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Saturday, August 18, 2012

Re: [mukto-mona] Fwd: ] Re: [Assam] Muslim massacre linked to geopolitics bigotry- (3 Articles)



When you blame secularism for this violence, you are in fact implying that this violence is religiously motivated. If religion is the cause for this violence, I would say there is no justification to follow them. Communality is a byproduct of religion, it will always be there  with religion. You cannot have both ways.

Jiten Roy

--- On Sat, 8/18/12, qar <qrahman@netscape.net> wrote:

From: qar <qrahman@netscape.net>
Subject: [mukto-mona] Fwd: ] Re: [Assam] Muslim massacre linked to geopolitics bigotry- (3 Articles)
To: mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com
Date: Saturday, August 18, 2012, 8:18 PM

 

Dear members,

State of secular India!!

Proves my point one more time. If we have populist leaders and lose administration, this can happen.

Shalom!




 
 
Assam violence reverberates across India

Ethnic riots in country's northeast follow the same pattern as violence against Muslim Rohingya in neighbouring Myanmar.
 
Rehana Bibi, 63, threw herself at the feet of India's ruling Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, weeping profusely for her son who was killed in the ethnic riots between Muslims and Bodo tribespeople that have rocked India's northeastern state of Assam since late July.

"We prefer to stay in these government-aided camps though we don't get enough to eat or space to sleep. But that is better than constantly living with the threat of death," Rehana told Gandhi at the makeshift Borkanda camp in western Assam, at a point that connects India's mainland to its seven remote northeastern states.

Soon, Rehana was joined by scores of Muslim women, from teenagers to the elderly, who pleaded with Gandhi not to be forced to go back to their native villages.

"Violence is still continuing in our area. We are getting to know of deaths and attacks. The government should please allow us to stay here until we feel it is safe to go back home," said Sultana, another Muslim woman. Within hours of Gandhi's visit to the displaced camps in western Assam, four Muslims were shot dead by armed Bodos, believed to be members of the outlawed National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB).
Nearly 80 people, mostly Muslims of Bengali origin but some Bodos as well, have been killed in the rioting that escalated into a free-for-all in four districts of western Assam, forcing the state government to call out the army and issue shoot-at-sight orders to control the mayhem.
 
 
Thousands displaced

 
Many are still missing and nearly 400,000 people are in makeshift camps after being displaced by the July riots - some for the third or even a fourth time in the last 15 years.

Bodo separatist rebels have regularly attacked these Bengali Muslims, along with other non-Bodo minorities, since 1992 in a determined bid to create a Bodo majority in their perceived ethnic homeland. Hundreds have been killed. The worst violence was reported in 1996-97, when about a quarter of a million people were displaced.

Before that, other tribes and the ethnic Assamese have targeted Muslims of Bengali origin, asking they be deported from Assam on the grounds that they were illegal migrants.

More than 2,500 Muslims were killed in ethnic riots that erupted during a six-year long campaign by Assamese groups (1979-1985). The worst carnage took place at Nellie in February 1983, when 1,600 Muslims were killed in two days of bloodbaths unleashed by Lalung tribesmen.

The Muslim women at Borkanda complained to Gandhi that a lawmaker of the local tribal council had himself led mobs of Bodo people to attack the Muslim villages in the Moamari area of western Assam, where they hail from. In anger, Gandhi turned to her local party leaders and administrator, trying to find out whether the police have booked the lawmaker. She only got nods, but no clear answer.

Gandhi, who now heads the country's ruling Congress Party, is the widow of assassinated former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. The Congress Party also runs the state government of Assam. Their allies, the Bodoland People's Front (BPF), control the Bodoland Tribal Autonomous Council in western Assam, since the council was set up eight years ago to fulfill the Bodo tribespeople's aspirations for autonomy and self-rule.

The lawmaker suspected of leading the marauding mobs belongs to the BPF party, whose politicians, like many other Bodos, blame the Muslims for their increasing numbers, for encroachment on tribal lands and forests, and for challenging their political domination in what was essentially a tribal-dominated area.
 
Parallels with Myanmar

It is a situation quite similar to Myanmar's Rakhine province, where Rohingya Muslims, locally called "Bengalis" in that country, have suffered heavily in recent riots with Buddhist Rakhines. Most of those killed have been Rohingyas, although some Rakhines are also among the dead. Tens of thousands of people from both communities have been displaced.

"And like in Myanmar, so in Assam, nativist passion runs high against these Muslims. They are demonised and held responsible for all the woes faced by the indigenous peoples," says Samir Das, an author who has written on Assam. "They are seen as encroachers on indigenous lands and resources."

There's a small difference, though. Rohingya say they are indigenous to Myanmar's Rakhine province (previously Arakans), but many Burmese, including President Thein Sein, believe they are settlers from what is now the Chittagong region of Bangladesh, and say they should be taken out.

In Assam, the Muslims of Bengali origin admit they originally hail from what was eastern Bengal and is now Bangladesh. They say their ancestors were brought by the British colonials from what was East Bengal (now Bangladesh) to tame the river islands and marshes of Assam and grow more food. Local Assamese and tribal groups, however, allege that illegal migration from Bangladesh continues unabated.

"People from what is now Bangladesh migrate to all over the world and they have been moving into Assam or other parts of northeast India since the days of the British. But what the locals are worried about are the growing numbers of the descendants of these Bengali Muslim settlers and their rising influence in the state's agrarian economy and politics," says Assam political analyst Nani Gopal Mahanta.

Muslims comprise more than 35 per cent of Assam's population of around 30 million, giving the state the second-highest concentration of Muslims in India, after Kashmir. Assam United Democratic Front (AUDF), a Muslim-dominated party lead by charismatic cleric Badruddin Ajmal, emerged as the state's main opposition party with 16 seats in Assam's 126-member legislative assembly after state polls last year.

The Congress Party won the polls in a landslide, but other Assamese and Hindu parties like the BJP could not reach double figures.
"The violence against the Muslims in Assam has provoked reactions elsewhere in India, especially in states and cities with big Muslim populations."
That led some Muslim hardliners, including one AUDF leader, to demand a special administrative area in western Assam's six Muslim-dominated districts. But that upset the Bodos because some of these districts overlap with their autonomous council.
The violence is now threatening to spill over to other northeastern states. Taking a cue from the Bodos, groups representing the Naga tribespeople in Assam's neighbouring state of Nagaland were threatening to target the "Miyas"(Muslims), a term used in the region to denote Muslims of Bengali origin.

The Naga Council, which wants to protect the tribes' demographic majority, has said it will start identifying "Bangladeshi
infiltrators" and will push them out of Nagaland. The state government has warned action against the Naga Council for
"taking law into their own hands". But tensions are rising in Nagaland, as the Muslims fear a Naga backlash.
 
 
Backlash

The violence against the Muslims in Assam has provoked reactions elsewhere in India, especially in states and cities with big Muslim populations.

Police had to open fire this weekend in Mumbai when Muslims gathered to protest against attacks on their co-religionists in Assam turned violent and resorted to large-scale arson. Two were killed in the firing and more than 50 injured, including many policemen.

Natives of northeastern states, easily identifiable elsewhere in India because of their East Asian looks, have been attacked or threatened by Muslims. Some were dragged down from a train near the southern city of Hyderabad. This has led to many Assamese and other northeastern tribals starting to return home for fear of being attacked.

A police report says at least 3,000 people from Assam, settled in and around cities like Hyderabad, have returned to the state in the last one week.
"Many of them have just come back to Assam in panic. They may go back to work in mainland India once the whole situation cools down," says Assam police official Khagen Sarmah.

That may be possible, but for the "whole situation to cool down", violence against Muslims in Assam, which is provoking Muslims elsewhere in India to target people from India's northeastern states, must stop.
From: "phoolel@yahoo.com" <phoolel@yahoo.com>
To: History Islam <History_Islam@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 5, 2012 1:42 AM
Subject: [ History Islam & Beyond . . .] Assam Muslim massacre linked to geopolitics, bigotry- (3 Articles)
 
 
Bismillah
 
 
Assam Muslim massacre linked to geopolitics, bigotry
A house burns at Kachugaon village in Kokrajhar district, about 230 kms from Guwahati, the capital city of Assam, an Indian state, during violent that resulted in loss of over 100 lives.
M. Shahidul Islam
The gory tale of slaughtering innocent Muslims in Assam is something India should be ashamed of as the world's largest democracy. The death toll is surpassing hundred, according to the latest count, while more bodies are missing or being discovered.
The constant attack on Bangladesh as a source of illegal migration is not supported by facts either. According to the 2011 census, the population of Assam stands at 3,11,69,272, of which 1,59,54,927 are males and 1,52,14,345 females. The wolf crying about illegal migration is not supported by data that shows the decadal growth of the State's population at 16.93 percent during 2001-2011, against 17.64 percent national average.
Full Story
A house burns at Kachugaon village in Kokrajhar district, about 230 kms from Guwahati, the capital city of Assam, an Indian state, during violent that resulted in loss of over 100 lives.
M. Shahidul Islam
 
 
 
 
The gory tale of slaughtering innocent Muslims in Assam is something India should be ashamed of as the world's largest democracy. The death toll is surpassing hundred, according to the latest count, while more bodies are missing or being discovered.
The constant attack on Bangladesh as a source of illegal migration is not supported by facts either. According to the 2011 census, the population of Assam stands at 3,11,69,272, of which 1,59,54,927 are males and 1,52,14,345 females. The wolf crying about illegal migration is not supported by data that shows the decadal growth of the State's population at 16.93 percent during 2001-2011, against 17.64 percent national average.
 
Two major phenomena explain the rioting more convincingly: Geopolitics and communalism. Geopolitically, western Assam, where the rioting is occurring, is crucial to the entire Northeast through which passes the only supply route to the whole region. Wedged between Bangladesh to the south and west, and China to the north, the region has no access to the sea closer than Calcutta, on the other side of the Shiliguri corridor, the utility of which is economically unprofitable for India as it entails 2000 km journey from Mizoram to the Calcutta seaport.
 
During the 1962 Indo-China war, a Chinese military advance of 80 miles or so managed to cut off Bhutan, part of West Bengal and all of North-East India. The area is constantly patrolled by the Indian Army, the Assam Rifles, the Border Security Force (BSF) and the West Bengal Police.
Bangladesh and India having no free trade agreement, all land transportation between mainland India and its north-eastern states must use this circuitous corridor. Despite there being a major broad gauge railway line in addition to the old metre gauge line which connects the region with rest of India, national Highway 31 is the main conduit between Siliguri and Guwahati, Assam's capital.
 
From a communal standpoint, the instances of rioting increased in frequency since 1996 following the birth of the Bodo Liberation Tigers Force (BLTF) which demanded a separate state for the Bodos, within the territories of Assam. In the four major riots between 1993 and 1998, an estimated 400 people have been killed, including Bodos, Muslim settlers and Adivasis.
 
Communalism is a quintessential Indian epidemic that must not be condoned any more. The current rioting is the sixth major tragedy in the Bodo belt of western Assam since 1993, and the fourth involving the Bodos and the Muslim settlers from East Bengal (now Bangladesh); the other two being between Bodos and Adivasi (tribal) Santhals of the Burmese descant. Public policies being equally responsible for fomenting these riots, the geopolitical machinations are too evident to bypass attention.
 
For instance, the first clashes between the Bodos and the Muslim settlers took place in October 1993, leaving some 50 dead, mostly Muslims. It happened within months of signing the Bodoland Autonomous Council (BAC) Accord on February 20, 1993, between the Government and the rebellious Bodo leaders.
 
The Accord stipulated that all villages with 50 per cent Bodo population would come under the jurisdiction of a newly created Bodo Council. This 'conflict-provoking' clause was enough to lead a section of the people to target Muslim settlers and the Adivasis in areas where Bodos were minority. Through violence, Bodo minority villagers strove to eject Muslim villagers to attain majority status in each village, leading to riots.
 
The BAC was replaced by the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) that came into being after the signing of a Memorandum of Settlement on February 10, 2003. It was, in effect, a peace accord by which the BLTF laid down their weapons on December 6, 2003 under the leadership of Hagrama Mohilary, and, in return, Hagrama was sworn in as the Chief Executive Member (CEM) of BTC on December 7, 2003.
 
Comprising 35% of Assam's territory (27,700 km), the area under the BTC jurisdiction came to be known as Bodo Territorial Autonomous District (BTAD), which spreads across four contiguous districts — Kokrajhar, Baska, Udalguri and Chirang. The areas housed only 29 per cent of the Bodo population at the time of the Accord's signing.
 
There was another caveat: Although tribal lands are safeguarded by Chapter X of the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation Act of 1886 - which clearly mentions that the land ownership will be only at the hands of the tribal - this exclusivity over land of the tribal was scrapped in para 3 of the Sixth Schedule of the 2003 Memorandum of Settlement to facilitate land owning in the state by other settlers from different parts of India. It is in these localities where rioting has spread lately and Muslims are being slaughtered indiscriminately. There is even fear of an indigenous Muslim insurgency gaining foothold.
 
That is expected too. The 1983 Nellie Massacre claimed over 3,000 lives, mostly Muslims, after the All Assam Students Union (AASU) went on a rampage targeting minorities following Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's declaration to hold elections in the state despite AASU's opposition. The AASU's foremost demand at that time was that electoral rolls be cleansed of illegal immigrants.
 
In 2008, further clashes between Muslims and Bodos resulted in 55 deaths, most of them Muslims, alleged to have migrated illegally from Bangladesh. Each time, illegal immigration was used as a ruse to conduct ethnic cleansing.
 
This time too, BJP has alleged that illegal Bangladeshi Muslim immigrants were behind the ongoing violence in the Bodo Territorial Area District (BTAD). During a press conference in Guwahati last Thursday, BJP national general secretary and Assam in-charge, Vijay Goel, said, "The illegal Bangladeshi Muslim immigrants are behind these riots. The indigenous minority people are not involved."
 
If riots in Assam are attributed to illegal migrants from Bangladesh, what can explain why Hindu-Muslim riots are recurring phenomena all over India. Bangladesh or Pakistan can not be blamed for India having 2000-odd castes, eight major religions and 15-odd languages spoken in various dialects in the 22 states and nine union territories; besides a substantial number of other tribes and sects. And, what explains why in 2002 more than 1,000 people, most of them Muslims, were killed by Hindu mobs in Gujarat after a train fire killed 60 Hindus returning from a pilgrimage?
 
The Gujarat riots left tens of thousands of people homeless after the rioters set fire to Muslim homes and businesses. The state government, run by the Hindu nationalist BJP, was accused of facilitating the attacks by looking other way round as the rampages went on. No convincing explanation can be offered either for the 1992 Bombay riot or the 2002 Godhra riot. Hence, blaming Bengali immigrants for the Assam riot is the worst form of communal bigotry.
 
It's time that the immigrant population of Assam be treated as equal as they've moved there since the Ahoms from Burma conquered the region in 1228 and ruled for six hundred years. Moreover, Bangladesh's ties to Assam are more historic than that of mainland India.
 
The first significant Bengali speaking migration to Assam followed the British conquest of Assam in 1826; due to the British recruitment of Bengali officials for Assam's administration. In 1831, the Government of Bengal designated Bengali as Assam's official language and, the services of Bengalis became indispensable in the government due to local teachers not being available to impart lessons in Bengali, which was Assam's medium of instruction. It was not until 1873 that the Assamese succeeded in persuading the British to recognize Assamese as a separate language. And, by the early 1900s, East Bengali (Muslim) migrant settlers already constituted twenty percent of the border district populations in Assam. Are they still settlers?
 
Finally, following India's partition in 1947, the Indian and Pakistani governments established a two-year 'grace period' during which Hindus in Pakistan could settle in India and Indian Muslims could emigrate to Pakistan. Pakistanis who migrated to India during the grace period automatically became Indian citizens. That explains why Assam today has a substantial number of Hindu Bengalis too.
 
Ignoring those facts, communalism has gone unchecked all over India, and, Assam bore the main brunt of this chauvinism. In the 25 years since the Nellie massacre, the anger against illegal migrants from Bangladesh played out over and over again, often fanned by communal politicians.
 
The current rioting sprang from an incident of May 29 in Kokrajhar, whereupon the All-Bodoland Minority Students Union (ABMSU) had called for a shutdown following a declaration by the BTC that a part of forest land used as an idgah maidan was an illegal encroachment. The tension between the BTC and the ABMSU took an ugly turn on July 6 once a Muslim man was shot dead in the Muslim neighbourhood of Kokrajhar. Since when Muslims lost their right to pray in India or in any other country?
As expected, clashes between the two communities continued on and off since, spinning out of control on July 19 when a leader of the Assam Minority Student Union and another one from the ABMSU were shot by unidentified gunmen. Next morning, few miles from Kokrajhar, four former cadres of the disbanded Bodoland Liberation Tigers were hacked to death, sparking all out counter attacks and rioting.
 
Look at the spins the politicians are putting to this tragedy. A letter written after the July 6 incident by a local Congress leader, Y.L. Karna, to the Assam Pradesh Congress president - with a copy to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi - reveals Karna mentioned the July 6 incident and cautioned that communal passions were running high in the area. Yet, no one bothered to deploy troops in the vulnerable areas. Instead, Bodo Council chief Hagrama Mahilary has claimed that armed Bangladeshis from across the border had come in and incited the violence. His deputy at the Council, Kampa Borgoyari, went a step further to say, "it is not a case of Bodos killing Muslims, it is a case of Muslims killing the Bodos."
Worst still, members of the security forces joined the orgy of Muslim massacre, according to reliable sources. Maulana Badruddin Ajmal, a Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) and President of the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) said, 'Armed men in olive green jungle fatigues went about killing Muslim settlers.'
 
A human rights group is reportedly referring these allegations to the International War Crime Tribunal.
  
March 15, 1983: A State Ravaged
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the ongoing ethnic violence in Assam: A Statement

July 29, 2012
 
District Map of Kokrajhar
The following is the text of a Statement issued in Delhi on 27 July 2012, endorsed by a number of concerned organizations and individuals
 
We the people from various parts of northeast residing in Delhi, along with concerned individuals, university members, various students', teachers', trade union, women's, civil and human rights organisations from Delhi, strongly condemn the ongoing ethnic conflict with serious communal undertone that has erupted in four districts (Kokrajhar, Dhubri, Chirang and Bongaigaon) of Lower Assam. This has been the most widespread and alarming conflict in the recent history of Assam.
In the last one week we have witnessed the tragedy of nearly 200,000 people belonging to the Bodo and the Muslim communities, being forced to flee from their homes and villages. Currently they stand internally displaced, and are scarred and traumatized. Official figures state that around 41 people have lost their lives so far, while unofficial estimates from the grounds are much higher. More than 400 villages have been torched down until now.This is not the first time that such conflict has occurred in this area. Various ethnic groups inhabiting the area, like the Koch-Rajbongshis, Santhalis, Oraons, Mundas, Bodos, religious minority community (Muslims), mainstream Assamese and others have from time to time been engulfed in cross-ethnic tensions and conflicts. We are also aware that abductions, extortions and sporadic killings (for both personal business rivalries and political gains) have been infesting these areas for a long time.
 Area of Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC)
 
 
We understand that the eruption of this conflict is not 'spontaneous'. Tensions between different communities have been prevailing, primarily over the questions of access to available resources. We understand that the Assam Government, the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) administration and the Central Government were very much in knowledge of the simmering tensions in this area. We believe that the lack of any action in abating pre-existing tensions has actively contributed in escalating the scale of violence. The massive spree of arson, violence and killings would not be possible without the knowing compliance of the state.
This ongoing conflict has already inflicted irreparable damages. While lives and livelihoods have been lost, it has created an atmosphere of suspicion, mistrust, fear and hostility among the people inhabiting the four districts, especially among the Bodos and the Muslims in this context. The ominous possibility is that the psychosocial impact of this event will subsequently define the inter-ethnic relations among the population inhabiting these areas and beyond as well. The society should have the will to understand that the dent done could be so profound that it will cease to matter that this entire episode of mayhem is embedded in the machinations of various groups and state apparatuses that hold strong vested interests in instigating this kind of conflict.
Both the Bodo and the Muslim population of this area have historically been at the margins of the 'Assamese society'. However the society at large and a section of the Assamese media as well as national media have been tendentiously pointing finger at 'illegal' immigration from Bangladesh as the root cause of this violence. We understand that these kinds of conflicts do not arise out of simple causalities. It is important for all of us that we steer clear from raising alarm bells of xenophobia.
We condemn the use of this moment of violence and mayhem by various groups with vested interests to drive home the longstanding demand of deporting Bangladeshi immigrants. We strongly condemn all acts of violence and destruction of human lives as a means for furthering any political interests.
We demand that:
1) The violence, arson and killings must immediately stop.
2) The Assam government, BTC administration and the Central Government take full responsibility for the loss of lives and livelihood and rehabilitate all those who have been displaced.
We appeal that:
1) All sections of Assamese society play a proactive role in stopping the mayhem in these districts of Lower Assam.
2) Leading organizations of various communities in these four districts call out for a collective resolution to restore peace and normalcy.
3) The media, both regional and national, should be responsible in their reportage so that communitarian animosities do not aggravate further.
Endorsed by:
Organisations
1.Manipur Students' Association Delhi
2. Kuki Students' Organisation Delhi
3. Hmar Students' Association, Joint Headquarters, Delhi
4. Naga People's Movement for Human Rights Delhi
5. Campaign for Peace and Democracy (Manipur)
6. Manipur Womens' Gun Survivors Network
7. Save Democracy Repeal AFSPA Campaign
8. New Socialist Initiative Delhi Chapter
9. Indian Social Action Forum (INSAF)
10. Jamia Teachers' Solidarity Association
11. National Alliance of People's Movement (NAPM)
12. Stree Adhikar Sangathan
13. All India Students' Association (AISA)
14. Disha Students' Organization
15. People's Union for Democratic Rights
Individuals
1. Anuradha Chenoy, Professor, JNU
2. Kamal Mitra Chenoy, Professor, JNU
3. Nivedita Menon, Professor, JNU
4. Medha Patkar, NAPM
5. Prof. Virgninus Xaxa, Deputy Director, TISS, Guwahati
6. Bhagat Oinam, Associate Professor, JNU
7. Aditya Nigam, Senior Fellow, Centre for Studies of Developing Societies
8. A.C Apam, Associate Professor, JamiaMiliaIslamiaUniversity
9. Mukul Mangalik, Associate Professor, RamjasCollege, DelhiUniversity
10. Bimol Akoijam, Associate Professor, JNU
11. Manisha Sethi, Jamia Teachers' Solidarity Association
12. Sumitra Thoidingjam, Asst. Professor, JamiaMiliaIslamiaUniversity
13. Amit Kumar Baishya, Asst, Professor, Ball State University, USA
14. Jairus Banaji, Prominent Social Scientist
15. Amrapali Basumatary, Asst. Professor, K.MCollege, DelhiUniversity
16. Yengkhom Jilangamba, Asst. Professor, K.MCollege, DelhiUniversity
17. Kamei Aphun, Asst. Professor, Dept. of Sociology, DelhiUniversity
18. Sanghamitra Mishra, Asst. Professor, Dept. of History, DelhiUniversity
19. Roselin Sekho Chiru, Asst. Professor, MataSundariCollege, DelhiUniversity
20. Prachee Dewri, Asst. Professor, HansrajCollege, DelhiUniversity
21. Ahmed Sohaib, Jamia Teachers' Solidarity Association
22. Nandini Chandra, Associate Professor, DelhiUniversity
23. Supeep Chakravarti, Author and Senior Journalist
24. Prafulla Samantara, Prominent Activist, Odisha
25. Arundhati Dhuru, NAPM, Uttar Pradesh
26. Major Gen. (Retd) S.G Vombatkere
27. Vimal Bhai, Matu Jansangathan, Uttarakhand
28. Gabriele Dietrich, NAPM, Tamil Nadu
29. Suhas Kolhekar, NAPM, Maharastra
30. Sister Celia, NAPM, Karnataka
31. Faisal Khan, Khudai Khidmatgaar
32. Bonojit Hussain, New Socialist Initiative
33. Soibam Haripriya, Phd Scholar, Dept. of Sociology, DelhiUniversity
34. Subhadeepta Ray, Phd Scholar, Dept. of Sociology, DelhiUniversity
35. Vasundhara Jairath, Phd Scholar, Dept. of Sociology, DelhiUniversity
36. Seram Rojesh, Phd Scholar, Dept. of Sociology, DelhiUniversity
37. Isita Dey, Phd Scholar, Dept. of Sociology, DelhiUniversity
38. Jyotirmoy Talukdar, MA Student, Dept. of English, DelhiUniversity
39. Biswajit Bora, Dept. of English, University of Delhi
40. Melbic Maibam, Dept. of English, University of Delhi
41. Maisnam Arnapal, Dept. of English, University of Delhi
42. Abhishek Bhaskar, Dept. of English, University of Delhi
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 
Assam riots 2012: Congress can't escape blame or claim moral high ground in dealing with communal violence over BJP anymore


The clashes between Bodos and Muslims in Assam, have so far claimed the lives of 45* persons and have rendered thousands homeless apart from large scale destruction of property. Its not a day or two but almost an entire week has passed and scattered violence is still being reported. This is a huge failure on part of the administration. Congress leaders may shout that the situation can't be compared with the Gujarat 2002. But the Chief Minister of Assam, Tarun Gogoi, his government, and his police, totally failed to control the situation in his state.One of the worst riots since 2002 Even as violence spread from Kokrajhar to neighbouring districts, the lack of will on part of the state government in checking violence, was evident. It is a fact that since 2002, Gujarat has not seen a major riot and even if there was a riot, it would have led to an uproar in media. But during the initial days of Assam riots, national TV channels ignored it [Just like in the past when ULFA was involved, and news gained prominence when HuJI was named]. The fact is that after Gujarat 2002, Assam 2012 are one of the worst ethnic-religious communal riots in India, save for the period when anti-Christian violence occurred in Karnataka and Kerala.Congress has no moral high ground left over BJP Still, Congress leaders have the cheek to appear morally superior to BJP. They have no right to do so. Tarun Gogoi didn't seem in control. And, now he passes the buck on Centre, as to why Army was not sent initially? So why did he not ask for it earlier? Or the rules are different for riots in a Congress-ruled state? Congress-led UPA is at the helm at the centre and it can't escape the blame either. After all, Prime Minister of India, is a member of parliament [in Rajya Sabha] representing Assam. In the North East, there has been a history of such violence as the region is home to several tribes. One instantly remembers the horrific Naga-Kuki clashes in Manipur. The difference is that when one of the side involved in violence is Muslim, the debate totally shifts to 'infiltration' and 'illegal immigration'.Humanitarian crisis: Don't see it from communal prism On social networking websites, often the extent of violence aside, debate shifts as to which community suffered more and hence becomes a Hindu Vs Muslim issue rather than the killing of Indian citizens including women and children. The worst example is how people searching for number of dead belonging to their own communities. Anyone who has a blog or site, would tell how statistics shows visitors searching for figure of dead Hindus and Muslims. Isn't it a shame! No denying infiltration but the fact that media persons termed entire Muslim populace as 'migrant settlers' is also highly objectionable. There are reports that the militant NDFB [National Democratic Front for Bodoland] was responsible for the ethnic riots.Role of NDFB, Bodo groups: But what about govt accountability?
Villages were burnt, nearly 1.7 lakh people displaced
CNN-IBN website carries this report. The NDFB is well-known for its involvement in subversive activities and it also has Bangladeshi connection.
But just that it is not a Muslim group, it can't be absolved. Rather than sweeping statements about religious factors, there is need to look at the crisis from a humanitarian angle.
Similarly, blaming a group is easy. These are political tactics to shift the onus, and save self from accountability. But it can't Congress' record in dealing with communal riots is well-known. Just that focus is always less on North East, didn't work this time. A death in Gurgaon or two killed in Meerut always make more news because of proximity to New Delhi. But no longer. Media had to finally realise the gravity of the situation. Time for Congress to take a decision on Tarun Gogoi. If he couldn't control the situation, he should be made to pay for it. [*This is the official figure. Though victims claim that the real figure of those who died and people affected is much higher.]
Links:
Blame NDFB for violence: It was plan for ethnic cleansing. CNN-IBN report
Past post on this blog on the issue of Bangladeshi immigration:1. Branding the Bangladeshi Migrant....2. Infiltration: Nepali migrants Vs Bangladeshi Earlier post on this blog on ignoring North East in national media 1. 21 Indians killed but no eyebrows raised over... 2. 9 Hindi speakers killed, 16 cops shot but... 3. Nine terror attacks in ten days but none leads to outrage as NDFB, Naxals, ULFA involved
Thanks
(Shukran = Thank you)      
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


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Re: [mukto-mona] Condemning Mumbai Violence



You are right - God still exists in me, even though I do not follow any religion.

>>>>>>>>>>> You just ( probably without knowing) contradicted yourself. According to Hindu concept of God, people say God exists in them. However vast majority of religions feel, God has all powers over us but God is not "Inside" us.

Albeit you are an atheist, your ideology is formed by your life experience (Like most people) and not always accurate.

I am just using this as an example to make a point, please don't take it as any attack on you. Most people do form their opinion based on what they learn from people around them. When I read books by well known atheist Aroz Ali Mattubbor, I felt that as well.

Take care.

Shalom!!

-----Original Message-----
From: Jiten Roy <jnrsr53@yahoo.com>
To: mukto-mona <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wed, Aug 15, 2012 6:57 pm
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Condemning Mumbai Violence

 

1. Yes, everything is a jungle, and there is no absoluteness or divinity in any of them. We have to pick and choose.
 
2. Religion is somehow or other involved in most recent conflicts. What I referred to by this statement is – where there is division, there is conflict and rivalry, and religion caused major divisions of humankind. Of course, there are other factors for divisions, such as race, color, etc., which are natural, and nothing we could do to prevent them. I am talking about divisions that are man-made.
 
3. You are living without religion just fine. We are not talking about most people also. Major changes have been made by only a handful of people. Rabindra Nath did not care about what others are thinking before expressing his own. He only hoped - others will like his views. I am no Rabindra Nath, if you are thinking about it; but, I happened to agree with that notion. You, on the other hand, try to be politically correct. As a result, you worry what other are thinking or saying before you express your views on anything.
 
You are right - God still exists in me, even though I do not follow any religion.
 
4. Yes, I agree - corruption is not a monopoly of religious people only. That's not the point. I gave that example only to debunk the notion that religion brings morality in people. That's all.
 
Jiten Roy
 
--- On Wed, 8/15/12, subimal chakrabarty <subimal@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: subimal chakrabarty <subimal@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Condemning Mumbai Violence
To: "mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com" <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
Date: Wednesday, August 15, 2012, 10:25 AM

 
1. Is the entire body of economic knowledge (or any other ideology) not a jungle? Are we all picking the same fruits?
2. A careful study of the statistics shows that "most of the evils that are happening around the world are somehow or other due to the religious divisions among us" is not right.
3. Man cannot live by science and technology alone. Many--- looks like most of the people---need a religion of a certain version. I understand you are not an atheist like me; you have a God. 
4. Corruption (of all sorts) is not a monopoly of the religious people. Atheists also have fair share in it.   

From: Jiten Roy <jnrsr53@yahoo.com>
To: mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2012 7:27 PM
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Condemning Mumbai Violence
 
I agree mostly.
 
Religion is like a jungle; one can find delicious as well poisonous fruits there. The problem is - there is no guarantee that everyone will always pick the delicious fruits. This is what's going on with the religion. Some people are picking poisonous fruits either advertently or inadvertently. The deliberate use of poisonous fruits (of religion) is causing havoc around the world, and it is not decreasing; it's being used increasingly to settle religious group rivalries across religious boundaries or even within the same religious boundary.
I am convinced that – most of the evils that are happening around the world are somehow or other due to the religious divisions among us, irrespective of how good religious principles are. It's because – where there is division, there is competition and rivalry. This is one of our instinctive characteristics. You may keep it dormant for a while through proper education and training, but can't eliminate it. I criticize religion for its very existence in this day and age, not because it has nothing good to offer anymore.
After the scientific renaissance, science took over our lives and religion lost its utility.  Morality in our lives comes from societal demands and environment. The populace in Bangladesh is devoutly religious, yet Bangladesh is one of the most corrupt countries in the world.
Jiten Roy
--- On Tue, 8/14/12, qar <qrahman@netscape.net> wrote:

From: qar <qrahman@netscape.net>
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Condemning Mumbai Violence
To: mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, August 14, 2012, 10:03 AM

 
Some people are just reacting to what religion is feeding to them. Obviously, not everybody will react to the same extent, but - some will. Don't blame them for reacting.


>>>>>>>>>> I think sometime religion looks "Bad" because we "Selectively" follow some ideas and don't follow others. For example, Bangladeshi Muslims are pretty big on "Showing" they are Muslims, when it benefits them. However you check on most of them if they paid, obligatory charity (Zakat) or made sacrifices to make an honest living (Halal income), you will see plenty of hypocrites.

I have seen plenty of Muslims, foaming their mouth about their "Rights" but not so eager to worry about their "Responsibilities". Which is the very reason why "Religion" looks bad to many of us (Muslims and non-Muslims alike). When I look back to teachings of prophet Muhammad (PBUH), he was more worried about his responsibilities and often "forgave" others when it came to his rights over them (Muslims and non-Muslim alike). Most Muslims don't follow it and those who do, they don't make headlines.

This is the "Root cause" of problems we see when it comes to religion. So in one word, we are greedy and often we prefer money/power over God.

Shalom!


-----Original Message----- From: Jiten Roy <jnrsr53@yahoo.com> To: mukto-mona <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Sun, Aug 12, 2012 9:56 pm Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Condemning Mumbai Violence
 

Most religious people are either unwise or fake. They are unwise because they can't visualize the evil done on earth by what religion. All they need to do is - look around the world with open eyes and minds, but – they can't.
I know – people will still say – religion is not to blame; it's the people, the so called misguided religious fundamentalists, to blame.  That's hogwash; I don't blame anybody, but religion, for this. Some people are just reacting to what religion is feeding to them. Obviously, not everybody will react to the same extent, but - some will. Don't blame them for reacting. 
So, please - no more blame, excuses, and double talks; try to analyze the root cause, if you can, and try to expose all evils of religion on humanity. Also, please don't tell me that some big-shot said - religion is the 'shuva-sanskar,' on earth, because I have seen enough of those shuvo-sanskars by now already. Don't show me anymore.
 
Jiten Roy
 
--- On Sun, 8/12/12, ram puniyani <jhang45@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: ram puniyani <jhang45@yahoo.com>
Subject: [mukto-mona] Condemning Mumbai Violence
To: "Ram Puniyani" <ram.puniyani@gmail.com>
Date: Sunday, August 12, 2012, 1:24 AM

 
Condemnation of Attack on Media in Mumbai
 
 
We strongly and unequivocally condemn the attack on media in Mumbai by a section of people gathered at the Azad maidan to protest the violence in Assam and Burma. Using violence in a protest against violence is an insult to the suffering victims in whose support the protest was purportedly organised.
 
There are many non violent and democratic ways to communicate and protest any grievances, including against the media.  This mindless and shameful action by a few misguided individuals discredits protest and becomes a disservice to a cause.
 
We offer our solidarity with media; sympathy with all those injured and wish for their quick recovery. We urge the government to take immediate and exemplary action against the guilty. We also appeal to all citizens not to get swayed by this isolated and dastardly incidence and allow the situation to become a cause of conflict.  Any communalisation of the situation will be harmful for everyone and totally against the interests of the nation.
 
 
Lalita Ramdas- Ali Bagh
Mazher Hussain – Hyderabad
Admiral L. Ramdas- Ali Bagh
Mahesh Bhatt- Mumbai
Ram Punyani- Mumbai
Kamla Bhasin- Delhi
Sandeep Panday- Lucknow
Jatin Desai- Mumbai


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Re: [mukto-mona] Condemning Mumbai Violence



and they have come to a point when it is time to look at the future, instead of dwelling in the past.



>>>>>>>> Following religion does not mean one has to live in the past and travel by camel. It means we learn from past generations and use best practices from it. There are some spiritual and ritual acts also but that is for those who practice faith. As you can see people fly planes to get to hajj, they don't walk like past generations. However rituals signify different aspects of hajj and we honor those past events when we get there.


that example was given only to dispute the notion that religion brings morality in life.


>>>>>>>>>> As i said one has to practice religion. Just screaming "Joy bangla" or "Bangladesh zindabad" does not make any of us good responsible citizen. It requires more than that. So if one looks a little deeper, they will understand the point made in my posts.


Shalom!


-----Original Message-----
From: Jiten Roy <jnrsr53@yahoo.com>
To: mukto-mona <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wed, Aug 15, 2012 7:25 pm
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Condemning Mumbai Violence

 
As I said before - religion helped people find ways at a time when humanity was immerged in total darkness. World is no longer in darkness. Humanity has learned from the past, and they have come to a point when it is time to look at the future, instead of dwelling in the past. So, it will be better for the humanity if we all look ahead.  In going forward - I do not see any role religion can play in our lives.
 
I did not imply every Bangladeshi is corrupt. That's a foolish notion. As I said in another response - that example was given only to dispute the notion that religion brings morality in life.
 
Jiten Roy


--- On Wed, 8/15/12, qar <qrahman@netscape.net> wrote:

From: qar <qrahman@netscape.net>
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Condemning Mumbai Violence
To: mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com
Date: Wednesday, August 15, 2012, 12:52 PM

 
You made some good points. However I differ with couple of your opinions.....

I am convinced that – most of the evils that are happening around the world are somehow or other due to the religious divisions among us,


>>>>>>> I slightly disagree. Yes there are fights among religious people but religion is NOT the cause of the fights. The hunger for money and power (AKA greed) is the reason. There are plenty of critic of Islam talks about India before Islam was accepted by great number of Indians. If you take a dispassionate view of history, you will see there were plenty of wars, destruction and murders among Indians BEFORE Muslims came to India.

Same goes in Arabia. Before prophet Muhammad (PBUH) started talking about Islam (Not until he was forty years old!!), there were plenty of wars among tribes. History tells us, he was invited to city of Medina to resolve some of these fights and bring peace into the community. Which he did with great success and more people accepted his religion as a result.

Before Christianity reached Europe, there were plenty of wars as well.

Even after most of Europe accepted communist/socialist ideals, we witnesses more persecutions and wars.

Therefore, it is easy to blame religion for wars but in reality, it is greedy people who abuse religion, nationalism etc who cause wars, death and destruction.

where there is division, there is competition and rivalry

>>>>>>> Rivalry comes from Ego and good old "Greed".

. I criticize religion for its very existence in this day and age, not because it has nothing good to offer anymore.

>>>>>>> Lot of your observations are valid. But I feel a lot of good came out of it and coming out of it. My observation is people are not properly educated about religion which often causes problem.


Morality in our lives comes from societal demands and environment

>>>>>>>> Yes. That is why religion helps us to come to some universal agreement of morality. The Biblical teaching of "Thou shall not steal" works for all people. Honor thy parents is practiced my most people of our "Mother earth" despite their religious differences. So it would be wrong to blindly blame religion. We should focus on how religion is used by corrupt people.

As I said many times (A politically incorrect statement) that, my people (Bangladeshi) are in need of Islamic education badly. They knowingly and without knowledge violate many religious ideals which gives religion a bad name. 


yet Bangladesh is one of the most corrupt countries in the world.

>>>>>>> Yet most Bangladeshis outside Bangladesh is well known as hard working honest people. It is the corrupt environment which make people bad and we have bad leadership as well. There are plenty of hard working honest people who make great sacrifices to make an honest living but they don't make headlines.


Shalom!

-----Original Message-----
From: Jiten Roy <jnrsr53@yahoo.com>
To: mukto-mona <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wed, Aug 15, 2012 5:27 am
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Condemning Mumbai Violence

 
I agree mostly.
 
Religion is like a jungle; one can find delicious as well poisonous fruits there. The problem is - there is no guarantee that everyone will always pick the delicious fruits. This is what's going on with the religion. Some people are picking poisonous fruits either advertently or inadvertently. The deliberate use of poisonous fruits (of religion) is causing havoc around the world, and it is not decreasing; it's being used increasingly to settle religious group rivalries across religious boundaries or even within the same religious boundary.
I am convinced that – most of the evils that are happening around the world are somehow or other due to the religious divisions among us, irrespective of how good religious principles are. It's because – where there is division, there is competition and rivalry. This is one of our instinctive characteristics. You may keep it dormant for a while through proper education and training, but can't eliminate it
After the scientific renaissance, science took over our lives and religion lost its utility.  Morality in our lives comes from societal demands and environment. The populace in Bangladesh is devoutly religious, yet Bangladesh is one of the most corrupt countries in the world.
Jiten Roy

--- On Tue, 8/14/12, qar <qrahman@netscape.net> wrote:

From: qar <qrahman@netscape.net>
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Condemning Mumbai Violence
To: mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, August 14, 2012, 10:03 AM

 
Some people are just reacting to what religion is feeding to them. Obviously, not everybody will react to the same extent, but - some will. Don't blame them for reacting.


>>>>>>>>>> I think sometime religion looks "Bad" because we "Selectively" follow some ideas and don't follow others. For example, Bangladeshi Muslims are pretty big on "Showing" they are Muslims, when it benefits them. However you check on most of them if they paid, obligatory charity (Zakat) or made sacrifices to make an honest living (Halal income), you will see plenty of hypocrites.

I have seen plenty of Muslims, foaming their mouth about their "Rights" but not so eager to worry about their "Responsibilities". Which is the very reason why "Religion" looks bad to many of us (Muslims and non-Muslims alike). When I look back to teachings of prophet Muhammad (PBUH), he was more worried about his responsibilities and often "forgave" others when it came to his rights over them (Muslims and non-Muslim alike). Most Muslims don't follow it and those who do, they don't make headlines.

This is the "Root cause" of problems we see when it comes to religion. So in one word, we are greedy and often we prefer money/power over God.

Shalom!


-----Original Message-----
From: Jiten Roy <jnrsr53@yahoo.com>
To: mukto-mona <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sun, Aug 12, 2012 9:56 pm
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Condemning Mumbai Violence

 

Most religious people are either unwise or fake. They are unwise because they can't visualize the evil done on earth by what religion. All they need to do is - look around the world with open eyes and minds, but – they can't.
I know – people will still say – religion is not to blame; it's the people, the so called misguided religious fundamentalists, to blame.  That's hogwash; I don't blame anybody, but religion, for this. Some people are just reacting to what religion is feeding to them. Obviously, not everybody will react to the same extent, but - some will. Don't blame them for reacting. 
So, please - no more blame, excuses, and double talks; try to analyze the root cause, if you can, and try to expose all evils of religion on humanity. Also, please don't tell me that some big-shot said - religion is the 'shuva-sanskar,' on earth, because I have seen enough of those shuvo-sanskars by now already. Don't show me anymore.
 
Jiten Roy
 

--- On Sun, 8/12/12, ram puniyani <jhang45@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: ram puniyani <jhang45@yahoo.com>
Subject: [mukto-mona] Condemning Mumbai Violence
To: "Ram Puniyani" <ram.puniyani@gmail.com>
Date: Sunday, August 12, 2012, 1:24 AM

 
Condemnation of Attack on Media in Mumbai
 
 
We strongly and unequivocally condemn the attack on media in Mumbai by a section of people gathered at the Azad maidan to protest the violence in Assam and Burma. Using violence in a protest against violence is an insult to the suffering victims in whose support the protest was purportedly organised.
 
There are many non violent and democratic ways to communicate and protest any grievances, including against the media.  This mindless and shameful action by a few misguided individuals discredits protest and becomes a disservice to a cause.
 
We offer our solidarity with media; sympathy with all those injured and wish for their quick recovery. We urge the government to take immediate and exemplary action against the guilty. We also appeal to all citizens not to get swayed by this isolated and dastardly incidence and allow the situation to become a cause of conflict.  Any communalisation of the situation will be harmful for everyone and totally against the interests of the nation.
 
 
Lalita Ramdas- Ali Bagh
Mazher Hussain – Hyderabad
Admiral L. Ramdas- Ali Bagh
Mahesh Bhatt- Mumbai
Ram Punyani- Mumbai
Kamla Bhasin- Delhi
Sandeep Panday- Lucknow
Jatin Desai- Mumbai


__._,_.___


****************************************************
Mukto Mona plans for a Grand Darwin Day Celebration: 
Call For Articles:

http://mukto-mona.com/wordpress/?p=68

http://mukto-mona.com/banga_blog/?p=585

****************************************************

VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/

****************************************************

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
               -Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190




Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

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