Narendra Modi showed contempt for duty: Harsh Mander

parijataka · Oct 13, 2012

The anti-Modi brigade doing well. Harsh Mander, Teesta Setalvad, Najeeb Jung, Mukul Kesavan, Sreekumar, et al push to keep 2002 issue alive and call for passage of the Communal Violence Bill.

Narendra Modi showed contempt for duty: Harsh Mander

NEW DELHI: Social activist Harsh Mander pushed for the passage of the Communal Violence Bill even as he accused Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi of "contempt for duty" at a gathering of activists and academics held to observe 10 years of the Gujarat riots at Jamia Millia Islamia University on Friday.

Mander also highlighted how victims of communal violence suffer because of "biased prosecution," "deliberately ambiguous FIRs" and the state supporting the accused instead of the victims. "These patterns are now common. We've got evidence in Nellie in Assam, '84 riots in Delhi, Mumbai riots and Gujarat. We have to acknowledge that it is no accident that these cases failed. In the light of this, the Communal Violence Bill is very important," he said.

The bill recognizes dereliction of duty as a crime, and has a provision for relief and rehabilitation for victims of riots, said Mander. He came down strongly on Modi's 2002 remark where he refused to build relief camps for the riot victims, saying he did not want to set up "baby-producing factories". "He demonstrated contempt for his duty and was able to get away with it. The state did not want to help the victims rebuild their lives. The money meant for setting up these rehabilitation camps was returned," he said.

The Gujarat communal violence in 2002 resulted in about 1,200 deaths, with Muslims forming an overwhelming majority of the victims. Activists have strongly condemned the state government's alleged role in fomenting the riots. This August, a special court in Gujarat convicted 32 persons in the riots case of the Naroda Patiya district of the state.

R B Sreekumar, who was a senior police officer in Gujarat at the time of the riots, also strongly criticized the state's role in the killings. "It wasn't spontaneous violence, but pre-planned. There is enough evidence to prove that," said Sreekumar, adding, "Modi punished leaders from violence-free areas." He compared the riots to the disrobing of Draupadi in the Mahabharata with Modi and company allegedly being Dusshashana. He also likened Atal Behari Vajpayee to Bhishma and L K Advani to Dhritrashtra.

With the various instances of miscarriage of justice and state atrocities, the meeting saw several suggestions being put forward to avoid a similar scenario in the future. Advocate M M Tirmizi from the Gujarat High Court proposed installation of CCTV cameras in courts, recordings from which can be made available to the public at large. He recalled a case from the hearings pertaining to the 2002 riots, where the accused were sitting with the lawyers in the courtroom.

"There is a separate space where the accused are supposed to sit or stand. That's where the witnesses are asked to identify them. But two or three of them would sit with the lawyers. The court's attention was drawn to this but no action was taken. Instances like these would force us to put forth a suggestion that there should be CCTV cameras in all courts and police stations," said Tirmizi, who won the Minority Rights Award by the National Minorities Commission in 2009.

Najeeb Jung, the vice-chancellor of Jamia Milia University, emphasized the importance of the support from non-Muslim majority communities of the country in the struggle for justice following the Gujarat carnage. "These 10 years of struggle, court interventions, and rectification of the wrongs would not have been possible if the majority had not been supportive. I would ask the Muslim students to not live in a siege mentality. The vast majority is with you. It is a miniscule minority that causes (these problems)," said Jung.

While a strong, growing faction today calls for reconciliation and moving on, writer and professor of social history Mukul Kesavan emphasized the need to keep the issue alive. He criticized the current political pitch that seeks to soften the stand against Modi regarding the 2002 Godhra riots by selling the idea of him as a pro-development leader. "Premature forgiveness betrays the victims and mutes the people. It subverts everyone who has fought for justice. Forgiveness and reconciliation are important, but there is a time for them," said Kesavan.

Activist Teesta Setalvad, whose Citizens for Justice and Peace organized the meet along with Jamia Teachers Solidarity Association, was also present.
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warriorextreme · Oct 13, 2012

Everyone is gang banging Modi while justice still not given to victims of 1984 anti SIkh riots...

Ray · Oct 13, 2012

Harsh Mander quit the IAS for a better paid job with an international NGO, Action Aid.

He resigned from the IAS because of conscience only to join an organisation that has such high morality as:

Scandal of 'phantom' aid money
Scandal of 'phantom' aid money | Business | The Guardian

and

Aid agencies kept in dark over sex scandal
Aid agencies kept in dark over sex scandal | Society | Society Guardian

Of course all are in the dark!

Bothe reports from the British Newspaper Guardian

He was quickly picked up by Sonian Gandhi for the all powerful National Advisory Council.

Harsh Mander is a signatory to the campaign to save Afzal Guru.

He also supports the demand for removal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 from Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir and North-eastern states.

He was awarded the Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award for peace work, and the M.A. Thomas National Human Rights Award 2002.

He is hardly a chap who could be loyal or trustworthy.

Sold to the highest bidder!

Bang goes the gavel.

Sold! to the person representing the organisation................

Ray · Oct 13, 2012

There has been the Gujarat riots and the Sikh riots.

This much I will say that it pleases me is that at least some of the miscreants of Gujarat riots have been jailed and even given life.

Sadly, nothing seems to bother the courts and the investigating agencies conscience to shake themselves and get at least some of the miscreants of the Sikh riots to justice. Or are they waiting for the miscreants of the Sikh riots to die like HKL Bhagat before they dish out evidence and then declare them guilty of heinous crimes?

Life is real funny.

drkrn · Oct 13, 2012

Ray said: ↑

Harsh Mander quit the IAS for a better paid job with an international NGO, Action Aid.

He resigned from the IAS because of conscience only to join an organisation that has such high morality as:

Scandal of 'phantom' aid money
Scandal of 'phantom' aid money | Business | The Guardian

and

Aid agencies kept in dark over sex scandal
Aid agencies kept in dark over sex scandal | Society | Society Guardian

Of course all are in the dark!

Bothe reports from the British Newspaper Guardian

He was quickly picked up by Sonian Gandhi for the all powerful National Advisory Council.

Harsh Mander is a signatory to the campaign to save Afzal Guru.

He also supports the demand for removal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 from Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir and North-eastern states.

He was awarded the Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award for peace work, and the M.A. Thomas National Human Rights Award 2002.

He is hardly a chap who could be loyal or trustworthy.

Sold to the highest bidder!

Bang goes the gavel.

Sold! to the person representing the organisation................
Click to expand...

what are you actually by profession mr.ray.
your knowledge is quite impressive regarding internal affairs of india

Narendra Modi showed contempt for duty: Harsh Mander

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Narendra Modi showed contempt for duty: Harsh Mander

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