communalism and terrorism are the same - Orissa CPI(M) leader

Orissa bandh on Christmas Day a 'communal conspiracy': CPI(M) MP
New Delhi (PTI): A CPI(M) member on Wednesday alleged in the Lok Sabha that a "big communal conspiracy" was being hatched against Christians in Orissa with a "communal" organisation giving a call for a 'bandh' on the Christmas Day.

"A big communal conspiracy is being hatched by communal organisations to bring parts of the country into the milieu of communal disturbances," senior CPI(M) leader Hannan Mollah said during the Zero Hour.

A "communal" body had called a bandh in Orissa on December 25, he said adding, "this is a serious matter and the Christians may be attacked again by the VHP-Bajrang Dal elements."

Asking the Centre to take serious note of the developments in the state, the CPI(M) leader said "communalism and terrorism are the same and government should also include communal attacks in the ambit of the new anti-terror laws."

Mollah was supported by Congress member Madhusudan Mistry and RJD's Devendra Prasad Yadav. more: http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200812171540.htm

Christmas at UTC with Widows Of Orissa Violence

INDIA  Widows Of Orissa Violence Brought Across Country For Christmas Celebration

BANGALORE, India (UCAN) -- A Christian group here organized an advance Christmas celebration for some women widowed during anti-Christian violence in the eastern Indian state of Orissa.

Asmitha Digal is among 24 widows who lost husbands in the anti-Christian Orissa violence in India, taking part in Christmas celebration in Bangalore on Dec. 8.

"We have lost our husbands to a hate campaign, yet we believe that only love and forgiveness can bring peace in society," asserted Kadamphul Nayak, widow of Pastor Samuel Nayak.

She was among 24 widows and two children who traveled 1,400 kilometers from Orissa to the southern Indian city of Bangalore to attend the Dec. 8 celebration. The ecumenical Global Council of Indian Christians, which is based in the city and organized the event, is involved in rehabilitation work for the Orissa victims.

About 150 people from various Churches joined the celebrations held at Protestant-run United Theological College in Bangalore, 2,060 kilometers south of New Delhi. They sang together hymns of praise and joy.

The Churches and their institutions gave the guests pots and other household items, clothes and sweets. They also shared a Christmas cake, and sang Christmas carols. Some of the Orissa visitors performed a tribal dance depicting the birth of Jesus.

Retired Methodist Bishop Sampath Kumar told UCA News the faith of the simple women amazed him and made the event the most meaningful celebration in his life. "We celebrate Christmas in our fullness, but they celebrated it in an utter hopeless situation," he remarked.  more

http://howrah.org/india_news/36987.html

Campaign for a peaceful Christmas in Orissa

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NEWSX  

14 December, 2008 12:44:51

Even as Sangh Parivar calls for a bandh in Orissa on December 25, a group of organisations comprising students, farmers, workers, teachers and social activists has initiated 'Christmas for Orissa' campaign for peaceful celebration of the festival.

Over 700 campaigners, representing seven citizens' groups of Orissa-based organisations, are seeking to make "peace and justice" the theme for this Christmas in the state. 

"We will organise a special Christmas for Orissa by organising vigils and prayer meets," convener of the Christmas for Orissa Campaign, Joe Athialy, said.

There will also be such programmes outside Indian embassies and VHP offices abroad besides at many places within the country, he said.

Several churches, missionary-run schools, hostels and dispensaries in Kandhamal district were attacked by mobs after the killing of Laxamananda Saraswati.

"We are exploring a legal retaliation to the bandh call as well with a writ petition before the Supreme Court as it had banned bandhs through one of its orders earlier. 

"However, if the bandh supporters remain undeterred we will give a call to people in Orissa to come out in its defiance and celebrate Christmas across the state," said M J Vijayan, convener of the Delhi Solidarity Group - a trust formed by some Delhi NGOs.

Activists of the 'Christmas for Orissa' campaign said they intend to send out Christmas cards bearing the social message of Christmas to BJP and BJD leaders in the state.

Heads of different churches and a Central fact-finding team headed by JD (U) chief Sharad Yadav have requested Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to ban the bandh," Archbishop of Orissa, Raphael Cheenath told PTI.

"There is definitely some malicious intention of the Sangh Parivar behind calling the bandh on the day of a national holiday," the Archbishop alleged adding, "We are meeting the Chief Minister and the Governor of the state again on December 17."

Meanwhile, the Catholics Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) had sought arrest of the VHP workers to prevent them from organising the bandh on Christmas day. 

Swami Lakshmanand Saraswati Shradhhanjali Samity (SLSSS) had asked the state government to arrest the persons involved in the killing of the VHP functionary by December 15, failing which they would call for the bandh on December 25.

Anticipating violence against Christians on Christmas, embassy representatives of some European Union countries including Britain, Ireland, Netherland and others held discussion with the Orissa government on Saturday to ensure security in sensitive areas.

Orissa Home Secretary A P Padhi is learnt to have told the group that the state government has formulated extensive security plans for the day to ensure that no violence occurs and Christmas is celebrated in a peaceful manner.

The Orissa crime branch had already arrested three people in connection with the killing of Saraswati and the look out continues for 10 more accused. Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had also given his assurance for a peaceful Christmas in Orissa.  courtesy

Politics helped Hindutva terrorists

Madhya Pradesh blast probe was put on ice 

NEW DELHI: Authorities in Madhya Pradesh had evidence that members of Abhinav Bharat (not the charitable trust by the same name) — the Hindutva terror group responsible for a string of recent bombings targeting Muslims — were preparing for a nationwide bombing campaign as early as 2002.
However, government sources told The Hindu, political pressures allowed members of the terror cell, including two suspects now being investigated by the Maharashtra Police’s Anti-Terrorism Squad, to walk free.
In December 2002, police in Madhya Pradesh discovered an improvised explosive device at Bhopal’s railway station. A second IED was found exactly a year later in Bhopal’s Lamba Khera neighbourhood. Both devices were made with commercial TNT cased in a four-inch tube-well pipe, linked to a detonator controlled both by a cell phone and a quartz alarm clock.  source
Investigators determined that both bombs were intended to attack delegates arriving in the city for the annual convention of the Tablighi Jamaat — an event that attracts about 5 lakh people.
Arguably the world’s largest proselytising order, the Pakistan-headquartered Tablighi Jamaat is doctrinally hostile to politics and has been criticised by radical Islamists for its pietist posture. 
However, some numbers of jihadists are known to have been drawn to terrorism after spending time in Tablighi Jamaat-linked missionary cells.
Madhya Pradesh police, the sources said, soon developed information linking the attempted bombings to local Hindutva activists, Ramnarayan Kalsangram and Sunil Joshi. Both men — now alleged by the Maharashtra Police ATS to have occupied command positions in Abhinav Bharat — were questioned, along with several other suspects linked to the Bajrang Dal’s activities. 
Later, then-Chief Minister Digvijay Singh announced that he had evidence of the involvement of Hindu nationalist groups such as the Bajrang Dal in terrorism. source

HIMANI SAVARKAR of Abhinav Bharat: Non Hindus are second-class citizens

Apoorva Guptay Himani Savarkar at her Pune home

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

'If We Can Have Bullet For Bullet, Why Not Blast For Blast?'

The niece of Nathuram Godse, married to Veer Savarkar's nephew, is the president of the Abhinav Bharat...

OUTLOOK INTERVIEWS HIMANI SAVARKAR

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Till 2000, Himani Savarkar was an architect. That’s when she discontinued her practice to become the president of the Hindu Mahasabha. The 61-year-old Himani lives in Pune and her hardline Hindutva roots are well-entrenched. She is the daughter of Gopal Godse, the brother of Nathuram Godse, and is married to Veer Savarkar’s nephew. Himani is also the president of the Abhinav Bharat. Some members of the organisation have been linked to the Malegaon bomb attack of September 29. Himani spoke to Outlook. Excerpts: How did you become the president of Abhinav Bharat? I had known Sameer Kulkarni (the Maharashtra ATS has alleged that he was part of the team that provided logistic support for the Malegaon blasts) for quite some time. Like me, he was also part of the rss. When he decided to start Abhinav Bharat, he approached me to become its president and I accepted. What are the objectives of Abhinav Bharat? Our aim is to fight terror—spread awareness of who the real terrorists are and teach people how to oppose terrorism. This should have been done by the government but it has failed to prevent terror attacks. Since the government failed to act, there had to be a reaction. If what the police claim against Sadhvi Pragya Singh and the others is true, then it is just a reaction against the real terrorism.... But is a blast-for-blast strategy the way to tackle terrorism? Didn’t Maharashtra deputy CM R.R. Patil say that we must reply with a bullet for a bullet? Then why can’t we have a blast for a blast? Sameer Kulkarni and the others are patriots who love their country. But the government is now trying to declare them guilty to weaken the Hindus. We have become a soft state...should we all wear bangles now? The government doesn’t want to fight terrorism. That’s why it will never take action against the Muslims. The police have cracked so many cases like the encounter in Delhi where Muslim terrorists were killed. But as soon as the police takes action, there are shouts for a judicial inquiry. You have faith in the police when it comes to Muslims as terror suspects but not so when Hindus are accused by the same cops? Also, Muslims say they never got justice after the 1993 Bombay riots and the 2002 Gujarat riots? How do you respond? This is a demand made by Muslims based on their religion. If they are to make such demands, then there are so many countries for Muslims and they should go live there. There is only one country for Hindus and we must protect it. I don’t believe in reports like the Srikrishna Commission report (on the ’92-93 Bombay riots) because I know how they are managed. So, has the Nanavati Commission’s report on the Gujarat riots also been similarly ‘managed’? I don’t know much about that report. But you must remember that it is normal human behaviour to react. All that is happening today is a reaction from the Hindus. I don’t believe in the philosophy of turning the other cheek if someone slaps you. We must strike back. So, if someone takes action to defend the Hindus, then we must defend them. How should India fight terrorism? We must declare ourselves a Hindu rashtra where everyone is a Hindu. Anyone who isn’t should be declared a second-class citizen and denied voting rights. Those who have problems with this should leave and settle in other countries. The Hindu votebank must unite to vote out any government that fails to tackle terror. Then we must throw out the outsiders like Bangladeshis who live off India’s wealth and work towards destroying us.   more

Malegaon :' Why were only 6 people killed?’ Sadhvi Pragya Thakur asks Ramji

Vignesh Iyer Vignesh Iyer, Hindustan Times

Mumbai, November 04, 2008

First Published: 00:47 IST(4/11/2008)

Last Updated: 01:24 IST(4/11/2008) 

“Why were only six people killed when we had planned for more?”

This statement, the prosecution claimed in court on Monday, was from a conversation between Sadhvi Pragya Thakur and Ramji, one of the suspects in the blasts that ripped through Malegaon on September 28.

According to the witness’ statement, Ramji replied: “As the area was crowded, I could not park the vehicle where it could have created maximum damage”.Special public prosecutor Ajay Mishar claimed that that this conversation was overheard by a witnesses, who gave a statement to the magistrate under the provisions of CrPC Section 164.

According to the witness’ statement, Ramji replied: “As the area was crowded, I could not park the vehicle where it could have created maximum damage”.  Ramji allegedly told Thakur that he was scared of being caught.

The witness also claimed that Thakur had said that if the motorcycle, on which the bombs were planted, was seized, she would say that she had sold the motorcycle a long time ago.

When asked about the significance of the witness, Mishar said the actual sequence of events took place as per the conversation between Thakur and Ramji. “After the blasts, Thakur told the police that she had sold her motorcycle long back,” said Mishar.  source 

It is wrong to use term 'Hindu terrorists': BJP

‘Hindu terrorism’ leaves BJP sore

Rajesh Sinha

Friday, October 24, 2008  17:35 IST

Yahswant objects to linking terror & religion

NEW DELHI: Unsettled by reports alleging the involvement of some Hindu outfits in terror attacks, the BJP has modified its response on the issue.

While the party initially denied any involvement and said that this was a conspiracy to defame “nationalist” organisations, on Friday, BJP vice-president Yashwant Sinha took a more liberal approach and said terrorism is terrorism and it is wrong to link terror with any religion.

Sinha said it was wrong to use the term “Hindu terrorists” for the alleged extremists arrested on charges of being involved in the Malegaon blasts. “Some sections are trying to malign the majority community. BJP has objections with the term Hindu terrorists, which is wrong. Nobody is saying that the law must not take its course. No one can say that. A terrorist is a terrorist irrespective of his caste or religion,” Sinha said at a press meet here on Friday.  more