MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI FOR THE WORLD DAY OF PEACE CELEBRATED IN INDIA ON 30th JAUARY 2007

1 JANUARY 2007

THE HUMAN PERSON, THE HEART OF PEACE

1. At the beginning of the new year, I wish to extend prayerful good wishes for peace to Governments, leaders of nations and all men and women of good will. In a special way, I invoke peace upon all those experiencing pain and suffering, those living under the threat of violence and armed aggression, and those who await their human and social emancipation, having had their dignity trampled upon. I invoke peace upon children, who by their innocence enrich humanity with goodness and hope, and by their sufferings compel us all to work for justice and peace. Out of concern for children, especially those whose future is compromised by exploitation and the malice of unscrupulous adults, I wish on this World Day of Peace to encourage everyone to reflect on the theme: The Human Person, the Heart of Peace. I am convinced that respect for the person promotes peace and that, in building peace, the foundations are laid for an authentic integral humanism. In this way a serene future is prepared for coming generations.

The human person and peace: gift and task

2. Sacred Scripture affirms that “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Gen 1:27). As one created in the image of God, each individual human being has the dignity of a person; he or she is not just something, but someone, capable of self-knowledge, self-possession, free self-giving and entering into communion with others. At the same time, each person is called, by grace, to a covenant with the Creator, called to offer him a response of faith and love that no other creature can give in his place(1). From this supernatural perspective, one can understand the task entrusted to human beings to mature in the ability to love and to contribute to the progress of the world, renewing it in justice and in peace. In a striking synthesis, Saint Augustine teaches that “God created us without our aid; but he did not choose to save us without our aid(2).” Consequently all human beings have the duty to cultivate an awareness of this twofold aspect of gift and task.

3. Likewise, peace is both gift and task. If it is true that peace between individuals and peoples—the ability to live together and to build relationships of justice and solidarity—calls for unfailing commitment on our part, it is also true, and indeed more so, that peace is a gift from God. Peace is an aspect of God's activity, made manifest both in the creation of an orderly and harmonious universe and also in the redemption of humanity that needs to be rescued from the disorder of sin. Creation and Redemption thus provide a key that helps us begin to understand the meaning of our life on earth. My venerable predecessor Pope John Paul II, addressing the General Assembly of the United Nations on 5 October 1995, stated that “we do not live in an irrational or meaningless world... there is a moral logic which is built into human life and which makes possible dialogue between individuals and peoples(3) .” The transcendent “grammar”, that is to say the body of rules for individual action and the reciprocal relationships of persons in accordance with justice and solidarity, is inscribed on human consciences, in which the wise plan of God is reflected. As I recently had occasion to reaffirm: “we believe that at the beginning of everything is the Eternal Word, Reason and not Unreason(4).” Peace is thus also a task demanding of everyone a personal response consistent with God's plan. The criterion inspiring this response can only be respect for the “grammar” written on human hearts by the divine Creator.

From this standpoint, the norms of the natural law should not be viewed as externally imposed decrees, as restraints upon human freedom. Rather, they should be welcomed as a call to carry out faithfully the universal divine plan inscribed in the nature of human beings. Guided by these norms, all peoples —within their respective cultures—can draw near to the greatest mystery, which is the mystery of God. Today too, recognition and respect for natural law represents the foundation for a dialogue between the followers of the different religions and between believers and non-believers. As a great point of convergence, this is also a fundamental presupposition for authentic peace.

The right to life and to religious freedom

4. The duty to respect the dignity of each human being, in whose nature the image of the Creator is reflected, means in consequence that the person can not be disposed of at will. Those with greater political, technical, or economic power may not use that power to violate the rights of others who are less fortunate. Peace is based on respect for the rights of all. Conscious of this, the Church champions the fundamental rights of each person. In particular she promotes and defends respect for the life and the religious freedom of everyone. Respect for the right to life at every stage firmly establishes a principle of decisive importance: life is a gift which is not completely at the disposal of the subject. Similarly, the affirmation of the right to religious freedom places the human being in a relationship with a transcendent principle which withdraws him from human caprice. The right to life and to the free expression of personal faith in God is not subject to the power of man. Peace requires the establishment of a clear boundary between what is at man's disposal and what is not: in this way unacceptable intrusions into the patrimony of specifically human values will be avoided.

5. As far as the right to life is concerned, we must denounce its widespread violation in our society: alongside the victims of armed conflicts, terrorism and the different forms of violence, there are the silent deaths caused by hunger, abortion, experimentation on human embryos and euthanasia. How can we fail to see in all this an attack on peace? Abortion and embryonic experimentation constitute a direct denial of that attitude of acceptance of others which is indispensable for establishing lasting relationships of peace. As far as the free expression of personal faith is concerned, another disturbing symptom of lack of peace in the world is represented by the difficulties that both Christians and the followers of other religions frequently encounter in publicly and freely professing their religious convictions. Speaking of Christians in particular, I must point out with pain that not only are they at times prevented from doing so; in some States they are actually persecuted, and even recently tragic cases of ferocious violence have been recorded. There are regimes that impose a single religion upon everyone, while secular regimes often lead not so much to violent persecution as to systematic cultural denigration of religious beliefs. In both instances, a fundamental human right is not being respected, with serious repercussions for peaceful coexistence. This can only promote a mentality and culture that is not conducive to peace.

The natural equality of all persons

6. At the origin of many tensions that threaten peace are surely the many unjust inequalities still tragically present in our world. Particularly insidious among these are, on the one hand, inequality in access to essential goods like food, water, shelter, health; on the other hand, there are persistent inequalities between men and women in the exercise of basic human rights.

A fundamental element of building peace is the recognition of the essential equality of human persons springing from their common transcendental dignity. Equality on this level is a good belonging to all, inscribed in that natural “grammar” which is deducible from the divine plan of creation; it is a good that cannot be ignored or scorned without causing serious repercussions which put peace at risk. The extremely grave deprivation afflicting many peoples, especially in Africa, lies at the root of violent reactions and thus inflicts a terrible wound on peace.

7. Similarly, inadequate consideration for the condition of women helps to create instability in the fabric of society. I think of the exploitation of women who are treated as objects, and of the many ways that a lack of respect is shown for their dignity; I also think —in a different context—of the mindset persisting in some cultures, where women are still firmly subordinated to the arbitrary decisions of men, with grave consequences for their personal dignity and for the exercise of their fundamental freedoms. There can be no illusion of a secure peace until these forms of discrimination are also overcome, since they injure the personal dignity impressed by the Creator upon every human being(5).

The “ecology of peace”

8. In his Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, Pope John Paul II wrote: “Not only has God given the earth to man, who must use it with respect for the original good purpose for which it was given to him, but man too is God's gift to man. He must therefore respect the natural and moral structure with which he has been endowed(6).” By responding to this charge, entrusted to them by the Creator, men and women can join in bringing about a world of peace. Alongside the ecology of nature, there exists what can be called a “human” ecology, which in turn demands a “social” ecology. All this means that humanity, if it truly desires peace, must be increasingly conscious of the links between natural ecology, or respect for nature, and human ecology. Experience shows that disregard for the environment always harms human coexistence, and vice versa. It becomes more and more evident that there is an inseparable link between peace with creation and peace among men. Both of these presuppose peace with God. The poem-prayer of Saint Francis, known as “the Canticle of Brother Sun”, is a wonderful and ever timely example of this multifaceted ecology of peace.

9. The close connection between these two ecologies can be understood from the increasingly serious problem of energy supplies. In recent years, new nations have entered enthusiastically into industrial production, thereby increasing their energy needs. This has led to an unprecedented race for available resources. Meanwhile, some parts of the planet remain backward and development is effectively blocked, partly because of the rise in energy prices. What will happen to those peoples? What kind of development or non-development will be imposed on them by the scarcity of energy supplies? What injustices and conflicts will be provoked by the race for energy sources? And what will be the reaction of those who are excluded from this race? These are questions that show how respect for nature is closely linked to the need to establish, between individuals and between nations, relationships that are attentive to the dignity of the person and capable of satisfying his or her authentic needs. The destruction of the environment, its improper or selfish use, and the violent hoarding of the earth's resources cause grievances, conflicts and wars, precisely because they are the consequences of an inhumane concept of development. Indeed, if development were limited to the technical-economic aspect, obscuring the moral-religious dimension, it would not be an integral human development, but a one-sided distortion which would end up by unleashing man's destructive capacities.

Reductive visions of man

10. Thus there is an urgent need, even within the framework of current international difficulties and tensions, for a commitment to a human ecology that can favour the growth of the “tree of peace”. For this to happen, we must be guided by a vision of the person untainted by ideological and cultural prejudices or by political and economic interests which can instil hatred and violence. It is understandable that visions of man will vary from culture to culture. Yet what cannot be admitted is the cultivation of anthropological conceptions that contain the seeds of hostility and violence. Equally unacceptable are conceptions of God that would encourage intolerance and recourse to violence against others. This is a point which must be clearly reaffirmed: war in God's name is never acceptable! When a certain notion of God is at the origin of criminal acts, it is a sign that that notion has already become an ideology.

11. Today, however, peace is not only threatened by the conflict between reductive visions of man, in other words, between ideologies. It is also threatened by indifference as to what constitutes man's true nature. Many of our contemporaries actually deny the existence of a specific human nature and thus open the door to the most extravagant interpretations of what essentially constitutes a human being. Here too clarity is necessary: a “weak” vision of the person, which would leave room for every conception, even the most bizarre, only apparently favours peace. In reality, it hinders authentic dialogue and opens the way to authoritarian impositions, ultimately leaving the person defenceless and, as a result, easy prey to oppression and violence.

Human rights and international organizations

12. A true and stable peace presupposes respect for human rights. Yet if these rights are grounded on a weak conception of the person, how can they fail to be themselves weakened? Here we can see how profoundly insufficient is a relativistic conception of the person when it comes to justifying and defending his rights. The difficulty in this case is clear: rights are proposed as absolute, yet the foundation on which they are supposed to rest is merely relative. Can we wonder that, faced with the “inconvenient” demands posed by one right or another, someone will come along to question it or determine that it should be set aside? Only if they are grounded in the objective requirements of the nature bestowed on man by the Creator, can the rights attributed to him be affirmed without fear of contradiction. It goes without saying, moreover, that human rights imply corresponding duties. In this regard, Mahatma Gandhi said wisely: “The Ganges of rights flows from the Himalaya of duties.” Clarity over these basic presuppositions is needed if human rights, nowadays constantly under attack, are to be adequately defended. Without such clarity, the expression “human rights” will end up being predicated of quite different subjects: in some cases, the human person marked by permanent dignity and rights that are valid always, everywhere and for everyone, in other cases a person with changing dignity and constantly negotiable rights, with regard to content, time and place.

13. The protection of human rights is constantly referred to by international bodies and, in particular, the United Nations Organization, which set itself the fundamental task of promoting the human rights indicated in the 1948 Universal Declaration. That Declaration is regarded as a sort of moral commitment assumed by all mankind. There is a profound truth to this, especially if the rights described in the Declaration are held to be based not simply on the decisions of the assembly that approved them, but on man's very nature and his inalienable dignity as a person created by God. Consequently it is important for international agencies not to lose sight of the natural foundation of human rights. This would enable them to avoid the risk, unfortunately ever-present, of sliding towards a merely positivistic interpretation of those rights. Were that to happen, the international bodies would end up lacking the necessary authority to carry out their role as defenders of the fundamental rights of the person and of peoples, the chief justification for their very existence and activity.

International humanitarian law and the internal law of States

14. The recognition that there exist inalienable human rights connected to our common human nature has led to the establishment of a body of international humanitarian law which States are committed to respect, even in the case of war. Unfortunately, to say nothing of past cases, this has not been consistently implemented in certain recent situations of war. Such, for example, was the case in the conflict that occurred a few months ago in southern Lebanon, where the duty “to protect and help innocent victims” and to avoid involving the civilian population was largely ignored. The heart-rending situation in Lebanon and the new shape of conflicts, especially since the terrorist threat unleashed completely new forms of violence, demand that the international community reaffirm international humanitarian law, and apply it to all present-day situations of armed conflict, including those not currently provided for by international law. Moreover, the scourge of terrorism demands a profound reflection on the ethical limits restricting the use of modern methods of guaranteeing internal security. Increasingly, wars are not declared, especially when they are initiated by terrorist groups determined to attain their ends by any means available. In the face of the disturbing events of recent years, States cannot fail to recognize the need to establish clearer rules to counter effectively the dramatic decline that we are witnessing. War always represents a failure for the international community and a grave loss for humanity. When, despite every effort, war does break out, at least the essential principles of humanity and the basic values of all civil coexistence must be safeguarded; norms of conduct must be established that limit the damage as far as possible and help to alleviate the suffering of civilians and of all the victims of conflicts(7).

15. Another disturbing issue is the desire recently shown by some States to acquire nuclear weapons. This has heightened even more the widespread climate of uncertainty and fear of a possible atomic catastrophe. We are brought back in time to the profound anxieties of the “cold war” period. When it came to an end, there was hope that the atomic peril had been definitively overcome and that mankind could finally breathe a lasting sigh of relief. How timely, in this regard, is the warning of the Second Vatican Council that “every act of war directed to the indiscriminate destruction of whole cities or vast areas with their inhabitants is a crime against God and humanity, which merits firm and unequivocal condemnation(8).” Unfortunately, threatening clouds continue to gather on humanity's horizon. The way to ensure a future of peace for everyone is found not only in international accords for the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, but also in the determined commitment to seek their reduction and definitive dismantling. May every attempt be made to arrive through negotiation at the attainment of these objectives! The fate of the whole human family is at stake!

The Church as safeguard of the transcendence of the human person

16. Finally, I wish to make an urgent appeal to the People of God: let every Christian be committed to tireless peace-making and strenuous defence of the dignity of the human person and his inalienable rights.

With gratitude to the Lord for having called him to belong to his Church, which is “the sign and safeguard of the transcendental dimension of the human person”(9) in the world, the Christian will tirelessly implore from God the fundamental good of peace, which is of such primary importance in the life of each person. Moreover, he will be proud to serve the cause of peace with generous devotion, offering help to his brothers and sisters, especially those who, in addition to suffering poverty and need, are also deprived of this precious good. Jesus has revealed to us that “God is love” (1 Jn 4:8) and that the highest vocation of every person is love. In Christ we can find the ultimate reason for becoming staunch champions of human dignity and courageous builders of peace.

17. Let every believer, then, unfailingly contribute to the advancement of a true integral humanism in accordance with the teachings of the Encyclical Letters Populorum Progressio and Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, whose respective fortieth and twentieth anniversaries we prepare to celebrate this year. To the Queen of Peace, the Mother of Jesus Christ “our peace” (Eph 2:14), I entrust my urgent prayer for all humanity at the beginning of the year 2007, to which we look with hearts full of hope, notwithstanding the dangers and difficulties that surround us. May Mary show us, in her Son, the Way of peace, and enlighten our vision, so that we can recognize Christ's face in the face of every human person, the heart of peace!

From the Vatican, 8 December 2006.

Nani A Palkhivala Award 2006

Nani A Palkhivala Award 2006
Acceptance Speech by TEESTA SETALVAD


Friends,

As I stand here to accept this award given in memory of a man who has been described alternately as a passionate democrat, a patriot and above a good human being I cannot but recall how this one man institution associated with us, Communalism Combat, in its nascent years. In response to one of the darkest moment this great metropolis, Mumbai (then Bombay) has lived through, December 1992 and January 1993, he sat alongside the inimitable and unique, the late Mr HM Seervai to speak to the then President of India to ‘call in the army’. When a subsequent government in the state reaped the benefits of hate politics and in a stroke of executive arrogance scrapped the Justice Srikrishna commission of inquiry investigating the mass murder and police complicity behind the violence, Mr Palkhivala stepped down from Bombay House and along with another captain of industry Mr SP Godrej joined us in the nationwide protest that was one of the citizens’ actions that eventually led to the reinstatement of the commission. That was January 30, 1996. A year earlier, two judicial decisions –one of the Bombay High Court and the other by the Supreme Court had shaken the common man’s faith in the judiciary. Citizens had challenged the hate writing in the Saamna, and through a writ petition urged for a judicial directive to compel the state government to prosecute the author of these speeches a man who went unchallenged by the law and order machinery in this great city, Mr Bal Thackeray. Mr Palkhiwala said the future of India was at stake if the court did not compel the state to intervene and take action against this kind of journalism.

Today, in 2007 we see a glittering and glamorous India everyday, through the media and parts of our large cities –an India that suggests growth and wealth and prosperity yes, but only for a section of our population. A third of Indians reel under rural hunger where the lack of access to nutrients in their diet should be a matter of national shame. Narrow and aggressive definitions of patriotism coupled with rank unprofessional, if not biased conduct in the intelligence services and the law and order machinery, have ‘othered’ many sections of Indians, reducing them to irritants, trouble makers or rank anti-nationals.

It is a moment of profound test for all our institutions. The paradigms of fair play, equal rights to life and ownership of private property, make both the shock of farmers being shot dead in communist West Bengal and the shame of the mass victim survivors of the Gujarat carnage of 2002 a living reality. Closer home, in Maharashtra, protests following the brutalization and murder of a Dalit family in Khairlanji allowed the Nagpur police to pull out 55 year old women and other protestors from their homes and thrash them into silence. In Amravati a rickshaw driver protesting was shot point blank in the head by the police.

Does the Indian state need to answer, any more, to the largest number?

Does the executive initiate and take decisions of economic and social policy after due consultation, through the vote, in a democratic manner?

Have our Courts shown due and democratic concern to issues of economic and social access, equity and non-discrimination?

Does our media, television and print reflect news at all, leave aside news and views of the majority of Indians?

Do institutions of Indian democracy adhere to the word and spirit of the Indian Constitution?

Is India a living and breathing democracy?

Be it West Bengal, Gujarat, Maharashtra or Orissa lands belonging to voiceless Indians are being seized, without adequate debate, transparency or Constitutional accountability. (Quote) “Globalisation” (unquote) has come here in partnership with vengeful and vindictive state terror and repression. State force at its most brutal is being used to stifle democratic protest and dissent. As I look forward to the memorial lecture by an icon of modern India, a captain of industry, I urge this prestigious audience here to ask some of these difficult questions. Of themselves.

Friends, next month is the fifth anniversary of the Godhra mass arson and the post Godhra genocidal killing. Justices VR Krishna Iyer and PB Sawant—both retired judges of the Supreme Court-- who headed a citizens tribunal into the Gujarat carnage, have observed that (quote) “the post Godhra carnage was an organized crime perpetuated by the state’s chief minister and his government” (unquote) and held Gujarat’s CM Modi to be (quote) “the chief Author and Architect of all that happened in Gujarat after the arson of February 27, 2002.” (unquote). The National Human Rights Commission and the Supreme Court of India have drawn similar conclusions about the head of the state of Gujarat.

Today for the same captains of industry who see the vision of a glittering India exemplified in the “strong political leadership of Mr Narendra Modi” –I refer to the recent investments promises to the state— I would like to place this reminder on record. All and each of us, especially those who hail from Gujarat would like to see Gujarat vibrant, and prosper. The community that Mr Palkhivala hailed from was first given refuge within what is today known as Gujarat when the Parsis migrated to India, from Persia. Strength, cohesion and prosperity can be built through an enlightened administration and polity that respects the rights of all, harbours dissent and respects the struggle for rights and justice, a state of affairs that supports the natural order of things.

However, when (quote) “normalization” and strength” (unquote) are equated with a vindictive administration and political repression, when brute compromise is thrust, when acknowledgement of the horrors of mass crime are denied hundreds of thousands of victims, when villages, cities and mohallas are divided by borders, when the victim survivors and human rights defenders who stand up for justice are threatened arrest and torture, it is repressive strength and state power that we are talking about. Civil liberties, the struggle for the defence of which I am being honoured here today, are severely trampled upon.

Friends, even what actually happened at Godhra railway station on February 27, 2002 is hotly contested today. There is absolutely no proof of the theory perpetuated shrilly by Mr Modi to justify state sponsored mass rape, killings and murder. As we approach the fifth anniversary of a truly bleak period in Indian post-Independence history, I request each one of you present here, to remember. The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting.

As I acknowledge the huge contribution of my family to my work, I would like to laud the joint vision of my comrade in arms, Javed Anand that launched us into this collective battle since 1993. Colleagues at Sabrang and the board of trustees of Citizens for Justice and Peace and its myriad supporters (even from captains of industry) who have the vision to support the dissenting voice, Raisbhai and Suhel, my tribute. Top lawyers of the Supreme Court and the High Courts, masters in their field, continue to offer pro bono services for the causes that we plead.

Our work of a decade and a half has made us experience the relentless attempts of the system to tire out the protestor, the dissenter, the victim. Therefore today’s award, I dedicate to one man within the Indian system, who stood (and still stands) mighty in the face of a murderous and vindictive Gujarat administration. Mass murder, mass rape and mass arson were allowed in Gujarat by a complicit and participatory administration and police force. Many police officers stood out. But only one man has remained a stoic and principled dissenter until today, refusing to cave in even as weeks lapsed into months and months into years. This man that I dedicate today’s honour to is not a victim, he did not loose a dear family member. He does not hail from the victim community. His only quality-- that many but his co-travellers have seen as a fault-- is that he refused to sit by and let the mass crimes planned at the highest level go unchallenged. He documented the illegal and unconstitutional orders spat out by Mr Modi in a meticulously maintained personal diary. He filed well-documented affidavits before the ongoing Nanavaty-Shah Commission. He suffered for these acts by being denied due promotion to the post of Director General of Police, Gujarat, the highest post in his field that as a policeman and thrice Presidential Award winner for bravery, he would and should aspire to. He faced attempts to browbeat him in and out of the courts. He and his wife live socially and politically ostracized in a state that captains of industry tell us is vibrant and shining due to (quote) “a strong and , political leadership favouring rapid growth” (unquote)…..Mr RB Sreekumar, Additional Director General of Police, the state of Gujarat, I salute you.

End

ACCEPTANCE SPEECH - THE MINORITIES RIGHTS AWARD 2006 IN DELHI ON 18TH DECEMBER 2006

Acceptance SPEECH OF FR. CEDRIC PRAKASH sj on being conferred the MINORITIES RIGHTS AWARD 2006 by Justice A. S. Anand, Former Chairman, National Human Rights Commission and Chief Justice of India, New Delhi, December 18th 2006

Honorable Justice Anand,
Shri Ansari, Honourable Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities,
Shri Pinto, Honourable Vice Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities,
Other Members of the Commission,
Archbishop Stanislaus Fernandes, Secretary General of the C.B.C.I.
Archbishop Vincent Concessao of Delhi,
Bishop Thomas Macwan of Ahmedabad,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is with a feeling of deep gratitude and joy that I stand before you today, to accept the Minorities Rights Award 2006, which has just been conferred on me.

I honestly feel that I am not deserving enough, to receive such an honour. I am aware, there are several others do much more for the rights of minorities in the country. But I humbly accept it, knowing fully well, that this honour is not only mine, but also a recognition of several others who have been championing the cause of the rights of minorities in the country. It is also an important reminder, that a large percentage of minorities still live on the fringes of Indian society and are denied their rights as citizens of this country.

Today is special for all of us because, on this day, fourteen years ago, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the “Declaration on the Rights of Persons belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities”, and the fact that our country observes this anniversary, as “Minorities Rights Day”. It’s a day when each one of us is called to renew our commitment to protect the rights of every single citizen, very specially the Minorities.

On a day like this, I cannot but help think of my Muslim sisters and brothers in Gujarat – many of them still live marginalized and alienated lives and are treated as outsiders in places which they once called their home. In the city of Ahmedabad, if one is a Muslim, one is confined to ghettos and one cannot easily buy an apartment in the western upmarket part of the city. The victim-survivors of the Gujarat Carnage are still looking for a just compensation and for rehabilitation. They still yearn for justice.

Just about a year ago on December 27th, 2005, a mass grave was discovered just outside Lunawada in Gujarat. From all counts, these are the skeletal remains of the Pandharwada massacre of 2002. A recent CBI Report has been able to identify at least some of the bodies. One of those still searching for the remains of her twenty-four year old son, (who was slaughtered in front of her eyes), is Ameenaben Habib Rasool....She is still searching, to give her son the dignified last rites, which every human deserves. She is still searching for his mortal remains.....She is still searching for justice, inspite of the fact that the High Court of Gujarat, threw out her petition recently. Yes, she is still searching for Hope.....Can civil society in Gujarat and the rest of the country provide her with that Hope, with that Justice, which she desperately seeks ? Can we, as a people, awake to the pain and trauma of the victim-survivors of the Gujarat Carnage and ensure that the Gujarat carnage is never repeated and that our collective conscience will provide the needed remorse and reconciliation and the courage to give the victim-survivors - Justice, Harmony, Security and Peace - which is rightfully theirs ?

To Ameenaben and to those families who still have not found the mortal remains of their loved ones (who have been massacred in the Gujarat carnage) - to them, I dedicate this award, with the hope that some day, their anguish, their pain will give way to peace, founded on a restored faith in wider society.

In Gujarat, Christians continue to be hounded and harassed, even if the means used today are subtle, sophisticated and seemingly innocuous. My heart also goes out to the pandits of Kashmir who have been dispossessed of their homes and lands. One can easily go on relating several incidents, but the point I would like to make here is that Christians, Muslims and other minorities, are as much a part of Indian society as anybody else.

In a year which is currently observing the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi launching “Satyagraha” in South Africa, it is imperative for each one of us to take ownership of his brave act and launch in today’s India, a new People’s Movement which focuses on Truth, Justice and Peace....and in the protection of the rights of all.

This newly constituted National Commission for Minorities has definitely meant a lot to the Minorities of Gujarat. Your impartial and objective assessment of the situation, the ground realities which you yourselves have encountered, and the fact that you have not been afraid to take a stand, has definitely rekindled the spark of Hope in many. We are grateful to you for this and I am sure that an important commission like yours can definitely ensure that the secular and democratic traditions of our country are always preserved. I salute you, Mr. Ansari, Mr. Pinto, and other Honourable Members of the Commission on behalf of the Minorities of Gujarat....

To those of you, very specially my collaborators, friends and companions, who have taken the trouble to be here with me today – thanks so much for your presence....I am particularly touched that the Bishops from Gujarat are here today.....However, I do miss certain people very specially my colleagues from PRASHANT (who are my strength and support) and my dear Mother who was not strong enough to make this trip to Delhi....

Five years since the Gujarat Carnage is a painful reminder of the tragedy that stalks so many of the minorities but on a day like this, our hope is not lost. Those of us who have gathered here can truly pray in the words of the Upanishads :

Lead me O Lord
from darkness to light,
Lead me O Lord
from untruth to truth,
Lead me O Lord
from death to immortality.

Let today symbolize a new beginning !

Thank you very much !

GUJARAT FREEDOM OF RELIGION (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2006.....DRACONIAN

The Government of Gujarat continues to misuse religion, by trying to manipulate people through religion, for narrow political gains.

 

The recent Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill 2006 which was passed by the Gujarat Assembly on September 19th 2006, is a clear example of how this Government continues to trample on the rights of the citizens through unconstitutional, draconian and anti-people acts.

 

This Bill was originally passed in March 2003 but the Government did not have the courage to frame the mandatory rules for the implementation of the law.  The Act in itself, besides being anti-people, is highly discriminatory and could give rise to very serious misinterpretations.

 

The recent amendments in the Bill are very mischievous and divisive.  Buddhism and Jainism are regarded as “denominations of Hinduism”.  It looks as though, those who have framed the law have not understood that there are fundamental differences in the basic tenets of each of these religions,  unless it is an attempt to merely co-opt  others as part of a political strategy.

 

The clause “permitting”  Christians and Protestants, and then again,  Shias and Sunnis to “convert”  from one to another and vice-versa, is ridiculous.  Since Christianity or Islam are the religions concerned,  the question of “conversion” does not arise. Hence the thinking of the Government is seriously flawed unless there  is a sinister agenda to create   suspicion and therefore division among the denominations of particular religions. 

 

The Gujarat Government is only proving to the world that it is not interested in responding  to the fundamental needs and aspirations of the people of Gujarat which are essentially food, clothing and shelter;  access to clean drinking water, to primary health-care and quality primary education.  The Government could do well to provide rehabilitation to the thousands of people who have been affected by the recent disasters caused by man-made floods and the widespread epidemics that is taking a severe toll all across the State.  Gujarat still craves for justice after the carnage of 2002. 

 

The Government MUST WITHDRAW this draconian Freedom of Religion Bill immediately and unconditionally.

 

 

 

Fr. Cedric Prakash sj

 

20th September 2006

 

 

 

GUJART FREEDOM OF RELIGION (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2006....DRACONIAN

The Government of Gujarat continues to misuse religion, by trying to manipulate people through religion, for narrow political gains.

 

The recent Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill 2006 which was passed by the Gujarat Assembly on September 19th 2006, is a clear example of how this Government continues to trample on the rights of the citizens through unconstitutional, draconian and anti-people acts.

 

This Bill was originally passed in March 2003 but the Government did not have the courage to frame the mandatory rules for the implementation of the law.  The Act in itself, besides being anti-people, is highly discriminatory and could give rise to very serious misinterpretations.

 

The recent amendments in the Bill are very mischievous and divisive.  Buddhism and Jainism are regarded as “denominations of Hinduism”.  It looks as though, those who have framed the law have not understood that there are fundamental differences in the basic tenets of each of these religions,  unless it is an attempt to merely co-opt  others as part of a political strategy.

 

The clause “permitting”  Christians and Protestants, and then again,  Shias and Sunnis to “convert”  from one to another and vice-versa, is ridiculous.  Since Christianity or Islam are the religions concerned,  the question of “conversion” does not arise. Hence the thinking of the Government is seriously flawed unless there  is a sinister agenda to create   suspicion and therefore division among the denominations of particular religions. 

 

The Gujarat Government is only proving to the world that it is not interested in responding  to the fundamental needs and aspirations of the people of Gujarat which are essentially food, clothing and shelter;  access to clean drinking water, to primary health-care and quality primary education.  The Government could do well to provide rehabilitation to the thousands of people who have been affected by the recent disasters caused by man-made floods and the widespread epidemics that is taking a severe toll all across the State.  Gujarat still craves for justice after the carnage of 2002. 

 

The Government MUST WITHDRAW this draconian Freedom of Religion Bill immediately and unconditionally.

 

 

 

Fr. Cedric Prakash sj

 

20th September 2006

 

 

 

Taking Strong Note Of Gujarat Reality

Satyagraha Centenary Conference participants take strong note
of Gujarat reality, pledge re-dedication to Satyagraha

A three day Conference entitled “Satyagraha : a ProPeace Agenda” organized by the Gandhi Development Trust headed by Ms. Ela Gandhi the grand-daughter of Mahatma Gandhi, took place in Durban, South Africa from September 11th – 13th on the occasion of the Centenary of “Satyagraha” brought together human rights defenders, academicians, intellectuals and other members of civil society from various parts of the world who expressed their grave concern at the growing use of violence as the ultimate form of power.

In a joint declaration at the end of the conference, several of the participants underlined : “The urgency to intervene in the defense of the principles of non-violent means to resolve conflicts at the national, regional and the international level has never been more pressing than in the conditions prevailing in the world today.”

The declaration also took “strong note of the fact that in the land of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth, Gujarat in India, where a State-sponsored pogrom was organized in 2002 against Muslims, the hate mobilization continues unabated against the Muslims and other minorities.”

It finally stated “In the present world context, the principles of Mahatma Gandhi especially Satyagraha, are becoming much more relevant than ever before. There is an urgent need to energize the progressive, democratic, secular and pro-peoples’ movements across the world to challenge political, economic and social injustices and oppression.

The prevailing conditions are absolutely unacceptable to us.

We therefore pledge to re-dedicate ourselves, to build an international struggle for peace, justice, equality and human dignity.”

The many signatories of this declaration included :

Anil Nauriya (Supreme Court of India), A T Ariyaratne (Founder-President, Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, Sri Lanka), Bettina Corke (Film-maker, Decade Media, Italy), Fr. Cedric Prakash (Activist, PRASHANT, India), Rev Cynthia Shelkofsky (Catholic University, Washington, US), Deena Padayachee (Writer, South Africa), Prof. Dennis Brutus (Centre for Civil Society, UKZN, South Africa), Dikshita Padalkar (Economist, South Africa), Ebrahim Ebrahim, South Africa (imprisoned with Nelson Mandela for twenty years in Robben’s Island), Florence Murugu (Mucodes, Kenya), Gunavant Govindjee (Ceasefire Campaign, South Africa), Hassim Seedat (Satyagraha Committee Member), Iqbal Jhazbhoy (Analyst, University of South Africa), Niloa Castro (Foccolare, Italy), Shabnam Hashmi (Activist, ANHAD, India), Sonam Tenzing (Representative of H H the Dalai Lama for Africa), Sunny Singh (Freedom Fighter, South Africa), Sylvia Alvarez (Educationist, USA), Sylvia Kaye (Lecturer, University of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa), Dr. Thein Win (National Council of the Union of Burma, SA).

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