People's Democracy

YESTERDAY we heard and saw on the TV also that our prime minister had presided over a meeting of the NDA allies to devise the strategy to defeat today’s motion. Of course, he was present in full force with all his cohorts and drumbeaters, who want to remain in power because that is the only cementing force. There is no question of ideology as our respected minister of home affairs has openly jettisoned it. There is no question of any proper programme or accountability also. But as the leader of the opposition mentioned, our prime minister never found any time to devise a strategy as to how to save the people of Gujarat. He did not devote a single minute to come to this House or call all the parties to consider how that carnage can be stopped; how to provide relief and rehabilitation to these helpless victims, who have been subjected to most heinous crimes. Where was the prime minister?

What we are discussing today will have a direct bearing on the future of India’s unity and integrity, and all the commitment of the people, at least, the political parties and their members, as to what is their approach to one of the basic features of the Indian Constitution and the secularism.

The question is whether innocent people in this country can be butchered and massacred because they profess certain particular religion, and whether a person of any religion can be killed through communal riots. Uma Bharati has been speaking that, well, the great history of Gujarat is the history of riots. From 1410, there have been riots. She was recounting the number of riots as if this is something which has to be cherished, which has to be nurtured and everything would be explained away. Whatever failure there may be, whatever connivance there may be, whatever conspiracy there may be, can be explained away by previous riots in Gujarat. This is the attitude of the ruling clique.

The question is not of numbers. This motion may be defeated, but the question of state-sponsored genocide will have to be determined. Whether the perpetrators of the crime can go scot free, that is the question that is to be decided today, whether the minorities can live with dignity, with safety, or they have to depend upon the good wishes of the majority in this country, as has been adumbrated here. The way lectures are being given as to the duties of the minorities is amazing. Who has given them the right and who has given here the right to speak on behalf of all the Hindus? Who has voted here? Where does the VHP get the authority to speak on behalf of the Hindus?

What we find today under the present dispensation which extols Nazism and fascism as coveted concepts? A large number of people today are haplessly waiting to be or at the dispensation of almost murderers and butchers of democracy. The type of mayhem, the type of brutality that has been committed in the name of religion, invoking the name of Lord Ram has degraded us as a nation.

An objection has been taken that when some of the foreign countries, who are all friendly countries, have given their views. They have protested against the inhuman acts. The government says – ‘Well, they have no right to discuss about our internal matter’. Of course, as a question of international comity of nations, no state has a right to comment about other’s internal matters. This is the international comity.

But since when killings of innocent human beings, rape of women, burning of people alive, slitting open the stomach of expectant mother and the killing of an unborn child are treated as internal matters of a country? Can it be treated them like that? Did we or did we not criticize Talibans and what they were doing in Afghanistan? Have we not criticized apartheid? Have we not criticized what Hitler and Mussolini did? Did we not comment on the massacre of innocent of Eastern Europe recently? Are we not criticizing what is being done in Palestine?

The most inhuman and horrendous crimes have been committed. Can any instance be shown either by the prime minister or anybody else that in the opposition parties, we have tried to minimize the seriousness of Godhra incident? We have been repeatedly saying that a deliberate terminological inexactitude – I am not using the word lie – is repeated with a view to tarnish the image of the opposition parties.

By 12 noon on that very day, the 27th of February, the Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) issued a condemnatory statement. The leader of the opposition said it on the floor of the House. She issued a statement condemning this. Every political party did condemn it. Whenever we have got the first opportunity, we have done it even on the floor of this house. The next day, February 28, was the day of budget presentation and a request was made not to interrupt the budget presentation. Now, everyday it is being repeated ad nauseam. It is being repeated deliberately that, because there was no condemnation of Godhra, this has all happened.

The chief minister has earned a great, dubious distinction of being the mastermind to exterminate the Muslims as part of a government policy. He does not feel ashamed that in his state, even today over one lakh people—until a few days back, 1,40,000 people were in relief camps – leading a miserable existence.

I am asking, does not the chief minister of that state feel ashamed that 1,40,000 people of his state are in camps leading a miserable existence? There are no facilities for food, no treatment, not even minimum sanitary facilities. They say that 600 persons have to attend one toilet in Shah Alam Camp.

I am reading some of the incidents. I am not reading many because they are so heart-rending that it is difficult to read. There is a story about splitting open the stomach of an expectant mother. I have got the name and the address of the person who did it. I must congratulate the Citizens Initiative group. Many of the well-known women journalists and social workers had gone there. They have compiled this evidence. They have given particularly the dates; they have given the time and they have given the addresses of these people. It says:

"What can you say about a woman, eight months pregnant, who begged to be spared. Her assailants instead slit open her stomach, pulled out her foetus and slaughtered it before her eyes. What can you say, about a family of nineteen being killed by flooding their house with water and then electrocuting them with high-tension electricity…a family escaping from Naroda-patia, one of the worst hit settlement in Ahmedabad, spoke of losing a young woman and her three month old son, because a police constable directed her to ‘safety’ and she found herself instead surrounded by a mob, which doused her with kerosene and set her and her baby on fire…What Gujarat witnessed was not a riot, but a terrorist attack followed by a systematic, planned massacre, a pogrom".

Everybody read with horror the story of Geetaben. I read:

"On a hot and dusty patch of asphalt lies the naked body of a women, Geetaben. Her clothes were stripped off and thrown carelessly near her. One piece of underclothing lies a foot away from her body. The other is clutched desperately in her left hand. Her left arm is bloodied, her torso appears to have deep gashes, and her left thigh is covered in blood. She is wearing a small anklet. Her plastic chappals sit sadly alongside her lifeless body. In the middle of the photo frame is a gnarled, red, hate-filled remnant of a brick – perhaps, the one her assailants used to deliver their final blow. Geetaben was killed in Ahmedabad on 25^th March in broad daylight near bus stop close to her home. She was a Hindu, who in the eyes of Hindu separatists currently ruling Gujarat had committed the cardinal sin of falling in love with a Muslim man".

These are the resolutions which our Hindus are asked to vow on.

"Such strict economic boycott will throttle these elements. It will break their backbones. Then it will be difficult for them to live in any corner of this country. Friends! Begin this economic boycott from today. Then, no Muslim will raise his head before us. Did you read of Hanumanji? Did you read of this leaflet? Then make ten photocopies of it and distribute it to our brothers. The curse of Hanumanji be on him who does not implement this and distribute it to others! The curse of Ramchandraji also will be on him Jai Shri Ram!"

The question necessarily arises: "Who is primarily responsible?" Whatever way you look at it, for the prolonged incidents that are going on, the real mastermind is the RSS Pracharak who is in the gaddi today. He has succeeded in the biggest polarisation since the Babri Masjid demolition of 1992. That is why they are praising him. But there are some exceptions. Pritish Nandy, member of parliament from Shiv Sena party said" "Narendra Modi is a despicable criminal". Shanta Kumar said "To restore peace, and to win trust and confidence of the people of Gujarat should be our priority. To that end people should rise above personal ties". And he asked for the resignation of Narendra Modi. He said: "If I were the chief minister, I would have resigned". Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, the former minister, says, "When a significant section of the people of Gujarat have lost faith in this government, all possible steps to restore that confidence are essential". The suggestion is, removal of Narendra Modi. Madan Lal Khurana had quit his post as vice-president in charge of the state after Modi was sworn in as the chief minister and has not visited Gujarat since. Even the Bihar brigade union minister Shah Nawaz Hussain, and Rajya Sabha member of parliament Shatrughan Sinha, who are known Modi-baiters and were also on the watchlist of Modi-supporters, are saying this.

Nearly three thousand people have been killed, correct us if we are wrong, including the 58 killed in the reprehensible, condemnable incident in Godhra. One lakh and thirty thousand people are still living in makeshift camps. The Gujarat Chamber of Commerce has assessed that more than Rs 10,000 crore have been lost. Fifteen hundred people have sustained injuries; 5,326 houses have been destroyed; 1448 vehicles were burnt.

What is most disturbing now, since Advani is here, is that I got a report yesterday that for five camps at Dahod, the government has decided not to supply any provisions. It is a serious matter. In five camps at Dahod, the government has decided to stop supplying provisions. How would they survive without it, even if it is a pittance of Rs 12? They cannot go back. Mulayam Singh Yadav said that they have used the money given to them. They have no houses to go back to. They have no place to live in. What is this amount of Rs 800 to Rs 1000? What compensation is being given to them? Initially, you know, there was discrepancy and discrimination in compensation. That too was remitted, not at the instance of the government but at the instance of the camp people.

I was reading from the speech of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee which was delivered in this House in 1970. He said this:

"The question is, why are riots started? I call upon this House to think about this. I have not reached any conclusion. Some Muslims start the riot – knowing they may lose life and property. One reason could be that our Muslim brethren have concluded that now there is no place for them to live in India, no guardian for them, so it is better to die fighting than to live. Another reason may be that some Muslims are connected with Pakistan and indulge in rioting at Pakistan’s behest. Pakistan wants to tarnish our image. Hindus are being driven out of Pakistan…

Some Muslim leaders do not want Muslims to merge with the national mainstream".

This is what is guiding them. Even in the year 2002, the prime minister of India is quoting what he said in 1970, as the leader of his party. That is the agony and that is the matter of concern. Today, we have a prime minister, who has chosen his constituency. His agenda is no longer a hidden agenda. He has now openly come out, saying that the Muslims cannot be trusted – in effect, he has said that; and that they cannot live in harmony with their neighbours. This is coming from the prime minister and within two days, he issues a clarification, which makes it worse.

Why is it happening like this? This is the RSS brand of so-called nationalism. The government of Gujarat has become the laboratory of Hindutva of Vajpayee-Advani variety and RSS variety! They are utilizing their prescribed textbook, which says:

"Hitler lent dignity and prestige to the German Government within short time by establishing a strong administrative set up. Hitler adopted a policy of opposition towards the Jews and advocated the supremacy of the German race. Hitler adopted a new economic policy and brought prosperity to Germany, He began efforts for eradication of unemployment. He instilled a spirit of adventure into the common people. But in doing so, led to extreme nationalism and caused the Second World War".

This is what is being taught to the students. Hitler and Mussolini are their idols and not Mahatma Gandhi nor Dr. Ambedkar nor the Constitution of India.

People of this country are looking towards us. The government is not able to provide jobs to the people and people are starving. Kisans are committing suicides in this country. This country is going downhill. More and more people are becoming unemployed. But then, at least, let us have the satisfaction that we are a united country. All of us together will fight for the development of this country and nobody is superior to others.