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My Op-Ed: A Lie Split Wide
Open<http://www.sandeepweb.com/2009/04/22/my-op-ed-a-lie-split-wide-open/>
via Seriously Sandeep <http://www.sandeepweb.com/> by Sandeep on 4/22/09
My piece on the SIT’s findings was
published<http://www.dailypioneer.com/171077/A-lie-split-wide-open.html>in
the
*Pioneer* today. Comments & criticism welcome as always.
*A lie split wide open*
Sandeep B
*With every new finding on the post-Godhra riots exonerating the Modi
Government and exposing the fabrications of Teesta Setalvad, the latter’s
‘fight for justice’ stands exposed*
The news still hot from the oven is how the mass of wild accusations
accompanied by shrill activism that Ms Teesta Setalvad hurled against
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi came back and hit her after seven
years. The biting happened in stages but with the Supreme Court-appointed
Special Investigation Team tabling its report, the wound has been
‘officially’ exposed. Over the years, every new finding on the post-Godhra
riots seems to be doing two things: Lessening the culpability of Mr Modi,
and exposing the fabrications of activists like Ms Setalvad. But this is not
all.
Indian public discourse typically suffers from a yawning lack of historical
sense, which is a prerequisite to analyse any issue in proper perspective.
This same historical sense has finally led to the unmasking of Ms Setalvad.
She now stands as a solid specimen of the vilest form of profiteering from
other people’s misery. If that is somehow a lesser form of vileness, there’s
more to come.
The now-forgotten Zahira Sheikh represents in many ways a shocking turning
point. She was Ms Setalvad’s star witness, carefully nurtured and protected.
Until one day, Zahira turned around and did a volte-face. You can argue that
Zahira turned hostile out of fear or greed. However, Mr S Gurumurthy
factually demolishes this argument very convincingly (
http://www.gurumurthy.net/articledisplay.pl?2004-11-09). Zahira’s U-turn
made front page news for days in the media. Till then a very fiery and
highly visible Ms Setalvad gradually evaporated. Her crusader image was
suddenly dented in the most unprecedented manner.
However, the skeletons didn’t stop falling. In December 2008, her trusted
aide, Mr Raees Khan defected. He revealed even fouler details, which
included threats of physical harm. He also alleged that she took away some
of his assets. Ms Setalvad’s pile of woes mounted higher when the Nanavati
Commission submitted the first part of its report, which absolves Mr
Narendra Modi of any complicity in the post-Godhra riots.
And now, the SIT report, which directly implicates her. Among other
findings, former CBI director RK Raghavan, who heads the SIT, lists these:
- The horrendous allegations made (by Citizens for Justice & Peace) were
false.
- Cyclostyled affidavits were supplied by a social activist and the
allegations made in them were untrue.
- Witnesses were tutored to present false testimony to the court.
- Incidents that didn’t actually occur were manufactured — the alleged
gang-rape of Kausar Banu and her foetus being ripped out, dead bodies being
dumped by rioters in a well in Naroda Patiya, etc.
Recall how Ms Setalvad pursued Mr Modi with stubborn determination almost
every single day for at least three years. A measure of success of her
brazen activism is the Supreme Court’s premature pronouncement of Mr Modi as
the “modern day Nero.” The SIT report now clearly shows some of the dubious
and starkly illegal methods she followed in her quest for ‘justice’ (sic).
In other words, she didn’t have a case.
But she got away with it for some time because she was good at vocalising
her brazenness. The secular media’s uncritical support provided additional
ground for her efforts. However, as time has shown, she failed at sustaining
the house she built using an edifice made of chaffs.
But Ms Setelvad’s spurious activism has done significant damage: It spawned
an entire cottage industry built on the same false edifice. This cottage
industry was awash with tonnes of funds because it was able to convince some
rich people/institutions abroad that the ‘fight for justice’ was genuine.
Some were well-intentioned, but several others espoused viciously
anti-Hindu/India agendas. Mr Modi’s visa denial is an instructive example..
It was primarily orchestrated by a very powerful Indian Christian lobby in
the United States. While this lobby has demonstrated no real love for India
or Hindus, it sabotaged his visit because it perceived a threat in Mr Modi
as a very articulate Hindu leader with enormous goodwill (and fan base) in
the US.
Meanwhile, it’s quite interesting to note that Ms Setelvad has won several
awards for her fearless ‘quest for justice’. While we don’t attach too much
importance to such awards, one specific award rankles as the unkindest cut:
The Nani A Palkhivala Award. An award in the honourable memory of the most
courageous defender of Indian democracy and public conscience now given to a
person who has mocked both.
Important questions remain: Will all those who uncritically relied on Ms
Stelvad’s words and activism now have the moral decency to apologise,
withdraw their statements, and admit they are wrong? But we know the answer..
Tags: Commentary <http://technorati.com/tag/Commentary>, Communal
Politics<http://technorati.com/tag/Communal+Politics>,
Gujarat Riots <http://technorati.com/tag/Gujarat+Riots>,
India<http://technorati.com/tag/India>,
Indian Politics <http://technorati.com/tag/Indian+Politics>, Indian
Secularism <http://technorati.com/tag/Indian+Secularism>,
Pioneer<http://technorati.com/tag/Pioneer>,
Politics <http://technorati.com/tag/Politics>,
Pseudosecularism<http://technorati.com/tag/Pseudosecularism>,
Pseudosecularism Hall of
Shame<http://technorati.com/tag/Pseudosecularism+Hall+of+Shame>
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