On secular fatwas

[ravishingravi]

Wonderful write up and very relevant "The disdain with which leading lights of the anti-corruption movement - Mallika Sarabhai, Medha Patkar, Kavita Srivastava et al - are publicly threatening to dislodge Anna Hazare from the leadership role because he praised Narendra Modi's rural development work in Gujarat indicates that the poor man was only being used as a convenient symbol that can be discarded as arbitrarily as he was chosen to lead the 'movement'. Human rights activists can retain their credibility only as long as they remain steadfastly non-partisan. To the person killed, it matters little whether the murderous mob was shouting 'Lal Salaam', 'Har Har Mahadev' or 'National Unity' as did the mobs that massacred over 10,000 Sikhs in north India following Indira Gandhi's assassination. However, the secular brigade shows a consistent soft corner for those who kill under the Maoist or communist banner as well as those who verbally profess secularism. Narendra Modi's acts of commission and omission during the 2002 riots deserve the strongest of condemnations. Those crimes need to be impartially investigated and the guilty punished. Just as we are proud that our democratic system ensured a fair trial even for a publicly identified ISI-associated terrorist like Kasab, so also we should let the courts take the Gujarat trials to their logical conclusions. Those who ask for Modi's head would do well to remember that hordes of Congressmen in Gujarat gleefully joined the BJP and RSS goons who went around massacring innocent people. The overall track record of the Congress in this matter is no better, if not much worse, than that of the BJP. In addition to the 1984 massacre of Sikhs in north India, it masterminded numerous other riots through the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. None of the killers of politically engineered riots in Meerut, Malliana, Bhiwandi, Bhagalpur, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Surat and scores of others were ever punished. The Congress also injected terrorism into Punjab by its covert support of Bhindranwale's Khalistani brigades in order to wrest control of the SGPC that presides over well-endowed gurdwaras. It did incalculable harm to the Sri Lankan Tamils by creating a Frankenstein's monster like the LTTE. The secessionist movement in Kashmir owes its origins and draws sustenance from the Congress party's penchant for rigging elections to install puppet chief ministers. And yet, even those of us who genuinely want to see the guilty among Congress leaders pay for their crimes do recognise that there is a lot more to this premier national party than a legacy of mayhem and massacres. There are times when the Congress party has actually lived up to the highest values of Indian democracy and some of our best contemporary politicians have emerged from the Congress fold. Due to their ideological predilections and cosy relationship with the Congress high command, most of those attacking Hazare have a history of acting as the fighting arm of the Congress against Modi and the BJP. But to declare Hazare a political untouchable because he is not as ideologically committed to their brand of secularism is to display deadly arrogance. One earns the moral right to criticise only when one has the moral courage to acknowledge the positive aspects or good deeds of those we condemn for specific evil actions. One should be able to condemn Modi for his role in the 2002 massacre and point to his many other blind spots and lapses, without feeling the need to deny his positive role in Gujarat leading the country in many vital areas such as assured power supply to all villages, measures for bringing down the maternal mortality rate by providing financial and other support for safe deliveries to poor women, and a 9.8% growth rate in agriculture while the rest of the country remains stuck at 2-3% growth. It is one of the few states where farmers at large are not at war with industry, where delivery mechanisms for government services have improved dramatically. The manner in which Maulana Ghulam Mohammad Vastanvi, the vice-chancellor of Darul Uloom of Deoband, was humiliated and asked to resign for stating that the development agenda of Modi is benefiting Muslims in equal measure shows that the 'secular' gang has acquired a vested interest in promoting a siege mentality among Muslims. The man they condemn as the 'maut ka saudagar' seems to have recognised the folly of promoting communal polarisation. He has not let another riot take place in Gujarat, a state which witnessed numerous caste and communal riots under Congress rule. In recent years, hundreds of Muslims have won municipal elections on BJP tickets. Democracy with its one-person, one-vote principle has tamed Narendra Modi. But those who don't need to get endorsement for their political posturing from citizens on whose behalf they speak, are not amenable to such self-correcting mechanisms. The task of cleansing our polity of crime and corruption is not a battle between demons and angels. It requires taking the entire spectrum of political opinion on board including those who support Maoists or vote for Modi. Such a task cannot be" http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/On-secular-fatwas/articleshow/8048447.cms

[Guest Shivani]

very long will read it in the summer vacations :D

[Sachin=GOD]

It is simple - however much Modi tries, whatever development work he does, the demons of Godhra will haunt him for a long long time.

[youngindia]

another pathetic apologist. the hindutva gang is different in their ideology than other politcal parties .the implication of that ideology is also different.they are a huge threat to a multi cultural democracy. no,people do not have to acknowledge modi in anyway.the writer can take a hike. but the agenda of the article is clear. apologist write up for modi and the hindutva brigade.

[straight.drive]

I liked the article. It is laudable that the main stream media is giving a space to conservative views. I believe that modi, in relation to gujarat riots, must be accused of inefficiency and nothing more. It is pretty unfortunate that lefties and libbie's in univ's and NGO's churn up conspiracy theories.

[Guest Gunner]

I think the article is excellent. It brings out the deep malaise and the positive aspect of Indian democracy. People who blindly support one party or the other won't get it. I also like his point on secularism.

[Mariyam]

I liked the article. It is laudable that the main stream media is giving a space to conservative views. I believe that modi, in relation to gujarat riots, must be accused of inefficiency and nothing more. It is pretty unfortunate that lefties and libbie's in univ's and NGO's churn up conspiracy theories.

Much more. How many arrests have been made in the so many years since the riots? How many rioters have been detained? How many have been convicted? The government has done a good job sentencing the people who burnt the train. Those people deserve their punishment. They are a blot on the nation. Maybe they deserve more punishment. But the government has to bring to book the rioters too. The duty of a government is to ensure that its subjects get justice and reasonably fast. This government has not been able to provide justice to the victims of the riots. Personally, I would do with a govt that ensures justice to its citizens to one that focuses on 'development' without justice.

[punjabi_khota]

Personally' date=' I would do with a govt that ensures justice to its citizens to one that focuses on 'development' without justice.[/quote'] George Bush fan :woot: Delivered justice AND democracy in 2 countries, while ruining development in his own :hahaha:

[ravishingravi]

Much more. How many arrests have been made in the so many years since the riots? How many rioters have been detained? How many have been convicted? The government has done a good job sentencing the people who burnt the train. Those people deserve their punishment. They are a blot on the nation. Maybe they deserve more punishment. But the government has to bring to book the rioters too. The duty of a government is to ensure that its subjects get justice and reasonably fast. This government has not been able to provide justice to the victims of the riots. Personally, I would do with a govt that ensures justice to its citizens to one that focuses on 'development' without justice.

To my understanding you have had agencies including SIT functioning directly under the SC and investigative agencies that work for govt. In charge dealing with the case who have as yet failed to find a convincing case against alleged masterminds including Modi. Just saying that this politics of untouchability is becoming redundant.

[Sachin=GOD]

To my understanding you have had agencies including SIT functioning directly under the SC and investigative agencies that work for govt. In charge dealing with the case who have as yet failed to find a convincing case against alleged masterminds including Modi. Just saying that this politics of untouchability is becoming redundant.

He will be convicted sooner or later. He was the Cm - if he wanted he could've controlled it at the very least, but far from it, many witnesses have said that he actually encouraged his ministers and IPS officers to further the riot. I think it was only the day before yesterday that a senior IPS officer from Gujarat came out with allegations against Modi with regards to the Gujarat Riots.

[straight.drive]

Much more.

Are you accusing modi of writing the list of muslims to be killed in the riots? :nervous::nervous: Arundati Roy and her NGO cronies have made such hilarious allegations. :hysterical::hysterical:

[Mariyam]

To my understanding you have had agencies including SIT functioning directly under the SC and investigative agencies that work for govt. In charge dealing with the case who have as yet failed to find a convincing case against alleged masterminds including Modi. Just saying that this politics of untouchability is becoming redundant.

I'm not saying that Modi is a mastermind. I don't know that and I don't like to speculate. But there have to be masterminds. And many killers. I don't know the exact numbers but more than a 1000 people were killed in the riots. How many killers have been arrested? How many have been convicted in 2011, some 9 years after the riots? How hard is the government even trying? Leave everything else aside. At the end of the day, those who were killed in the riots ( regardless of their religious persuasion) deserve as much respect and justice as the ones who were killed on the train. They too are innocents. One set of mass murderers are punished and another set goes scot-free? What does this indicate? Most people who were killed ( both Hindu and Muslim) were from the bottom rung of the social ladder. Who are they supposed to turn to when the state doesn't do anything to protect their right to live with humility? We have failed as a society on this front multiple times. Never have we been able to be just to victims of any riot. Pandits in Kashmir, Bhopal Tragedy, Gujarat Riots etc, never has the state been able to provide justice. :((

[Mariyam]

Are you accusing modi of writing the list of muslims to be killed in the riots? :nervous::nervous:

Did you even read what I typed? I am accusing the Modi government of not punishing the rioters. And not even making ( as it seems to me) a serious attempt to do so.

[straight.drive]

I think it was only the day before yesterday that a senior IPS officer from Gujarat came out with allegations against Modi with regards to the Gujarat Riots.

That fellow is a joke. Why did he not disclose that to SIT? And why did come out exactly at the time of TN/Kerala/WB polls? Kaangressi walas trying to secure some minority votes? :doh:

[straight.drive]

Did you even read what I typed? I am acIcusing the Modi government of not punishing the rioters. And not even making ( as it seems to me) a serious attempt to do so.

I agree to that extent.

[ravishingravi]

He will be convicted sooner or later. He was the Cm - if he wanted he could've controlled it at the very least, but far from it, many witnesses have said that he actually encouraged his ministers and IPS officers to further the riot. I think it was only the day before yesterday that a senior IPS officer from Gujarat came out with allegations against Modi with regards to the Gujarat Riots.

If he is indeed guilty I hope he is nailed. But as far as I can see 10 hrs have gone by and not one incriminating evidence against the guy and he is generally regarded as responsible for great growth story in Gujurat. Not sure why anybody has to at all times add caveats before praising his achievements when judiciary has as of now not convicted him.

[youngindia]

I'm not saying that Modi is a mastermind. I don't know that and I don't like to speculate.

The chances of modi not being the mastermind is a big zero. but that comes from udnerstanding of politics and history more than anythign else. the hindutva ideology represents a system that has communalism as its core and that system has certain popular ideas and beleifs among its members. that during communal riots, 'retaliation' against the other side ,including killing of men and rape of women, is needed to teach them a lesson is a popular belief of hard communalists-whether hindu or muslim. These beliefs existed long before modi become CM and modi eventually became a key member of that system by being a state CM. as for convictions, its a huge joke. Despite scholars finding evidence of politcal mastermind, rarely are politcal bigwigs ever punished in independent india. The chances of modi getting caught are pretty slim as well unless someone from the opposing side shows unrelenting determination. politcal bigwigs are very good at plausible deniability and ensuring there are mutiple chains to the lower level.

[Guest Gunner]

I'm not saying that Modi is a mastermind. I don't know that and I don't like to speculate. But there have to be masterminds. And many killers. I don't know the exact numbers but more than a 1000 people were killed in the riots. How many killers have been arrested? How many have been convicted in 2011, some 9 years after the riots? How hard is the government even trying? Leave everything else aside. At the end of the day, those who were killed in the riots ( regardless of their religious persuasion) deserve as much respect and justice as the ones who were killed on the train. They too are innocents. One set of mass murderers are punished and another set goes scot-free? What does this indicate? Most people who were killed ( both Hindu and Muslim) were from the bottom rung of the social ladder. Who are they supposed to turn to when the state doesn't do anything to protect their right to live with humility? We have failed as a society on this front multiple times. Never have we been able to be just to victims of any riot. Pandits in Kashmir, Bhopal Tragedy, Gujarat Riots etc, never has the state been able to provide justice. :((

I think your larger point on state providing justice is correct. The trouble in India is that the system is too far gone down the wrong road to remedy this easily. There is a lot of work to be done in order to have the system of equitable justice which you are asking for. Personally I am not optimistic I don't know about you.

[Sachin=GOD]

The chances of modi not being the mastermind is a big zero. but that comes from udnerstanding of politics and history more than anythign else. the hindutva ideology represents a system that has communalism as its core and that system has certain popular ideas and beleifs among its members. that during communal riots, 'retaliation' against the other side ,including killing of men and rape of women, is needed to teach them a lesson is a popular belief of hard communalists-whether hindu or muslim. These beliefs existed long before modi become CM and modi eventually became a key member of that system by being a state CM. as for convictions, its a huge joke. Despite scholars finding evidence of politcal mastermind, rarely are politcal bigwigs ever punished in independent india. The chances of modi getting caught are pretty slim as well unless someone from the opposing side shows unrelenting determination. politcal bigwigs are very good at plausible deniability and ensuring there are mutiple chains to the lower level.

No. Its just a question of when, not if he will be found guilty.

[The Outsider]

I've heard these things first hand from serving IAS/IPS officers under Modi - it's not news. Shame on everyone who continues to vote this mass murdered into power.