South Asia Solidarity Group strongly condemns the horrific bomb
blasts in Mumbai on July 11 that killed some 200 people and injured
more than 700. We extend deep condolences to all those who have lost
loved ones, and our hopes for the speedy recovery of all who have
been injured. We salute the spirit of solidarity and resilience
shown by the ordinary people of Mumbai in recent days. People of all
communities have come together to give blood and support to the
victims and their families, refusing to be manipulated by the forces
of sectarian terror behind the blasts.
We fervently hope that this spirit can be sustained over the coming
weeks in the face of a new onslaught by Hindu fascism. We deplore
the blatantly provocative decision by the Sangh Parivar to invite
Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat to lead an ’anti-terrrorist’
march in Mumbai. The projection of the chief architect of the
genocide of Muslims in Gujarat in 2002 as the leading face of the
BJP at this juncture indicates the sinister intentions of the
Hindutva forces. This comes in the wake of the Jammu and Kashmir
BJP’s recent call for an implementation of a ’solution’ to the
Kashmir problem on the lines of the ’Gujarat model’.
What has been the Congress Government’s response?
We are disturbed to note that rather than send out a message that any
attempts to make communal capital out of the bomb blasts will not be
tolerated, the Congress Government has inadvertently strengthened the
Sangh Parivar by once again invoking Pakistan as the ultimate enemy.
The government has essentially brushed aside the Pakistani
government’s denials of responsibility and offers of cooperation and
have held it responsible for what happened in Mumbai. Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh is attending the G-8 meeting at St. Petersburg and is
reported to be planning to pin-point Pakistan as the ultimate source
of terrorism round the world. The process of normalisation of
relations between India and Pakistan has already been affected, with
India calling off the proposed meeting of the Foreign Secretaries
later this month.
We are also concerned about mass arrests targeting the Muslim
community . Already, around 250 have been taken into custody near the
railway station of Mahim in Mumbai alone. Many more have been rounded
up in other parts of Maharastra. Previous experiences lead us to be
concerned for the safety and human rights of innocent people in this
context.
We call on the people of India to draw upon their deep reserves of
mutual solidarity and resist the attempts of the ruling parties to
draw them into further bloodshed.