FEATURES

The New Witch Hunt

Hassan Mansur

THE activities of some members of the Deendar Channabasaveshwara Anjuman Siddique (DCAS) cult alleged to have bombed 10 houses of worship, comprising 8 churches, 1 temple and a mosque and a Christian gospel meeting, 7 incidents in Andhra Pradesh (AP), 3 in Karnataka and 1 in Goa between May 21 and July 9 this year, the police in AP and Karnataka have claimed that incriminating literature has been found in their areas of work. Further they are charged with interacting with Pakistan’s ISI and that the son of the founder of DCAS who lives in Pakistan has been master-mindind these blasts.

These alleged activities of some members of the DCAS has been godsent to the Sangh Parivar who had been hard-pressed to explain away the attacks on Christians and their institutions in the North, not excluding some regions of the South. Though it tried hard to divert the attention of the people through blaming it on the ISI, they were not many prepared to buy this story. Fortunately, Christian organisations refused to hold the Muslim community responsible for these blasts but pointed out how acts of violence against their community has been the consequence of a sustained hate campaign by the Sangh Parivar which continues to this day. This rational and sedate response had enraged the Sangh Parivar who were desperately looking for a scapegoat to explain away their own delinquencies.

Press reports have yet to prove conclusively the involvement of those who are being accused by the police. The IAF official dealt only in ration and clothing and had no access to confidential

Chandra Babu Naidu, Chief Minister of AP who had given a clean chit to the DCAS as a religious body committed to communal amity has changed tune, accusing it of causing the blasts in the state, and of conniving with the ISI. But the Karnataka state at the outset, displayed restraint and sobriety by not making a song and dance about the ISI role, which drove the BJP to make wild charges that it was concealing the Pakistani links with the bomb blasts.

The Hindu in its report dated August 14 wrote that the COD had not found any incriminating reports about the members of DCAS. Again on 16-08-2000, it reported that police sources were tight-lipped about ISI involvement with the blasts. But the media on August 18 carried sensational reports of an IAF official. Syed Hasan Uz Zama having been arrested for alleged links with the ISI. But the Express News Service dated August 17 quoted Air Headquarters, Delhi that the police are yet to provide concrete evidence and its spokesman said that the accused dealt in items of ration and clothing and had no access to confidential documents.

The arrest of Zama sufficed for the police in Karnataka to go to town insinuating that the ISI was involved which was echoed by the Minister for Home on the TV. What is to noted is that all the accused bear Muslim names which would give the greatest comfort to the Sangh Parivar who are never tired of chanting about the anti-national activities of the minorities. Advani in Parliament flatly asserted on August 18 that the DCAS design in collusion with Pakistan was unravelled by the central and state agencies. Yet he has not come forth with his white paper on the ISI !!

The alleged blast by the Deendars has provided a Godsend to the Sangh Parivar to divert the attention from their attacks against Christian organisations

The smear campaign against the minorities needs to be addressed urgently. The situation now is akin to what it was in the 80s when an environment of uncertainty, fear and insecurity was created owing to bomb blasts that helped the Centre to impose the dreaded draconian TADA which eventually became the instrument of utmost oppression against the Muslims. Now again there is a well thought out conspiracy to bring in a new terrorist law through sensational and alarming reports of the ubiquitous ISI engaged in spying and bomb blasts. The sinister move of the BJP to bring the Prevention of Terrorism Bill 2000 is meeting with opposition not only from some of its own allies but also from the entire opposition. The National Human Rights Commission has said that this bill, if enacted, would result in gross misuse and violation of human rights. The only means of imposing this bill is through whipping up the fear psychosis and the BJP has a vested interest to impose an emergency without naming it as such.

All democratic forces must see through this sinister game of subverting the rule of law and democratic governance which is at the back of the witch hunt of minorities. People must demand that the Centre and AP and Karnataka must come out clean in respect of all wild against its own citizens. Transparency in governance is a priority for democratic functioning. The BJP and its infamous allies to whom power is all in all must be exposed and should not be allowed to get away with their slander campaign against the minorities. Governments which are not prepared to punish the guilty in genocides perpetrated against the Sikhs, Muslims, Dalits, Christians and the poor in general are acting with alacrity in the cases of bomb blasts. Victims of state violence must demand an end to this persecution and hold it accountable for all its sins of commission and omission, and see to it that the rule of law and social justice prevail.

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