By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net
Bhopal: The national executive council of Popular Front of India, (PFI), has decided to launch a campaign in association with various human rights groups against the double standards of the Federal and State Governments in administering justice in anti-Muslim riots and bomb blasts that occurred in Mumbai and Coimbatore.
The PFI has demanded from the Federal Government and the State Governments of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu to ensure that all individuals, however powerful may be, responsible for horrific crimes committed during the anti-Muslim riots in Mumbai and Coimbatore are brought to justice immediately.
A PFI Press release issued by E. M. Abdurahman, general secretary PFI, said the meeting of the PFI executive council was held at Bangalore on 19th and 20th this month where the above decision was taken and the demand made.
The release said that after the conviction of more than 100 accused in the March 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts case, one assumes that those responsible for a month-and-half long pogrom following the demolition of Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992 which killed more than 2000 Muslims in Bombay alone, in addition to destroying the homes, businesses and economic infrastructure of the minority community should have been brought to justice long before this verdict.
The question is relevant because what took place in Mumbai in January 1993 is inextricably linked to what happened there in December 1992. It is hardly a secret now that the seeds of 1993 incidents were sowed in 1992. It was the terrorism of the Hindutva brigade and the Government’s failure to stop it that led to the bomb blasts. While the political establishment has acted resolutely in meting out justice to those responsible for the communal outrage of March 1993, it has been enigmatically silent on the original sin of December 1992, the release said.
The Press release pointed out that the politicians indicted by the Justice Sri Krishna Commission for inciting Hindu mobs and protecting the killers have gone on to win elections and policemen accused of shooting Muslims “from point-blank and in cold blood” have either been acquitted or never brought to trial. Instead of assurances of implementing the Sri Krishna Commission report, setting up fast track courts and revive cases against those who got off lightly or walked free, the Central and Maharashtra State governments have not progressed beyond platitudes.
Similarly, the Coimbatore blast verdict brought to justice the accused found guilty of the bomb blasts happened in 1998, but the justice is still delayed and denied for the victims of the anti-Muslim riots of December 1997 preceding the blasts. The fundamentalist Hindutva criminals and the police personnel who spearheaded the Coimbatore pogrom have either been ignored or exonerated. Punishing just one set of the accused while letting free the other set, portrays a form of double standard of the Governments. “Our secular and democratic system has made a mockery, especially when this state policy of discrimination is on religious ground”, the release stated.
Meanwhile, the national executive council of the PFI saluted the nation wide opposition to the India–US nuclear deal and demanded the immediate withdrawal of the Government from the 123 agreement. The Council felt that the government has signed the agreement endangering India’s sovereignty and independence and it makes India subservient to the dictates of the world’s only rogue state.
The pro-US elements in the government have taken the country for a ride with their own ulterior objectives. The government should go ahead with the proposed Iran pipeline project to meet the country’s future energy needs and should sign up bilateral agreement with countries ready for uranium supply without strings.
The Council also appealed to the people to be aware of the fraudulent opposition of the NDA to the nuclear agreement as they are the people who have opened India’s doors to the US and its client states like Israel.
A Round Table Discussion of the social activists from the South Indian States on “Justice Mishra Commission and Muslim Reservation” will be convened by PFI at Calicut on September 2nd.
The Chairman of PFI E. Abubacker presided over the executive council meeting. General Secretary E. M. Abdurahman presented the report. In addition to the Council members Prof. P. Koya, A. M. M. Shafi, Advocate K. P. Muhammad Shareef, Syed Kalimullah Rashad and A. Saeed, the state presidents of the affiliates K. M. Shareef (KFD, Karnataka), Muhammad Ali Jinnah (MNP, Tamil Nadu) and Abdurahman Baqavi (NDF, Kerala) also participated in the discussions, the release added. ([email protected])