[Imc-india] For Circulation
Dr. Leo Rebello
imc-india at lists.indymedia.org
Sun, 9 Mar 2003 11:39:24 +0530
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Peace Meeting to oppose War was held at historic Azad Maidan (freedom =
ground)=20
in Bombay on Friday, March 7, 2003, where Dr. Leo Rebello, among others, =
was=20
invited to speak by Forum Against War. About 25,000 people assembled. =20
The line of speakers was formidable. It included: the Chief Minister of =
Maharashtra=20
(Sushil Kumar Shinde), the Deputy Chief Minister (Chhagan Bhujbal),=20
the Sheriff of Bombay (Kiran Shantaram), Film Producer Mahesh Bhatt,=20
Film Actor Raj Babbar, MP; Justice (retd) H. Suresh, Maj. Gen. (retd) =
Eustace DSousa,
Admiral (retd) Vishnu Bhagwat and several others.
Prime Minister of India A.B.Vajpayee and the Deputy Prime Minister of =
India L.K.Advani too=20
were in Bombay on 7th March. But more than the Peace rally, they were =
busy attending a=20
Wedding of an Industrialist's son.
White pigeons were released, a skit was presented. About 10 persons got =
on the stage=20
wearing different masks of American President George Bush. They =
performed=20
devilish dance and then, a look-alike of George Bush was identified and =
was thrashed=20
with fists and shoes, slashed with cardboad swords and thrown off the =
stage.=20
When George Bush's dummy was thrown down the stage he rose up smiling =
and sat
in the audience listening to the speakers!=20
Speeches were short because the sun was hot (3 to 6 PM).
While most people were accommodated under a Shamiana (pandal),=20
speakers had to sit in the scorching sun. The saving grace was that =
bottled water was
available to the speakers and mercifully, I and a few others were given =
caps to cover
our heads.
Everyone present wore a white silk head band which said NO WAR in black =
letterings.
The spots in red indicated the blood of the innocent. There were many =
telling placards and banners=20
denouncing American terrorism world over. Speaker after speaker =
identified America to be the
ONLY terrorist in the world.=20
A delegation of six persons went to the USIS office (nearby) and =
presented a memorandum
while the meeting continued. =20
One of the speakers, film actor Raj Babbar, MP, in true film style, =
removed his brand new Nike=20
shoes and threw them in the audience saying "anything with a label of =
Made in USA should be burnt".
That created a near stampede situation as many from the front rows =
climbed
up on the stage and the security personnel had to cover the speakers on =
the stage. =20
Those shoes were immediately torched and the burning rubber smell =
polluted the air. =20
Now, if a couple of shoes can pollute the air, imagine what missiles and =
bombs can do to the fragile=20
atmosphere.
=20
A German lady who was hitherto listening to speeches, got up on the=20
stage and echoed the sentiments that American war machine should be =
stopped.=20
She said Germans were against American aggression over Iraq and added
that she too supported the No War demand.
The Peace Rally was organised by Forum Against War along with many other =
NGOs in Bombay,=20
but was dominated by Muslims, who showed willingness to go to Iraq to =
form a human chain=20
to protect Iraqi brethren.=20
=20
And today's (8th March) newspapers instead of terming it a successful =
Peace Rally,=20
called it Muslim Opposition to American Aggression, thereby defeating =
the very purpose of=20
Peace Rally. That is how manipulated or mediocre media reports.
Dr. Leo Rebello
Website : www.aidsalternativa.org=20
Tel. at Bombay (91-22) 28872741
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT color=3D#0000ff face=3DArial>Peace Meeting to oppose =
War was held=20
at historic Azad Maidan (freedom ground) </FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT color=3D#0000ff face=3DArial>in Bombay on Friday,=20
</FONT></STRONG><FONT color=3D#0000ff face=3DArial><STRONG>March 7, =
2003, where Dr.=20
Leo Rebello, among others, was </STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#0000ff face=3DArial><STRONG>invited to speak=20
</STRONG></FONT><FONT color=3D#0000ff face=3DArial><STRONG>by Forum =
Against=20
War. </STRONG></FONT><FONT color=3D#ff0000 =
face=3DArial><STRONG>About 25,000=20
people assembled. </STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial><FONT color=3D#800080><STRONG>The line of =
speakers was=20
formidable. It included: </STRONG></FONT>the Chief Minister of =
</FONT><FONT=20
face=3DArial>Maharashtra </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>(Sushil Kumar Shinde), the Deputy Chief Minister =
</FONT><FONT face=3DArial>(Chhagan Bhujbal), </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>the Sheriff of Bombay (Kiran Shantaram), =
</FONT><FONT=20
face=3DArial>Film Producer Mahesh Bhatt, </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>Film Actor Raj Babbar, MP; </FONT><FONT =
face=3DArial>Justice=20
(retd) H. Suresh, Maj. Gen. (retd) Eustace DSousa,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>Admiral (retd) Vishnu Bhagwat and several=20
others.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#800080>Prime Minister of India A.B.Vajpayee and the =
Deputy=20
Prime Minister of India L.K.Advani too </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#800080>were in Bombay on 7th March. But more than =
the Peace=20
rally, they were busy attending a </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#800080>Wedding of an Industrialist's =
son.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>White pigeons were released, a skit was =
presented.=20
</FONT><FONT face=3DArial>About 10 persons got on the stage =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>wearing different masks of American President =
George Bush.=20
They performed </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>devilish dance and then, </FONT><FONT=20
face=3DArial>a look-alike of </FONT><FONT face=3DArial>George Bush was =
identified=20
and was thrashed </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>with fists and shoes,</FONT><FONT face=3DArial> =
slashed=20
</FONT><FONT face=3DArial>with cardboad swords and thrown off the stage. =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>When George Bush's </FONT><FONT =
face=3DArial>dummy was=20
thrown down </FONT><FONT face=3DArial>the stage </FONT><FONT =
face=3DArial>he rose up=20
smiling and sat</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>in the audience listening to the=20
speakers! </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>Speeches were short because the sun was hot (3 =
to 6=20
PM).<BR>While most people were accommodated under a Shamiana (pandal),=20
<BR>speakers </FONT><FONT face=3DArial>had to sit in the scorching =
sun. The=20
saving grace was that bottled water was</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>available to the speakers and mercifully, I and =
a few=20
others were given </FONT><FONT face=3DArial>caps to cover</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>our heads.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>Everyone present wore a white silk head band =
which said NO=20
WAR in black letterings.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>The spots in red indicated the blood of the =
innocent.=20
There were </FONT><FONT face=3DArial>many telling placards and banners=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>denouncing American terrorism world over. =
Speaker=20
after speaker identified America to be the</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>ONLY terrorist in the world. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>A delegation of six persons went to the USIS =
office=20
(nearby) and presented a memorandum</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>while the meeting continued. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>One of the speakers, film actor Raj Babbar, MP, =
in true=20
film style, removed his brand new Nike </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>shoes and threw them </FONT><FONT =
face=3DArial>in the=20
audience saying "anything with a label of Made in USA should be=20
burnt".</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>That created a near stampede situation as=20
many </FONT> <FONT face=3DArial>from the front rows =
climbed</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>up on the stage and the security personnel had=20
to cover the speakers on </FONT><FONT face=3DArial>the stage. =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>Those shoes were immediately torched and the =
burning=20
rubber smell polluted </FONT><FONT face=3DArial>the air. =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>Now, if a couple of shoes can pollute the air, =
imagine=20
what </FONT><FONT face=3DArial>missiles and bombs can do </FONT><FONT=20
face=3DArial>to the fragile </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>atmosphere.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>A German lady who was hitherto listening =
</FONT><FONT=20
face=3DArial>to speeches, got up on the </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>stage and echoed the sentiments=20
that </FONT><FONT face=3DArial>American war machine should be =
stopped.=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>She said Germans were against </FONT><FONT=20
face=3DArial>American aggression over Iraq and added</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>that she too supported the No </FONT><FONT =
face=3DArial>War=20
demand.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>The Peace Rally was organised by Forum Against =
War along=20
with many other </FONT><FONT face=3DArial>NGOs in Bombay, </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>but was dominated by Muslims, who showed =
willingness to=20
</FONT><FONT face=3DArial>go to Iraq to form a human chain =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>to protect Iraqi brethren. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>And today's (8th March) newspapers </FONT><FONT=20
face=3DArial>instead of terming it a successful Peace Rally, <BR>called =
it Muslim=20
Opposition to American </FONT><FONT face=3DArial>Aggression, thereby =
defeating the=20
very purpose of </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>Peace Rally. That is how </FONT><FONT=20
face=3DArial>manipulated or mediocre media reports.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>Dr. Leo Rebello</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV>Website : <A href=3D"http://www.aidsalternativa.org =
">www.aidsalternativa.org=20
</A></DIV>
<DIV>Tel. at Bombay (91-22)=20
28872741</DIV></DIV></FONT></DIV></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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