Vol. XXXIX, No. 1 ISSN-0970-8693 JANUARY 2019 Rs. 20 Presidential address for the National Council Meeting on 24-25th November 2018 at GPF, Delhi: Presidential address for NC Meeting at Responding to Danger to Indian Democracy GPF, Delhi: Responding to Danger to Ravi Kiran Jain* Indian Democracy - Ravi Kiran Jain (1) This meeting of the National Council is being held in extremely a grim situation. This situation is an inevitable result of Modi's election campaign and then his rule after coming into power in 2014. The 2014 elections were GS Report for NC Meeting for the year based on emotive communal divide which had literally dumped the basic 2016-18 (3); Bihar PUCL Report presented issues into the dustbin of electoral politics and Modi's communal divide plank became a determinant of success of his election. The new political scenario in NC Meeting (6); Delhi PUCL Report (8); has certainly brought the atmosphere of communal hatred and grave fear in PUCL TN & Puducherry Report of Activities the society as a result of which the fundamental questions like elimination of done during 2017-2018 (9); PUCL poverty, the distribution of national wealth, the assurance of social justice in Karnataka Report presented in NC Meeting civil society of our time are being brushed aside under the carpet. (11); Understanding PUCL - Prabhakar Recent years have witnessed systematic attacks on human right defenders Sinha (12); PUCL Punjab Reoprt (14); and fearless journalists, writers and rationalists. 2019 polls are going to be Editor's Note: The Hashimpura Massacres between democracy and authoritarian rule. of 1987: Justice Finally Delivered (15); Human Right Defenders and journalists are specially becoming the victims Hashimpura Conviction: Clinching of the policies of the Modi Government to silence any voice raising Evidence was Diary with Names of dissenting view against the misdeeds of his government. th rd 13 J.P.Memorial Lecture was delivered by Shri V.M.Tarkunde on 23 March Policemen on Riot Duty - Gaurav Vivek th Bhatnagar (15); Hashimpura Massacre 1993, (just after 3 and a half months of the demolition of Babri Masjid on 6 Case: Verdict by the Delhi High Court - December 1992). I deem it necessary to place the following quotes from that speech: Anubhav Pandey (17). “In the meantime, a graver and most serious danger to Indian democracy has appeared in the horizon. It is represented by the growing strength of the Bhartiya Janata Party and the power behind it – the R.S.S and the Sangh Parivar consisting of such organizations as the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Elected New Office Bearers for 2018-2020 Parishad, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal. They are giving (6); PUCL Total Members of All States (14); to the Indian people a heady mixture of aggressive Hindu communalism and PUCL Delhi: Campaign to Uphold the Right equally aggressive Hindu Nationalism. In that process they are promoting to Dissent, Defence & Organize animosity between Hindus and Muslims.” -------------------------- Demonstration (14). “As I will show later; the movement which is being fostered by these forces contains all the essential characteristics of Fascism”. Annual Subscription: PUCL Bulletin ------------------------ (w.e.f. January 01, 2017) INDIA “I am of the view that the communalist nationalism which is being propagated PUCL Members Rs. 200 by the BJP and Sangh Parivar represents a far greater danger to Indian Non-Members Rs. 240 Democracy than the personal authoritarian rule which Mrs. Indira Gandhi Libraries, Institutions Rs. 300 OVERSEAS and the Gandhi- Nehru family were likely to impose on the country”. PUCL Members US$50 ----------------------- Non-Members US$100 “Our difficulty arises from the fact that a theocratic State may possibly be Libraries, Institutions US$120 established in the country after the next elections and therefore it is necessary that besides a long-term program of a socio- cultural transformation, we must have a short term program which would prevent a communal party coming into power in the country in near future.” ------------------------- “There is indeed a great deal of similarity between the politics of BJP and that of Hitler's Nazi party. Hitler fostered a sense of pride among Germans on the 440 PUCL BULLETIN, JANUARY 2019 1 ground of their Aryan's race and be secularists for creating a joint 6th Dec 1992 giving Sangh Parivar a hatred for the Jews because the secular anti –communal platform. We way to claim to construct a “grand Jews diluted the ethnic purity of that cannot forget that the main reason temple” at the site of the demolished race. The BJP and the Sangh Parivar why the Babri Masjid was destroyed Masjid and gave a boost to the BJP to are striving to promote the pride of on 6th December 1992, was that the contest the 2014 elections based on Hindus in their Hinduism and to foster Central Government of the this issue. The 2014 election was hatred for Muslims. Secondly, the Congress-(I) did not want to take any contested by the BJP based upon N a z i s w e r e a g g r e s s i v e l y firm action against the so-called Kar Modi's communal divide plank. After Nationalistic and wanted Germany to Sewaks because it was reluctant to 3 years of the Modi government at the be the strongest and the greatest alienate Hindu votes. Anti- communal Centre, Yogi Adityanath, the Hindu nation in the world. The BJP and the secular fronts should, in my opinion Icon was installed as the Chief Sangh Parivar is also intensely be created by all the non- Minister of U.P. Of the 403 seats, the Nationalistic and although it cannot governmental organizations (NGOs) BJP secured a majority of 325 under the existing circumstances which believe in democracy and members in the U.P Legislative think in terms of India being the which are determined that India will Assembly. Yogi has the reputation of strongest country in the world, they never have an anti- humanist being a hardcore Hindu leader. His want it to be militarily a strong country theocratic state. Such anti elevation to the post of the U.P Chief so that it would dominate over the –communal secular fronts consisting Minister shows that Hindutva is neighbouring states. Recent events, of NGOs and other supporting sweeping the country. moreover, have demonstrated that, individuals should be formed in all In U.P there is an openly declared like the Nazis, the Sangh Parivar important cities and towns and they Encounter Raj. U.P Chief Minister have no regard for law and thus s h o u l d p r o p a g a t e a g a i n s t Yogi Adityanath has declared that “as believe that Might is Right. Although communalism and in favour of a criminals should leave U.P or there are, some obvious differences democratic and secular state. Such else…….. there are only two places between the Nazi movement and educative work can be carried out for them jail or……..as per available movement of Sangh Parivar, they through the publication of literature figures upto 14th Aug 2014, there have basically the same Fascist and through meetings, processions, have been 2351 shoot outs, killing 63 characteristics. exhibitions, street plays and other persons across 24 districts. The -------------- means of mass communication. actual numbers are many more. For “What We Can Do” There are ample reasons to believe the list of those killed it is obvious that “We must now turn to the steps which that such an anti-communal most of them were Muslims and people like us, democrats and movement can be developed on a Dalits. Draconian laws like UAPA, humanists, can take to meet the non-party basis and it can overcome NSA and 124-A IPC,(sedition) are danger of communal chauvinism the danger of communal chauvinism being used to implicate public which is being promoted by the BJP coming to power in the country”. intellectuals, writers, fearless and the Sangh Parivar. We must The situation as it existed when Shri journalists and Human Rights have both a long term and a short Tarkunde delivered the J.P. Memorial Activists and not against criminals/ term program. However, it is obvious Lecture 25 years ago, in March 1993 terrorists for whom these laws are that even a long term program has to was very different than what it is made. The criminals / terrorists who be commenced immediately and not today. The chain of events from 1993 should have been booked under to be postponed. In my opinion, the is relevant to see the difference these Draconian Laws are being long term program must be aimed at between the situation in 1993 and killed in Encounters. promoting the values of democracy today. In the 1996 Lok Sabha If U.P is deemed to be a “Rashtra and humanism in the broad masses elections, the BJP secured 161 seats ”then it can be safely said that it has of the people……….” and a non-Congress government virtually become a “Hindu Rashtra” (There is a lengthy note in the was formed which could not after Yogi Adityanath became its speech relating to the “long term complete its full term. In 1999 Chief Minister with a huge majority in program”in which there is a elections the BJP secured 182 seats the Assembly. suggestion of spreading the and with its allies in NDA it was able to In a recently published report democratic values of liberty, form government with Atal Bihari “Dismantling India - A Four year equality and fraternity among the Vajpayee as its Prime Minister.