People's Democracy

STIRRING call for a united secular mobilisation of the masses against the poison-spreading Sangh Parivar was given by senior political leaders at a meeting in New Delhi on April 27.

On the second day of the public testimony of some of the survivors of the genocide in Gujarat, organised by Communalism Combat and SAHMAT many political leaders attended. Among those who met the survivors were CPI(M) general secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet, former prime ministers V P Singh and Deve Gowda, senior JD leader Madhu Dandavate, Delhi chief minister Shiela Dikshit, Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Mani Shankar Aiyyar and Sunil Dutt, former union minister Arif Mohammed Khan, AIADMK MP Dalit Ezhamalai, Samajwadi MPs Raj Babbar and Ramjilal Suman and BSP leader Mansoor Ali Khan.

After hearing many survivors recount their tales of horror, Surjeet in his brief speech said that though he has seen the riots in 1947 during the total migration in Punjab, he is unable to even hear the grisly accounts of the carnage in Gujarat. He said the level of violence against the Muslim women during this carnage was beyond comprehension. Blasting the Narendra Modi administration for behaving as though nothing much had happened, Surjeet said this was possible because their minds were filled with poisonous hate feelings.

Warning against the conscious efforts being made to break the unity of the people through attacks on secularism, Surjeet called for unity of all secular forces to create an atmosphere in the country against this fascism. He said there should be mass mobilisation in all major cities and towns of the country by the secular forces. He drew attention to the fact that the people have started distancing themselves from these forces which was evident in BJP's continous losses in all the recent elections.

Former prime minister V P Singh blasted the Sangh Parivar for questioning the patriotism of Muslims. " What is their patriotism ? Where were they during the freedom struggle? While everyone else were spilling blood for the sake of country, these forces did not even sweat for the country's freedom." Criticising Vajpayee for endorsing Modi's Newtonian theory of action-reaction, V P Singh said this would only lead to balkanisation of the country on the lines of Bosnia. He expressed concern that both the ISI's long term interests and BJP's short term interests are one and the same -- that of dividing the people on religious lines.

V P Singh felt these forces should be fought on two fronts - one on an ideological plane within the society against the poisonous influence of these forces and two politically, by united mobilisation of secular forces. He wanted this to begin with in Gujarat itself.

Mani Shankar Aiyyar accepted that there is need for Congressmen to introspect and overcome the failures of the party in meeting the challenges. He felt the only way to stop these fascist forces was by way of secular fundamentalism-- which in his words is an uncompromising fight against communalism.

Madhu Dandavate said there is no doubt that what happened in Gujarat is nothing short of a genocide. "The secular forces have to admit that we have not been able to win the battle of secularism. There is a long road to traverse" said Dandavate. The former prime minister Deve Gowda congratulated Communalism Combat and SAHMAT for totally exposing the state government's criminal involvement in the carnage.

Communalism Combat editor Teesta Setalvad wondered why no political party, business house or media house has instituted a public relief fund for the victims of the Gujarat genocide. She said this shows the victory of fascism that one is afraid to even undertake this elementary show of solidarity with the victims. She wanted all the parties to jointly come out with a relief fund in order to make a symbolic political point. All the leaders agreed to this proposal and all those who attended the meeting made liberal contributions then and there.

On the evening of April 27, six of the survivors- Fatimabi, Reshma, Yusuf Khan Pathan, Ibrahim Ghanchi, Raja Bundelia and Arif Yusuf Khan- called on the president of India, K R Narayanan who gave them a patient hearing and assured to forward their tale of woes to the central government.

In a memorandum submitted to the president, the victims said that an utter and complete sense of lawlessness prevails in Gujarat. The state government has staunchly refused to finalise any rehabilitation plans and are consciously making the victims of the genocide feel more isolated and abandoned, they stated.

The victims sought imposition of president's rule and handing over of the state's law and order machinery to the Army . They have also asked for the change of governor as the present incumbent is ideologically linked to the BJP. The victims were accompanied by CC editor Teesta Setalvad and Shabnam Hashmi and Ram Rahman from SAHMAT.