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The serious incidents in Ahmednagar District where three young men of the Dalit community were murdered recently and the absurd remarks of Ashis Nandy at Jaipur , highly derogatory and offensive coming from a alleged sociologist , sought to be glossed over by the corporate media , despite the fact that Ashis Nandy is aware since he is attending a festival funded by the Corporate Sector as to which castes and classes have made a global alliance with finance capital at the cost of their own society and being aware that this understanding is now spreading as to what these classes have done to Indian society , is seeking to transfer the responsibility to those sections of society who have not been in power and do not control policy and are really on the peripheries of the political system and parties dependent on patronage of the ruling elite .
If anyone imagines that there is not a deliberate attempt in the last two decades to once again stamp inferiority onto the minorities , SC and ST in particular to scapegoat them for the state of society and those among the OBC who do not have political clout to make them scapegoats of the present ills and societal and institutional breakdown , they are living in a world of their own or are in deliberate denial . However the answer does not lie in the traditional organizations of the minorities , the SC/ST we need political organizations who will transcend caste and religion and form a broad alliance for upliftment of society as a whole and wind up the barbarism of the system .
The nature of statements made by leaders of political formations after the recent barbaric and murderous gang rape in the Capital in full view of the country exposed how little faith any rational citizen can repose in the existing political formations and their so called solutions for a society which has deteriorated into barbarism as it is devoid of political , economic and social ethics . It is " Animal Spirits" in every sector political , social and economic that is being advocated at every level of society, by whoever wields economic , social or political and physical power !
Niloufer Bhagwat
----- Original Message -----
From: Niloufer Bhagwat
Sent: Friday, February 01, 2013 1:03 PM
Subject: Re: Dhule: Changing Anatomy of Communal Violence ISP I Feb 2013
Dear Colleagues ,
For the last two decades the atmosphere in the country has been vitiated by tendentious remarks by the media , political leaders and others on alleged ' jehadi ' violence leading to the communalization of the police force . It is also reported by those who have knowledge of past incidents , that the police officer responsible for the firing was involved in other incidents of indiscriminate firing in a neighbouring district and that the communal atmosphere in Dhule , Jalgaon , Nasik among other Districts and in the Khed in Konkan is serious, and is now being exacerbated due to the impending elections .
Serious incidents have also been reported from Uttar Pradesh .
It is not surprising that in the period of neoliberal reforms which have financially inflated the traditional property and land owning classes /castes in the last two decades that violence against all weaker sections including the SC is becoming the order of the day as is the violence against women .
There is no political organization uniting these sections and classes /castes including the peasantry , working people and middle income groups on the basis of a pogram for their upliftment and of society as a whole , as the Muslim community is dominated by conservative organizations who preach isolation and religious piety as their only program whereas the program of organized Dalit parties represented in Parliament and State Legislatures is limited only to reservation ,which with the large scale privatization of public assets and educational linstitutions is not making any substantial dent in the backlog of the social and economic status of the SC, Scheduled Tribes and OBC .
Casteism and Class interests have been reinforced during this period of two decades and the irony is that we have capitalist development with a neo-feudal political structure , socially extremely backward and reactionary ,with the nature of political formations organized exclusively on the basis of caste and family to secure vote banks ,to preserve the political monopoly of vested economic , social and political astride the globe in alliance with comprador interests (supporting the exploitation of India by external economic and financial interests including agribusiness companies )
What we need is a casteless society and overall development with social justice . Whereas those requiring access to the limited reservation available are required to make declarations of caste , including for those among the minorities who belong in respect of socio-economic strata to these sections , the requirement of making declarations of caste and religion for all others in applicaiton forms should be done away with, as a first step to implement broader political , economic and social reforms which cannot be done without forward looking political organizations with broader representation at leadership levels of the masses of the people .
If you read Paul Bremer's 100 order imposed by the occupation of Iraq , the same policies are imposed more or less on India without a military occupation of course to a lesser degree , as sections of prosperous Indian Diaspora are in a global alliance with these economic and financial interests .
Communalism is considered necessary by reactionary and political forces of the status quo when there are no policies for the majority of the people as a political diversion .Any one preaching hate is deliberately preaching fascist discourse on any side is doing so to continue the status quo as everyone is aware that scientifically there is no difference between one human being and another and no caste category in nature as our blood groups disclose.
Race , religion , caste and the sectarian divide are created by man not by God /Gods.
Niloufer Bhagwat
From: plural india [mailto:pluralindia@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2013 7:08 PM
To: ram puniyani
Subject: Dhule: Changing Anatomy of Communal Violence ISP I Feb 2013
Dhule Violence: Changing Anatomy of Communal Violence
Ram Puniyani
The violence in Dhule Maharashtra seems to be the new face of communal violence in India. As per the report of a major national daily (Jan 26, 2013), the evidence with the newspaper shows the evidence of police looting and destroying the property. The video clips in possession of the civil society groups also show one police official exhorting the rioting mob to move on. So far even if it was there it was not so blatantly clear. One sensed the partisan nature of police as discerned through different inquiry commission reports, but this type of role of police is a new and downhill chapter in the history of communal violence in India.
Communal violence has been a major menace to our nation, from last more than a century, and more particularly from last three decades. Rise in communal violence can be correlated with the British policy of 'divide and rule'. This policy was achieved by them by introducing the communal view of history through different books by British authorities. The communal version of history was taken up by the Muslim and Hindu communalists to suit their political agenda of opposing the political, social and economic changes which aimed at Liberty Equality and Fraternity. The communal forces spread hatred against the 'other' community, the result being that the communal perceptions started being part of the 'social common sense', hatred for 'other' community became the foundation on which the communal violence took place or was orchestrated. This in turn strengthened the communal forces in different areas, and increased the levels of misconception for the 'other community'. This parallel and opposite process went on till the tragedy of Partition, which was the biggest act of communal politics, the outcome of British policy of 'divide and rule'.
During British rule the communal violence was a communal riot. In this both Hindus and Muslims were pitched against each other in an inhuman way, regarding; perceiving as if they are doing something for their religion. The political agenda of retrograde forces wore the cloak of religion. While communal forces made merry, the innocents suffered and the police took a neutral stance. They were trying to balance out without taking any sides while controlling these acts of violence. This neutrality of police started changing after Independence, when gradually the communalization of section of police force started taking place and its overall neutrality started getting eroded by the day, to the extent that later a section of police started helping violence in a pro active way. And over a period of time, those who are supposed and are duty bound to protect the innocent citizens, became partisan. Shooting the minority community members and throwing them in canals (Meerut Malyana 1987), or burying them in the field and growing cabbage over them (Bhagalpur 1989) was painfully observed.
A whole 'Riot mechanism' gradually came up in which the communal forces instigated, the so called secular forces looked on or subtly helped and the police took sides with majority community. At the same time the political leadership, bureaucracy, and police who are supposed to protect the innocent citizens, failed to do their assigned job and still got away without getting any punishment. This impunity gave a signal to them all that they can carry on with this game of marginalizing the minority community and reap the harvest of communal politics on the electoral arena.
This ghastly situation is taking a further turn for the worst. And now it seems the communal forces and the communal foot soldiers are having an easy time as sections of police force are blatantly communalized. Police not only has become the active player in the game, police is shamelessly providing a cover to those indulging in violence. This painful fact comes to surface in the recent violence in Dhule, 6 January 2013, where over 40 people from the minority were shot above knee, in abdomen chest, neck face and back, out of which six died, three had to undergo amputation and remaining one's are recuperating with serious injuries. The citizen's inquiry committee which went to Dhule for fact finding was shocked out of its wits to find as to how the event which required a simple intervention from the police grew into the tragic incident. The mater was too trivial; the victim came to police chowkie to complain and with a request to intervene. Police constables on duty, apparently told the victim to go and settle the issue himself. The victim a Muslim auto rickshaw driver came with few more youth, the youth from other side also collected and stone throwing began. The clips, taken on video; show that the police acted as a cover for the Hindu mob which charged towards the Muslims. The police force also seemed to have begun to violate the police manual in letter and spirit. The mandatory loud speaker announcement, use of tear gas, lathi charge to be resorted before firing was done away with and a straight firing was resorted to. The police training says the firing should be to disperse the mob, begin with firing in the air and then below the knee. In Dhulia the police thought it is a redundant exercise, so the firing was a targeted one, above the knee, above the waist, in abdomen, chest, face, neck and back.
The victims who fell to the police bullet were left to be taken to hospital by friends and relatives. Police claims they were attacked seriously, acid was thrown on them. The civil hospital record shows that all the injuries suffered by police were minor. Some of them were admitted to hospital wards to show that they have been attacked seriously. No case of serious acid attack on the police, no case of serious injury, which requires hospitalization! The mob burns the houses; mostly those of Muslims, few Hindu households are also burnt. Police did not entertain any FIR of the victims. Next day morning the area is washed clean to wipe out some remaining evidence. Those wanting the FIRs to be filed were told that since they are themselves culprits of violence, filing FIR will go against them. A rumor was floated that combing operation will be done in Muslim areas. The victims in Hospitals take early discharge fearing that they will be charged as being the rioters in the violence.
The civic administration did not set up any relief camp for those whose houses are burnt. Ration was distributed knowing fully-well that those whose houses are burnt cannot cook as all cooking vessels and utensils are burnt. The political leadership, Chief Minster and co. is apathetic and it takes them 10 days before driving down a distance of few hours to assess the situation, to address the woes of victims and to announce the much needed compensation. The compensation announced is meager for reasons best known to the Chief Minster.
What trust the victims will have in such state machinery? A feeling of utter neglect and helplessness is prevailing amongst the victims. Some relief has been provided by the community organizations. That does not help the matters beyond a point.
The violence in Dhulia comes in the backdrop of violence in Akot, Raver and other places in the region, over a short span of time. There is an urgent need for better relief, setting up of Police-Civic society Mohalla committee, sensitization of police in communal matters and to counter the misconceptions widely prevalent about the minority community. Who will undertake all these? Can Government think out of the box and take initiative in this direction? Who will get justice to the victims? And will the Central Government muster courage to bring in the Communal Violence Prevention Bill, which was presented in National Integration council. The draft bill can be modified by standing committee before finalizing. This bill should at least ensure that the section of political leadership, bureaucracy and police will not be spared for their acts of commission and omission due to which violence occurs and keeps simmering.
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Response only to ram.puniyani@gmail.com
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