MINORITIES - 2002 - Indian Social Institute

had reportedly gone there to inspect a cabin and other property belonging to his supporters,
which were dam aged in Sunday's clash. (Indian Express 17.12.02)
18th Dec.
Muslims won’t leave Gujarat but won’t live as second-class citizens (7)
THE BJP victory in a Gujarat is a sad day for not just Muslims but for the whole country. The party rode to
power on the strength of Muslim blood and tears. It is shocking that most Gujarati Hindus have agreed
with the Modi-Togadia line of hatred for Mus lims. The entire BJP cam paign was based on rejecting
Muslims as terrorists and Pakistanis. Five million Gujarati Muslims have practically been marginalized.
Ours is a poor community with a high rate of illiteracy. But asdversity will make us stronger in the days to
come. Muslims are not going to leave Gujarat. Nor will we live as second class-citizens on the charity of
the Sangh Parivar. (Indian Express 18.12.020)
Violence still on in Rajkot, Vadodara (7)
Rajkot/Vadodara: Three persons were injured in po lice firing, while several oth ers sustained minor injuries
as mob frenzy continued in Vadodara till the wee hours of Tuesday. Incidents of ar son were reported from
Bhavnagar city also. In Vadodara, mobs went on a rampage in several areas. Violence continued till about
1.30 am on Tuesday. In an at tempt to quell the rioting mobs, the police fired six rounds and lobbed 28
teargas shells. Trouble began in the Nawabwada area of the city, when mobs belonging to dif ferent
communities started pelting stones on each other.
A religious place near the Nagarwada police outpost was also attacked. In Fatehpura area, intense rioting
took place in the Kumbharwada and Panjrigar Mohalla areas. (Times of India 18.12.02)
Death to those who oppose Hindutva, says Togadia (7)
New Delhi: Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) general sec retary — and cancer surgeon — Praveen Togadia
said on Tuesday that all those who opposed Hindutva philoso phy would, like cancer pa tients, live under a
death sen tence, which would be exe cuted by the people. He was answering a jour nalist who asked him
whether he wasn't spreading the poison of cancer through his anti-minority propagan da. Not at all, he
said, it was those who opposed Hindutva who had cancer and lived in daily danger of dying. And, the
Gujarat elections, he said, had proved that 'Hindu-bashing' did not yield politi cal dividends in India. A
bellicose Togadia, high on the Sangh Parivar's victo ry in Gujarat, said the BJP would not be allowed to
aban don the Hindutva agenda in the state, and exhorted it to "dismember Pakistan". In dia, he said, had
been a Hin du nation, was a Hindu na tion and would continue to be so, and within the next two years,
everyone in the coun try would have to acknowl edge it. (Times of India 18.12.02)
Tribal forum to oppose conversions (7)
Guwahati, Dec. 17: The growing oppo sition to the increased activities of the Christian missionaries
acquired a new dimension with the formation of the North East India Janajati Faith and Cul ture Protection
Forum, apparently backed by Sangh parivar, to counter these activities.
After the conclusion of the two-day 'Convention on Janajati Faith and Cul ture' organised by the forum,
forum pres ident Bikram Bahadur Jamatiya on Mon day expressed deep concern over the role of the
Christian missionaries in mass conversions carried out in the tribal areas of this region allegedly taking
advantage of the innocence and lack of proper knowledge of the tribal people.
According to Mr Jamatiya, over 9 per cent of the total population of Tripura have converted their faith, out
of which four per cent are Jamatiyas. He held the poor socio-economic condition of the tribal and wrong
government policies responsible for this and cautioned that conversion of faith and culture will ultimately
lead to the disintegration of the country. (Asian Age 18.12.02)
22 nd Dec.
VHP, Sena bid to perform puja at Qutab foiled (7)
New Delhi, Dec. 21: Activists of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Sant Mahamandal and Shiv Sena on
Saturday made an abortive bid to perform puja inside Qutab Minar premis es in the city. The attempt was
unsuccessful, but left the monument with heavy security inside and confused tourists outside. The police
stopped the activists, led by Swami Pragyananda of the Mahamandal, from reaching the Minar. The
activists were demanding the right to perform "puja" at the pro tected monument, which they claim was