The document discusses the rising intolerance and communalization in the Indian state of Gujarat. It provides several examples: 1. A student was jailed for 5 days for a painting that was deemed offensive by BJP supporters. University administrators suppressed student protests. 2. The state government and sections of society have upheld the arrest of the student and suspension of faculty, while projecting the culprit as a hero. 3. Screenings of films depicting the 2002 Gujarat violence were prevented due to threats from radical groups. 4. The document argues that Gujarat exhibits a fascist ideology with two separate legal systems for majority and minority communities. The educational and police systems are also heavily communalized under BJP

1. Gujarat: Symptoms of Hindu Nation
Ram Puniyani
Chandra Mohan, a gifted art student of the faculty of arts of Sayajirao Giakwad University,
Baroda had to be in jail for five days (May 2007) for the 'crime' of painting an assignment for his
degree. The problem was that the painting he made was not to the liking of the BJP camp. When
the display of the paintings was going on for assessment by the teachers, BJP leader, Neeraj Jain
attacked the exhibition with his band of supporters. The police put Chandra Mohan behind the
bars, Neeraj Jain, who had violated the law by entering the university came out with a sense of
pride for saving, protecting the honor of 'his religion' or a religion, which is the base of his party.
As the matters unfolded the students of the University peacefully protested against this breach of
their right to learn and against the false implication of one of their fellow students by the
barbarians in the garb of religion. The Vice Chancellor of Baroda university, Manoj Soni who is
wedded to the politics of the ruling BJP and more particularly to Narendra Modi, gave orders
that the demonstration by students should not be permitted. The Dean of Arts faculty, a
renowned art historian felt it is too much to stifle the student's right for peaceful protest,
permitted them the protest, and he was suspended. To add salt to the injury the pro-Vice
Chancellor got the display of students paintings removed from the spot where they were
protesting.
In the bizarre happenings at one of the most prestigious Universities of the state of Gujarat, the
culprit was projected as the hero by the ruling BJP, while those who were merely doing their
academic explorations, something for which universities are meant for, found themselves either
behind the bars or suspended from their job. Interestingly Neeraj Jain of BJP is one of the
accused in the Gujarat carnage of 2002 and Soni, VC is one of the Modi acolytes, a symptom of
rot which has set in to the educational system of Gujarat. A small but dominant section of
population in Gujarat upholds the actions of VC and arrest of student artist and suspension of
Dean of arts faculty.
In another incident, in order to prevent the CBI inquiry into the cold blooded murder of
Soharabuddin, by a team of police officials led by the Modi favorite Vanzara, the murder of
Soharabuddin's wife Kausar Bano and Tulsiram Prajapati, the police informer, the Gujarat
Government admitted that its police officials have committed the crime. Vanzara, who today
owns the properties running into millions, was showered with rose petals by the section of people
when he was being taken to be produced in the court.
Just a moth ago the, the film which sensitively portrays the Gujarat carnage, Perzania, which
was duly cleared by the censor board, was not screened by the owners of cine theaters because of
the fear that their theaters may be damaged by the goons, wearing saffron clothes. Similarly
another film Faana was not released in Gujarat on similar grounds as the theater owners feared
that people are opposed to Aamir Khan, who had openly sympathized with Narmada Bachao
Andolan and the cause of those displaced by the dam. It is interesting that in most of the
incidents there is a blatant tendency to suppress the basic democratic norm and the level of
apparent acceptance for such acts from the dominant section of society is very high.
It is not that Gujarat is the only state with such violations of democratic and civic norms. There
are gradations of these patterns, from the mild violations to the severe ones like those cited
above. And surely as far as the gross violations and that too the one's related to minority
community are concerned, Gujarat is the worst state without any shadow of doubt. In other BJP
ruled states like MP, Rajasthan and Chattisgarhg also, the violations are of severe degree, still
they do not match with the ones in Gujarat. In Gujarat, at all the levels from top to bottom and
in most of the arenas of social and political life one can see the intense aggression of oppressive

2. religion based ideology, opposing the little and big issues where the freedom of ex-pression or
democratic rights of people are concerned.
From these instances various things become more than clear. To begin with the state machinery,
the educational institutions are heavily communalized. This Vice Chancellor, who normally
should have protected the student of his University for fulfilling the academic obligation, but
chose to let the police arrest his own student, is a comparatively young faculty who has been
elevated to the highest level of the academic prestige because he wrote a book in defense of Modi
in Gujarat genocide. The rot in the educational system, the infiltration of communal elements in
the positions of power is more than obvious from the case of Mr. Soni.
Police acting as an onlooker and arresting the student, the victim, and letting the culprits take the
law in their hands is reflective of the communal mind set and the type of instructions they must
be getting from the top leadership. The attack by these goons and their defense by a section on
the ground that 'our sentiments are hurt' show the type of communal common sense prevalent in
the state.
What is new about Soharabuddin's killing? So many fake encounters, so many high handed acts
of law breaking by those supposed to be upholders of law. So many such incidents in so many
other states. The striking features of this encounter killing are that, one, not only the criminal but
his wife was also killed in cold blood. Secondly, the pretext of terrorists coming to kill Modi, the
Hindu Hriday Samrat (emperor of Hindu Hearts) has been used to eliminate people once again.
And three, the honor showered on Vanzara, have we heard before that these 'criminal in khaki'
having patronage of those in the seats of power are showered with rose petals while being taken
to the court? That's what Gujarat is becoming, thoroughly communalized, the communal
common sense being the dominant thought pattern of sections of society, and politics strongly
under the sway of RSS ideology.
While the acts of attacking cinema theaters, attacking art exhibitions, stopping musical concerts
has been heard before as an occasional phenomenon, now this intolerance is becoming
systematically ingrained in Gujarat. That's what makes Gujarat different from large parts of the
country, some of which are definitely on pursuing what we can call as 'Gujarat course' but the
critical limits have not been reached there.
At different level, one can note two systems off law in Gujarat, minorities neither get nor can
hope to get justice after violence, and relief is a distant dream. The transmigration within the
city, Hindu area, Muslim area, and the emotional and physical borders separating the different
communities and the communal wedge is deepening by the day. The schools are becoming set
more along religious lines than the previous mixed character where diverse children come
together and have an inherent understanding and respect for the other. The legal system is
becoming more and more insular to the anguish of minority community. The minorities have
been relegated to the second class status, no ban loans to them, no telephone connections at times.
An analogy with Hitler's Germany has more than just the germ of truth. While at surface,
Gujarat as the state seems to be focusing on development, the 'we have taught them a lesson' is
the undercurrent thinking amongst dominant majority community.
Gujarat is being ruled by the BJP Government from over a decade. The RSS combine is having a
field day, using government facilities and machinery to co-opt the Adivasi, through Shabri
Kumbhs. Other programs, social engineering for inclusion of dalits and exclusion of Muslims and
Christians are under full flow. The progressive, liberal sections of society are feeling the heat of
political intimidation. While many of them are holding aloft the torch of democracy, the broad
layers of civil society has to come forward with courage and conviction for democratic values and
the principles of Indian Constitution. Though few, they are the hope for return of democracy in
Gujarat. Whether the electoral arithmetic will help them restore democracy are a million vote
questions? Despite internal dissentions the RSS combine is clearly behind Modi/BJP as far as

3. electoral arithmetic goes. The terrifying vision of RSS ideologues is coming to fruition in this
Hindu Rashtra in one state. The question is how fast other states, more so the BJP ruled one's or
the one's where BJP is ruling in alliances, will go in this direction? More than that the question is
can the democracy be saved in Gujarat? If some novice doubted the Fascist analogy with the
communal politics, that should become as clear as he crystal. Politics in the name of religions or
race does lead to a fascist state, and the only difference in Hitler, Taliban and BJP is the degree
of crudeness and the use of terminology, the content remains the same.
--
Gujarat : Lengthening Shadows of Swastika
Ram Puniyani
Perzania, a film based on a true story in the backdrop of Gujarat violence, sensitively portraying
the plight of a Parsi family, whose son goes missing during the carnage, was released all over the
country barring Gujarat. Earlier to this, another film, Fanaa starring Amir Khan, who
personally sympathized openly with the plight of those displaced due to the Narmada dam
project, could also not be screened in Gujarat. What is the social and political scenario as we are
just a month away from the fifth anniversary of Godhra train accident and the Gujarat carnage?
Gujarat carnage was very different from the communal violence which took place in
Independent India so far. Here one could most clearly see the well planned violence unleashed on
the pretext of Godhra train accident, duly supported by the state Government under the
patronizing eye of the central government. While every possible rule of the law was violated by
the authorities, the hapless victims were left to rot in the refugee camps with atrocious living
conditions, totally ignored by the state government. The mirror of Gujarat's dominant social
thinking was to come to light soon with the winning of elections by Narendra Modi, who had
played central role in the violence. What has been happening in the social milieu of Gujarat is
beyond belief as far as the democratic norms and the communal amity is concerned.
One has witnessed that the process of deliverance of justice, remains unexecuted. Many a people
under different types of pressure could not lodge their complaints, many a times it was made as a
condition for their return to their homes. Many an FIRs were not filed, the victims of the riots
are gripped by the losses of lives and property in mammoth proportions, while the perpetrators
of crime are moving with great pride in having taught 'them' a lesson. Those arrested for Godhra
train burning are rotting in jails with the POTA charges on them. Barring the cases like those of
Zahira with different twists and turns, most other wronged ones are living the constant agony
and pain of what they had to face. The role and attitude, impartiality, of sections of judiciary has
also come under severe doubts
Added to that is the alienation, social boycott and the ghettotisaztion of Muslim minorities, which
has been set very deeply in the aftermath of carnage. One can see the areas marked by religious
denominations getting converted into geographic dividing lines. Once the hatred crosses the
threshold limits it creates the wedge which becomes unbridgeable over a period of time. And
that's what one sees in the social milieu of Gujarat. The pattern of life amongst large sections has
changed, and the constant harping on identity, first that of religion and later that of caste has
been the logical corollary of the hate ideology which is ruling the roost.
Over fifty thousand families are living in the poorly maintained rehabilitation colonies totally
deprived of the basic facilities. The subtle intimidation of Muslim majority is supplemented by
the attacks on Christian missionaries and also by the holding of events like Shabri Kumbh to co-
opt the Adivasis into the Hindu fold, at the same time changing the terms of social reference,
from the ones of development to the ones of identity issues is there for all to see. The social
common sense in Gujarat in particular, has been taken to the insane heights where every issue

4. becomes a ground for further intensifying the hatred against minorities.
The dominant social opinion may have some dissenting voices which may feel the present
brusque anti-minoritism will spoil the business atmosphere in Gujarat but the large sections of
middle class sees Modi as a protector of Hindus. Two set of laws already seem to be in operation,
the ones for majority and the other for the minorities. Intolerance directed to 'external enemy'
does not stop there. It does come back to majority as well and the sharpened religious identity
leads to the caste and other narrow identities becoming stronger by the day, and that's what
Gujarat is witnessing today. The very air is becoming heavy with the intolerance, which is the
basic credo of Gujarat society today. It also does manifest itself in the people like Babu Bajrangi
who are openly flaunting the laws and acting as moral police, intimidating; beating up young
couples; with full patronage from the ruling party and associated affiliates, who emboldened by
the power and ideology of sectarianism are out to abolish the democratic and liberal space, which
is the hall mark of any open society.
The image of a vibrant Gujarat is being strengthened through media, a section of which played a
were compliant and supportive role to the agenda of Hindu Rashtra. The overt violence is not
there but covert violence and deepening of sectarianism is the order of the day. What is Fascism?
It is not a mere academic debate. When state, in connivance with dominant sections of society, is
out to bury the norms of liberal and plural values, when the dominant section of society approve
this intolerance for 'others' and than for 'our' dissenting people, the fascism is there. The fate of
Fanaa and Perzania are the mere symptoms of the piercing trishuls of RSS ideology stalking the
streets and bastis of Gujarat. It is a state where the social activists can be beaten up right in
Gandhi's Sabarmati Ashram, a place where non violence and dissent had been propagated as the
basic norm for creating a democratic society. While Modi has 'successfully' deflected the
criticism of his policies as an insult of Gujarat, the matters become difficult for those who will
like to uphold the gains of our freedom movement, for those who will regard all people of India
as equals, irrespective of their religion.
The processes going in Gujarat are a definite pointer towards "Hindu Rashtra in One state", an
Indian variant of Fascism. While looking forward to the change in the turn of the tide in
anticipation of the Fifth anniversary of the genocide, one hopes the worst is over and the society
at large will not only welcome Perzania with open eyes and mind but will also revive the humane
spirit of the Indian nationalism.
Labeling Terrorists
Ram Puniyani
"We should not fix labels like Muslims or non-Muslims…it won't help us in understanding the
situation or dealing with it. A terrorist is a terrorist; he has no religion or community…As a
Sikh, I understand the trauma (of being labeled)." These words of Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime
Minister of India, in the wake of Glasgow bombings (July 6, 2007) more than sum up the present
perceptions about the acts of terrorism and also that these acts of terror have nothing to do with
one's belonging to any nation or religion. Coincidentally currently in Pakistan the army is
cracking down on the Lal Masjid, jihad of its leader, Maulana Abdul Aziz. The people involved
in the Glasgow bombing are doctors, who happen to be of Indian origin and who also happen to
be Muslims. This may reinforce the popular perception that all terrorists are Muslims. Currently
some people do add to this and say that there is some thing inherent in Islam, which leads to acts
of terror and which results in the terrorists coming up.
Dr. Singh reminds us of the travails of Sikh community in the wake of Indira Gandhi's
assassination by her two Sikh bodyguards, who had links with Khalistani movement. Terrorism

5. was rampant in Punjab and parts of north India at that point of time. Just imagine had Indian
government taken the policy to label the Sikhs as terrorists and implemented the norm that
henceforth no Sikhs will be allowed in Indian army or in positions of responsibility, what would
have happened by now? There is a subtle hint in the air that the immigration checks and
profiling of Muslims will have to be resorted to more intensely to control the acts of terror. What
has terrorism to do with religion? One knows that the values of the religions teach us love,
compassion and tolerance. One also knows that terrorists have come from all the religions though
not due to religions. Be it the Irish Republican Army, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam, the
Buddhist monks resorting to political violence in Sri Lank or Thailand or ULFA in North East
one can easily make out that terrorists have come from all the religions.
Why do some people resort to these insane acts, which lead to the death of innocent civilians
apart from other losses? Is it that they are born like that or is it due to political economic and
social reasons that such acts are undertaken? In contemporary history various reasons have
operated for the making of the psyche which not only kills others but is also willing to sacrifice
one's own life while undertaking these cruel acts. Lets imagine the psychological build up of
Dhanu, who acted as a live bomb to kill Rajiv Gandhi or Laila Khalid who resorted to terror to
avenge the injustices perpetrated on the Palestinians once they were forced to leave Palestine
with the formation of Israel.
Broadly one can put terrorists in two categories. The first category is of those who strongly feel a
sense of injustice being done to them or their community and who also feel that there is no hope
of getting justice. This psychology operates at personal, family or social level. It also assumes the
shape of political outfit at times, like LTTE, ULFA, and IRA. One recalls the murder of
Saunders undertaken in the aftermath of the killing of Lala Lajpat Rai, by the lathi blows of
British police. Such acts by Indian revolutionaries fall in this category where the personal
identity is merged with the identity of the nation or the whole community. The bomb blasts
carried on in Mumbai in 1993 and than in 2002, both were preceded by the strong anti minority
violence first in Mumbai and than in Gujarat. What happened to Muslim community in Mumbai
or in Gujarat must have sown the seeds of this insanity amongst many a youth goes without
saying. That must have created a fertile ground because of which many an educated well to do
youth also might have volunteered to be part of these dastardly designs.
The second rough category is the one where the identity of religion is invoked to play one's
political game. And this latter was consciously executed by US in the wake of Russian armies
invading Afghanistan. In the bipolar World during the cold war era, the equation of power
shifted and US policy makers wanted to undo the same for strategic reasons. It was the time
when the defeat of US, US army, in Vietnam was fresh in the mind of US psyche and they did not
want to send their own army to counterbalance the Russian move. The papers of CIA policies
and other documents referred to by various scholarly studies reveal as to how US through CIA,
in collaboration with ISI set up Madrassas in Pakistan to indoctrinate the Muslim youth to
undertake jihad, i.e. kill the communist kafirs in Afghanistan. That's how Al Qaeda, today's most
dreaded organization, came up. Osama bin Laden came to become the leader of Al Qaeda and
this organization was given millions of dollars and tons of armaments including sophisticated
stringer missiles to attack Russian armies occupying Afghanistan.
Having done their job, there was no exit as far as indoctrinated minds are concerned. The same
Al Qaeda later turned its guns on World Trade Center . Its another matter that there are various
interpretations of the same. Those in Lal Masjid are the left over of this Al Qaeda and associated
outfits. During Zia ul Haq's regime when Pakistan was playing the game of US in West Asia, Lal
Masjid was the major place for indoctrination program and was a conduit for sending
Mujahidins to Afghanistan. It was being run by Maulan Abdullah, father of the present Maulan,
who was close to Zia ul Haq.

6. Clock has tuned full circle. Today these Al Qaeda associates are not needed by Pakistani
establishment so the whole game has changed its direction. It must be pointed out that the so
called terrorists who are smashing the jeeps or aero planes are small fries in the bigger game
which began with the lust of oil. The unfortunate part is that religion has been dragged into the
murky world of greed by the imperialist powers and these small pawns in the big game not only
bring bad name to their religion but also to the religious community to which they belong. They
neither represent the moral values of that religion, neither are they the representative of that
religious community.
One can understand the anguish of Dr. Man Mohan Singh as during the decade of eighties most
of the Sikhs were branded as terrorists and during the massive anti Sikh pogrom even the high
and mighty Sikhs were insecure. One just hopes that the major powers of the World put an end
to attacking one country after the other, Afghanistan, Iraq, and threatening Iran on permanent
basis, stop the atrocities on the people of those countries, and the sectarian violence is stopped
here in India, so that the likes of Dr. Mohammad Haneef and Dr. Sabeel Ahmad do their
profession of saving lives rather than undertaking the things which take the lives of innocents.
( Ram Puniyani a peace activist,writer,former Prof. IIT Mumbai & Secretary of All India
Secular Forum )
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