People's Democracy

RESPONDING to the call given by the People's Front, huge demonstrations were held throughout the country on April 17, 2002, to demand that,

• Narendra Modi be removed from the post of chief minister;

• firm steps be taken to stop the continuing violence, to book the culprits and bring them to justice; and
• to demand that the central government ensure that the recommendations of the National Human Rights Commission regarding the investigation and trial for the crimes be immediately implemented.

While, Chief Minister Narendra Modi had claimed to have brought the situation to normal "within 72 hours," the state-sponsored communal carnage in Gujarat that targets the Muslim community as part of the fascistic project of the establishment of Hindu rashtra, shows no signs of abating even after nearly seven weeks of killings.

The violence continues even after more than 45 days since the gruesome attack on the Sabarmati Express. Far from acting firmly against those indulging in violence, the Narendra Modi government has scandalously connived with and supported the killers. The Gujarat government has adopted a totally biased attitude against people belonging to the minority community. It has set new and scandalous standards even in the matter of providing relief and compensation. The culpability of the BJP state government has been confirmed by no less a body than the National Human Rights Commission.

After a visit to the violence-hit state it has indicted the Modi government for its failure to protect the lives of citizens belonging to the minority community; held it responsible for the connivance of the State machinery in the shameful incidents, and demanded that the investigations into major crimes be handed over to the CBI and special courts be set up.

Despite several reports and findings of various teams visiting the state nailing the administration and the chief minister himself, for their responsibility in contributing to this situation, the BJP has not shown any remorse or expressed regret. In fact it has sought to justify what happened, and what Modi has done.

At its Panaji meeting, the BJP decided against removing Narendra Modi from office. Instead it said that it would go for dissolution of the assembly and holding of fresh elections under Modi's leadership. Prime Minister, Vajpayee has not only virtually endorsed the approach adopted by Narendra Modi, but has justified the mass killings of Muslims by citing the Godhra incident as the main cause. It took nearly a month for the Prime Minister to find time to visit Gujarat. Even after his widely publicised visit, he did not rein in his colleague to stop the violence and mayhem and merely contented himself with saying that "rajdharma" should be followed, whatever that may mean.

Any talk of holding elections in a communally polarised atmosphere, with the minorities living under terror and over a lakh living in refugee camps, is motivated and aimed at misutilising the situation to the BJP's advantage. Elections in such an atmosphere will only vitiate the atmosphere and widen the divide. The BJP presumes that in an atmosphere where the minorities are terrorised it can get a majority as it did during the recent panchayat elections. Narendra Modi took pride in the fact he won over 2000 panchayats.

Gujarat has been the state which was considered one of the BJP's strongest bases,the state where it had conducted its various experiments, and where the government lifted the ban on its employees participating in RSS shakas. But, this base was gradually eroding, sending panic signals within the party. In the by-elections, municipal and zilla panchayat elections held some time back, the BJP lost heavily. This was the case in the rest of the country too.

Of the twenty two state assembly and one Union territory elections held since the 12th General Elections in 1998, the BJP and its allies lost in eighteen. With the tide clearly turning against it, it was increasingly being felt that only a vocal advocacy of its communal agenda could control the damage. This was the point the RSS, the VHP and allied outfits were repeatedly making, to remind the BJP and urge the BJP to get back to its real agenda. The revival of the temple construction plans, etc., should be seen in this light.

Even while ruling at the centre, to hoodwink the people and to satisfy its allies' demands that it pursue only the NDA agenda, the BJP has doggedly carried out its policy to penetrate the administrative apparatus by posting its men in key positions, taking control of various institutions and academic bodies and continued to propagate the Hindutva ideology through intervention in education, culture, the media, et al. Nor did the infiltration stop there, but extended to the bureaucracy, the police, the judiciary, the post of Governors, the education system and even the armed forces.

Holding the reins of power, there has been a systematic assault on the secular principle of the state, and the penetration of the RSS into the state apparatus, and the consequent vicious attacks on minorities. Simultaneously has been the plan, systematically carried out, to communalise the society through eroding the secular content of the educational system, and an offensive on our composite cultural values.

Under the NDA cover, the BJP's allied outfits have been pushing ahead with all the issues that do not form part of the NDA agenda, viz., building the temple at Ayodhya, attacks on minority rights, etc. Though it is the NDA which is in government, the actual rulers are the BJP. Actually, the NDA is a convenient cover for the BJP-RSS combine to push ahead with its own agenda.

With the killings in Gujarat showing no signs of abating, even the Telugu Desam, which has been a major supporter of the Vajpayee government, has expressed its displeasure against the stand adopted by the BJP on the question of Modi at its Goa meeting. The TDP took the stand that it was against holding elections in Gujarat at this juncture, and reiterated its demand for Modi's removal. Various other NDA constituents also have expressed similar views. Even the BJP's own Shanta Kumar, a minister at the Centre, has hinted that he is all for removal of Narendra Modi.

Uproarious scenes and heated exchanges were witnessed in parliament when it met after the recess during the Budget session. While the entire secular Opposition has pressed for an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha, in the Rajya Sabha the Opposition secular parties have called for voting after a debate on the situation in Gujarat. Some partners of the BJP in the NDA also made common cause with the Opposition in parliament and took a similar stand. These NDA allies will find it difficult to maintain their own mass base if they continue to remain silent.

Under the circumstances, the movement to oust Modi has to be stepped up. Reports from various parts of the country -- West Bengal, Kerala, etc., indicate that huge demonstrations calling for Modi's resignation have taken place. The People's Front has resolved to intensify the agitation to force the BJP to yield. Only Modi's ouster can instill a sense of confidence in the Indian people and especially among the minorities in Gujarat, about their safety and future, and some credibility of the state administration.