MINORITIES - 2002 - Indian Social Institute

Modi lectures Gujarat police (7)
Ahmedabad: Police officers in Gujarat went through a back to academy session with chief minister
Narendra Modi playing principal. The eight hour long grueling session where Modi met the police officers
for the first time since he took charge in October 2001, was a meeting with a difference. Armed with the
list of IPS officers, Modi began the session by taking a roll call and marking the presence of the officers on
the pretext that he wanted to know them. Some of the officers actually stood up when their names were
called out. Among other things Modi stressed on avoiding the media and not leaking matters to the Press.
He is learnt to have specifically mentioned a particular government circular that had been leaked out.
(Times of India 27.6.02)
27 th June
Fear returns with Gujarat rath yatra (7)
AHMEDABAD JUNE26" : FOR three months, ,they couldn't return home. Barely a few weeks there,
and Walled City residents are again living in fear: Of the coming rath yatra. Around daily evening huddles,
marry have decided to shift elsewhere for some days around July 12 to tide over what the yatra may bring
in its wake. With rumours rife that the yatra could incite violence, no one is taking any chances. 'Almost
everyone has decided to leave a couple of days before July 12 and return by next day evening," says
Samirabanu Ahmed Gulam Ali Shiekh, a resident of Nagoriwad. She lives in a 30-house society, and six
of these houses belong to Muslims. "We went through hell when a irfob attacked us in the second week of
March. All of us had to shift to Dariakhan Ghummat camp. We were saved, but what if something
happens during the yatra? (Indian Exp 27.6.02)
27 th June
CM tutors Cops on 'Hindu secularism’ (7)
Gandhinagar, June 26: NARENDRA MODI has told I.P.S. officers in Gujarat to practice "Indian
secularism", without paying attention to "pseudo-secular propaganda". He has advised them not to be
swayed by "pseudo-secular criticism", and not to interact with the "pseudo-secular media" that is out to
tarnish the image of the country. The chief minister lectured more than 80 I.P.S. officers on policing and
secularism for over eight hours here on Tuesday night. He blasted the hypocrisy of "pseudo-secularists"
who campaigned against the government's efforts to shut down madrassas, but condoned the same step
when it was taken by Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, the communist chief minister of West Bengal. No one
need to teach him secularism, Modi said -— for India's spiritual heritage was essentially secular. The chief
minister criticised officers who he said developed a "know-all" attitude soon after donning the uniform. He
reminded such officers that the tradition of "Hindu secularism" was superior to "JNU-type of secularism" —
a dig, apparently, at Left leaders who have had a background at the Delhi's Jawharlal Nehru University.
(Hindustan Times 27.6.02)
27th June
Ban Modi entry into UK: Rights activists (7)
New Delhi, June 26: THE GUJARAT carnage has come back to haunt New Delhi again. An initiative
launched by some prominent scholars of South Asia and human rights activists based in the UK has
urged the British Government to declare Narendra Modi and members of his ministry personae non
gratae. If the demand were accepted, Modi and his cabinet would not be allowed to enter the United
Kingdom. The scholars have also urged British Government to send a strong signal to the India by
refusing to host Home Minister L.K. Advani, now or in future. The petition has been signed by prominent
Indians including Lord Megh-nad Desai of the London School of Economics, who is also a member of the
House of Lords, noted legal affairs specialist Professor Upendra Baxi, Prof Barbara Harris White of the
Oxford University and Dr Rajeshwari Sunderajan of the Oxford University. At least 28 more scholars
based in UK have also signed the plea.
The petitioners contended that "Genocidal events must not be passed over silence by the international
community, we ask that initiatives for the defence of human rights be supported worldwide". (The
Hindustan Times 27.6.02)
27 th June
Support for rebuilding tomb of Wali Gujarati (7)