Action Alerts
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Campaign ______________________________________________________ Campaign Appeal Against VHP in UN
Responses to Communalism Combat’s Campaign
A JOINT APPEAL
Indigenous Peoples’ World-wide Against Racism and Religious Intolerance
To
Ms Mary Robinson United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Palais Wilson Geneva
Respected Ms Mary Robinson,
The indigenous peoples and nations of the world have always upheld the fundamental human values of peaceful coexistence, equality and non-discrimination. We have also upheld the essential spiritual values that must inform human existence and human endeavour. In the last few decades as we have been struggling for the recognition for the protection of our rights we have also been witnessing the continued existence and even rise of narrow minded and self serving forces that strive to negate every effort to bring and establish a free and equal world of peace.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad, an organisation best known for promoting hatred against religious minorities in India, is aspiring to gain consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the UN. Its application is now under consideration by the UN NGO Committee. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad of India represents such forces whose mission and objectives are totally antithetical to those aspirations enshrined by the peoples of the world in the United Nations Charter.
The outfit best known in India for inciting hatred against minorities belongs to a group of organisations with an ideological resonance call the SANGH PARIWAR - collective family - of Hindu organisations. This family includes the Shiv Sena, Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Bajrang Dal, Hindu Jagaran Manch, Hindu Sanskrity Manch, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and many other associated organisations. The Bharatiya Janata Party presently heads a multi-party coalition that rules India.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad is best known for its role in the mobilisation for, and the actual demolition of the Babri Masjid, a 15th century national monument and holy shrine of the Muslims in India, in Ayodhya in 1992 and for its hate campaign against Christians in the last two years. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has sown terror and violence on a scale never seen before throughout India and in the Indian diaspora. It has instigated forced conversions among Muslim and indigenous minorities, arson, rape, cruel beatings and demolition of churches and mosques as well as cold-blooded murder of the minorities. The leader of this outfit has declared the murderers of Muslims, Christians and indigenous peoples in India as “nationalists” and “patriots”.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad is also known for its fundamentalist Hindu ideology while openly promoting the ascendancy and absolute rule of Hindus in India. This Parisad also is claiming that all the Adivasis / indigenous peoples in India are Hindus, and if converted to Christian religion should be “brought back” to Hindu fold. Adivasis / indigenous peoples of India have never been a part of the Hindu religion and have never submitted themselves to the Hindu caste system. It is a serious threat to secular, democratic India and all the principles its Constitution espouses today.
In its application for consultative status to ECOSOC, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad states “…..that it has taken on the responsibility of representing and promoting the welfare-related activities of Hindus, it also, without discrimination, promotes moral and ethical education, provides medical aid for the needy, relief to the poor, advances general public utility and pursues socio-religious, scientific and general research." In its attempt to acquire ECOSOC status, it has also falsely stated that it is an NGO located in New Delhi, India, that works for the total welfare of humanity. Nothing could be further from the truth.
One of the principles relied on for granting of 'consultative relations' with the United Nations is that "the aims and purposes of the organisation shall be in conformity with the spirit, purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations".
The words and deeds of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and its youth wing, the Bajrang Dal, in the last several years are ample testimony to how their aims and objects conform to the "spirit, purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations".
As indigenous peoples who stand and fight for the establishment of a world firmly founded on the principles of self-determination, equality, peace, tolerance and non-discrimination, we are deeply disturbed to hear that the application of Vishwa Hindu Parishad to seek consultation status to ECOSOC is before the United Nations’ NGO Committee.
The United Nations owes it to all peoples and nations for all times and to all future generations to make a firm resolve to reject this obvious move to undermine its very foundations. We, therefore, appeal to you in your distinguished position as a promoter and protector of fundamental freedoms and human rights to make every necessary step to impartially and justly examine the application; and so that this application from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad is deservedly rejected outright.
Signed on this day, the 24 of July, 2000 in Geneva
NAME ORGANISATIONS COUNTRY / REGION
DR. D. ROY LAIFUNGBAM CENTRE FOR ORGANISATION RESEARCH AND EDUCATION INDIA
BINEET MUNDU CHOTANAGPUR ADIVASI SEWA SAMITI / DELHI FORUM INDIA
JASON ADAWIN PAN PLAIN ABORIGINE PAZEH ASSOCIATION OF TAIWAN TAIWAN
RHONDA GRIFFITHS ASSOCIATION OF NORFOLK ISLANDERS OCEALAND
RIC ROBINSON ASSOCIATION OF NORFOLK ISLANDERS NORKOLK ISLAND
SHELLINA TIMUER MINORITY RIGHTS GROUP INT. UK
STAPFER CASSANDRE SPAIN
JOHANNES LAPING ADIVASI KOORDINATION IN GERMANY GERMANY
JOHAN BOSMAN KWIA, SUPPORT GROOUP FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES BELGIUM
DR SIDDHARAJ S. SOLANKI ARRAVALLI ADIVASI ADHAKHET VIKAS MANDAL INDIA
MANGAL KUMAR CHAKMA PARBATYA CHATTAGRAM JANA SAMHATI SAMITI, CHT, BANGLADESH
DEBBARMAN SUKHEWDU BOROK PEOPLE OF TWIPUA INDIA
NIPUNI PIKU NAGA PEOPLES MOVEMENT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS KOHIMA
SIRJANA SUBBA LIMBU - NEPAL NEPAL
DR THEODOR RATHGABER SOCIETY FOR THREATENED PEOPLES GERMANY
UEMURA HIDEAKI SHIMI GAIKOU CENTRE JAPAN
YUNKI HASEGAWA AINU ASSOCIATION OF RERA JAPAN
KANAKERWAN NARYANY UBNLF INDIA
RUPALI BASUMATARY UBNLF INDIA
DAMYANTI SINKU ICITP INDIA
TARU LATA KAKOTI ADIBASI SOCIO-EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL ASSOC. INDIA
JEBRA P MUCHAHARY TRIBAL WELFARE SOCIETY – ASSAM INDIA
DR RATAN ROY ST JOHNS MISSION BIJNI INDIA
MARIA MANGTE ICITP INDIA
JITAN CHAKMA CHT HILL STUDENTS’ COUNCIL BANGLADESH
LOYAL DAVID HAUHENG BAWM INDIGENOUS PEOPLE’S ORGANISATION BANGLADESH
UJANA CHAKMA JUMMA PEOPLES LINK BANGLADESH
R. JOY LAKRA WORLD ADIVASI COUNCIL GERMANY
REV. YASALA HOLA TAYAL TRIBAL COUNCIL TAIWAN
PALASH KHISA CHT. HILL STUDENTS’S COUNCIL BANGLADESH
NAIRANJANA CHAKMA HILL WOMENS’ FEDERATION BANGLADESH
JOAN CARLING CORDILLERA PEOPLES’ ALLIANCE PHILIPPINES
MALTI R NARZARY ROUE ESHANSHLI CO-OP SOCIETY INDIA
NAMITA BROHMA ICITP INDIA
ELKE SPRENGER-THIEL AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL GERMANY
SUAN TUNG PARTE ZO REUNIFICATION ORGANISATION INDIA
DANIEL ZAPATA THE SOCIETY FOR THREATENED PEOPLES GERMANY
KELLY DIETZ SHUMIN GAIKO CENTRE USA
Cc.:
Chairperson UN Council Committee on Non-Governmental Organisations United Nations, NGO Section, DESA 1 UN Plaza / DC 1-1480 New York, NY 10017, USA Email: Hanifa Mezoui <[email protected]>
Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights World Conference Secretariat 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland e-mail: [email protected]
Development and Human Rights Secretariat United Nations, Room S-1040, New York, NY10017, USA e-mail: [email protected]
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