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1. Forum News
All India Secular Forum congratulates Dr. Suresh Khairnar for being awarded Mukundan C. Menon Award (2016). The award is in recognition of Dr. Khairnars work for rights of religious minorities in particular. His work in investigating the cases of Hindutva terror network had a major impact on our understanding about this phenomenon. He is constantly engaged with the issues which undermine the secular ethos and upholds the secular values through his interventions. We wish him all the very best in his endeavors.
N E W S L E T T E R D A T E
SECULAR ACTION NETWORK
V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 1
C O N T E N T S Editorial 1. CSSS Activities - Observation of Gandhi Jayanti
2. Article - I cannot Accept Hindutva because I am a Hindu By Nayantara Sahgal
- ' ' ' ' - Honoring Gauri Lankesh
3. Amity - Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs come together for peace in Kashmir -Sufi traditions, A Sikh past and Islamic influences come together in a Christian Shrine in Pakistan 4. Inidra Gandhi National Integration Award Acceptance speech by T.M. Krishna 5. Gender Justice and Communal Politics - Statement condemning the appropriation of womens movement and Muslim womens voices by the BJP Government. 6. Archives - Freedom struggle betrayed 7. Victims of terrorism in the name of cow protection 8. Murder in the name of Beef. Fact Finding Report 9. Poem 10. Resources - Documentery by Arun Lucas of Karwan e Mohabat - Speech on communalism and challenges to religious minorities by Ram Puniyani - New Book by Ram Puniyani on Caste, Hindutva and Dalits
----- - -------------------------------- Ph. 022-26149668, 022-26135098 E-mail: [email protected] Editor: Ram Puniyani, [email protected], www.pluralindia.com Advisory Board: L.S. Hardenia, Irfan Engineer, Dhirendra Panda, Mohammad Arif.
Newsletter of All India Secular Forum
Volume. 12 No.11 November 2017
V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 1
Correspondence Address: CSSS, 602 & 603, New Silver Star, Santacruz (E), Mumbai: - 400 055
From the Editors Desk As elections are due in Gujarat, there seems to be some turn in the tide. The hollow promises of Narendra Modi stand exposed, the promise of 15 Lakhs in everybodys account, promise of creation of crores of jobs every year, all lie in shambles. The rise in the prices of commodities and rise in farmers suicides show the growing crisis in Indian economy. The apt term torpedoes (used by Rahul Gandhi) like GST and demonetization has broken the back of average people and traders. The rising insecurity among the religious minorities is another factor contributing to the growing disenchantment with this government. In this light to tilt of Hardik Patel, Jignesh Mevani and Alpesh Thakur, going against the politics of BJP, is a good sign for democratic politics. True to its character the BJP is trying to raise the bogey of attack on RSS workers in Kerala. The fact is that CPM and RSS workers are mutually attacking each other for political reasons. The issue of Taj Mahal, the tomb in memory of Mumtaj Mahal, Shah Jahans favorite wife, is the continuation of divisive politics by RSS combine. RSS is adept at raising emotive issues on the eve of elections, to drive a wedge between religious communities. In this issue we are carrying the fact finding report of lynching of Pehlu Khan. This is very revealing about the role of the police and state machinery. The issue of Cow Beef is currently the major tool in the hands of Hindutva politics. We are also carrying the links to valuable resources which can help us understand the current scenario. The Wire video lecture of Ram Chandra Guha well tries to distinguish between patriotism and jingoism. What we are witnessing currently is the jingoism being orchestrated by the Hindu right wing forces.
Ram Puniyani
(Editor)
mailto:[email protected]://www.pluralindia.com/
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1. CSSS News
Centre for Study of Society and Secularism Peace Centre Activities
Observation of Gandhi Jayanty as Save Democracy & Save Constitutional
Value/Protest Rally and Meeting was organized on the eve of Gandhi Jayanty.
As the call for Nationwide Protest by the 'Forum Against Assaiassnation of Gouri
Lankesh' on 2nd October for Save Democracy, Save Constitutional Values and against
all types of Killings and attacks on Dissent Voices by the Ring Masters of Communal-
Political Forces organized at Phulbani, Kandhamal.
Phulbani(Kandhamal), 2.10.17: We cant
tolerate any more killings and attacks on
dissent voices , stop atrocities and
killings of dalit and minorities, hands off
communal forces was the slogan raised
by the hundreds of protesters at the
district headquarter of Kandhamal as
participating in the nationwide protest
call which was given by Forum Against
Assassination of Gouri Lankesh .
Responding the call the various
organisations like Campaign for Peace
(Peace Centre, CSSS), Indian Social
Action Forum(INSAF), Banabasi
Surakshya Parisad and Adivasi Adhikar
Aandolan were jointly came to the street
and organised protest rally and meeting
at Phulbani, the headquarter of
Kandhamal district which was severely
affected by right wing violence in 2007
and 2008.
The protest rally was started from
Madikunda Chhak and marched around
the town in the tune of songs like Tu
Hindu Banega Na Musalman Banega
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and Mere Rande Basanti Chola and
slogans against recent killings of Gouri
Lankesh, M.M. Kulbargi, Govind
Pansare, Narendra Davolkar, to save
democracy, diversities and constitutional
values as well as attacks on dalits and
minorities by the state right wing
extremists supported by right wing
political parties.
Under the leadership of Narendra
Mohanty, Secretary, Campaign for Peace
and state convener of INSAF, Rationalist
leader Md. Abdul Sukur, D. Mohan Rao,
senior leader of civil society
Brahmananda Behera, Chakradhar
Mallick, Prof. Prasanna Bishoyi,
Prasanta Pradhan, V. Subramanyam Das,
State Employees Federation
Coordination Committee(Kandhamal)s
secretary Kishore Mishra, leader of
regional womens federation Bhanumati
Mallick, community leader Balabhadra
Mallick, Amosh Majhi, Patra Mallick,
students leader Kanhu Mishra and others
led the rally and organized a protest
meeting in front of Gandhi Statue after
paying the homage to the father of
nation.
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2. Articles
I Cannot Accept Hindutva Because I Am a Hindu.
By NAYANTARA SAHGAL
The other day, an acquaintance of mine asked me why I was opposing Hindutva. What did I have against it? I told her why. I said I opposed it for two reasons. One reason is personal and the other is political. Let me begin with the personal. I cannot accept Hindutva because I am a Hindu. By this I dont mean only that I was born a Hindu, but that I am a believer. My religion is important to me. I draw daily strength and sustenance from it. It is central to my life and thought, and to my behaviour toward believers of other faiths, for Sanatan Dharma teaches that the world is our family. To millions of Indians, of whatever faith, religion matters. And all truly religious people know that God has no chosen people. We are all equal in the eyes of the creator. So it is unbearable to watch my religion being transformed into what it was never meant to be by people who call themselves Hindus but practise a brutal, militant creed of their own that drives them to lynch defenceless innocent Indians, pump bullets into those who question their creed, and enter a train armed with knives to stab to death a fifteen-year-old boy who is returning to his village after his Eid shopping in Delhi. Unbelievably, this vengeance pursues some of its victims beyond the grave. What else are we to make of the news that the grieving families of
