MINORITIES - 2002 - Indian Social Institute

The main focus of the site is on post-violence Gujarat with the foreign office, in a detailed presentation
with slides, maintaining that the Gujarat economy is thriving. It cites "activity at the banks clearing houses"
to prove its point. It carries on to list other normalcy indicators such as the plying of the full fleet of the
Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation, peaceful panchayat elections and Board examinations and
pilgrimages to religious places within Gujarat without any worry on account of safety. (Asian Age
24.4.002)
24 th April
Advani praises Modi, minorities blamed for riots (7)
New Delhi, April 23: As.Union home minister L.K. Advani expressed his support for Gujarat chief minister
Narendra Modi, members of the BJP Parliamentary Party, particularly former chief minister Keshubhai
Patel tried to hold the minority community responsible for fresh violence in the state. While Mr Advani
appreciated Mr Modi for "bringing the situation under control in Gujarat," Mr Patel said that the Congress
and a section of the minority community were responsible for the fresh bout communal violence in
Gujarat. Both Mr Advani and Mr Patel were speaking at the BJP's Parliamentary Party meeting. BJP MPs,
particularly party spokesman V.K. Malhotra targeted the media for a so-called "misinformation" campaign,
and went on to say that Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's speech at Panaji in Goa was "distorted" by
the media. Mr Malhotra said that the Prime Minister did not attack the Muslim. community at a public rally
in Panaji. (Asian Age 24.4.02)
24 th April
Gujarat motion under Rule 184 (7)
NEW DELHI, April 23. — The Lok Sabha impasse on Gujarat ended today with the Deputy Speaker
deciding that the issue will be discussed under Rule 184, that entails voting at th.e end of the debate. The
Business Advisory Committee decided that the debate would be held on 30 April. Voting will take place the
same day. Mr PM Sayeed's ruling rejected the BJP's argument and agreed with the Opposition’s
contention that Gujarat was important enough to have a motion voted on. In fact, Mr. Sayeed, made a
reference to Article 355, under which the Cedntre sends specific directions to a state government.
(Statesman 24.4.02)
24th April
VHP tells Muslims to stop eating beef (7)
New Delhi: After the RSS advise to Muslims to earn the goodwill of the Hindus to ensure their safety, the
VHP on Tuesday asked them to stop eating beef and return the three disputed sites as a pre-condition for
peaceful coexistence. "There are so many other animals to eat. Why should they insist on eating cows,
revered by Hindus," a senior member of the VHP said. (Asian Age 24.4.02)
24 th April
Age report creates furore in Lok Sabha (7)
New Delhi, April 23: The Asian Age report about the English paper of Gujarat board (class 12)
examination hit the Zero Hour of Lok Sabha on Tuesday with an angry Opposition demanding the
government's clarification on it while condemning the attempts to vitiate the minds of youngsters. The
report published by The Aston Age under the headline "If you don't like people, kill them," caught the
government unaware. The set for 12 class examination in Gujarat giving Nazi solutions raised an uproar in
the House with Opposition and BJP members clashing and Congress demanding a response from the
government about its authenticity. Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, Congress deputy leader Shivraj
Patil said the English paper asked students to transform sentences as directed, "If you don't like people kill
them (remove 'if,' it said)." (Asian Age 24.4.02)
24 th April
Carnage in Gujarat not an internal issue, says E.U (7)
NEW DELHI: Rejecting the Indian government's position that the Gujarat violence is an "internal affair" of
the country, the European Union (EU) intends to undertake a demarche to the government to express
concern over the incidents in the state. The assessment that the violence is not an internal affair was
arrived at after numerous fact-finding visits by EU member countries to Gujarat and the perusal of a large