[Reader-list] Feudalism in Pakistan

[Rakesh Iyer]

Dear Murali jee

My response is as follows:

1) For Godhra, even the Nanavati Committee Report was not accepted by the
SC, which then decided to constitute the SIT to investigate the truth of
Godhra. So as it stands now, both the Nanavati and Banerjee reports are not
available. However, since the Gujarat govt. claims that the 58 karsewaks
were burnt alive, by the Muslims and since they claim it to be a planned
conspiracy, therefore the Gujarat govt is culpable of having not been
pro-active in their intelligence activities to gain information which could
have helped in preventing it. And since it's the state responsibility of
protecting their citizens, Godhra is also a failure of Modi govt going by
the very claims they make.

Secondly, the truth about whether those who died are karsewaks or not is
still not yet out. The identity of all the 58 or 59 who died is still not
yet known as per details released by the Railways Ministry.

And most importantly, you still did not answer as to whether what happened
after Godhra was secular or communal. If a Hindu somewhere murders 5
Muslims, would you like to see your mother, sister or wife being raped in
retaliation to it?

2) Even assuming that the temple did exist, there are other fundamental
questions which need to be asked, which you have conveniently avoided
because you would never have the answers for those. But if you do have, be
kind enough to answer the following:

a) Assuming that the temple existed at the same spot, what's the proof that
it's the exact spot of the birthplace of Lord Ram?

b) Assuming that the temple did exist, what's the proof that Babar or one of
his generals destroyed the temple and constructed the masjid at that spot?
Can't it be possible that the temple was destroyed earlier and later the
mosque was constructed at a spot which had rubble or nothing?

c) What's the proof that the Ayodhya mentioned in Ramayana is the same as
this Ayodhya we talk about? Is there historical proof of the same, since you
are using an ASI claim to prove your point? Historians claim that the two
Ayodhyas are different. What do you have to say about this?

d) This is the most important question. Let's assume that the course of
events as laid out by the Sangh Parivar is correct, and that the temple was
demolished to make way for the mosque. If tomorrow I prove that at the spot
where your house is built, a temple was constructed long back, and that it
was demolished, and now your house must be demolished to make way for the
temple, would you accept it or not? And why? Mind you, you won't be given
any compensation at all for the loss of your land.

e) What about those who lost their lives thanks to the temple madness in
India? Are their lives so insignificant that on the rubble of their dead
bodies is a temple required for Lord Ram? Is that what is acceptable to
Shree Ram himself?

3) Regarding Kandhamal, the primary responsibility of solving the problem
was that of the state govt and not that of the centre, because law and order
is a state subject, and unless the situation is very terrible, the centre
can't rush in forces without any request being received from the state govt,
unless Article 356 is invoked and President's Rule is imposed on any state.

Since the then govt was the Naveen Patnaik govt and was supported by the BJP
as well, who stopped the BJP from ensuring that justice was done for the
murder of the Swami? Instead they ensured that Kandhamal burnt and they
could try to secure the vote bank. Does the BJP have the guts to take on the
Maoists even in street fight or guerilla wars, or through democratic means,
or through any other one-to-one ways (except of course the Salwa Judum where
they use shields as pawns to protect themselves)? Their sister organizations
are cowards, who only create violence when the BJP govt is in power, but are
nowhere to be found when an opposition party is ruling.

To take a simple example, when Digvijay Singh was CM of Madhya Pradesh, the
VHP activists couldn't dare stop the Valentine's Day at all. But as soon as
the BJP govt came to power, the day time during that day is like an
undeclared curfew with empty streets. No children are seen on that day
playing cricket, unlike say on day of bandhs declared by political parties.

Why this?

And as for Congress, my major concern is not that of pseudo secularism, but
that of people. If the Congress makes tons of statements for Muslims but not
one for Hindus, that's not my concern. Sachar Committee report proves that
Muslims have got nothing thanks to 40 years of Congress rule (very little
actually, which in my mind is equivalent to nothing). Hence, it's not an
example of appeasement, but of Congress double speak regarding how they have
treated Muslims.

Regards

Rakesh