Satya Satyagrah - Update on Appeal for Solidarity, Reform, Justice and Harmony

SPRAT
Society for the Promotion of Rational Thinking
SF-8, Rajnagar Complex, Narayan Nagar Road,
Paldi, AHMEDABAD 380 007

Tel: +79-2663 46 55 /66 /77 M [Sudha] 9825457065 Fax: +79-2661 20 49
Web: www.mysprat.org  
e-mail: satyagrah@mysprat.org

11-Oct-04

Dear Madam / Sir,

The People of India resoundingly rejected communalism in the last general elections.
The Government at the Centre was changed.
But has the situation changed for the victims of Gujarat’s 2002 riots?


From 2nd October 04
[Gandhi
Jayanti]
Satya Satyagrah
A Humble Reminder for Reform, Justice and Harmony
24-hr
Sit-in on Liquid Diet [Rasaahar Dharna]
In front of NENSEY NAWABKHAN CARAVAN,
Baug-e-Nawab Complex, Nr Shalimar Cinema,
Shah Alam, Ahmedabad [Tel: 25390659]


It is the Tenth Day from Gandhi Jayanti that we are sitting on the roadside pendal near the erstwhile Relief Camp at Shah Alam, Ahmedabad. Our President Mr Hasan Jowher hasn’t had a grain of food surviving on liquids. We and some other activists join in briefly in turns. Many NGO representatives and other distinguished people dropped in or wrote to show solidarity with the cause: justice and harmony, peace and progress of people of India.

Some 6,000 people visited us and over 2500 – both Hindus and Muslims – signed the declarations of solidarity and reform. The preliminary analysis of these forms is already throwing up painful as well as hopeful signals. Parliamentarians, researchers and others interested in communal harmony will find this database very helpful. Why did we launch this Satyagrah?
                                                                                                                                               
Gujarat 2002 Riots: Despite magnificent services rendered by many Hindus, NGOs, national institutions, Muslim religious groups, the Muslim riot victims continue to suffer and considerable distances still prevail: * Inadequate compensation * Ineffective prosecution * Continued POTA detention * Government insensitivity to victim’s suffering, discrimination and harassment * Continued inter-community distrust and suspicion.

Muslim Dilemma: Economic and educational backwardness due to lack of social consciousness. Absence of schools, libraries, hospitals, clean streets, parks, neglect of women’s’ empowerment, weak democratic and nationalistic fervour.

Result: Muslim isolation and insecurity, threat of terrorism, wastage of precious national resources impeding national integration, harmony and progress.

Following extensive consultations with community leaders and civil rights groups our President Mr M Hasan Jowher has launched a Satyagraha for a short duration. Since this Satyagrah is about peace and love, we had to add another “Satya”. He sits, works and rests at the site – remaining on liquid diet throughout. Meanwhile we interact with people to sensitize them to the ground reality and build a harmonious atmosphere by collecting Declarations from Muslims and Hindus endorsing rationality, reform, justice and harmony.

Satya Satyagrah  APPEALS
TO PEOPLE
TO GOVERNMENT
Thanking The Supreme Court, NHRC etc and champions and heroes fighting for Justice and rule of law
Govt of Gujarat
Release POTA detainees,  Prosecute all guilty through a Special Agency, Set up a Compensation Commission, and a Reconciliation Commission to pardon minor riot offenders
Declarations Sought from
Muslims: Social Reforms, Harmony
Hindus: Solidarity, Justice for Riot victims
Govt of India
Direct Gujarat Govt under Ar.355. Set up Anti-Discrimination Commission and Communal Harmony Commission Enact law banning extremist organizations & disqualifying communal legislators

Change has to begin SOMEWHERE. Let us at least recognize the problem and express our intention to resolve it. Ladies and Gentlemen, your solidarity can itself encourage us. TEAM SPRAT requests you to consider the following:

a.    Writing to us expressing solidarity
b.    Writing to the media, on the web, to the user groups
c. Circulating this mail amongst your contacts
d. Representing in the Legislatures, passing this on to Legislators
e. Offering Funding Support

Mr Jowher has had peptic ulcer and suffers from acidity. We are concerned about his health. But since a job has been taken up please help us do it better. The detailed note is appended below.

PLEASE JOIN THE SIT-IN ANY DAY BETWEEN 9 AM AND 9 PM, 2nd Oct onwards
Self Reform - Justice for Victims – Communal Harmony – Progress for All

BACKGROUND

1. The carnage of Gujarat Muslims in 2002 following the barbaric burning of passengers of Sabarmati at Godhra revolted the conscience of the nation and set the thinking minds against BJP. In most constituencies Muslims voted en-bloc for anti-communal parties. Several, including this writer, worked ceaselessly – and selflessly – to defeat BJP. All in the hope of undoing the wrong done in Gujarat. Sadly these hopes appear belied thus far. The POTA repeal ordinance leaves the innocent out of its purview.

2. The UPA Government has not:
a. Taken action against the Modi establishment
b. Provided justice to riot victims by offering adequate compensation and prosecuting the guilty.
c. Taken other steps to prevent recurrence of such ghastly incidents
d. Addressed some serious grievances of the minorities.

3. Here are these grievances:
a.      POTA:
i. Over 300 detainees, all Muslims, and most of them accused of rioting – in which hundreds of Muslims themselves perished – is not just its misuse but gross abuse. When a Muslim targets a VHP leader – and at that accused of mass murders – this is called terrorism. But when a Hindu mob destroys a whole Muslim locality this is called common crime.
ii. There is a possibility of some of these detainees being awarded death sentence by fast track / POTA court on the basis of “confessions” police extracted from them. Once a judgement is delivered, review cannot take place.
iii. That not one of those accused of killing Muslims is held under POTA indicates that POTA was treated by Gujarat Government as a tool to harass Muslims.
iv. The UPA government holds that POTA was misused and yet chooses not to release these detainees.
v. POTA was lapsing a month later anyway. For whose benefit, then, has it been repealed?

b.      PROSECUTION: The marauders, the big guns behind the carnage roam our streets free and even adorn our legislature. No major accused is apprehended or is likely to be. Several cases have simply NOT been registered at all. Hence they remain out of the purview of the relief Supreme Court is granting. Worse, as they don’t have FIR, often they also don’t count as victims.

c.      COMPENSATION:
i. When the state failed to protect the property of its citizens against rioters ought it not to compensate them fully, restoring status quo ante?
ii. Scores of victims remain uncompensated for their serious losses, affecting their livelihood and in some cases their very survival. Ridiculous sums like Rs 2,500/- have been paid for the destruction of entire furnished houses.
iii. In this barbaric bazaar where life and limbs have been prized, alas, the “price” has not been paid either.
iv. Borrowers who lost all they bought with loans – term loans, working capital – are being coerced to repay. Children whose parents were killed are being chased to liquidate loans.

4.      THE MUSLIM DILEMMA: On the other hand we believe that much of the responsibility for the state of Indian Muslims lies with themselves and their leadership. Muslims must overcome their obscurantism and resistance to change. In recognition our President has launched a very comprehensive, thought-provoking critical yet persuasive self-introspection and awareness campaign called KHITAB-E-NAU under the banner of NAI SUBH through an audio CD. It will be our pleasure to send a copy to you with our compliments.

5.      DISTRUST: The inter-community perception between Hindus and Muslims – specially in Gujarat – continues to be very poor, if not hostile. Nothing tangible has been done here to build mutual trust between the communities. It is a problem people need to address themselves and civil society organs like us are no less responsible for this. Thousands of Muslims are yet to return to their villages and homes and may never be able to do so.

ACTION

6.   This is the background in which we were forced to launch this Satyagrah. To distinguish it from those that spread hatred and enmity we had to add another “Satya”. Mr Jowher has not been taking any solid food since 2nd Oct, 04. He lives, works and rests under full public gaze 24 hours, in a pendal on the roadside very near the erstwhile Shah Alam Riot Relief Camp. This is where we are writing this from. SPRAT team works at all our CARAVAN centres simultaneously to build conducive public opinion by individually meeting people and often taking their declarations. A humble attempt to build a harmonious, just India.

7.   This Satyagrah is not against anybody. It is pro-peace and harmony. It seeks justice and compensation. Mr Jowher is conducting self-introspection and improvement for himself. Besides through this Satyagrah we are offering thanks to the various champions of justice like the Supreme Court, NHRC, NGOs and individual heroes.

8. Our specific Requests are three-directional and are as follows:
a.     Muslim Introspection: Muslims are requested to commit in writing, through prepared forms, self examination, community empowerment through rational action, rule of law, prevention of crime, heightened consciousness of nationalism and democracy.
b.      Hindu Introspection: Hindus are requested to commit in writing, through prepared forms, solidarity with Muslims and to ask for justice and compensation for them. Both these forms can be requisitioned for free.
c. Government Action:
i.  Government of Gujarat is requested to
1. Set up a special Prosecution Agency comprising representatives of higher judiciary, NHRC, CBI, NGOs etc. to investigate and prosecute all guilty of the 2002 riots.
2. Set up a Reconciliation Commission to determine minor offences, take confessions and apology to the state and grant a conditional one-time pardon. This should help it focus on serious cases. Simultaneously by excluding thousands of minor offenders it will usher in more conducive atmosphere for peace.
3. Set up a Compensation Commission to solicit and examine all claims for damages for losses of lives, limbs, properties, livelihood, shelter whether owned or on tenancy, dislocation, loss of education, depletion of assets, loss of opportunities and goodwill. It should then declare its award on contemporary standards consistent with Gujarat’s standard of life. Such compensation may be shared equally by the state and the central government. The finances may be raised through special Relief Bonds.
ii.  The UPA Government is requested to:
1.   Direct Government of Gujarat, under Article 355 to act on these requests and in case of willful failure, to use Article 356 to dismiss the Modi establishment, inducting an alternative BJP government as per the mandate given by the people in 2002. This will obviously reduce the backlash and promote alternative, somber BJP leadership.
2. Set up an Anti Discrimination Commission on the pattern of US’s Equal Opportunities Commission and UK’s commission of like name. Currently those aggrieved by discrimination, whether real or perceived, have to wage their battles against every agency seen to be so discriminating individually and separately, making it well-nigh impossible to effectively end it. The proposed commission will shift the onus on the accused, investigate it and award damages. False complaints must be severely punished.
3. Set up a Communal Harmony Commission. A country of many different religious communities and a history of communalism, and which has dozens of agencies monitoring water flows, stock prices etc – and one that spends billions on security – has no agency specially to work proactively for promoting inter-faith harmony. It is time India worked on this issue proactively and regularly.
4.   Enact special legislation banning all communal organizations, disqualifying all communal legislators and debarring hate-promoters from public life. This may include private literature and advertisements as well.

9. We believe that today is the best time to undertake these initiatives and that the UPA Government backed by the Left, is the best hope for the country, and also for the Muslims.

10. As we continue this Satyagrah for some more time in pure discomfort we wonder if you may grace us with your message of solidarity promising to take up these issues at every available forum to you?

With best wishes for the progress of our nation and all its citizens, and with kind regards, we remain,

Yours respectfully,

On behalf of TEAM SPRAT

Sudha Pandey and Yunus Shaikh
Coordinators