MINORITIES - 2002 - Indian Social Institute

Anti-conversion law gets assent (7)
CHENNAI, DEC. 3. Despite opposition from po litical parties, minorities organisations and human rights
activists, the Governor, P. S. Ramamohan Rao, has given assent to the controversial legislation
prohibiting forced religious conversions. The Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Forcible Conversion of Religion
Act, which bans con versions by "force, allurement or fraudulent means," received the assent and was
notified in the gazette yesterday. Although there were apprehensions that the law could be misused
against the minor ities and Dalits, the Governor gave the assent to this measure and other Bills passed by
the Assembly in the monsoon session.
Several organisations had represented to the Governor that he refer the legislation back to the Assembly
for reconsideration, hut after having promulgated an ordinance banning conversions just weeks before the
House was convened, the Governor appar ently did not think it imperative to return the legislation. (Hindu
4.12.02)
5 th Dec.
Pamphlets at Aland cause a flutter (7)
GULBARQA, DEC. 4. The Karnataka Home Minister, Mallikarjun Kharge, on Wednesday took serious
note of pamphlets circulated by the Aland Taluk Hindu Jagruti Samiti (ATHJS) calling for an economic
boycott of Muslims and directed the Deputy Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police to identify
those who circulated the pamphlet and initiate action. When presspersons brought to his notice the
circulation of the pamphlets, a surprised Mr. Kharge said the district administration would step up its
intelligence gathering to identify the culprits, The pamphlet warns Hindus against buying any commodity
from shops owned by Muslims. It says Hindu lshopkeepers should not sell any products , to Muslims and
that those who violate this 'fiat will be fined Rs. 500. It also says Hindu farmers should not sell their
produce to Muslim wholesale agents and that Hindus should not engage Muslims for any work in their
shops or houses. (Hindu 5.12.02)
6 th Dec.
Book on Gujarat riots released (7)
New Delhi: Gujarat: The Making of a Tragedy, a collection of articles exam ining the recent communal
violence in the state, was released at the Habitat Centre on Thursday. Edited by Siddharth Varadarajan,
deputy chief of bureau of The Times of India, the book is an attempt to form a permanent "public archive"
of the com munal carnage that rocked Gujarat ear lier this year.
"Information that existed at the time of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi has receded from public memory.
We must not let the same thing happen today It is important to remember the impact of
Gujarat on contemporary India," said Varadarajan. Drawing upon eyewitness reports from English, Hindi
and the regional media, citizens and official fact-finding commissions, the book examines why Gujarat was
"allowed to burn". All roy alties and a matching share of the pro ceeds from the sale of the book will go
towards relief of Gujarat riot victims. (Times of India 6.12.02)
7th Dec.
Conversion ceremony in Chennai a damp squib (7)
Chennai, December 6: A MUCH-HYPED mass con version by thousands of Dalits turned out to be a damp
squib as less than 100 volunteers turned up for the conversion ceremony. While organisers blamed police
clampdown on volun teers heading for the venue in a Chennai suburb, the po lice said no one had been
stopped. "More than 40 vehi cles carrying Dalits wanting to convert had been prevent ed from entering
Chennai. Also, the police threatened workers, who were putting the pandal for the ceremo ny," complained
G. Ranganathan, president of the Scheduled Castes Forum, which organised the cere mony. The
conversion was aimed at challenging the new anti-conversion law of the Jayalalitha Govern ment. Till in the
afternoon, the function looked like any other evangelical meeting with pastors addressing a small
gathering. Thereafter, speaker after speaker criti cised the caste-ridden Hin du system as an abominable
curse on hapless Dalits. (Hindustan Times 7.12.02)
8 th Dec.
Christian council cxondemns attack (7)