Campaign Appeal Against VHP in UN

 

Responses to Communalism Combat’s Campaign

 

A JOINT APPEAL

 

Indigenous Peoples’ World-wide Against Racism and Religious Intolerance

 

To

 

Ms Mary Robinson

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Palais Wilson

Geneva

 

Respected Ms Mary Robinson,

 

The indigenous peoples and nations of the world have always upheld the fundamental human values of peaceful coexistence, equality and non-discrimination. We have also upheld the essential spiritual values that must inform human existence and human endeavour. In the last few decades as we have been struggling for the recognition for the protection of our rights we have also been witnessing the continued existence and even rise of narrow minded and self serving forces that strive to negate every effort to bring and establish a free and equal world of peace.

 

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad, an organisation best known for promoting hatred against religious minorities in India, is aspiring to gain consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the UN.  Its application is now under consideration by the UN NGO Committee. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad of India represents such forces whose mission and objectives are totally antithetical to those aspirations enshrined by the peoples of the world in the United Nations Charter.

 

The outfit best known in India for inciting hatred against minorities belongs to a group of organisations with an ideological resonance call the SANGH PARIWAR - collective family - of Hindu organisations. This family includes the Shiv Sena, Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Bajrang Dal, Hindu Jagaran Manch, Hindu Sanskrity Manch, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and many other associated organisations. The Bharatiya Janata Party presently heads a multi-party coalition that rules India.

 

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad is best known for its role in the mobilisation for, and the actual demolition of the Babri Masjid, a 15th century national monument and holy shrine of the Muslims in India, in Ayodhya in 1992 and for its hate campaign against Christians in the last two years.  The Vishwa Hindu Parishad  has sown terror and violence on a scale never seen before throughout India and in the Indian diaspora.  It has instigated forced conversions among Muslim and indigenous minorities, arson, rape, cruel beatings and demolition of churches and mosques as well as cold-blooded murder of the minorities. The leader of this outfit has declared the murderers of Muslims, Christians and indigenous peoples in India as “nationalists” and “patriots”.

 

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad  is also known for its fundamentalist Hindu ideology while openly promoting the ascendancy and absolute rule of Hindus in India. This Parisad also is claiming that all the Adivasis / indigenous peoples in India are Hindus, and if converted to Christian religion should be “brought back” to Hindu fold. Adivasis / indigenous peoples of India have never been a part of the Hindu religion and have never submitted themselves to the Hindu caste system. It is a serious threat to secular, democratic India and all the principles its Constitution espouses today.

 

In its application for consultative status to ECOSOC, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad states “…..that it has taken on the responsibility of representing and promoting the welfare-related activities of Hindus, it also, without discrimination, promotes moral and ethical education, provides medical aid for the needy, relief to the poor, advances general public utility and pursues socio-religious, scientific and general research."  In its attempt to acquire ECOSOC status, it has also falsely stated that it is an NGO located in New Delhi, India, that works for the total welfare of humanity.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

 

One of the principles relied on for granting of 'consultative relations' with the United Nations is that "the aims and purposes of the organisation shall be in conformity with the spirit, purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations".

 

The words and deeds of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and its youth wing, the Bajrang Dal, in the last several years are ample testimony to how their aims and objects conform to the "spirit, purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations".

 

As indigenous peoples who stand and fight for the establishment of a world firmly founded on the principles of self-determination, equality, peace, tolerance and non-discrimination, we are deeply disturbed to hear that the application of Vishwa Hindu Parishad to seek consultation status to ECOSOC is before the United Nations’ NGO Committee.

 

The United Nations owes it to all peoples and nations for all times and to all future generations to make a firm resolve to reject this obvious move to undermine its very foundations.  We, therefore, appeal to you in your distinguished position as a promoter and protector of fundamental freedoms and human rights to make every necessary step to impartially and justly examine the application; and so that this application from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad is deservedly rejected outright.

 

Signed on this day, the 24 of July, 2000 in Geneva

 

 

NAME                                                    ORGANISATIONS                                             COUNTRY / REGION

 

DR. D. ROY LAIFUNGBAM              CENTRE FOR ORGANISATION RESEARCH AND EDUCATION

INDIA

 

BINEET MUNDU                 CHOTANAGPUR ADIVASI SEWA SAMITI  / DELHI FORUM   INDIA

 

JASON ADAWIN PAN                      PLAIN ABORIGINE PAZEH ASSOCIATION OF TAIWAN   TAIWAN

 

RHONDA GRIFFITHS                        ASSOCIATION OF NORFOLK ISLANDERS

OCEALAND

 

RIC ROBINSON                                   ASSOCIATION OF NORFOLK ISLANDERS

NORKOLK ISLAND

 

SHELLINA TIMUER                           MINORITY RIGHTS GROUP INT.     

UK

 

STAPFER CASSANDRE

SPAIN

 

JOHANNES LAPING                                  ADIVASI KOORDINATION IN GERMANY   

GERMANY

 

JOHAN BOSMAN                               KWIA, SUPPORT GROOUP FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES   BELGIUM

 

DR SIDDHARAJ S. SOLANKI           ARRAVALLI ADIVASI ADHAKHET VIKAS MANDAL  

 INDIA

 

MANGAL KUMAR                            CHAKMA PARBATYA CHATTAGRAM JANA SAMHATI SAMITI, CHT, BANGLADESH

 

DEBBARMAN SUKHEWDU            BOROK PEOPLE OF TWIPUA

INDIA

 

NIPUNI PIKU                                       NAGA PEOPLES MOVEMENT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

KOHIMA

 

SIRJANA SUBBA                               LIMBU - NEPAL      

NEPAL

 

DR THEODOR RATHGABER           SOCIETY FOR THREATENED PEOPLES     

GERMANY

 

UEMURA HIDEAKI                           SHIMI GAIKOU CENTRE     

 JAPAN

 

YUNKI HASEGAWA                         AINU ASSOCIATION OF RERA    

 JAPAN

 

KANAKERWAN NARYANY           UBNLF         

INDIA

 

RUPALI BASUMATARY  UBNLF        

INDIA

 

DAMYANTI SINKU                           ICITP        

INDIA

 

TARU LATA KAKOTI                      ADIBASI SOCIO-EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL ASSOC.  INDIA

 

JEBRA P MUCHAHARY                   TRIBAL WELFARE SOCIETY – ASSAM

INDIA

 

DR RATAN ROY                 ST JOHNS MISSION BIJNI      

INDIA

 

MARIA MANGTE                              ICITP        

INDIA

 

JITAN CHAKMA                                CHT HILL STUDENTS’ COUNCIL     

BANGLADESH

 

LOYAL DAVID HAUHENG               BAWM INDIGENOUS PEOPLE’S ORGANISATION    BANGLADESH

 

UJANA CHAKMA                             JUMMA PEOPLES LINK      

BANGLADESH

 

R.  JOY LAKRA                                   WORLD ADIVASI COUNCIL     

GERMANY

 

REV. YASALA HOLA                        TAYAL TRIBAL COUNCIL    

 TAIWAN

 

PALASH KHISA                                 CHT. HILL STUDENTS’S COUNCIL     

BANGLADESH

 

NAIRANJANA CHAKMA                HILL WOMENS’ FEDERATION     

BANGLADESH

 

JOAN CARLING                  CORDILLERA PEOPLES’ ALLIANCE    

PHILIPPINES

 

MALTI R NARZARY                         ROUE ESHANSHLI CO-OP SOCIETY     

INDIA

 

NAMITA BROHMA                           ICITP        

INDIA

 

ELKE SPRENGER-THIEL    AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL      

GERMANY

 

SUAN TUNG PARTE                          ZO REUNIFICATION ORGANISATION     

INDIA

 

DANIEL ZAPATA                              THE SOCIETY FOR THREATENED PEOPLES    

GERMANY

 

KELLY DIETZ                                      SHUMIN GAIKO CENTRE      

USA

 

Cc.:

 

Chairperson

UN Council Committee on Non-Governmental Organisations

United Nations, NGO Section, DESA

1 UN Plaza / DC 1-1480

New York, NY 10017, USA

Email: Hanifa Mezoui <[email protected]>

 

Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights

World Conference Secretariat

1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

e-mail: [email protected]

 

Development and Human Rights Secretariat

United Nations, Room S-1040,

New York, NY10017, USA

e-mail: [email protected]