(Frontline
Volume 24 - Issue 02 :: Jan. 27-Feb. 09, 2007)
COMMUNALISM
Stoking up hatred
by Parvathi Menon
The recent incidents in Bangalore expose the hollowness of the Janata Dal government's claims of principled adherence to secularism.
AIJAZ RAHI/AP
At a rally in Shivajinagar Stadium, in Bangalore on January 19, organised by Jaffer Sharief's Peoples Front to protest against Saddam Hussein's execution. More than 10,000 people took part in it.
THE communal riots that broke out in a few pockets of central Bangalore last fortnight have already been forgotten by all but those who were caught in the turmoil. For the riot victims recovering from their injuries in Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital in the city, however, the memories and injustice of it are all too sharp. Mostly from the minority Muslim community, many of them still have members of their families in jail, all have lost property and suffered business losses. As late as January 25, four days after the worst of the rioting, nearly 400 people - both Hindu and Muslim - were in jail, although only 110 had been produced before the courts.
The riots engulfed the Bharatinagar, Frazer Town and Shivajinagar police station limits of the city - areas where a large concentration of Muslims live and dominate commercial activities. The first round of clashes took place on January 19 during a day of protests called by former Congress leader Jaffer Sharief's newly formed Peoples Front against the execution of Saddam Hussein. As a phalanx of political leaders were addressing an evening rally in Shivajinagar Stadium, people taking part in processions turned unruly, destroying police vehicles, wrecking homes, setting fire to shops and beating up people.
Communal tensions were already scaling up in the city as for several weeks it had been festooned with provocative posters announcing the many Virat Hindu Samajotsava meetings to be held on January 21. Virtually no part of Bangalore was free of Samajotsava buntings, banners and flags. The Samajotsavas are part of the Sangh Parivar's celebrations of the birth centenary of Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) leader M.S. Golwalkar.
The clashes on January 19 were set off when Peoples Front supporters tore down Samajotsava banners and flags, thus provoking Sangh Parivar supporters. Seppings Road, Thambuchetty Road, Kamaraj Road, Thimmaiah Road and Narayan Chetty Street bore the brunt of the violence. Several police constables suffered injuries in the violence.
Stronger retaliatory violence came two days later from Sangh Parivar activists during the shobha yatras (processions) that were held in the five venues in the city where the Samajotsava meetings were to be held. Processions of youth carrying flags and shouting slogans went berserk as they passed through areas that had seen clashes the previous day. Attacks by militant Hindu youth were first reported from near Adarsha Theatre in Ulsoor and soon spread to Kamaraj Road and Thimmaiah Road. Houses, shops and showrooms were ransacked. Shops selling meat and chicken were gutted. Rioters armed with sticks and rods moved from lane to lane dodging the police.
Nearly 40 vehicles, including Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation buses, were torched. The police opened fire, killing an 11-year-old boy later identified as Faizal, an orphan child worker. More than 70 persons were injured.
G.P. SAMPATH KUMAR
Members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad near Ulsoor on thier way to a Virat Hindu Samajotsava gathering, in Bangalore on January 21.
The decision by the police to allow the Samajotsava organisers to take out processions in areas that had already seen communal violence was directly responsible for the second round of riots. The areas through which the shobha yatris moved are densely populated by-lanes in which homes and shops stand cheek by jowl. Effective policing, especially during riots, becomes near impossible, and rioters can easily gain the upper hand.
While all this was going on, the main conventions of the Samajotsava, attended in the thousands, were being held at Malleswaram, Ulsoor and Thyagarajanagar. Smaller conventions were held at several other venues. Organised mainly by the RSS, the meetings were addressed by RSS leaders and the heads of various Hindu religious entities such as the Ramakrishna, Kolada and Shivapuri Mutts. The speeches focussed on the need to unify Hindus. There were calls for laws against conversion, and some speakers also drew attention to the need to shun untouchability and casteism. The thread running through all the speeches, conveyed through scarcely veiled threats, was the perceived "threat" from minorities, particularly Muslims, and the alleged links of the Muslim community with terrorism.
The deterioration of the communal climate in Karnataka is due undoubtedly to the enabling atmosphere that a Bharatiya Janata Party government in power, even as a coalition partner, provides. The government dared not ban the Samajotsavas or even the shobha yatras despite the tinderbox-like situation that prevailed in the areas through which the procession routes were planned. The H.D. Kumaraswamy-led coalition government is approaching the completion of its first year in power and has the dubious distinction of having presided over two communal riots - the first in Mangalore district and the second in Bangalore. Mangalore and Udupi districts are Sangh Parivar strongholds, and the riots were fuelled by strong Hindutva support. In Bangalore, the riots would never have taken place had the government taken firm, if unpopular, steps to prevent potentially explosive processions and meetings from taking place. The rally organised by the Peoples Front was more a political show of strength by Jaffer Sharief than a genuine expression of anger against the execution of Saddam Hussein.
The Congress has used the Bangalore communal violence to attack the secular credentials of the coalition in power while absolving Sharief of playing a game of dangerous brinkmanship. The ruling coalition has mooted the idea of disallowing all processions - a move that could be used to stifle genuine democratic dissent.
A new feature of communal violence is its deliberate localisation in geographically small and contained areas where minority populations live. Rioting takes place even as it is business as usual for the rest of the city. This results in a curious isolation of violence, and of the victims of violence, whose voices are heard only for as long as the riot makes front-page news in the media.
The repeated claims made by the ruling Janata Dal (Secular) of its principled adherence to secularism are up against its practice. Not only was the government unable to prevent two major communal riots, but the impartiality of its police force is questionable. The recent decision by the government to go back on its order to provide eggs in the noon meal scheme for schoolchildren shows that it would rather appease the obscurantist demands of its ally than enhance the nutrition of poor children. This is seen as yet another example of the ruling party's concession to communal and religious pressure.
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Showing posts with label BJP-JD(S) coalition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BJP-JD(S) coalition. Show all posts
January 31, 2007
November 26, 2006
Karnataka: Allaince with Hindu right: JD (S) leaders plan meet against Gowda
JD (S) leaders plan meet against Gowda
http://www.hindu.com/2006/11/26/stories/2006112603840800.htm
http://www.hindu.com/2006/11/26/stories/2006112603840800.htm
Karnataka: Deve Gowda swears by secularism
Deve Gowda swears by secularism
by Muralidhara Khajane and Laiqh A. Khan
http://www.hindu.com/2006/11/26/stories/2006112603850800.htm
by Muralidhara Khajane and Laiqh A. Khan
http://www.hindu.com/2006/11/26/stories/2006112603850800.htm
October 14, 2006
Hindutva dishonesty is exposed
Deccan Herald
October 14, 2006
Hindutva dishonesty is exposed
By Ramakrishna Upadhya
The proponents of Hindutva, more specifically, the Sangh Parivar followers, are generally peeved that the mainline media distrusts them, and that their activities mostly attract negative publicity.
Late last month, the activists of Rastriya Svayamsevak Sangh had arranged a seminar in Bangalore on “Media & Hindutva – a Dialogue” as part of the birth centenary celebrations of one of the founders of RSS ideology, M S Golwalkar. Though a majority of speakers were RSS sympathisers, the organisers had also invited a smattering of critics as the objective seemed to be to build bridges with the media.
The proponents of Hindutva, more specifically, the Sangh Parivar followers, are generally peeved that the mainline media distrusts them, and that their activities mostly attract negative publicity. The seminar generated a lot of heat and some light as well.
The “dialogue” was obviously a futile exercise considering that the Saffron brigade has turned up in full strength at the Baba Budangiri Datta Peetha to continue its campaign to turn this Sufi shrine into “the Ayodhya of the South.”
Baba Budangiri, nestling in the beautiful surroundings of Western Ghats at 5,500 ft above sea level, has been a pilgrim centre for Hindus and Muslims alike for centuries. Hazrath Dada Hayath Meer Khalandar is said to have come around 1000 AD from West Asia to teach Sufism. In the 17th century, Khalandar’s follower, Baba Budan, came and settled down in one of the caves atop the hills, which eventually acquired his name.
Interestingly, historians have found that Baba Budan’s name was often interchanged with Guru Dattatreya and in the records of the princely state of Mysore, the shrine is referred to as ‘Guru Dattatreya Baba Budan dargah.’
Inside the cave, there are four tombs which lie next to each other and at some distance away are a ‘peetha’ and a pair of ‘paduke’ carved in stone. Traditionally for centuries, both Hindus and Muslims have worshipped with flowers, lighted lamp, coconut and camphor, while the ‘Urus’ has also been accompanied by drums and piped instruments associated with the Hindu festivals.
There cannot be a better example of the composite culture of India and one would have expected the Hindutvavadis to be proud of it. But, apparently, such great symbols of unity and secularism are anathema to those who thrive on divisive politics. As much as they blame the ‘pseudo-secular’ political parties of indulging in minority appeasement and vote bank politics, the Hindutva votaries would like to keep sharpening the ‘us’ and ‘them’ divide by distorting facts and striking at secular models.
Thus, where there was no dispute, the Sangh Parivar ‘invented’ Datta Jayanthi in 1984 and tried to mobilise a large number of Hindus to lay claim to the shrine. In 1998, being in power at the Centre, it organised rath yatras from five corners of the state to put the issue on the national scene. The following year, the Congress government led by S M Krishna succumbed to its pressure and allowed yagnas and homas and even installation of idols, which were never part of the tradition at Baba Budangiri hills.
Early this year, the BJP unexpectedly made a piggy-back ride to power in Karnataka along with Janata Dal (Secular), and Baba Budangiri has posed an interesting challenge to them.
The JD(S) somehow had to maintain its ‘secular’ image, while the BJP being part of the ruling combine, had to demonstrate to its cadres that the agenda of saffronisation of Baba Budangiri is being taken forward.
The hardcore RSS activists must have hoped that the BJP ministers in government will give a big push to the Hindutva movement at Datta Peetha this year. But, to everyone’s pleasant surprise, the activities so far indicate that the BJP leaders have suddenly turned ‘responsible’ and don’t want to do anything that might dislodge them from power.
The BJP-JD(S) coalition has apparently reached an agreement that saving the government is more important than indulging in bravado, especially when there is a high court direction to maintain status quo ante and a ‘hostile’ government at the Centre waiting to pounce on its mistake.
Therefore, there is no mobilisation of the activists anywhere near the scale of 3-4 years ago, no participation of any prominent leader barring the party president, no homas, havanas etc to provoke the police....only a well-rehearsed ‘drama’ to fool its supporters that the BJP is seriously pursuing its agenda.
The pity is that the couple of crores of rupees being spent by the government for providing security to this farce could well have been used to create some basic facilities for pilgrims visiting the scenic Baba Budangiri hills, as nothing exists now. In the bargain, the Hindutvavadis stand thoroughly exposed in the eyes of the people.
October 14, 2006
Hindutva dishonesty is exposed
By Ramakrishna Upadhya
The proponents of Hindutva, more specifically, the Sangh Parivar followers, are generally peeved that the mainline media distrusts them, and that their activities mostly attract negative publicity.
Late last month, the activists of Rastriya Svayamsevak Sangh had arranged a seminar in Bangalore on “Media & Hindutva – a Dialogue” as part of the birth centenary celebrations of one of the founders of RSS ideology, M S Golwalkar. Though a majority of speakers were RSS sympathisers, the organisers had also invited a smattering of critics as the objective seemed to be to build bridges with the media.
The proponents of Hindutva, more specifically, the Sangh Parivar followers, are generally peeved that the mainline media distrusts them, and that their activities mostly attract negative publicity. The seminar generated a lot of heat and some light as well.
The “dialogue” was obviously a futile exercise considering that the Saffron brigade has turned up in full strength at the Baba Budangiri Datta Peetha to continue its campaign to turn this Sufi shrine into “the Ayodhya of the South.”
Baba Budangiri, nestling in the beautiful surroundings of Western Ghats at 5,500 ft above sea level, has been a pilgrim centre for Hindus and Muslims alike for centuries. Hazrath Dada Hayath Meer Khalandar is said to have come around 1000 AD from West Asia to teach Sufism. In the 17th century, Khalandar’s follower, Baba Budan, came and settled down in one of the caves atop the hills, which eventually acquired his name.
Interestingly, historians have found that Baba Budan’s name was often interchanged with Guru Dattatreya and in the records of the princely state of Mysore, the shrine is referred to as ‘Guru Dattatreya Baba Budan dargah.’
Inside the cave, there are four tombs which lie next to each other and at some distance away are a ‘peetha’ and a pair of ‘paduke’ carved in stone. Traditionally for centuries, both Hindus and Muslims have worshipped with flowers, lighted lamp, coconut and camphor, while the ‘Urus’ has also been accompanied by drums and piped instruments associated with the Hindu festivals.
There cannot be a better example of the composite culture of India and one would have expected the Hindutvavadis to be proud of it. But, apparently, such great symbols of unity and secularism are anathema to those who thrive on divisive politics. As much as they blame the ‘pseudo-secular’ political parties of indulging in minority appeasement and vote bank politics, the Hindutva votaries would like to keep sharpening the ‘us’ and ‘them’ divide by distorting facts and striking at secular models.
Thus, where there was no dispute, the Sangh Parivar ‘invented’ Datta Jayanthi in 1984 and tried to mobilise a large number of Hindus to lay claim to the shrine. In 1998, being in power at the Centre, it organised rath yatras from five corners of the state to put the issue on the national scene. The following year, the Congress government led by S M Krishna succumbed to its pressure and allowed yagnas and homas and even installation of idols, which were never part of the tradition at Baba Budangiri hills.
Early this year, the BJP unexpectedly made a piggy-back ride to power in Karnataka along with Janata Dal (Secular), and Baba Budangiri has posed an interesting challenge to them.
The JD(S) somehow had to maintain its ‘secular’ image, while the BJP being part of the ruling combine, had to demonstrate to its cadres that the agenda of saffronisation of Baba Budangiri is being taken forward.
The hardcore RSS activists must have hoped that the BJP ministers in government will give a big push to the Hindutva movement at Datta Peetha this year. But, to everyone’s pleasant surprise, the activities so far indicate that the BJP leaders have suddenly turned ‘responsible’ and don’t want to do anything that might dislodge them from power.
The BJP-JD(S) coalition has apparently reached an agreement that saving the government is more important than indulging in bravado, especially when there is a high court direction to maintain status quo ante and a ‘hostile’ government at the Centre waiting to pounce on its mistake.
Therefore, there is no mobilisation of the activists anywhere near the scale of 3-4 years ago, no participation of any prominent leader barring the party president, no homas, havanas etc to provoke the police....only a well-rehearsed ‘drama’ to fool its supporters that the BJP is seriously pursuing its agenda.
The pity is that the couple of crores of rupees being spent by the government for providing security to this farce could well have been used to create some basic facilities for pilgrims visiting the scenic Baba Budangiri hills, as nothing exists now. In the bargain, the Hindutvavadis stand thoroughly exposed in the eyes of the people.
October 07, 2006
Ties between ruling JD(S), BJP in Karnataka under strain
HindustanTimes.com » States » Karnataka » Story
Ties between ruling JD(S), BJP in K'taka under strain
by Shekhar Iyer
New Delhi, October 7, 2006
The Janata Dal(Secular)-BJP government in Karnatka is headed for a serious trouble again.
Upset by Hindu-Muslim clashes in Mangalore and RSS outfits going on a warpath over a controversial shrine, former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) chief HD Gowda is asking his son, Chief Minister Kumaraswamy, to consider ending the ninth-month-old coalition if the saffron party’s doesn’t stop aggressive Hindutva campaign, his aides said on Saturday.
Two weeks ago, Deve Gowda gave the first warning to the BJP when a BJP Minister dubbed Tippu Sultan as “anti-Kannada” and his projection in history textbooks to be reviewed. A coordination meeting between the two parties in Bangalore recently could not iron out the differences, with a section of BJP insisting on its Hindutva programme.
Gowda sees a link between the spurt in communal violence in Dakshin Kannada district and Kumaraswamy’s decision to deny permission to the BJP and VHP activists for a “Shoba Yatra” at the dispute Datta Peeta site in Chikmangalur district in December in spite of Court order.
Gowda is also angry that central BJP leaders including AB Vajpayee, LK Advani, Rajnath Singh, and Sushma Swaraj have ignored a six-page letter he sent last month, asking them to check the RSS outfits. He had also warned them that any “precipitation” of the matter would make his party to be prepared for “all eventualities.”
With the BJP deciding not to respond to Gowda since the party is dealing only with Kumaraswamy, Gowda is said to have remarked that the BJP would learn at its peril the command structure in his party.
“You are aware that my secular credentials are dearer to me than the survival of any government and my life itself. I trust that you would make every effort to ensure that better sense prevails,” Gowda was quoted by a BJP leader as having written in the letter.
The northern Karnataka town is under the grip of communal violence since Wednesday in which two Muslims have died and more than 70 people have been injured. Curfew was imposed in the town on Friday night and shoot at sight orders have been issued.
The aides said Gowda has told his son that if the BJP ministers and leaders violate prohibitory orders in Mangalore or Datta Peeta, the government should act to “exhibit” his secular ideology and that of the JD(S). Accordingly, the Karnataka cabinet asked police to deal firmly with rioters in Mangalore.
Gowda thinks the BJP remained quiet when the Shoba yatra and the Datta Jayanti were banned last year, and some of its leaders were arrested the previous year when they violated prohibitory orders. The High Court has asked the government to maintain law and order. Only puja that prevailed to 1975 will be allowed. But a section of BJP opposed to the coalition was “hell-bent” on stoking communal trouble and putting the government in jeopardy.
Gowda, said his aides, did not want to rock the government but would press the eject button if “better sense” did not prevail in the BJP to stick to the agreed agenda of governance.
Ties between ruling JD(S), BJP in K'taka under strain
by Shekhar Iyer
New Delhi, October 7, 2006
The Janata Dal(Secular)-BJP government in Karnatka is headed for a serious trouble again.
Upset by Hindu-Muslim clashes in Mangalore and RSS outfits going on a warpath over a controversial shrine, former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) chief HD Gowda is asking his son, Chief Minister Kumaraswamy, to consider ending the ninth-month-old coalition if the saffron party’s doesn’t stop aggressive Hindutva campaign, his aides said on Saturday.
Two weeks ago, Deve Gowda gave the first warning to the BJP when a BJP Minister dubbed Tippu Sultan as “anti-Kannada” and his projection in history textbooks to be reviewed. A coordination meeting between the two parties in Bangalore recently could not iron out the differences, with a section of BJP insisting on its Hindutva programme.
Gowda sees a link between the spurt in communal violence in Dakshin Kannada district and Kumaraswamy’s decision to deny permission to the BJP and VHP activists for a “Shoba Yatra” at the dispute Datta Peeta site in Chikmangalur district in December in spite of Court order.
Gowda is also angry that central BJP leaders including AB Vajpayee, LK Advani, Rajnath Singh, and Sushma Swaraj have ignored a six-page letter he sent last month, asking them to check the RSS outfits. He had also warned them that any “precipitation” of the matter would make his party to be prepared for “all eventualities.”
With the BJP deciding not to respond to Gowda since the party is dealing only with Kumaraswamy, Gowda is said to have remarked that the BJP would learn at its peril the command structure in his party.
“You are aware that my secular credentials are dearer to me than the survival of any government and my life itself. I trust that you would make every effort to ensure that better sense prevails,” Gowda was quoted by a BJP leader as having written in the letter.
The northern Karnataka town is under the grip of communal violence since Wednesday in which two Muslims have died and more than 70 people have been injured. Curfew was imposed in the town on Friday night and shoot at sight orders have been issued.
The aides said Gowda has told his son that if the BJP ministers and leaders violate prohibitory orders in Mangalore or Datta Peeta, the government should act to “exhibit” his secular ideology and that of the JD(S). Accordingly, the Karnataka cabinet asked police to deal firmly with rioters in Mangalore.
Gowda thinks the BJP remained quiet when the Shoba yatra and the Datta Jayanti were banned last year, and some of its leaders were arrested the previous year when they violated prohibitory orders. The High Court has asked the government to maintain law and order. Only puja that prevailed to 1975 will be allowed. But a section of BJP opposed to the coalition was “hell-bent” on stoking communal trouble and putting the government in jeopardy.
Gowda, said his aides, did not want to rock the government but would press the eject button if “better sense” did not prevail in the BJP to stick to the agreed agenda of governance.
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