BBAU: Will another ‘Rohith Vemula’ have to commit suicide to open the eyes of university officials?

September 30, 2016

On September 8, 2016, the administration of the Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU) Lucknow summarily rusticated 8 Dalit students, without serving the mandatory show cause notice. To add to their humiliation they were forced to vacate their hostel rooms and their entry into the BBAU campus was “banned”. One more Indian university campus has fallen prey to rigid and narrow authoritarianism. Among the students rusticated was one student who is under serious medication; his medicines and ultrasound reports were flung out by the administration.

It all started on September 7 (a Wednesday), when a group of Dalit students were waiting outside the administration building with a list of complaints regarding hostel facilities, access to libraries etc. Routine demands that students make to authorities. They were standing outside the office of the Registrar. All of a sudden, students allege, professor Kamal Jaiswal came out and started not just rebuking them but also hurled casteist abused. “ We are not here to listen to the complaints of —- (name of a particular caste), he is reported to have said. When one of the students present tried to remonstrate, he even started abusing them it is reported, threatening to destroy their academic careers. A criminal complaint (FIR) was lodged against six of the Dalit students. After several efforts that failed, the students have lodged a criminal complaint under the Atrocities Act against professor Jaiswal. This was possible only on September 23 after they approached the Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh.

The students who have now approached even the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Tribes (NCSCST) have a serious grudge against the Vice-Chancellor, professor, R.C. Solti who issued orders for rustication without even fairly examining the matter.

The conflict goes back several months and also involves lobbies who have been trying desperately to get the 50 per cent reservation for SCs/STs allowed in this institute of higher learning cancelled. Just a few months ago, an FIR was lodged against 19 Dalit students belonging to the Ambedkar University Dalit Students Union) which also included the eight students who have been rusticated. The FIR was withdrawn when it was found to have no substance. Allegations were of ‘anti-social activity.’

The past 36 months or so have seen a bitter struggle between students, mentally and physically tortured, it is alleged by Jaiswal. In 2015, there was a sustained agitation against him and his proctorship. There are serious and proven allegations of sexual harassment and gendered violence –upheld by a Committee headed by a retired Judge of the –against him. For this he was removed from his post but has, since, been appointed on the Board of Management of the University. Jaiswal despite being on the appointed staff of the university has violated rules and approached the High Court for cancellation of the policy of 50 per cent reservations for Dalits students at BBAU.
Sabrangindia spoke to one of the rusticate students, Shreyat Bouddh in this interview.

What is at the root of the hostility of the administration against you and other rusticated students of BBAU?
A: The University has special university status where SC and ST have 50 per cent reservations in all courses. This has been the established policy of this university since 1994 when it was founded. This has been challenged several times by the upper caste – in the High Court in 2001, where the matter lay pending for several months, then lapsed. It was again challenged in 2004. In 2004, the Indian Parliament, the Rajya Sabha interpreted ‘adequate percentage’ for SCs and SRs as 50 per cent. Now again, professor Kamal Jaiswal—who is at the root of this aggression against Dalit students—has in the High Court, through a writ petition in 2015, through the Pichda Jan Kalyan Samiti challenged this policy. Judgement is presently pending.

Now who is this Kamal Jaiswal? He has an Atrocity Case pending against him when he had brutally beaten a Dalit boy in 2001. (Case No 280/2001 at the Ashiana Thana, Lucknow). Then on March 25, 2009 the university had suspended him for four years on cases where serious allegations of an attempt to rape were made and he was out till 2013. The Shailendra Saxena Committee on Sexual Harassment had found him guilty. Yet in 2013 the present Vice Chancellor revoked the suspension and re-instated him.

Q: What are the kind of humiliations that Dalit students have to endure?
A: It is humiliating. Money is demanded for completition of thesis. Students who are Dalit are not given fellowships/scholarships. One example is an outstanding Dalit scholar, Dr Bela who received her fellowship money severa years after completing her PHD(doctoral studies)

Q: How has the present conflict erupted?
A: Last year, on August 18, 2015 also two among the presently rusticated students were also previously acted upon again without being served a show cause notice when one boy from the general catehory complained of being beaten by Dalits. Without any inquiry, any attempt to listen to the other side, the rustication happened. This is how the administration behaves.’

Then on September 7, 2016 we had gone to complain to the hostel administration with a list of issues: not proper allotment of hostel rooms for Dalit students, discrimination in allotment rocedure against Dalits; shutting down hostel for maintenance during the academic session etc. That is when Jaiswal abused us, “I will not let ___ (Caste name) study.” There were witnesses to this casteist (racist) abuse. He tore his own shirt and then accused us of tearing it!

A false FIR was lodged against six students and four teachers (Dr Gajanand Pandey, Dr LC Mallalia, Dr Khushendra Mishra and Dr Gaurav Kaithwas for “beating” him. We have also filed an FIR that got lodged only on September 23 against him, under the Atrocities Act, after the state director general of police (DGP) intervened.

Shockingly at 9.30 p.m. the next day, September 9 without even being issued a show cause we were rusticated. Our belongings were thrown out of the hostel. One of us, a boy Sumeet Kumar suffers from Liver sirrosis was treated so badly, all his medicines and test papers were flung out.

Q:Who are the eight rusticated students?
A: There is Sandeep Shastri PHD Applicant (second rank)who has given his entrance examination there is Sandeep Gautam studying for B.ED and he is from Faizabad from a very deprived family. He was even rusticated earlier. Then there is, like him, Jay Singh, also a B.ED student from Jaunpur also from a very deprived family.

Ramendra Naresh is also studying in the B.EDd course from Sitapur; there is Ajay Kumar a PHD scholar in Chemistry from Jhansi; Sumeet Kumar, MSC in Forensic Sciences (he is with the acute liver problem) and hails from Muradabad. Then there is Ashwani Ranjan studying in the MSC course in Forensic Science from Mhow. Myself am Shyreyat Bouddh who got the first rank in PHD Applicant in Subaltern Studies and I am from Faizabad.

Q: How has the past one month been? What is the impact of the rustication?
A: It is humiliating and frustrating when basic norms are not followed. They are pushing us to the wall. Do they want another case of a Rohith Vemula here? Deliberately we are humiliated, given inferior facilities. It is as if we excelling in higher education is a threat.

Q:You have also mentioned that for the past three years specifically the University administration has taken a particularly vicious turn. What has changed in the past three years?
A: Ever since Jaiswal was brought back and under the current political dispensation at Delhi it appears that independent and thinking voices among Dalits are being deliberately silenced.

References:
1) Expelled students' friends launch stir
2) Expelled students find support in pro-quota body
3) AUDSU delegation meets NCSC chairman
4) BBAU officials throw out ill dalit student’s medicines
5) Proctorial board for external probe into BBAU incident

अर्णव के हाथों इतना अपमान कैसे सहती हो सबा नक़वी ?

September 30, 2016

अर्णब को कल फिर भाजपा प्रवक्ता के साथ गठजोड़ कर अपनी ही बिरादरी के बंदों को राष्ट्रविरोधी पाले में धकेलते देखा। सबा नक़वी को बोलने नहीं दिया, भाजपा प्रवक्ता श्रीकांत शर्मा (और सहयोगी बकताओं) को रोका नहीं गया। शर्मा एक मुसलिम समुदाय से आने वाली पत्रकार को सीमा पर (पार नहीं?) जाने को कह रहे थे। भाव कुछ यह था कि राष्ट्र-हित में सबका स्वर एक होना ज़रूरी है, जो साथ नहीं है वह ग़द्दार है। तो टीवी पर ये बहसें आयोजित क्यों हो रही हैं?

सबा ने (उचित ही) रोष में जब कहा कि शर्मा नुक्कड़ जैसा भाषण हमें न पिलाएँ, तो अर्णब सबा पर ही पिल पड़े – शर्मा हिंदी बोल रहे हैं इसलिए आपने उन्हें नुक्कड़ का कहा, यू लटियंस …

यही अपमानजनक सलूक अन्य 'मेहमान' सुधींद्र कुलकर्णी के साथ हुआ। उन्हें एक भी वाक्य ठीक से पूरा न करने दिया गया। जैसे ही कश्मीर समस्या का ज़िक्र उनके मुँह से निकला, एक पहले से लिखी इबारत हाथ में ले अर्णब कुलकर्णी पर पिल पड़े। एक मुक़ाम पर पहुँच कर सुधींद्र झल्ला गए बोले – "मैंने आपसे बदतरीन ('worst') ऐंकर पहले कभी नहीं देखा।"

एक अन्य विवेकी मेहमान (जो ऐंकर के साथ स्टूडियो में बैठे थे) को बोलने से रोकने के लिए शर्मा अनर्गल टीकाएँ करने लगे तो मेहमान ने अपने मेज़बान ऐंकर से कहा – "आइ नीड योर प्रोटेक्शन"। इसके बावजूद ऐंकर से न सहयोग मिला, न बोलने का अवसर। बुलाया किसलिए था, भाई?

यह कैसी पत्रकारिता है? सत्ताधारी विचारधारा से कैसा गठजोड़ है? खुला खेल फ़र्रुख़ाबादी!

सच कहूँ तो ये बहसें बरदाश्त के बाहर हो चली हैं। ऐंकर अपना शिकार पहले से चुनकर उसे बहस में बुलाता है। अमूमन कोई भला, न उलझने वाला शरीफ़ बंदा। उसके साथ कोई एक शिकार और होगा। फिर अपने ही चुने हुए तीन-चार हमलावर 'मेहमानों' के साथ मिलकर शिकार को पहले देश का दुश्मन क़रार दीजिए। शिकार चाहे लाख कहता रहे कि मैंने जो कहना चाहा वह कहने ही नहीं दिया गया है। दूसरे, गरियाते हुए शिकार के पाले में देश के तमाम उदारवादियों को भी धकेल दीजिए, वे चाहे कहीं भी हों।

असहिष्णुता हम संघ परिवार में ढूंढ़ते आए हैं। इस क़िस्म के टीवी ऐंकरों में भी आजकल वह कूट-कूट कर भरी है। मज़ा यह कि अब अपनी दलीलें भी ये ऐंकर पहले से लिखकर सामने रख लेते हैं; आपके मुँह से जब भी अपेक्षित ज़िक्र या शब्द (जैसे कल 'कश्मीर') निकलेगा, वे पूर्वनियोजित दलीलें – नज़रें झुकाकर पढ़ते हुए सही – प्रत्यक्ष दलील देने की कोशिश कर रहे किसी संभागी पर छर्रों की तरह दागे जाने के काम आएँगी। ज़ाहिर है, उस वक़्त सत्ताधारी दल का प्रवक्ता, अन्य चुनिंदा बकता भी साथ डटे होंगे – निरीह मेहमानों को अनवरत हड़काते हुए, सरेआम दादागीरी के दाँव आज़माते हुए।

आप कह सकते हैं – और कहना वाजिब होगा – कि मैं ऐसे चैनल की देहरी पर जाता ही क्यों हूँ, जब जानता हूँ कि वहाँ शोर और मार-काट के सिवा कुछ न मिलेगा? शायद हल्ला देखने (मुहल्ले से पड़ी आदत है), कुछ इस सबसे भी बाख़बर रहने। पर इस बीमारी से अंततः बचना होगा।

मेरा सवाल छर्रे खाने वाले उन 'मेहमान' संभागियों से भी है – कि हम तो चलिए चैनल फटकारते जा पहुँचते है, आख़िर आप वहाँ क्यों जा प्रकट होते हैं? बार-बार? मैं जानता हूँ सुधींद्रजी और सबा पैसे के लिए जाने वालों में नहीं, फिर भी इतना अपमान जो मुझ दर्शक से न बरदाश्त हुआ, वे क्यों सह आते हैं?

(वरिष्ठ पत्रकार ओम थानवी की फ़ेसबुक पोस्ट)

ABVP fails to a win single seat in first election since Rohith Vemula’s death in University of Hyderabad

September 30, 2016

The United Front for Social Justice (UFSJ) has won all posts in the elections held for the students’ union of the University of Hyderabad for 2016-17, beating ABVP.

After a day-long process of counting the votes polled on September 28, the results were announced late last night, said a release from University of Hyderabad, popularly known as Hyderabad Central University (HCU).

The UFSJ won all the posts, with its candidate Kuldeep Singh Nagi winning president’s post by securing 1,406 votes against Gopal Krishna of AVBP-OBCA who secured 1,354 votes.

The vice-president’s post was won by Bukya Sunder of UFSJ securing 1,701 votes against Aditya of AVBP-OBCA who got 1,405 votes.

The general secretary’s post was won by Suman Damera of UFSJ securing 1,842 votes against Anand Rao of ABVP-OBCA who got 1,503 votes.

The joint secretary’s post was won by Pilli Vijay Kumar who got 1,557 votes against Ajit of ABVP-OBCA who secured 1,351 votes.

The students groups that stood for elections this year included Ambedkar Students’ Association (ASA), USFJ, and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) along with the OBC Association (OBCA), the third major group contesting.

UFSJ comprises Students’ Federation of India, Dalit Students’ Union, Tribal Students’ Forum, Bahujan Students’ Front and Telangana Vidyarthi Vedika.

The cultural secretary’s post was won by Nakhrai Debarma of UFSJ with 1,823 votes against Shanti of ABVP-OBCA who secured 1,594 votes.

Similarly, UFSJ’s Ushnish Das won the post of sports secretary securing 1,790 votes against Nanda of ABVP-OBCA who got 1,632 votes, the release added.

(With inputs from PTI)

Courtesy: Janta Ka Reporter

Behind Pakistan’s Military Confidence: China’s Growing Shadow

September 30, 2016

Until five years ago, the USA and China shared an almost equal proportion of Pakistan’s arms imports: 39% and 38% respectively. Today, China supplies 63% of Pakistan’s armaments, with the USA dropping to 19% and second place, an IndiaSpend analysis reveals, as Pakistan mulls a response to India’s strike on terror camps across the border.

China’s People’s Liberation Army troops (right) and Pakistani troops attend a flag hoisting ceremony at the start of joint military exercises in Abbotabad, 85 km (53 miles) northwest of Islamabad, in December 2006. China’s rise to becoming the world’s third-largest arms exporter was to a large degree helped by heightened demand from Pakistan, which now buys 35% of these exports and is Beijing’s biggest buyer.

China’s rise to becoming the world’s third-largest arms exporter was to a large degree helped by heightened demand from Pakistan, which now buys 35% of these exports and is Beijing’s biggest buyer (Bangladesh follows at 20%), according to this February 2016 report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

The military supplies are bolstered by unwavering support at a time of heightened tensionwith India and faltering ties with the US (there was a 73% drop in US security aid over four years to 2015, The Wire reported in August 2016; the US also cancelled the subsidised sale of eight F-16 fighter jets).

Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute Link 1 & Link 2

Last month, Pakistan’s ministry of defence production confirmed a contract with China for the purchase of eight conventional diesel-electric submarines, which will cost between $4 billion to $5 billion (Rs. 25,600 crore to Rs. 33,200 crore), China’s biggest defence export deal.

The submarines could have a nuclear strategic capability–they could be used to launch nuclear-tipped land attack cruise missiles, providing Pakistan with a partial second-strike capability to rival India’s nuclear-submarine ballistic missiles.

The submarines are the latest of several big ticket arms purchases by Pakistan. Others:

Between 250 to 300 JF-17 fighter planes jointly developed by China and Pakistan. These will form the backbone of the Pakistani Air Force. Nigeria has signed a memorandum of understanding to purchase an unknown number of JF-17 aircraft, according to IHS Jane’s, a defence/aerospace publication, making Pakistan a defence exporter.
Four 2,5000-ton Zulfiquar-class frigates at a cost of $500 to $750 million. Three of these were constructed in China, the fourth in Karachi.
Four 560-ton Azmat-class fast attack craft, essentially missile boats armed with eight C-802 anti-ship missiles meant for littoral defence. Three of four are being manufactured in Pakistan.
600 Al Khalid tanks produced in Pakistan form the backbone of the Pakistan army’s armoured corps. They are variants of Chinese Type 90-II tank.
Nine HQ-16 medium range surface-to-air missile systems with a maximum intercept range of 40 km at a cost of $600 million.
Four Karakoram Eagle airborne early warning & control aircraft (AWACS) at a cost of $278 million.

From 2011 to 2015, China sold $8.4 billion worth of arms, overtaking long-established arms exporters France ($8 billion) and Germany ($6.7 billion), although it still lags the leaders: the US ($47 billion) and Russia ($36.2 billion).

Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Figures in million US$ at constant 1990 prices

China’s share in the international arms exports market has risen from 3.6% in 2006-10 to 5.9% in 2011-15. France’s market share has declined from 7.1% to 5.6%, and Germany’s, from 11% to 4.7%, during this period.

Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute

The period coincides with China’s emergence as a major global power, seeking to challenge US hegemony across various areas and with enough heft to keep India unbalanced, either directly or through Pakistan.

(Sethi is a Mumbai-based freelance writer and defence analyst.)

This article was first published on India Spend

New Zealand, Luxemburg, Ireland ‘the Most Truly Islamic’ Countries in the World

September 30, 2016

Even in our closely internet-connected Global Village, some information does take time to travel. For most Indians the scantily reported findings of a six-year-old research may come as ‘Breaking News’.

Surprising as it might seem, "the most truly Islamic” countries in the world are not Saudi Arabia, Iran or other Muslim-majority countries. Instead, New Zealand, Luxemburg, Ireland, Iceland and Finland are on top of the list of the most ‘Islam complaint’ countries.

Not a single majority Muslim country made the top 25 and no Arab country is in the top 50 in the researchers’ list.

Only Malaysia (38) and Kuwait (48) featured in its top 50 countries, compared to the US at 15, as is the Netherlands, while France is at 17.

The findings of the research first published in the Global Economy Journal in 2010 (‘How Islamic are Islamic countries?’) made it to the mainline media in 2014 following an interview given by one of the authors, Hossein Askari, to BBC. A Google search indicates that even after that the findings were not widely reported, at least in English language media.

How did the two Muslim authors-researchers – Scheherazade S Rahman and Hossein Askari, both professors at George Washington University – arrive at this apparently highly intriguing finding? They evolved four different indices based on economic factors, governance, human and political rights, and international relations to arrive at an ‘Overall Islamicity index’ which was then applied to grade each country.

The country which emerged as the most faithful to the values of the Quran was Ireland, the Iran-born Askari told BBC in his 2014 interview.

Professor Askari noted that “many countries that profess Islam and are called Islamic are unjust, corrupt, and underdeveloped and are in fact not ‘Islamic’ by any stretch of the imagination.”

On the index of ‘Economic Islamicity’, applied to analyse how closely the policies and achievements of countries reflect Islamic economic teachings, Ireland, Denmark, Luxembourg, Sweden, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Singapore, Finland, Norway and Belgium made it to the top 10.

In their ‘Overall Islamicity Index’, the rankings were much the same: New Zealand, Luxembourg, Ireland, Iceland, Finland, Denmark, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Netherlands.

“If a country, society, or community displays characteristics such as unelected, corrupt, oppressive, unjust rulers, inequality before the law, unequal opportunities for human development, absence of freedom of choice (including that of religion), opulence alongside poverty, force, and aggression as the instruments of conflict resolution as opposed to dialogue and reconciliation, and, above all, the prevalence of injustice of any kind, it is prima facie evidence that it is not an Islamic community,” professor Askari said.

“Islam is, and has been for centuries, the articulation of the universal love of Allah for his creation and for its unity, and all that this implies for all-encompassing human and economic development,” he concluded.

The full report published in the Global Economy Journal may be accessed here.

NHRC Report on Kairana ‘Partisan and Prejudiced’, Say Activists, Riot Survivors

September 30, 2016

Activists have demanded that the report be recalled for its communal nature and a public apology be issued to the survivors of the Muzaffarnagar riots.

(R-L) Shaukat Ali, Riyaaz Ali, Harsh Mander, Farah Naqvi and Akram Chaudhury at the press conference in Delhi

New Delhi: Expressing their anger and dismay at the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) report on Kairana in Uttar Pradesh, civil society activists and people displaced by the Muzaffarnagar riots demanded that the “partisan and prejudiced” report be recalled.

On September 21, the NHRC released the findings of their investigations in Kairana. The investigation was conducted based on a complaint on the alleged “exodus” of Hindu families from the town because of increasing crime. The NHRC report has claimed that the allegations are “serious” and that several Hindu families “migrated” from Kairana because of the “increase in crime” and “deterioration” of the law-and-order situation after victims of the Muzaffarnagar riots settled there.

The issue was first brought up by BJP MP Hukum Singh, who said 346 Hindu families had left because of people from “one particular community”. This claim was denied by the state government and the list of families provided by him was found by several media investigations to be false .

The matter was also raised at the national executive meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) in July.

Activist Farah Naqvi, who has been working with people displaced by the Muzaffarnagar riots since 2013, said at a press conference organised in Delhi that the report was nothing more that “communal rumour-mongering”.

The report said that “at least 24 witnesses stated that the youths of the specific majority community (Muslims) in Kairana town pass lewd/taunting remarks against the females of the specific minority community in Kairana town. Due to this, females of the specific minority community (Hindus) in Kairana town avoid going outside frequently. However, they could not gather courage to report the matter to the police for the legal action. ”

It adds: “In 2013, the post-rehabilitation scenario resulting in resettlement of about 25/30 thousand members of Muslims Community in Kairana Town from district Muzaffarnagar, UP, the demography of Kairana town has changed in favour of the Muslim Community becoming the more dominating and majority community. Most of the witnesses examined and victims feel that the rehabilitation in 2013 has permanently changed the social situation in Kairana town and has led to further deterioration of law and order situation.”

“This report has provided no evidence for its claims at all,” Naqvi said. “While a declining law and order is a problem for all of us, how can they communalise criminality and blame it on a particular religion? This is not what we expect from our national human rights body. There are no facts, only ‘feelings’ they have gathered from a few people.”

“And who did they speak to?” she asked. “They did not approach any of the displaced persons and speak to them. Who are these 24 witnesses?”

Two riot victims who are now settled in Kairana, brothers Shaukat Ali and Rayeez Ali, also addressed the press conference. “Our village is two km from Shamli town. During the riots, we didn’t want to leave our home. But the mob entered our house and stabbed our father. He died. We were also badly beaten, but we managed to run away with our family,” Shaukat said.

“Two days later, after we had left the village, we were told that our father’s body has emerged in a pond. We went to the police in Shamli town, they said they didn’t have time that day. The next day when they finally went, the body had been removed,” he added.

“We spent two years in a relief camp,” Rayeez said. “And are now rebuilding our life in Kairana. That is our home now. Par kuch log badnam kar rahe hain (But some people are giving us a bad name). If there is really so much ‘crime’, where are the FIRs? We have been through all this and the NHRC has not been to see us once. Now they have come out with this report, it is very disappointing.”

“If you speak only to certain groups in a communally-charged area, they are bound to say things against another community,” activist Harsh Mander of Aman Biradri and the Centre for Equity Studies said. “What the NHRC should have done is provide facts – police cases, FIRs.”

Akram Chaudhury, an activist with Afkar India in Shamli who lives in Kairana, did some digging on the NHRC’s facts. The NHRC report has claimed that 25,000-30,000 Muslims have moved to Kairana town after the Muzaffarnagar riots. Chaudhury, after conducting a door-to-door survey in resettlement areas both last year and again after the NHRC numbers were announced, said it is not more than 2,000 people.

He has filed a complaint with the NHRC, asking that they recall the prejudiced report and issue a public statement about it.

“The number they have given, 25,000-30,000, is the total of displaced people there were in all camps after the riots. They definitely didn’t all go to Kairana, they are scattered across UP. Where did the NHRC get this number?” Mander said.

“And even if they were all there,” Naqvi added, “which is not the case, why would that be a problem? They are citizens of India who were displaced from there homes. Where should they go?”

The activists also raised questions on the changes in the NHRC and the loss of an institution.”The NHRC is the highest statutory body on human rights in the country,” said Madhavi Kuckreja of Sadbhavna Trust, an NGO working in UP. “Where do we take our concerns now? Which body will deal with the human rights insecurities that exist?”

“The NHRC used to be a trusted organisation that did excellent work,” Mander said, referring to the body’s efforts after the 2002 Gujarat riots. “But in the last few years they have been passive and quiet – and now they are speaking on the other side!”

Captain Praveen Davar, member of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM), came to the event in his personal capacity. After hearing what the activists and riot victims had to say, he said that he would bring the matter up with the commission. He also asked the activists to file a formal complaint with the NCM.

दीनदयाल उपाध्याय के बहाने भारतीय मुसलमानों की शुद्धि

September 29, 2016

प्रधान मंत्री मोदी आरएसएस के एक वरिष्ठ और सफल स्वयंसेवक हैं और स्वयं को 'हिन्दू राष्ट्रवादी' कहलाना पसंद करते हैं। वे भारतीय मुसलमानों को अपमानित करने और नीचा दिखाने का कोई भी अवसर नहीं छोड़ते हैं। हाल ही में कोज़हिकोडे केरल में भाजपा की राष्ट्रीय बैठक को संबोधित करते हुवे उन्हों ने देश के सब से बड़े अल्पसंख्याक समुदाय को 'दूसरा' या हम से 'अलग' बताने में कोई कसर नहीं छोड़ी।

एक ऐसे माहौल में जब देश के सुरक्षा ठिकानों पर पाकिस्तान से आये आतंकवादियों के हमले हो रहे हौं, भाजपा प्रशसित हरियाणा और महाराष्ट्र जातिवादी आग से झुलस रहे हौं, दलितों और अल्पसंख्याकों हमले बेतहाशा बढ़ रहे हूँ, महँगाई व बेरोज़गारी हदें पर कर चुके हौं और महिलाओं पर जघनय अपराध आम हो गए हौं मोदी ने देश की सब से बड़ी 'समस्या' भारतीय मुसलमानों पर, हिंदुत्व के एक विचारक दीनदयाल उपाध्याय की मार्फ़त, एक बार फिर हमला बोला। याद रहे की दीनदयाल स्वयं भी देश के मुसलमानों को जीवन भर 'एक जटिल समस्या' मानते रहे। मीडिया की रपटों के अनुसार मोदी ने दीनदयाल को उद्धृत करते हुवे कहा : 'मुसलमानो को न पुरस्कृत करो न फटकारो। उन्हें सशक्त बनाओ। वे न तो वोट मंडी की वस्तु हैं और न ही घिर्णा के पात्र। उन्हें अपना समझो।' इन रपटों का सब से शर्मनाक पहलू यह था की मोदी ने 'सशक्त' शब्द का प्रयोग न करके दीनदयाल के मूल शब्द 'परिष्कार’ का इस्तेमाल किया था जिस मतलब होता है ' साफ़/शुद्ध/शुद्धि' करना लेकिन मीडिया ने इसे 'सशक्त' में बदल दिया। अंग्रेज़ी मीडिया ने ऐसा किया तो समझ में आ सकता है की उसने 'परिष्कार’ का अर्थ अंग्रेज़ी में 'सशक्त' कर दिया लेकिन हिंदी मीडिया ने मोदी दुवारा बोले गए 'परिष्कार’ शब्द को 'सशक्त' में क्यों बदला समझ से परे है , इस का एक ही कारण हो सकता है कि हिंदी मीडिया मोदी के मुसलमानों के बारे में फासीवादी विचारों पर पर्दा डालना चाह रहा हो।

प्रधान मंत्री मोदी दुवारा दोहराए गए दीनदयाल के शब्द दर-असल मुसलमानों के बारे में आरएसएस की घिर्णा को ही ज़ाहिर करते हैं। उन्हों ने 'सांस्कृतिक राष्ट्रवाद' का नारा जिस का मतलब था कि भारत एक हिन्दू राष्ट्र है जिस में केवल हिंदुओं को रहने का अधिकार है। उन्हों ने गोलवलकर और सावरकर की तरह मुसलमानों और ईसाईयों हिन्दू राष्ट्र का अंग मानने से इनकार कर दिया और कहा कि वे तभी इस देश में रह सकते हैं अगर वे, 'इस देश की सदियों पुरानी राष्ट्रिय सांस्कृतिक धारा जो हिन्दू संस्कृति की धरा है के साथ एक रूप हौं। इस मुद्दे पर किसी भी तरह का समझौता नहीं हो सकता।'

दीनदयाल ने 'मुसलमान: एक जटिल समस्या' शीर्षक से एक निबंध लिखा जिस में भारतीय मुसलमानों को समान भारतीय नागरिक के तौर पर नहीं बल्कि उन्हें 'एक पुरानी, रोज़ जटिल होती समस्या' की संज्ञा दी। उन के अनुसार हिंदुस्तानी मुसलमानों के बीच 'पाकिस्तान से हमदर्दी रखने वाला दिमाग़ कभी भी नहीं बदला।' ईसाई भी उनके अनुसार देश के नागरिक नहीं बल्कि एक और समसया थे। दीनदयाल के अनुसार 'सांझी संस्कृति' या 'सब का देश' जैसी कोई वस्तु नहीं होती है। वे मुसलमानों और ईसाईयों को अल्पसंख्याक मानने के के लिए भी तैयार नहीं थे।

ऐसा समझना कि दीनदयाल केवल मुसलमान और ईसाई विरोधी थे उन से इन्साफ करना नहीं होगा। वे हिंदुत्वादी राजनीती में खुल्ला विश्वास करते थे जिस का स्वभाविक मतलब था कि वे प्रजातान्त्रिक-धर्मनिरपेक्ष भारत को हिन्दू राष्ट्र में परिवर्तित करना चाहते थे जहाँ 'मनुस्मृति' का राज होगा। वे ग़ैर-बराबरी के झंडा-बरदार थे। वे मुसलमानों और ईसाइयों को बहरी तत्व मानते थे लेकिन बौद्ध, सिख, जैन जैसे भारत में मौजूद धर्मों को स्वतंत्र धर्म न मानकर सनातन हिन्दू धर्म का ही अंग मानते थे। वे जातिवाद के उपासक थे और आरएसएस के किसी भी विचारक के तौर पर जातिवाद को हिन्दू धर्म और हिन्दू राष्ट्र की रीढ़ की हड्डी मानते थे। उनको इस बात का ज्ञान था की जातिवाद एक घृणित शब्द और संस्था है तो उन्हों ने इस के एक नई परिभाषा दी–'हालांकी आधुनिक जगत में समानता के नारे लगाए जाते हैं, फिर भी समानता की अवधारणा को विवेक के साथ स्वीकारना चाहिए। हमारा वास्तविक अनुभव यह ही बताता है कि वयवहारिक और भौतिक नज़रिये के हिसाब से दो अलग एक समान नहीं हो सकते। भले ही लोगों के अलग-अलग गुण होते हौं और उनके गुणों अवं रुचियों के हिसाब से उन्हें भले अलग-अलग काम सौंपे जाएँ, सभी काम एक समान रूप में सम्मानित होते हैं। इसे स्वधर्म कहते हैं और यह साफ़ बताया गया है की स्वधर्म का पालन ही ईश्वर की सेवा है'। अब जातिवाद 'स्वधर्म' था जिस को आप ने स्वयं मानना था ताकी ईश्वर की आज्ञा का पालन हो।

दीनदयाल ने अंग्रेजों के खिलाफ स्वतंत्र आंदोलन की कड़े शब्दों में इस लिए निंदा की कियों की इस के दौरान 'लगातार यह कोशिश की गयी की हिन्दू, मुस्लमान और ईसाई सब 'देशवासी' हैं और इन् सब को मिलाकर अंग्रेजों के ख़िलाफ़ एक सांझी ताक़त बनाने का प्रयास किया गया।' यक़ीनन यह ही वजह थी की आरएसएस ने कभी भी अँगरेज़ विरोधी मुक्ति-आंदोलन का साथ नहीं दिया और ना ही आरएसएस का कोई नेता/विचारक कार्यकर्ता जेल गया। याद रहे दीनदयाल ने 1942 में आरएसएस की सदस्यता ली जब भारत छोड़ो आंदोलन के तहत सारे देश में भयानक दमन चल रहा था लेकिन आरएसएस दुवारा प्रकाशित उनकी जीवनियों से साफ़ पता चलता है की उन्हों ने इस आंदोलन में क़तई हिस्सा नहीं लिया।
दीनदयाल जीवन भर इस बात पर ज़ोर देते रहे की भारत का मौजूद संविधान हिंदुत्व की मान्यताओं के खिलाफ है और इस को रद्द कर देना चाहिए। उन्हों ने संविधान से संघवादी (federal) अवधारणाओं को निकाल बहार करने की मांग की और भारत को एक एकात्मक राज्य घोषित करने की लगातार मांग की। वे देश के तिरंगे झंडे की जगह भगवा झंडा चाहते थे।

प्रधान मंत्री मोदी या आरएसएस/भाजपा के नेता दीनदयाल को याद करते हुवे उनकी दर्दनाक और रहस्मय मौत के बारे में चुप्पी लगाए हुवे हैं। उनका शव मुग़लसराय रेलवे स्टेशन पर फ़रवरी 11, 1968 को रेल की पटरियों पर पड़ा मिला था। आरएसएस के एक वरिष्ठ प्रचारक बलराज मधोक ने अपनी आत्मकथा (ज़िन्दगी का सफर-3, पृष्ठ 22 ) में साफ़ लिखा है की, 'उनकी हत्या किसी किराये के हत्यारे से करवाई गयी। परंतु हत्या करवाने वाले षड्यंत्रकारी संघ-जनसंघ के महत्वाकांक्षी प्रवर्ति के लोग थे।' मधोक ने कुछ नाम भी लिए हैं। मौजूद आरएसएस/बीजेपी सरकार को हिंदुत्व के इस महान योद्धा के क़तल के पीछे जिन हिंदुत्वादी नेताओं का हाथ था उन के नंबर में देश को विश्वास में लेना चाहिए।

Queer rights have polarised the world – here’s what we can do about it

September 29, 2016

In much of the world, gay rights, and recognition of sexual and gender diversity, appear to be progressing. In Europe, the US, Latin America and Australasia, acceptance is growing of the idea that queer rights are human rights. Still, in large parts of the world, people face rape, murder and torture if they are perceived to be openly homosexual or transgendered.

An asylum seeker from Uganda covers his face with a paper bag in order to protect his identity at a pride parade in Boston. Jessica Rinaldi /Reuters

Terms are tricky: in this article I use the term “queer” to stand for everyone whose sexual orientation or gender expression deviates from the societal norm. There are times when one has to unpack the omnibus — and American — concept of “LGBT”: in some countries there is legal recognition of a trans* identity but severe legal sanctions against homosexual behaviour. This is true of most of south Asia. In Iran, homosexuals are “encouraged” to undergo a gender transition as it is assumed that same-sex desires are proof of gender dysphoria.

The global situation suggests increasing polarisation, both between and within states. As the authors of a 2016 report on state-sponsored homophobia point out, some Latin American countries have been leaders in legal recognition of queer rights, yet “the region shows the highest levels of violence and murder against LGBTI population, and in the most of the cases [sic] impunity is the rule.”

Progress is always ambiguous: South Africa has constitutional recognition of the need to prevent discrimination based on sexuality, and has legalised same sex-marriage; Australia has neither. Yet the real life experience of most queer South Africans is almost certainly more difficult than for most Australians.

In other places, the growing assertion of queer rights has been met by a rise in homophobic rhetoric and legislation, as authoritarian religious and political leaders see queers as an easy target who can be attacked in the name of culture, religion and tradition.

In our book Queer Wars, Jon Symons and I traced the current backlash back to the espousal of “Asian values” by Singapore’s Lee Kwan Yew and Malaysia’s Mohammed Mahathir in the early 1990s. Their rhetoric of protecting “traditional values” against western decadence, in particular “deviant” sexual or gender expression, foreshadowed the language now employed by leaders such as Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni.

Queer activism isn’t easy in Putin’s Russia. Maxim Zmeyev

As western states push for acknowledgement of queer rights, there is a danger of playing into the hands of those leaders who want to portray queer issues as the imposition of neo-colonial values. Governments can rally nationalist fervour through homophobia; accusations against the European Union for imposing “homosexual dictatorship” are central to right-wing rhetoric in the Ukraine and other former Soviet states.

Public statements by American officials in defence of “LGBT rights” over recent years have sometimes played into the hands of those who claim that homosexuality is a western import, even in societies where there is a rich history of same-sex intimacies.

Governments and religious leaders both create and reflect public opinion, and there are few issues where different attitudes are as stark. Research suggests that more than 80% of the population of some western countries accept homosexuality, whereas the figure drops below 10% across much of Africa and the Middle East.

Given the passions that same-sex marriage arouses in western countries, it is not surprising that anti-queer rhetoric often revolves around the spectre of gay marriage. Nigeria used opposition to same-sex marriage to legislate against any freedom of association for queer people. A recent upsurge of homophobic demands from Indonesian political and religious leaders has invoked marriage as a threat.

The United Nations has taken tentative steps towards including sexual orientation and gender expression within its understanding of human rights. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has been a strong supporter of queer rights. But these moves have met considerable resistance, and while they are important there is no universally accepted norm that sees sexual orientation and gender identity as worthy of respect.

In 2016, the UN Human Rights Council appointed an “independent expert” to find the causes of violence and discrimination against people due to their gender identity and sexual orientation, and discuss with governments how to protect those people. At its best, the UN can create what US scholar Ronnie Lipschutz called “an incipient global welfare system”, able to provide global norms and rules, and to prevent local opposition to basic human rights principles. UN resolutions can be used by local activists in lobbying governments, and an increasing number of UN agencies, led by UNDP and UNESCO, are incorporating queer issues into their agendas.

These interventions are important, but they can only be successful where they support locally-led initiatives and movements. Small queer movements have been growing across the world during this century, often displaying extraordinary bravery in face of great hostility, as is true for gay pride events in Kiev, Dhaka and Nairobi.

Listening to activists in hostile environments, and supporting them on their terms, is a challenge that queer movements in the western world are only beginning to accept.

This article was first published on The Conversation

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दीनदयाल उपाध्याय के बहाने भारतीय मुसलमानों की शुद्धि

Queer rights have polarised the world – here’s what we can do about it

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