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Citizens
condemn Varanasi Bombings and call for peace
Several
citizens from across India have condemned the Varanasi bombings and
called for peace. The signatories to the Statement include Shubha Mudgal,
Chunibhai Vaidya, Teesta Setalvad, Swami Agnivesh, Girish Patel, Francis
Parmar, Farooque Shaikh, Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Eustace D’Souza, Dr. Ram
Puniyani, Nandita Das, Shabnam Hashmi, Ila Pathak, Rahul Bose, Dr. Bal
Patil and Dr. Kamal Mitra Chenoy . The Statement runs :
We, citizens of
India and
representatives of several organizations, condemn the recent bomb
attacks on the Sankat Mochan Temple and other locations in Varanasi.
These dastardly attacks aimed at terrorizing people have absolutely no
place in civil society.
We sympathize with all those who have lost a loved one
and we pray that those families who are affected in any way will be
provided with the necessary solace, relief and rehabilitation.
Attacks on places of worship are particularly despicable,
since they deeply hurt the religious sentiments of people and will only
widen the communal divide.
We, the undersigned, call upon the Central Government and
the Government of Uttar Pradesh to act expeditiously and impartially and
to bring to book all those involved in these heinous deeds.
We also urge political parties from across the spectrum,
to immediately stop indulging in petty politicking and desist from
activities that are bound to endanger the secular fabric of the country.
Working unitedly and objectively on the more important issues of
security and peace should be the priority of all parties.
Finally, we urge the Central and the State Governments
and all our fellow-citizens, to join hands to ensure that there is
justice for all and that every citizen in our country is able to live in
security, in harmony and in peace.
9th March 2006
This statement has been signed by :
Abraham Mathai,
All India Christian Council
Afroz Baig, Koshish Foundation
Afzal Menon, Gujarat Sarvajanik Relief Committee
Akhil S. Paul, Director, Sense International (India)
ANHAD, Delhi
Anjum Rajabali, Insaaniyat
Antony Arulraj, Justice Peace and Development Commission
Ashoke Chatterjee
Ashraf Patel, PRAVAH
Dr. Bal Patil, Member, Maharashtra State Minorities Commission
Balwant Rathod, Rural Coordinator, SAMERTH-Rural
Bhavna Ramrakhiani, Ahmedabad Community Foundation
Bishop Gratian Mundadan, Bijnor
Cedric Prakash, Director, Prashant
Chunibhai Vaidya, Gujarat Lok Samiti
D N Rath, Movement for Secular Democracy
Deben Sharma, Guwahati
Deepa Bhalerao Singh
Maj. Gen. (Redt) Eustace D’Souza
Farooque Shaikh
Fr. John L. Noronha, Executive Director, Caritas India,
Francis Parmar, Principal, St. Xavier’s College, Ahmedabad and
Spokesperson, Catholic Bishops of Gujarat
Francis Pudhicherry
Frazer Mascarenhas, Principal, St. Xavier’s College, Bombay
Gazala Paul, SAMERTH
Girish Patel, Senior Counsel
Gratian Vas, Executive Director, IGSSS
Dr. Hanif Lakdawala, IFIE
Harinder Baweja, Editor Investigations, Tehelka
Harsh Mander
Ila Pathak, AWAG
Iqbal Baig, Peace Activist
Janet Pinto, Consultant
Dr. J. S. Bandukwala
Joseph Appavoo, Kheda Social Service Society
Dr. Kamal Mitra Chenoy, JNU
Kamal Ramnani
Kamna R
Mary Scaria
Coordinator, JPC
Meenakshi
Ganguly
Meera Malek,
Centre for Development, Ahmedabad
Michael
Gonsalves, President, Indian Catholic Press Association
Mira Mangaldas
Myriam
Rasiwala
Nafisa Barot,
Utthan
Nandita Das
Nasiruddin
Haider Khan, Journalist
Navaid Hamid,
General Secretary, People's Integration Council
Nithya Sagayam,
Justice Peace Development Commission, CBCI
P. K. Valera,
Retd. Bureaucrat
P. T.
Kuriakose
Patricia
Mascarenhas
Prasad Chacko,
Action Aid
Pritika Kalra,
Information Analyst, TERI Press
Prof. Rita
Kothari
Pushpa Iyer
Rafi Malek,
Centre for Development. Ahmedabad
Rahul Bose
Rajesh Mehta
Dr. Ram
Puniyani
Robert Aranha
Rohan Saldanha,
(Senior Associate) Darashaw & Co Pvt Limited
Rohit Dhankar,
Secretary, Digantar
Roshni
Sengupta, Research Scholar, JNU, Delhi
S M Sajid
Samson
Christian, Secretary (Gujarat) All India Christian Council
Sanny
Jebamalai, Legal Aid and Human Rights Centre
Shabnam Hashmi,
ANHAD
Dr. Stanny
Pinto, Adivasi Kheti Yojana
Sheba George,
Director, Sahr Waru
Dr. Sheilu
Sreenivasan, President, Dignity Foundation
Shubha Mudgal,
FLO, Bombay Chapter
Sophia Khan,
SAFAR
Srinivas Mudrakartha
Suhel Tirmizi,
Advocate
Sukla Sen,
EKTA (Committee for Communal Amity), Mumbai
Swami Agnivesh
Teesta
Setalvad, Citizens for Justice and Peace
Utthan,
Ahmedabad
Varghese Paul,
Director, CISS & President, Gujarati Christian Press Council (GCPC)
Veronica
D’Souza
William Pius,
RISHTA
Willy D’Costa,
INSAF
Xavier
Manjooran, Rajpipla Social Service Society
Yogi Sikand,
Writer
Zakhia Jowher,
Action Aid
……and several other individuals and
organizations
C/o “ PRASHANT ”
(Centre for
Human Rights Justice and Peace)
Hill Nagar
Drive-in
Road
Ahmedabad
380 052
Tel: 079
55522333 / 27455913
Fax: 079
27489018
Email:
[email protected]
www.humanrightsindia.in
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
PRASHANT - A Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace
Street Address : Hill Nagar, Near Kamdhenu Hall, Drive-in Road,
Ahmedabad - 380052, Gujarat, India
Postal Address : P B 4050, Navrangpura PO, Ahmedabad - 380 009, Gujarat,
India
Phone : 91
79 55522333, 27455913
Fax : 91 79 27489018
Email:
[email protected]
www.humanrightsindia.in |