10th Anniversary Issue
August - September 2003 

Year 10    No.90-91
LAW


 


‘In a disheartening environment, CC gives hope’

Vinod Kumar Mall

The last two decades have witnessed growing communal mobilisation throughout the country. The dilution of political principles and the deterioration inthe quality of our polity led to compulsions that political parties tried to cover by encouraging communalism.

Faced by the failure to effect social reforms, the politicians opted for short-cuts. This included the appeal to communalism and communal mobilisation. While in certain states, caste was made a plank to increase vote banks, in other states, communalism has been wielded as a tool for the same.

The second half of the ’80s saw the growth of a strong movement around the construction of a temple at Ayodhya. Various communal groups, Hindus and Muslims both, involved themselves with this issue, far removed from the common man. The years 1989-90 saw an increasing number of communal riots, mainly in Maharashtra and Gujarat. Then came the demolition of the Babri Masjid in the year 1992, followed by a serious outbreak of communal riots all over the country. The atmosphere was communally charged and many areas that had been untouched earlier were grabbed by communal frenzy. Mumbai and Surat saw communal riots on a large scale.

During the whole process, for the most part, social interventions were either very weak or completely absent. This resulted in utter helplessness on the part of the common man, who believed in the secular values of our country. The serene and secular masses found themselves marginalised, as they did not have mechanisms with which to counter the well-established mechanics of communal mobilisation.

This period also saw an era of deadly silence, as political leadership had no commitment and no clue as to how they should deal with the situation. Communalism Combat, which came into existence in 1993, was the need of the hour. It acted as a forum where many secular people could offer their opinions and generated a strong movement to counter communalism. Over the years, it has also covered various facets of Islamic fundamentalism including that in Pakistan, Afghanistan and also in India. The ticklish problem of Kashmir was also taken up in some detail. This provided a breathing space and some hope for a democratic secular State.

The end of the last decade witnessed anti-Christian riots in Dangs, Gujarat, and frequent Hindu-Muslim communal riots in Maharashtra and Gujarat. Combat not only published an objective analysis of these situations but also encouraged individuals who put the secular interest of society above their community, or political and individual interests. Combat was the first magazine to bring out a detailed study on the Gujarat riots in April 2002. I would like to congratulate the editors and team of Communalism Combat, who have taken pains to bring out the truth and uphold the secular values of our country for all these years.

The existence of differences in ideology is basic to all democratic societies. Plurality has been the main ethos of the Indian tradition. Our Constitution guarantees freedom of speech as long as it is not detrimental to public peace. However, the contrary has happened. People who incite communal passions have been moving freely while secular, peace-loving people have been threatened, intimidated and silenced. Some symbolic protests against communal violence have met with acts of vandalism. The common man was scared to speak out. People were waiting for someone to take the lead. Communalism Combat stood firm and distinct, leading the way. Communalism makes the environment disheartening. Combat gives hope. May the voice of the common man of this great country emerge stronger through Combat in the future.

(Vinod Kumar Mall is an senior IPS officer).


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