MINORITIES - 2002 - Indian Social Institute

AHMEDABAD, May.6. — The "two youths from the minority community were stoned to death by a group
at Dhor Bazar in Ahmedabad, taking, the toll in the fresh violence that erupted yesterday to 10. Curfew,
imposed yesterday, continued at Danilimda and Shahpur areas in the city. The youths, on a cycle, were
stopped by a mob that thrashed them before hitting them with stones. The two died instantly. Police
lobbed tear-gas shells to scare away a ,
crowd which gathered near a place of worship at Mirzapur that was rocked by two explosions. Ten;
passengers, including three women and a child, were injured when a bomb exploded in a state transport
bus at Lunavada bus stand in Panchmahal district today. (Statesman 7.5.02)
8 th May
J.S. Verma stopped UN resolution on Gujarat (7)
New Delhi, May 7: The Indian government cornered by world governments on the continuing violence in
Gujarat, sent troubleshooter Soli Sorabjee (solicitor-general) and the National Human Rights Commission
chairman, Justice J.S. Verma (Retd), to Geneva to persuade United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights Mary Robinson not to issue a strong statement on the violence in Gujarat. Ms Robinson
was inclined to use the forum of the UN human rights meeting to indict the Indian government for the
continuing violence in Gujarat. The Vajpayee government immediately despatched Justice Verma and Mr
Sorabjee to prevent this "disaster." (Asian Age 8.5.02)
8 th May
Mediator Modi hits minority hurdle (7)
Ahmedabad, May 6: The National Commission for Minorities' initiative to start a dialogue between Hindu
and Muslim leaders seems to have hit a wall. The commission had asked Gujarat chief minister Narendra
Modi to mediate the dialogue. However, Muslim leaden are apprehensive about the chief minister who
they consider the biggest hurdle in bridging the "distance" and restoring communal harmony between the
two communities. The VHP, too, is not very keen on a dialogue till some "basic is sues are addressed".
After dilly dallying for two months, Modi on Thursday accepted the minorities' commission's offer and
agreed to mediate a dialogue between Hindu and Muslim leaders. But the mis givings continue to persist
with the chief minister showing no flexibility in his stand and the VHP, RSS leaders making nc
"reconciliatory move". (Telegraph 7.5.02)
8th May
Democracy in Goa is in danger, says Church (7)
Panaji: In a strongly worded statement, an affiliate body of Goa's Catholic church has voiced its concerns
that "democracy is in danger in Goa." Even more interestingly, every political party has rushed to embrace
the statement and praise it for its concerns. Targeting the twin ills of corruption and communalism, the
Diocesan Service Centre for Social Action in a statement for public discussion, said, "Defections have
made a mockery of the people's mandate." Over 20 of the 40 legislators in the dissolved Goa Assembly
had defection petitions filed against them before the Speaker, but anti-defections legislations have
proved ineffectual to control a rampant Goan malaise. Though a Congress majority of 21 MLAs was
elected, the state ended up with two coalition BJP governments, cobbled from political poaching. "These
unprincipled, selfish, unethical pursuits, have corrupted the political system to such an extent that they are
now being accepted as a norm," said the statement. (Asian Age 8.5.02)
8 th May
Gujarat BJP was keeping tabs on Muslims from (( (7)
New Delhi, May 7: A secret circular, issued by Gujarat's director of police (intelligence) to the top brass of
the state police in 1999, reveals the hostile attitude of the BJP-led state government towards Muslims over
the last three years. The circular directs all police commissioners, district police officers and range
IGPs/DIGPs to "intimate details of persons (Muslims) involved in communal riots which occurred in their
city/district during the last five years — viz offence registration section, place, what was the
judgment by court, how many times the person was booked under CrPC Sections 107,151,110, or Pasa,
Nasa." According to the circular (No. D 2/2,. Com/Muslim/Activity/84/99 of 1/2-2-99), which is
published in a report released on Monday, the district police officials and others were asked to "intimate