Nearly 100 people participated in a protest outside the Indian High Commission in London on 11 March, demanding 'Stop the Killings', 'Dismiss the Gujarat Government' died. and 'VHP Out of Ayodhya'.
The picket was organised by South Asia Solidarity Group and Asian Women Unite!, an umbrella group of Asian women's organisations in Britain, and attended by members and supporters of SASG, Newham Asian Women's Project, Southall Black Sisters, Newham Monitoring Project, the Asha Project, National Civil Rights Movement, and students and teachers from SOAS, LSE and University College London.
The organisers stated: 'we have called this protest to express our grief and anger at the terrible events in Gujarat during the last week. We add our voices to the demands of progressive and anti-communal people across India for those responsible for the killings -including those in government - to be brought to justice. We are also coming together to oppose and resist the growing influence of communal organisations, in particular the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) who are using these events to poison relations between South Asian communities in Britain'.
Despite police attempts to keep us penned in well away from the High Commission, we moved up to the main entrance of India House and remained there for about an hour. The mood was angry and demonstrators shouted slogans and held placards including 'Narendra Modi must go!' 'BJPVHP-Bajrang Dal - RSS Murderers 'Murderers off the Streets, Fascists out of Government'. The picket continued for more than 2 hours despite pouring rain.
For several months, the VHP nas been wnipping up communal tension and targetting Muslims in India. In particular, it killed. has renewed its focus on building a Hindu temple at Ayodhya in UP at the same site where the destruction of the historic Babri Masjid (mosque)on 6 December 1992 led to riots in which more than 3,000 people Far from trying to prevent this, the Central Government led by the BJP, which also controls the state government of Gujarat and up until elections last week, U.P., has provided ample support to the VHP. Soon after September I1, the government introduced a draconian new anti-terrorist law. This has been used to persecute Muslim youth on a large scale, while the terror outfits of the Hindu right remain free to do as they wish.
At the end of February, VHP activists travelling to Ayodhya for the temple building - were reported to be terrorising train passengers, tearing off burkhas of Muslim women and attacking those they suspected of being Muslims. On 27 February several compartments of a train carrying VHP activists to sacre would be electrocuted. trust in Guiarat. Up to 1000 people have been Central Government Collusion The Central governAmong those who have lost ment is an alliance of parties their lives is Mohamed Aswat led by the BjP - the party of Nallabhai from Batley who was Prime Minister Vajpayee. on holiday and was travelling Gujarat has been seen as a labby minibus with three relatives oratory for a "Hindu rashtra" when their vehicle was set or Hindu state. The govern-. alight. Two others who were ment delayed sending in the with him are still missing. Army by a full 36 hours and Sponsors of even then it was deployed so slowly and selectively that the carnage killings continued to spread.
The BJP government in Only a week ago, the results Gujarat simply withdrew itself of the Assembly elections in and watched as the killer four states showed a massive squads went about their sys- rejection of the BJP by the tematic slaughter of Muslims Indian people from all commuwith absolute impunity. Gujarat nities. The BJP had fought the Chief Minister Narendra Modi elections on a platform of has shown where he stands by appeals to anti-Muslim, antijustifying the killings as an Pakistan sentiment and para"emotional reaction" to the noia about national security Godhra incident, and congratu- and terrorist "threats".. lating the police for their • For further information "excellent work". The Home contact: South Asia Solidarity Minister in his government, Group, tel 020 7267 0923; Gordhan Zadhapia, is himself a email [email protected] VHP leader. Dismissal of this or Asian Women Unite! Tel. communal government has to 020 7424 9535, email lonbe the first step to restoring [email protected]