TALK BY FR. CEDRIC PRAKASH AT "SATYAGRAHA-a ProPeace Agenda" CONFERENCE IN DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA

SATYAGRAHA : THE REALITY OF GUJARAT TODAY
- Fr. Cedric Prakash sj*

INTRODUCTION

Friends,

I feel greatly honoured and privileged to be a part of this great Conference on “Satyagraha – a ProPeace Agenda” which has been organized by Ms. Ela Gandhi and the Gandhi Development Trust. I feel very happy, at this moment, to be able to share with you my thoughts on the theme of this Conference with a perspective from Gujarat, the Land which gave birth to Mahatma Gandhi and in which he spent so many years of his life in the Satyagraha Ashram from where he ultimately launched the ‘Quit India Movement’ against the British.

A few weeks ago, on Sunday, 20th August, I visited the Gandhi Ashram briefly, just to see the turbulent waters of the river Sabarmati which had destroyed hundreds and thousands of homes of poor slum dwellers who lived on its banks. As I entered the Ashram, the huge board caught my attention and in that, was very boldly written that those who lived in the Ashram had to make “a constant search for truth”. It was here that Gandhi began his historic foot-march, recalling Buddha’s renunciation of old, with a vow not to return to this place, till he achieved freedom for India.

At that moment, I tried to wonder what freedom meant for me and for perhaps the hundreds and thousands of poor slum dwellers who had lost all their meager possessions because of sheer callousness of the Government who released thousands of cusecs of water into a bed of sand which had all along its banks, huge buildings and other monstrosities made of mortar, brick and stone; I wondered what freedom meant to me, because on that day, the Catholic Church throughout India was observing Justice Sunday, with a pledge to fight against corruption that has become so much part of an Indian way of life; I wondered what freedom meant to me when I know that since 2002, hundreds and thousands of Muslims in the State of Gujarat have not been able to go back to a place which they once called their homes, apart from the fact that there are many grieving the loss of a loved one or of their material possessions or the fact that they are second-class citizens in a State which for years sang that song which Mahatma Gandhi popularized in this Ashram “Ishwar Allah tera naam, sabko sanmati de Bhagwan” (whether we call you Ishwar or Allah, we ask You to treat us as one).

Yes, on that day, in Gandhi’s Satyagraha Ashram, I wondered what freedom was for me and for thousands of my brothers and sisters who are subject to all kinds of hardships and sufferings and as I make this presentation to you, I am still wondering what this freedom means in the context of the Gujarat I live in today…..

The Upanishads is one of the most sacred scriptures of the Hindus. There is a very challenging dimension which is highlighted, in which the devotee says this prayer to God…

Lead me O Lord

from darkness to light,

Lead me O Lord

from untruth to truth,

Lead me O Lord

from death to immortality.

That constant urge and search for truth became the cornerstone of Mahatma Gandhi’s campaign to provide for India, freedom from colonial rule. He called it “Satyagraha” (meaning force of truth), and he based it on the doctrine of “Ahimsa” (non-violence). These two principles, namely “Satyagraha” and “Ahmisa” which in latter years, epitomized Gandhi , was the ultimate weapon in pursuit of freedom. That India achieved this goal, by using these weapons, is as clear as daylight. That India in almost sixty years of independence has not succeeded in mainstreaming these values, can be seen in the brutal and fragmented world that so many Indians live in today.

Mahatma Gandhi also held in very high esteem, John Henry Cardinal Newman, who some years earlier, in his search for truth, wrote that immortal poem “Lead kindly light amidst the encircling gloom”. Gandhi had this poem translated into Gujarati and it became one of the favourite hymns of his Ashram too. A man committed to peace, but realizing fully, “peace” is always in the context of “truth”.

Today, the very Gujarat that became the launching pad for Gandhi’s assault for freedom, has now become a new battleground, as politicians manipulate people in the name of religion. Truth and non violence, harmony and peace have been sacrificed at the altar of violence and religious fanaticism.

However, there have been positive responses not to allow the torches of “truth” and “peace” to be totally extinguished. During this presentation, I hope to look at some dimensions of our reality in Gujarat by providing you some insights into what has been happening and also to look at the ways we are responding to a society which has been divided in the name of religion.

SITUATING INDIA

India is regarded as the cradle of great civilizations; the Indus Valley Civilization is comparable to the civilizations of the Greek and the Romans. The artifacts and seals found in its ruins indicate a highly sophisticated way of living which can rival even some of the current civilizations of the world. Besides, for centuries, India has been a pot-pourri of cultures, and has embraced diverse faiths and traditions, from the world over. This is partly due to “foreign” domination - the Aryans (who came from the plains of Central Asia more than 3000 years ago), the Mughals, the Dutch, the French and finally the British - which ruled India for several centuries; but it was also because the very nature of Indian society was to assimilate and be assimilated, into the wealth of diversity which came along. This steady influx has made India the rich civilizational palimpsest that it is.

All through, religion has played a significant role in determining the cultural and moral ethos of the country. "Religiosity" seems to have gripped the country from the Indus Civilization; the Vedic age (which is traditionally regarded as the start of the Hindu Era of the country;) contributed to the fact that the vast majority of India's population are adherents of the Hindu faith (with all its diversity). However, there are sizeable sections of the population who follow Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism….There are also small percentages of followers of Judaism, Zoroastrianism and other faiths. A good section of the tribal population of India are fundamentally Animists and the sizeable Dalit population of the country would categorically state that they do not belong to the mainstream Hindu faith.

Over the years, within India too, there has been a long history of migration, displacement and even relocation. In most parts of India, you can find people belonging to different cultural, ethnic and religious groups. Indians also have a long tradition of “settling abroad”. That is why you have Indians today in every corner of the globe from and from Chicago to Canberra. It surely speaks strongly that India not desired to embrace all but also tangibly wished to be embraced in return.

Into this melting pot, the ascent of globalization has brought newer needs and a different value system, very specially in urban India. Celebrating Valentine’s Day or listening to rock music ; eating at a McDonalds or hooked onto cyberspace, has jettisoned a fairly large section of India into a virtual global village. On the other side, there is a rise in orthodoxy, with more emphasis given to ritual practices, and even into questionable acts of superstition and obscurantism. There is a proliferation of "places of worship" and one can easily see the mushrooming of temples in India by the side of modern high rise buildings.

India is truly at the crossroads ! There is a raging debate between the Nehruvian model of "temples of modern India" (namely dams and the whole baggage of industrialization) and the proponents of the Babri Masjid - Ram Mandir agenda which has literally taken the country a few centuries back. On the one hand, India seems to be poised to take its place among "the super powers" of the twenty-first century, (there has been a raging debate recently both in India and abroad of India joining the Nuclear club) yet, on the other hand, there are forces which seem to be determined to take the country back to parallels of the dark obscurantist ages of Europe.

India's pluralistic traditions is today challenged from all quarters and there is no other place in which this is so overwhelmingly manifested than in Gandhi’s Gujarat (a State in North-west India). Since 1990, one sees here, not merely the emergence of fundamentalist forces but also a “nouveau culture” which seems to be what the middle class is all hooked upon.; a concept of one nation, one language, one culture, one belief……yet, with all the blessings that the trappings of modern civilization can bring. This culture finds expression in intolerant and violent behavioral patterns…..far away from the traditions and heritage of India’s glorious past, so vividly epitomized by Ashoka and Akbar, great rulers of bygone years.

THE GUJARAT CARNAGE

In the very heart of the city of Ahmedabad, which is the commercial capital of Gujarat, in North-west India, stands the Sidi Saiyed Mosque named after its builder. The most exquisite craftsmanship in stone carving can be seen in this Mosque which was built in 1572. The distinguishing features of this mosque are the ten intricately carved stone windows. One of the windows depicts the “tree of life” with delicate intertwining of the branches of a tree. For years, this motif was the symbol of Ahmedabad and in fact, of Gujarat. In a way, it symbolized all that India meant and stood for : diverse cultures, faiths, languages, traditions, peoples….yes, everything which indeed made up a great civilization. Very different but very united. A unity in diversity. A unique tapestry, inter-woven with multi-colour hues as the light of the sun and the moon pierces the gaps of the window. It is magnificent !

Yet on the other hand, a few years ago, when the Hindu right-wing Government took controls of the reigns of power in the State of Gujarat, one of their first decisions was to ensure that this replica of the stone trellis was no longer used as a symbol of Gujarat and of Ahmedabad. They quickly replaced it with the replica of a temple. The move was significant because in one stroke it demonstrated all what India is about today : a country with a great and rich past but with a very tenuous future. The diversity that characterized this civilization has now become the source of bitter division, hatred and violence; religion is used as a tool to manipulate people for petty political gains…..The intricacy and the beauty of the “tree of life” literally stands to be poisoned at its very roots.

One needs to situate this article in the “tree of life” of Ahmedabad city because in February/March, 2002, the “tree of life” of Ahmedabad city which was intrinsic to Gujarati society was shattered beyond recognition.

When I refer to the “tree of life” I also mean to communicate the fact that so much of India has also not been able to sustain the wealth of our diversity. This is totally true of Gujarat where over the years, the beautiful and interwoven tapestry has just been destroyed to shreds. In Gujarat, it was not just “a once and for all”. It has emerged over a period of time in subtle, covert and insidious ways.

On November 21st 2002, the Concerned Citizens’ Tribunal consisting of several eminent citizens and headed by Justice V. Krishna Iyer, a former Judge of the Supreme Court of India, made public a report entitled “ CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY ”, on the Gujarat Carnage which began on 27th / 28th February 2002. This report was on the basis of more than 2000 oral and written testimonies both individual and collective from victim-survivors and also independent Human Rights Groups, Women’s Groups, NGOs, academics and others. The Tribunal, in its findings and recommendations clearly indicts the Government of Gujarat and holds them responsible for the unfettered violence, murder, arson and loot that took place in Gujarat last year. This violence, (though not an “action-reaction” syndrome) followed the burning of the S-6 compartment of the Sabarmati Express Train in Godhra (in Eastern Gujarat) and the death of fifty-nine people.

What took place in Gujarat has already been well-documented in studies, analyses, reports by fact-finding teams, human rights groups, statutory bodies like the National Human Rights Commission and the media, besides others (both in India and abroad). I don’t think it is necessary to get into the nitty-gritty of the events. The details of the carnage are gory and horrendous : almost 2000 Muslims were killed, many more were injured or brutalized, several hundreds of women were raped and the extent of damage to homes and establishments can hardly be quantified. Gujarat has not yet recovered from the massive losses incurred by every strata of society during that period.

The major trends which emerged from each of these reports (including the Human Rights Watch Report of 2003) and which corroborate the findings of the Citizens’ Tribunal are :

- what took place in Gujarat was not merely communal violence or riots; it was a genocide, a carnage, an ethnic cleansing, designed to wipe out or to ostracize a whole community.

- the carnage was well-planned and well-executed. It was not a “spontaneous” reaction as it was made out to be. The preparations must have taken several months. Already a year earlier, a widely circulated Gujarati daily listed several hotels run by the Chilya community which had non-Islamic names. Most of them were, during the carnage, razed to the ground. A meticulous census was conducted on the Muslims and Christians of Gujarat in 1999. The data was sufficient to help rampaging mobs to know exactly whom to attack and where.

- the carnage was meant to break the backbone of the Muslim economy. It has succeeded to a great extent.

- the middle-class( including several well-to-do and educated women ) were blatantly involved in the violence; there were very few who were willing to come out and take a stand to prevent what was
happening.

- in some areas, tribals and dalits were very effectively used in the arson and looting of Muslim homes and establishments.

- it was a State-sponsored genocide. The Citizens’ Tribunal has clearly indicted, besides the Chief Minister and politicians, several high-ranking bureaucrats and police-officials. The Sangh Parivar was given a free hand to do what they wanted. The police were apparently given clear instructions not to take any action. There is also evidence to show that some were encouraged to join in the violence which they did, with ruthless finesse. State Ministers and leaders of ‘the Parivar’ (like the mafioso) were seen leading the mobs.

Today, more than four years later, the ground situation in Gujarat has in fact, only worsened. Even as I write this (inspite of the recent floods which devastated life and property all over Gujarat and the fact that several parts of the State are still gripped with pandemics) the Government of Gujarat still intends to organize night nights of festival during the traditional Navratrai period at the end of this month on the banks of the river Sabarmati. This colossal waste of public money is ironic because what is intend to be portrayed is anything but the reality of Gujarat.

Let’s briefly look at the reality in Gujarat today :

Ø if one is a Muslim today in Ahmedabad, one cannot buy a house or own a shop in the western up-market part of the city. Muslims are normally confined to ghettoes in the eastern part of the city or in some rare pockets in the western part.

Ø most Muslims in Gujarat continue to live in fear and insecurity.

Ø an insignificant incident can spark off a major riot.

Ø State-sponsored terrorism continues with frightening regularity. In the past couple of years, several Muslim youth have been killed in “police encounters”

Ø in Baroda sometime ago, several young Muslims were detained under PASA and a respected Muslim cleric was also arrested for allegedly being one of the master-minds of the Godhra train burning. In the Central Jail in Ahmedabad, there are 200 detainees under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA). All of them happen to be Muslims.

Ø some of those who are accused of the violence against the Muslims have been elected as MLAs and some have even become Ministers.

Ø the Sangh Parivar continues its vicious campaign against the Muslims, Christians and other vulnerable groups with impunity. Recently, new anti-Christian leaflets were distributed across the State.

Ø even the judiciary has been tampered with; there are public prosecutors appointed by the Government who have primary membership in the RSS / VHP. (It is therefore not without reason that the Supreme Court of India has said that it has very little faith in the Gujarat judiciary.)

Ø the Textbooks brought out by the Gujarat State Textbook Board, are replete with untruths, inaccuracies and with prejudicial statements against the Muslims and Christians

Ø on August 6th this year, at an examination of the Gujarat Public Service Commission for Medical Officers, almost fifteen of the hundred questions asked were communally sensitive and directed against Muslims and Christians.

One needs to go back to March 1998 when the Hindu nationalist BJP (Bharatiya Janta Party) won a two-third majority in Gujarat. It was the very first State in the country which gave them such a massive mandate with unqualified support. The build up to this victory was gradual but efficiently planned ; that Gujarat was bound to become the laboratory for the Hindutva ideology was clear as daylight. The Bombay bomb blasts in 1993, in a way contained aggressive posturing by the Hindu fundamentalists. The Muslims of Gujarat seemed to be more well organized and extremely prepared for any eventuality. An agenda was needed in order to consolidate their position in Gujarat. Governance or the needs of the people was never their top priority (or will ever be) so they chose a soft target : the Christians. With frightening regularity from March 1998 onwards Christians and their institutions were attacked. A huge Church which was under construction was pulled down in Ahmedabad city by the Sangh Parivar mob. Several other Churches all over the Dangs and other parts of South Gujarat were attacked or burnt in December 1998 and January 1999.

Earlier, on December 4th 1998, more than 35,000 Christians marched on the streets of Ahmedabad in a protest rally against the attacks on Christians in Gujarat and other parts of India. For the first time, the fundamentalist elements were put on the defensive though that did not stop them going on a rampage a few weeks later. An anti-Constitutional census was made on the Christians and Muslims in 1999 and inspite of a suo moto by Justice Calla of the Gujarat High Court, the collection of data continued unabashedly.

After a hue and cry nationally and internationally, the attacks on the Christians gradually subsided and became far apart. However, this posturing had already translated into very important parliamentary seats in the general elections of 1999. (However, in February 2006, a huge Hindu revival programme was organized by some fundamentalist groups in the Dangs which was solely aimed at Christian and Christianity bashing.)

As February 2003 (the original month for State Elections) approached, the BJP definitely needed an agenda. All bye-elections and other local elections held in 2000 and 2001 saw them losing miserably in most constituencies both in Gujarat and elsewhere. The attack on the World Trade Centre in New York on September 11, 2001 was just the “proper opening” for the sinister designs of the Sangh Parivar. But they still were not sure whether attacking the Muslims in any way would help or would meet with further reprisals. Some of their local think-tanks were already suggesting that a low profile attack on Christians and Christian-institutions would pay richer dividends that is why in January 2002, we had already sent out to all our institutions a little leaflet asking our people to be “prepared”.

Finally, the “Godhra incident” provided the trigger. All that followed is bitter history. On May 1st 2006, the Dargah of Rashiduddin Chisthi in the Fatehpura area of Baroda was razed to the ground sparking off another round of communal violence which claimed six lives, leaving many others injured and homeless. The Dargah (in fact, a tomb) of this revered saint, was frequented both by Muslims and Hindus and is believed to be more than two hundred years old. This insensitive act by a callous administration is a clear indicator of how one religion can be pitted against another even when efforts are made to restore communal harmony. The bottom line is that Gujarat is still on the boil but the fact is, efforts are being made day in and day out for the establishment of a more peaceful and harmonious society.

Fortunately, for Indian society, the Supreme Court of the country has been playing a proactive role in the context of Gujarat. There have been some favourable judgments which have been helpful to all that has been happening here.

THE SATYAGRAHA

What we have presented above, is the reality of Gujarat in a highly polarized and divided society, yet in the contradiction of wider Indian society which is the cradle of great religions, cultures and customs which definitely share not merely a common heritage but also shared values, beliefs and systems.Therefore, what I have shared may sound pessimistic indeed. However, all is not lost; inspite of the many dark areas, there are still rays of hope. Individuals and organizations have come together to demand a more truthful, a more just and peaceful society. Small efforts help people to realize that one has to rebuild a society which has been torn to shreds by those who do not care for the force of truth. The doctrine of The Mahatma does find a new echoes in the Gujarat of today.

The efforts to respond to this reality has essentially been in four inter-related dimensions.

Justice :

Long ago, Paul VI boldly proclaimed “if you want peace, work for justice”. The situation in Gujarat is about a State which has institutionalized justice. At the receiving end are the minorities, mainly Muslims and Christians, the tribals (whom we call Adivasis), the lower castes (called dalits) and ofcourse, women.

A good part of our energies have been focused on bringing justice to the people, very specially the victims of the Gujarat Carnage of 2002. We have made some headway in this, thanks to the linking up with another NGO called “Citizens for Justice and Peace” which is based in Bombay. A clear victory in recent times has been when a fast-track court in Bombay convicted several of those who were responsible for the massacre of thirteen Muslims on the night of March 1st, 2002 in the infamous Best Bakery Case of Baroda.

In our efforts to demand justice, the Supreme Court has demanded the reopening of almost two thousand cases of the Gujarat Carnage mainly because of the tremendous insistence by concerned individuals and groups.

Justice, we believe, is the critical first step towards helping the restoration of confidence in a community which has been bashed up, demonized and ostracized. Our efforts to facilitate the process of justice has definitely brought a glimmer of hope to people who had almost given up their fight for survival.

Reconciliation :

At the heart of our attempts to work towards a society that is able to live and work together, we have been promoting the need and importance for reconciliation. But this is much easier said than done. Reconciliation abhors a vacuum. Our constant dilemma is “how does one reconcile groups and individuals who have very strong prejudices, mistrusts and suspicions about the other ?”. We have been having meetings, we have been bringing children of different communities together at different times, we have been facilitating groups that seek to work for reconciliation.

Recently, IFIE (Institution For Initiatives in Education) which works among Muslim youth and intellectuals, during its annual prize distribution, honoured several Hindu children from the Dalit community who had done well in their studies. We have several instances like these which definitely help bridge the gap between the two communities.

The brutal fact however, which we have already mentioned above, is that communities in most parts of Gujarat are totally polarized. Most Muslims are forced to live in Ghettos (as we havesaid earlier). There is no space by which children of other faiths can run in and out of the houses of those belonging to another religion; the question of even praying together often does not arise. However, inspite of these apparent cosmetic activities, we do encourage people to make these efforts whenever possible.

At the heart of reconciliation is forgiveness. Forgiveness, can be sustained only in an environment where threats, doubts, fears and misgivings give way to more positive attitudes and ultimately actions.

Advocacy and networking :

We no longer live on an island. In a world which is overwhelmed by mass-media and highly advanced technology, networking with others at micro and macro levels, at the local and global levels, is not merely essential but it is mandatory.

As an organization, we have been doing our very best to network with all people and organizations of goodwill, working together and hoping that one day, our dream of establishing a society which is more just and humane will actually prevail.

We have tried to bring to the attention of the world, the reality of Gujarat. We have kept in regular contact with individuals and groups all over, knowing fully well that our efforts to establish peace in Gujarat will not succeed if we work on our own steam.

We have knocked at the doors of several world Governments, we have spoken on University campuses in various parts of Europe and North America, we have organized people and mobilized opinion throughout India. This has definitely paid rich dividends because the world has really not forgotten the tragedy which has befallen the people of Gujarat.

Networking and advocacy also play an important role in providing people a vision in the building of a new tomorrow.

Truth :

The biggest casualty in the wake of the Gujarat Carnage has been “Truth”. Falsehood, deception and lies have literally gripped a good part of Gujarati society into a paralysis from which many of them find it difficult to rise.

The recent happenings in different parts of the world and very specially the serial bomb blasts in Bombay on July 11th 2006, have given many people in India the license to label all Muslims as “terrorists”, “anti-national” and so on. When asked to prove or authenticate their statements, the propagators of such calumny are unable to do so.

Standing up for the truth, speaking truth to power, however, is fraught with risks. In these past four years, both individuals and organizations who try to reveal the truth of the Gujarat Carnage have been harassed, intimidated, investigated by the police and some have even received death-threats. We are certain, however, that it is a small prize that we have to pay for what we believe is the “greater good”. Gandhi defined “Satyagraha” as “a relentless search for truth and a determination to reach truth”.

CONCLUSION

Peace we believe, is not rhetoric. It is not meant to be an empty word but the realization of very specific actions, attitudes and relationships. These years, we have not only tried to realize this “peace” in simple, small, ordinary things of daily life but also in the wider context of establishing a more just and humane society in Gujarat. For many of us, Satyagraha is a powerful weapon to achieve this goal.

In these past years, we were able to take some satisfaction that we have done “some work”. But we also feel small at the immensity of the task that looms large, ahead of us. I am hoping that this Conference with its pro-peace agenda will put the reality of Gujarat on the world map once again and ensure that “justice” and “truth” will ultimately prevail in a land which gave birth to one of the greatest sons of this modern world.

It is exactly hundred years since he launched the Satyagraha movement here in South Africa. We have gathered together to celebrate his memory and the rich heritage which he left us. At this juncture, let us try to listen his words:

I have drawn the distinction between passive resistance as understood and practiced in the West and Satyagraha before I had evolved the doctrine of the latter to its full logical and spiritual extent. I often used 'passive resistance' and 'Satyagraha' as synonymous terms: but as the doctrine of Satyagraha developed, the expression 'passive resistance' ceases even to be synonymous, as passive resistance has admitted of violence as in the case of suffragettes and has been universally acknowledged to be a weapon of the weak. Moreover passive resistance does not necessarily involve complete adherence to truth under every circumstance. Therefore it is different from Satyagraha in three essentials: Satyagraha is a weapon of the strong; it admits of no violence under any circumstance whatever; and it ever insists upon truth. I think I have now made the distinction perfectly clear .”

Hundred years is indeed a long time but Gujarat cannot wait for another hundred years before the force of truth prevails. Join us friends, in making our dreams, our hopes a reality in Gujarat today !

Thank you very much !

(This paper was presented at the Conference entitled “Satyagraha – a ProPeace Agenda” held in Durban University, South Africa from 10th to 13th September 2006.)

* {Fr. Cedric Prakash sj is the Director of PRASHANT, the Jesuit Centre of Human Rights, Justice and Peace in the State of Gujarat in North-west India. Fr. Prakash is also a member of the Citizens for Justice and Peace that set up the Concerned Citizens’ Tribunal to look into the Gujarat Carnage which took place in 2002; he has also testified before the US Commission on International Religious Freedom on the carnage. He is actively involved in issues related to communal harmony, justice and peace. He is the recipient of several awards and citations. On 14th July 2006, he was conferred the Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour) by the President of France, for his lifetime commitment to the promotion of human rights. . In June 2003, he was awarded the Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award for Humanitarian Service by the Indian Muslim Council, USA. In 1995, he was awarded the Kabir Puraskar by the President of India for the promotion of communal peace and harmony

PRASHANT CONDEMNS BOMB BLASTS IN MALEGAON

PRESS RELEASE

We strongly condemn the bomb blasts that killed and injured several innocent people at Malegaon in the State of Maharashtra yesterday (September 8th).Such acts of violence have no place in civil society. No one has the right to destroy life and property and cause untold misery to others. Above all, these blasts are very obviously another attempt by fascist elements to divide communities on religious lines and to destroy the secular fabric of the country.We call upon the State and Central Governments to act expeditiously on this matter to book all those responsible for this heinous act and to ensure that the victims are not denied justice. Above all, we condole with all those who have lost a loved one and all those who are injured in this senseless acts of violence.

Fr. Cedric Prakash sj
Director

9th September 2006

GPSC Questions

Look at the questions which the students have to answers ..... The Gujarat Public Service Commission Examination held on 6th August 2006....

These are some of the questions asked in the Gujarat Public Service Commission examination held for Ayurvedic Medical Officers on August 6th 2006.

(There were a total 100 questions. The time duration was 50 mins. and the total marks were 100)

Q 7. Which of these cannot be considered an achievement of common man ?

a) Demosthenes, who stammered, became the best known orator in the world

b) Roosevelt, affected y infantile polio, became America’s president

c) Beethoven, who was deaf, became world famous musician

d) After being involved in the ‘Fodder scam’, Lalu Prasad became Railway minister

Q 20. A mere sneeze by this person can shake the UPA government….

a) Lalu Prasad Yadav

b) M Karunanidhi

c) Prakash Karat

d) Jyoti Basu

Q 50. “Christians have the right to convert” – who made such a claim ??

a) Sonia Gandhi

b) Sister Nirmala

c) Pope Benedict

d) Father Prakash

Q 57. Which state in India has made ‘Vande Mataram’ compulsory ?

a) Himachal Pradesh

b) Jharkhand

c) Madhya Pradesh

d) Kashmir

Q 60. Which day is observed as ‘Black day’ by minorities and ‘Victory day’ by the

Sangh Parivar ?

a) September 11

b) July 2

c) January 26

d) December 6

Q 61. Which is the historic judgement by the Supreme Court citing honourable Shri Narendra Modi’s government?

a) Ban on cow slaughter

b) Compulsory kanya kelavni

c) Continue Pota

d) Remove GujCOC (Act)

Q 62. Who declared war against the evil of casteism in the country ?

a) Lalkrishna Advaniji

b) Vajpayeeji

c) Sudarshanji

d) Pravinbhai Togadia

Q 63. After whom did Shri Narendra Modi dedicate the biggest gas find in the Krishna- Godavari basin ?
a) Maharana Pratap

b) Dr. Hedgewar

c) Dr. Shyamaprasad Mukherjee

d) Pandit Deendayal

Q. 64. Who was behind the communal decision on 50 per cent reservation for Muslims in Aligarh Muslim University ?

a) Lalu Prasad Yadav

b) Arjun Singh

c) Sonia Gandhi

d) Mulayam Singh Yadav

Q 73. Babar, who established the Mughal empire, was a devotee of whom ?

a) Krishna

b) Buddha

c) Shiva

d) Ram

Q. 74. Which law against the RSS was discreetly passed in the Rajya Sabha under the Congress-led UPA government ?

a) Any state is free to ban RSS activities

b) Governors can put Sangh under scrutiny

c) CMs cannot attend Sangh activities

d) Collectors can ban Sangh shakhas

Q. 78. Who wrote a letter to the Prime Minister requesting the disbanding of the committee surveying condition of Muslims ?

a) Balasaheb Thackeray

b) Lalkrishna Advani

c) Narendra Modi

d) Swami Sachidanandji

Q. 87. Who is the chairperson of the All India Muslim Women’s Personal Law Board ?

a) Shaista Ambar

b) Zahira Sheikh

c) Teesta Setalvad

d) Begam Khaleda

Q 98. Because of Amir Khan and the Narmada Dam, which film became a topic of debate ?

a) Lagaan

b) Mangal Pande

c) Fanaa

d) Rang de Basanti

Q. 99 How much percentage merger of DA of government employees with basic salaries was announced by Shri Narendra Modi ?

a) 27%

b) 50%

c) 30%

d) 40%

A. 97 “Western culture is of ________, whilst our Eastern culture is of

Rudhraksh” – P L Deshpande

a) grapes (drakash)

b) Mango

c) Pineapple

d) Cherry

Q 100. Which cartoon published in Washington Times created an uproar in

Pakistan ?

a) The caricature of Prophet Mohammed

b) The caricature of Osama Bin Laden

c) The caricature of Benazir Bhutto

d) The caricature of Pakistan as the domestic dog of America

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ACCEPTANCE SPEECH : FR CEDRIC PRAKASH

Acceptance SPEECH OF FR. CEDRIC PRAKASH sj on being conferred the CHEVALIER DE LA LEGION DE HONNEUR Award by Monsieur Dominique Girard, Ambassador of France to India.

Embassy of France, New Delhi, July 14th 2006

Your Excellency Monsieur Dominique Girard, Ambassador of France to India, Madame Girard, Dignitaries, Co-Activists, Jesuit Companions and Friends,

I am simply overwhelmed……!

When I was first given the news that the “ Chevalier de la Legion d’ Honneur ” was being conferred on me by the President and Government of France, I was dumbfounded and even today, as I receive it, I feel very humbled. I certainly know, that I am not deserving of it; at the same time, I do accept this honour with great joy, because for me, it is a recognition not merely of my tiny efforts but of the fact that several others are involved in the cause of human rights in a very collaborative way; it is a recognition of the reality that human rights violations do abound in India and other parts of the world; it is above all, a recognition of the hundreds and thousands of people who silently suffer from all kinds of injustices and human rights violations, of every possible kind.

In accepting this award, I sincerely believe that it will be another ray of hope for those who yearn to have their place in a more humane, just and peaceful society.

My heart is full today and there is so much I would like to express…..

At the outset, I would like to thank Monsieur Jacques Chirac, the President of the French Republic for conferring this prestigious honour on me. I am deeply grateful to him, to his Government and to the people of France for appreciating our efforts in India. In particular, “ MERCI BEAUCOUP ”to you, Your Excellency, for recognizing what we stand for. This ceremony would not have been possible were it not for the fact that as Ambassador of France your singular goal has been to promote those cherished ideals which France gave the world, namely, “ liberte, egalite et fraternite ”. These very ideals are enshrined in our Indian Constitutions. Thank you for reminding us, that as people of a great democracy, we all need to do our very best to promote and safeguard these sacred values.

I am proud to be a Jesuit. Today, several of my Jesuit Companions are present here. These include the President of the Jesuit Conference of South Asia - Fr. Hector D’Souza, my own Jesuit Provincial Superior - Fr Keith Abranches and two of my ex-Provincials, Archbishop Stanny Fernandes (now also the Secretary General of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India) and Bishop Godfrey de Rozario. Together with them, I want to celebrate the memory of our three Founding Fathers : Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier and Pierre Favre, who in fact, began their journey together from a college room (referred to as “the Paradise”) in Sainte-Barbe College in Paris. This year, is a Triple-Jubilee Year for us Jesuits, as we observe the Fifth Centenary of the birth of Francis Xavier and Pierre Favre, and the 450th death anniversary of Ignatius Loyola.

I am happy that the birth of the Society actually took place in France and that on the 15th August 1534 (the feast of The Assumption), seven men with seven different names but with identical ideals, gathered together in the remote Chapel Crypt of St. Denis at Montmartre and pronounced their First Vows in the Society. I need to be saying all this because that commitment that was made years ago in France, has been part of the faith-justice mandate of the Society of Jesus the world over, today. Yes, there is the “French Connection” with the Jesuits. I am delighted about that !

There are several other co-activist friends who are present today. Many of you have shaped my vision and commitment. Today is a day which calls for a renewal and deepening of this commitment. We have just witnessed horrible incidents of terror in Mumbai / Srinagar. We cannot remain mute spectators; our response has to be one of deeper commitment.

I am glad that so many of you are here today. I wish there were many more. I wish this ceremony could have been in Ahmedabad. I want to remember in a particular way those groups who mean a lot to me but who are not represented here this evening. I remember in particular, the victims of the Gujarat Carnage of 2002….there are so many of them who still wait (perhaps hopelessly) for justice and a new dawn; I remember each of my colleagues who work with me in PRASHANT, not a single one of them is here today, but without them, I know I would not have been standing here. I also remember my immediate family, specially my aged mother, who would have loved to be here this evening but for obvious reasons, cannot make it….to all of them : my sincere gratitude.

Last Sunday evening, in Pakistan, with a group of football enthusiasts, I sat down to watch the World Cup Football Finals. I didn’t have to tell anyone which team I was rooting for. Well, it had nothing to do with the fact of this award, but since 1998, Zinedine Zidane has always been my favourite football player and before the start of the match, I highlighted to my co-viewers, what a great example the French Team is, in terms of being multi-racial and multi-religious. Watching the team go out to play, was for me, a very emotional moment. A clear indicator of what our world has to be. Only if and when we defend the rights of every section of society – very specially the weak, the marginalized, the minorities - only then, we can truly move towards a world social order which is more just and more humane.

I dedicate this honour

· to the memory of my dear friend Eshan Jafri who was so brutally murdered on March 1st, 2002, inspite of having all the right possible connections, inspite of being a very well known secular face, inspite of being a

former Member of Parliament !

· to his wife Zakhiaben and to his children Nishrin, Zuber and Tanvir who struggle for justice for the victims

of Gulbarg Society and others in Gujarat so that the death of Eshan Sahib will not go in vain

· to the several other victims : faceless, nameless….of the Gujarat Carnage, who as I said earlier, are desperately looking for a new dawn and finally,

· to several of my co-activists , who inspite of having to face all obstacles, continue to fight for human rights, justice and peace.

It was Mahatma Gandhi, who from the banks of the river Sabarmati, launched his twin doctrine of “Ahimsa” (non-violence) and “Satyagraha” (the force of truth). We have indeed paid too little attention to these fundamentals of life. Yes, this honour reminds me that there is still so much to be done …… that we all have to be doing. Let our poet laureate, Rabindranath Tagore remind us of our responsibility as we pray with those immortal words from his Gitanjali:

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high,
Where knowledge is free,
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls,
Where words come out from the depth of truth,
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection,
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sands of dead habit,
Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever widening thought and action,
Into that haven of freedom, my Father, led my country awake !

Yes, let us all awake !

Merci Beaucoup ! Thank you very much ! Vive la France ! Jai Hind !

SPEECH : AMBASSADOR OF FRANCE

Speech given by His Excellency, Mr. Dominique Girard, the Ambassador of France,on the occasion of the “Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur” Award conferred on Father Cedric Prakash at the French Embassy in New Delhi on 14th July 2006

It is my great pleasure to confer upon Father Cedric Prakash the award of the “Knight of the Legion of Honour”/“Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur” in order to acknowledge his courageous work for the defence of Human Rights for over 30 years now.

Father, several times in your younger days, in India as well as in Northern Ireland, you have been witnessing different communities confronting each other and these scenes of violence have left a deep mark on you. But instead of complaining about it passively, you chose to fight against this phenomenon with all the energy of a man of goodwill and all the conviction of a man of faith.

In 1987, you took over the reins of St. Xavier’s Social Service Society and steered it for more than fourteen years. During this time, you made it one of the most highly-rated NGOs in Gujarat by its constant involvement in the slums of Ahmedabad and the rural areas of this State through the four inter-related approaches of education, health, organization and environment. As early as this time, you revealed your deep concern for communal harmony by creating “Shanti”, (or “Peace” in Hindi), an initiative to promote peace and justice among different communities.

You left the St. Xavier’ Social Service Society in 2001, but only because you had by then founded “Prashant” (which means “peaceful” in Sanskrit), a well-named Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace which, in only 5 years, has become a Centre of international standing.

The remarkable and courageous work done by “Prashant” after the tragic communal riots of 2002 in Gujarat must be stressed here. You and your Centre really did much to contain the communal conflagration which threatened to spread even further. To those who have been hurt, you open your heart full of compassion, leading them to turn anger into patience, desires of revenge into quest for justice, violence into peaceful feelings. And after 4 years your Centre is still animated by the same spirit of truth.

But talking about “Prashant”, mentioning only its work in the aftermaths of the 2002 massacres, would be unfair and incomplete. Most of “Prashant’s” actions are a daily endeavour in the midst of people of different religious communities to dissolve the boundaries raised by sectarianisms of all kind. At a time when some voices loudly proclaim as “inescapable” the so called “clash of civilisations”, you prove in concrete terms that “dialogue” and “tolerance” are not empty words, but real values which, more than ever, are worth fighting for.

You, a Jesuit Priest of the Roman Catholic Church, are working with Muslims and Hindus as well as with Christians because human beings and not religions are your first and only concern. Against resignation you bring hope, against hate you raise tolerance, and through your Centre you help to bring awareness among people of different faiths, because you know that the strongest ally of sectarianism is ignorance.

Your social commitment is of course rooted in your own faith. But the vision of “Prashant” is also enshrined in the preamble of the Universal Declaration of the Human Rights which has its origin in the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen”/“Declaration des Droits de l’Homme et du Citoyen” that France adopted in 1789 as the foundation of its emerging Republican Constitution. The dignity of human beings and the defence of their inalienable rights are the values that my country proudly shares with yourself.

Father, you have been generous with your time, with your courage and with your faith, and on behalf of the President of the French Republic, I’m very honoured to decorate you today with the most prestigious French award of “Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur”.

Note on the award of the Legion of Honour and Agricultural Merit

LEGION D'HONNEUR - FRENCH LEGION OF HONOUR
MERITE AGRICOLE- AGRICULTURAL MERIT

The highest French distinction

Created to reward eminent military and civil merits in the service of France, the "Légion d'Honneur" (Legion of Honour) is the highest distinction that can be conferred in France on a French citizen as well as on a foreigner.

Origin

Founded in 1802 by Napoléon Bonaparte, First Consul (a position he occupied from 1799 to 1804), the Legion of Honour is one of his most important creations with the Napoleonic Code.

Grades and Ranks

This distinction is divided into four grades (Knight - Officer – Commander-Grand Officer)

Description of the insignia

Since its inception, the medal consists of a five double-cornered star enamelled in white, joined with branches of laurel and oak.

At the centre of the star, there is a medallion representing
- in the front side, the symbol of the Republic with the inscription "République Française"
- on the other side, a flag and a banner intertwining one another with the circular inscription "Honneur et Patrie - 29 Floréal an X"

The ribbon has always been in red moire silk.

Some Famous historical personnalities awarded
BERTHOLLET (chemist), BALZAC, STENDHAL, VICTOR HUGO, CHATEAUBRIAND, THEOPHILE GAUTIER, ALFRED DE MUSSET, ALEXANDRE DUMAS (novelists and poets), LAPLACE (mathematician), MONTGOLFIER (physician), BERLIOZ (musician), CUVIER, LAMARCK (naturalists), DAVID, INGRES, DELACROIX (painters)

In India, the renowned film director SATYAJIT RAY, singer LATA MANGESHKAR , industrialist DEEPAK BANKER, musician RAVI SHANKAR, columnist DILIP PADGAONKAR and scientist CNR RAO are some of the famous Indian personalities who have been bestowed this honour.

MERITE AGRICOLE
The Mérite Agricole (Agricultural Merit) was created in 1883 to reward " persons who have rendered outstanding service in the field of 'agriculture". It comprises of three grades: knight, officer (since 1887) and commander (since 1900).

NEW HUMAN RIGHTS

For many years WACC has supported the communication rights movement and, in particular, the strengthening and implementation of rights for indigenous people. WACC's members worldwide will be greatly encouraged by this positive and constructive move by the UN Human Rights Council and fully endorses both the new Convention and Declaration.

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN BODIES WELCOME ADOPTION OF NEW HUMAN RIGHTS
STANDARDS

International church and ecumenical organizations have welcomed the adoption of a new International Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, and a Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, both of which were agreed at the inaugural session of the UN Human Rights Council which concluded in Geneva on 30 June 2006. Five church-related organizations - the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Franciscans International, Dominicans for Justice and Peace and Pax Christi International - had earlier submitted a joint statement to the UN Council urging the adoption of these
measures, and have been at the forefront of civil society advocacy on these issues in recent years.

"The adoption of this convention confirms a positive development in international law towards the rights of victims to truth, justice and reparation," stated Dr Guillermo Kerber, the WCC programme executive responsible for human rights and impunity issues. "It also signals that the newly-formed UN Human Rights Council is able to act decisively in support of the fundamental dignity and rights of people, and to confront impunity, and this is to be applauded."

The church-related organizations also noted that non-governmental organizations enjoyed a high degree of access to the discussions in the context of the Council's first session, and they welcomed this transparency. "We very much hope that this openness to civil society, and the interactive nature of this session, are signs of how the Human Rights Council will conduct itself in the future," said Mr Peter N. Prove assistant to the LWF general secretary for international affairs and human rights, who also paid tribute to the "skilful stewardship" of the
presidency of the first session.

"It is hoped that this Convention will go a long way in eliminating impunity and bringing peace to the families of the disappeared," said Etienne De Jonghe, secretary general of Pax Christi International. The convention recognizes the "extreme seriousness of enforced disappearance,which constitutes a crime and, in certain circumstances defined in international law, a crime against humanity" and holds states
accountable for taking effective measures to prevent such disappearances.

Likewise, the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples affirms unequivocally that "indigenous peoples have the right to the full enjoyment, as a collective or as individuals, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms," and holds states responsible for realizing this. In their joint statement to the UN Council, the WCC, the LWF, Franciscans International, Dominicans for Justice and Peace, and Pax Christi International committed themselves to working with the new Human Rights Council "as a key international instrument for the promotion of justice and human dignity". The five organizations also underscored that the Council will be judged by whether it "actually increases the chances for life in dignity and in sustainable communities for people suffering discrimination, deprivation, oppression and violence."