Dangerous experiments

By Brinda Karat

THE PRIME Minister, Mr. A. B. Vajpayee's justification of the demolition of the Babri Masjid as an act reflective of national sentiment and an ``unfinished task'' could not have come at a worse time for the citizens of Gujarat, laboratory of the Sangh Parivar. Mr. Vajpayee has provided the vandals who are building temples on the ruins of demolished churches an alibi to continue their destructive work.

Along with coercive methods for reconversion to Hinduism of which there are several instances, the BJP Government in Gujarat in a perverse interpretation of the law is using provisions for protection of Adivasi land under Schedule V of the Constitution as an instrument to demolish churches built in tribal areas. Thus Christian Adivasis who have built churches on their land are being told that this is against Schedule V, because according to this interpretation the church represents ``outsiders'' who have no right to tribal land. Logically, the Government should also then deny permission to build temples on Adivasi land. But this is far from the case. In Chhindia village itself, where the demolition of a church led to a hunger strike by Bishop Sargunam, a statue of Hanuman was installed where the cross had been. In another case in Halmudi village a temple is being constructed whereas the police did not allow a church to be built. When these double standards were questioned the answer was that the Christians had no objection to building the temple! Presumably the ``Hindus'' had objected, so a church could not be constructed. ``Consent'' becomes the motif to manipulate the application of Schedule V. In other words, in the name of land protection, the right to worship is under attack, unless of course the gods to be worshipped have no objection certificates from the Sangh Parivar.

It is ironic that Schedule V should be used by the BJP Government in Gujarat for this purpose. The same ruling party at the Centre is currently in the process of attacking tribal rights to land by amending Schedule V specifically for the benefit of big Indian and foreign mining companies. They are to be given the right for leasing tribal land in the name of development.

What is happening in Gujarat is a withdrawal of the processes of justice by the Government, the administration and the law enforcement agencies to minority communities. There have been about 300 reported cases of assaults on the Christian community in the last two years apart from the attacks on Muslims. In a large number of cases, first information reports have been filed only because of the directions of the courts on appeals made by the victims and their representatives through public interest litigation. There are over 15 such cases involving 160 incidents of assaults before the courts at present. A perusal of the case papers shows that in its affidavits the Government has admitted the culpability of the VHP and the Bajrang Dal, yet their actions go on unchecked.

There are other dimensions to the experiments of the Sangh Parivar which have been documented by activists and research organisations in Gujarat. Recently, a memorandum was presented to the Governor of Gujarat with some of the details by several women's organisations. This was in the context of a women's unity march in Ahmedabad sponsored by the All India Democratic Women's Association which had attracted thousands of women of all communities in a unique display of solidarity against the communally divisive policies of the Sangh Parivar. In a week-long campaign preceding the march, women across the State had in numerous meetings related their experiences.

One such dimension is the huge amount of hate literature which is in constant circulation. One of the pamphlets brought out in the form of an Amar Chitra Katha-type comic page depicts the sorry state of a Hindu woman ``abducted'' by a Muslim. This pamphlet was first published during the VHP-inspired violence against the Muslim community in an area of Surat after the marriage of two young Hindu women with Muslim men early last year. It will be recalled that the men were accused of abduction in spite of the statements given by the women that they had married out of their own choice. Since then, the so-called honour of Hindu women has been a key theme in hate propaganda. In the latest version brought out to observe the 75th birthday of the VHP leader, Mr. Ashok Singhal, vituperative and abusive charges are made against Muslims. The most outrageous charge is that every year five lakh Hindu women are abducted and forcibly married by Muslim men.

There is not a shred of evidence for such a charge. It is not reflected in the figures put out about crimes against women either by the State or Central Governments. Yet these organisations can get away with such blatant lies with no criminal cases registered against them. On the contrary, when the women's delegation gave a copy of the pamphlet to the Governor, Mr. S. S. Bhandari, he wondered aloud whether it was actually printed by the VHP. Perhaps his doubts on this score had something to do with the fact that he retains his membership of the RSS.

To bring communal overtones to gender violence is to protect the real perpetrators of violence. The VHP and the Bajrang Dal concoct figures of crimes against women to cause hatred against minority communities even while ignoring the real increase in crimes against women registered by the Government. About 1.3 lakh crimes were registered in a single year against women ranging from dowry deaths to child rape. But these organisations have not a word to say about this since it does not fit in with their plans of demonising minority communities. False accusations of abductions made by the VHP also impact on the security of minority women as it incites ``revenge'' crimes against them.

Another ``experiment'' backed by the Gujarat Government is to impose cultural practices associated with upper caste Hindus on other communities towards the creation of a homogenous Hindu culture. For example, the Government of Gujarat has made budgetary provisions for distributing free mangalsutras to Dalit women. Dalits traditionally have never used the mangalsutra as a marriage symbol. Dalit women have their own priorities and demands for livelihood issues. Yet the Government ignores those issues and spends money to popularise an upper caste symbol. The scheme is questionable on other grounds also. Can any Government use public money to promote symbols of one particular caste or religion. What about Dalit Christians? If mangalsutras are to be distributed then logically symbols of marriage of other communities should also be distributed. Then again what about women who choose to remain single? Why should they be deprived of the financial subsidy? Is this not another way of reinforcing the patriarchal notion that for women, marriage is the only ``choice''?

Another example is among Adivasi communities. Adivasi festivals are downgraded and their observance discouraged. While in Adivasi areas school and work holidays are declared for all Hindu festivals, on the days of Adivasi festivals there are no holidays and so it become difficult for the community to observe their own festivals. There is an official attempt to replace the word Adivasi with ``vanvasi''. In some areas when Adivasis want to get Scheduled Tribe certificates they are asked to fill in the word ``vanvasi'' on the forms. This is not a semantic difference but a clear attempt to promote the Aryan-centric view of history in which Aryans are considered the original inhabitants and another way to bulldoze Adivasi identities and cultures.

Clearly what is under attack in Gujarat just as it was in Ayodhya is the very basis of the Constitution. The people of Gujarat in recent local elections have expressed their discontent and anger against the BJP-led Government in no uncertain terms. To take this protest beyond elections, to guarantees for the protection of the fundamental rights of all citizens of Gujarat, in particular the rights of minority communities, is surely the most urgent ``unfinished task'' not just for Gujarat but the nation.

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