https://telegram.
me/SunHelpEachOther
10 |
saturday, december 12, 2015
Headway with
David Headley
he ostensible reason for the prosecution
T agreeing to the grant of judicial pardon to Pa-
kistan-born American operative David Cole-
man Headley is to strengthen its case against
Sayed Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal, charged with
involvement in the conspiracy behind the deadly Mum-
bai terrorist attacks of November 2008. The real purpose,
however, is that India would like Headley to testify on
and establish before a Mumbai court what he has already
admitted before a trial court in the United States and to a
team of the National Investigation Agency from India in
June 2010: the role of state and non-state actors in Pakis-
tan in planning and carrying out the Mumbai terror
strikes. Headley is now a prosecution witness. The ses-
sions court in Mumbai trying Abu Jundal has pardoned
Headley in return for his promise that he would make a
full and true disclosure of all that he knows about the en-
tire conspiracy. Headley had done much of the recon-
noitring of targets for the team of assailants who execut-
ed the 26/11 plot. Last month, he was formally included as
a co-conspirator in the case, and he has now been accept-
ed as an approver. His testimony would be adequate for
the court to convict others involved in the plot, as the law
on evidence in India is that an accomplice shall be a
competent witness against an accused person. Head-
leys conduct so far indicates that as a witness during the
trial he may speak credibly about the role of the Lashkar-
e-Taiba and its handlers in the Pakistani intelligence
establishment.
It is indeed a positive development that Headley ap-
peared, albeit in a virtual sense, before an Indian court
for the first time. He is serving a 35-year prison term in
the U.S. after admitting to his role in a conspiracy to mur-
der and maim people in Mumbai. In terms of his plea bar-
gain before a U.S. court, the 55-year-old former U.S. agent
cannot be extradited to India or Pakistan, but he is also
obliged to testify in any foreign judicial proceedings
held in the United States by way of deposition, video con-
ferencing or letters rogatory. However, it is an irony of
sorts that the development coincides with the resump-
tion of talks between India and Pakistan, as the earlier
composite dialogue had been stopped precisely because
of the Mumbai attacks. The question that may arise is
whether the move to strengthen the prosecution case,
and through that, Indias case against Pakistans role in
the 26/11 attacks, will adversely impact the resumed bilat-
eral dialogue. The answer, hopefully, will be in the nega-
tive. After all, in their recent joint statement both coun-
tries condemned terrorism and airmed their
commitment to eliminating it. Trials relating to the inci-
dent have been going on concurrently in both countries,
with the proceedings on the Pakistan side moving quite
slowly. Expediting the judicial proceedings and taking
them to their logical conclusion will not be inconsistent
with the resumption of the dialogue.
Illiberal law,
roll it back
can Haryanas statistics on key social indicators,
S
and the picture that emerges is dispiriting. For
example, in this State of rich farmers and net-
worked urban centres, 41 per cent of Scheduled
Caste men have not cleared class 8; and 68 per cent of SC
women have not made it to class 5. Roughly 45 per cent of
rural households do not have a toilet, and among SC
households that figure rises to 55 per cent. Put together, it
is a picture of failure of the government to fulfil the part
of the essential contract that binds state and citizens: to
provide the rule of law and social services. It was, there-
fore, an odd call to action by the Haryana government
earlier this year when it passed the Haryana Panchayati
Raj (Amendment) Act to debar exactly these citizens
failed by the state from standing for panchayat elections.
In a web of disqualifications, the full exclusionary poten-
tial of which is still not precisely calculated, the law de-
bars from contesting men who have not completed ma-
triculation, women who have not cleared class 8 (with
the corresponding qualifications for SC men being class
8 and for SC women class 5), people who havent paid ar-
rears for specified agricultural loans or electricity bills,
and those who do not have a functional toilet at home.
The law was challenged in court, and on Thursday the
challenge was set aside by the Supreme Court.
It is unlikely that the government will file a review pet-
ition, given that the Bharatiya Janata Party is in power in
Haryana and at the Centre. However, the case against the
law must be made politically, and emphatically so. For
one, what the courts have done is to uphold the power of
the State legislatures to enact such laws it follows that
civil society must persuade political parties to rethink
such qualifications, and to repeal the amendment in Ha-
ryana specifically and desist from introducing such legis-
lation in other States. A liberal democracy must of neces-
sity refrain from certifying who may contest elections to
represent the people. It is dangerously illiberal to debar
citizens from contesting elections when they are able to
fulfil their responsibilities as panchs, or legislators, as the
case may be. Indeed, curbs on particular categories of
people, instead of individuals in breach of particular
laws, from contesting elections carries the imprint of au-
thoritarianism, and such restrictions have predictably
been popular with military juntas, from Pervez Mushar-
rafs Pakistan (only college graduates could contest) to
present-day Myanmar (the bar on those with foreign na-
tionals as spouses or children is obviously targeted at
Aung San Suu Kyi). For yet another State in India to join
their ranks, even if it is for panchayat elections, is a set-
back for the worlds largest democracy.
CM
YK
THE HUES: Levels of stridency and forms of articulation of the central ideology of Hindutva differ among Sangh-allied organisations. The Bajrang Dal is seen as among the most aggressive,
and the BJP, which has electoral compulsions, the most reticent. Picture shows activists of the Bajrang Dal at a rally in Amritsar on December 6, 2015. PHOTO: AFP
The musclemen of Hindutva
After working in the shadows of other Sangh organisations for many years, the Bajrang Dal courted the limelight
this December 6. A close look at its birth, evolution and activity
T
wenty-three years after it was banned fol-
lowing the demolition of the Babri Masjid
in Ayodhya, the Bajrang Dal on December
6 this year renewed its pledge for a Ram
temple at the mosque site. The anniver-
sary of the demolition is technically a day
of valour (Shaurya Diwas) for the Hin-
dutva outfit. This year, however, Shaurya
Diwas wasnt subdued as in many past
years. There were elaborate press releases
and there was heightened activity on
right-wing Twitter handles in support of a
grand Ram temple in Ayodhya. In fact, it
also appeared to be a coming-out party for
the Bajrang Dal that has for many years
now kept in the shadows of other Sangh
organisations.
We feel something will soon have to be
done about the Ram temple. The Allaha-
bad High Court and the Archaeological
Survey of India said there was a temple.
Yet, sections of Muslims and secularists
are in denial. For how long can such denial
continue? said Surendra Jain, all-India ad-
viser to the Bajrang Dal. This year we
urged Muslims to celebrate December 6
like Eid. Mr. Jain, a former Bajrang Dal
convener, is at present also the joint gener-
al secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad
(VHP), of which the Bajrang Dal is the
youth wing.
There is a palpable spring in
the stride of Bajrang Dal activ-
ists at a time when intolerance
is being discussed within and
outside Parliament. However,
till now it has been more in the
nature of open statements rath-
er than large mobilisation. The
Vikas Pathak event at Karsevakpuram in
Ayodhya had speeches, but did
not draw a huge crowd.
But why does the Bajrang Dal
celebrate as an occasion of valour an
event that led to an immediate ban, apart
from sparking riots in many parts of India,
in 1992? Ban or no ban isnt the issue, re-
torted Mr. Jain without a touch of remorse.
Governments have unleashed repression
for a few Muslim votes. The Babri struc-
ture was a symbol of past slavery. So, Hin-
dus removed it. A temple should be rebuilt
just as the historic Somnath temple de-
stroyed by Mahmud Ghazni was rebuilt af-
ter Independence.
The last time the Bajrang Dal was in the
eye of a storm was during the anti-Chris-
tian riots in Kandhamal in Odisha in 2008.
There were allegations of its involvement
and the United Progressive Alliance gov-
ernment had then considered banning it.
Pattern of deniability
Dara Singh, who was accused of invol-
vement in the 1999 murder of the mission-
ary Graham Staines in Odisha, was report-
edly its worker. But the Bajrang Dal denies
The Sanghs allied
organisations are
functionally autonomous
but the link with the RSS
never snaps...
he was ever its member. It is part of a pat-
tern of deniability. In 2007, the Bajrang Dal
disowned Babu Bajrangi of Gujarat after
he received a Supreme Court notice for al-
legedly trying to separate Hindu girls
(who had married outside their caste)
from their husbands; Bajrangi was later
convicted in connection with the 2002
Gujarat riots. The Dal has also attracted
criticism for moral policing and hounding
THE HINDU SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2015
NOIDA/DELHI
Levels of stridency and forms of articu-
lation of the central ideology of Hindutva
difer among Sangh-allied organisations.
The Bajrang Dal is seen as among the most
aggressive, and the BJP, which has electo-
ral compulsions, the most reticent. While
the BJP is largely wedded to market capi-
talism now, the BMS speaks a pro-labour
language. The Bajrang Dal, however, as-
sertively voices Hindutva causes, often in-
volving socially divisive issues.
Life in the Bajrang Dal
The organisational structure of the Baj-
rang Dal has several tiers the national,
zonal, State, zilla and prakhand (up to one
lakh population) levels; each has conven-
ers and co-conveners.
There are some key activities that bind
its cadre. Once a week, there is a Hanuman
Chalisa recital, generally in temples. This
apart, a Dal worker is expected to be part
of a local Balopasana (worship of physical
strength) Kendra, which is generally a
wrestling akhada, or gymnasium.
SHARED SPACE: The VHP office in New Delhi which also houses its youth wing, the Bajrang
Dal. PHOTO: V. SUDERSHAN
out the artist, M.F. Husain, for his sketches Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
The Dal also has a vidyarthi pramukh,
an activist who is expected to spread its in-
fluence among students. But this work is
of Hindu goddesses, something it actually In July 1993, after the ban was revoked, the strictly non-political, as the ABVP is ac-
flaunts as an achievement. Bajrang Dal became an all-India organisa- tive in the sphere of student politics of
The Bajrang Dal may have been dis- tion with Vinay Katiyar, now a Bharatiya course, the reach of the Dal is not a patch
cussed quite often, but few outside its cir- Janata Party (BJP) leader, as its first chief. on that of the ABVP. While these activities
cles know more about the organisation, its After Mr. Katiyar, Jaibhan Singh Pavaiya, are seen by the Dal as organisational work,
work, and the reasons why it came into be- Surendra Jain, Prakash Sharma and Sub- it also sees work involving agitation as
ing. In 2008, I had set out to interview the hash Chauhan became Bajrang Dal heads. crucial to its scheme of things. Its involve-
Delhi convener of the Bajrang Dal when it The present convener, Rajesh Pandey, is ment in the Ram temple campaign is one
was blamed for the Kandhamal violence, from Rewa in Madhya Pradesh. such example. Another is cow protection,
in which about 40 people were killed. The which has been in the news through the
Dals then Delhi convenor, Ashok Kapoor, Undivided Parivar year. The Dal mobilises opinion against
invited me to meet him at a VHP oice at The Dal is part of the Sangh Parivar cow slaughter and even captures vehicles
Jhandewalan in the capital. The reception- the large family of Rashtriya Swayamsevak apparently transporting cows for slaugh-
ist, however, denied that the place had any Sangh (RSS)-allied organisations formed ter. They file police complaints but are
Bajrang Dal oice. When I called up Mr. by its gradual outreach to diferent seg- open to courting confrontation when re-
Kapoor and made the two men talk, the re- quired, said a Dal functionary. The Bajrang
ceptionist was friendlier and served me The Bajrang Dal claims a Dal also counts helping organise an Amar-
tea. It was at Mr. Kapoors residence that softer side that it seeks to nath Yatra in 1996 as a major milestone in
we met the next day. its activity involving agitation, Mr. Sharma
Asked why there was this apparent se- showcase, such as social said.
crecy about the Dals oice at Jhandewa- work, though few take The organisation claims a softer side
lan, a senior VHP leader said that my in- that it seeks to showcase, though few take
formation was wrong and the Dals oice this seriously this seriously. We do constructive social
was at R.K. Puram, and not Jhandewalan. ments of society as the youth wing of work too, like organising blood donation
But yet another VHP leader told me that the VHP, which was itself founded in 1964 camps and ofering service in hospitals,
while R.K. Puram houses the central oice by Shiv Shankar Apte, an RSS pracharak. he added.
of the Dal, Jhandewalan houses the Delhi The VHP was aimed at forging common The Bajrang Dal observes Hanuman
state oice. Unpacking the Dal is, thus, ground among multiple Hindu sects that Jayanti as Balopasana Diwas. Dal insiders
akin to joining the dots. sometimes had doctrinal diferences. say that the ideal activist should be in the
At the central level, the Dal has activists image of Hanuman, strong in body and
Ofshoot of the temple movement below the age of 45, while at the State level, character, and ready to punish evildoers.
It was the Ram temple movement that the cut-of age is 40. A similar arrange- Of course, it is a confrontational Hindutva
marked the Dals creation. It was set up in ment exists for the womens forums line that informs its definition of charac-
1984 for the safety and success of the those below 35 are part of Durga Vahini, ter, leading to the viewing of potential
Ram Janaki Raths that were travelling in the VHPs young womens wing, while stand-ofs over cow protection or a Ram
various parts of Uttar Pradesh to mobilise those above 35 are part of Matru Shakti temple as central to its vision.
support in favour of a Ram temple at the (mother power), clearly aligning to the It annually observes October 30, the day
site where the Babri Masjid then stood. It idea of a womans primary role being nec- the Mulayam Singh Yadav government
was claimed that Mir Baqi, a general of essarily of a mother beyond a cut-of age. opened fire on kar sevaks in Ayodhya in
Mughal emperor Babur, had demolished a The Sanghs allied organisations are 1990 leading to some deaths, as a day of
Ram temple at the birthplace of Ram in functionally autonomous but the link with sacrifice. However, most of these occa-
Ayodhya and constructed the Babri the RSS never snaps. The Akhil Bharatiya sions go unnoticed outside the
mosque there. Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) works on cam- organisation.
The Dal helped execute all the decisions puses, the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh Except this year, Shaurya Diwas gained
taken by sants in relation to the Ram Jan- (BMS) among workers, the BJP in the elec- prominence because of the death of VHP
mabhoomi campaign, recalled Prakash toral arena, the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram veteran Ashok Singhal, one of the leading
Sharma, who spent 25 years with the Baj- among tribals, and so on. Representatives faces of the Ram Janmabhoomi move-
rang Dal, rising to become its national con- of the entire ideological family (Vichar Pa- ment, on November 17, and leaders such as
vener in 2002. The decisions that the Dal rivar) meet routinely and exchange notes RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and the VHPs
helped execute were Ram Shila poojan on their activities. Pravin Togadia saying that a Ram temple
(worship of consecrated bricks) in 1989, People also move from one organisation in Ayodhya would be the real tribute to
Shilanyas (symbolic temple foundation- to another. While a chunk of BJP leaders him.
laying ceremony) in 1989, the taking of the come from the ABVP, leaders such as Mr. With Hindutva issues again in the lime-
Ram Jyoti (light) to Hindu homes in 1990, Katiyar have come from the Bajrang Dal. light, and as a polariser, expect the Bajrang
and the Kar Seva in Ayodhya on October Mr. Sharma, the Dals convener from 2002 Dal to be seen and heard more in the days
30, 1990, where there was police firing. to 2009, is now vice-president of the BJPs ahead.
The Dal soon spread to Bihar, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh unit. vikas.pathak@thehindu.co.in
ND-ND