Strong protests against temple promoting ‘sati’

Protests from the National Commission for Women(NCW) and other women’s groups compelled the Uttar Pradesh district administration to confiscate booklets, glorifying the practice of sati, published by a temple in Meerut that is engaged in the worship of Kyano Kunwar, a woman who was, it is believed, compelled to burn herself on the funeral pyre of her husband 977 years ago.

The cover of the four–page booklet that drew sharp criticism from womens’ activists and freedom fighters has a photograph of Kyano Kunwar with the body of her dead husband ready for cremation. The booklet has details on how to worship, the do’s and don’ts of visiting the temple etc.

Following these protests, the department of women and children of the human rights’ development ministry has written a sharp letter to the chief secretary of Uttar Pradesh demanding to know what action has been initiated against the promoters of such a practice.

Local residents of Meerut, including the priest Vishnu Dutt Rishi, have meanwhile told the media that there was only a stone slab on the spot until 1961. It was in that year that one Kalli Pehelwan, first offered prayers to the slab and then returned 16 years later and installed a statue of Kyano devi. Since then devotees began flocking to the temple that did not command much attention earlier.

P.S.: On November 12, an incident of ‘sati’ (a woman being burnt alive on the funeral pyre of her husband) took place when a young woman died through such burning in the Satpurwa village of Mohaba district of Uttar Pradesh. Incidentally, hundreds of people from neighbouring villages flocked to be mute eye witness to this incident, that could easily be interpreted as a blatant attempt to glorify the practice of sati.

VHP denies receipt of foreign funds

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), on November 3, categorically denied that it had ever been the recipient of foreign funding from Christian organisations like the Salvation Army, even as prominent leaders of the Christian community contradicted the statement and released the revenue code number of the VHP in the United States.

John Dayal, of the All India Catholic Union, a large organisation of the Catholic laity, revealed details of how the VHP–America, an NGO registered in the US, has actively solicited funds and collected monies from US corporates and local governments for the last 15 years. He even revealed the revenue code number of VHP–America — Revenue Code ID 051–0156325.

The controversy is part of the ongoing offensive launched by the Union home ministry under L.K. Advani against independent groups, especially women’s organisations in the non–governmental sector for daring to challenge the perspectives and worldview of the Hindutva–driven political regime.

Several Christian organisations, doing exemplary work in the field of poverty alleviation and social upliftment, have also been similarly targetted by the home ministry. The FCRA registration numbers of some have also been allegedly struck off. (See Campaign, page 39).

It may be recalled that Delhi’s additional commissioner of income tax, Vishwa Bandhu Gupta, in an interview to Outlook earlier this year, had called for a CBI probe into the VHP’s funding, In 1990, Gupta had intiated such an enquiry and sent summons to VHP leaders. However, within 24 hours, the VHP with its strong political clout had managed to get these orders cancelled. (see CC, April 1999). The VHP has been amassing huge funds as well as seeking complete tax exemption describing its activities as charitable. However, income tax authorities disqualify any trust "established for the benefits of any particular religious community" as charitable.

Meanwhile, in a rather surreptitious manner, the earlier BJP government quietly amended the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 1976 adding to the legislation a new clause on religion. According to the new amendment bill, all religious organisations seeking government’s permission to receive foreign funds have to declare their religious identity. The new provisions were obviously meant to make it easier for the home ministry to target specific organisations on the basis of this classification.

RSS worker killed in Kerala

An RSS worker was killed and two others seriously injured in surprise bomb attacks on them at Ayithara, near Koothuparamba in Kannur district of Kerala on October 12. The RSS local leader, Thattuparambil Sasi, died on the spot as a result of the country bombs hurled at him. Three houses of CPI(M) workers in the area were set on fire in an alleged retaliatory attack.

As many as 23 CPI(M) workers were taken into custody by the local police in connection with the incident. The entire area had been the scene of sporadic outbursts of violence between the CPI(M) and the BJP–RSS workers since the declaration of results.

The LDF convenor, V.S. Achutanandan, a week before this incident, had refused a judicial probe into a bomb blast that had killed two CPM workers stating that the police were investigating the cases. He had also told the press that the visits to the trouble spots in Kannur by union minister, Anantha Kumar, was "aimed at diverting public attention from the recent acts of RSS aggressions". He had also alleged that during this visit, the BJP leader took "culprits in the violent incidents" along with them, in order to give them political sanctity and social recognition.

Proving it’s secular credentials?

The Maharashtra government has announced its decision to set up a human rights commission to be headed by a retired judge of the high court. The government also announced its decision to revive the state minorities’ commission that had been disbanded by the former SS–BJP government in the state. Making this announcement, the chief minister, Vilasrao Deshmukh, also said that they were considering giving the minorities commission statutory powers.

Faced with recurring demands to implement the recommendations of the Justice B.N. Srikrishna Commission report that investigated the Mumbai riots of 1992–1993 — a election–related promise — the Congress–NCP government is keen to establish its ‘secular’ credentials. This is seen as one of the steps towards creating that public image.

Sharad Yadav meets RSS top brass

While prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was drawing up the final list of his proposed cabinet, the president of the Janata Dal(U) knew exactly where and to whom he should offer obeisance in return for a prized portfolio. A meeting with BJP hardliner, L.K.Advani and the party’s general secretary, K.N. Govind-acharya were the first two steps to pave his way. But the most important was a drive to the RSS headquarters in Delhi, Jhandewalan, where a meeting in private with K.C.Sudarshan, number two in the RSS, secured his fate. The powerful portfolio of Civil Aviation in the central cabinet was the result of these assiduous efforts by Yadav.

TN cop action against provocative writing

The crime branch of the Chennai police have registered two cases, under sections 153A (1A) and 295A of the Indian Penal Code — that prevent inflammatory speech or writing and are a bar against attempts to promote enmity against different religious groups — against the publisher and editor, M. Murugan of Idhayam Pesugiradhu, a Tamil weekly for publishing a series of articles titled Hindukkale Exhuge, Indiyavai Kakka (Hindus Arise and Save India). In the view taken by the police, the content and intent of the series of articles were such that they could be responsible for instigating communal violence. This action was taken by the Chennai police on October 28.

The magazine had begun publishing this series of articles, ostensibly on Hinduism, authored by the South India general secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, RPVS Manian in 34 serialised parts. Following their publication, several organisations, including some Christian organistions had raised objections regarding the offensive content demanding also a rebuttal from the editor. This was also finally published but not before demonstrations were held for over a fortnight outside the office of the magazine, demanding that this series of articles be stopped altogether.

Finally, the police took action on the protests and filed suo moto cases against the magazine demanding also, that the series be stopped from publication altogether.

No justice for the victims of Bhagalpur

Ten years after a ghastly communal riot broke out in Logain, Bhagalpur, on October 27, 1989, the close kith and kin of over 116 persons who were brutally killed still await justice. The number of persons killed in the whole district, including neighbouring Chanderi, was over 1,000. This was one of the brutal incidents of communal violence that surrounded the Ram shila pujans and the rathyatra mobilisation first launched by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and later officially supported by the BJP in the mid-late eighties. A year later, in 1990, then president of the BJP, L.K.Advani had begun his rathyatra from Somnath in Gujarat.

The rioters in Logain buried the bodies of the dead in a field of cauliflowers, hurriedly planted to camouflage the deed, defying curfew. Senior police officials were indicted for partisan behaviour at the time. In all 81 FIRs had been filed with the police after the riots. The police filed 302 charge-sheets, the lower courts have disposed of 152 cases, acquitting the accused in 119 cases. In the remaining 32 cases, the district and sessions courts punished many of the accused with life imprisonment. But what was the use? They are out and free, with some cases in appeal pending with the high courts, others with the special courts.