TEXT :
16.02 hrs.
SHRI C. GOPAL (ARAKKONAM): Mr. Chairman Sir, I am very thankful to you for allowing me to speak on the subject `atrocities committed on minorities in various parts of the country' in this House. I want to submit before this House that before talking on the subject, everybody must know what is the root cause for these atrocities on minorities in every part of the nation. I want to say one thing that if every human right is respected by every citizen in this nation, then there is no possibility of causing atrocities in every part of our nation. That is why, during the struggle for Independence, the leaders of the National Movement tried to stress the primacy of human rights. In our future constitutional set-up, the Constitution-makers of free India reflected this primacy while handing down to us our Constitution under which we have practised democracy for the past 50 years. We have celebrated Silver Jubilee of our Independence. We have spent 50 years after Independence. The existence of atrocities on minorities is prevalent throughout the country. It has been in existence for the past 50 years. It was there even before Independence. That is why, our great leaders opined that any Government in India has to act according to our Constitution. Our Constitution has been framed keeping in view the poor people, the minorities and other people also.
I want to submit before this House what is the Preamble of the Constitution of India. This is a fundamental thing and every citizen must understand it. It says:
"WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:
JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity;
and to promote among them all
FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;"
We must understand that every citizen is equal before law. It is mentioned in the Preamble of our Constitution. My humble submission would be that if everybody is respected, there is no possibility of causing atrocities on any citizen in India.
We know that Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of our Nation, was the person responsible for getting freedom to our nation. On 15th of August, 1947 when Pandit Nehru invited Mahatma Gandhi to come and participate in the flag hoisting function, I am sorry to say that Mahatma Gandhi did not participate in that function, that is, when our National Flag was hoisted at the Red Fort. He did not participate in that function because near the border of East Bengal, Muslim people were affected and their women were raped. They were not moving freely on that side. At that time, he said, "I did not find the freedom, what I aimed, therefore, I do not want to come to this function." These were the words of Mahatma Gandhi.
We must feel sorry that these atrocities still continue even after our Independence. I request the Central Government to appoint committees in each and every district of our country to give publicity and to advise the people, whether they belong to the minority or the majority community.
My humble submission is that democracy cannot survive and sustain itself without respect for human rights. When the demolition of the Babri Masjid took place, many Muslims were injured in several incidents that followed, whereas in Tamil Nadu -- at that time, our beloved leader and the General Secretary of the AIADMK, Puratchi Thalaivi Dr. Jayalaitha was ruling Tamil Nadu -- no such incident had happened and the then Chief Minister provided security to all the Muslims and the minority communities. She maintained the law and order perfectly and, that is why, no such incident had happened. We are very proud to say this in this august House.
I want to draw the attention of the House to the issue of rape of four nuns in Jhabua District in Madhya Pradesh. Many such incidents happened. There were attacks on the schools run by the Christians and there was also the incident of burning the copies of the Bible in Gujarat. There was also an attack on a Convent in Jhabua. A Convent was looted in Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh, and a Church was attacked and desecrated in Meerut in Uttar Pradesh. (Interruptions) What is this interference? Further, a woman was raped in a Convent in Bandel District in West Bengal. These were the incidents against minorities which happened in various parts of India I do not want to blame any party here. My humble submission is that the gang-rape of four nuns in Jhabua appears to be part of a large plan and to terrorise the minority Christians all over the country. That is why, this incident against the nuns had happened. These criminal incidents are inhuman acts, and they are a blot on our culture also. So, my request is that the Government should see to it that the minority communities, all over the country, do not come under these intense pressures. Every Government should take it as a duty also.
Another incident happened in the State of Tamil Nadu and that was the death of one Ms. Chitra under mysterious conditions.
SHRI C. GOPAL : No, the matter is not sub-judice. There is a judicial order ... (Interruptions)
MR. CHAIRMAN : Shri Baalu, he is not yielding.
SHRI C. GOPAL : No, the matter is not sub-judice.
Sir, I would not like to submit anything with regard to the Judiciary. The death of Ms. Chitra was under suspicious conditions. Therefore, my leader, the General Secretary of the Party, our beloved leader, Puratchi Thalaivi requested the Government of Tamil Nadu to order an immediate judicial enquiry. At the first instance the matter was neglected. The CBCID gave a different report; the enquiry report of RDOS was something different. So, my leader requested the State Government to institute a judicial enquiry immediately.
Sir, the AIADMK organised a four-phased agitation. But that also did not evoke any response from the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Please conclude now.
SHRI C. GOPAL : Sir, I am the only speaker from my Party and so I should be allowed some time.
Sir, in the first phase of our agitation, my leader issued a statement demanding stringent punishment for the guilty; in the second phase of our agitation, a meeting of an expository nature was held on this issue on the 3rd of November, which was addressed by the Chairman of our Party, Shri V.R.Nedunchezhiyan. Then, the Women's Wing of the Party organised a protest march on the 9th of November and finally in the fourth phase of our agitation, the Party Deputy General Secretary, Shri P.Kalimutthu held a demonstration before the Chennai Collectorate. Even then, when there was no response from the State Government, she herself decided to enter the agitation. When the programme for the proposed procession march to the Raj Bhawan was announced, it was then that the Chief Minister of the State became jittery and finally ordered a judicial enquiry into the matter. Though maintenance of better public order and the police are State subjects, yet the Central Government also has a responsibility in the matter. After a month the incident took place, the State Government came forward to order a judicial enquiry into the matter. The Central Government also knew about the matter. I would only say that such incidents should not take place and there should also be immediate remedial measures to such incidents. Only when immediate remedial measures are ensured and culprits are brought to book, then only justice could be rendered to the people belonging to the minority community. The Central Government has been providing assistance to the State Government for meeting the infrastructure of police and also shares intelligence reports with them.
MR. CHAIRMAN: There are so many members who would like to speak on this. Please conclude now.
SHRI C. GOPAL : Sir, that is why, I would like to submit that when such incidents take place and the State Government does not take action, the Central Government must come forward immediately to render justice to the minorities.
Sir, the State of Tamil Nadu was very peaceful when it was ruled by our leader. Now, the Muslims are moving from one place to another. When the Babri Masjid was demolished, there was no incident of violence in the State. But now there is harassment of the minorities in the State of Tamil Nadu.
Sir, with these few words, I conclude my speech.
The wounds it has inflicted on our polity have not yet healed. Now, the Sangh Parivar has found a target other than the Muslim community, that is, the Christians in our country.
As we all know, the Christian community constitutes only 2.4 per cent of our population. Never before in the 2000 year old history of Christianity in our country this community has been subjected to such concerted inhuman attacks with the active connivance of the Government at the Centre and also in some of the State Governments ruled by the BJP. If the BJP feels that its pathetic fall in the recent elections is only due to the rise in the price of onions, it is sadly mistaken. The election verdict is a categorical declaration by the people of all communities in our country, especially Hindu community, that they want the secular traditions of this country to be protected. In fact, the Sangh Parivar and its cohorts are attributing to the Hindu community an intolerance which it never possessed. In fact, the greatest thing that this country can be proud of is that we have a rich heritage which welcomed all religions and all streams of thought to our country. I would like to quote Swami Vivekananda here. It is good for the BJP to occasionally know what the greatest exponent of the Hindu faith told the world about the Hindu faith. This is from the famous speech of Swami Vivekananda delivered at the World Parliament of Religions. He said:
"I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of Israelites who came to southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny."
Throughout his trip across the United States he asserted the tolerance which this country and the Hindu faith preached.
As far as religions are concerned, our country is a world in miniature. Almost all major religions in the world are represented in our country. It is this rich cultural mosaic which every Indian is proud of that the BJP and the RSS want to break. The people have again asserted their faith in the recent elections. Their faith in a secular India has given a befitting reply to the attempts by the BJP. What has happened in our country during the last eight months of the stupendously glorious BJP rule is that this Government has been extending active patronage to all these fundamentalist forces who are organising nasty and inhuman attacks on the minorities, especially the Christians. Bibles are burnt, nuns are raped, priests are attacked, and religious meetings are disrupted and vandalised, all in the name of Hindutva.
What happened in Jhabua? I was one of the six Members of Parliament belonging to CPI(M) who visited Jhabua. Four innocent nuns who were staying in a convent doing whatever little social service they could do to the community, were molested by a group of thugs.
How this rape is different from the other rapes that have been reported in our country? This should be viewed on the background of the all-out attack by the Sangh Parivar against the Christian community. When this most foul atrocity was committed against these four innocent nuns at Jhabua, the Secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad had the temerity to make an outrageously atrocious statement that it is an act of patriotism. In his mind apparently, the rape of the nuns was an attack the against the Christian faith.
This gentleman was a BJP Member of Parliament and he continues to be in the ruling party even now. This whole country was looking at the Prime Minister and the Home Minister whether any of them would condemn the attack and the new found definition of patriotism. But none came forward to condemn this and offer protection to the minority and to the Christian community. Sir, this is nothing but the betrayal of whatever little trust this great country reposed on you.
Further, I wish that this issue is not communalised. In this issue, the culprits who committed this heinous offence, if 24 were suspects, 12 of them happened to be Christians. Therefore, the issue is not Christian versus Hindu. The issue is a rape of women and a rape of nuns, which is atrocious and outrageous. No one can condone it. Therefore, no words can be too strong to condemn this act.
I wish that your delegation, when it went there, had also asked the State authorities which happened to be different from my party, as to who are these people. And, when, we asked them, they told us that out of these 24 culprits, 12 are Christians. And, the moment, I came to know about it, I said, it is our failure. Because of this one single incident, we have been maligned throughout the world. This Jhabua incident has done a lot of damage not to the BJP as such, not to the Government but to the whole country because this country cannot reconcile with that. Now, when I learned that a CPM delegation went there, I am shocked that the CPM delegation did not care to find out this elementary fact which was immediately told to us by the State Government. If this fact had been known, the kind of a bad reputation that the country has earned today, would not have been there. Therefore, because you are repeating it, I felt that even before I reply to the whole debate, I must contradict this particular fact.
This is a heinous offence. Those who have committed it, are being brought to book by the State Government, and I must compliment the State Government for taking necessary action. But it should not be communalised by any one of us... (Interruptions)
DR. ASIM BALA (NABADWIP): On how many attempts, the arrest was made?.. (Interruptions)
SHRI L.K. ADVANI): So far as the other matters are concerned, I will reply to them. But this is a different category altogether. Yesterday, every one spoke about all these things. But on one referred to Jhabua incident. I felt that they have taken cognisance of the fact that this particular incident should not be referred to in this context. And today, when I learned from you that your delegation has actually visited there, and after that, you are repeating it, I thought it would be proper for me to contradict.
SHRI SURESH KURUP : I said that this incident should be viewed on the background of the all out attack against Christians community in our country.
SHRI L.K. ADVANI: Well, 12 culprits, hoodlums who were the Christian who did this, had they actually done because of Hindutva?... (Interruptions)
SHRI SURESH KURUP : Why are you underlying the fact that they are Christians? ... (Interruptions)
SHRI L.K. ADVANI: Mr. Chairman, Sir, I am only saying that so far as the BJP is concerned, it would be willing to explain everything. But let us not refer to matters which are not communal, which are of a different nature and about which all of us should be unanimous.
When nobody referred to Jhabua either day before yesterday or yesterday, I felt satisfied that they were aware of the facts of the situation and therefore they were not referring to it. I felt, nobody is talking about nuns being raped in the name of Hindutva because this particular incident itself is proof ... (Interruptions)
SHRI BASU DEB ACHARIA (BANKURA): Our concern is about the statement made by the VHP.
SHRI L.K. ADVANI: I condemned that in the presence of the Archbishop.
SHRI SURESH KURUP : You have only now made this statement belatedly.
THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI L.K. ADVANI): I had condemned it the very day.
SHRI SURESH KURUP (KOTTAYAM): You have not made any public statement till now.
THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI L.K. ADVANI): I wish you could ask this from the Archbishop himself. I have nothing more to say.
SHRI SURESH KURUP (KOTTAYAM): Look at the instances of attacks that have taken place all over the country. There have been several instances in 1998 also. Some of my learned colleagues have mentioned about them yesterday also.
Gujarat stands first in the list of attacks on them. On the 2nd March, in Baroda, Gujarat, while a group of people were distributing handbills concerning an upcoming Christian meeting scheduled to be held at the Baroda Polo Grounds during the 4th to 7th March, 1998, young men of the VHP, Bajrang Dal and Durga Vahini came out in large numbers and started beating the group, which included a few foreign tourists. Later, the police came on the scene and took the victims to the Padra police station and detained them there for a long time.
Again, on the 4th March, at Vadodara, there was an attack at the Baroda Polo Grounds on a peaceful Christian minority group. The buses engaged for transporting the participants were prevented from taking off and the stranded participants using public transport were singled out and mercilessly beaten up. That congregation was disrupted and those who were waiting at the bus stop were mercilessly beaten up.