Scapegoats and Holy Cows : State ’Response’ to Terrorism

May 29, 2009
 Seminar
 Time 10am to 4pm
 Venue: Main Auditorium, India International Centre, Max Mulellar Marg, New -Delhi-110003

Speakers:

A. Bimol Akoijam, Associate Fellow, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies
 Arun Kumar Srivastava- Assistant Professor, JNU
 Dr Syed Ahamed Anwar State Secretary, Human Rights Wing. TMMK, Tamil Nadu
 Justice Rajinder Sachar – former Chief Justice, Delhi High Court
 Hilal Ahmad Meer, Journalist, Greater Kashmir, J & K
 Kavita Srivastava-General Secretary, PUCL, Rajasthan
 Mahesh Bhatt-Director, Producer, Filmmaker, Social Activist
 Nasiruddin Haider Khan-Senior Journalist, UP
 Prof KN Panikkar-Historian, Social Activist, Writer
 Sheema Mohsin-Social Activist, PUCL, Karnataka
 Siddharth Vardarajan-Senior Journalist, the Hindu, Delhi
 Zaheeruddin Ali Khan, Editor, Siasat, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
 Zakia Jowher-Social Activist-Gujarat

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Every now and then the Indian State, reaches out its ’long arms of injustice’ to pick a scapegoat from amidst the Indian population to cover up its own incompetence to provide security to its citizens.

The hapless creature, decorated and demonized by the ’fashion designers’ of Indian officialdom, is then paraded before the entire nation to create a public spectacle prior to its ritual sacrifice.

The Bengali speaking Muslim people of Jaipur are the latest in a long line-up of such scapegoats.

The Indian state’s treatment of scapegoats is in stark contrast to the ’holy cows’ it protects, irrespective of their trespasses or crimes against the people of the country.

Whether it be the Hashimpura massacre of 1987, the Babri Masjid demolition and the Mumbai riots of 1992, the Gujarat carnage of 2002 , Nanded Bomb Blast April 6, 2006 or the recent anti-national activities of the likes of Raj Thackeray in Mumbai- no one gets even arrested- leave alone punished for their terrorist activities.

The seminar mentioned above is being organised at a very short notice to register our anguish and protest against the way innocent people across India are being harassed, picked up, arrested and tortured in the name of fighting terrorism. It is also to register our protest against the well designed plan of demonising minorities in this country. We might not be able to document all the cases at this seminar but this is being organised as a first step to plan a larger national level campaign involving citizens and organisations from across india to resist the state terror.

DO COME AND REGISTER YOUR PROTEST.

PASS THE INFORMATION TO YOUR FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES AND FELLOW ACTIVISTS.

HRLN, PEACE, ANHAD
 23, Canning Lane, New Delhi-110001
 Tel-23070740/ 22; anhad.delhi@gmail.com