By IANS
New Delhi : A large number of social organisations in Gujarat have begun networking among themselves to start a non-political election campaign against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state ahead of the December assembly polls.
Leading human rights activist from Ahmedabad, Father Cedric Prakash, told IANS: “We plan to convert the initiative into a civil society movement to make the people of Gujarat aware of the truths. They need to be told that what they have been hearing from the government in the form of development claims and on the issues of human rights are all false.”
He said the campaign assumes more significance in the wake of the recent Tehelka exposé that alleged state complicity in the 2002 sectarian violence in Gujarat in which more than 1,000 people were killed.
The initiative was no longer restricted to the Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs), but had “expanded to academics, social scientists, lawyers and thinkers”, Prakash said.
Over the next one month, the civil society activists plan to have programmes all over the state with particular emphasis in the tribal belt and parts of central Gujarat that were worst hit during the communal violence of 2002.
“To begin with, we will be organising dharnas (sit ins) in the main urban centres of the state demanding that everything that the state does has to be within the framework of the Indian constitution. There has to be a rule of justice and equity,” he said.
Besides mass level programmes, the civil society activists also plan to carry out a door-to-door campaign against the state government urging the people to overthrow the government led by Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
“Presently, a large number of organisations spread throughout the state are working at individual levels. We see a need to come together as a cohesive force so that we are able to carry out a campaign in an effective manner. We also have to ensure that there is no duplication of effort,” said Persis Ginwalla, a social activist from Ahmedabad. She said that at least 40 organisations were working on the issue right now.
During the campaign the activists will be raising the demand that the BJP as the principal party in power at New Delhi and the state at the time of the 2002 violence should take moral responsibility for the crimes committed and issue a strong condemnation of those involved in the crimes and shown in the Tehelka tapes.
Another issue being raised is that the United Progressive Alliance government should issue an ordinance suitably amending the provision of the Delhi Police Establishment Act, which requires the consent of the state government for investigating any matter by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and immediately order CBI to investigate the entire matter.
Their third demand is that the state administration take immediate steps to cancel the bail of all those named in the Tehelka tapes. The activists also want the police officers named in the Tehelka tapes to be suspended forthwith and legal proceedings initiated against them.