*Newsletter of All India Secular Forum*
*Volume. 10 No.1 January 2015 *
*C O N T E N T S*
* Editorial*
*1. Forum News*
*2.World Interfaith Harmony Week *
*3. Articles*
Orissa Freedom of Religion Act 1967 is Anti-
minority
*4. Towards platform for Secularism-*
* Democracy-Human Rights *
*5. Opinion*
RSS has taken its message to the streets
and social media. What are the liberals
doing?
*6. **Matters of faith*
Ayodhya Sadhus criticize reconversion drive, say RSS is
playing politics with blood
*7. Protest*
Press statement
*8. Communalization – Madhya Pradesh *
*9. Assam Violence*
*10. Condolence*
*11. News*
* -*National Book: Bhagwat Gita or Indian
Constitution
-Sikhism is a religion in ots own right
-Communal tensions, riots efforts at
Hindutvisation of public spaces in Delhi
-Peace with neighbour
*12. Statement from Citizens for peace*
*13. Interview*
Ram Puniyani talking about Modi Sarkar
*14. Resources*
*--*
*Edit*
*From the Editor’s Desk*
During over last six months of Modi Sarkar has been in the seat of power.
It has started unfolding its Hindutva agenda in a very blatant form by now.
Different wings of RSS, Bajrang Dal, VHP in particular have become very
active. Many call them as the loony fringe but they are integral part of
the Sangh Parivar, playing their role as per the ‘division of labor’ within
the RSS combine. Various leaders of BJP are making statements which are
very intimidating and violate the inclusive, plural values of our nation.
The statements of these RSS combine leaders are not only frightening; they
are in total violation of values of Indian Constitution. The actions’ of
these organizations like the recent forced conversions, which are cleverly
being called as ghar wapasi (return home) are being undertaken by
allurement and force, both. The statement of one of the ministers of the
Central government, ‘Ramjade and Haramjade’ is an example of outright ‘hate
speech’. The other MP of the party states that Gandhi’s murderer Godse was
a nationalist. This shows the mindset and deeper political agenda of
BJP-RSS. The statement of another major leader of BJP, the External Affairs
Minister, Sushma Swaraj that Gita should be declared as our National book,
clearly shows that this government wants to drive the nation towards the
majoritarian agenda and undermine Indian Constitution, which is the central
pillar of our democracy. The rapid changes in education and introduction of
books by RSS ideologues as supplementary books in schools make it clear
that BJP government wants to communalize the society.
These political statements and actions are eroding the edifice of Indian
Nationalism and are totally in opposition to the values which emerged from
our freedom movement and got enshrined in our Constitution. We have to work
towards an inclusive, plural society,
respecting our rich diversity. We do realize that all these shrewd
maneuvers of the present dispensation aim to push our country back to the
values where Liberty, Equality and Fraternity have no place. This will lead
to erosion and abolition of the rights of weaker sections of society,
dalits, adivasis, workers and religious minorities. This is also a
violation of the Freedom of religion, which is inherent in our ethos.
We need to collectively protest and put up our resistance to this ‘march of
communal fascism’ and make it being heard by all the sections of society.
There is a need for all social movements striving for defense of pluralism,
rights of weaker sections of society, to form a National platform for
resistance to the creeping communal-fascism which is stifling our
democratic norms. We need to raise the collective voice against this attack
on liberal and democratic space by the BJP-RSS combine. Need for
Anti-fascist platform at national level, which articulates our collective
voice and later also takes up national advocacy and campaign to fight
against fascist onslaught is the need of the hour.
*Ram Puniyani*
(Editor)
Link
http://www.csss-isla.com/SAN-January-2015.pdf
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