Text of Letter Submitted to the Chief Election Commissioner
Mr. Navin Chawla
The Chief Election Commissioner
New Delhi
April 24, 2009
Dear Mr Chawla,
Twenty five young activists belonging to Anhad, Aman Samudaya and Urjaghar were attacked by BJP goons on April 20, 2009 in Shastri Nagar, Naranpura, Gandhinagar Constituency, Gujarat. We are enclosing a detailed account of the incident with this letter.
Voluntary organizations, members of civil society, activists, artists, and intellectuals have played a major role in protecting the values enshrined in the Indian constitution, democracy, secularism and have fought for a just and an equal society. Across India activist and people’s groups have always campaigned by organizing public meetings, doing door to door campaigns, releasing people’s manifestos, bringing out pamphlets, leaflets, addressing media to propagate an alternate vision of India.
During the past 7 years we have personally witnessed more than 20 attacks on Anhad activists, majority of them in Gujarat by the BJP, VHP goons, the latest being in the constituency of the “PM in Waiting” Mr LK Advani. The state machinery both administration and police uses the pretext of Model Code of Conduct to stop civil society groups from holding meetings and organising campaigns. In many incidents they have arrested activists, harassed them and stopped innumerable public meetings and confiscated material and books.
The present attack as well as the earlier attacks , the role of the administration and police violate the democratic and constitutional rights of ordinary citizens to hold and propagate their ideas.
We are writing to request you to:
a. To intervene in the present case as so far no action has been taken against the goons who attacked out activists in Gandhi Nagar despite our providing even the vehicle numbers to the police.
b. To issue guidelines to the administration and police not only to allow the civil society groups, activists and ordinary citizens to campaign but also to ensure their safety.
Sincerely yours
Shabnam Hashmi
Prasad Chako
Sachin Pandya
Rasheeda Ansari
Shivani Singh
Seema Duhan
Robin Soni
Mob Attack on the Volunteers of Anhad at Pallav Char Raasta, Naranpura (Gandhinagar Constituency)
Anhad has been working in Gujarat for the past 7 years to propagate communal harmony and uphold the values of the Indian Constitution, democracy, secularism and pluralism.
Anhad had organized a youth convention on April 19, 2009 and had launched a door to door campaign with a target of reaching out to 50,000 households. The aim was two fold to appeal to them especially the young voter by engaging with them to vote and vote for a democratic and secular India as well as to expose the myth of vibrant Gujarat.
On April 20, 2009 the volunteers started their door to door campaign from 10.00 am in Shastri Nagar, Naranpura, Gandhi Nagar Constituency. They distributed leaflets in the government quarters of Block L of Naranpura Extension. After distributing the leaflets they gathered at Arpit Restaurant, Pallav Char Raasta for Lunch. On realizing that 3 volunteers had not reach to Arpit restaurant, Sachin Pandya and Robin Soni went to look for them. At the same time, at Pallav Char Raasta, a man on black Activa Scooter came and stopped them. Lotus, an election symbol of BJP was pasted on the front of that Activa Scooter. He started threatening them for distributing the leaflets. When Sachin replied that Indian Constitution gives them this right and freedom to publish, express and spread their ideas and message to bring awareness in the society, he quickly made a few phone calls and in no time about 20-25 people appeared in cars and on bikes . The numbers which we were able to note down are GJ 1 FM 5547, GJ 1 DF 7347, GJ 1 EL 2080, GJ 1 6931, GJ 1 FM 2993. They had big sticks in their hands and surrounded the activists from all sides. Using highly abusive language which cannot be written here, they started punching, kicking and slapping Sachin Pandya and Robin Soni. Due to this, there was a traffic jam and Sachin and Robin were able to run away in that confusion.
Almost simultaneously 15 or so people including one Geeta Ben and Gautam Bhai barged into Arpit restaurant where other volunteers including a number of women activists were sitting. There, they started manhandling our female volunteers like Shivani Singh, Rashida Ansari, Manisha Trivedi and used foul language in front of them. They dragged Rasheeda and Manisha by hand saying that they would take them to the office and settle them there. They manhandled the male volunteers, catching them by their collars, abusing them and started warning them of deadly consequences. They forcibly took away our leaflets and said that they would burn them.
Meanwhile a large crowd gathered and they also got a few phone calls (presumably from above as Anhad office was calling media to intervene) then gradually, one by one they moved out. Among them were Geeta Ben, Gautam Bhai and Radhey Bag Centre’s owner whose shop is located near to Naranpura BSNL Telephone Exchange. They warned the volunteers that if again they enter the area again then they would not return alive.
List of volunteers: Sachin Pandya, Robin Soni, Shivani Singh, Seema Duhan, Keshawbhai Patil, Rumal Dhrangi, Rashida Ansari, Avkash Pandya, Tanha Waghela, Vadilal Solanki, Suresh Solanki, Bhanwar Solanki, Sanjay Solanki, Srikant Solanki, Magan Bhai Rathod, Lallu Bhai Parmar, Naran Bhai Dhrangi, Ramsingh Chaudhary, Arjun Parmar, Mushtak Bhai, Tahmeena Ansari, Falguni Thakur, Javed Khan and Nasreen
Anhad has already filed a complaint with the Police Commissioner, Ahmedabad.
Anhad strongly condemns the attack on its activists and demands
1. Anhad demands an immediate arrest of the hoodlums responsible for attacking its activists.
2. An unconditional apology from Bhartiya Janata Party and the Member of Parliament of the Gandhinagar Constituency- LK Advani, the ’PM in Waiting’ for:
a) not containing the criminal elements
b) not ensuring an atmosphere of safety
c) gross violation of the constitutional rights and
d) for not allowing freedom of expression in his constituency.
It is shocking that such criminal elements are roam free in a constituency which the ‘PM in Waiting’ is representing, and further wants to represents.
RSS 2.0