PM needs to speak against assault on Swami Agnivesh
The assault on Swami Agnivesh is highly condemnable. The saint who has spent his life speaking against bonded labour, tribals and their betterment, is a highly respected personality among Arya Samajis. By now the identity of those who launched a deadly assault on him in the middle of the road, during broad daylight is pretty evident. The so called activists/goondas of BJP have caused him harm, floundered him and hit him bad.
Today, one wonders whether India is changing to suit the narratives of Godse, Hitler and Mussolini as against Dr Ambedkar, Gandhi, Nehru, Bhagat Singh and Subhash Chandra Bose. Swami Agnivesh is known for his liberal views of hindu dharma. He has been protesting against any injustice meted out to the poor, dalits, women, and tribals anywhere in India. He has been very openly critical about the fascist face of Sangh Parivar. During his lifetime, he has spoken very strongly for the victims of Bhopal gas tragedy, bonded labourers of Haryana, and tribals of Jharkhand.
Today, this humiliating assault on him has to be condemned by one and all. India stands on democratic values granted by the constitution. In the last seven decades, the country stood firm on this course till the time Babri Masjid was demolished by communal and fundamental forces. Now they rule the country with this viciousness. People’s right to live a life of dignity and their freedom of expression has been threatened.
Today, one cannot speak about freedom of speech for various reasons. Our speech, our dress, our food everything is being controlled by some unknown extra constitutional hands. Freedom of expression and discussion are being threatened. There is an undeclared emergency ever since Modi, the then CM who was responsible for Gujarat massacre in 2002, became PM of this country. Though during emergency, people didn’t get down to murdering the others, today we have a situation where groups are unleashing violence and killing people for reasons that they raise their voice against inhumanity and inequality. And looks like the powers that be have given their silent concurrence to all this. Earlier, anti-superstition activist Dabholkar was being killed. It was followed by Maharashtrian rationalist Govind Pansare. Eventually senior researcher M M Kalburgi was done to death, and last year journalist Gauri Lankesh was shot dead.
On Tuesday, a group tried killing Swami Agnivesh in the broad daylight. Despite all this, the PM who often speaks on his ‘Man Ki baat’ has maintained massive silence over the issue. The same PM who would call his predecessor as ‘Mauni Baba’ has maintained stony silence over the issue. Does this mean he has silently approved of this? His silence raises a lot of questions? What do these acts convey about India to other nations? What is the motive of BJP for having attacked Swami Agnivesh who works for the welfare of people, while the party has maintained close links with the likes of Asaram Bapu who has been charged with rape?
Social reformer Basavanna said kindness is the root of all dharmas. Vedas wish universal welfare. Those antisocial elements who attacked Swami Agnivesh, which faith do they belong to? This incident that happened in Jharkhand is nothing less than an act of terrorism.
Those in high offices and with powers that be, need to condemn such incidents of goondaism or terrorism under any guise. Swami Agnivesh is referred to as modern Vivekananda, and is in his 80s now. People deem it fit to attack a senior citizen like him in the middle of the road? Is the law and order even alive in this nation? And how are those in high offices not even condemning it?
This attack on Swami Agnivesh when he was in Jharkhand to address a meeting of tribals on Tuesday, is clearly premeditated. Innocent youths have been misled with the poison of dharma, into carrying out this act. Before this attack, black flags were being demonstrated to Swami Agnivesh, in front of the hotel he stayed at. Swami Agnivesh had probably got the wind of this, and had even sought protection from the District Superintendent of Police. The Chhattisgarh state government did not heed to his demand to full effect. And even those cops who stood close to the place of attack were silent spectators.
This has to be condemned in strongest of words by everyone who believes in democracy of this country. Fascist forces and Gandhi’s killers are behaving like they have taken the contract of Hindu dharma on to themselves. They attacked film unit that went to shoot the plight of widows in Vrindavan. An artiste par excellence M F Husain had to leave the nation, fearing threat to his life. His works were reduced to cinders. Tamil writer Perumal Murugan received life threats and he was forced to put it on record that he would never write again in his lifetime.
Actors Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan were threatened because they said incidences of intolerance were increasing in the country. Writer Dr U R Ananthamurthy was hounded for his views on growing fascism. And after Modi became the PM, these forces have come down to murdering people in broad day light. The days ahead seem dark and dinghy. The President needs to intervene and instruct the government to maintain law and order, keeping in spirit with the constitution of this country.
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Hasina's son claims Yunus govt weaponising judiciary for carrying out “political witch hunt”
Washington (PTI): Sanjeeb Wazed, son of deposed Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, has accused the Muhammad Yunus led interim government of “weaponising the judiciary” for carrying out a “political witch hunt” against the Awami League leadership.
Wazed's allegations, as a long post on X, came two days after the interim government on Monday said it has sent a diplomatic note to New Delhi seeking Hasina's extradition from India.
Hasina, 77, has been living in India since August 5 when she fled Bangladesh following a massive student-led protest that toppled her Awami League's (AL) 16-year regime.
Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has issued arrest warrants for Hasina and several former Cabinet ministers, advisers, and military and civil officials for “crimes against humanity and genocide.”
“The judges and prosecutors appointed by unelected Yunus led regime to conduct farcical trial process through International Crimes Tribunal makes it a political witch hunt that forsakes justice and marks another ongoing onslaught to persecute Awami League leadership,” Wazed said in his post on Tuesday.
An IT entrepreneur, Wazed is based in the US and has been an ICT adviser in Hasina's government.
“The kangaroo tribunal and subsequent request for extradition comes while hundreds of leaders and activists are extrajudicially killed, framing of outrageous murder charges, illegal incarceration of thousands by law enforcement and violent attacks including looting vandalism and arson going on with impunity everyday fuelled by denial of the regime,” he added.
On Monday, India confirmed receiving the 'note verbale' or diplomatic communication from the Bangladesh high commission in New Delhi but refrained from commenting on it.
Under the provisions of the India-Bangladesh extradition treaty, extradition may be refused if the offence is one of a “political character.”
Bangladesh's de facto foreign minister Touhid Hossain said Dhaka wants Hasina back to face the judicial process.
Wazed further accused that the chief prosecutor of ICT Tribunal Tajul Islam appointed by Yunus regime on December 22, despite proven records of defending war criminals, “reportedly spread deliberate disinformation campaign” against Hasina by claiming that Interpol issued red notice against her, and termed it as “a desperate bid to extradite her and hold farcical trial to serve the interest of Dr Yunus.”
“But the very prosecutor later altered his statement following media exposure of the outright lie and now officially sent a request to India for the extradition,” Hasina's son said.
“We reiterate our position that every single incident of human rights violation between July and August needs to be investigated in a free and fair manner but the Yunus led regime weaponised the judiciary, and we express no confidence in the justice system,” he alleged.
Last month, in an address to the nation on the completion of 100 days of the interim government, Yunus said Bangladesh will seek Hasina's extradition. “We must ensure justice in every killing… We will also ask India to send back fallen autocrat Sheikh Hasina,” he had said then.
Yunus, who assumed office on August 8, claimed that about 1,500 people, including students and workers, were killed while 19,931 others were wounded during the protest against the Hasina government.
India has expressed concern as there have been a spate of attacks on minorities including on the Hindu community in Bangladesh in the last few months.
In recent weeks, Hasina has accused the Yunus-led interim government of perpetrating “genocide” and failing to protect minorities, especially Hindus, since her ouster.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited Dhaka two weeks back during which he conveyed to the Bangladeshi side India's concerns, especially those related to the safety and welfare of minorities.
