ATTACK SUPPORTERS OF MALLIKA SARABAHI IN GANDHINAGAR CONDEMNED
Ram Puniyani
Hooliganism of Sangh Parivar is a norm and not an exception. It is being displayed against the secular candidature of Mallika Sarabhai who is taking on Hindutva’s Prime Ministerial candidate Advani in Gandhinagar (Gujarat) constituency. Some respected citizens of India are raising their voice against Sangh Parivar violence.
On 19th April Anhad and Aman Samudaya activists were brutally beaten up today by BJP/ VHP members at two different locations in Shastri Nagar, Naranpura (Gandhi Nagar Constituency) while they were doing a door to door campaign. The activists were surrounded near Pallav 4 Rasta and in Arpit Restaurant in Shastri Nagar abused, women activists were pushed around. This area is part of Gandhinagar constituency where Lal Krishna Advani is contesting. The methods being adopted by supporters of Advani/ BJP are reflective of the politics they stand for.
We are aware that it was Lal Krishna Advani who took the divisive politics to the abysmal levels. This politics today is tormenting the society. Same Advani was the Home minister of the country when Gujarat witnessed the state sponsored carnage in which thousands of people were killed, in which torture of women and children went to barbaric proportions.
Mallika Sarabhai, a danseuse of repute, is also contesting from this constituency. She stood against this mayhem unleashed by Advani’s party in 2002 and later took up the issues of human rights of victims of the carnage. She stood firm as a symbol of human values, against the violation of human rights of minorities by the BJP ruled state Government. She has been a voice of conscience of society. She was later harassed by the state for her principled stand on the issues of plural values and democratic rights. Today she is spreading the message of love and amity through her campaign and wants to work for these values. We need people like her to ensure that the national heritage emerging from freedom struggle, the heritage of values of Liberty, Equality and social justice, are preserved and nurtured so that society can march towards development and amity.
We condemn the attack on the supporters of Mallik Sarabhai, we urge upon the election commission to take proper action against Advani and his followers, we urge upon the state government to arrest those who have attacked these campaigners for Sarabhai, and we also urge upon the electorate to ensure that she is elected and sent to Lok Sabha to act as the expression of our aspirations for a peaceful society, which values the principles of justice and equity.
Justice P.B. Sawant (Redt); Justice Kolse Patil(Retd); Ram Puniyani ,EKTA, Committee for Communal Amity; Jatin Desai, Pak-India People to People Friendship; Irfan Engineer, All India Secular Forum; Sukla Sen, EKTA, Committee for Communal Amity; Ramesh Pimple, Media Intitiative; Vilas Sonawane