People's Democracy

LOW-INTENSITY GENOCIDE CONTINUES

  “Please Don’t Let Gujarat Be Forgotten”

ON Saturday, April 26, Communalism Combat and the Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust (SAHMAT) jointly issued a fervent appeal to the democratic forces of the nation to wake up to the grave threat posed to the very essence of secular democracy by the continuing persecution of minorities by the Narendra Modi administration in Gujarat. They warned that if this threat is not met, it is not far away to see full-fledged fascism not only in Gujarat but in the whole of the nation.

Addressing a press conference at New Delhi on the day, Communalism Combat editor and prominent secular activist Teesta Setalvad narrated how Modi, with the benefit of absence of media glare and political opposition’s inefficacy, is systematically smashing the minorities in Gujarat. Anyone who has taken a stand in the last one year, be it the human right activists, relief camp runners, advocates trying to prosecute the killers, they are all being targeted now for attack. Activists and workers coordinating relief for the victims of Gulbarg massacre and the Naroda Pattiya carnage are especially receiving regular threats. “There is open intimidation and I really fear for the lives of at least 12 human right activists working there,” she said.

Teesta charged the BJP government of Gujarat of selective use of Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) against Muslims. More than 12 cases have been slapped against Muslims under this draconian Act. Following Pandya’s murder, a fresh reign of terror has been unleashed against Muslims. Despite Pandya’s father himself charging that it was a political murder by the anti-Pandya group in the ruling party, the Ahmedabad police is going on rampage against Muslims. “The investigation into this murder has effectively been hijacked by the city Crime Branch, though it is officially the CBI which should be conducting it,” said Teesta. She also said that more than 325 Muslim-run institutions, including madrassas, have been systematically targeted by the state’s education department.

Eminent Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan made a passionate appeal to all secular forces to nip the fascist threat in Gujarat in the bud. He said that even as the perpetrators of Gujarat genocide are roaming free, the victims are being hounded out of whatever little is left for them. But the more worrying part for him was that all those who came to the defence of helpless minorities in the state are being systematically targeted. “Fascism feeds itself on its successes. If we don’t check this now, we will see full-fledged fascism of Nazi Germany variety very shortly,” warned Prashant Bhushan.

Kamal Mitra Chenoy, president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Association, also spoke. Ram Rahman of SAHMAT made initial remarks.

GUJARAT UNDER SIEGE

Following is the full text of the statement released at the press conference on April 26:

TERROR continues to be unleashed systematically against the Muslim minority in Gujarat through indiscriminate arrests and illegal detentions by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch of at least 80 Muslim youth, the selective application of POTA against 12 Muslims for alleged involvement in the Haren Pandya murder and 123 accused in the Godhra mass arson. Muslim women, relatives of the allegedly absconding accused and even of detained persons, have also been brutally abused during questioning by the Ahmedabad police. A delegation of Muslim women petitioned the Ahmedabad police commissioner, Kaushik, on this matter the day before yesterday. The Sunni Bohra community is the singular target of these actions.

While the investigation into Mr Pandya's murder has been formally handed over to the CBI, it has effectively been entirely ‘hijacked’ by the city Crime Branch. Over the past fortnight, police officers like P N Barot and others, directly accused of close proximity to the ruling political dispensation, have been brought in and are terrorising people in order to extort money from them.

One year later, the genocide in Gujarat continues through social and economic boycott of Muslims in at least 10 out of the 24 districts of the state, and a politically vindictive state headed by chief minister Narendra Modi seeks to subvert all criminal investigations into the incidents of violence last year. Moreover, a sinister and systematic plan to target over 325 Muslim-run institutions, including madrassas and others, has been put in place with the help of the education department, charity commissioner's office and the city and state police. A survey of madrassas has already been made, supervised by the state home minister, to put their operation in place. Meanwhile, Christian institutions have also been picked for objectionable questioning by the state's education department.

We appeal to the nation, to institutions of democracy in the country, to the national and regional media and to all secular political parties to respond to the continuing tragedy, the low intensity terror and genocide that continues in Gujarat.

Human rights defenders, our associates in Gujarat, social workers, and lawyers of the minority community fighting cases for justice have all been threatened and face a serious threat to their lives. Activists and workers coordinating relief for the victims of the Gulberg massacre, the Naroda Gaon and Pattiya carnage, especially are receiving regular threats.

The main accused in the Gulberg massacre run free in the Chamanpura locality and terrorise victim survivors trying to rebuild their homes destroyed through blood and murder on February 28 last year. About 45 families constrained by poverty who had had to go back to Naroda, and face verbal sexual threats from the major accused who are also free.

The role of the state’s public prosecutor in the major carnage’s has been highly questionable. The Godhra investigation, too, is highly politically motivated and 123 accused on whom POTA was applied last month have not been seen by their families since then. Five were even injected with serum that dulled their senses (an objectionable practice violative of national and international law) during questioning.

While tribal areas of the state reel with the onset of hunger and yet another year of drought, the constitution is being breached with impunity in Gujarat. It is time that the entire civil society as well as all our institutions for enforcing the rule of law including courts take stock of the situation in Gujarat which is no less alarming than what prevailed during the Nazi regime in Germany.