Letter to Indian PM 06-04-03

When will the Government of India protect the victims in Gujarat

Mirza A. Beg
Wednesday, April 3, 2006


Dear Mr. Manmohan Sigh
The Prime Minister of India:

The fascistic Modi government in Gujarat is using the levers of power to kill the Muslims again. As you know, Government conniving to kill Minorities is called “pogrom”.

I joined the overwhelming majority of Muslims of India in condemning the violence in Kashmir by the extremists militants when you were about to engage in peaceful dialogue with the Kashmir separatists to bring a modicum of peace to the beleaguered Kashmiri people. The government under your leadership is pursuing the culprits, as it has pursued other culprits before to bring them to justice. Unfortunately terrorism has become more prevalent in modern times with easy accessibility of weapons and travel. The governments must combat this scourge to civil society.

But terrorism by outlaws and extremists pales in comparison to the state terrorism. It is immoral in all religious and secular codes, and injurious to the Indian constitution and people as a whole. Who would pursue when the Chief Minister of a state is the terrorist? Whom should the victims call for help? We know that you know the answer

Mr. Modi’s government in Gujarat indulged in fascistic pogrom against Muslims in February –March 2002 when about 2,000 Muslims were burned and killed by organized riots under the police protection. At that time the Central government was also dominated by the fascistic BJP. Yes they were popularly elected, but India is a secular constitutional Republic. The acts of the government were not only heinous but unconstitutional.

Dozens of inquiries have squarely laid blame for the pogroms on the Gujarat government, but the culprits are not only at large, but have gotten promotions and brazenly continue to implement their sectarian agenda killing and deprivation of minorities. The Killings in Vododra are only the latest.

The Congress dominated government was elected at the center in part because of the revulsion against such monstrous BJP dominated government. Now you are the Prime Minister. For a state government, not to be able to provide safety to life and limbs of its citizens is bad enough, but engaging in killing is unconscionable and it automatically becomes unconstitutional. When would the Central government act?

We realize the separation of powers between the central and the state governments, puts restraints on the center in interfering in the state affairs, but the killing of two Muslims by the police and burning of one by the mob in Vododra, is a clear message to the world that Murderers can control the state government with impunity and the victims cease to have the protection of the citizenship, while the country watches impotently wringing its collective hands, uttering platitudes.

Mirza A. Beg’s email address is mab64@yahoo.com