People's Democracy

AT a time when the world leaders were busy preparing their respective agendas for the Earth Summit in Johannesburg, Indian deputy prime minister visited Britain at ‘the invitation of his British counterpart John Prescott’. (It is already known how much importance the Indian government has given to this summit by its decision of not sending any senior minister to the summit, whereas the British delegation is being led by their premier Tony Blair himself.)

With Earth Summit preparations hogging the limelight, Advani’s visit went unnoticed in the British press, with the newspapers not even mentioning a word about it. This was despite Advani terming the Gujarat happenings as "indefensible". However on August 21, at least fourteen secular organisations of Asian people held a protest demonstration outside the India House against Advani’s visit. The text of the statement released at this demonstration explained the opposition to Advani’s visit:

"As home minister he has allowed the Gujarat government to engage in a systematic, state sponsored massacre of Muslims. Since February 28, 2002, more than 2000 Muslims have been killed - most burnt alive. Over 250 Muslim women have been gang raped and then torched or butchered. Looting and burning of Muslim homes and businesses worth billions of pounds has left 100,000 Muslims in relief camps. Hundreds of Muslim places of worship have been destroyed. All this was done with the state government ministers’ direct involvement and the home minister’s patronage".

A function organised to celebrate Indian Independence Day in Southall also saw the speakers severely criticise the Gujarat government and appealed for communal harmony in the state.

Typical of the BJP double-speak Advani, while addressing a press conference in the India House in London said that what had happened in Gujarat was a "blot" on the BJP government and was "outrageous" and that he was "sorry".

As mentioned in the People’s Democracy (August 5-11), the BJP leadership is now specialising in phraseology to dupe people. In line with that, Advani carefully chose his words. He knew that whatever he said in London would be crucial to the already battered and bruised image of the BJP government. But what Advani forgot was that the killings of thousands of innocent people in Gujarat has not gone unnoticed in the world. He also forgot (or chose to ignore) what he had been saying in the shameless defence of the ill-famed Gujarat chief minister, who has now crossed all limits of indecent behaviour against the constitutional authorities.

In fact, secular and progressive groups living in London were quite disturbed by the Gujarat happenings. Since the month of March, series of demonstrations and meetings condemning the Narendra Modi government were held here. An organisation named ‘Council of Indian Muslims’ has also initiated legal proceedings against the Gujarat chief minister and he could be prosecuted if he chooses to come to Britain.