THE RADICAL CONTENTS : Page No. HUMANIST Articles and Features : Vol. 81 Number 12, March 2018 Asma, a votary of peace 4 Monthly journal of the Indian Renaissance Institute Kuldip Nayar Devoted to the development of the Renaissance Movement and to the promotion of human The sheen Around Modi Is Quickly Fading rights, scientific temper, rational thinking and a 6 humanist view of life. Swati Chaturvedi Founder Editor: The Hindutva Gang Continues to M.N. Roy 8 Celebrate ‘Vadh’/Murder of Gandhi Advisor: Prof. Shamsul Islam (Retd.) Dr. Narisetti Innaiah Editor: Mahi Pal Singh Ambedkar is Losing, Modi is Winning 12 Dushyant Dave Editorial Board: Ramesh Awasthi, Rekha Saraswat, N.D. Pancholi, Dipavali Sen Why India’s Big Fix Is a Big Flub 15 Reetika Khera Printer and Publisher: Satish Chandra Varma Gandhi and Roy: The Interaction of 17 Send articles and reports to: Ideologies in India - 2 Mahi Pal Singh at E-21/5-6, Dennis Dalto Sector 3, Rohini, Delhi- 110085. (M) 09312206414, 09015020456, 07042548234 Where Canvas is Human Value - 1 22 or E-mail them to: Dr. Ashok K. Choudhury [email protected] or [email protected] Please send Subscription/Donation Humanists' Section : Cheques in favour of Stalin’s Young Man: M.N. Roy and the 26 The Radical Humanist to: Russian Revolution – 4 Satish Chandra Varma, Treasurer IRI, A-1/103, Satyam Apartments, Vasundhra Enclave, Delhi- 110096. (M) 9811587576. Towards Human Solidarity 30 Email ID: [email protected] Ramesh Korde Please Note: Authors will bear sole accountability Aanvikshiki (Philosophy) - 2 for corroborating the facts that they give in their 33 write-ups. Neither the IRI/the Publisher, nor the Professor K. Venkateswarlu Editor of this journal will be responsible for testing the validity and authenticity of statements & information cited by the authors. Also, Students' and Researchers' Section : sometimes some articles published in this journal may carry opinions not similar to the Radical Globalization and India’s Soft Power 38 Humanist philosophy; but they would be Diplomacy entertained here if the need is felt to debate and discuss them. Sonika Sharma March 2018 THE RADICAL HUMANIST 3 Articles and Features: Asma, a votary of peace Asma Jehangir, who has However, Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj kicked the bucket last was unequivocal in her statement that New week, was a popular Delhi would have no discussion with human rights lawyer and Islamabad until it realized that terrorism and social activist. Although talks did not go together. Asma felt that her work was confined to Islamabad faced certain problems with the Pakistan, her example was military which had to be sorted out before any Kuldip Nayar followed throughout the meaningful meeting could take place. She was subcontinent. The place from where she very positive about the possibility of such a announced the foundation of Human Rights meeting and she could somehow persuade the Commission, an organization to protect powers-that-be to see reason. individual rights, also became the venue for But my disappointment is that there was meetings to normalize relations between India little response in India on the death of Asma and Pakistan. even though she had dared her country’s Asma would get girls and boys from India military, the sworn enemy of India. It was and Pakistan together at the house which was heartening to see her devotion to the cause of allotted to me as a Member of Parliament. I improving relations between India and watched Asma putting in all efforts to change Pakistan. I always supported her efforts. religious influence on the society. The bane of I was allotted a bungalow as a member of problems was because of the mixing of religion the Rajya Sabha in Lodhi Estate where Asma with politics. would bring girls and boys from Pakistan to Only a few days ago did she ring me up from meet their counterparts in India. Asma named Lahore to say that she would now have more that place the Pakistan House. The boys and time to work for the normalization of relations girls from Pakistan would shed tears as they between India and Pakistan after marrying off would bid farewell to the boys and girls in her daughter. Maybe, this was her way of India. Categorizing them as Pakistanis would telling that she had miles to go to change a be unfair because they looked very much a religion-oriented society into a secular one. part of secular society in India. She would also Asma could have the satisfaction of having take the Indian youth to Pakistan to learn from India and Pakistan on the same page even the society which was tilting towards a though their reluctance to come nearer to each particular religion. other was apparent. Asma made Islamabad and Asma, a symbol of Pakistan’s human rights New Delhi realize that they had no alternative and resistance, was also a fierce opponent of except to sit across the table and discuss the military dictators for over four decades. She reasons why the two could not bury the was also a strong advocate of India-Pakistan hatchets. Although New Delhi had decided that peace and was part of several Track-2 it would have no talks with Pakistan until it delegations to India. Not only that, she has also stopped giving shelter to the terrorists, Asma had a prominent career as a lawyer after believed that there was still some room for a beginning her career as an advocate at the patch-up. judiciary. She was also the chief of the 4 THE RADICAL HUMANIST March 2018 Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan Asma also pioneered the women’s rights which indicates her popularity. movement in her country at a time when Even today the Pakistani judiciary human rights were not considered an issue in remembers her when she fought for the Pakistan. Thanks to Asma, today people, restoration of honour to Iftikhar Chaudhry, particularly women, talk about their rights and who was the Chief Justice of Pakistan. The even the political parties, including religious lawyers’ movement ultimately achieved its parties, realise the importance of women’s goal and even led to the downfall of President rights. The credit for this goes to Asma. Gen. Pervez Musharraf. That unprecedented One particular issue that Asma stoutly movement which saw the lawyers marching defended was the Christians charged with in 2007 had given a glimmer of hope that blasphemy. Several people from the minority Pakistan was indeed understanding the community faced death penalty as blasphemy importance of restoration of democracy. But is an offence that attracted the severest then every ruler in Pakistan always overlooked punishment. She was also instrumental in the shoulders of the military and it is true even fighting cases relating to the recovery of today. missing persons free of cost. A kind-hearted I remember Asma taking on the might of person that Asma was, she would not yield to martial law administrator Zia-ul-Haq in the any kind of pressure, including threats from early eighties when she was in the thick of the fanatic groups. movement to restore democracy. She was Asma, who was a popular activist around the imprisoned for leading the protest movement world, has won several awards including the but Asma had become a champion activist Raman Magsaysay and the Peace Prize from soon after. There were occasions when her United Nations Development Fund. But for lift was on the block but undeterred she braved Asma the awards hardly meant anything. Her those threats and continued to stand up against sole aim was to restore democracy in the dictators. In the process, she helped establish country because of her unwavering belief in it. the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Similarly, Asma not just fought for the people which she also chaired later. She would often of Pakistan but also for people from all over say that it was the Commission’s duty to defend the world, including from the Palestine and the all religious minorities. The Commission struggles that people faced elsewhere. No during her chairmanship also tackled doubt, she made a lot of enemies at home successfully highly charged blasphemy because of the battles she chose but she viewed accusations along with cases of honour the challenges as something that cannot be killings. ignored. That speaks volumes of Asma. ASMA JAHANGIR ( 27th January,1952 --11th Feb.2018) Asma Jahangir was an iconic champion of human rights, a lion of democ- racy, struggled throughout against dictatorship and authoritarianism in Pakistan, - even served jail terms at times, always spoke in a universal language of the rights of weak, deprived and minorities, was a strong votary of peace and friendship in the South Asian region, especially between India and Pakistan. Her sudden demise is a great loss to the democratic movement in this part of the world. Indian Renaissance Institute and the Indian Radical Humanist Association share the grief and pay their heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. March 2018 THE RADICAL HUMANIST 5 The Sheen Around Modi Is Quickly Fading Swati Chaturvedi The BJP’s by-poll defeat in Rajasthan and West Bengal will likely be a big cause of concern for the Modi-Shah duo. In 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) politics around it, covered with a thin veneer of under their declared prime ministerial candidate development meant to convince the Narendra Modi got 73 seats in Uttar Pradesh fence- sitters. along with ally Apna Dal, 25 out of 25 seats in While analysts remain in denial, the Rajasthan and 26 out of 26 seats in Gujarat. anointment of Adityanath as Uttar Pradesh chief These sweeping wins added to Modi’s “56-inch” minister was a clear pointer to Modi and Shah swagger and enabled him and his shadow Amit upping the polarisation policy.