Secular Action Network, April, 2012

Secular Action Network, April, 2012

1

SECULAR ACTION NETWORK

From the Editor's Desk

This February 27 (2012), Gujarat travelled a decade from the horrific 

carnage it witnessed. The raw wounds of the carnage, the painful 

memory of the role of the state, the apathy of the state in rehabilitating 

the victims, the aggressive attempts to stifle the process of justice were 

all visible in a stark fashion. Many a programs to commemorate the 

ten years of the pogrom were held. All India Secular Forum was part of 

Insaf ki Dagar, a series of programs, which remembered the pain and 

trauma of the Gujarat minorities. In the two day workshop organized 

by AISF, many scholar-activists and social workers mulled over the 

tragedy and tired to cull out the lessons of the whole tragedy. The 

Forum was also part of a workshop to chart out the path for peace 

through the process of dialogue, held in Varanasi. Dr. Mohammad Arif 

coordinated the efforts. The Forum also took a major initiative in 

organizing the state level convention in Madhya Pradesh,' Save 

Democracy: Save Constitution' in Bhopal. L.S. Hardenia, Deepak Bhatt 

and Irfan Engineer took the major organizing responsibility of this 

event and the plans are afoot to follow up the convention with further 

organizing work to oppose the communal policies of the state.

The arrest of journalist Kazmi was a big shocker and civil society 

groups came together to condemn the state policy in his arrest. The 

global march to Jerusalem is an International attempt to bring to 

notice the plight of Palestinians and the highhandedness of Israel-US 

axis.  After some delay state has been forced to table the NHRC report 

on Post Godhra Violence. This will confirm further the allegations of 

social activists and will help in the process of justice. 

The disturbing news is that the Karnataka BJP Government is 

saffornizing the school books  at a very fast pace and local history is 

being presented in a very communal way through the school books. We 

also carry and very painful story of Mohammad Aamir Khan, a young 

man of 32, who was arrested at the age of 18 under the charge of being 

the mastermind of series of, blasts in Delhi and was in jail for 14 long 

years. He narrated his pain in a meeting held in Delhi. We have two 

very interesting interviews. One of the Gujarat activist, Noorjahan 

Divan and other of an ex RSS worker. Both these are very revealing in 

their own ways. The resources section has many relevant books this 

month, Asghar Ali Engineers' new book on yet another aspect of Islam, 

Asghar Ali Engineer and Ram Puniyani Edited book on Anna Hazare 

amongst others.

Do write back about your reaction to this newsletter, a modest attempt 

to present the happenings of the month, around the issues of 

secularism.

C O N T E N T S

    Editorial

1. Forum News

    Report of the seminar on Lesson    

      learnt from Gujarat       

2. CSSS activities

     National Seminar on challenges to 

       women empowerment: Role of state, 

religion and good governance

3. Articles

    A reminder to the sage of Bengaluru    

4. Campaign News

5. Global Concern

6. Christian council  

    condemns Saudi Cleric's 

call for destruction of      

churches in West Asia

7. News

8. Communalizing 

     Education

9. Events

10. Special: US and Tyrants

11. Interview

12. Resources

13. Book review

----------------------------------

Ph. 022-26149668,  022-26102089

E-mail: csss@mtnl.net.in

Editor: Ram Puniyani, 

ram.puniyani@gmail.com, 

www.pluralindia.com

Patron: Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer, 

National Committee: L.S. Hardenia, 

Suresh Khairnar, Zulaikha Zabi, Irfan 

Engineer, Ram Puniyani

Newsletter of All India Secular Forum

Volume. 7                       No.4                  April 2012  

Postal Address: CSSS, 602 & 603, New Silver Star, Santacruz (E), Mumbai:- 400 055Secular Action Network, April, 2012

2

1.Forum News

Report of the Seminar on "Lessons Learnt From Gujarat" held in 

Ahmadabad on 6

th

and 7

th March 2012.

Objective of the Seminar:

The Gujarat carnage that took place in 2002 

was a rude shock to the secular 

consciousness of the nation. Thousands of 

lives and valuable property especially of the 

Muslim community were brutally destroyed 

with unnerving impunity. Women were the 

worst victims, being targets of gang rapes 

and unspeakable sexual assaults which have 

scarred the rest of their lives. The worst 

memory of the carnage is foetus being 

hoisted on trident as a symbol of victory 

after brutally assaulting a helpless woman. 

For the first  time two Muslim sitting High 

Court Judges felt insecure even in their 

official residence and were forced to seek 

shelter in Muslim majority areas. 

Process:

Relevant topics and experts were identified 

to present papers and their insights. The 

sharing and exchange would eventually 

culminate in charting a way forward to 

engage with the issues and pursue the path 

of peace and justice ahead.  The topics/ 

sessions identified for the seminar were:

1. Lessons learnt on Post conflict 

peace building in Gujarat:

2. Lessons learnt from the post-conflict 

processes like ghettoization and 

marginalization 

3. Lessons learnt from the response of 

various secular institutions:

4. Lessons learnt from the 

psychological trauma faced by the 

victims, particularly the women and 

children:

5. Impact of the carnage on gender 

relations

6. Lessons learnt from the response of 

the criminal justice system:

7. Lessons learnt from the response of 

the civil society:

8. Engagement with new legislation 

needed to prevent targeted violence:

9. Lessons learnt from the media:

10. The lessons learnt from the structure 

of the education system:

The Seminar evoked a very positive 

response from the participants, particularly 

those from Ahmedabad. There were in all 57 

registered participants and about 22 more 

who did not  register themselves. The 

participants included Bernardo Goldberg, a 

student at Brandeis University, Ueckert 

Ann-Kathrin, Student of Indology, 

University of Wurtburg, Germany. The 

participants were Ahmedabad, Gandhidham, 

Adipur, Kutch, Gandhinagar, Surat, 

Vadodra, Panchmahal, Santrampur, Dahod, 

Limkheda, Bhavnagar, Jalod, Taloja, 

Mahuva, Rajula and Anand.

Broadly the issues and perspectives that 

emerged and were debated in the Seminar 

were as under:Secular Action Network, April, 2012

3

Harsh Mander said that the wounds of 

the genocide have not healed. When India 

became independent, we promised 

equality, justice & citizenship, equal 

opportunities to develop. To some extend 

these promises have been fulfilled when 

we compare to Pakistan. We have learnt 

to live together with our different 

cultures & religion. Gujarat pogrom 

specially targeted women & children with 

a degree of cruelty. 

Ram:  - Fraternity finished after 

polarization post 2002 carnage and 

ghettoization. Pakistan Muslims Fighting 

each other. Even if all Muslims & 

Christians are cleansed  there will be 

conflicts within Hindu Community. State 

should be secular.    

Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer asked what was 

justice? According to Socrates, justice is 

what powerful determine – might is right.

Trupti : in schools also segregation we 

are working on education and find 

children open. Question is on which 

issues we should work.

Rohit :- Except few organizations, even 

secular organizations pay lip service – We 

do Fact Finding of riots and brought out 

reports, hold press conferences and call it 

a day.  Trade unions and every 

organization will have to fight the process 

of communalization. The struggle for 

justice has had an impact & Modi does not 

say the same things that he spoke 10 

years ago. 

Raju :- Gave instance of an educational 

institutions and institutionalized 

discrimination.

Vijay Parmar:- Need to work in small 

towns & villages & among OBCs, dalits & 

minorities.

Nafisa Barot: - There is also an attempt 

to include Muslims in mainstream 

struggles.

Sushilaben:  - Should work among 

majority community and tell them the 

truth. They do not know the truth.

Kiran Desai:  - Surat known for 

powerloom & cloth trade  –

interdependence between communities 

and there was no competition between 

the members of different communities as 

the communities/castes were all engaged 

in different trades – Khatris are in textile 

industry, Ghanchis are oil millers, Rana 

are in Zari industry. Now Patels have 

entered some of these industries after 

earning in diamond polishing industry. 

Brahmins & Punjabis are also entering 

various industries) yarn manufacture, 

dyeing & printing &  fani  production is 

dominated by Muslims cloth  traders are 

also there. 

Truptiben Shah:-   In 1985  – street 

theatre was used as a tool and to 

response to Communal Riots in Baroda –

small leaflets were distributed (F.F 

Report) seminar on why women need to 

fight communalism  – Widest possible 

alliance with all sections.

Dwarika Nath:- Anti  – Sikh violence in 

84, 85 Riots, 92 demolition of Babri 

Mosque, Since partition, 1964 Rourkela, 

Anti  – Christian violence in Sanjheli &

Randhikpur. Expansion of Saraswati 

Vidya Mandir Schools, cow slaughter 

issue is exploited. Sangh Parivar is trying 

to capture temples. 

R. B. Sreekumar – CM said why canal 

water flow inaugurated during Ramzan & 

not during Hindu festivals.

    Secular Action Network, April, 2012

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Dr. Juzar Bandukwala:

Prof J S Bandukwala said "all praise 

according to me goes to Bilquis' husband 

Yakub Rasool who has not only stood by his 

wife despite she was raped several times 

during the riots in 2002, but, he also 

protects her and takes full care of her. He 

earns petty money by selling milk pouches 

but has been looking after his wife. I feel 

such MEN should be awarded and rewarded 

with 'Bharat Ratna' awards for their real 

bravery. Yakub is indeed a living example of 

resilience and commitment.

The other issues that emerged in the 

Seminar were:

 That the victims have not yet forgotten 

the carnage and find it difficult to move 

ahead in life.

 That social boycott, lack of empathy for 

their plight within the broader society 

and lack of relief and rehabilitation 

measures has further pushed the 

community in general and victims in 

particular to the margins and poverty.

 That the secular organizations working 

for inclusive approach, peace and 

harmony were very weak in Gujarat 

State on account of aggressive Gujarati 

Nationalism,

 That organizations working for peace 

and minority rights were not sensitized 

to and do not give importance to the 

women's issue and gender equality and 

vice versa. Similarly, organizations 

working for Dalit rights did not give 

importance to stigmatization of 

minorities and minorities did not care 

for oppression of dalits. Hence the civil 

society was fragmented, emasculated 

and weakened.

 That the capitalist and market oriented 

growth benefitted only a small elite 

which uses the aggressive HinduGujarati nationalism to retain their 

hegemony

 That we should focus on the youth of 

Gujarat and orient them towards human 

rights, peace, secularism and justice.

Continuous dialogue must for peace in society

By TCN News,

Varanasi: Social change is possible only if 

dialogue between different communities of the 

society goes on continuously because the 

absence of dialogue creates assumptions and 

misunderstanding leading to uneasiness in the 

society, said Pascal Tirki. He was  addressing a 

workshop on "Conflict, Dialogue and Social 

Healing" held from 28-29th Feb. in Varanasi.

He said "our purpose is to create brotherhood 

and communal harmony through dialogue. We 

should try to remove small disputes through 

dialogues."

Dr Alok Nag, Dean, Vishwa Jyoti Gurukul, while 

speaking on "Peace, Justice and Deprived 

community" said society is not peaceful because 

Dr Alok Nag, Dean, Vishwa Jyoti Gurukul 

addressing the workshopSecular Action Network, April, 2012

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Participants of the Workshop on conflict, 

dialogue and social healing in Varanasi

of injustice. If justice is delivered in time, the 

deprived community can live peacefully.

Spokesperson of Kashi Vidyapeeth, Suresh 

Kumar said if values enshrined in Indian 

Constitution are followed peace will automatically 

return to the society.

Addressing the concluding session, convenor of 

the workshop, Dr Mohd Arif said British 

imperialism promoted differences over caste, 

religion, class, community, region and language 

and now this is being done by communal forces. 

Therefore, it is the duty of concerned groups of 

society to end such concepts and create the 

atmosphere of peace and communal harmony.

The workshop was organized by Centre for 

Harmony & Peace, Varanasi, All India Secular 

Forum, UP and supported by Indian Social 

Institute, New Delhi.

Press statement

Mumbai, March 30, 2012

All India Secular Forum condemns Saudi Grand Mufti's call for destruction of 

churches in West Asia

The All India Secular Forum has 

condemned the call by Saudi Arabia's 

Grand  Mufti, Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin 

Abdullah that it is "necessary to destroy 

all the churches of the region."

The Mufti's controversial statement 

placed Christian churches throughout the 

Arabian Peninsula in jeopardy and could 

have repercussions for religious 

minorities in other countries. 

Christianity is already forbidden in 

Saudi Arabia which has no churches.

The All India Secular Forum calls upon 

Yemen, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, 

and the United Arab Emirates to rebuff 

the Wahabi Imam's bigoted statement, 

and assure the safety and security of

churches in their respective countries. 

West Asian media had reported the 

controversial statement in the context of 

another statement by a Kuwaiti member 

of parliament who reportedly called for 

the 'removal' of churches in his country.

Legislation was also recently introduced 

in Kuwait's parliament that would 

mandate the removal of Christian 

churches from the country and impose 

strict Shariah laws. Kuwait has later 

clarified the legislation would not 

remove the churches, but prohibit further 

construction of Christian churches and 

non-Muslim places of worship in the 

country. The Saudi Grand Mufti 

emphasized that because Kuwait is part 

of the Arabian Peninsula, it would be 

necessary to destroy all churches in the 

country.

There are a large number of Christians 

living in Saudi Arabia and the other 

countries of the Arabian gulf, many of 

them from India and the Philippines, 

with their population estimated at over Secular Action Network, April, 2012

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3.5 million, over 800,000 of them in 

Saudi Arabia alone.

The All India Secular Forum has been 

following developments in the region 

with growing alarm and concern as 

Christians continue to be coerced and 

harassed at various times. It is 

paricularly disturbing because India has 

a large number of its citizens, mostly 

labour but also businessmen, engineers 

and medical personnel, in the region. A 

large number of migrant from the states 

of South India are Christians.

The All India Secular Forum said the 

Mufti's statement flew in the face of the 

United Nations Charter and the UN 

Declaration On The Elimination Of All 

Forms Of Intolerance And Of 

Discrimination Based On Religion Or 

Belief.

Irfan Engineer,

Debranjan Sarangi's Film – From Hindu to Hindutva got Sratchandran 

Award for 2011-2012 as best film at VIBGYOR International Film Festival, 

Kerala!!

This is the Third Award for the Film in a 

row. Many Congratulations to 

Debaranjan.  Debranajan is also 

associated with All India Secular Forum 

and AISF had made a very small 

contribution to enable Debaranjan to 

make the film.

The Film is based on Kandhamal conflict. 

It critically examines the battering of 

Adivasi identity during the conflict in 

Kandhamal.

For copies contact 

Debaranjan: debasar11@yahoo.co.in

(Review of the film in resources section)

2.CSSS Activities

Centre for Study of Society and Secularism, Activities for the month of March 2012 

REPORT OF 

NATIONAL WORKSHOP ON 

AWARENESS CREATION AND CAPACITY BUILDING OF WOMEN 

Date: 10th

to 11

th March 2012.  Venue: Maitri Bhawan, Bhelupur, Varanasi.

Participants: NGO activists, students and faculties from various parts of UP.

The workshop organised in Varanasi 

was attended by 55 participants from 

various districts of UP, mostly from 

NGOs working for women

empowerment. The workshop began 

with the welcome speech by Dr. Muniza 

Khan. Dr. Dipak Malik, Honourary 

Director, Gandhian Institute of Studies 

gave the introductory speech 

thereafter. He explained the rationale 

and objectives of the workshop. Secular Action Network, April, 2012

7

The first session on 'Women's 

Movement in India' was chaired by Mr. 

Sunil Sahasrabudhey. In his 

introductory speech he focussed on the 

need for social change towards a 

gender just society and how to go about 

it. The resource person in this session, 

Ms. Meera Dutt gave a detailed picture 

of women's movements across the 

world and India, its strengths and 

weaknesses. In her lecture she covered 

the areas such as women's wings in 

political parties, caste conflict and 

women, role of women in civil society 

movements etc.

The second session on 'Caste Conflict 

and Women' was also chaired by Mr. 

Sunil Sahasrabudhey. The first 

speaker, Ms. Jagriti Rahi opined that 

there should be something similar like 

Mandal Commission, for the 

betterment of women's life in India. 

Women are at the receiving end of 

caste conflicts in the country. The 

second speaker Ms. Kusum Verma gave 

a detailed sketch of what is going on in 

Khap panchayats in Haryana, and 

honour killings taking place in other 

parts of country as well. Fundamentally 

all these are against women's right to 

choose her partner. The society is 

scared of young couples choosing their 

life partner irrespective of caste and 

religion because, this has a power to 

shaken the centuries old caste system. 

Hence inter-caste marriage is a tool to 

break the caste barrier. The third 

speaker Ms. Chitra Sahasrabudhey was 

sharing her view that nowadays a new 

kind of caste system is emerging, that is 

educated caste and illiterate caste, a lot 

of social and political discrimination 

are taking place around us on this 

basis. Women's movements should 

address the issue of caste conflict as 

well. During the session there were 

paper presentations by Ms. Poonam 

and Ms. Varuni Krishnan, students 

from Banaras Hindu University.

The afternoon session on 'Gender 

Violence' was chaired by Dr. Dipak 

Malik and the resource person was Dr. 

Rooprekha Verma. She explained the 

various dimensions of gender violence. 

Gender violence is not just physical 

assault, but include all kind of mental 

torturing as well. Talking to women's 

right doesn't mean that men are having 

all the right or there is no violence 

against men. Hence the women's 

movements should address the cause of 

women in a broader socio-political 

perspective. 

Dr. Qamarjahan chaired the fourth 

session of the day on 'Composite 

culture in Kashmir'. The resource 

person Prof. A.K. Kaul explained the 

forms of composite culture existing in 

Kashmir, its origin and nature. The 

local culture of Kashmir has received 

components from various cultures. The 

discussions further developed in to 

insurgencies existing in Kashmir today 

as the resource person had first hand 

information's regarding conflict in 

Kashmir. Secular Action Network, April, 2012

8

Evening there was screening of a 

Pakistani film  Bol, which address the 

issue of women's right and religion, 

how religions is used by patriarchy to 

suppress women. The story "based in 

Lahore, it takes place in the house of a 

family of young girls and highlights 

the challenges and confrontations they 

have with their father, who continues 

to embody the contradictions of many 

religious values, which in turn 

accentuates the growing poverty, 

troubles and sufferings of the family. 

The story focuses on Zainab, a 

daughter who always feels compelled 

by her logical reasoning and sense of 

justice to challenge the values her 

father holds dear. It's an emotional 

film, which looks at some serious 

issues through the experiences of its 

characters." 

On the second day of the workshop 

there were two sessions by Dr. Asghar 

Ali Engineer, 'Communal Conflict and 

its impact of women' and 'Role of 

Women in Conflict'. He explained with 

examples from day to day life, how 

religion is used for violence in the 

society and discrimination against 

women. He was of the opinion that 

conflict occurs not because of religion 

but religion is misused for creating 

conflict by vested interests. The religion 

have given lots or rights to women, but 

even today the command over religious 

texts and its interpretations are in the 

hands of a handful of priest class, who 

have a patriarchal social outlook. This 

leads to  blaming religion for 

discriminations against women. 

The last session was a panel discussion 

on 'Women and Ethnic Violence: How 

much Does Gender Count'. Dr. Asghar 

Ali Engineer, Prof. BN Juyal, Dr. Dipak 

Malik, Mr. Sunil Sahsrabudhey and 

Prof. Qamarjahan were the panellists. 

Gender based violence within the 

ethnic violence, various aspects of 

gender violence, the role of women's 

movements in this regard etc were 

discussed in detail. Prof. A.K Kaul 

delivered the welcome speech and Dr. 

Muniza Khan gave vote of thanks.

Report on the National Seminar on Challenges to 

Women Empowerment: Role of State, Religion and Good 

Governance

The Centre for Study of Society and 

Secularism, Mumbai organised a 2-

day National Seminar on 

Challenges to Women 

Empowerment: Role of State, 

Religion and Good Governance on 

16-17 March 2012, 2012 in 

collaboration with  SVKM's Pravin 

Gandhi College of Law, Vile Parle 

West, Mumbai. The seminars were Secular Action Network, April, 2012

9

organised with support from the 

ICSSR (Western Region, Mumbai) 

and Ford Foundation. 

Objective of the Seminar

While women constitute half the 

population, they are significantly 

outnumbered in decision-making 

positions and are often missing 

from negotiating tables where 

conflicts are to be resolved. All too 

often, important decisions that 

affect women, their families, and 

their societies are made without 

their having a voice.

But, when it comes to really 

empowering women, government 

often looks at to which religion she 

belongs. There are a number of 

examples where the government or 

its agencies ignored the plight of 

affected women, just because they 

belonged to a particular religion 

and they did not want to interfere. 

In these instances, the government 

ignored the fact that  besides 

belonging to a given religion, a 

woman is a human being first. She 

is also the citizen of an independent 

country, where the tools of 

citizenship could be used to 

establish her identity, her rights, 

and her social and political 

position. 

Empowerment of women, in the 

social, economic, political and 

religious context, can become a 

reality not by the passing of laws 

but when women come out of their 

homes and actively participate in 

reshaping the society. It is only 

when women are empowered in all 

spheres of life with an equal 

opportunity and when she has the 

choice and opportunity to lead a 

publicly active life that we can talk 

about a foundation being created 

for a collective change in the 

society. An empowered woman will 

be in a position to confidently 

articulate her thoughts and 

becomes more productive in her 

actions. But, the reality we see 

today is still different. Toady's 

structures are all patriarchal in 

nature which is based on power and 

control on account of which women 

cannot move up the ladder beyond 

certain point. 

Women's empowerment in all walks 

of life shall bring the necessary 

balance that is required in nature. It 

will help in promoting structures 

which are more inclusive, 

progressive, creative, constructive 

and generative in nature and which 

are in sync with nature.

 If religion does not stand in the 

way, why do religious structures 

prevent women's empowerment? Is 

it the male ego, or his greed for 

power and control or a lack of Secular Action Network, April, 2012

10

confidence in the male in allowing 

women's empowerment? 

 Can the fact of belonging to a 

particular religion annul the status 

of woman as a human being? 

 Can religious edicts over-rule the 

fundamental rights of women 

guaranteed under the Constitution 

of a given country?

 Should anti-women 'traditions' 

like child  marriages, polygamy, 

denial of priesthood and mosque 

attendance for prayers etc., be 

perpetuated in the name of religion 

even in the 21

st Century?

The Seminar was meant not only 

discuss the above issues but also 

sensitise the younger generation to 

the question of empowerment of 

women. No text book teaches all the 

issues concerning the socioeconomic and political deprivation 

of women in general and the 

intricacies involved in the case of 

women belonging to different 

religions. A sensitised youth will be 

in a position to better understand 

the need for treating women as 

equal citizens of a secular 

democracy.

The Seminar was organised on 16-

17 March 2012 at the Seminar Hall 

of Pravin Gandhi College of Law in 

Vile Parle. The seminar was 

attended by as many as 65 students 

of the various College of the SNDT 

University, besides the Pravin 

Gandhi College of Law and the 

faculty members of these 

institutions.

On 16 March 2012, the Seminar was 

inaugurated by  Dr Kamala 

Ganesh, Professor and Head, 

Department of Sociology, Mumbai 

University, who emphasised on the 

importance and necessity of 

empowering women in the interests 

of not only the women per se but 

also if the development goals of the 

country were to be achieved. 

Family, society and by 

extrapolation the country cannot 

develop if the women remained 

excluded. IN spite of the various 

schemes and programmes 

formulated by the governments 

both at the Centre and in the States, 

women's empowerment still 

remains a distant dream. She 

wanted the Seminar to discuss the 

various issues affecting women's 

empowerment and come up with 

workable solutions.

Dr. Vibhuti Patel, Director, 

PGSR and Head, Department of 

Economics, SNDT University, 

presented an overview of the 

Fundamental Rights and Directive 

Principles enshrined in the Indian 

Constitution that concern with 

women. She also referred to the 

absence of women in the decisionmaking process and development 

programmes on account of the Secular Action Network, April, 2012

11

resistance and hindrances put up by 

males. Such resistance has resulted 

in the women's reservation Bill not 

becoming a Law. Patriarchy 

operating under guided democracy 

was giving women a lower position 

in the society, apart from being 

responsible for there being no 

gender sensitivity in the 

operationalization of laws. She also 

referred to the points of conflict 

between fundamental rights, 

directive principles and family laws. 

Dr. Vibhuti Patel pointed out the 

flaws in some of the Laws like the 

Domestic Violence Act (which she 

said is a social problem that calls 

for sensitisation and monetary aid), 

the  Sexual Harassment at 

Workplaces (the new Bill 

contemplated), the Pre-natal 

Diagnostics Act (which enables the 

detection of the sex of the foetus 

and termination of pregnancy) etc. 

With reference to the PNDT Act, 

she said that mere raids on clinics 

and levying a penalty on the erring 

clinics were not going to solve the 

problem of female foeticide. She 

called for stricter implementation of 

the laws which a prime requirement 

for women empowerment.

Dr. Meera K. Desai,  Associate 

Professor, SNDT University (Juhu 

Campus) spoke about convergence 

and collision between State and 

Religion in matters relating to 

women empowerment. She 

emphasised that culture is beyond 

religion and that not all religions 

are organised on spirituality but are 

often based on rituality. Factors like 

class, community and caste dictate 

religious behaviour, especially 

towards women. Similarly, 

locational differences make or mar 

the relations between the State and 

women. Micro-processes enhance 

the macro-structures in 

empowering women, bestowing

them with the power to express, 

choose, assist and stand up. The 

power to access and control give 

women the satisfaction being in 

control of their lives. She also 

referred to the complications that 

arise due to differences between the 

Centre and States over the concept 

of women's empowerment.

Dr. Vasundhara Mohan, 

Executive Director, CSSS laid 

emphasis on the responsibility of 

the State towards women, who 

should be looked at as citizens 

entitled to the fundamental rights 

guaranteed under the Constitution. 

The State, she said, cannot absolve 

itself of its responsibility by citing 

religious practices and cultural 

differences while dealing with 

injustices meted out to women. It is 

only on account of the failure of the 

State, meaning its Executive 

Branch, that the Judicial Branch is 

compelled to step in, forcing the 

State to enforce the laws. Often, the 

Supreme Court has had to make 

laws as the Legislative and 

Executive branches of the State 

were found unwilling or reluctant to 

enact laws in the interests of 

women.

Dr. Meenal Katarnikar, Reader, 

Department of Philosophy, Mumbai Secular Action Network, April, 2012

12

University dwelt on Gender 

Violence vis-à-vis Gender 

Empowerment. Her presentation 

was followed by that of Dr. Kranti 

Gawli, who spoke on Women 

Empowerment under Buddhism.

The presentations attracted a 

number of questions from, 

especially, the student community, 

for whom the concepts discussed 

were new and thought provoking. 

On 17 March 2012, the sessions 

opened with a presentation by  Fr. 

S.M. Michael of the Mumbai 

University, who spoke on the Role 

of State & Religion in Women 

Empowerment from a Christian 

Perspective. He traced the changes 

in the status of empowerment of 

women under Christianity from 

time to time and the influence of 

religion and state on women's 

empowerment. He cited analogies 

from Hinduism and Islam, with 

case studies. Answering the 

question, whether, in the 

empowerment of women do state 

and religion contradict, Fr. George 

said that they don't. Instead, they 

collude in denying women their 

rights. The double talk is nowhere 

more starkly visible as in the 

dealing with women. He said that 

there were two ways of responding 

to this phenomenon. One is 

identifying the liberative content of 

religions and the other is 

capitalizing on the Constitutional 

rights of Indian women.  In 

concluding, Fr. George said that it 

is only in the coming together of 

civil society groups to defend the 

rights of women that we can fight 

the collusion of the state and the 

institutional religion.

Ms. Veena Gowda, a strong 

supporter of women's 

empowerment  and who specialises 

in arguing cases of wronged women 

in the Courts, spoke on Gender and 

Law. She referred to the various 

provisions of the Indian Laws that 

are meant to protect women and 

the lacunae that forestall the 

enforcement of such laws. 

Dr. Lalitha Dhara made a 

dramatic presentation of the life 

and work of the famous women's 

rights activist of yester years, Jotiba 

Phule. She was followed by  Mr. 

Homi Dhalla, who spoke about 

empowerment of women in the 

Parsi community. 

Finally,  Dr. Asghar Ali 

Engineer, Chairman, CSSS who 

delivered the Valedictory address, 

presented an evaluation of the 

problems and challenges that 

impede the Women Empowerment 

in all the religions. He also referred 

to the efforts made by changeseekers in every religion and the 

results that they have achieved. 

Outcome of the Seminar

It is not often that the students, 

both boys and girls, give any serious 

thinking to the question women's Secular Action Network, April, 2012

13

empowerment; nor do they study 

the subject in their text books. 

Moreover, the younger generation 

are neither aware of the interplay 

between religion and women's 

empowerment nor of the various 

legal provisions of Indian Penal 

Code and the Constitutional rights 

that affect women. The intention of 

the Seminar was, therefore, to bring 

together the various scholars with 

expertise on women's issues and 

give the students an opportunity to 

interact with them. The seriousness 

with which the students heard the 

presentations and raised questions 

seeking clarification was a measure 

of the usefulness and success of the 

Seminar. The participation of the 

students was more than 

anticipated, as the jam-packed 

auditorium revealed.

The Center for Study of Society and 

Secularism would like to thank the 

ICSSR (Western Regions), Mumbai 

and the Ford Foundation, New 

Delhi or supporting the Seminar.

3.Article

A Reminder To The Sage Of Bengaluru

By John Dayal

31 March, 2012

Countercurrents.org

Mukund Murari Singh of Haridwar and 

Ravi Shankar Ratnam of Bengaluru do 

not know each other, but Singh does not 

like what Ratnam says. In a rejoinder on 

the internet to well publicised speech of 

Ratnam, Mukund Murari Singh 

rubbished his claim that students who 

go to government schools end up as 

Naxalites. "Dear Mr Sri Sri, I did my 

schooling from Government Schools 

(Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan) across 

the length and breadth of India. I also 

completed my engineering from a 

Government College (IIT). I assure you, 

none of my classmates or me have ended 

up as Naxals. Ignorant statements like 

these reek of upper-class ignorance and 

indifference. Sincerely, Proud Indian 

and a Patriot."

Ravi Shankar Ratnam, as everyone 

knows, is the name Sri Sri Ravi Shankar 

was born with before he heeded a 

complaint from Pandit Ravi Shankar, 

the Sitar maestro, not to copy his name. 

In 1990, the former student of 

Maharishi Yogi shed the Ratnam, added 

two Shris and founded the Art of Living 

movement, going on to open an ashram 

and an NGO in Geneva, the city of the 

United Nations offices. His official 

website, and his hagiographers, will of 

course not tell you such interesting 

titbits. They are busy rewriting a nice 

persona for him. His official bio notes he 

was a child prodigy, reciting the classics 

at age four, and graduating in Physics at 

age seventeen. A little research unearths 

the fact that he studied at St Joseph's 

college in Bangalore, as it was then, and 

graduated at the more normal age of 

twenty-one.

Sri Sri, to use the name h gave himself 

rather than the one his parents did, is 

not unknown to controversy. He has 

drawn much flack for his absolute 

support to Hindutva and to the "sants" Secular Action Network, April, 2012

14

of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the same 

ones who so strongly supported the 

demolition of the Babri Masjid and the 

hate campaign against Christians. Sri Sri 

will not be remembered for any major 

campaign in support of the Muslim 

victims of the 2002 Gujarat violence or 

the 2008 pogrom against Christians. He 

also has a controversial position on 

Kashmir, taking a hyper nationalist and 

religious line that entirely ignores the 

suffering of the Muslim population of 

the valley at the hands of not just the 

terrorists, but the Army and 

paramilitary forces garrisoned there for 

their protection. When the chips are 

down, Sri Sri has the exact same 

position as any other Hindu religious 

persona in the corral of the Rashtriya 

Swayamsewak Sangh.

It is not surprising that with his 

ideological mooring, Sri Sri takes a 

"nationalist" position on political 

dissenters and those who rebel against 

administrative and political situations 

that lead to large scale internal 

displacement, cast violence, usury in 

farm loans and the alienation of forests 

and tribal lands to Indian and national 

monopolies. This is the conclusion I 

reached after a solitary interaction with 

him at Vellankani during an annual 

general meeting of the Conference of 

Catholic Priests of India not too long 

ago. It is a moot question if the god man 

understand the factors that have led as 

many as nine states of the Indian union, 

as an effective ground for the Maoists, 

the contemporary inheritors of the 

Naxalite image. One is tempted to give 

him the benefit of the doubt in 

statements he makes. Specially since he 

has backtracked, as explained in his 

statement made in the holy city of 

Haridwar on 24 March., when he 

clarified that not "all" students of 

government schools were becoming 

Naxalites. "Children who have joined the 

Naxal movement, most of them have 

come out of the government schools. 

This same statement has also been said 

by Mr. Jairam Ramesh, Union Rural 

Development Minister, on January 22, 

that the Maoists have recruited these 

children from tribal and government 

schools. But I never said that all 

students coming out of government 

school are becoming Naxalites, there 

have been some really talented students 

who have come out of these schools as 

well. The lack of spiritual and moral 

education in government schools has 

made the students of these schools more 

vulnerable to join the Maoists. The truth

is that I never said that all such students 

are of violent tendency, but those 

children who have shown such tendency 

have not come out of mission schools 

where moral and spiritual education is 

imparted without generalizing it." he 

added.

This certainly was an improvement on 

his original reported statement which, 

simplified further by news agency 

reporters and headline writers, had said 

that state-run schools are turning into a 

breeding ground for Maoists. "I feel that 

all state-run schools and colleges should 

be privatised and that the government 

should not run any school. Often it is 

seen that students from government 

schools end up as Maoists or militants," 

news agencies had reported him saying 

at Jaipur. The threat of spreading 

extreme ideologies stemmed from a lack 

of quality education. "All regions, which 

are inflicted with Maoists and militancy 

do not have good schools. If students are 

able to get education instilled with 

Indian values, they will never deviate 

onto the path of violence and 

corruption," he had said at the silver 

jubilee celebration of Adarsh Vidya 

Mandir Jaipur in Ambabari.

The Adarsh Vidya Mandir school is run 

by the RSS. The RSS, through its Ekal 

Vidyalaya programme, has promised to Secular Action Network, April, 2012

15

set up a school each in the country's 

500,000 villages in India. It already has 

several thousand of such schools. It is 

another point that at the village level 

schools, the RSS has kept its academic 

programme out of official scrutiny. The 

educational standards, teachers 

qualifications – in many schools, there is 

just one teacher – and the curricula and 

pedagogy have never been examined by 

the state and central governments and 

their agencies. Religious minorities have 

charged these schools with the teaching 

of a warped Indian history and a focus 

on hate for minorities and against those 

who do not fit the Sangh definition of 

nationalism and patriotism.

The guru could not go unchallenged. 

Teachers present at the function 

protested,, as did others. The Art of 

Living volunteers present at the main 

gate got into a heated argument with the 

protesting teachers who demanded a 

public apology for the remark. Police 

present in the auditorium swung to 

action and disperse the teachers outside 

the venue. A criminal complaint was 

later filed by local lawyers  - Surendra 

Dhaka,  Jai Prakash Sharma and Manu 

Pancholi - in a lower court charging Sri 

Sri with the offence of spreading hatred 

in society and defaming people passing 

out of government schools. "We also feel 

that his statement is anti-Constitution as 

it goes against Article 21-A where the 

government is bound to provide free and 

compulsory education to children of the 

age group six to 14 years," one of the 

petitioners said. "Ravi Shankar is 

reproducing the ideology of hate as 

presented by Golwalkar and Savarkar 

which schools like Adarsh Vidya Mandir 

teach in the country when he said that 

Adarsh schools should be set up 

everywhere in the name of Bharatiya 

Sanskriti," said Kavita Srivastava, 

general secretary of PUCL

Sri Sri has however still not clarified that 

when he talks of  private schools full of 

culture and tradition and values, he is 

referring to just Christian, or Muslim 

and, more plausible, Hindu missionary 

schools including such as run by the 

RSS, the RK Misison and the Anlgo 

Vaidic societies, or is he talking of 

private schools run by mercenaries, fly 

by night operators, and big corporations 

who run high income chains, branding 

their schools as so much merchandise. 

Of the last, the Delhi Public School 

society is one example, with schools in 

every state, practically, an  several 

abroad. One school in Delhi offers its 

rich clientele – there is no other word to 

describe the families who send their 

wards here – not just education with a 

laptop for everyone in the totally air 

conditioned building, but also such extra 

curricular as golf, horse riding and polo 

and, indoors, billiards. The fees is 

perhaps Rs 50,000. A school in 

Bengaluru, I was authoritatively told, 

charges Rs 10,00,000. Even a school 

run by the society named after the 

philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurthy 

charges Rs 100,000.

The Sage of Bengaluru – his ashram is in 

the countryside outside the IT city  –

could more fruitfully have called for a 

learned and constructive debate on how 

to reach quality education to every child 

in the age group of 6 years onwards 

covered in the Right to Education Act, in 

effect to every young citizen of India, be 

he or she be born in a hut in a hamlet or 

in a hospital in a metropolis.

As the data goes, less than 20 per cent of 

children go to private schools. 

Researchers Geeta Kingdom and 

colleagues say "In India, human capital 

formation has traditionally occurred in 

government funded schools but since 

liberalisation in 1991, private schools 

increasingly offer an alternative. 

According to household survey data, Secular Action Network, April, 2012

16

private schooling participation in  rural 

India has grown from 10% in 1993 to 23 

percent of the student population in 

2007; this is much higher than in most 

developed countries. Private school 

participation is considerably higher in 

urban India. The high demand hints at 

dissatisfaction with  government 

schooling and the superior results of 

private schools suggest that these 

schools may do a better job, on average, 

than government schools.

They however record that private 

schools in India have generally less 

qualified teachers than government 

schools and operate using much lower 

levels of capital. However, private 

schools operate within the market and 

as a result have strong incentives to be 

competitive. Private schools hire 

teachers who often do not have a 

teaching certificate and pay them a 

fraction of the salaries of government 

schools, but they hire more teachers to 

reduce class sizes. The heads have far 

greater control over hiring and firing of 

teachers and thus are able to exhibit 

tighter control, have higher attendance 

and only retain effective teachers.

Observers note that the "opportunity for 

the business of education in India" is 

huge. India has the world's largest 

population of school going children at 

over 200 million. There are only about 

75,000 private schools in India. While 

some of the ultra rich schools have 

found avenues to bend the law by sharp 

auditing practices, schools have to, by 

law, remain non profit. Human 

Resource Development Minister Kapil 

Sibal is on record saying those seeking 

to make profits out of schools "can take 

a hike". According to a research report 

published in January 2009 by IDFC 

SSKI, only $180 million of private equity 

investment has taken place in the formal 

education sector -- from playschools, to 

coaching classes, online tutoring and 

digital content for schools.

According to research studies, of the 

total schools, about 87.30 percent 

schools are located in the rural areas. 

The number of primary schools has 

increased 8,09,108, influenced by the 

impact of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan under 

which a large number of schools have 

been opened. As of 30th September 

2008, as many as 1,26,335 primary and 

48,994 upper primary schools/sections 

have been opened under Government 

management since the inception of SSA.

The condition of schools run by the 

government is improving from its dark 

ages in the 1970s and 1980s before 

Operation Blackboard and other 

Missions were launched. There still 

remain many schools without 

blackboards About 88 percent of the 

1.29 million schools that impart 

elementary education in the country 

now have drinking water facility in 

school. And 67 percent schools in the 

country now have access to common 

toilets in 2008-09 compared to only 

62.67 percent in the previous year, 

government data shows. More than 50 

percent of total 1.29 million schools now 

have girl's toilet compared to 50.55 

percent in the previous year. 14 percent 

schools have computer in schools with 

percentage of such schools as high as 

85.88 percent in Chandigarh, 85.84 

percent in Delhi, 79.93 percent in Kerala 

and 89.74 percent in Lakshadweep 

compared to only 0.68 percent in Bihar 

and 3.59 percent such schools in Uttar 

Pradesh.

Researchers say enrolment both at the 

primary and upper primary level of 

education has also increased 

significantly. The enrolment increased 

from 101.16 million in 2002-03 to 131.85 

million in 2006-07 and further to 134.38 Secular Action Network, April, 2012

17

million in 2008-09. Over a period of 

time, enrolment in upper primary 

classes has also shown consistent 

increase. From a low of 37.72 million in 

2004-05, it has increased to 53.35 

million in 2008-09.

A very significant research finding is 

that at the primary level, the share of 

Scheduled caste and Scheduled Tribe 

enrolment with respect to total 

enrolment works out to 19.94 and 11.68 

percent respectively. Notably, at all 

levels, government schools are the main 

providers of educational needs of both 

SC and ST children. The share of OBC 

enrolment in the elementary classes is 

42.26 percent. The apparent survival 

rate (to Grade V) improved to 76 percent 

in 2008-09. This is also reflected in 

retention rate at primary level which is 

estimated to be 75 percent.

The national government educational 

data is staggering in all segments. The 

total number of teachers in 2008-09 

suggests that about 5.79 million teachers 

are engaged in teaching in schools 

imparting elementary education in the 

country. The data also shows 

appointment of a large number of 

teachers across the country consequent 

to the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan.

The curricula – much of it approved and 

formulated by the National Centre for 

Educational Research and  Training, 

NCERT, brings a certain uniformity is 

the standard of education. It is no one's 

point that the government's – both state 

and central  – educational programme 

can be at par with the best in the private 

sector. But many government schools, 

especially those run by the centre, 

compete effectively with their private 

counterparts in the results for the Class 

Tenth and Twelfth board examinations. 

Much remains to be done to make 

education a reality for every single child, 

and even more remains in the areas of 

higher education, vocational studies and 

brining technological courses to rural 

India, but the progress has been 

significant.

And there is no data available from the 

Bureau of Police Research and 

Development has no data that would go 

to show that  students of government 

schools, and colleges, join the Maoists 

any more than anyone else.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will, perhaps, next 

time not take on the very, very large 

alumni of government schools, or the 

collective might of the teaching faculty.

4.Campaign News

'International pressure led to Kazmi's arrest'STAFF REPORTER

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2982270.ece

Civil society representatives came together 

under the aegis of ANHAD (Act Now for 

Harmony And Democracy) here on 

Saturday to condemn the arrest of 

freelance journalist Syed Mohammed 

Ahmad Kazmi by the Delhi Police for 

alleged involvement in the Israeli 

diplomat assassination attempt this past 

month.

Alleging that the arrest was made under 

pressure from Israel and the United States 

to name and implicate Iran in the case, 

Manisha Sethi, president of the Jamia 

Teachers' Solidarity Association, said Secular Action Network, April, 2012

18

strange stories were being planted in the 

media and demanded Mr. Kazmi's 

immediate release on bail.

Ms. Sethi expressed shock over the reports 

that Israeli intelligence officials were 

coming to India to interrogate Mr. Kazmi.

Shabnam Hashmi of ANHAD alleged that 

Mr. Kazmi was also being targeted 

because he was a Muslim.

A statement issued on the occasion said: 

"Has Mr. Kazmi been picked up on tips 

provided by Israeli agencies? How 

credible can these inputs be, given Israel's 

(From left) Turab Ali Kazmi, son of senior 

journalist Syed Mohammad Kazmi, journalists

Seema Mustafa, Sukumar Muralidharan, Saeed 

Naqvi and social activist Shabnam Hashmi 

express their anguish over the arrest of Mr. 

Kazmi, at a press conference organised by 

ANHAD in New Delhi on Saturday. Photo: 

Shanker Chakravarty

clear intent to condemn and implicate 

Iran as the source of the attack?"

Senior journalist Seema Mustafa accused 

the government agencies of changing their 

position on the role of Iran in the Israeli 

Embassy car blast case. She said both in 

the on-record and off-record briefings 

they initially said Iran had no role. "Then 

what made them change their position?" 

she asked.

Ms. Mustafa said an atmosphere had been 

created wherein independent political 

views, thinking and writing were being 

stifled by the state. "This [the arrest of Mr. 

Kazmi] shows that if you hold views 

different from that of the government, you 

can be arrested," she said, criticising a 

section of the media for publishing stories 

"planted" by the police through unnamed 

sources.

Eminent lawyer N.D. Pancholi said in 

most of the cases handled by the Special 

Cell evidence was fabricated. "The Special 

Cell in the court argued that it is a case of 

international terrorism. If so, why was the 

case not probed by agencies like the 

National Investigation Agency or the 

Central Bureau of Investigation?" he 

asked.

Reading out excerpts from a statement 

issued by the International Federation of 

Journalists, senior journalist Sukumar 

Muralidharan said: "With all respect for 

the legal process in India, the IFJ is 

concerned that Kazmi may have been 

identified for arrest based on his political 

views, rather than solid evidence. All 

reports available so far indicate that 

Kazmi is a sound professional who did not 

deviate from his commitment to a 

journalistic code of ethics, while not 

hesitating to express his well-considered 

views when required. We call on the 

authorities in Delhi to uphold the 

presumption of innocence, and provide a 

full explanation of the grounds on which 

Kazmi has been arrested and ensure that 

he is given all opportunities to clear his 

name."Secular Action Network, April, 2012

19

5.Global Concerns

Global March To Jerusalem: March 30, 2012

By Concerned Citizens

10 March, 2012

Countercurrents.org

Join the world to demand real change!

We, the Advisory Board of the Global 

March to Jerusalem, are alarmed and 

deeply troubled by the continuing 

repression of Palestinians in Jerusalem 

and by the deliberate and systematic 

attempts to expel and reduce the 

Christian and 

Muslim 

Palestinian 

population of the 

city as part of the 

policy called 

"Judaisation," 

which is being 

applied to every 

part of historic 

Palestine.

This policy is inconsistent with all 

relevant United Nations resolutions on 

Jerusalem and contrary to the most 

basic principles of international law. Its 

purpose is plainly to ethnically cleanse 

Jerusalem of its non-Jewish population 

and transform a once proud symbol of 

international tolerance and religious and 

cultural diversity into an exclusionary 

and racist enclave.

Jerusalem is our common universal 

heritage. It is the centre of spirituality 

and ideological significance for all of the 

monotheistic religions, and a beacon of 

emancipation and hope for the 

downtrodden. This historic city is 

venerated across the world for 

enhancing the spiritual heritage of all 

humanity; it has been a symbol of unity 

and equality, with a message of love, 

mercy and compassion.

However the entire world is now 

witnessing a threat to the sovereignty, 

sanctity and inviolability of Jerusalem. 

The plan is not only to destroy the 

Muslim and Christian presence, but also 

to change and dismantle the social 

structure of Jerusalem, obliterating its 

indigenous Arab identity and changing 

the character of the city.

The people of the world have therefore 

taken it upon themselves to prevent this 

abomination, by mobilizing themselves 

in every part of the world and 

representing all religious, humanitarian, 

and cultural backgrounds in a global 

march to Jerusalem (GMJ) aimed at 

guarding the City of Peace from 

becoming a wasteland of intolerance. 

We therefore lend our names to support 

the convergence of people from all 

countries and continents of the world to 

Jerusalem, and to the nearest points to 

which they are able to approach, both 

inside Palestine and at the Palestinian 

borders with Jordan, Egypt, Syria and 

Lebanon, as well as in their own Secular Action Network, April, 2012

20

countries, in a peaceful march towards 

Jerusalem.

We therefore support this effort, and 

encourage all of humanity to support it, 

by making the pledge set forth below, 

that all participants in the Global March 

to Jerusalem have agreed to accept.

We assert the importance of Jerusalem 

politically, culturally and religiously to 

the Palestinian people and humanity as 

a whole. We call for the protection of the 

Holy Places and all archeological  sites 

and consider all the efforts done to 

change its Arabic & cultural identity as a 

crime against humanity. We call on all 

international institutions to do their 

duties towards the city.

The defense of Jerusalem and its 

liberation are a duty of all free  people 

around the world and we call on all 

institutions, organizations, and 

individuals to participate in this duty.

We condemn the Zionist campaign of 

ethnic cleansing in Jerusalem and the 

rest of Palestine including all ongoing 

policies intended to change the 

demographic and geographic situation 

in the city and aimed at its Judaisation. 

We also condemn the continuation of 

the Zionist occupation forces in building 

the apartheid wall that aims to 

expropriate more Palestinian lands and 

convert the occupied areas into 

shrinking cantons isolated from each 

other.

We support the right of the Palestinian 

People to self-determination, to liberate 

their lands and to live on them in 

freedom and dignity like all other people 

on earth.

We support the non-negotiable & 

inalienable rights of the Palestinian 

People, including their families, to 

return to their homes and lands from 

which they were uprooted.

We reject all racist laws that distinguish 

between people based on ethnicity or 

religion and call for their cancellation 

and criminalization.

The Global March to Jerusalem does not 

represent any one faction or political 

party, but we call for participation of all 

social forces, political factions, and 

ideologies.

The Global March to Jerusalem is a 

global peaceful movement, which does 

not use violence to achieve its goals.

Signed,

The Advisory Board of the Global March 

to Jerusalem 

6. Christian Council condemns Saudi cleric's call for      

destruction of Churches in West Asia

By Pervez Bari, TwoCircle.net,

Bhopal: The All India Christian Council, 

(AICC), has condemned the call by Saudi 

Arabia's Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin 

Abdullah that it is "necessary to destroy all 

the churches of the region."Secular Action Network, April, 2012

21

Christian Council President  Dr. Joseph D' 

Souza in a Press statement said: "the 

Mufti's controversial statement placed 

Christian churches throughout the Arabian 

peninsula in jeopardy and could have 

repercussions for religious minorities in 

other countries.

The AICC Secretary General Dr. John Dayal 

called upon the government of India and 

other civilised countries to use their good 

offices to ensure that the nations in the 

Arabian peninsula rebuffed the Wahabi 

Imam's bigoted statement, and assured the 

safety and security of churches in  the 

Yemen, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and 

the United Arab Emirates. Christianity is 

already forbidden in Saudi Arabia which has 

no churches.

West Asian media had reported the 

controversial statement in the context of 

another statement by a Kuwaiti member of 

parliament who reportedly called for the 

'removal' of churches in his country.

Legislation was also recently introduced in 

Kuwait's parliament that would mandate the 

removal of Christian churches from the 

country and impose strict Shariah laws. 

Kuwait has later clarified the legislation 

would not remove the churches, but prohibit 

further construction of Christian churches 

and non-Muslim places of worship in the 

country.

The Saudi Grand Mufti emphasized that 

because Kuwait is part of the Arabian 

Peninsula, it would be necessary to destroy 

all churches in the country. There are a 

large number of Christians living in Saudi 

Arabia and the other countries of the 

Arabian gulf, many of them from India and 

the Philippines, with their population 

estimated at over 3.5 million, over 800,000 

of them in Saudi Arabia alone.

The All India Christian Council has been 

following developments in the region with 

growing alarm and concern as Christians 

continue to be coerced and harassed at 

various times. It is particularly disturbing 

because India has a large number of its 

citizens, mostly labour but also 

businessmen, engineers and medical 

personnel, in the region. A large number of 

migrant from the states of South India are 

Christians, the statement said.

The All India Christian Council said the 

Mufti's statement flew in the face of the 

United Nations Charter and the UN 

Declaration On The Elimination Of All Forms 

Of Intolerance And Of Discrimination Based 

On Religion Or Belief, the statement pointed 

out. (pervezbari@eth.net)

7. News

Govt finally tables NHRC report on post-Godhra riots

Express news service : Gandhinagar

The National Human Rights Commission 

(NHRC) had written a detailed letter to the then 

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee stating how 

reputations of the institutions of governance and 

justice were at stake if victims of the 2002 riots 

failed to get justice. It also pointed out how the 

state government failed to protect human rights 

of its people and to provide justice to those 

whose rights had been violated.

The report was tabled in the state Assembly 

on Friday after a Gujarat High Court order to 

make public the report of 2002-03, which 

contains a chapter on post-Godhra riots.Secular Action Network, April, 2012

22

A division bench of Chief Justice Bhaskar 

Bhattacharya and Justice J B Pardiwala had 

said in the order, "Such grave lapse (in 

tabling the report) on the part of the state

government amounts to clear violation of 

Section 20 of the Protection of Human 

Rights Act, 1993."

In chapter three of its report, the 

Commission observed, "It is a matter of 

some regret to the Commission that the 

principal recommendations and 

observations made by it in those 

proceedings, received an inadequate 

response from the Government of Gujarat. 

In consequence, it came as no surprise to 

the Commission that many of the grave 

misgivings that it expressed in those 

proceedings subsequently proved to be wellfounded. Sadly, therefore, the initial failure 

to protect human rights was compounded by 

the failure  - at least thus far  - to provide 

justice to those whose rights had been 

violated."

The letter by the NHRC's then chairman 

justice JS Verma to Vajpayee,  said, "With 

great respect, that if our country should fall 

short in rendering justice, promptly and 

effectively, to the victims, their families, 

dependents and other persons or groups 

connected with the victims, a serious 

travesty of the law will occur with potentially 

grave consequences, not only to those 

immediately affected, but to the reputation of 

our country and its institutions of 

governance, including the judiciary and the 

National Human Rights Commission."

The NHRC had also critisied Chief Minister

Narendra Modi's move to organise Gaurav 

Yatra in the aftermath of the riots. It had 

suggested postponement of the programme.

The Commission had concluded by 

observing that it remained "fundamentally 

important, in such circumstances, that those 

responsible for the promotion of communal 

harmony and the maintenance of law and 

order  — whether in the political or 

administrative leadership  — should 

discharge their duties in the present and 

future in accordance with the Constitution 

and the relevant statutory provisions, or be 

answerable for such acts of omission or 

commission that result in the violation of the 

law and the rights to life, liberty, equality and 

dignity of their fellow human beings."

The Commission had passed general legal 

actions and recommendations at that time 

for reinstating human rights of the riotaffected people.

Satyendra Dubey award for Rahul Sharma

The IPS officer of '92 batch is being awarded for saving lives of 200 Muslim 

children in Bhavnagar during the 2002 post-Godhra riots

Deepal.Trivedi @timesgroup.com

Senior '92 batch IPS officer Rahul 

Sharma, who has been at the forefront 

of a fight against the Narendra Modi 

government, has been conferred with 

the prestigious Satyendra Dubey 

memorial award for saving the lives of 

200 Muslim children in Bhavnagar 

during the 2002 post-Godhra riots.

Sharma, known for his integrity, is the 

first IIT alumni from Gujarat to get this 

distinguished award. The award was set 

up by the IIT Kanpur alumni in memory 

of their  student Satyendra Dubey, a 

whistle-blower who was killed for 

exposing corruption in the National 

Highway Project.

Sharma is locked in a battle with the Secular Action Network, April, 2012

23

Modi government over a CD of phone 

calls which he submitted to the 

Nanavati Commission, which the 

government says he did without official 

clearance. The Modi government has 

chargesheeted Rahul on this issue.

The IPS officer had been reportedly 

asked to assist the police in 

investigations of Naroda Patiya, Naroda 

Gam and Gulbarg Society 2002 riots 

cases. Sharma, who holds a B Tech in 

electrical engineering from IIT Kanpur 

and a law graduate, procured the 

cellphone call details of that period 

from Cellforce and AT& T, the telecom 

service providers in the city at that time.

The explosive call details had  created a 

stir since it implicated many bigwigs of 

the state polity as well as the 

bureaucracy. The CD then mysteriously 

went missing from police records. 

However, sensing the value of the 

evidence he had collected, Sharma had 

kept a copy of the call details while 

sending the original CDs to his senior P P 

Pandey, who headed the Ahmedabad 

crime branch then. He later submitted 

the call details before the Nanavati 

Commission as well as to the Justice U C 

Banerjee Commission, which probed the 

burning of the train.

While the state government had 

questioned the authenticity of the CDs 

submitted by Sharma, these call details 

corroborated with other evidence led to 

the arrest of at least two senior leaders 

accused in the riots — Maya Kodnani, a 

former member of Modi's cabinet and 

VHP leader Jaydeep Patel.

Interestingly, less than a week after he 

procured the CDs, Sharma was shunted 

out of the probe and sent to 11 State 

Reserve Police at Vav near Surat.

This was after the riots. Even during the 

riots, Sharma had played an important 

role as DSP of Bhavnagar. He had 

ordered his men to fire and had 

dispersed mobs that had gathered to kill 

Muslim children in a madrassa. Because 

of him, over 200 Muslim children were 

saved.

Ironically, he had been posted just a 

day before in Bhavnagar. He was earlier 

SP, Baroda division, with the Western 

Railways. This was the division under 

which Godhra fell where the Sabarmati 

Express had been torched and 59 kar 

sevaks had been killed.

After sidelined postings, Rahul took a 

central deputation offer and was DIG, 

economic offences wing, CBI and was 

posted in Mumbai. He came back in 

2009 and since then has been on a 

sidelined posting as DIG of arms unit in 

Rajkot.

8.Communalizing Education

Saffron hue in Karnataka school text books

By Asim Khan,Secular Action Network, April, 2012

24

The revision of social science text books by the 

BJP Government in Karnataka has stirred up 

strong objections from many corners of the 

society, and this comes with no surprise, though 

the BJP is claiming that the text books have been 

set under NCERT guidelines, a dive into the draft 

of fifth and eight standard text books provides an 

insight into the validity of these objections.

What are the NCERT guidelines?

A. Values and Ideals: education should promote 

in society, as well as help the learner develop a 

rational commitment to:

• Equality – of status and opportunity,

• Freedom – of thought, expression, beliefs, faith 

and worship; as a value in life

• Autonomy of mind – as independence of 

thinking, based on reason,

• Autonomy of action – freedom to chose, ability 

and freedom to decide and ability and freedom to 

act,

• Care and respect for others – going beyond 

respecting their freedom and autonomy, concern 

about well being and sensitivity to all members of 

society,

• Justice: social, economic and political.

Objectionable points in the eight standard text book:

Cultural India

The book unfolds with a map under the heading 

Cultural India which includes Afghanistan, 

Pakistan,  Bangladesh, Srilanka, Nepal, Burma 

and China with puranic names, Kandahar named 

as Gandhari desh, Burma as Brahmadesh and 

China as Shamadesh. The map looks like a 

replica of the Akhand Bharath map idolized by 

Hindu fundamentalist organizations. Wouldn't this 

approach create ill feelings against sovereign 

neighboring countries?

Literature that praise India

Beside the map under the sub heading 

"literatures that praise India", are listed various 

text on Indian history that includes only Hindu 

puranic texts like Vishnu Purana, Ramayana and 

Mahabharata. Very surprisingly, the only modern 

text listed is named Veer Savarkar's literature. Is 

the objective here to teach students about Indian 

history? Or introduce them to Hindu religious 

books and writings of a known Hindu nationalist?

Suspicion towards foreigners

While the whole world is tutoring its citizens to 

show respect and kindness to foreigners, the 

social science text book in Karnataka would 

engrain suspicion in the minds of the children 

towards foreigners. In the "chapter citizen and 

citizenship", students have been encouraged to 

visit the police station, meet the higher officers 

and discuss about foreigners indulging in criminal 

activities in India and the limits of the police 

department to act against them.

Objectionable points in the fifth standard text 

book:

The Battle for BidannurSecular Action Network, April, 2012

25

"Memories of the past", a chapter in the fifth 

standard text book illustrates the battle between 

Rani Veeramma ji of Bidannur and Hyder Ali, it 

goes on to say that Veeramma ji fought hard but 

still the enemy forces won. This is a veiled 

demonization of the personality of Hyder Ali and 

the predominantly Muslim forces under him by 

terming them as "enemy forces".

History of Lal Bagh

It is widely known that Lal bagh was 

commissioned by Hyder Ali in 1760 and 

completed by his son Tipu Sultan. The text gives 

a brief info about Lal Bagh but falls short of any 

information on Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. This 

seems like a deliberate attempt to erase Muslim 

contribution in Karnataka from History.

Contribution of Tagadur Ramachandra Rao

In the chapter named "love and sacrifice for the 

country" the book pens down the life and 

achievements of freedom fighter Tagadur 

Ramachandra Rao who fought against 

untouchability, but then, it also mentions about

his struggle in bringing back poor Hindus who 

had converted to Christianity. Imagine a school 

kid studying this; what would he think about his 

fellow Christian classmates? Is this love for the 

nation to win back Hindus who had converted? 

Doesn't this sound similar to the rhetoric of many 

VHP and Bajrang Dal leaders?

Hyderabad Nizam and the Hindu citizens

Continuing in the same chapter, a biased and 

misleading text reads that the 86% Hindus living 

under Hyderabad Nizam were treated harshly, 

they had to take permission to celebrate any 

religious ritual that were rarely permitted, even 

the marriage rituals had to be carried out with 

permission whereas in another instance the 

Vijayanagar kings are pictured as rulers who 

protected, nurtured and upheld Hindu religion 

and culture for over 200 years. By deliberately 

neglecting the secular nature of Nizams and by 

picturizing Vijaynagar kings as saviors of the 

Hindu religion, the text is attempting to sow the 

seeds of communalism in the tender minds of 

children.

Superseding the court's Judgment on Baba 

Budangiri

Baba Budangiri, a religious shrine popular to 

Muslims and Hindus has been the source of 

many riots and communal tension in the state. 

The case is still pending in courts, but the social 

science text book supersedes the pending 

judgment and mentions it by the Hindu name 

Datta Peetha.

Bidar or Vidhuranagara

A phrase in the text says that Bidar, a persian 

name meaning "Awakening" was originally called 

by its Vedic name "Vidhuranagara" or Bidururu 

Pura. This is an attempt to bring back the Hindu 

past in the minds of the students.

Contributions of Muslim rulers and Sufi 

Saints neglected

Quite surprisingly the contributions of Muslim 

rulers like Hyder Ali, Tipu Sultan, Lodi, Mughals 

and great Sufi saints find no space in the social 

science text books.

Contribution of literates

While S.L Byrappa, a writer known for his 

communal thoughts has been found valuable to 

be penned, the contributions of great literates like 

Lankesh and Poorna Chandra Tejasvi do not 

exist in the book.

Democracy and Dynastic politics

In one of the chapters on democracy students 

are questioned if they like dynastic politics, which 

seems to be an indirect attack on the Congress 

Party.

Text books should be revised under NCERT 

guidelines

The BJP Government has agreed to bring out 

mere changes in the text books that they initially 

claimed to have been reviewed at four different 

levels with over 500 teachers including 35 

experts watching over it.

With lame opposition parties in the state, if it was 

not for Dr C.S Dwarkanath who blew the whistle 

and the stiff resistance by various organizations 

that followed, the text books would have flown 

unnoticed into the schools. It is now important for 

civil right groups and organizations to ensure 

complete revision of the text books under the 

NCERT guidelines.

(With inputs from Tauseef Madikere)

*****Secular Action Network, April, 2012

26

9.Events

Stop harassment of innocent Muslim youths: Muslim leaders to Govt.

By Abu Zafar, TwoCircles.net,

New Delhi: Coming out bold and united perhaps 

first time on the issue, top Muslim leaders on 

Saturday asked the governments, police and 

intelligence agencies to stop harassment, illegal 

detention and torture of innocent Muslim youths 

in the name of fighting terrorism. They also 

demanded prosecution and punishment of all 

police and intelligence officials who have been 

involved in falsely implicating Muslim youths in 

terror cases.

The community leaders passed unanimous 

resolution on the aforesaid demands and  other 

related issues at the National Convention on 

Muslim Youth Protection on 31st March 2012 at 

Mavalankar Hall, New Delhi. The convention was 

inaugurated by Justice Rajendar Sachar.

The convention was attended by eminent 

dignitaries from different walks of life, including 

legal experts and human rights activists and 

representatives from organizations and 

institutions of minorities. The convention was 

organised by All India Milli Council and supported 

by all major Muslim organisations including All 

India Muslim Majlis Mushawarat, Jamaat-e-Islami 

Hind, Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, Welfare Party of 

India, Coordination Committee for Indian Muslims 

and Markazi Jamiat Ulema.

At the convention were discussed various related 

issues like draconian law such UAPA, ban on 

SIMI and compensation to the youths acquitted of 

terror charges.

Terming UAPA a blot bigger than TADA and 

POTA on the country's reputation, Dr. 

Mohammad Manzoor Alam, General Secretary, 

All India Milli Council, demanded its repeal.

Addressing the convention, former MP and 

diplomat Syed Shahabuddin stressed on a 

structure to fight against such atrocities. "We 

need an all-India set-up to fight against such kind 

of atrocities," he said and demanded 

compensation for victims. "We will have to 

demand ransom not only compensation for those 

youths who have been acquitted from the court of 

law." Defending against state atrocities is a 

question of humanity not for Muslim only, he 

added.

Mohammad Amir Khan, the person who was 

recently acquitted after 14 years in jail in various 

terror cases, moved the audience when he 

narrated his heart-rending story.

"It is good sign that the people are discussing on 

this topic now, but when I was arrested 14 years 

ago then no one was ready to listen to anything. 

Everyone had boycotted me and my family," he 

said.Secular Action Network, April, 2012

27

Amir strongly condemned the lethargic attitude of 

Muslim leaders and organizations on the issue. 

"After my arrest my late father had visited several 

Muslim leaders but nobody helped us. My father 

has died 10 years ago and I couldn't see his face 

last time," he said.

Narrating his sad tale, Amir said: "I was 

kidnapped and the cases, more than my age in 

number, were fabricated against me. They made 

me naked, poured petrol in my private parts, 

gave electric shocks, removed my nails and did a 

lot more shameful and painful acts which I can't 

narrate here."

"Why our Muslim organizations didn't fulfil their 

duty? Why they believed police versions and 

media reports? If it is hard to reach me then they 

could have reached to my parents.  This is not 

only my question but it is question of hundreds of 

people who have been falsely implicated in such 

cases and still living behind bars. There are 

people in jail who even can't afford a soap of Rs 

10. Nobody is here to look after their family," Amir 

said.

He also lambasted Muslim groups for not coming 

up to offer any financial help to such victims.

"We are demanding compensation from the 

government. It is okay but the question is, what is 

our duty? Why arent'Muslim organizations 

constituting a cell to compensate those people 

who are suffering?"

He announced he is going to write a book on his 

life.

Resolution (excerpts)

1. This national convention condemns systematic 

campaign aimed at demoralizing Muslim youth 

and others. This national convention resolves to 

ensure protection of Muslim youth and those 

belonging to other minorities and weaker sections 

as a whole---socially, morally, economically, 

legally etc as enshrined in the Constitution of 

India.

2. All unjust and undemocratic laws impinging 

upon right to life, liberty, expression and 

association must be repealed forthwith. Laws on 

sedition must be repealed immediately.

5. Harassment, illegal detention and torture of 

innocent Muslim youth and those belonging to 

other communities in the name of fighting 

terrorism must be stopped. All police and 

intelligence officials involved in foisting false 

cases must be prosecuted and punished 

expeditiously.

11. A comprehensive law providing for reparation 

for victims and punishment for wrongful 

prosecutions must be enacted.

This convention decides to launch a campaign 

named "Movement for Justice" for taking forward 

the above demands and to secure justice, social, 

political and economic, for all.

(Photos by Abu Zafar for TCN)

10.Special: US and Tyrants

An Aarti From Time, A Brookings Chalisa

Are they drowned in Modi's magnetism? Is this worship exigency?

Narendra Modi is no doubt a successful 

politician. There is almost a special kind of 

luck that accompanies him in the public 

domain, luck that can be explained in two 

decisive electoral victories and the attraction 

that follows such success. He is constantly 

in the news and a set of those who fear and 

adulate the man suggest that the more the 

institutions of justice berate him, the more 

his TRP soars. News constantly props up 

the picture of a decisive chief minister. Last 

week, Time had him on the cover and Secular Action Network, April, 2012

28

Brookings Institution had a favourable report 

on him. There is a curious  timing behind 

these reports. They hint that he is prime 

ministerial material and that a realistic sense 

of politics demands that one engage with the 

emerging Indian future.

One can 

match 

statistics 

with 

statistics 

to show 

that 

Modi's 

achievem

ent is 

exaggerat

ed, that 

other 

states 

have 

done well 

or that 

GNP and 

GDP could take contrary turns in Gujarat. 

One can say, for instance, that in the five 

years between 2004-05 and 2009-10, 

Gujarat's per capita income nearly doubled 

from Rs 32,021 to Rs 63,961. In the  same 

period, neighbouring Maharashtra, the 

perceived laggard, saw its per capita income 

grow from Rs 35,915 to Rs 74,027. Several 

states besides Gujarat have shown double 

digit growth in their GDP in recent years, 

and Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttar 

Pradesh have bigger economies. Gujarat 

now runs a revenue deficit—it spends more 

than it earns—and its surplus has 

disappeared. Several other states have 

improved their fiscal positions meanwhile. 

Reforms? Five states passed the Fiscal 

Responsibility Bill before Gujarat did in 

2005, and 20 states preceded Gujarat in 

implementing VAT. Surplus power? Facts on 

the ground and increasing protests show 

this to be an exaggerated claim. Human 

development indicators? Gujarat lags behind 

in access to primary and higher education, is 

high on the percentage of population prone 

to hunger and starvation, access to fiscal 

credit among the marginalised is low, girl 

child schooling shows poor figures. State 

and central government figures support all 

this.

We think there is also  a different way of 

responding—by asking what is the criteria 

for decency and well-being? One has to go 

to the structural roots of the argument, move 

beyond a gasping portrait of Modi already 

basking in a future at Lutyens' 

Delhi. Time magazine's two-page picture of 

Modi on the lawns is suggestive of that. It is 

as if the props are there, the script is also 

there, the players are waiting, and all one 

needs is an auspicious time. The Brookings 

essay on Modi goes one better and writes 

him a certificate of good conduct that would 

help revoke the ban on his US visa. For 

Brookings, banning a future prime minister 

would be bad politics.

Time cites a social scientist in a preemptive 

act, a jumping of the gun proclaiming a once 

and future king before the democratic and 

legal process is over. Indian courts are yet 

to assess whether the evidence collected by 

investigators and assessed by the amicus 

curiae appointed by the Supreme Court can 

make out a case to prosecute Modi, his 

cabinet colleagues, ideologues, 

administrators and policemen. The charges 

are criminal culpability to conspire to commit 

mass murder, subvert the justice process 

and destroy critical evidence and records. 

Why then, we may ask, the unholy haste 

by Time magazine and the Brookings 

Institution when courts are seized of the 

matter, Modi could (or may not) be chargesheeted for criminal offences, when general 

elections are nearly two years away?

The analysis presented states that Muslims 

are voting for Modi as the Congress is too 

weak to do anything for them. The question 

one has to ask is: Is such a lazy social 

science enough? Which section of Muslims 

is voting for Modi? Two, is a vote for Modi a 

legitimation of Modi or is it a shotgun 

wedding of a community that is desperate to 

survive and see that its  people still 

wrongfully locked in jail are released?

Anyone who watched the Sadbhavna 

festival would realise that the Muslims who Secular Action Network, April, 2012

29

came were paying court to a king. There 

was no rapprochement, no forgiveness. If 

anything, the ritual expressed its distance 

from Muslim life. The Sadbhavna yatra was 

more a power game like ancient times 

where people swore fealty to the lord. The 

state government, in the ultimate display of 

control, has refused activists access to 

accounts of the public monies spent on an 

autocratic chief minister's personal agenda.

One has to read the metaphors of 

the Time report. Modi is presented as 

wearing the white of a penitent embarking 

on fasts. The writer, Jyoti Thottam, suggests 

it's an act of purification,

humility and bridge-building. To read Modi's 

Sadbhavna fasts in this way insults the idea 

of fast as a moral weapon and confuses it 

for a strategic tool. White, anyway, is the 

most hypocritical colour of politicians. The 

question one has to ask before one uses 

words like humility and purity is: What is the 

moral nature of the act?

But Modi should not be seen only a 

personality. He is a Rorschach inkblot set 

before society, provoking basic questions. 

Modi, in terms of civic indicators like 

investment, rule of law and governance is 

scoring high. These statistics have been 

rigorously contested in the public domain, by 

the Gujarati media, by the opposition, even 

the state government's own figures. And 

what about the CAG reports on Sufalam 

Sujalam project, the Kutch melas and the 

public disinvestment scams? A 

dispassionate assessment exposes the 

Modi makeover for the brazen public 

relations job it was meant to be.

And then how does one look at and talk 

about his institution-building? He has 

refused to allow the Lokayukta to function 

freely. He has silenced the bureaucracy with 

threats, incentives of plum posts, juicy 

extensions that let senior bureaucrats retain 

power and visibility. His privatisation of 

medicine has to be independently assessed 

in terms of ethics, care, cost and well-being. 

Ahmedabad, home to at least four 

universities and some of the finest institutes, 

still cannot produce a critical debate on him, 

as many institutes have quietly imposed a 

gag order on dissenting intellectuals. The 

Congress, though weak as an opposition, 

has highlighted a major issue. Land is being 

bequeathed to major corporations like Tatas 

and Adanis on easy terms, transforming 

public lands into private goods. At the 

Gujarati taxpayer's expense.

The Brookings narrative adds a second halo 

to Modi. It  converts him tacitly from a 

politician to a statesman receiving courses 

on climate change and even writing a book 

on it. Behind both essays is an even more 

tacit semiotics. It is what we must call the 

Americanisation of Modi. It creates a political 

palatability to his reception abroad. Leave 

aside the American's love of the Asian 

dictator with a keen and ready investment 

plan, there is first the Horatio Alger 

syndrome, portraying him as a self-made 

man, as a protestant ascetic, a 

journey Time portrays in the from-smalltownboy-to-CEO-of-Gujarat, succeeding without 

family connections or fancy education. He 

seems very different from the young 

Congress elite, with their pampered 

backgrounds. Unlike other Indians, he keeps 

his family at a distance. There is no family 

coterie hanging around him, unlike around 

Laloo Prasad Yadav or Karunanidhi or 

Yediyurappa. The Brookings report then 

steps in by showing Modi to be a keen 

student of American politics, wondering 

whether Indian states can have the sort of 

freedom states in the United States do. He 

is entrepreneurly, eco-friendly, and all in all, 

a global man awaiting his time, open to 

World Bank reforms and yet a home-grown 

nationalist. Modi is also presented not just 

as prime ministerial material but as the 

Indian answer to China, a note that will play 

deep into the American and Indian psyche, 

presenting them a streamlined politician for 

the future.

The question one is asking is not whether 

Modi is a future prime minister. The logic of 

Indian electoral politics will answer that. The 

question is: Where does Modi fit into a vision 

of decent society in which the minorities and 

those in the margins have a place, in which Secular Action Network, April, 2012

30

dissent has a place? Is Modi's future a 

participative future and a pluralistic one? His 

technocratic credentials are not in doubt, but 

his vision of democracy needs to be 

examined. Oddly, Modi might fail by the 

norms set by his own hero, Swami 

Vivekananda. Modi has failed to provide a 

civilisational answer to the crisis of Gujarat. 

Investment and development, even with the 

distorted statistics bandied around, are poor 

substitutes for such a vision. In 

Americanising him, the reports reveal the 

modernist flaw deep within his programme.

(The authors are trustees of Citizens for 

Justice and Peace))

11.Interview

Noorjahan Diwan: A fighter made out of Gujarat 2002

By Rafat Nayeem Quadri, for TCN,

Ahmedabad:

Lehron se darr kar nauka paar nahi hoti,

Himmat karne vaalon ki haar nahi hoti,

Nanhi cheenti jab daana lekar chalti hai,

Chadti deewaron par se sau baar fisalti hai,

Mann ka vishwaas ragon mein sahas bharta hai,

Chadkar girna, girkar chadna naak ragardta hai,

Aakhir uski mehnat bekaar nahi hoti,

Himmat karne vaalon ki haar nahi hoti,

She was in a hurry. She had to leave for Delhi to 

help a petitioner to file a case on behalf of her 

NGO. She is the same lady who would not board 

a bus or reach her house from the bus stop 

alone. As if wings of liberation and confidence 

have been attached to her body, she is a different

person today.

Meet Noorjahan. A typical Arian, Noorjahan is 

pleasant, determined and full of energy to work. 

Today she is Coordinator at Anhad Gujarat office 

and state convener of Bharatiya Muslim Mahila 

Aandolan.

Life was as usual like any other Muslim girl with 

Noorjahan when she had entered 18th year of 

life. She had just finished her 12th class with Arts 

in Himmatnagar, Ahmedabad where she lived 

with her parents and siblings. As decided by 

parents she was married to Abdul Hameed 

Diwan.

Noorjahan Diwan -- Gujarat convener of 

Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Aandolan

'My in-laws were co-operative and nice to me, my 

brother in law Prof Akhtar Diwan who teaches at 

F D College in Ahmedabad encouraged me to 

continue my studies after a good gap when I had 

already had  two children, Tahmeena and 

Mujahid.Secular Action Network, April, 2012

31

I joined Mahila Arts College at Himmatnagar. I 

used to leave my little children with my parents 

and would go to college. I used to regularly come 

and stay with my husband at Juhapura also. Here 

I would work and take care of children, husband 

and in-laws but would study in the nights. This 

went on for two years. But I couldn't complete my 

third year, its regret is always with me though I 

shall try to complete it privately some time.'

'I as a child loved to become a lawyer. Perhaps, 

my deep desire of becoming something kept me 

motivated always although it was not pronounced 

and loud. Life was going in a typical lazy manner 

where you do nothing yet waste the whole day 

saying that you have household work. Years 

rolled on, I was just taking care of children and 

my husband. In between we stayed for few years 

in Surat also where my husband had some 

decent job. I learnt a computer course there. But 

my husband wanted to come back to Ahmedabad 

and thus we were back here with all sorts of new 

expenditures and responsibilities since we were 

living in a separate rental house and not with inlaws.

My third child Musarratjahan was six months old 

when my life started changing...I was in the midst 

of the carnage that struck city of Ahmedabad and 

a crying Gujarat with no one to reach to… I had 

seen lot of misery and helplessness. Muslims 

were marginalized, executed and hated… hatred 

is still on, justice has still not been delivered to 

the victims and survivors. But there are many 

who have come out of the deep slumber of ign

orance and bizarre pessimism. I was one of 

them…I have since then moved on, never to stop 

again, do the best that I can, I shall not only give 

time to work for the cause of women from my 

community but women of all types. My dream is 

now to bring out women to fight for their cause, 

all those who are ignored, marginalized, exploited 

and need help. I want that this chain of help must 

become bigger and bigger and we must all unite. 

Fight for others' cause also so that others fight for 

our cause !!"

Did your husband impose any restrictions on 

you? How did your in-laws react to your 

transformation in your journey?Noorjahan 

(smiled and then said): "Oh yes, loads from my 

husband  -- he beat me a few times, he was 

angry, he did not speak to me for six months at 

one point of time… there was sort of no cooperation from him. Yet, he loved me and I too 

cared and loved him, so now it is a thing of past. 

He understands me now and takes pride in what I 

do.

My sister-in-law and mother-in-law were both 

nice to me and gave me silent strength to move 

ahead without feeling any guilt. It gave me 

courage…the lady power you see… Although we 

have our own financial difficulties, I still want to 

work with NGOs. My husband had to lose both 

his rickshaws since he couldn't pay the 

installments of the loan and today he drives a 

rickshaw which he has taken on hire. But, I feel 

very happy to be of help to others and to prepare 

my Dalit and deprived sisters from all 

communities to come out of the shackles.

How was the reaction of the society, 

neighbours etc?

Noojahan: They were hostile. Young boys 

standing at the corner of our 'galli' (lane) would 

throw pranks and laugh in satire as they would 

comment 'ye dekho ye madam purse laga kar 

jaane kaha jati hai roz subah se shaam tak. (look 

at this madam hanging purse she goes out from 

morning to evening. God knows where). But, I 

never entered into any argument with them. I 

wanted to reply them with the work and its 

results. Soon, it was showing. People would 

come to my house which had turned into an 

office, seeking information and addresses. I knew 

the boys out there were repenting and they were 

silently saying sorry to me. Now, they take pride 

in me they wish me good luck and on the whole it 

is a healthy positive ambience around.

How did you come out?

Noorjahan: When the 2002 was happening I was 

suffering from Thyroid and needed immediate 

medical help. When I went to Vadilal hospital with 

my sister-in-law I found young people with their 

eyes and lips full of hatred for us, the Muslim 

women visiting the hospital in burqa and purdah. 

In fact one of them said 'ye dekho chhota bomb 

aur bada bomb'. I was aghast I couldn't believe 

why there was so much hatred in the air, so 

many were getting killed…oh it was terrible. But, I Secular Action Network, April, 2012

32

also can't forget when a young Hindu boy 

dropped us on that tense day of the first week of 

March in 2002 near Vishala circle and didn't take 

even money. How can I forget the doctor who 

was a Hindu and attended me so well on that 

very same day at Vadilal. So, hatred and love, 

compassion and understanding co-exist. We just 

have to translate all the anger and hatred into 

love. We is not any one community or few people 

…it means efforts of all of us, attitudes of all of 

us.

One day during the week, some men form some 

NGOs visited our vicinity and asked for some 

help of clothes, food etc for the relief camps 

which were coming up in emergency.

Not only that I gave what I could but also 

mobilized the collection from our area next day. I 

myself went to one such camp and since then I 

am working for all those who need help.

In the process I was trained for small legal 

practices like filing of FIR, communication skills 

and much more. Some leading women from 

NGOs helped me groom myself and give my 

best.

Thus, I joined Aman Samuday and today I am 

with Anhad as Gujarat coordinator. I go to 

Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai alone, no fears no 

tension.

Why did you stop wearing burqa?

Noorjahan: When I realized I was being treated 

with hostility or at least people were not cooperative and entire atmosphere was full of

tension, there was no point in wearing burqa 

anymore. I quit it.

What was the turning point in your life?

Noorjahan: I had stepped out of the house, was 

in the mainstream working for others, meeting lot 

of people, visiting police stations, leading from 

the front for lot of victims and all that. During one 

such moment there was an occasion when we 

had to accompany young children to Madras for 

their schooling since their fathers were arrested 

under POTA and there was an utter chaos. I was 

in the crew to take them. But, my husband 

protested; he didn't want me to do this. I did not 

listen to him. A night before leaving for Madras 

he beat me a lot, I did not cry. I went to Madras 

the next day when I returned he did not speak to 

me for six months or so. That was  my turning 

point. It was the last bashing he did on me.

What are your children doing now?

Noorjahan: My elder daughter is in final year of 

BA, son studying for electrical diploma from ITI 

and the little one is in Delhi studying school for 

past six years. I had to leave her there despite 

heavy protest from the family because I wanted 

that she is properly looked after. Since my work 

takes me to Delhi often I pop in to see her and 

my husband also visits her frequently.

(Rafat Nayeem Quadri is the Editor of BILKUL, 

Gujarat's First English Fortnightly. She can be 

contacted on M: 90999 27424 

and rafatquadri@gmail.com)

*

Interview II

'The larger threat to the nation is posed by the RSS'

MAHENDRA KUMAR, who was state unit 

president of the Bajrang Dal, is famous for 

his role in the spate of church attacks in 

2008. The Justice Somashekara 

Commission had passed strictures against 

him relating to his role in that incident. 

Currently, an active worker of Janata Dal 

(Secular), Kumar tells Imran Khan that 

he's a reformed man.

EDITED EXCERPTS FROM AN 

INTERVIEW

Why did you leave the Sangh Parivar?

I was with the Bajrang Dal for 16 years 

and served as the state president for four 

years until my resignation in 2009. During 

the 2008 church attacks, the state 

government faced a lot of flak. In order to 

save the government, they emotionally 

blackmailed me by saying they would put 

me behind bars for two days just to show 

the world that action has been taken. 

However, I ended up spending 42 days in 

prison. That was the turning point of my Secular Action Network, April, 2012

33

life as prison provided me a space to 

contemplate and reflect on my life. Even 

after my release, I took another year to 

come out of the Parivar during which time 

I was not involved in any organisational 

activities.

What is your understanding 

of Hindutva now?

Hindutva is a political strategy and it has 

nothing to do with Hinduism or the welfare 

or benefit of Hindu society. Playing on 

emotions, projecting wrong history and 

some negative points of the minority 

community, hatred is sown among the 

Hindu youth. It has been the strategy of 

the RSS to target minorities to consolidate 

Hindu votes for the BJP. When it was in 

the Opposition, the BJP raked up the 

issue of hoisting the tricolour at Hubli's 

Idgah Maidan. By arousing sentiments, it 

created a statewide struggle, which led to 

communal clashes and lives were lost. But 

the same BJP government is in power and 

it is least bothered about this issue now. 

All these issues were raked for gaining 

political mileage. There is also a caste and 

class angle to it.

What is the caste angle?Most of the top 

leaders of the Sangh Parivar come  from 

the forward caste. None of their children 

are into active Sangh activities. Mostly, 

they are software engineers and wellsettled. It is the youth from the backward 

and lower castes who fill the rank and file. 

And it is they who finally pay the price. 

Look at Gujarat, most of the youth 

languishing in jail for the 2002 riots are 

Dalits and people from the backward 

castes.

How much control does the RSS have 

on Bajrang Dal?

The VHP is a wing of the RSS and it is its 

job to keep a check on Bajrang Dal. And 

the RSS keeps a check on the VHP.

Can you give us some idea about how 

much of their politics is influenced by 

local/national issues?It's mostly 

national. Earlier, the Ram temple issue 

was a turning point. It has been replaced 

now by issues like terrorism and 

conversions. These have become the 

rallying point to influence the youth. State 

issues play a factor but not that much. The 

major issue in Karnataka was of Datta 

Peetha. It was made out to be the 

Ayodhya of the south.

Recently, there have been several 

cases of Sangh activists getting caught 

for their role in bomb blasts that were 

earlier ascribed to Muslims. What is 

your take?

The tragedy is that the greater role played 

by the RSS hasn't been exposed 

completely. It is fringe organisations like 

Sri Ram Sene and others who are 

accused or caught. Whereas in fact, the 

main brain behind all these is the RSS. I 

have been campaigning and telling people 

that due to the few instances and actions 

of fringe elements in the Muslim 

community, you cannot hold the entire 

community responsible. And my 

understanding says that the Muslims of 

this country are largely peaceful, except a 

Time for penance Kumar spent 42 

days in jail after the 2008 church 

attacks

Photo: S RadhakrishnaSecular Action Network, April, 2012

34

few fringe elements. But, the larger threat 

to this nation is posed by RSS and 

organisations like them who want to 

control the Hindu society through their 

divisive politics.

Recently the Sangh Parivar held a 

Hindu Samajotsava in Hubli and 

Dakshin Kannada, in which many 

ministers took part. What purpose do 

these events serve?

The BJP has lost its face due to internal 

bickerings and the exposure of several 

ministers involved in corruption scandals. 

BS Yeddyurappa is also threatening to 

break away from the party if he is  not 

suitably rehabilitated. There is a fear 

among the BJP that if this happens they 

might lose the vote of two strong 

communities. Hence they are in a process 

of consolidating the Hindu vote bank as 

they will have to face polls in 2013. The 

recent incident of a Pakistani flag being 

hoisted in Sindhagi was meant to polarise 

the Hindu vote bank.

Is there any discontentment within the 

Sangh Parivar?

The middle- and lower-rank members are 

angry with the top leadership for siding 

with the government on issues like 

corruption. Their constant shielding and 

defence of top BJP leaders has brought 

discontentment among the workers. But 

since there is no place for dissent and 

questioning in the RSS, nothing much is 

coming out.

Imran Khan is a Senior Correspondent 

with Tehelka.com.

imran@tehelka.com

12.Resurces

Anna Hazare Upsurge: A Critical Appraisal

Editors: Dr.Asghar Ali Engineer & Ram Puniyani

ISBN 978-81-8235-108-0, Price: Rs. 160.00 (Paper 

Back),  Rs. 320.00 (Hard Bound)

List of Contributors

Zoya Hasan * Neena Vyas & Vidya 

Subrahmaniam * Yoginder Sikand * A. Faizur 

Rahman * Uday Mehta * Rohini Hensman * 

Anand Teltumbde * Mukul Sharma * Shekhar 

Gupta * Asghar Ali Engineer * Praful Bidwai * 

J. Sri Raman * K. N. Panikkar * Sagarika Ghose 

* Akhtarul Wasey * Sadiq Naqvi * Prabhat 

Patnaik * Harsh Mander * Sukhadeo Thorat * 

Kanti Bajpai * Govind Talwalkar * Soumitro Das 

* Ram Puniyani * Amita Baviskar * Kancha 

Ilaiah * John Dayal * Happymon Jacob *

Nilottpal Basu * Arvind Rajagopal * Sashi 

Kumar * Jyotirmaya Sharma * Bhanwar Secular Action Network, April, 2012

35

Megwanshi * Akash Bisht * Hartosh Singh Bal * Arvind Kejriwal * Medha Patkar * 

Prashant Bhushan * Anna Hazare * Aruna Roy

Contents

Part – I: The Janlokpal Bill

1. Parliament is for People— Zoya 

Hasan

2. Anna Hazare Stir: What It Has 

Achieved and What it Has Not—Neena 

Vyas & Vidya Subrahmaniam

3. 'Bahujan' Lokpal Bill Makes 

New Demands — Yoginder Sikand

4. Jan Lokpal Bill: A Critique — A. 

Faizur Rahman

Part – II: Anna: Theme Essays

5. Anna Phenomenon: Paradox of 

Indian Reality — Uday Mehta

6. What is the Real Goal of the 

Anna Movement — Rohini Hensman

7. The Neoliberal Revolution —

Anand Teltumbde

Part – III: Anna and the Team: 

Background

8. The Making of an Authority: 

Anna Hazare in Ralegan Siddhi —

Mukul 

            Sharma

9. The Unholy Cow — Shekhar 

Gupta

Part – IV: Second Gandhi: Second 

Freedom Movement?

10. Is Anna Hazare the New 

Gandhi? — Asghar Ali Engineer

11. Gandhian Façade  — Praful 

Bidwai

12. Anna Hazare: Tragedy to 

Farce — J. Sri Raman

Part – V: Interviews

13. Jan Lokpal: An Alternative 

View  — K. N. Panikkar

14. Jan Lokpal Bill is Very 

Regressive: Arundhati Roy — Sagarika 

Ghose

15. Communalism is Bigger Issue 

for Muslims: Akhtarul Wasey  —

Sadiq 

             Naqvi

Part – VI: Nature of Movement

16. Fuzzy Movement  — Prabhat 

Patnaik

17. Why I didn't Go to Jantar

Mantar — Harsh Mander

18. Ambedkar's Way & Anna 

Hazare's Methods — Sukhadeo Thorat

19. Born Again Patriot — An AntiCorruption Movement and The Rise of 

             Illiberalism  — Kanti Bajpai

20. The Ayatollah in Waiting  —

Govind Talwalkar

21. Hardly a Revolution  —

Soumitro Das

22. Anna Upsurge and The Social 

Movements — Ram Puniyani

23. A Tale of Two Movements  —

Amita Baviskar

24. Anna's Social Fascism —

Kancha Ilaiah

25. Enough! Mr. Hazare  — John 

Dayal

26. Please Don't Call It A 

Revolution  — Happymon Jacob

Part – VII: Role of MediaSecular Action Network, April, 2012

36

27. Media's Misplaced 

Triumphalism — Nilottpal Basu

28. Visibility as a Trap in the Anna 

Hazare Campaign — Arvind Rajagopal

29. A Feral Media Orchestrates 

Anti-Corruption Campaign  — Sashi 

Kumar

Part – IX : Communal Undertones

30. India: Anna is the Icon of Banal 

Hindutva — Jyotirmaya Sharma

31. The Communal Character of 

Anna Hazare's Movement  — Bhanwar 

             Megwanshi

32. Anna Hazare's RSS  — Akash 

Bisht

33. Why the Sangh Loves 

Anna  — Hartosh Singh Bal

Annexures: Team Anna's Version

'We stand where we had Started on the 

Lokpal Bill': Interview  — Arvind 

Kejriwal

What Matters is the Cause: 

Interview — Medha Patkar 

Anna Personality Cult should be 

Avoided — Prashant Bhushan

Appendices: Summary of Draft Bills

Government Draft Bill

Jan LokPal Bill – Summary and Guide 

to India's Civil Society Anti-Corruption

Bill

Deserves Our Support — Anna Hazare

Lokpal Bill: Aruna Roy and NCPRI's 

Suggestions — Aruna Roy

Published by

Sahitya Upkram

E mail : sahitya_upkram@yahoo.co.in

Phone : 09654732174, 09350809192

(2).

Islam Restructuring Theology

Author: Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer

A progressive Muslim not only does 

not adopt sectarian approach but is 

respectful of the entire humanity as 

per the  Quran  (17:70). He leaves 

mutual differences, ideological ad 

theological, to Allah and does not 

condemn anyone who differs as 

Kafirs. It only widens differences 

and intensifies conflict. A 

Progressive Muslim uses, as per the 

Quran, wisdom (hikmah) and godly 

words (maw'izat al-Hasanah) 

indiscussion and leaves rest to 

Allah. He does not try to be 

judgemental.

Contents

PrefaceSecular Action Network, April, 2012

37

Session-I

Islam and Women Issues

1. Women's Rights in Islam

2. Marital Rape in Islam

3. Islam and Family Planning

4. Maulvi Mumtaz Ali: Advocate of 

women's Rights

5. Polygamy and the Quran

6. Quran, Women and Hadith

7. Muslim Women Vs Maulavis

8. Women and Inheritance

9. Purdah: What does the Quran 

Say?

10. Shari'ah and New World View

11. Banning Burqa Undemocratic

12. Muslim Women and Change

13. Muslim Women: Tradition and 

Modernity

14. Shari'ah, Fatwas and women's 

Rights

15. A Fatwa that Stirred Muslims

Session-II

Religious Issues in Islam

1. Real Jihad – Martyrdom of 

Hussain

2. Religion, Compassion and Islam

3. Does Riba Include Bank Interest?

4. Reason and Faith –

Complimentary or 

Antagonistic?

5. Justice Central to Shari'ah

6. Quran Modernity and Postmodernity

7. Can Gates of Ijtihad be Closed?

8. On Being Kafir

9. Love God or Fear God?

10. Muhammad (PBUH) As 

Liberator

11. From Jihad to Ijhihad

12. A Different Jihad

13. Martyrdom and Houris

14. What it Means to be Religious

15. Is God Dead?

16. Inter-religious Dialogue: Its 

Significance and Rules

17. Who is a Progressive Muslim

Session-III

Islam and Different Issues

1. Quest of Truth or Power?

2. Post-modernism and Islam

3. Is Islam Capitalist or Socialist?

4. Two Great Modern Thinkers

5. Fate as Explained in the Quran

6. Is Music Prohibited in Islam?

7. Social Reforms in Islam

8. Rethinking Issues in Islam

9. The Concept of Justice in Islam

10. Child Marriage

11. Islam and Social Reforms

12. Islam, Democracy and 

Modernity

13. Islamic Heritage – Rational or 

Traditional?

14. Muslim Reformists' Conference 

at Oxford UniversitySecular Action Network, April, 2012

38

15. Islam: The State or Civilisation?

16. Family and Modernity

17. Religious Diversity and 

Tolerance

18. No Sanction for Terrorism

19. Training Ulema

20. Five Suggestions for the Islamic 

World

21. Origin of Islam: Socioeconomic Perspective

22. Why Ummah Wahidah Remains 

only an Emotional Slogan

23. Religion as I View it

Session-IV

Islam in India

1. Sirhindi's Children

Session-V

Islamic Personality

1. A Man of Knowledge and Vision

Session-VI

Islam and Politics

1. The Hope that is Obama

ISBN: 978-93-80828-64-0

Total pages: 225

Total Pages: 225/- Price 

Rs.495/

For Copies contact

Renu Kaul Verma

Vitasta Publishing Pvt. Ltd.,

2/15, Ansari Road, Daryaganj,

New Delhi:- 110 002

Telephone / Fax: +91-11-2326-3522

Telephone: +91-11-2328 –3024

E-mail: renu.vitasta@gmail.com

Info@vitastapublishing.com

www.vitastapublishing.com

(3)

पुèतक :- तीन सौ रामायण

लेखक :- ए.के. रामानुजन

ǑहÛदȣ अनुवाद :-धवल जायसवाल

संपादन और पूव[कथन:- अपूवा[नंद

Ĥकाशक :- वाणी Ĥकाशन

ISBN : 978-93-5072-172-8

मूãय: 125 ǽपये

पुèतक के सÛदभ[मɅ....Secular Action Network, April, 2012

39

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लोकवाता[कार,अनुवाद,  कͪव और अÚयापक

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कȧ बाधाओं सेपरेइस कथा मɅअपनेजीवन अथɟ का

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इस कथा मɅͩकतना लचीलापन रहा है/  रामानुजन

इस लेख मɅ राम-कथा कȧ ͪवͪवधता के माÚयम से

अथ[-Ǔनमा[ण और अनुवाद कȧ ĤͩĐया पर भी ͪवचार

करते हɇ/

लेखक के सÛदभ[ मɅ .....

ए.के. रामानुजन सन 1929 मɅमैसूर के एक कÛनड़-

भाषी तͧमल पǐरवार मɅहु आथा / उÛहɉनेअंĒेजी कȧ

ͧश¢ा मैसूर ͪवæवͪवɮयालय और इंͫडयाना

यूǓनवͧस[टȣ मɅ लȣ /  यूǓनवͧस[टȣ आव ͧशकागो मɅ

ͪवͧलयम ई. कोͧलवन Ĥोफे सर के Ǿप मɅकाम करते

हु ए उनकȧ अकादͧमक ǽͬचयाँ अͬधकाͬधक

अंतरानुशासǓनक होती गɃ/  उÛहɉने Èलाͧसकल

तͧमल और मÚयकालȣन कÛनड़ सेअनुवाद ͩकये/ 

उÛहɉनेकÛनड़ मɅ Ĥयोगशील कͪवता (होÈकु लाãलȣ

हु ͪवãला,कुं तोǒबले,  आǑद )  ͧलखी ,  भारत भर से

लोकगाथाएं एकğ कȧं,  अंĒेजी से कÛनड़ मɅ और

कÛनड़ सेअंĒेजी मɅकथा - साǑह×य का अनुवादͩकया

और खुद कÛनड़ मɅ एक उपÛयाͧसका ͧलखी / 

साǑहि×यक उपलिÞधयɉ के ͧलए उÛहɅअनेक पुरèकार

और सàमान ͧमले / 1993 मɅउनका देहांत हो गया /

धवल जायसवाल Ǒदãलȣ ͪवæवͪवɮयालय के ǑहÛदȣ

ͪवभाग मɅ शोधाथȸ हɇ /

अपूवा[नंद Ǒदãलȣ ͪवæवͪवɮयालय मɅ ǑहÛदȣ का

अÚयापन करतेहɇ/ उनके आलोचना×मक Ǔनबंधɉ के

दो संĒह Ĥकाͧशत हɇ/

(4)

God Politics

Gods in Political Battlefield

Ram Puniyani

The language of politics in the World in 

general and India in particular has been 

heavily dominated by the identity 

aspects of religion. Globally, terrorism 

has been linked to a religion and in India 

the identity issues revolving around Ram 

Temple, Lord Ram and Holy Cow have 

dominated the political scene. This book 

takes a broad look at the multifaceted 

ensemble called Religion and political 

phenomenon constructed around 

religion's identity. It begins with the 

elaboration of religion as value and a 

human institution and then goes on to 

understand the life and teachings of 

some Prophets. How religion has been 

seen and understood in the social arena 

has been elaborated in different periods 

of Indian society.

Table of Contents

PrefaceSecular Action Network, April, 2012

40

Prelude

Introduction

Section A

Religion: Social Phenomenon

1. Religion through Ages

Section B

Religions- Prophets

2.Jains: Minority or Not?

3. 3. Gautama Buddha: Pioneer of Social 

Justice

4. 4. Peace for the Planet: Prophet 

Muhammad

5. 5. Sikhism : Religion or a Sect

6. 6. Adivasis: Are they Hindus

Section C

Indian Society: Religion

7. Rational Thought in Indian 

Tradition

8. Pluralism: Core of Indian Society

9. Gandhi, Religion and Politics

Section D

Hindu, Hindusim, Hindutva

10. Hindutva: Religion or Politics: 

Communal Fascism in India

11. Freedom Movement and Hindu 

Right

12. Sectarianism: Impact on Culture

13. Fundamentalism and Women's 

Rights

14. Social Justice must Precede 

Reconciliation

15. Hindu Nation, Hindu Rashtra and 

Hindutva

16. Religious Minorities: Political Dilemma

Section E

Godmen or Religio-enterpreneures

17. Arrest of Shankaracharya by 

Tamil Nadu Police

18. Happenings at Asaram Bapu's 

Ashram

19. Yogi and the Profane Laws

20. Baba Ramdev: Yogi or Commissar

21. Bhagwan Satya Sai

22. Swamis, Celibacy and Sex Scandals

23. Jehadi and Sadhvi

24. Swami, Sangh and Terror Links

25. Invading the Secular Space

26. Holy Seers: Secularism and Indian 

Constitution!Secular Action Network, April, 2012

41

Section F

Faith to the Fore

27. Beef in Indian Deitary Traditions

28. Cow on Political Chessboard

29. Cow's Urine as Medicine: Faith's leap 

into blind Alleys

30. Pleasing Gods with Public Money

31. Sabarimala Makar Jyothi: Man Made 

'Divinity'

32. Lord, May I Come in?

33. Lord Ram: Through Different Prisms

34. Many Rams: Many Ramayans

35. Lord Ram Abused

Section G

Religions Today

36. Contemporary Times-Role of Religions

37. Islam Today

Post Script

I Religion: New Language for 

Imperialism

II Book Review Religion and Social 

Change

Epilogue

Civilizations: Religions: Clash or 

Alliance?

Availability

Vitasta Publishing Pvt Limited 2/15, 

Ansari Road, Daryaganj

New Delhi 110002

info@vitastapublishing.com

13.Book Review

The path to peace is paved with educational blocks

By Ram Puniyani

Education for Peace: Guideline for Frontline workers

By Ranu Jain & Taha Abdul Rauf  Institute for Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution 

133 pp, | Rs 150

PEACE IS a major concern of our time, more so during the last few decades. The causes 

of conflict and violence run deep and are related to social; political and economic 

injustices. In many cases, the prevalent perceptions, myths and biases of society play a 

major role in precipitation of violence, giving it a silent social sanction and creating the Secular Action Network, April, 2012

42

base on which such violence is possible. That's where the role of peace education comes 

in. It should groom future generations in overcoming these perceptions, which are far 

from truth but are deeply rooted in the psyche of the large sections of society.

Scholar-activist Noam Chomsky has formulated the thesis of 'manufacturing consent', 

where the state by various mechanisms creates approval within society for its acts of 

violence. Similarly, one can say the prevalence of 'social common sense' plays a major 

role in the area of ethnic, communal violence. 

Social groups have been struggling to deal with 

such perceptions. The challenge for them has 

been how to lay the foundation of critical 

thinking about 'other' communities, how to give 

the missing narratives which result in 

misconceptions, how to create respect for 

diversity and pluralism to ensure that proper 

understanding of the 'other' acts as a cementing 

bond between the communities, resulting in an 

atmosphere where the triggers planted by vested 

interests do not lead to tension or violence.

The book by Jain and Rauf is an important 

attempt to give us the background and the 

prevalent models of peace studies. The book 

gives a comprehensive account of the pedagogy 

of peace and compares and contrasts various 

patterns of peace studies. While the authors do 

address the problem in general, their focus is 

more on the communal violence which has 

reared its ugly head in the country during last three decades.

They see the role of education in drawing attention towards conflicting forces and the 

need to build knowledge of the structures and processes enforcing conflict.

It suggests ways to understand and resolve exiting conflicts in a peaceful and mutually 

beneficial manner. The book operates at various levels, from giving the interventions 

needed for school children to social workers, but the major focus is on frontline workers.

THE IDEA is to demystify the images of the other community to ease the tensions and 

thereby defuse the violence. It also outlines various models for intervention developed by 

The book focusses on the communal violence which has reared its ugly head in 

the countrySecular Action Network, April, 2012

43

social groups and elaborates some ongoing methods as samples. These are necessarily 

diverse, depending on situations and respondents to whom they are addressed. The book 

is a valuable aid for all those engaged in the process of peace and conflict resolution. It 

leaves the reader much more equipped to undertake the exercise of peace building in the 

community.

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Published by All India Secular Forum    

C/o. Centre for Study of Society and Secularism

        602 & 603 New Silver Star, Prabhat Colony Rd., Behind BEST Bus Depot, Santacruz (E), 

       Mumbai: - 400 055.  E-mail: csss@mtnl.net.in