MINORITIES - 2002 - Indian Social Institute

changed stand, we expect to receive the tapes in the next few days. The panel's next course of action
would be decided af ter the tapes are examined," vice-chairman Tarlochan Singh said. (Hindustan Times
20.9.02)
21 st September
Two die after riots in Vadodara (7)
Vadodara: Blood and gore, communal tension and death came back to haunt Vado dara on Friday as
riotous mobs, belonging to two com munities, clashed at various places after an altercation between
namaazis and mem bers of a Ganpati procession in the afternoon snowballed into a bloody battle. Two
per sons died and 28 are injured. While the flare-up follow ing the altercation in Fatehpura area was soon
con trolled, clashes began in var ious pockets in the evening and continued till late in the night. Most of the
injuries were due to gun shots, stab bing and stone pelting. Police had to fire several rounds and resort to
tear shells but failed to control the mobs. (Times of India 21.9.02)
22 nd September
Christian, Sikh leaders plan coordination panel (7)
NEW DELHI, SEPT. 21. With a view to ironing out the rough spots between the minority communities,
Christian and Sikh religious leaders have mooted a proposal to form a "coordination committee." A
decision to this effect was taken at a meeting on Friday between leaders of the two communi ties under the
aegis of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM). Though the meeting had been organised in the
wake of reports of conversion of Sikhs to Chris tianity in Jharkhand and Punjab, the matter ap parently did
not come at the meeting. Instead, representatives of the two communi ties dwelt on other irritants and
concluded that it would be best to set up a "coordination commit tee" with representation from all the
minority communities. (Hindu 22.9.02)
23rd September
VHP’s re-conversion plan spells trouble (7)
Wayanad, Sept. 22: AFTER A month-long training, the VHP's 80-odd Hindu mission aries are ready to take
on Chris tian missionaries in the tribal areas of Wayanad. "Prevent north-easternisation of south at any
cost" is the direc tive to the new recruits, who have fanned out in groups to the backward areas. Fuelled by
their success, the VHP is planning to 'export' its brand to other parts of the coun try. "About eighty per cent
of the 42,000-odd Christian missionar ies are from Kerala. We want warriors from the same battle ground
to check them," VHP state organising secretary Kummanam Rajasekharan explains when asked why the
concept was launched from Kerala. The mood in the VHP is up-beat. The outfit claims they have
prevented possible conversions and those who left the fold are coming back in large numbers. "In
Panaveli, three families took money and were about to be converted. But we prevented them and returned
then* money. Five families who were convert ed recently are ready to come back," Vijaya Kumar reels out
his success stories. (Hindustan Times 23.9.02)
Repair damaged mosques: UP board (7)
Lucknow, Sept. 22: The All-India Muslim Personal Law Board has demanded recon struction of mosques
and maqbaras damaged in the Gujarat violence. The board said that over 230 mosques and 350
maqbaras had been damaged in the Gujarat violence and it was now the duty of the Gujarat
government to get them repaired. "It was the responsi bility of the government to, protect these
religious monu ments and since the govern ment has failed in its duty, it should make amends by get ting
them reconstructed and repaired," said board secre tary Abdur Rehman Qureshi. A high level delegation
of the Personal Law Board will soon be meeting the President and the Prime Minister to press their
demand for repair and reconstruction of mosques and maqbaras in Gujarat. (Asian Age
23.9.02)
Modi targets Congress policies for population explosion (7)
Chikhli (Gujarat), Sept. 22: Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi is continu ing his belligerent speeches
during the third phase of Gaurav Yatra. This time, Mr Modi took his "concern for popula tion" further and
coined a new slogan. He even pre pared the journalists cover ing his speech before deliv ering latest
rhetoric. "Let all journalists be prepared for I am about to say some thing very important. Else, they will
have to run around looking for tapes as they had to do about the Behucharaji tapes." Claiming his speech