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| Domnic Fernandes continues (Part II) his reminiscence of |
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| http://www.goanet.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=426 |
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BROKEN PEACE, A FACT-FINDING REPORT OFFERS HARD-TALK ON CURCHOREM
By Frederick Noronha
fred at bytesforall.org
'Broken Peace' is the name of the just-released fact-finding
report into last month's Curchorem anti-Muslim violence. It
has been done by a team headed by Nandita Haksar, Supreme
Court lawyer and prominent human rights campaigner.
Haksar, who ruffled some feathers at a media launch
on Thursday evening with her blunt talk, is the
co-author of 'The Delhi Riots: Three Days In The
Life Of A Nation' that indicted Congress
politicians for playing communal anti-Sikh games in
the aftermath of the assassination of Indira Gandhi.
For some years now, this gutsy campaigner has been a resident
of Chorao, in Tiswadi/Ilhas. Some might know her as the
daughter of P.N. Haksar, a prominent figure in shaping part
of post-Independence India. But with her sharp legal acumen,
she's willing to fight for the underdog when most others
won't.
Fr a change, Goa's secular lobby has responded fairly rapidly
-- even if a tighter edited report could carry more weight --
to the growing and systematic hiked-up communalisation of
life here in recent years.
We've long had low-intensity communalism, whether during the
MGP-UGP days or in times of Portuguese theocracy and
intolerance. Or even during the early phase of the colonial
conversion zeal. But the recent spurt has been slowly built
up, not adequately studied, and probably more shocking in a
supposedly secular state.
Haksar and her team undertook this report on behalf of the
All India Milli Council -- a common platform of the Muslims
of India. Interestingly, she writes: "I learnt that the Milli
Council had requested me, because the Government of Goa had
refused to accept the demand of the Goan Muslims
organisations for a judicial enquiry into the whole
incident."
Haksar did the 49-page report (with a thick set of annexures)
together with three others. On the team was Vinod K Jose (an
award-winning young radio journalist working for the
alternative radio in the US, reporting on how the 'war on
terrorism' has been used to erode the human rights of the
citizen), editor of Lankesh Patrike weekly from Bangalore
Gauri Lankesh and editor Bilidale Eesha of the Guide, a
Kannada magazine, who has also been active in the movement
against communalism.
It's findings would come as a shock to most oblivious to the
actual situation.
>From the nineties, Muslims, in Goa, have been systematically
denied human rights guaranteed under the Indian Constitution,
says this report bluntly. "Attacks on mosques have been
violent, including setting on fire a mosque at Porvorim
during the Ramzan month and burning of pages of the Quoran
some three years back, a hand grenade was thrown at a mosque
in Mardol, Ponda and the floor mats were set on fire. Muslims
were made to abandon a mosque in Sanquelim," it adds.
There are more 'disputes' being raised over mosques, as those
reading the local papers -- specially the regional language
press -- would be aware.
This team says it was "shocked to learn" that in the majority
of the mosques, there is no azaan (call-to-prayer) over the
loudspeaker. For instance, in Chimbel, a settlement largely
of Muslims, the loudspeaker is connected to speakers in the
homes, so that the azaan can be heard inside the homes but
not disturb non-Muslims.
"Our attempt in this fact finding was to try and
understand the root causes of the communal
violence. Therefore, although we interviewed many
victims of the violence, we have not documented the
pain, suffering and loss felt by the Muslims (of
Curchorem)," she writes.
Some points that come out strongly in the report:
o An attack on the mosque at Guddemol cannot be explained
without an understanding of the rise of communal
politics in Goa.
o Without going into the historical roots of this
communalism, we cannot begin to understand how the Goan
society and state have tolerated attacks on mosques in Goa
and the culprits who instigate such attacks and the people
who actually damaged or demolished these mosques have not
been punished.
o According to Ramesh Gauns, school-teacher and long-term
fighter for secular values, the Hindutva lobby has
organised a base in both the pro-Marathi and pro-Konkani
supporters. (RSS chief and educationist) Subhash Velingker,
a spokesman for Marathi, always delivers his speeches in
Konkani. Moreover, Velingkar has a regular column in the
only Konkani daily Sunaparant. Later extracts point to
the bile poured out via such columns, and point to the
possibility of legal action for hate-speech.
In 2001, after the BJP came to power, it handed
over 51 government primary schools to the RSS (or
affiliated groups). "Unregistered village bodies
acting as fronts for the RSS tried to take over the
primary schools. The schools are in Marathi medium
(and) were handed over to Subhash Velingkar, who
was then vice president of the Vidya Bharathi
Education Trust. Velingkar, a RSS functionary, was
inducted into Parrikar's new Education Advisory
Board".
o More recently, the Congress education minister Luizinho
Faleiro took steps to restore the school... the Sangh
Parivar immediately dubbed him anti-national.
o It says: "The Hindu Right defines its nationalism by
attacking symbols of 'Western' culture such as festivals,
monuments and even places of worship. In Goa, the Catholic
community becomes easy targets of their attacks. The Sangh
Parivar attacks the Catholic community by reviving memories
of the horrors of Portuguese rule. Portuguese rule being
equated with Catholic rule. The most insidious part of the
campaign is that they have appropriated the writings by
great Goan nationalists such as T B Cunha and used it for
their vile politics...."
o Other issues noted include the infamous RSS-influenced CD
on "Goa's freedom struggle", the influence exerted by the
Sangh Parivar on centres of religion and festivals, and the
attack on the Goa Heritage Action Group for "promoting
Portuguese culture" through a festival, and referring to
them as 'Pakhleancheput'. There's also the issue of
vandalising restored monuments, damage to Catholic crosses,
and converting issues like the anti-Konkan Railway protests
into communal ones.
This report traces the long role of Muslims
in Goa (right from the eighth century, and
the Kadamba kings appointing at least two
Arabs as their prime ministers)
o Says the report: "The Sangh Parivar has continued the
fascist political tradition of the Portuguese by playing
the politics of divide and rule, instilling fear in the
minorities by physical attacks on them. Till recently they
attacked the Christians, but in more recent times, they
have turned on the Muslims in Goa. The events at
Sanvordem-Curchorem have been especially disturbing because
they took place during the Congress rule. It seems that the
Hindutva ideology has permeated into the Congress party's
secularism."
o Interestingly, the report points out how the Sangh Parivar
is using anti 'outsider' sentiment to justify their case.
Says the report: "In recent years, Goa has attracted a
number of migrants, mostly from neighbouring Karnataka.
These migrants have been contributing to the prosperity of
Goa by building roads, homes and hotels. They are the best
artisans available. The Sangh Parivar has always made the
outsider the target of their violent politics of fear. It
is true that the Goans felt a discomfort with the
'outsider'; but now the Sangh Parivar has zeroed in on the
outsider being the 'Muslim'."
If you get a chance, do take a close look at this report,
which makes for insightful reading about the position of the
Muslim community in Goa. Just after two youth -- who happened
to be Muslim -- had an accident with BJP's then union
minister Shripad Naik, a mosque at Socorro (near Porvorim)
had its main door set afire. At Ekta Nagar in Mapusa,
property bought for the Muslim community for use as a mosque,
was attacked.
Says the report: "On the next day, the deputy collector
passed an order stopping the Muslim community from offering
namaz in the premises, and since then they have not been
allowed to pray together in their own building."
In Corlim, Tiswadi, the village sarpanch refused an occupancy
certificate because of objection from residents!
Haksar traced the developments at Guddemol, a small vaddo
(hamlet) in Rumbrem village under the Sanvordem village
panchayat. She responded to issues of the mosque being
illegal, and pointedly asked how former chief minister
Manohar Parrikar could talk to a large crowd when prohibitory
orders had been issued during the trouble.
Rumours spread by those behind the trouble, official action
(questionable or malafide) or inaction, and the violence
against the Muslims also comes under the scanner.
Obviously, there are different strokes for
different folks. Says the report: "What is
interesting is that at Guddemol the Muslims'
efforts to establish a place of worship have been
continuously thwarted for the last one decade. In
comparison, the Hindus had not only built a temple
on government land, last year they succeeded in
building a new temple closer to the village. It is
pertinent to note that neither the administration
nor the 'general public' in any way hampered or
questioned the setting up of these temples."
It adds: "The destruction of the mosque at Guddemol and the
subsequent communal events only go to prove how a double
strategy of baseless rumours and a deliberate disinformation
campaign can irretrievably ruin the secular fabric of a
society. Unfortunately, this strategy is not new to those who
have been watching the machinations of communal elements in
Indian society for a long time."
Besides scrutinising the role of the main Opposition BJP and
its leaders -- whose bias is more than clear -- the report
also takes the ruling Congress strongly to task. It is in
power both in New Delhi and Panjim. Yet, a central minister
even came to Goa but did not "bother to go to the spot".
Likewise, says the fact-finding report: "The Congress Party
has no programme for countering communalism, and many of its
MLAs and members are former members of the BJP."
It appreciates Goan civil society for protesting against this
political-linked violence. But it warns: "None of their
interventions on the issue of communalism can be effective
unless they recognise that Goan society is divided along
lines of community, caste and religion."
Comments the study: "Communalism in Goa may be largely a
result of electoral politics; but it has got a fillip because
of the rise in Islamophobia unleashed worldwide by the US
President Bush and his war against terror."
This panel's recommendations include a demand for a
white paper from the government on the
Sanvordem-Curchorem violence; an official programme
against communalism; a government- initiated public
debate on the issue of 'outsiders'; and creating a
secure atmosphere for Muslims in Goa to name the
real culprits. Also sought is the right of the
Guddemol Muslims to resume prayers stopped by the
local police, and providing them with land (which
they will buy) to build a mosque.
Goanet's Vidyadhar Gadgil, campaigner Arun Pandey, GT
journalist Preetu Nair, activist Ramesh Gauns, and women's
campaigners Ulka Lotlikar and Sabina Martins of Bailancho
Saad (another Goanetter) have played a role in making this
report happen, among others. (ENDS)
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