Annexure
10
Hate Speech
The carnage in Gujarat was marked by unprecedented
levels of hate speech and hate propaganda. Some examples:
Chief Minister Narendra Modi
Terming the (Godhra) attack as ‘pre-planned, violent
act of terrorism’, Mr Modi said that state government was viewing this
attack seriously.
— The Times of India, Feb 28, 2002.
"With the entire population of Gujarat very angry at
what happened in Godhra much worse was expected".
— Narendra Modi, at a Press Conference in Gujarat, Feb 28, 2002.
Modi said he was ‘absolutely satisfied’ with the way in
which the police and State Government handled the backlash from Godhra
incident and ‘happy’ that violence was largely contained… "We should be
happy that curfew has been imposed only at 26 places while there is anger
and people are burning with revenge. Thanks to security arrangements we
brought things under control".When asked that not a policeman was visible
in most areas where shops were looted and set on fire, he said he hadn’t
received any complaint.
— The Indian Express, March 1, 2002.
"Investigations have revealed that the firing by the
Congressman played a pivotal role in inciting the mob." — CM Narendra Modi
on Chamanpura incident where former MP Ahsan Jaffri was burned alive with
19 of his relatives. On being asked what could have lead to the Ex-MP
opening fire it was ‘probably in his nature’ to do so.
— The Hindustan Times, March 2, 2002.
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Friday termed
‘barbaric’ the murder of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri along with 19 of
his family members, but said there was firing from inside the house.
— The Indian Express, March 2, 2002
Asked about the violence, Modi quoted Newton’s third
law – ‘every action has an equal and opposite reaction’ - to virtually
justify what is happening.
— The Times of India, March 3, 2002.
Chief Minister Narendra Modi said on March 4: "The
situation is totally under control. There is no threat to any life.
Everything is functioning normally. That is all I can say. I will meet
people and give them confidence".
— The Indian Express, March 5, 2002.
"It is unfortunate that along with the communal
violence that is dangerous for any country, a non-violent secular violence
also gets unleashed in the country at the same time by the media."
— CM Shri Narendra Modi, at a press conference in Gandhinagar on March 5,
2002.
Mr Modi said the Godhra incident was not a communal
riot. Godhra was a ‘mass murder, a terrorist act aimed at long-term
damage’.
— The Times of India, March 7, 2002, quoting from Shri Modi’s address to
the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Gujarat.
"I am determined to take out the yatra and tell
the world the Gaurav Gatha [Story of Pride] of five crore people of
the state. It is not the story of Godhra, Naroda Patia or Gulmarg. Gujarat
was not a state of murderers, rapists as the pseudo-secularists, fanatic
and power hungry Congress leaders are attempting to project," Modi said.
– Shri Narendra Modi Aug 28, 2002
Last week, in Banaskantha, Narendra Modi told a public
meeting how "five crore people of Gujarat have voted me the best chief
minister of the country but the jealous Congress is trying to malign me."
– The Asian Age, Aug 28, 2002
"Relief camps are actually child-making factories.
Those who keep on multiplying the population should be taught a lesson.
—Shri Narendra Modi, addressing a rally in Mehsana district during his
gaurav yatra, quoted in The Hindu, Sept 10, 2002.
TV tapes prove Modi attacked Muslims
In the excerpts of the audiotape, a voice — reportedly
that of Mr Modi — is heard making inflammatory speeches in Gujarati. The
English translation is as follows: "I told them that I got water from
Narmada in the month of Shravan. If they had it their way, they
would have got it in Ramzan.…What should we do? Run relief camps for them?
Do we want to open baby-producing centres? We are five and we will have 25
offspring. Gujarat has not been able to control its growing population and
poor people have not been able to get money."
—The Asian Age, Sept 15, 2002
Former Commissioner of Police, Ahmedabad , Shri P.C.
Pande
(he was CP when the carnage took place)
Nothing illustrates police role better than police
commissioner P.C. Pande’s statement that, "Police were not insulated from
the general social milieu… (When) there’s a change in the perception of
society, the police are part of it and there’s bound to be some contagion
effect".
-– The Telegraph, March 2, 2002
BJP leaders
"For the first time in years, we have had an upsurge of
popular sentiment that brought together Dalits, tribals and middle-class
Hindus on the same platform," he said.
— The Telegraph, March 6, 2002, from a Delhi dateline report filed by the
daily’s special correspondent, quoting a BJP minister in the central
government, without identifying the person quoted.
"He (Narendra Modi) has salvaged the party’s
credibility and honour in a way no one has done after we came to power in
the Centre."
— A Union minister from the BJP, not identified by name, quoted in The
Telegraph, March 6, 2002.
"Modi was the only one who had the guts to defend what
happened in his state without batting an eyelid or being red-faced. He did
not say one thing one day and another the next day."
— ‘BJP sources’, not identified by name, quoted in The Telegraph, March 6,
2002.
"After the post-Godhra spontaneous Hindu upsurge, the
party will have to consider the people’s strong feelings on Hindutva
and nationalism".
– Bharat Pandya, BJP MLA, quoted in India Today, March 18, 2002. The
report added that at a closed-door meeting with party president, Shri Jana
Krishnamurthy in Ahmedabad, MLA after MLA of the BJP talked of reverting
to the Hindutva track.
"The charge that Muslims did not take much interest in
the national movement is correct. They don’t consider India their home."
—Vinay Katiyar, BJP’s UP president, purportedly quoting Mahatma Gandhi and
Shri Ambedkar, in his first address to the UP state council of the BJP as
its president, quoted in The Statesman, Aug 6, 2002,.
RSS leaders
"Let Muslims look upon Ram as their hero and the
communal problems will all be over".
— RSS mouthpiece, Organiser, June 20, 1971.
"Let Muslims understand that their real safety lies in
the goodwill of the majority".
— RSS resolution at its Bangalore meet, March 18, 2002.
VHP Leaders
"Now, it is the end of tolerance. If the Muslims do not
learn, it will be very harmful for them."
— Harish Bhai Bhatt, VHP leader, quoted in Mid-Day from a New York Times
report, March 6, 2002
"It had to be done", VHP leader says of riots. In a
startling revelation, Professor Keshavram Kashiram Shastri, 96-year-old
chairman of the Gujarat unit of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, told
rediff.com that the list of shops owned by Muslims in Ahmedabad was
prepared on the morning of February 28 itself.
— http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/mar/12train.htm
Barely three months after the Gujarat Carnage, the VHP
announced its intentions to test war on jihad in UP. The Vishwa
Hindu Parishad plans to turn Uttar Pradesh into a laboratory for carrying
out experiments aimed at promoting the feeling of Hindutva among
Hindus and starting a campaign against "the Muslim mentality of jihad."
The firebrand VHP leader, Singhal, was quoted as having said that "Ab
jahan jahan Godhra hoga wahan wahan Gujarat bhi hoga (wherever there
is Godhra there will be Gujarat)." He said that Muslims "who nursed the
jihadi mentality" would be taught a lesson. "In Gujarat, for the time
there has been a Hindu awakening and Muslims have been turned into
refugees. This is welcome sign and Gujarat has shown the way to the
country. Politics in India will now be based on the Hindu community –
Jo Hindu hit ki baat karega woh Bharat pe raaj karega "(A Hindu who
talks about his rights, will rule India)," he said.
—The Asian Age, June 6, 2002
Modi is He-Man, Lyngdoh has religious bias: VHP
"Both the CEC and the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi,
are Christians and both wanted to postpone elections. Post-Dangs, Lyngdoh
had shown his bias [against Hindus] in a lecture delivered at the IAS
academy in Mussoorie," VHP international general secretary Praveen Togadia
said in New Delhi.
–rediff on net, Aug 25, 2002
"We’ll repeat our Gujarat experiment"
Vishwa Hindu Parishad international working president
Ashok Singhal today termed Gujarat as a ‘successful experiment’—and warned
that it would be repeated all over India. Singhal, in Amritsar to
inaugurate a physiotherapy centre at the Shivala Bhaian temple, said, "Godhra
happened on February 27 and the next day, 50 lakh Hindus were on the
streets. We were successful in our experiment of raising Hindu
consciousness, which will be repeated all over the country now."
—The Indian Express, Sept 4 2002
"Godhra happened and the next day, 50 lakh Hindus were
on the streets. We were successful in our experiment of raising Hindu
consciousness, which will be repeated all over the country now…"
— Ashok Singhal, speaking in glowing terms of the fact that whole villages
had been "emptied of Islam. People say I praise Gujarat. Yes, I do",
inaugurating a physiotherapy center in Amritsar quoted in The Asian Age,
September 4, 02
Gujarat to decide country’s politics: Togadia
VHP International general secretary Praveen Bhai
Togadia warned that "Godhra ka uttar aaj Gandhinagar, kal Dilli aur
parson Pakistan mein diya jayega" (the reply to Godhra will be given
today in Gandhinagar, tomorrow in Delhi and the day after in Pakistan).
— Praveen Togadia, international general secretary of the Vishwa Hindu
Parishad in The Times of India, Sept 15, 2002
TV (Star News) tapes prove Modi attacked Muslims
- By Sanjay Basak
New Delhi, Sept. 15: Brushing aside the evidence
produced by a television channel on Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi’s
derogatory remarks on Muslims, and ignoring Prime Minister Atal Behari
Vajpayee’s censure of the state administration following the Gujarat
carnage, deputy prime minister L.K. Advani on Sunday stood firmly behind
Mr Modi and said his "Gaurav Yatra" was an example to be followed
by the BJP.
The VHP, meanwhile, has decided to bring out another "yatra"
in support of Mr Modi in Gujarat. The BJP president, Mr M. Venkaiah Naidu,
who only a few days back was reported to have pulled up the Gujarat chief
minister for his remarks against the minority community, on Sunday
appeared to retract his censure, and clarified that he had merely
"cautioned" Mr Modi "since there was a scope of misinterpretation." He
added that the "matter ended after Modi claimed he never made
anti-minority comments."
However, Mr Modi’s assertion and Mr Naidu’s claim that
no anti-Muslim statements were made during the Gaurav Yatra was
challenged by Star News, which produced tapes with Mr Modi’s
recorded voice, taking a snipe at and ridiculing the minority community in
Gujarat. The state intelligence department had also cautioned the
additional chief secretary (home) in a letter (J/2/BJP/Yatra/525/02 dated
September 9) that such a speech could cause communal tension in the state.
The tape, broadcast by the television channel, gives a
new twist to the controversy in the light of the Gujarat government’s
denial of the existence of any tapes and the text of Mr Modi’s speech
during the rally at Besraji village in Mehsana district on September 9.
The National Commission on Minorities has asked for a copy of the tape
following a furore over Mr Modi’s remarks.
That Mr Modi, who lacked any caste-based support in
Gujarat and was still regarded as an "outsider" by the locals, was trying
to cash in on a communal divide, becomes somewhat evident following the
airing of the tapes by the TV channel. In the excerpts of the audiotape, a
voice — reportedly that of Mr Modi — is heard making inflammatory speeches
in Gujarati. The English translation is as follows:
"I told them that I got water from Narmada in the month
of Shravan. If they had it their way, they would have got it in
Ramzan...
"What should we do? Run relief camps for them? Do we
want to open baby-producing centres? We are five and we will have 25
offspring. Gujarat has not been able to control its growing population and
poor people have not been able to get money."
The tapes clearly demonstrate how Mr Modi, in search of
the "Hindu vote," tried to play to the gallery. He went on with his tirade
against Muslims thus: "There is a long queue for children who fix tyre
punctures. In order to progress, every child in Gujarat needs education,
good manners and employment. That is the economy we need."
Once again targeting Muslims, he ended with what
appeared to be a warning: "For this we have to teach a lesson to those who
are increasing population at an alarming rate."
While the BJP president refused to answer any question
on Mr Modi, claiming that this would only "create further tension," the
chief minister’s principal mentor in the party, Mr Advani, virtually gave
him a pat on the back and praised his Gaurav Yatra, saying it was
an example for the BJP to follow. "The massive turnout at the Gujarat
Gaurav Yatra is a source of nervousness for the opposition.
"When the opposition denigrates Gujarat as ‘Godse’s
Gujarat’ the need for restoring Gujarat’s gaurav is more," Mr
Advani told BJP leaders who had assembled for the party office-bearers’
meeting on Sunday.
The deputy prime minister went on: "Just as the
yatra is a highly-successful programme, we must now work with devotion
to make the Gaon Chalo Abhiyan and the proposed December rally a
success."
—http://www.asianage.com/main.asp?layout=2&cat1=1&cat2=22&newsid=19834
‘5 crore Gujaratis will chop off Miya Musharraf’s
hands’ — Modi
Ahmedabad, Sept. 15: Gujarat chief minister
Narendra Modi stooped down to a deplorable new low in political rhetoric
on Sunday while warning "Miya Musharraf" that if he does not stop
pointing his "dirty finger towards Gujarat, five crore people of Gujarat
will not hesitate to chop off his hand and teach him a lesson."
Besides this, the chief minister has got advertisements
published in newspapers asking the public to decide between "Modi and
Musharraf."
Mr Modi, who called Gen. Musharraf "Miya" at
least eight times, made the distasteful remark of Gujarat chopping off his
hand at a thinly-attended public meeting at Visaavadar in Saurashtra where
he ridiculed the Pakistan President for "daring" to point his "dirty
finger" at Gujarat. Visaavadar is the constituency of former chief
minister Keshubhai Patel, who was conspicuous by his absence on Sunday.
Mr Modi, who has been strictly warned by New Delhi not
to make offensive and abusive remarks, was reportedly annoyed at thin
attendance at Visaavadar and lost his cool when groups of people shouted
slogans hailing former chief minister Keshubhai Patel, thereby
interrupting his speech.
Mr Modi had mellowed down and refrained himself from
making personal remarks on any leaders till Saturday evening, after he was
reprimanded, for describing the Muslim philosophy of life as "hum
paanch hamare pacchis" and stressed that he will not allow relief
camps to facilitate unending production of children last week. He,
however, regained his old self and indulged in heavy Musharraf and
Congress bashing in Saurashtra on Sunday. It must be noted that the
Saurashtra region had remained completely peaceful during the recent spate
of communal riots and these provocative speeches by the chief minister has
shocked the local population, who see a sinister design in dividing them
on the basis of community.
Attacking "Miya Musharraf" for daring to raise
Gujarat at the United Nations, Mr Modi said, "I am aware of what Miya
Musharraf is doing in Pakistan." The Gujarat chief minister added, "A
systematic cleansing of the Ahmediya Muslim community is going on in
Pakistan. Muslims who are minorities are being harassed, but Indian
leaders don’t talk about it because it is an internal issue of Pakistan.
"And here we have a Miya who is pointing his
dirty finger at Gujarat," he screamed, telling the crowds that it was a
matter of gaurav (pride) for Gujarat not to let the ‘Miya’
point his dirty finger towards Gujarat. "Stop doing this Miya
Musharraf or five crore people of Gujarat will chop off the hand which has
this dirty finger that you point towards Gujarat," he roared.
Instead of focusing on political rivals in Gujarat or
the rest of the country, Mr Modi has now stooped to a level where he has
asked people to choose between him and Gen. Musharraf. On Sunday, under
the banner of the Rashtriya Chetna Manch, advertisements were
issued asking the public to take a decision between "Musharraf and Modi."
While the BJP claims that it has not issued these advertisements, party
sources confirm that they have been issued under direct instructions from
the chief minister.
The advertisements have mugshots of Mr Modi and Gen.
Musharraf and asks people to choose between them. "Musharraf calls it
Hindu Terrorism. This is Nationalism for Modi. One insults the country.
The other maintains the country’s self-respect."
Right below the mugshots (Musharraf’s picture also has
a Pakistan flag emblem), there is an exclamatory message which asks the
readers: "Faislo tamaro (the decision is yours)!"
At a public meeting at Visaavadar and Lalpar, Mr Modi
also lashed out at Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s "sketchy knowledge". "Mrs Gandhi
earlier thought that Jagannath is some politician like our deputy prime
minister Advaniji, who is going to take out a yatra."
"She did not even know Lord Jagannath and yet she wants
to rule our country," he thundered, adding that the Congress was largely
responsible for spreading canards about Gujarat at the national and
international level. "But the people of Gujarat will decide soon on
whether they want Soniaji around or whether they want someone else," he
said.
—http://www.asianage.com/main.asp?layout=2&cat1=1&cat2=22&newsid=19831
25 to 625: look Modi’s counting
Today Narendra Modi moved from Hum paanch, hamare
pachees to Paanch na pachees ane pachees na 625, which roughly translates
into "from five to 25 and from 25 to 625."
-By Milind Ghatwai
Navsari, September 22: Gujarat Chief Minister
Narendra Modi’s concern over the country’s exploding population has no
communal angle. That it has become such a recurrent theme in his Gujarat
Gaurav Yatra is nothing diabolic. Today he moved from Hum paanch,
hamare pachees to Paanch na pachees ane pachees na 625, which
roughly translates into "from five to 25 and from 25 to 625."
But, Modi clarified during the Chikhli leg of the
yatra today, his newest remark wasn’t directed at Muslims, rather, at
those who "who didn’t believe in family planning."
"There was a hue and cry over my statements at
Becharaji but they still could not find the tapes," Modi taunted reporters
sitting with the crowd. "Now, journalists, especially those with tape
recorders, should listen and tape carefully." There was a long, theatrical
pause, which was spoilt somewhat by a cow that ran in front of his
gaurav rath. When Modi finally spoke, he said the population had to be
kept in check to ensure that every child to get proper education, and that
the Congress was "not taking any responsibility" because of "votebank
politics."
"In 5,000 years until independence, we were only 30
crore. But during the Congress regime, the population shot up to 100 crore,"
he said. "There were no means of entertainment earlier, but why should the
population rise today? When so many children are produced, they grow up to
become cycle repairers or pick-pockets."
The only time Modi ever named any community directly
was at Khergan, which he visited earlier in the day. There, he said Bohras
had fewer education facilities and that their youth aspired at best to
become bus conductors. "Why can’t they think of becoming doctors or
engineers?" he asked. And answered the question himself: "Because the
Congress does not want them to come forward. When Ehsan Jafri called up
Congressmen for help, none of them came forward."
At Chikhli, Modi repeated a point made earlier at
Becharaji as well: "The BJP is not ruling in China but the country has
introduced family planning. My utterances about family planning have been
given a communal colour. If something is wrong, it is wrong. I don’t know
why the Congress is interested in increasing population. Probably to
increase slums."
At his next stop at Bilimora, he targeted "Godhrana
papiyo" and the Congress. "The train carnage accused are supplied
chicken biryani and other delicacies in jail by people close to the
Congress," he said.
At Gandevi, "Miya Musharraf" came under attack
yet again.
"He called us Hindu extremists. If Hindus were
extremists, Pakistan would have been wiped out off the map," he said to
thunderous applause. "India has one and a half times more Muslims than
Pakistan. Unlike the minorities in Pakistan, they feel safe in India." And
"Itali na chasma" became "Itali ni goli" as he wondered why
the Congress did not criticise Musharraf for mentioning Gujarat to the
United Nations General Assembly.
When reporters later questioned Modi on why he linked
Abu Salem’s arrest with Friday’s violence in Vadodara, he said he had
received intelligence reports that trouble began almost immediately after
news of the gangster’s detention in Lisbon trickled in.
—http://www.indian-express.com/full_story.php?content_id=9999
Gujarat govt links violence to Abu Salem’s arrest;
Modi’s charge shocks Muslims
By Nandini Oza
DH News Service
Vadodara, Sept 22: Jehangir Pathan, the father of
16-year-old Altaf Pathan who died in police firing on Friday, is too
shocked to speak. But more than what happened to him during the Lord
Ganesha procession, his neighours and fellow Muslims are traumatized by
caretaker chief minister Narendra Modi’s statement and police commissioner
D D Tuteja’s assumption that don Abu Salem’s arrest sparked off the
violence.
As Altaf’s family mourns his death on the third day,
Muslims of the Machhipeeth area where he was shot angrily ask as to what
connection they have with Salem.
Perturbed over what happened, the residents have shot
off letters to the President and the police commissioner demanding action
against a police constable, who they allege ordered the firing. Altaf had
gone to buy grocery for his store. When contacted, Mr Tuteja said he has
handed over the inquiry to a senior officer. Regarding the Salem
connection, in a turnaround from Saturday’s statement he said it was just
a hunch.
On Saturday, soon after Mr Modi linked the Vadodara
riots with Salem, Mr Tuteja too followed suit. On Sunday he said the
violence may have something to do with a meeting on April 27 when 18
leaders came and reportedly gave instigating speeches.
The violence is believed to have been sparked off from
near the same mosque. Had the police not exercised restraint, the
situation would have worsened, he said, explaining that 12 policemen were
injured. Demanding that even Dawood Ibrahim should be shot dead in public,
70-year-old Haji Sabir Patel, a local leader, wonders how Fatehpura can
have a strong link with Salem.
If violence had to occur it would have occurred in
Mumbai, the residents say. Violence started from Fatehpura. Expressing
concern that the Quran was also damaged in one of the mosques in the city,
another resident Arif Malek maintains that if Muslims had to indulge in
violence they would have done so during the Jagannath Yatra earlier
this year.
Malek, an eyewitness to the Machhipeeth incident
alleges that Hindu youths, who were taking out the Ganesha procession,
were shouting vulgar anti-Muslim slogans. Shops owned by Muslims were
looted and within minutes stone throwing began followed by police shooting
at Altaf and one Mustaf, who is undergoing treatment at SSG Hospital.
Incidentally, the Muslims had observed a curfew on Friday.
Another Muslim student of Macchipeeth considers Mr
Tuteja’s statements as baseless and says the news of Salem trickled in
around 5 pm and violence began in Fatehpura town immediately. The People’s
Union for Civil Liberties and Shanti Abhiyan have strongly
condemned statements by Mr Modi and Mr Tuteja saying that it reflects
their prejudiced understanding. Jagdish Shah of the organisation alleged
that such a statement clearly indicates Mr Modi’s "fascist" leanings.
Meanwhile, the situation is peaceful in Borsad where
police had to lob teargas shells to control the two communities who
indulged in stone throwing late on Saturday night. This is one of the
latest which has plagued Gujarat. Recently chief minister Narendra Modi
alleged to have made damaging remarks against minorities.
—http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/sept23/n15.htm
What Modi Said At Becharaji (Transcript of Narendra
Modi’s speech)
19 September : "Should we run relief camps? Open child producing
centres?"
On September 9, the Gujarat Gaurav Yatra rolled
into Becharaji, where chief minister Narendra Modi delivered his by now
infamous Hum paanch, hamare pachees speech. This is the speech that
the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) now wants a text of for its
apparently inflammatory content. And this is the speech that the Gujarat
Government claimed that it had been unable to trace a copy of—Modi’s
principal secretary P K Mishra had earlier told The Indian Express:
"Since the government has neither any tapes nor a transcript of the CM’s
speech, it is not in a position to send the same to the NCM." Excerpts
from a translation of an audio recording of the speech, courtesy NDTV:
"Power hungry people are out to defame Gujarat. At such
a time, the five crore people of Gujarat will gain strength from the
blessings of Becharaji to build tomorrow’s glorious Gujarat.
"We are dubbed Hinduwadi because we have
allocated Rs. eight crore towards the development of Becharaji. Is it our
fault? Are we communal?
"The Congress also accuses me of bringing the Narmada
waters to the Sabarmati river in the month of Shravan. But the dam
has already been built... I want to ask the Congress, why do you object if
people on the banks of the Sabarmati derive spiritual peace through the
Narmada waters brought in the month of Shravan? When you come to
power, you are free to bring water during Ramzan.
"When we allocate funds for Becharaji, they do not like
it. And if we bring Narmada waters in the month of Shravan, then
too they say they dislike it. So what should we do? Do we go and run
relief camps? Should we open child producing centres?
"We want to firmly implement family planning. Hum
paanch, humare pachees (We five, our 25) (laughs). Who will benefit
from this development? Is family planning not necessary in Gujarat? Where
does religion come in its way? Where does community come in its way?
"The population is rising in Gujarat, money isn’t
reaching the poor? What’s the reason? They make a beeline, fix cycle
punctures (Audience laughs).
"If Gujarat is to be developed, then an economic system
has to be developed where every child born in Gujarat gets education,
manners and employment. And for this, those who are multiplying population
at a rapid rate will need to learn a lesson. If we object to population
growth, then too they dislike it. Will someone please tell me is there any
(such) country in the world? Is there BJP rule in China? Yet, China has
enacted laws to control population growth. Arrey, what does
religion have to do with this?
"We talk of madrasas. Madrasas have
flourished in Gujarat. A child has a right to primary education. But a
child going to a madrasa is deprived of primary education. What
will such a child do once he grows up?
"Those who have got no education, and got only
religious education, would they not become a burden on Gujarat?
"We started thinking about madrasas in Gujarat.
When we express concern over madrasas, they call us communal. Why?
The Communist government in West Bengal applies laws in madrasas,
curbs their activities, and it is still secular? And if we try to regulate
madrasas in Gujarat, we are dubbed as communal? After all, any
institution has to be regulated.
"If Gujarat needs peace, a long-term plan has to be
drawn. The merchants of death will not be allowed to run their activities
in Gujarat as they like.
"And as I sit here at this seat of strength, standing
at the feet of mother Becharaji, I want to assure you that the high seat
(of power) may go today or tomorrow, but I will not allow the merchants of
death who want to destroy Gujarat and harass the innocents to settle here.
"Gujarat needs prosperity, it needs peace. Gujarat is
forging ahead on the unity and strength of its five crore people. The days
are gone when Dawood Ibrahim sitting in Karachi could instruct the
merchants of death here and Gujarat could be set on fire. We will not
allow this.
"What for? For power? Power may go today or tomorrow.
We have not applied Fevicol on the chair. We are sitting at the feet of
the people of Gujarat. If people feel we are performing, they will welcome
us, otherwise they will throw us out.
"If the Congress is afraid of going to the people, then
they should come out openly and say that since they are sure of their
defeat, the election should be delayed. Indira Gandhi had done it too. You
do it, who’s stopping you?
"But no, they abuse Gujarat and Gujaratis instead. If
you abuse Gujarat, that is not acceptable to us. Come out openly and give
us a fight if you are strong enough. Why do you escape instead?
"It is I who has been defamed. Yet, I am ready to go to
the people. You go straight to Italy, plead with the Election Commission
to stop polls. But we are not like you, we are proud of approaching the
people. We take pride in applying the dust from people’s feet onto our
foreheads.
"Italy’s daughter has insulted Gujarat and its five
crore people. The land of Sardar Patel is insulted. This has got to be
explained. Sanjay (Gandhi) was only Maneka’s husband. Yet, it is his
samadhi that lies in Delhi, not that of Sardar Patel. The Congress is
out to erase Sardar Patel’s name, but beware."
—http://www.indian-express.com/full_story.php?content_id=9714
Seers’ meet calls for protection of temples
Times News Network
Rajkot, Oct 18: A Sants’ Sammelan organised here on
Thursday by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad has called for serious action to
protect temples all over the country. Sants, in some
no-holds-barred speeches, called upon Hindus to unite and give a befitting
reply to the attack on the temples in the country.
The sammelan also received political acceptance
with the participation of senior BJP leaders, including Union minister of
state for heavy industry Vallabh Kathiria, former minister Vajubhai Vala,
senior leader Chiman Shukla, Vijay Rupani and a host of other BJP leaders.
The sants’ meet also unanimously passed a
seven-point resolution which included handing over of the Ram
Janmabhoomi complex to the Hindus, curbing terrorist activities in
Gujarat, saving Jammu and Kashmir from disintegration and creating
awareness against Jehadi elements.
VHP international general secretary Pravin Togadia said
"time was ripe for forming a separate army of Hindu youths who would
protect the religion from attacks by the Jehadis."
VHP president Ashok Singhal, who also attended the
sammelan, said: "Religion alone can unite Hindus, as no amount of
political planning can bring Hindus under one umbrella."
— http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/articleshow?artid=25511906
Thackeray for suicide squads of Hindus
Mumbai, Oct 15: Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray
favours the formation of suicide squads among Hindus to take on the menace
of terrorism.
"If such suicide squads are formed only then can we
take on perpetrators of mindless violence", Thackeray said in party
mouthpiece Saamna here on Tuesday.
The Sena chief, in his Dussehra message, exhorted
people to be bold as he lashed out at state and Central govenments for
failing to effectively counter the scourge of terrorism.
Meanwhile, following intelligence reports that Jaish-e-Mohammed
militants have sneaked into the metropolis, unprecedented security has
been deployed at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai, where Thackeray is
scheduled to address the annual Dussehra rally in the evening, according
to highly placed police sources.
Rapid Action Force and State Reserve Police personnel
would be deployed around the venue while armed policemen would be posted
atop many of the buildings around the sprawling ground.
Similarly, the route from the Sena chief’s residence in
suburban Bandra to Shivaji Park will be heavily guarded, sources added.
—http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/articleshow?artid=25248436
VHP decides to form suicide squads; Thackeray’s call
touches home base
By A Staff Reporter
Taking a direct cue from Shiv Sena chief, Mr. Bal
Thackeray’s Dassera exhortation, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad has decided to
form Hindu ‘suicide squads’ in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.
The Navi Mumbai unit of the VHP yesterday had a special
meeting to discuss the matter and has decided to form such groups of 20-25
youth who will be responsible for working against the evil designs of
terrorists.
Expressing solidarity with Mr. Thackeray’s views, the
VHP and Bajrang Dal have sworn their active support to the formation of
such squads. Mr. Thackeray clarified that he had not expressed his ire
against the minorities but was firm about taking on anti-national Muslims.
The Hindu outfits declared their readiness to go ahead with any
instructions coming from him.
Yesterday’s meeting at Navi Mumbai was attended by VHP
Navi Mumbai unit chief, Mr. Pravinbhai Jain, and other office bearers like
Uddhavrao Kharade, Yashwantrao Jadhav, Ramesh Patil and Bajrang Dal leader
Kiran Vyavahare.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sainiks disrupted a religious meet
organised by Shankaracharya Swami Narendranand Saraswati at Wagle Estate,
Thane, after he spoke derogatorily about Mr. Thackeray to journalists at a
government guest house. The Shankaracharya had said that Mr. Thackeray did
not have any genuine love for Hinduism and only indulged in publicity
stunts. This hurt the sentiments of the Sainiks and they stormed the
religious meet and forced its closure.
—http://www.cybernoon.com/news/news1.htm
The text of Dr. Togadia’s speech
(This is the speech that VHP international general
secretary Praveen Togadia made on Saturday at Lodia village—the epicentre
of the earthquake in Gujarat’s Bhuj district—in the presence of State
Industry Minister Suresh Mehta and Animal Husbandry Minister Devanand
Solanki. Excerpts from the speech, which was first reported by The Indian
Express, as recorded on tape).
"When I came here, some friends told me that some
organisations have requested that I should not say anything that will
offend their feelings. Now they dictate to us what we should say. But my
question is, don’t you offend us?
"At Bhimasar police station, a complaint has been
lodged. An 18-year-old boy was taken to Radhanpur six months ago and made
a Muslim. If you do this, doesn’t this offend us? We don’t offend
anybody’s feelings. But here our feelings have been hurt. Have you
agitated against this?
"When you attack our Akshardham, does not this offend
our feelings? When you burnt people alive at Godhra station, does this not
offend our feelings? When you destroy our Somnath temple, does not this
offend our feelings?
"When the so-called Babri Masjid which was, in fact, a
Hindu temple was destroyed, Muslims became unhappy. They (Muslims)
clamoured that Hindus had destroyed the masjid which was a Hindu
temple. Here, were your feelings not hurt? They were. When Babar destroyed
our Ram temple 450 years ago, were we not hurt then? When you burnt people
at Godhra station, we have to respect your feelings. When you create
bloodshed at Akshardham we have to respect your feelings, but should you
not respect our feelings in such incidents?
"This type of mindset has produced the offspring of
Gazni in this country. We have always lived peacefully for ages. Do you
find any clash between the Parsees and Hindus? Is there any conflict
between Hindus and Jews? Is there any fight between Hindus and Buddhists?
Do you find any clash between Hindus and Sikhs? Why then there is conflict
with some Muslims?
"When a survey conducted by the India Today
magazine asked Muslims whether Mohammad Gazni, Aurangzeb and Jinnah, who
was unfortunately from Gujarat, were among their heroes, one-third of the
12 crore Muslims gave an affirmative answer. How we can have a rapport
with you when you have this mentality? They certainly cannot be our
heroes. If you still think that your feelings are hurt, then you should go
to Pakistan. If you have to live in this country you have to respect the
feelings of Hindus. We have never hurt your feelings, you have. You are
still doing it.
"A well known Mumbai-based authority on Islam, Rafiq
Zakaria, has written that only jihadis opposed Muslims. Of late,
there is seen some protest against this mentality in some Muslims. Zakaria
clearly says that Hindus are not at fault here as it is work of only
jihadi Muslims.
"I will give you an example of a village near Viramgam
where there was communal harmony between Muslims and Hindus who greet each
other with ‘Ram Ram’ and ‘Salaam Valekum’ for ages. But then
came a maulvi from Uttar Pradesh. One day, on a Friday, a Muslim
did not greet Hindus. When the Hindu villagers asked the Muslim villagers
for the reason behind this sudden change in behaviour, they were told that
the maulvi had told them not to wish kafirs on Friday.
"When the Godhra incident took place, the so-called
secularists of this country did not condemn it the same day. Those who
disrupted Parliament for a whole month on the Ram mandir issue
didn’t raise this issue in Parliament. Then, the communal violence began
from February 28. First, the puppies of Gujarat made noises and started
barking. When it was felt that this noise would not do, dogs from all over
the country started coming here. Some came from Lucknow, some came from
Kerala. Then we heard that a dog from Italy also made the rounds here.
"There has been browbeating in Gujarat to delay the
elections so that Hindu votes get divided, so that people of Lohana
community vote for their community candidates, so that the Darbars, Patels
and Brahmins do the same. So that the supporters of Miya Musharraf
could rule here. Should we permit companions of Miya Musharraf to
rule here?
"Therefore, never vote on the basis of caste. Vote on
the basis of religion. If you do not vote on the basis of religion, there
cannot be unity among the people of Gujarat.
"You think that Hindus could be suppressed with bomb
explosions or violence? We are five crore Hindus in Gujarat. If 50,000
Hindus get killed in a terrorist attack, the five crore figure will not
get smaller. If you people who number 50,000 die, no one would be left
here from you.
"Our Soniaben is imported from abroad. But Muslims of
India are not imported. Indian Muslims are converted Muslims. Therefore,
Soniaben is a foreigner to us but Muslims are not.
"Since the forefathers of Muslims are Hindus, how can
the blood of Arabia flow in their blood? I advise all Muslims to get
themselves tested for their Hindu origin. I request Indian Muslims to get
their genetics tested. The blood flowing in their blood vessels will be
found to be not of Prophet Mohammed but of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna. If
it is proved that you have the blood of Rama and Krishna, then how can
there be any dispute with you? It is you who are in conflict with us. If
in the name of Prophet Mohammed, you pray in a mosque, we have no
objection. But if you talk of jihad, it is not acceptable to us.
"Gujarat is not the right place for jihad. You
cannot harm Hindu religion and culture by jihad because Hindus have
the tradition of wearing a garland of flowers. But our Hindu deity wears a
garland of human heads, we feel we wrongly adopted the tradition of
wearing a garland of flowers."
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