Fresh updates – Belatedly Barkha Dutt breaks silence but stops short of demanding justice and accountability, more nonsense from other media types and finally the Congress reluctance to criticize the CPI-M
Also read Indian Express on how gangrape victim and her missing daughters have no justice from Police while CPI-M mob stands guard
In the perverse value system eschewed by Sitaram Yechury the Tehelka that was not is germane for discussion in Parliament but the CPI-Mafioso’s war on the Muslims of Nandigram is not.
So what perverse logic did Yechury offer ?
Nandigram was a state law and order subject
Tehelka however was about state patronage to a communal carnage
a fundamental feature of the Constitution – secularism was violated
It is surprising Mr. Yechury expects to be taken seriously by the people of this nation with such specious logic.
Let us see why Mr. Yechury’s logic is specious
- the majority of the victims in Nandigram were Muslim, a fact highlighted first by Offstumped and since reported by the Pioneer, Telegraph and Indian Express
- the Home Secretary of West Bengal went on record to state that the CPI-Mafioso waged war in Nandigram
- the Station Officer of Nandigram and the SP of Midnapore went on record to state that they were instructed not to interfere
- the Governor, custodian of the constitution in West Bengal, goes on record to state that Nandigram was a war zone
- the Chief Minister of West Bengal Buddhadeb goes on record to confirm that he did not want the state police to act
- the Chief Minister then goes on record to justify that the violence on women and children of Nandigram was “morally and “legally” justified
So you have?violence on Minorities while the local law enforcement?sits tight in the confines of police stations and the Chief Minister justifies it.
By what perverse application of logic and reason is this not a violation of more than one fundamental feature of the Constitution ?
But then what do you expect from those like Mr. Yechury who have held brief for private militia and terrorirsts.
The more serious crime on the Muslim Victims of Nandigram is the Conspiracy of Silence from the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Congress President Sonia Gandhi and the many conscience keepers in the media who are outraged selectively.
Much has been said about the BJP’s lack of remorse on the Gujarat riots. But then public memory is notoriously short in India.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee then Prime Minister had the courage and conviction to face the nation in a televised address to atleast go on record to say this
?Whatever the provocation …. The burning alive of people, including women and children, from Godhra to Ahmedabad and other places is a blot on the country?s face.?
Much more has been said in the aftermath of the Tehelka sting that the nation has become immune to human suffering and how could violence on women and children be condoned in the name of religion. But then public memory, is not just notoriously short but is prone to easy manipulation by sensationalism of the Tehelka kind. On 1st May 2002 the Lok Sabha concluded a 16 hours debate on the Gujarat Riots. Here is what the Prime Minister had to say in his reply to the debate
Hindutva should be liberal and not narrow.
He described what he saw in Gujarat during his visit as “madness”.
He lamented the atrocities on women, saying: “Rapists do not feel ashamed and the society does not condemn it. If this disease is not not checked, it will affect our society and culture. This is a new crisis.”
Well that was not all. Mr. Advani, showed courage and conviction to confront the ghosts of Gujarat while in the company of foreign leaders during his visit to UK. He went on record to say
?”What happened in Gujarat is a matter of distress. It is a blot on my government. It is indefensible. I feel sorry that this has happened”.
Even a diehard anti-BJP activist like Mahesh Bhatt went on record to say
“that he was immensely comforted and that muslims must not let the collective cynicism that has descended on the community to drown out the significance of Mr Advani?s apology”. “
Offstumped Bottomline: The argumentative Indians that we are, we can debate to death whether Mr. Advani and Mr. Vajpayee meant what they said on Gujarat riots or whether Mr. Modi did all he could to prevent the riots. These are matters of conscience which cannot be settled by debating facts. However if there is one fact that is beyond debate it is that there never was a “Conspiracy of Silence” on their part?like what we are seeing today. The Prime Minister, the Congress President and every other conscience keeper in the media who’s morality is outraged selectively stand guilty of this “Conspiracy of Silence” on the Muslim Victims of Nandigram.
POSTSCRIPT:
Barkha Dutt belatedly broke her silence with this op-ed in the Hindustan Times titled “Hammered and Sickled”. Barkha poses tough questions but makes sure her tirade against the CPI-M is peppered with enough political correctness. But here is where it falls woefully short. No demands of justice or accountability. In fact Barkha disposes of the victims of Nandigram with just 1 sentence.
. Religious politics and a sizeable Muslim population created an opportunity for the reactionary Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind to play to stereotype and oppose ?imperialism?
TN Ninan in the Business Standard waxed eloquently on the Gujarat parallels and went on to praise civil society in West Bengal as being better than Gujarat, let us see here, this is the same civil society that voted the CPM to power with absolute majority with no semblance of a political opposition.? Ninan’s conscience is clean now, he can go back to sleeping.
Sunil Sethi in the Business Standard passes judgement on Buddhadeb saying he is no Gorbachev or Deng, has more to say on the marchers on Kolkota than on the victims of Nandigram, oh boy how their hearts bleed ….
This one took Tehelka too seriously into talking about the 29th, 30 and 31st of Feb – Bengali Psuedo Intellectual Jaideep Mazumdar writing in the Outlook who’s heart bleeds for Nandigram so much that they see parallels between how Modi gave his party 3 imaginary calendar days to riot in Gujarat (29, 30, 31st Feb) while Buddhadeb gave 6 real days in Nandigram 
Kuldip Nayar in a great work of political correctness talks about every aspect of Nandigram but its Muslim victims. In fact his piece is so politically correct that he has nothing to demand of anyone only requests and suggestions that the CPI-M build consensus.
The cat is out of the bag, the TOI has this story on Congress likely to steer clear of criticizing the CPI-M on Nandigram, Pranab Mukherjee’s lack of spine on display and this guy is supposed to the former president of West Bengal Congress and its tallest leader in West Bengal. For a career electile dysfunctional lackey who only recently won a lok sabha election, Pranabda is a disgrace to his people.
Some strong words from the Indian Express belatedly but still relevant.
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Excellent Yossarin. And we should except any either. The silence will be broken, by the media or UPA government, only to explain away Commie war against anyone who is against their terror ideology. If this is not a case of president rule in a state, I don’t know what is. If it’s pogram when the army was present to put riots within 24 hours then I don’t know what this is – with police and other paramilitary law enforcement missing for nine-months?
Can you image the soft-glove treatment by the media and central government if self-proclaimed Hindu senior leader justifying killing children and women, that too muslims? I guess we have three tier system – commies get kid-glove treatment, Islamic terrorists get sympathy, and any Hindus getting out of line is a Hindu Nazis. The gale of these elites and they can get away with it.
Chandra – I like your 3 tier system, permission to use it in a future post.
Yossarin, excellent post.
And isnt the conspiracy of silence by the UPA, a quid pro quo for the reported softening of the Left’s stand on the N-deal? Isnt this the good old – “morality, ethics and conscientiousness be damned, if your back itches, I will scratch it, provided you scratch mine” – congress mantra for survival?
Dear Yossarin:
A very timely article especially about the remorse expressed by the PM and the Dy PM. As you rightly mentioned whether they meant it is totally out of the realm of discussion. One also wonders whether the expressions of sympathy and concern doled out by the ‘bleeding hearts’ is really heartfelt.
Read an excellent article on the Daily Pioneer about the Gujarat riots which refutes every lie manufactured by the ’secularists’ point by point. I am attaching the link here http://www.dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?main_variable=OPED&file_name=opd3%2Etxt&counter_img=3
Guess its because the victims are Muslim that the media is beginning to make noises about Nandigram. Otherwise, if only Hindus were amongst those killed by the communists, nobody would have bothered.
This is ridiculous and obfuscating the issues.
Conspiracy of silence on the “muslim” nature of the victims is because in this case, they being muslim is only incidental to their victimization. As far as I know, muslims are not specifically targeted for their religion. It could have been any other religion.
“shadows” above already gives an inkling to the kind of reaction from the religious right had the victims been hindus.
What is worrisome is not that the victims are muslims, but that the state machinery has become a tool of the party as you mentioned, and independent information coming from there is so scarce.
Jujung – conspiracy of silence extends well beyond their being muslim, not a single word has been uttered in public on their victimization. If they cant get themselves to denounce the victimization by Communists of even their favorite political constituency – muslims, then that speaks volumes about their convictions in general and sincerity in specific on minority rights.
bhanu,maverick – thanks
shadows – not much noise in beyond The Telegraph which is running editorials everyday.
In contrast, in the case of Gujarat 2002 riots, the state machinery played the role of the party’s tool, and further the victimization of muslims was a direct result of the party’s ideologogy (as understood by the cadre atleast)..
jujung – and killed 245 hindus
? dude move on, mahesh bhatt moved on, bandukwaala has moved on, learn to move on.
yossarin,
Don’t ask them to move on. Teesta will probably change Secular wombat to Move-on moonbats, and keep the hate factory rolling.
Nice article btw. Now everytime any psec utters Gujarat one can respond by Kashmir and Nandigram. Yet, the greater shaming of the pachydermic secsoc establishment remains elusive.
I think too much is being made about the Bengali intelligentsia coming out on the street. Bengali intelligentsia is only as ‘intelligent’ as the mob which pelts stones.
Strikes and hartals are commonplace in Kolkata. They are out on the street only because that kind of street culture prevails only there. And as Mrinal Sen has shown, some of these ‘intelligentsia’ are freaking hypocrites. We can be rest assured that the same intelligentsia will help the CPM bury the issue.
Bengalis are yet to see the dawn of civilization as defined by liberty, equality and fraternity. They still live in the nobility-zamindars-jagirdars-peasants mode. Only the Jagirdars have changed. Stooges of Guptas, Mughals, British and now the Chinese are overseeing the persecution of peasants by Zamindars. The nobility (Bhadraloks) simply feeds on the atrocities as an academic exercise.
Bengal is the land of devdas, parineeta, city of joy, leprosy, missionaries of charity, land mafia, dhananjoy chatterjee, manual rickshaws, hartals, caste surnames, india’s poorest muslims, Rizwanur Rehman and Nandigram. The common thread in all these is the oppression of the poor by the rich ala Bhadraloks.
Bengal needs a social revolution against the Bengali intelligentsia!
Balaji – good one
Socal – thanks
“Bengalis are yet to see the dawn of civilization as defined by liberty, equality and fraternity.”
Excellent Balaji…because that’s what those bengali babus claim they are doing. It’s important how it’s done and how it’s done impacts what happens to the society.
Yossarin, change “is” to “are” – I added the plural Hindus later but didn’t change the verb – and use it…
Dear Yossarin
Hoe you will keep this blog as a place to speak the mind of right-leaning people and expose the hipocracy of left minded people and parties, not a place for regional hatred, which Balaji has posted and you are supporting it.
Malay – agreed and I dint see it in that light but saw it more as an opportunity for critical introspection in much the same spirit as the editorial in The Telegraph which called for change. But agreed if the tone and words offended you pls accept an apology.
Malay,
Balaji is a DMK type, don’t take him too seriously.
Its upto yoassarin to decide to decide whether he is going encourage bong bashing in the comments section, he bears sole responsibility about what goes on in his property.
“The nobility (Bhadraloks) simply feeds on the atrocities as an academic exercise.”
Typical pseudo intellectual (or should I say in yossarin style, “Tamil” pseudo intellectual) junk.
Balaji why don’t work on bringing more “liberty, fraternity … ” whatever to your beloved progressive state. Last time I checked, progressive thevars (who are entitled to reservations for being oprressed) are really giving the love to the pallars (see the love : http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14552833 ), people were building temples to khusboo or some other buxom goddess of the month, and members of progressive proletariat suffused with lofty ideals of the “dravidian movement” were burning themselves because their leader lost some election.
Frankly, I sincerely hope Bengal (and the rest of India) never reaches this kind of social progress.
“The nobility (Bhadraloks) simply feeds on the atrocities as an academic exercise.”
Typical pseudo intellectual (or should I say in yossarin style, “Tamil” pseudo intellectual) junk.
Balaji why don’t work on bringing more “liberty, fraternity … ” whatever to your beloved progressive state. Last time I checked, progressive thevars (who are entitled to reservations for being oprressed) are really giving the love to the pallars , people were building temples to khusboo or some other buxom goddess of the month, and members of progressive proletariat suffused with lofty ideals of the “dravidian movement” were burning themselves because their leader lost some election.
Frankly, I sincerely hope Bengal (and the rest of India) never reaches this kind of social progress.
“The nobility (Bhadraloks) simply feeds on the atrocities as an academic exercise.”
Balaji why don’t work on bringing more “liberty, fraternity … ” whatever to your beloved progressive state. Last time I checked, progressive thevars (who are entitled to reservations for being oppressed) are really giving the love to the pallars , people were building temples to khusboo or some other buxom goddess of the month, and members of progressive proletariat suffused with lofty ideals of the “dravidian movement” were burning themselves because their leader lost some election.
Frankly, I sincerely hope Bengal (and the rest of India) never reaches this kind of social progress.
test
For heaven’s sake guys. Read Telegraph editorials or even Chandan Mithra or Jaideep Mazumdar. Even Rohit over at retributions is analyzing Bengali Politics. The Bengali intelligentsia has camouflaged the rowdyism and zamindarism perpetrated by CPM. People who only read newspapers cannot understand the subtleties. Please read History or wiki once-in-a-while.
[...] The word “Nandigram” not crossing their lips even once the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and the “so called” future of the Congress Party “Rahul Gandhi” have failed a critical litmus test of leadership with this Conspiracy of Silence. [...]
[...] The word “Nandigram” not crossing their lips even once the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and the “so called” future of the Congress Party “Rahul Gandhi” have failed a critical litmus test of leadership with this Conspiracy of Silence. [...]
oh btw, supposing this blog is the fight against Left ideology, isn’t this the right place to attack the ‘Left intelligentsia’? What were these freaking hypocrites doing in the last 11 months when Nandigram was under ‘maoist’ control? Believe me ‘right’ wing forces (young educated capital seeking Bengalis, not the BJP types) are behind the Rizwanur and Nandigram causes. The so-called intelligentsia has only come to hijack the issue and give CPM a smooth landing.
Dear yossarin,
Thank you for your kind reply.
Frankly speaking, inherent love of bengali people on marxism (nobel in theory, but not applicable) has destroyed the leberal culture of bengal, where talents belongs to all dimensions of life blosom freely and openly. But stalinist CPIM has blocked all those by its authoritive style of functioning, which control every parts of people life. As a result stagnation and decline of state. But sentence like:
“Bengalis are—————an academic exercise.
and
Bengal————– ala Bhadraloks”, indicates reginial hatred, not frank discussion on subjects and reason behind those.
[...] 16th Nov 2007 – Conspiracy of Silence on Nandigram’s Muslim Victims [...]
[...] thanks to excellent blogs like this, we get closer to the truth. One reason that strikes me is bloggers like Offstumped blog because they are [...]
[...] convenient to sidestep the “Conspiracy of Silence” that he himself as Prime Minister and his Party President Sonia Gandhi had been indulging [...]
Who is communal? Congress, Communists or BJP
Posted by truecongresspolitics on October 18, 2007
I love and agree to both of you.It is the quality of Hindu dharma only that it gives regard to others way of worship and tolerates other’s view-piont and allows an open debate for every issue. Similar is not the case of others.
1. There are nearly 52 Muslim countries. Show one Muslim country, which provides Haj subsidy.
2. Show one Muslim country where Hindus are extended the special rights that Muslims are accorded in India?
3. Show one Muslim country, which has a Non-Muslim as its President or Prime Minister.
4. Show one country where the 85% majority craves for the indulgence of the 15% minority.
5. Show one Mullah or Maulvi who has declared a ‘fatwa’ against terrorists.
6. Hindu-majority Maharashtra, Bihar, Kerala, Pondicherry, etc. have in the past elected Muslim as CMs; Can you ever imagine a Hindu becoming the CM of Muslim – majority J&K?
7. Today Hindus are 85%. If Hindus are intolerant, how come Masjids and Madrassas are thriving? How come Muslims are offering Namaz on the road? How come Muslims are proclaiming 5 times a day on loudspeakers that there is no God except Allah?
8. When Hindus gave to Muslims 30% of Bharat for a song, why should Hindus now beg for their sacred places at Ayodhya, Mathura and Kashi?
9. Why temple funds are spent for the welfare of Muslims and Christians, when they are free to spend their money in any way they like?
10. When uniform is made compulsory for school children, why there is no Uniform Civil Code for citizens?
11. In what way, J&K is different from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu or Uttar Pradesh, to have article 370?
12. Why Gandhiji supported Khilafat Movement (nothing to do with our freedom movement) and what in turn he got?
13. Why Ghandiji objected to the decision of the cabinet and insisted that Somnath Temple should be reconstructed out of public fund, not government funds. When in January 1948 he pressurized Nehru and Patel to carry on renovation of the mosques of Delhi at government expenses?
14. If Muslims & Christians are minorities in Maharashtra, UP, Bihar, etc., are Hindus not minorities in J&K, Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya etc? Why are Hindus denied minority rights in these states?
15. Do you admit that Hindus have problems that need to be recognized? Or do you think that those who call themselves Hindus are themselves the problem?
16. Why post-Godhra is blown out proportion, when no one talks of the ethnic cleansing of 4 lakh Hindus from Kashmir?
17. In 1947, when India was partitioned, the Hindu population in Pakistan was about 24%. Today it is not even 1%. In 1947, the Hindu population in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) was 30%. Today it is about 7%. What happened to the missing Hindus? Do Hindus have human rights?
18. In contrast, in India, Muslim population has gone up from 10.4% in 1951 to about 14% today; whereas Hindu population has come down from 87.2% in 1951 to 85% in 1991. Do you still think that Hindus are fundamentalists?
19. Do you consider that – Sanskrit is communal and Urdu is secular, Mandir is Communal and Masjid is Secular, Sadhu is Communal and Iman is Secular, BJP is communal and Muslim league is Secular, Dr. Praveen Bhai Togadia is ANTI-NATIONAL and Bhukari is Secular, Vande Matharam is communal and Allah-O-Akbar is secular, Shriman is communal and Mian is secular, Hinduism is Communal and Islam is Secular, Hindutva is communal and Jihadism is secular, and at last, Bharat is communal and Italy is Secular?
20. When Christian and Muslim schools can teach Bible and Quran, Why Hindus cannot teach Gita or Ramayan?
21. Abdul Rehman Antuley was made a trustee of the famous Siddhi Vinayak Temple in Prabhadevi, Mumbai Can a Hindu – say Mulayam or Laloo – ever become a trustee of a Masjid or Madrassa?
22. Dr. Praveenbhai Togadia has been arrested many time on flimsy grounds, has the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid, Delhi, Ahmed Bhukari been arrested for claiming to be an ISI agent and advocating further partition of Bharat?
23. When Haj pilgrims are given subsidy, why Hindu pilgrims to Amarnath, Sabarimalai & Kailash Mansarovar are taxed?
24. Afzal Guru,attacker on Parliament,isnot being put to hanging inspite of repeated otders of supreme court?Could he be spared in any muslim or christian country for the same crime? No terrorist has yet been hanged.
But why do we forget the great sacrifice of Muslims in India ?
1. They let us worship our pagan gods in temples and gurudwaras.
2. They do not insist on jazyia, which is their religious right by all means, but are satisfied with scant haj subsidy.
[...] to Gandhi are particularly amusing to see coming from Sonia given her conspiracy of silence in Nandigram and its Muslim Victims. So should we take it that she is practising a see no evil, hear evil brand [...]
[...] Congress to take a clear stand on this issue for its the Congress’ lust for power that has engendered the adharma of the CPI-Mafioso. The people must be reminded of Nandigram to show that there is no distinction between those who [...]
[...] the CPI-Mafioso a free pass for the last 5 years for some of the worst acts of violence while the Sonia, Rahul, Manmohan lead Congress looked the other [...]