Express News Service
New Delhi, November 18:
SCIENTISTS,
writers and visual artists gathered today at Triveni Kala Sangam to protest
against the Gujarat court's decision rejecting Mallika
Sarabhai's - world renowned dancer - plea to allow her to travel outside Gujarat.
They said the Gujarat government falsely implicated Sarabhai because she
was the first artist to have openly criticised Narendra Modi government's role
in the communal violence in that state.
Ashok Vajpayee, Hindi poet said: ''The Gujarat government is shamelessly
curtailing civil liberties of people who criticised the genocide in Gujarat. ''
Kapila Vatsyayan, art historian said the implication of
Sarabhai in a false case and deliberately curtailing of her freedom to travel
outside Gujarat ''is cruelly suppressing the human
rights'' of the sorts which not even the colonial government had resorted to.
Prof Yashpal, former UGC chairman, said the image of Gujarat as harbinger of civil rights and
patron of liberal arts has been shattered by the actions of the Modi
government.
Harsh Mandar, former IAS officer said Sarabhai has been
falsely implicated as all the money ''Darpana'' owes has been refunded on the
cancellation of the dance tour and except Manushi Shah no other student has
complained. Sarabhai is implicated because she filed a PIL in Supreme Court
against Modi government's role in Gujarat riots, he said.
The meeting also decided to protest before the World
Economic Forum building on the day Modi addresses the forum.
REDIFF
November 17, 2003
Hold on to that thought while I tell you about something
else. By now, you alert rediff readers have no doubt heard about Mallika
Sarabhai's troubles. The general impression is that she has been accused of
trafficking in illegal immigrants to foreign shores. To many who know Sarabhai
and know in particular that she has been severely critical of the Gujarat government over the last couple of
years, it's clear what this is about. It's no more than a vendetta, a conscious
decision to harrass the lady in retaliation.
You think I'm saying that because I have my own bias against
the Gujarat government. You say, vehemently,
the law must take its own course! Fair enough, on both counts. Nobody, least of
all me, wants anything else than for the law to take its own course: it's by
far the best way for all to see what this is about.
Still, what you might do is take a look at the police
complaint filed against Sarabhai.
The complaint was made by a Manushi Shah. In it, she says
she was one of Sarabhai's students and was scheduled to go on a dance tour of
the US that Sarabhai's dance academy,
Darpana, had arranged for April 2003. Darpana, she complains, "collected
Rs 330,000 from [me] on the pretext of sending to America as per plan and committed a
crime/fraud by breaching faith and cheating."
This, because the planned trip to the USA had to be cancelled as the dancers were refused
visas by the American consulate in Bombay.
Did Darpana refuse to return Manushi's money? No, Manushi
herself says that "Darpana had a written agreement [with us] that in case
tour gets cancelled they will repay the entire amount deducting Rs
20,000." Later, she says: "We received Rs 310,000 and passport
back."
Is Manushi complaining about the Rs 20,000 that was
deducted? No, because not only does she mention the written agreement, she also
says this: "This condition [about the Rs 20,000 deduction] was agreeable
to all of us at that time and even it is agreeable today also. We informed
Darpana through letter stating that we are agreeable for deduction of Rs
20,000."
So let's see: Manushi had an agreement with Darpana to go on
a tour provided the visas came through. If they did not, Darpana would return
the money minus Rs 20,000. Manushi explicitly says she found this
"agreeable." The visas did not come through. Manushi got back her
money, minus Rs 20,000.
So what is Manushi's problem?
Well, according to her own police complaint, she informed
Darpana that "her engagement has been already done with a person who is
settled in America and so she also wants to settle
down in America." And since the visa was
denied, "[my] bright future in America has got affected."
In other words, Manushi Shah viewed this tour as a way to
reach the USA, so she could "settle
down" there with her future, and already "settled in America", husband. Not for her the
normal route of waiting for a husband-sponsored visa to arrive. (Why?) Nope:
reading the complaint, the conclusion you cannot avoid is that she wanted to
enter the USA on a pretext, and saw Darpana's
tour as that pretext.
And when this scheme falls through, she accuses Darpana and
Mallika Sarabhai of fraud.
Look at it like this. You and I sign an agreement by which
you will drive me to the bank one morning. Your car breaks down that morning
and we can't go. Suppose then I file a police complaint saying "I had
planned to rob the bank that morning. Since he didn't take me, this man has
committed fraud on me."
Suppose I even tell the police that "my bright future
has got affected."
Laughable, you think? Well, in Manushi's case, the police
are proceeding against Sarabhai.
But leave aside the absurdity of this complaint. Forget the
venality of authorities who search for excuses to harrass someone they want to
hit back at. Ignore the crassness of those who applaud this harrassment because
of their own sympathies. Put all that away and ask yourself: what's at the
bottom of Manushi's complaint, the thing that sets it apart from the car
example above? The thing that makes it seem plausible, whereas my bank
confession would elicit guffaws?
This: Manushi desperately wanted to emigrate to the USA. Think of it: would all this have happened had the
tour been to Burma?
It's that obsession with America, again.
Now let's say Manushi got to the promised land via Darpana's
tour, and went off to "settle down" with her husband. Let's say a
little Manisha comes along after nine months. Let's say that in about thirty
years, Manisha runs for governor of Idaho.
Will that "put India firmly on the global map"? And is that the
"bright future" Manushi looked forward to?
Dilip D'Souza
The Hindu - New Delhi
19.11.2003
President urged to intervene for Mallika
New Delhi, Nov 19. (UNI): Eminent Gandhian Nirmala Desh
Pandey, noted art historian Kamla Vatsayan, singer Shubha Mudgal and a host of
other intellectuals, artists and writers have appealed to the President A P J
Abdul Kalam to intervene to desist the Modi Government in Gujarat from
"harassing Dr Mallika Sarabhai by implicating her in false cases for
filing a PIL in the Supreme Court in connection with Gujarat riots".
Expressing surprise and anger over a local court's
restrictions on the movement of the noted danseuse, they also appealed to the
Supreme Court to "review all such cases as have been initiated by the
Gujarat government against those who spoke and rose up against the genocide in
that state, and provide physical and mental security to them,".
A resolution making these demands was passed at a meeting
held here last evening. The participants also appealed to Gujarat artists and writers to break their
silence and come out in an open support of Dr Sarabhai.
The resolution said allegations against the danseuse have been
levelled at the behest of one V K Saxena, who is well-known for supporting
Narendra Modi and acting against those carrying on anti-Narmada agitation.
Expressing concern over the goings on in Gujarat, eminent scientist Prof Yash Pal
said what had happened in that state was part of a widespreading malaise in the
country.
"A very deep criminal conspiracy is going on the
state," he said.
It was decided at the meeting that a demonstration will be
held outside the venue of the World Economic Forum meeting which will be
addressed by Narendra Modi here this week.
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