Gulberg Sentence: Survivors say Life over Death

June 17, 2016

Credit:AFP, Sam Panthaky

UPDATE:

Today, June 17 is the day that final judgement will be delivered in the Gulberg Society Massacre. Witness Survivors have filed detailed Written Arguments making a strong case for life sentence. The advocates for the survivors, backed by Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) have also ,ade out a strong case for Compensation under Section 357 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. After June 2, when Judge PB Desai first declared that a total of 24 persons have been convicted and that the charge of conspiracy not accepted, there were three further dates when detailed arguments, largely on behalf of the accused (for reduction of sentence) took place. SM Vohra with Salim Shaikh argued strongly for a strong life term for all accused and also submitted written arguments.

Despite falling into the Rarest of the Rare Category, Victim Survivors, in written arguments to be submitted in Court on June 6, press for complete Life Imprisonment and also make out a strong Case for Compensation

Asked by Special Judge, P.B. Desai to make written submissions on quantum of punishment to be given to the accused, advocates for the victim survivors of the Gulberg carnage have argued for a full life term imprisonment for all accused and compensation awards under section 357 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. A copy of the written submissions can be read here.

A team of lawyers for the Mumbai-based Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) spent the entire weekend preparing the written arguments based on recent jurisprudences into the issue. A slew of judgements of India’s Supreme Court has deliberated in detail the question, holding in several cases that even in the rarest of the rate, most gruesome and pre-meditated crimes, death penalty should not be the automatic choice.

On June 2, Special Judge PB Desai had convicted 25 persons out of the total 66 accused; 11 for offences related to murder (section 302), 436 (arson) and illegal assembly (149) and another 14 for attempt to murder (Section 307) and other offences. Four of the accused convicted have been in custody for 14 years, another four for 12 and 8 years each while 17 of the accused have been out of bail. A Table on with details on this can be read here:

Gulberg Case: Details of Accused Held Guilty by Judge PB Desai

Accused No.	Name of Accused	Convicted of u/s of CrPC	Order
1	Kailash Lalchandbhai Dhobi	143,147,148,149,153(A),153(A)(B),153(A)(1)(B),186,188,201, 295,302,323,324,332,337,395, 396,397,398,427,435,436 MkkÚku Mku.135(1) çke.Ãke.yuõx	Convicted	He has served 14 years
2	Yogendrasinh @ Lalo Mohansinh Shekhawat	143,147,148,149,153(A),153(A)(B),153(A)(1)(B),186,188,201, 295,302,323,324,332,337,395,396,397,398,427,435,436,447, 449,452 With Sec.135(1) B.P.Act	Convicted	He got bail within months
14	Jayeshkumar @ Gabbar Madanlal Zingar	143,147,148,149,153(A),153(A)(B),153(A)(1)(B),186,188,201,295,302,323,324,332,337,395,396,397,398,427,435,436,447,449,452 With Sec.135(1) B.P.Act	Convicted	He has served 14 years
34	Krushnakumar @ Krushna (Son of Champaben) Munnalal Kalal	143,147,148,149,153(A)(1)(B),153(A)(B),153(A)(1)(B),186, 188,201,295,302,323,324,332, 337, 395, 396, 397, 398, 427, 435,436,447,449,452With Sec.135(1) B.P.Act	Convicted	He got bail within months
41	Jayesh Ramjibhai Parmar	143,147,148,149,153(A)(1),153(A)(B),153(A)(1)(B),186,188, 201, 295,302,323,324,337,395, 396,397,398,427,435,436,447, 449,452 With Sec.135(1) B.P.Act	Convicted	He has been in jail for 12 years
42	Raju @ Mamo Kaniyo Ram Avtar	143,147,148,149,153(A)(1),153(A)(B),153(A)(1)(B),186,188, 201, 295,302,323,324,332,337, 395, 396,397,398,427, 435,436 With Sec.135(1) B.P.Act	Convicted	He has been in jail for 8 years (SIT arrest)
43	Naran Sitaram Tank @ Naran Chenalwala @ Naran Kodhiyo	143,147,148,149,186,188,153 (A),153(A)(B),153(A)(1)(B), 302,323,324,332,337,395,396,397,398, 427, 435, 436, 447, 449, 452 With Sec.135(1) B.P.Act	Convicted	He has been in jail for 8 years (SIT arrest)
46	Lakhansing @ Lakhiyo Bhuriyo Lalubha Chudasma	143,147,148,149,153(A)(1),153(A)(B),153(A)(1)(B),186,188, 201, 295,302,323,324,332,337, 395,396,397,398,427,435,436, 447,449,452 With Sec.135(1) B.P.Act	Convicted	Though SIT arrested him he is on bail
54	Bharat @ Bharat Taili Sitlaprasad Balodiya	143,147,148,149,153(A),153(A)(B), 153(A)(1)(B),186,188,201, 295,302,323,324,332,337, 395, 396,397,398,427,435,436,447,449,452 With Sec.135(1) B.P.Act	Convicted	He is on bail
55	Bharat Laxmansinh Gade (Rajput)	143,147,148,149,153(A),153(A)(1)(B), 153(A)(B),186,188,201, 295,302,323,324,332,337, 395, 396,397,398,427,435,436,447,449,452 With Sec.135(1) B.P.Act	Convicted	He is on bail
63	Dinesh Prabhudas Sharma	143,147,148,149,153(A)(1),153(A)(B),153(A)(1)(B),186,188, 201, 295,302,323,324,332,337, 395, 396,397,398,427, 435,436,447,449,452 With Sec.135(1) B.P.Act	Convicted	He is jail since 2008 or 2009
25	Mangilal Dhupchand Jain	143,147, 149, 153(A)(1), 153(A)(B),153(A)(1)(B),186, 188, 307 With Sec.135(1) B.P.Act	Convicted	He got bail within months
3	Surendrasinh @ Vakil Digvijaysinh Chauhan	143,147,148,149, 153(A)(B), 153(A)(1)(B),186,188,435	Convicted	He has served 14 years
16	Dilip @ Kalu Chaturbhai Parmar	143,147,148,149,153(A)(1),153(A)(B),153(A)(1)(B),186,188, 427, 435,436,447 With Sec.135(1) B.P.Act	Convicted	He got bail within months
21	Sandeep @ Sonu Ghughruvadvado Ramprakash Mahera (Punjabi)	143,147,148,149,153(A),153(A)(B),153(A)(1)(B),186,188,435 With Sec.135(1) B.P.Act	Convicted	He has served 14 years
29	Mukesh Pukhraj Shankhla	143,147,148,149,153(A)(1)(B),153(A)(B),186,188,427,435,436,447	Convicted	He got bail within months
32	Ambesh Kantilal Jingar	143,147,148,149,153(A)(1)(B),153(A)(B),153(A)(1)(B),186, 188,427, 435,436,447 With Sec.135(1) B.P.Act	Convicted	He got bail within months
37	Prakash @ Kali Khengarji Padhiyar	143,147,149,153(A)(1),153(A) (B),153(A)(1)(B),186,188	Convicted	He got bail within months
38	Manish Prabhudas Jain	143,147, 149, 153(A)(1), 153 (A)(B),153(A)(1)(B),186,188,427, 435,436,447	Convicted	He got bail within months
47	Dharmesh Prahladbhai Shukla	143,147,148,149,153(A)(1),153(A)(B),153(A)(1)(B),186,188, 427, 435,436	Convicted	He is on bail
50	Kapil Dev Narayan @ Munnabhai Mishra	143,147,148,149,153(A)(1),153(A)(B),153(A)(1)(B),186,188, 427, 435,436	Convicted	He is on bail
52	Suresh @ Kali Dahyabhai Dhobi	143,147,148,149,153(A)(1),153(A)(B),153(A)(1)(B),186,188,427, 435,436,447 With Sec.135(1) B.P.Act	Convicted	He is on bail
59	Atul Indravadan Vaid	143,147,148,149, 153(A)(1),153(A)(1)(B),153(A)(B),186,188,427, 435,436	Convicted	He is on bail
66	Babu Hastimal Marwadi	143,147,148,149,153(A)(1),153(A)(1)(B),153(A)(B),186,188,427, 435,436,447 With Sec.135(1) B.P.Act	Convicted	He was the accused who was arraigned after the witnesses 319 application. He is on bail

In the application the victim survivors have argued that:
“The accused who have been convicted of offences other than under S. 302 also need to be imposed punishment which is the maximum under the provisions under which they have been convicted.

The accused were part of a mob which admittedly was carrying out mayhem, well armed and with pre-determination to cause harm, injury and death, for more than 5 hours. They are bound to have known that an attack on the Society will, in all likelihood lead to murder(s).

They have also been found guilty of burning and destroying houses (Section 436 of the Indian Penal Code) the normal consequence of which would be death of persons who were residing there or who tried to run out. Therefore in view of the judgments in (please cite the above three cases) these are aggravating circumstances and deserve to be dealt with no leniency whatsoever.

Besides, in the application the witness survivors have argued that even for offences under Section 436 (Mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house, etc.) there are provisions in the law for punishment of imprisonment for life. As far as being convicted under Section 149 (illegal assembly) is concerned the Supreme Court has often held that the very act and common intent of being in such an illegal assembly, armed and with criminal intent is sufficient to be considered a grave offence.

Section 357 of the CRPC, reads:
(1) When a Court imposes a sentence of fine or a sentence (including a sentence of death) of which fine forms a part, the Court may, when passing judgment, order the whole or any part of the fine recovered to be applied-
(a) in defraying the expenses properly incurred in the prosecution;
(b) in the payment to any person of compensation for any loss or injury caused by the offence, when compensation is, in the opinion of the Court, recoverable by such person in a Civil Court;
(c) when any person is convicted of any offence for having caused the death of another person or of having abetted the commission of such an offence, in paying compensation to the persons who are, under the Fatal Accidents Act, 1855 (13 of 1855 ), entitled to recover damages from the person sentenced for the loss resulting to them from such death;
(d) when any person is convicted of any offence which includes theft, criminal misappropriation, criminal breach of trust, or cheating, or of having dishonestly received or retained, or of having voluntarily assisted in disposing of, stolen property knowing or having reason to believe the same to be stolen, in compensating any bona fide purchaser of such property for the loss of the same if such property is restored to the possession of the person entitled thereto.
(2) If the fine is imposed in a case

The argument that even though the crime falls under rarest of the rare, punishment should be life was dealt with in detail in this judgement in 2015. For example in para 53 of the recent 2015 Judgement, (Vishal Yadav v/s State of UP, the Court has held that:
“53. The Supreme Court observed that principles of deterrence and retribution are the cornerstones of sentencing in (1994) 2 SCC 220, Dhananjoy Chatterjee Vs. State of West Bengal and (1996) 6 SCC 241, Gentela Vijayavandhan Rao v. State of Andhara Pradesh. It was also observed that these principles also cannot be categorised as right or wrong as much depends upon the belief of the judges. The court extracted the following portion of the decision of the Supreme Court in (2006) 2 SCC 359, Shailash Jasvantbhai v. State of Gujarat :

―7. xxx xxx Protection of society and stamping out criminal proclivity must be the object of law which must be achieved by imposing appropriate sentence. Therefore, law as a cornerstone of the edifice of "order"should meet the challenges confronting the society. xxx xxx Therefore, in operating the sentencing system, law should adopt the corrective machinery or deterrence based on factual matrix. By deft modulation, sentencing process be stern where it should be, and tempered with mercy where it warrants to be. The facts and given circumstances in each case, the nature of the crime, the manner in which it was planned and committed, the motive for commission of the crime, the conduct of the accused, the nature of weapons used and all other Crl.A.Nos.910, 741, 958/2008, Crl.Rev.P.No.369/2008, Crl.A.Nos.1322/2011 & 145/2012 pg. 30 attending circumstances are relevant facts which would enter into the area of consideration.‖ (Underlining by us) Death sentence jurisprudence – divergence in views The discussion on this subject is being considered under the following sub-headings:

63. In this evaluation of the jurisprudence, it is essential to note the pronouncement of the Supreme Court reported at (2013) 5 SCC 546, Shankar Kisanrao Khade v. State of Maharashtra in which the appellant, a man of 52 years, had been convicted for murder and strangulation of an 11 year old minor girl with intellectual disability after repeated rape and sodomy. Despite the satisfaction of the crime test, the criminal test and the rarest of rare case test, the court was of the view that the extreme sentence of death penalty was not warranted. The court therefore, directed the life sentence awarded for rape and murder to run consecutively.”

Salaams and Salutes to the Witness-Survivors of Gulberg Society as We Wait for Justice: Advocate SM Vohra

June 17, 2016

UPDATE:
Today, June 17 is the day that final judgement will be delivered in the Gulberg Society Massacre. Witness Survivors have filed detailed Written Arguments making a strong case for life sentence. The advocates for the survivors, backed by Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) have also ,ade out a strong case for Compensation under Section 357 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. After June 2, when Judge PB Desai first declared that a total of 24 persons have been convicted and that the charge of conspiracy not accepted, there were three further dates when detailed arguments, largely on behalf of the accused (for reduction of sentence) took place. SM Vohra with Salim Shaikh argued strongly for a strong life term for all accused and also submitted written arguments.

Charred remains of a home at Gulberg Society, Ahmedabad; Photo Credit: Ram Rehman
The verdict of the Trial Court in the Gulberg Society case is due tomorrow, June 2.

The experience for standing up for the survivor eye-witnesses of the Gulberg massacre between 2009 and 2016 has been a unique experience. The experience tells me that without a strong and committed legal aid team, as we could provide, it is impossible for those who have been rendered homeless and hopeless to fight back, for justice and ensure that the guilty are punished.

This was possible due to the fact that we ensured good legal aid throughout the process, the Supreme Court of India ensured protection to the witness. Finally salaams and salutes to the witness- survivors themselves who saw the struggle for justice as paramount to any other concern.

Since 1985, I have been fighting such cases. But with this case I saw that witness-survivors rendered homeless and helpless after an attack such as the one in Gujarat 2002 was cannot negotiate the system without a strong and committed legal aid team. That we could provide.

Today, we anxiously await the verdict and hope that justice will be done.

Initially, I recall that there were issues when we felt that the judge showed no empathy. A woman, Sairabehn Sandhi who has seen her only son killed in front of her eyes was lightly dealt with, almost humiliated, her grief mocked. This behaviour caused much pain. But thereafter, we have fought hard and hope to get a good judgement tomorrow.

Our team of lawyers backed by the Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) team in Ahmedabad and Mumbai stood strong and ensured that at every stage we could take up matters with the with the Supreme Court appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) and the apex court itself. This made it possible for there to be substantive justice in the other Supreme Court monitored cases handed.

Mental and legal support was provided by us. The rest of the courage and tenacity was shown by witness survivors. Our salaams to them.

It was also saddening to see the hostility of the SIT to us given the fact that it is witnesses and CJP that had in the first instance ensured a transfer of investigation to the SIT (2008). Do people register that though Gulberg society was in the heart of Ahmedabad the fire brigade did not once go to Gulberg to put out the fires that gutted the entire society? Not even as late as four or five days after the incident took place there? Why?

I have been in practice since 1985 and it is for the first time that we can see that in a real sense justice has been done in other trials. Hence we are hopeful in this one also. But for the determination that CJP showed in its continued support despite all adversity, we would not have reached here.

(Sabrang India: CJP’s legal team in the Gulberg Society case was led by senior advocate SM Vohra and supported by lawyers Salim Shaikh and Sadiq Shaikh).

Rohith Vemula a Dalit, Action under Atrocities Act Mandatory: NCSC Chairman PL Punia

June 16, 2016

Image: Business Standard

Image: Scroll.in
Rohith Vemula and his family is and were always Dalit, says the Guntur District Collector, Kantilal Dande
NCSC will direct Cyberabad Police to file act on the Prevention of SC/ST Atrocities (POA) charges against Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and Vice-Chancellor, HCU P. Appa Rao

As the Guntur District Collector has certified that Vemula’s caste was Hindu Mala (Scheduled Caste), “Telangana police will have to act on atrocity charges pressed against the accused in the PoA case, failing which they will be in violation of constitutional provisions and the law”, Mr. Punia has told The Hindu.

Further, the media has reported that the National Schedule Caste Commission (NCSC) will direct Cyberabad police to act on Prevention of SC/ST Atrocities (PoA) charges slapped against five persons including Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and Vice-Chancellor of University of Hyderabad P. Appa Rao in connection with Rohith Vemula suicide case. This was stated by the NCSC Chairman P.L. Punia in Hyderabad on Wednesday.

The Commission’s direction will be based on Guntur District Collector’s report on Mr. Vemula’s caste status, Mr. Punia has said. “In the meeting which is to be convened next week, the Commission will table the report and ask Cyberabad police to act on it,” he said adding that the Guntur Collector has already sent a copy of the report to both the investigating officer and Cyberabad Commissioner C.V. Anand.

The NCSC Chairman said that the District Collector is the highest authority in issuing caste certificate. “The Collector’s certification in this case was based on the data and documents provided by Revenue Divisional Officer and Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Guntur. As per the documents, a permanent Caste certificate was issued to Rohith Vemula by the Guntur Tahsildar in 2005. His caste was always recorded as Mala (SC) and with the Collector certifying this, the police should go ahead with the proceedings,” Mr. Punia said. The NCSC is legally bound to ask police an explanation if a PoA case goes unattended, he said.The NCSC received the Collector’s report last week, Mr. Punia confirmed.

On February 25, Teesta Setalvad had, in Sabrangindia raised pertinent questions about the speech made by the minister for human resources development (MHRD), Smriti Irani in parliament. Among the questions raised were, 'Is it or is it not true that senior functionaries of the GOI, including two central ministers (both women) have questioned the authenticity of Dalit identity of Rohith?' Secondly, 'After January 17, 2016 and the tragic step that Rohith Vemula took, did or did not the GOI appoint Ajit Duval, National security Advisor the Task to investigate the real caste of Rohith Vemula? Moreover, the writer had asked, 'Did the trail not begin politically: with the Vice President, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Hyderabad, Nandanam Diwakar writing to Central minister Dattareya, (August 10, 2015), seven days before the latter writes to Irani, a letter in which wrong and exaggerated accounts of ABVP student, Susheel Kumar’s injuries are given as well as a litany of political opposition to Ambedkarites listed? '

Further, the Times of India also reported on June 16, that the delay in the investigations under the SC/ST Act was because the Hyderabad police was deliberately delaying investigations. Reportedly, the Vice Chancellor is yet to be interrogated despite the NCSC having given the green signal for it, sections of the faculty have alleged.

In a vindictive action that has drawn further protest and outrage, the university administration has suspended two professors, KY Ratnam and Tathagata Sengupta for supporting the peacefully protesting students on March 22. The suspension order is dated Hune 13 and there has been a relay protest since June 14. The administration and the Modi regime appear to be taking full advantage of the vacation period when students numbers diminish at the university.

Is the University of Hyderabad (UoH) management working hand in glove with the police to `protect' Appa Rao Podile? Most definitely, allege students and faculty members, pointing to the lackadaisical attitude of the police in fast-tracking probe into the Rohith Vemula suicide case, which names vice-chancellor Podile as an accused. And this, despite the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) green-flagging the VC's interrogation, they say .

“Minutes of the NCSC meeting reveals that the commission had instructed the police to go ahead with the investigation -nearly two to three weeks ago -on the basis of the brief submitted by the additional district magistrate of Guntur. Despite this, the police has not questioned or arrested Podile. It is clear that political pressure is leading to the delay in this matter,“ alleged Prashanth Dontha, a close friend of Vemula. He hoped that the police will soon interrogate the VC under the SCST Atrocities Act. Accusations about the powersthat-be trying to “safeguard“ Podile are being voiced even by faculty members, who have condemned the police for deliberately dragging its feet on the case and making “lame excuses“ to delay the process.

“It appears that the police is giving all sorts of reasons to manipulate the circumstances. Based on the magistrate's report, they must ideally go ahead with the investigation. But the police is only safeguarding Podile by saying that they haven't heard from the Andhra Pradesh government on Vemula's caste,“ said Sudhakar Babu, convener, SCST Teachers Forum. He appealed to the police to be more proactive in handling the matter.

Incidentally, Guntur Collector, Kantilal Dande, in his report tabled recently before the NCSC, has confirmed that Vemula was a Dalit. This came five months after the PhD scholar committed suicide on January 17.
Speaking to TOI, advocate S Gunaratna, representing Vemula's family, said that he intimated the Hyderabad high court about the Guntur collector's report last Monday . “Five petitions filed by the accused had sought relief from arrest. Now, with the collector's report, we will file a fresh petition to cancel those relief petitions,“ Gunaratna said.

Meanwhile, feigning ignorance about this development, the police claimed it is yet to receive a copy of the collector's report. “I did not receive any report either from the Guntur authorities or the commission about Rohith's caste,“ said M Ramana Kumar, assistant commissioner of police, who is the investigating officer in the case. SabrangIndia's repeated efforts to get a response from the Telangana government administration (Home Secretary, Director General of Police) received no response. On contacting Commissioner of Police, CYV Anand, he requested us to get in touch with the Investigating Officer (IO) who too did not offer a response. Amongst other questions, Sabrangindia had asked whether the criminal cases against 29 students and two faculty members of the HCU had been withdrawn. On March 27, during the State Assembly session which had turned turbulent on the violent police action against students and faculty of HCU, chief minister, K Chandrasekhara Rao had promised to convey to the 'PM the mood of the House.' It is the Telangana (Hyderabad) police that had allegedly misbehaved with the student protesters and faculty while the government tried to shrug its shoulders off the movement saying that the matter related to a Central University.

Meanwhile, the relay hunger strike by Tathagata Sengupta and K Y Ratnam, who were suspended by the university executive committee, intensified on Wednesday, June 15 . Members of the All India Students Association joined the agitation, terming the suspension as “unwarranted“.

In the meantime, a fresh statement issued by the Hyderabad University management insisted that the two faculty members were suspended strictly in accordance with Rule 10 of the Central Civil Services (classification, control and appeal) Rules, 1965. According to the rule: “It is the duty of an employee, who is arrested for any reason, to intimate the fact of their arrest and the circumstances connected therewith to their official superior promptly, even though they might have subsequently been released on bail.“The statement added: “The two faculty members have failed in this respect and hence were issued a memorandum on June 13 requesting them to explain why disciplinary action should not be initiated against them in terms of CCS (CCA) Rules 1965.“

Orlando Massacre: American Muslim Leaders Say Yes to Love

June 16, 2016

Photo credit: Morocco World News

In an unprecedented outpouring of solidarity with the LGBTQ community, Muslim civil rights and religious leaders lined up to extend the Islamic tradition of love and compassion to victims and their families after the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history left at least 49 people dead and more than 50 injured at an Orlando, Fla., LGBTQ nightclub.

LGBTQ Muslims are especially affected by the shooting, living at the intersections of their LGBTQ identities and religion. And they have been providing voices of reason and love in the wake of the massacre. In a statement released Sunday, Muslim Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity (MASGD), a national organization working to support, empower and connect LGBTQ Muslims, appealed for solidarity and for peace-loving people to resist Islamophobia and anti-LGBTQ bigotry.

The National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA) also released a statement urging “our community and allies to refrain from rhetoric that lays responsibility on any one community. The acts of an individual are not representatives of any one ethnicity, race or faith.”

Brenda Abdelall, director at the Muslim Advocates, joined HRC at a press conference on Sunday. “We stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ community. Your grief is our grief,” she said. “Your outrage is our outrage. We are one family together.”

American Muslim leaders have also emerged as among the strongest supporters of the LGBTQ community during these difficult times. National Muslim organizations including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Islamic Society of North America, Muslim Advocates, American Islamic Congress, Muslim Students Association of US & Canada, the Mosque Foundation and the The Fiqh Council of North America have been repudiating violence against the LGBTQ community.

“For many years, members of the LGBTQIA community have stood shoulder to shoulder with the Muslim community against any acts of hate crimes, islamophobia, marginalization, and discrimination,” said Nihad Awad,

Executive Director of CAIR. “Today, we stand with them shoulder to shoulder. The liberation of the American-Muslim community is profoundly linked to the liberation of other minority groups–Blacks, Latinos, gay, Jewish, trans, and every other community that has faced discrimination and oppression in this country.”

Meanwhile, Muslim clerics have turned to Twitter to condemn the attack, and offering prayers and support to the Orlando victims and their families.

In addition to condemning the Orlando shooting on social media, CAIR appealed to American Muslims to donate blood for victims of the attack.

“We’ve organized a blood drive, organized an online fund drive to raise funds for the victims,” said Hassan Shibley, the chief executive director of CAIR Florida. “We’re also coalition-building to unite the community and send a very clear message that we, regardless of your race, religion or sexual orientation, will stand united as Americans and as human beings.”

In this tragic time when others are responding with hatred and divisiveness, it is critical that we amplify these powerful voices of love and unity.

For more information,go to www.hrc.org/muslim.

Orlando massacre: The shooter was an American

June 16, 2016

Photo credit: ABC News
As shocking as they are, mass shootings have become as 'American as apple pie'. Rather than looking for external reasons behind Florida shooter's behaviour, the country needs to do some deep soul-searching.

In the early hours of Sunday morning, a young acquaintance through my inner circle of friends was shot and killed in Orlando. He was 32 years old. I saw his mother crying on TV. I am incandescent with rage and overcome with grief.

I have never held a gun in my life and I probably never will. I do not feel as though I'm missing out on anything. No civilian needs an assault rifle. Period.

The shooter was not a ‘US citizen of Afghan descent’ as the press describes him. It’s a passable description on a technical level, but it is not a fundamentally true one. He was a Floridian and an American. The town in which he was born, New York City, is as American as apple pie. The Florida town in which he was raised is as American as apple pie. The assault weapon that he used to kill those people is as American as apple pie.

We have to acknowledge this. We have to look in the mirror and admit that we have a problem and we have to fix our problem.

The men who drafted the US Constitution understood that, like all functioning constitutions in the world, it would need to be a dynamic document. The founders were also men who, naturally, made mistakes with that document; mistakes like enshrining slavery into the original version. It took a bloody civil war to fix that mistake. But laws are made by us: flawed, mortal, human beings. And that is why they are in need of constant study, revision and change.

The men who advocated the right to bear arms in 1791 could not possibly have imagined the weapons that are available to us in 2016. They simply didn't have to weigh the moral possibility of one man walking into a room and being able to massacre 49 others and injure scores more. The Second Amendment has evolved into a national suicide note. It needs to be re-examined and repealed.

I am sad because I know that this won't happen.

If ever I expected our problem to be fixed, it was in the aftermath of the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting, when a young man killed 20 six and seven-year olds and six adults. But even the senseless slaughter of those people did not deter most members of one of our major political parties, the Republicans, and a good number in the other – the Democrats – from continuing to indiscriminately advocate the availability of weapons of war to the general population.

The Republicans are no longer a political party. They have grown into a cancer that infects the body-politic of this nation. They have failed at the most basic task of governance – which is to protect their citizens. Instead they have invested in creating an environment that is the result of an unholy combination of guns and hate.

Former Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio called the shooter an “animal”. This is the same junior senator who has voted consistently against every gun safety measure, meaning the shooter was able to walk into Walmart and buy a semi-automatic weapon. The presumptive nominee of the Republican Party, Donald Trump, also has no right to condemn this attack or say anything about it after committing time and again to actively undo any progress that gay people in this country have made towards equality, like attacking same-sex marriage.

One of the most confusing statements came from Orlando’s Mayor Buddy Dyer: “Today we’re dealing with something that we never imagined and is unimaginable”. There is hardly a phenomenon in the United States of America that is as tragically predictable. Senator Chris Murphy, who represents the community of Newtown, Connecticut where the Sandy Hook shooting took place recently attacked lawmakers’ inaction on gun control and referred to the “phenomenon of near constant mass shootings” in America. It has become a part of daily life.

The sad thing is that, in all statistical likelihood, this will happen again tomorrow.

I know from my experiences in north Florida that the environment that the people at Pulse nightclub lived in. They grew up in one of the most parochial and often bigoted parts of the United States. People push them around, bully them and hurt them – even kill them. Then they go to the one big space in Orlando where they are supposed to feel safe and free to express themselves. And this happens. Their sense of security is violated.

Maybe the gun laws won't change. Maybe they can't. But I have one plea: don't let the politicians who have been preaching against the gay community hijack this for their political gain. They are part of the problem.

Many publications have been referring to him as an ‘American terrorist’. The rest should follow suit and our politicians also need to call it like it is. Pretending that Omar Mateen was not an American is not going to help us solve the problem.

When I looked at pictures of the shooter he looked like something out of reality TV show Jersey Shore. A selfie-taking homophobic bully who seemed as insecure, thin-skinned and immature as so many young angry Americans are today. He may have been infatuated by ‘romantic’ notions of some terrorist group abroad. But he was an American. He was ‘one of us’: a symptom of our problem. Watering this down doesn't work. Many publications have been referring to him as an ‘American terrorist’. The rest should follow suit and our politicians also need to call it like it is. Pretending that Omar Mateen was not an American is not going to help us solve the problem, nor insist that all criminals like him are held as accountable to American laws as the rest of the country. The rhetoric of denial about the idea of a homegrown American terrorist reminds me of President Reagan’s statement: “I didn't have cancer. I had something inside me that had cancer and it was removed”. Denial doesn't help. It just makes the disease harder to recognize and more difficult to cure.

My friend and colleague David Ignatius recently wrote of Donald Trump: “He rightly said Monday that Muslims need to work with law enforcement to report dangerous people. But he doesn't seem to understand that his many months of Muslim-bashing comments have made that cooperation harder. He has been tossing matches into a pool of gasoline. Good law enforcement and, yes, cooperation from Muslims have helped prevent more attacks like those in San Bernardino and Orlando.

It's breathtaking that a serious presidential candidate would call on a sitting president to resign following a terrorist attack, because ‘He doesn't get it or he gets it better than anybody understands.’ What's that supposed to mean, if not a slur against Obama's loyalty?

You don't have to look far in the United States to find law-abiding American Muslims.

Trump displays a level of irresponsibility that should worry Americans, not just because his statements are immoral and unconstitutional, but because they put the country at greater risk.”

There is much wisdom to David’s analysis but you don't have to look far in the United States to find law-abiding American Muslims. You will find them in communities throughout America, working for the nation on Capitol Hill, fighting and dying for their country in the US Armed Forces and leading American culture, commerce and diplomacy. And if you had looked you would have found what remained of countless innocent American Muslims in the rubble of the Twin Towers where they perished on 9/11 together with their fellow Americans on a fateful day that they, like all the other innocent victims, thought was just going to be a regular workday at the office.

So no, it is not only American Muslims that have to cooperate with law enforcement. All Americans are obliged to live by the law of the land. Even Donald Trump has to abide by the law and show some respect for the Constitution from time to time. And with all due respect to my colleague, Trump understands what he is doing when he incites divisiveness in a nation that is as diverse as the United States of America. He is not stupid. From Chicago, Illinois to Birmingham, Alabama he has deliberately incited violence and proven that he is calculating rather than stupid. That is much, much worse.

I know that introspection and challenging this country's own ‘party of hate’ is harder than looking for external reasons for the shooter’s behavior. But it's important that we do this. I believe that America is strong enough to withstand deep soul-searching and come out stronger. But I do not believe that any mother should ever be expected to withstand the loss of her son to such senseless violence.

I send healing to the families of the victims today. I've cried but not as much as they have and will. But I also fully realise that my prayers and tears and Senate’s ‘moments of silence’ will not stitch the life back into the mother who wants her little boy back: the mother who in tearful confusion pleaded on TV for the return of her son during those long early hours when he was still unaccounted for. In those hours, my friends and I wondered if he was still alive. We made calls in the dark night holding onto hope for a faint distant light. And when the inevitable confirmation came, it hit us like a sledgehammer despite the fact that we all knew deep inside it was coming. I hope that we one day reach a point in this country where parents will never have to hand presidential candidates pictures of their children who have been shot and killed in the most senseless, incomprehensible and insurmountably tragic way possible.

This article was first published on Open Democracy.

Release Dr. Homa Hoodfar: Indian Feminists demand of Iranian Government

June 16, 2016

This statement was sent to the Iranian authorities and the Iranian Embassy in Delhi yesterday.
Here is a link to one of Prof Hoodfar’s most influential essays, “The veil in their minds and on our heads.”

Professor Homa Hoodfar
We, the undersigned, are in solidarity with Dr. Homa Hoodfar, a Canadian anthropologist of Iranian origin who has been imprisoned by the Iranian authorities on June 6, 2016. Dr. Hoodfar is a respected academic scholar and researcher on women and family in the Middle East and the Muslim world. She travelled to Iran in March 2016 to visit family and for research on women’s participation in public life.
Prior to her arrest, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard interrogated Ms. Hoodfar repeatedly without the presence of a lawyer, searched and seized her belongings including passport, phone and laptop. Ms. Hoodfar fully cooperated with the process and has been very respectful of the domestic Iranian judicial system. Since her arrest however, her family, colleagues and supporters in Iran were left with no choice but to go public with the news of the arrest.
Iranian authorities have given no reason for the arrest and the charges under which she has been held. She has not been granted access to her family or legal counsel. Dr. Hoodfar, aged 65, is not in good health and has already suffered from a mild stroke in 2015. Her family is concerned about her health and fears she may not have access to the specialized care that she requires.
We urge the Iranian government to:

Provide Dr Hoodfar immediate access to her family and lawyer;
Ensure Dr Hoodfar has the medicines she requires for her neurological illness, her condition is monitored and the report shared with her family;
Release Dr Hoodfar and return her passport and other essential documents so she can travel back to Canada to continue her treatment there and resume her academic work.

A. Mani
Abha Bhaiya
Albertina Almeida, Goa
Ammu Abraham
Anuradha Kapoor
Anuradha Pati
Aruna Burte
Ayesha Kidwai
Celin Thomas
Chayanika Shah
Chayya Datar
Dr. Mira Shiva
Dyuti Ailawadi
Gabriele Dietrich
Geeta Seshu
Geetanjali Joshua
Geetanjoli Gangoli
Hasina Khan
Indira Jaising
Jessica Mahadevan
Johanna Lokhande
Kalyani Menon-Sen
Kamal
Kavitha Murlidharan
Kiran Shaheen
Lata P.M.
Mary E John
Mira Savara
Nalini Nayak
Nandita Shah
Nazia Akhtar
Neeraj Malik
Nevedita Menon
Nimisha Desai
Nivedita Menon
Nizara Hazarika
Pramada Menon
Prof. Saswati Ghosh, Kolkatta
Pushpa Achanta (Journalist, Bangalore)
Rajashri Dasgupta
Ramlath Kavil
Rohini Hensman
Roshmi Goswami
Sadhana Arya
Sagari R Ramdas
Saheli Women’s Resource Centre
Sakina Bohra
Sarojini N
Saumya Uma
Shahida Murtaza
Shalini Mahajan, Writer, Bombay
Sheetal Sharma
Shilpa Phadke
Shraddha Chickerur
Shreya Sangai
Shubha Chacko
Sujatha Gothoskar
Sumi Krishna
Suneeta Dhar
Supriya Madangarli
Swatija Manorama
Teena Gill
Uma Chakravarti
Urvashi Butalia
Vahida Nainar
Vani Subramaniam, Film Maker
Vibhuti Patel
Virginia Saldanha
Vrinda Grover

How many more deaths will it take before we accept that too many people have died: Chhattisgarh

June 15, 2016

Soni Sori on Dharna outside Sukma Collectorate Against the Alleged Rape & Encounter of Madkam Hidme

Soni Sori, Adicasi woman leader and other members of the Aam Admi Party (AAP) party are right now on dharna outside the Sukma collectorate against the recent incident of Rape and Fake Encounter of Madkam Hidme, a young girl from Gompad village. Speaking to Sabrangindia at 11.30 p.m. Sonio Sori said that they would sleep out there and not leave the spot until the team is allowed to go in.

On June 13, the Sukma police announced a successful encounter where a woman Maoist, Madkam Hidme, was killed in an encounter close to village Gompad, Konta Tehsil, Sukma district. Villagers called up Soni Sori and her lawyers yesterday complaning that the 'official' account was incorrect and that Madkam Hidme was not a Naxalite, but a villager, picked up from her home, gang raped by the police and then killed, with the body then callously returned to the villagers. Today, June 15, a fact-finding team on behalf of the AAP, led by Soni Sori tried to visit the village to investigate the allegations.

On a legitimate citizen's mission, the team was stopped and harassed at four different camps on the way, finally they were stopped and held for almost hours at the Injeram Camp on various excuses, just 10 km short of the village. Soni Sori and others thereafter returned back to Sukma in the evening to meet the collector and SP. But no one was available at their office. ASP, Sukma Mr. Santosh Singh met the team and told them that they cannot be allowed inside without personnel from the security forces. The team then asked them to send some personnel's with them, ASP said no one was available and so they can;t be allowed to visit the village.

While the police is reluctant to afford even a basic degree of transparency to a leader like Soni Sori and her team, villagers on the other hand are willing to talk and are waiting with the body of the girl for the team or journalists to come and talk to them and see for themselves. In protest, Soni Sori and others have decided to camp/do a dharna at the collectorate itself until they are allowed to go in. That is where they are, past midnight, waiting and protesting.

Social Media Posts

This is the corpse of a young woman named Madkam Hidme (photograph above) . According to the Chhattisgarh Police, she was a Maoist guerrilla and was killed in an encounter with a team of the Special Task Force. The encounter, they say, happened near Gompad village under Chhattisgarh's Konta Police Station. They say she was a member of "Kistaram area platoon number 8."

According to Himanshu Kumar, Madkam was from Gompad village and was thrashing paddy outside her hut when she was picked up by the police and bad things were done to her before she was shot in cold blood. He says the villagers are refusing to put her body to rest. I cannot independently verify this, but I can point out a few other things.

Look closely. Look at how the weapon (bharmar) has been placed strategically next to her body. Look at the uniform Madkam Hidme is wearing. It is brand new and crisp; the cut looks high fashion if we ignore the cheap fabric. Can the uniform of a Maoist guerrilla who was killed in an encounter be so unblemished? In 18 years of my travels in Chhattisgarh and elsewhere, I have never seen a Maoist guerrilla wear such a spotless (and crisp) uniform.

It is very easy to verify the truth. It will be just a matter of one honest autopsy. Will that be ever done?
We know the answer.
The anthropologist, Michael Taussig, refers to instances of the Colombian army murdering civilians and then making them wear uniforms worn by guerrilla fighters so as to boost their "kill count." In Colombia they began to call such cases as "False Positives."

Madkam Hidme, to the best of my knowledge, is a false positive.

Appeal
This is a request to all the journalists, civil society and other concerned people to:

1. To please call the officials to insist that the team be allowed to go in to meet the villagers.
2. To visit the village themselves and investigate the incident as soon as possible (asap).

Numbers of the officials:
SP Sukma,. Indira Kalyan Elesela: +917389546789
Sukma Collector, Neeraj Bhansod- 9424136900
Sukma Police Control Room – 07864284204

कैराना पर भाजपा नेताओं के दावे बिलकुल गलत हैं, बात खत्म!

June 15, 2016

सुबह के दस बजे हैं. शामली जिले के कैराना में पत्रकारों का आना जारी है. दिल्ली से लगभग दो सौ किलोमीटर दूर बसे उत्तर प्रदेश के इस कस्बे में आज कई राष्ट्रीय चैनलों की ओबी वैन नज़र आ रही हैं. ये तमाम चैनल भाजपा नेता और कैराना से सांसद हुकुम सिंह के बयान को जांचने के लिए यहां पहुंच रहे हैं. हुकुम सिंह ने हाल ही में बयान दिया है कि कैराना में बढ़ती मुस्लिम आबादी और उसकी दबंगई के चलते यहां के हिंदू परिवार पलायन को मजबूर हो गए हैं. भाजपा सांसद के इस बयान के बाद कुछ राष्ट्रीय चैनल कैराना की तुलना जम्मू-कश्मीर से भी कर रहे हैं. इन चैनलों का मानना है कि यहां के हिंदुओं की स्थिति आज ठीक वैसी ही हो गई है जैसी 90 के दशक में कश्मीरी पंडितों की हो गई थी.

कैराना की गौशाला रोड के पास एक घर पर ताला लटका है और दीवार पर लिखा है ‘यह घर बिकाऊ है.’ इसी के सामने खड़े होकर एक टीवी रिपोर्टर हुकुम सिंह के बयान को सही बता रही हैं. वे कैमरे पर बोल रही हैं कि इस घर में रहने वाला हिंदू परिवार भी कैराना छोड़कर जा चुका है और अब अपना घर भी बेचना चाहता है. वैसे इस घर के ठीक पिछली गली में अब्दुल जमा का घर भी इसी स्थिति में है. उस पर भी ऐसे ही ताला लटका है और ‘घर बिकाऊ है’ लिखा है. लेकिन फिलहाल अधिकतर चैनलों का ध्यान सिर्फ हिंदुओं के खाली पड़े घरों तक ही सीमित है.

सूची में शामिल कुल दस में से छह लोग ऐसे हैं जिनकी हत्या कम से कम 15 साल पहले हुई थी. कुछ की तो लगभग आज से 25 साल पहले. इनके अलावा अधिवक्ता सुबोध जैन की हत्या साल 2009 में हुई थी और इसका आरोप अमित विश्वकर्मा नाम के एक हिंदू पर ही था.

सांसद हुकुम सिंह के बयानों को इसलिए भी सुर्खियां मिल रही हैं क्योंकि उनके आरोप यदि सच हैं तो वाकई बहुत भयावह हैं. उन्होंने अपने बयानों की पुष्टि के लिए दो सूचियां भी जारी की हैं. पहली सूची में कुल 346 नाम दर्ज हैं और इस सूची का शीर्षक है, ‘कैराना से पलायन करने वाले हिंदू परिवारों की सूची.’ हुकुम सिंह का आरोप है कि सूची में शामिल ये सभी लोग मुस्लिमों के बढ़ते वर्चस्व के चलते कैराना छोड़ने को विवश हुए हैं. उनके द्वारा जारी की गई दूसरी सूची में दस मृतकों के नाम हैं. कहा गया है कि ‘इन सभी हिंदुओं की सांप्रदायिक कारणों के चलते हत्या कर दी गई है.’

दस हिंदू लोगों की सांप्रदायिक कारणों से हत्या का सच

हम हुकुम सिंह द्वारा जारी की गई दूसरी सूची की पड़ताल पहले करते हैं. इस सूची में शामिल नाम हैं: विनोद कुमार, शिव कुमार, राजेंद्र कुमार, मफतलाल, सत्यप्रकाश जैन, जसवंत वर्मा, श्रीचंद जैन, सुबोध जैन, सुशील गर्ग और डॉक्टर संजय शर्मा. इस सूची की शुरुआती पड़ताल ही हुकुम सिंह के दावों को खोखला साबित कर देती है. उनके दावों से उलट ये हत्याएं न तो सांप्रदायिक हैं और न ही हाल के समय में हुई हैं. सूची में शामिल कुल दस लोगों में से छह लोग ऐसे हैं जिनकी हत्या कम से कम 15 साल पहले हुई थी. कुछ की तो लगभग आज से 25 साल पहले. इनके अलावा अधिवक्ता सुबोध जैन की हत्या साल 2009 में हुई थी और इसका आरोप अमित विश्वकर्मा नाम के एक हिंदू पर ही था.

इस सूची में शामिल सिर्फ शुरूआती तीन नाम ही ऐसे हैं जिनकी हत्या हाल के सालों – 2014 – में हुई. इन हत्याओं का आरोप मुस्लिम आरोपितों पर है जिसके चलते सांसद हुकुम सिंह के दावों को कुछ बल मिल सकता है. साथ ही सैकड़ों हिंदू परिवारों के कैराना से पलायन का जो दावा हुकुम सिंह कर रहे हैं उसमें भी इन तीन हत्याओं की अहम भूमिका रहे हैं. इसलिए इन हत्याओं को थोड़ा विस्तार से समझते हैं.

बचपन से शामली में पले-बढ़े वैज्ञानिक डॉक्टर उमर सैफ बताते हैं, ‘शामली हमेशा से आपराधिक गतिविधियों के लिए कुख्यात रहा है. लूट, हत्याएं, बलात्कार, फिरौती जैसे अपराध यहां आए दिन की घटनाओं में शामिल रहे हैं. 90 के दशक के अंत में इन अपराधों में तब जरूर कमी आई थी जब पुलिस के तत्कालीन उच्चाधिकारियों ने यहां दर्जनों कुख्यात बदमाशों का एनकाउंटर करवा दिया था और सैकड़ों बदमाशों को जेल भिजवाया था.’

2014 में मुकीम गैंग ने कैराना में कुल सात लोगों की हत्या की थी. इन सात लोगों में तीन वे थे जिनकी जानकारी हुकुम सिंह ने मृतकों की सूची में सबसे ऊपर दी है. जो जानकारी उन्होंने नहीं दी वह यह है कि मुकीम गैंग ने इसी साल कैराना के चार मुस्लिम लोगों की भी हत्या की थी.

वे आगे कहते हैं, ‘लेकिन 2010 के करीब यहां आपराधिक गतिविधियां फिर से तेज हुईं. तब एक मुस्तफा उर्फ़ कग्गा गैंग तेजी से उभरा था. कग्गा के एनकाउंटर के बाद मुकीम इस गैंग का सरगना हुआ और 2014 आते-आते तो उसने यहां कोहराम मचा दिया. तब सच में कई लोग शामली और कैराना छोड़कर कहीं बाहर जा बसे थे.’ हुकुम सिंह द्वारा जारी की गई मृतकों की सूची में जो शुरुआती तीन नाम हैं, उनकी हत्या इसी मुकीम गैंग द्वारा की गई थी.

सांसद हुकुम सिंह का आरोप है कि ये हत्याएं सांप्रदायिक कारणों से की गई थीं. लेकिन उनके इस आरोप को न सिर्फ आंकड़े झूठा घोषित करते हैं बल्कि कैराना के तमाम हिंदू-मुस्लिम नागरिक भी स्वीकार नहीं करते. पहले नज़र डालते हैं कुछ आंकड़ों पर. 2014 में मुकीम गैंग ने कैराना में कुल सात लोगों की हत्या की थी. इन सात लोगों में तीन वे थे जिनकी जानकारी हुकुम सिंह ने मृतकों की सूची में सबसे ऊपर दी है. जो जानकारी उन्होंने नहीं दी वह यह है कि मुकीम गैंग ने इसी साल कैराना के चार मुस्लिम लोगों की भी हत्या की थी. विनोद कुमार, शिव कुमार और राजेंद्र कुमार के अलावा 2014 में मुकीम गैंग द्वारा फुरकान, कल्लू (निवासी खुर्गान), उसका भाई और एक अन्य मुस्लिम युवक की भी हत्या की गई थी. यानी कि इनमें से कोई भी हत्या सांप्रदायिक या धार्मिक कारणों के चलते नहीं बल्कि फिरौती और रंजिश के चलते हुई थी.

2014 में कैराना में हुई सभी हत्याओं के बारे में अन्य जानकारी लेने के लिए हम कैराना थाने पहुंचते हैं. यहां रखे 2014 के रजिस्टर को खंगालने पर मालूम चलता है कि उस साल कैराना थाने में हत्या के 19 मामले दर्ज हुए थे. इनमें से तीन मामले ऐसे भी थे जिनमें दो-दो व्यक्तियों की हत्याएं हुई थीं. यानी 2014 में यहां कुल 22 लोगों की हत्या हुई थी. इनमें से सात हिंदू थे जबकि 14 मुस्लिम और एक मृतक की पहचान ‘अज्ञात’ दर्ज की गई थी. इन सभी हत्याओं में आरोपितों के नाम जांचने पर यह भी सामने आता है कि मुकीम गैंग द्वारा की गई तीन व्यापारियों की हत्या के अलावा अन्य सभी हिंदुओं की हत्याओं में आरोपित भी हिंदू धर्म के ही लोग थे.

इन आंकड़ों से इतर कैराना के स्थानीय लोग भी इस बात की गवाही देते हैं कि इनमें से कोई भी हत्या सांप्रदायिक कारणों से नहीं हुई थी. कैराना में मार्केटिंग का काम करने वाले संदीप जैन बताते हैं, ‘बदमाशों का एक ही धर्म होता है और वह है पैसा. पैसों के चलते ही बदमाशों ने शिव कुमार और राजेंद्र कुमार नाम के व्यापारी भाइयों की हत्या की थी. जब ये हत्याएं हुई थीं तो विरोध में सबसे पहले स्थानीय मुसलमानों ने ही अपनी दुकानें बंद की थीं. उन्हीं लोगों ने बाजार बंद करवाया था और हत्यारों के खिलाफ कार्रवाई की मांग उठाई थी. हिंदू व्यापारी तो तब भी यह तर्क दे रहे थे कि दुकान नहीं खोलेंगे तो खाएंगे क्या.’

कैराना से पलायन करने वाले हिंदू परिवारों की सूची का सच

सांसद हुकुम सिंह द्वारा लगाए गए सांप्रदायिक हत्याओं के आरोपों को हर तरह से निराधार पाने के बाद हम उनके अन्य आरोपों की पड़ताल शुरू करते हैं. इनमें मुख्य वह सूची है जिसके आधार पर वे कहते हैं कि 346 हिंदू परिवार कैराना से सांप्रदायिक तनाव के चलते पलायन कर गए हैं. इस सूची की पहली खामी तो यही है कि इसमें 346 व्यक्तियों को 346 परिवारों के रूप में दर्शाया गया है. उदाहरण के लिए, क्रम संख्या 159 से 162 तक जिन चार लोगों के नाम सूची में दर्ज हैं, वे चारों श्री मांगेराम के चार बेटे हैं जिन्हें अलग-अलग चार परिवारों के रूप में दर्शाया गया है. ऐसे दर्जनों अन्य नाम इस सूची में शामिल हैं.

कथित रूप से पलायन कर चुके लोगों की इस सूची में सबसे पहला नाम ईश्वरचंद उर्फ़ बिल्लू का है. सूची के अनुसार उनका पता ‘चौक बाज़ार कैराना’ है. जब हम इस पते पर पहुंचते हैं तो ईश्वरचंद हमें अपनी दुकान पर अपने बेटे नितिन मित्तल के साथ बैठे हुए मिलते हैं. वे बताते हैं, ‘मैं सच में दो साल पहले यहां से पलायन कर चुका हूं. अब सिर्फ कभी-कभार ही काम के सिलसिले में यहां आता हूं.’ कैराना छोड़ कर जाने के बारे में ईश्वरचंद बताते हैं कि 16 अगस्त 2014 को कैराना में विनोद कुमार नाम के व्यापारी की फिरौती न देने के कारण हत्या कर दी गई थी. जिस मुकीम उर्फ़ फुरकान गैंग ने यह हत्या की थी उसी गैंग ने ठीक इसी दिन ईश्वरचंद से भी 20 लाख रुपयों की फिरौती मांगी थी.

अपने पुत्र नितिन मित्तल के साथ ईश्वरचंद

ईश्वरचंद बताते हैं, ‘तब मैंने कई लोगों से मदद की गुहार लगाई. लेकिन तीन दिनों तक जब कोई भी मदद को सामने नहीं आया तो 19 अगस्त की रात मैं अपने पूरे परिवार को लेकर यहां से चला गया था. कई दिनों तक तो मैं वृंदावन में शरण लेकर रहा. उसके बाद हरियाणा के एक शहर में मैंने किराए का कमरा लिया और फिर वहीं बस गया.’ जिस दौर में ईश्वरचंद से फिरौती मांगी गई थी और वे अपना सब कुछ छोड़कर कैराना से भागने को मजबूर हो गए थे उस दौर में भी हुकुम सिंह इस क्षेत्र के सांसद थे. बल्कि वे कैराना विधानसभा सीट से त्यागपत्र देकर ही सांसद बने थे. उनके द्वारा खाली की गई विधानसभा सीट पर भी तब तक उपचुनाव नहीं हुआ था. इसलिए हुकुम सिंह ही उस दौर में ईश्वरचंद के एकमात्र चुने हुए प्रतिनिधि थे. लेकिन न तो वे तब ईश्वरचंद के किसी काम ही आए और न ही उन्होंने तब यह मुद्दा राष्ट्रीय स्तर पर उठाया.

यह पूछने पर कि क्या उन्हें हिंदू होने के चलते कैराना छोड़ना पड़ा था, ईश्वरचंद कहते हैं, ‘यह बात बिलकुल गलत है. मैं इतना जानता हूं कि तब जो भी यहां संपन्न था, उसे फिरौती देनी ही पड़ती थी. इसमें कोई सांप्रदायिक पहलू नहीं था. बल्कि तब मेरे पास कुल 26 लोग काम किया करते थे जिनमें से 22 लोग मुस्लिम थे. आज भी जो एकमात्र आदमी यहां मेरा काम संभालता है, वह एक मुस्लिम ही है.’

सूची में क्रम संख्या 258 और 259 पर दर्ज देवी सिंह रोड और मीर सिंह रोड आज भी कैराना में ही रहते हैं. कैराना में ही वकालत करने वाले उनके रिश्तेदार महेंद्र सिंह रोड बताते हैं, ‘देवी सिंह और मीर सिंह ने तो अब खेतों के बीच में अपनी कोठियां बना ली हैं. उन्हें किसका डर है जो यहां से छोड़कर जाएंगे.’

ईश्वरचंद की तरह ही इस सूची में शामिल जितने भी लोगों से हमने संपर्क किया, उनमें से एक भी ऐसा नहीं था जिसने सांप्रदायिक कारणों के चलते कैराना से पलायन किया हो. बल्कि सूची में सुबोध जैन और सुशील कुमार जैसे कुछ लोग तो ऐसे हैं जिनकी कई साल पहले ही मृत्यु हो चुकी है. साथ ही कई लोग ऐसे भी हैं जो आज भी कैराना में ही रहते हैं फिर भी उन्हें पलायन कर चुके लोगों की इस सूची में दर्शाया गया है.

सूची में क्रम संख्या 258 और 259 पर दर्ज देवी सिंह रोड और मीर सिंह रोड आज भी कैराना में ही रहते हैं. कैराना जिला न्यायालय में वकालत करने वाले उनके रिश्तेदार अधिवक्ता महेंद्र सिंह रोड हमें बताते हैं, ‘देवी सिंह और मीर सिंह ने तो अब खेतों के बीच में अपनी कोठियां बना ली हैं. उन्हें किसका डर है जो यहां से छोड़कर जाएंगे?’ क्रम संख्या 271 और 272 पर दर्ज अरुण कुमार रोड और मनोज कुमार के बारे महेंद्र कहते हैं, ‘अरुण ने आज से लगभग दस साल पहले ही करनाल में अपनी डेरी खोल ली थी इसलिए वो वहां रहता है और मनोज सरकारी शिक्षक है जो लगभग 16 साल पहले से बाहर नौकरी कर रहा है. उनके भाई और अन्य रिश्तेदार आज भी कैराना में ही रहते हैं और बहुत आराम से रहते हैं.’

इस सूची में क्रम संख्या 33 पर अनिल जैन का नाम दर्ज है. वे बताते हैं, ‘आठ साल पहले से मैं शामली में व्यापार कर रहा हूं. मेरे बच्चे भी शामली में ही पढ़ते हैं. मुझे और बच्चों को रोज़ कैराना से शामली आना पड़ता था इसलिए चार साल पहले से मैं यहीं रहने लगा हूं. कैराना में आज भी हमारा पुश्तैनी मकान है और हम लगातार जाते हैं. मुझे नहीं पता मेरा नाम कैसे और किसने इस सूची में शामिल कर दिया.’

कैराना में वकालत कर रहे अधिवक्ता नसीम अहमद बताते हैं, ‘मैं पिछले 17 साल से वकालत कर रहा हूं. अधिवक्ता पंकज मित्तल मेरे वकील बनने से भी पहले से पानीपत में वकालत करते हैं. उनका नाम भी सांप्रदायिक कारणों से हाल में कैराना छोड़ने वालों की सूची में दर्शाया गया है. ऐसे ही साधुराम सैनी का नाम भी सूची में है. जबकि साधुराम बीमारी के चलते हरिद्वार में नौकरी कर रहे अपने बेटे के पास रहते हैं. उसके भाई तो आज भी यहीं कैराना में हैं.’ इस सूची में सुरेश चन्द्र, ओमकार स्वरुप जैसे कई ऐसे लोग भी शामिल हैं जो नौकरी से रिटायर होने के बाद कहीं बाहर नौकरी कर रहे अपने बच्चों के साथ रहने चले गए हैं.

कैराना के हजारों बच्चे अच्छी शिक्षा के लिए रोजाना शामली या पानीपत जाते हैं. इसलिए जो नजदीकी शहरों में बस जाने में सक्षम है, वह बस रहा है. इसमें हिंदू नहीं मुस्लिम भी शामिल हैं.

शामली निवासी मोहम्मद उस्मान बताते हैं, ‘आज के दौर में आप किसी भी छोटे शहर में चले जाइये. हर घर से कोई व्यक्ति किसी बड़े शहर जा चुका होगा. जो लोग ज्यादा संपन्न होंगे वे तो पूरे परिवार सहित ही बड़े शहरों में बस चुके होंगे. वही स्थिति कैराना की भी है.’ वे आगे कहते हैं, ‘पूरे कैराना में एक भी महिला एमबीबीएस डॉक्टर नहीं है. इसलिए अधिकतर डिलीवरी के मामलों में लोग या तो पानीपत भागते हैं या शामली. यहां के हजारों बच्चे अच्छी शिक्षा के लिए रोजाना शामली या पानीपत जाते हैं. इसलिए जो नजदीकी शहरों में बस जाने में सक्षम है, वह बस रहा है. इसमें हिंदू नहीं मुस्लिम लोग भी हैं. हुकुम सिंह जी के ही पैमानों पर यदि कैराना से पलायन कर गए मुस्लिमों की भी सूची जारी की जाए तो उनकी संख्या सैकड़ों में नहीं बल्कि हजारों में होगी.’

कैराना में एक दिन बिताने पर ही यह साफ़ हो जाता है कि सांसद हुकुम सिंह द्वारा लगाए गए दोनों आरोप पूरी तरह से गलत और झूठे हैं. कैराना से न तो सांप्रदायिक कारणों के चलते हिंदू पलायन कर रहे हैं और न ही यहां ऐसे किसी कारण के चलते हत्याएं हुई हैं. बल्कि अपने आरोपों की पुष्टि के लिए जो सूचियां उन्होंने जारी की थीं, वही उनके दावों की पोल भी खोल कर रख देती हैं. उनकी सूची में शामिल कुछ लोग तो ऐसे हैं जो कभी कैराना छोड़कर गए ही नहीं, कुछ की कई साल पहले ही मृत्यु हो गई और कुछ व्यापार या अन्य कारणों के किसी दूसरी जगह रह रहे हैं. ईश्वरचंद जैसे कुछ लोग ऐसे जरूर हैं जिन्हें बढ़ती आपराधिक गतिवधियों और रंगदारी के डर से कैराना छोड़ना पड़ा, लेकिन इनके पीछे कोई भी सांप्रदायिक कारण नहीं है. कैराना में फिरौती और रंगदारी का जितना शिकार हिंदू व्यापारी होते रहे हैं, उतना ही मुस्लिम व्यापारी भी हुए हैं.

यहां ध्यान देने वाली एक बात यह भी है कि इतनी बार कैराना से विधायक और सांसद रहने वाले हुकुम सिंह ने यहां हद से ज्यादा बढ़ चुके अपराधों के मामले में तो कभी कुछ किया नहीं और अब वे उन्हीं अपराधों को अपने राजनीतिक फायदे के लिए भुनाने का प्रयास कर रहे हैं.

मुकीम और उसके गैंग के अधिकतर सदस्य आज जेल में हैं. लेकिन कैराना में आसानी से ऐसे कई व्यापारी मिल जाते हैं जिन्होंने कुछ समय पहले ही लाखों रुपयों की रंगदारी इन कुख्यातों को चुकाई है. इनमें हिंदू और मुस्लिम दोनों ही व्यापारी शामिल हैं. गोपनीयता की शर्त पर एक स्थानीय व्यापारी बताते हैं, ‘आज भले ही इस क्षेत्र के कुख्यात अपराधी जेलों में हों लेकिन उनके गुर्गों द्वारा आज भी रंगदारी मांगी जाती है. कुछ समय पहले ही हमने लाखों रुपये चुकाकर अपनी जान छुड़ाई थी. संजीव जीवा, विनोद बावला, सत्येन्द्र बरवाला, सुशील मूछ, सुनील राठी जैसे कई कुख्यातों को आज भी यहां के व्यापारी रुपये देने को लाचार हैं. हम लोग तो अब इस पैसे को ‘गुंडा टैक्स’ कहते हैं जिससे कोई भी व्यापारी बच नहीं सकता.’

कैराना के संबध में सांसद हुकुम सिंह के सांप्रदायिक हत्याओं और पलायन के बयान भले ही खोखले और आधारहीन हैं लेकिन उनका यह बयान जरूर कुछ हद तक सही है कि कैराना में हिंदू समुदाय के लोग डरे हुए हैं. यहां के बिसातियान मोहल्ले में रहने वाले संदीप जैन बताते हैं, ‘यहां आज तक कोई भी सांप्रदायिक हिंसा नहीं हुई. मुजफ्फरनगर दंगों के दौरान भी जब आस-पास के सारे इलाके जल रहे थे तो कैराना में शांति का माहौल था. लेकिन अल्पसंख्यक होने के चलते यह डर हिंदुओं में जरूर है कि यदि कभी कोई सांप्रदायिक दंगा होता है तो लगभग 80 प्रतिशत मुस्लिम जनसंख्या वाले इस क्षेत्र में 20 प्रतिशत हिंदू कैसे बच सकेंगे.’

संदीप जैन की तरह ही कैराना के कई अन्य हिंदुओं में भी अल्पसंख्यक होने का डर देखा जा सकता है. यह वैसा ही जैसे अधिकतर हिंदू बहुल क्षेत्रों में मुस्लिम अल्पसंख्यकों को होता है. कैराना में कुछ लोगों का यह डर इसलिए भी बढ़ा है क्योंकि मुजफ्फरनगर दंगों के बाद यहां मुस्लिम आबादी तेजी से बढ़ी है. दंगों के दौरान बड़ी संख्या में मुसलमानों का पलायन हुआ था. इनमें से हजारों मुस्लिम परिवारों ने कैराना में शरण ली थी. आज भी कपड़े और थैलियों के जीर्ण-शीर्ण टेंट्स में हजारों मुस्लिम कैराना में शरणार्थी बनकर रह रहे हैं. इन लोगों की स्थिति दिखाते हुए स्थानीय निवासी मोहम्मद उस्मान कहते हैं, ‘यदि सच में कैराना के हिंदुओं को सांप्रदायिक कारणों से पलायन करना पड़ता तो वे भी कहीं इसी तरह रह रहे होते. लेकिन ऐसा नहीं है क्योंकि हिंदुओं के पलायन की बात पूरी तरह झूठी है.’ उस्मान सवाल करते हुए कहते हैं, ‘आपको लगता है कि ये लोग किसी को डरा सकते हैं? हां, जिन हालात में ये लोग जिंदगी गुजार रहे हैं वे हालात जरूर किसी को भी डरा सकते हैं.’

मुजफ्फरनगर दंगों के दौरान एक तरफ जहां इस क्षेत्र के लांख, बावड़ी, लिस्हाड़, फुगाना और सिम्हाल्खा जैसे गांवों से मुस्लिम जनसंख्या लगभग समाप्त हो गई, वहीँ कैराना जैसे कुछ इलाकों में इसमें बढ़ोतरी हुई. जनसंख्या के इसी हेर-फेर का इस्तेमाल सांसद हुकुम सिंह अपने और भाजपा के हित साधने के लिए कर रहे हैं. वे अपने संसदीय क्षेत्र के उन इलाकों का नाम तो बताते हैं जहां मुस्लिम जनसंख्या बढ़ी है लेकिन, अपने ही क्षेत्र के उन इलाकों का जिक्र नहीं करते जहां से यह मुस्लिम जनसंख्या कैराना पहुंची और जहां अब एक भी मुस्लिम परिवार नहीं है.

कई जानकारों का मानना है कि कैराना का मामला भाजपा ने एक सोची-समझी रणनीति के तहत उछाला है. उत्तर प्रदेश में अगले साल विधानसभा चुनाव होने हैं. इसलिए भाजपा को एक ऐसा मुद्दा चाहिए जो लोगों को सांप्रदायिक ध्रुवों में बांट सके. पिछले दो साल से केंद्र में सरकार होने के कारण भाजपा राम मंदिर, समान नागरिक संहिता और अनुछेद 370 जैसे अपने सनातन चुनावी मुद्दों से भी हाथ धो बैठी. ऐसे में कैराना भाजपा को सांप्रदायिक ध्रुवीकरण की एकदम नई जमीन तैयार करके दे सकता है.

भाजपा अध्यक्ष अमित शाह के हालिया बयान को देखते हुए यह संभावनाएं और भी मजबूत हो जाती हैं. उन्होंने कैराना पर किसी भी तरह की रिपोर्ट आने से पहले ही इसका चुनावी प्रयोग शुरू भी कर दिया है. इलाहाबाद की हालिया रैली में शाह का कहना था कि, ‘उत्तर प्रदेश वालों को कैराना हल्के में नहीं लेना चाहिए, हिंदुओं का वहां से पलायन करना बेहद चौंकाने वाला है. लोगों को यह ध्यान रखना होगा कि उत्तर प्रदेश में समाजवादी पार्टी को सिर्फ भाजपा ही हरा सकती है.’

Source: Scroll/Satyagraha

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Provide Dr Hoodfar immediate access to her family and lawyer;

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Release Dr Hoodfar and return her passport and other essential documents so she can travel back to Canada to continue her treatment there and resume her academic work.

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कैराना पर भाजपा नेताओं के दावे बिलकुल गलत हैं, बात खत्म!

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Photo credit: ABC NewsAs shocking as they are, mass shootings have become as 'American as apple pie'. Rather than looking for external reasons behind Florida shooter's behaviour, the country needs to do some deep soul-searching.

Provide Dr Hoodfar immediate access to her family and lawyer;

Ensure Dr Hoodfar has the medicines she requires for her neurological illness, her condition is monitored and the report shared with her family;

Release Dr Hoodfar and return her passport and other essential documents so she can travel back to Canada to continue her treatment there and resume her academic work.

JOIN OUR MAILING LIST

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Important Links

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CONNECT

Photo credit: ABC News
As shocking as they are, mass shootings have become as 'American as apple pie'. Rather than looking for external reasons behind Florida shooter's behaviour, the country needs to do some deep soul-searching.