim nor
Sikh, even though it might don a religious garb. We therefore, pledge to
struggle at every level and build up resistance to these forces right from
the mohallas and villages up to the all-India level.




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