[IMC-Editorial] [India Thinkers Net] Ban Yatra Politics,

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Sabrang Alternative News Network

Citizens for Justice and Peace
October 13, 2003

Press Release
"Ban Yatra Politics, End the Sacrificing of Innocent Lives in the 
Name of Religion"

-----Appeal to the UP Chief Minister Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav
and to Union Home Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Shri LK Advani

Families of Godhra victims who's wives were burnt alive in the S-6 
Coach of the Sabarmati Express appeal for and end to the politics 
that takes innocent lives. They demand
a) A Ban on Future Ayodhya Yatras especially the one planned 
from October 15, 2003

Four Victim Families who lost their wives/mothers.sisters in the 
gruesome mass burning of 59 innocent people on board the S-6 Coach of 
the Sabarmati Express on February 27, 2002 have appealed to the UP 
ChiefMinister Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav and Union Home Minister and 
Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani to immediately prohibit the planned 
rath yatra to Ayodhya on October 15, 2003.

In a fervent appeal made through Citizens for Justice and Peace, an 
organisation dedicated to struggling for justice to the victims of 
violence, they have made this appeal. Sworn affidavits accompany this 
appeal for peace and against the politicisation of religion.

The names of the Godhra victim families on who's behalf we are making 
this plea are:
Dr Girshbhai Rawal, 82 years old, lost his wife Sudhabehn in the 
Godhra tragedy and his son, Ashwinbhai when he was stabbed at Ramol 
on April 16, 2002. Ashwinbhai was the local Bajrang Dal President and 
a BJP card holder. Ashwinbhai's wife, Belabehn and 18 year-old 
daughter Khushboo; Bharatbhai Panchal, 40 years old lost his wife 
Jyotibehn in the Godhra tragedy. His daughter Shefali, now 16 years 
and son Dhawal; Prakashbhai Chodagar, 35 years old, lost his wife 
Nilimabehn (Amibehn) in the tragedy. Their children are Harsh, 8 
years and younger son, Meet (4 years); Sharadbhai Mhatre, 42 years, 
who lost his wife Malabehn.

The letter, a copy of which is attached, states that the Godhra 
victims " , have expressed their concern that these rath yatras 
invariably vitiates the atmosphere and become the cause or result of 
violence. The affidavits of some of these relatives are annexed. We 
also

believe that these yatras only serve political purposes. Moreover 
they have the searing impact of ripping apart the centuries' old 
harmony and lived secularism of Indian society which is also the 
basic structure and part of the Indian Constitution.

"Our country and the Indian polity has been held ransom to this 
politico-religious mobilisation for over almost two decades now and 
this must stop.
We apprehend that the yatra which is scheduled to start on October 
15, 2003 will also lead to a cycle of communal violence and cause 
heightened insecurity among the minority communities all of which 
will further vitiate the already surcharged atmosphere in the 
country. In the context of what has happened during the similar 
yatras and agitations in the past, we strongly urge and demand that 
you prevent the forthcoming rath yatra by issuing prohibitory orders 
and also ensure that there is no problem of outburst of violence and 
no problems concerning law and order."

Sworn affidavits of the victim families have also been attached to 
the letter. An excerpt from Dr Girishbhai Rawal's affidavit states:
"*After 19 months of loss, I say and submit that I feel that me and 
my entire family, as also other victims of the Godhra tragedy, have 
been made sacrificial goats by the VHP in their political game. I say 
this because my wife participated in the yatra spontaneously thinking 
it was a religious event. In her life and mine we did not share the 
communal sentiments that are part and parcel of the VHP/BJP's 
politics. Since this tragedy of the Godhra incident and our family 
members have been used by the VHP and the BJP to amass crores of 
rupees, here and abroad, and also win the last elections. Worst 
still, they were used for justifying the murders at Naroda and BEST 
Bakery have been shockingly committed and justified. Fifty-nine 
people burnt in Godhra and 2500 people massacred all over Gujarat! 
Who has done all these things and who has benefited this things? On 
many occasions the VHP and BJP have held functions with big names 
from the NRI world and collected large sums of money while they made 
us sit on the dias as scape goats. Where has this money gone and what 
has it been used for? 

* The Honourable Supreme Court should investigate the collection of 
funds and what they are used for by the VHP and BJP. Cassettes and 
CD's were made, T-shirts were distributed, all around the death of 59 
persons by burnings in the S6 coach in the Sabarmati Express. But 
those forces that are capitalizing on this tragedy have no concern 
for the poor and innocent lives lost, they are interested in their 
own politics and are again trying to begin one more yatra. As victims 
of Godhra burning, and personally as a father who has suffered his 
son's joining the VHP and becoming a victim of their hate propaganda 
by absorbing it in his heart and mind, I earnestly feel that all such 
yatras like the Ayodhya yatra which is political and not religious, 
which causes and uses violence should be banned. The Central 
government will not do it so it is up to the Honourable Supreme court 
to take this historic step.

* The investigation into the causes and fallout of the Godhra tragedy 
too are being suppressed by the current BJP establishment. The kind 
of threats and intimidation that are used to avoid fair testimony in 
Courts and before the Nanavaty-Shah Commission, and the fact that no 
real impartial truth has come out so far suggests clearly that unless 
the Honourable Supeme Court takes a direct and personal interest in 
the Godhra and Other Investigations, Justice will not be done. The 
police is completely under the sway of the BJP and VHP politics in 
the State and therefore we urge you to respond to our appeal in the 
matter. Even Courts in Gujarat cannot function free of the communally 
surcharged atmosphere which the establishment is doing nothing to 
diffuse. In fact statements of senior functionaries of the state and 
the center further aggravate the situation andpolice atrocities 
against innocent minorities continue."

The CJP will be following its commitment to file an intervention 
petition on behalf of the Godhra S-6 victims in the Supreme Court 
very shortly.

Teesta Setalvad
Secretary
Citizens for Justice and Peace
Shri Vijay Tendulkar (President), Shri IM Kadri (Vice President), 
Teesta Setalvad (Secretary)
Members: Shri Cyrus Guzder, Shri Titoo Ahluwalia, Shri Alyque 
Padamsee, Shri Javed Akhtar, Shri Ghulam Pesh Imam, Shri Nandan 
Maluste, Shri Anil Dharker and Shri Javed Anand

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www.sabrang.com

Courtesy:Harsh Kapoor/SACW


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