|
|
October 19, 2004
Union Minister Threatens Human Rights Activist on National TV
In a rather unfortunate turn of events, the Union Minister for NRI Affairs of the Government of India, Mr. Jagdish Tytler, defamed and threatened Harvinder Singh Phoolka, a prominent human rights activist and advocate of the Supreme Court of India, who has fought tirelessly to seek justice for victims of the November 1984 riots.
Mr Singh has been instrumental in collecting eyewitness evidence and acting as leading counsel for the victims of the Carnage before two Commissions of Enquiry - the Misra Commission and the Nanavati Commission.
Following the assassination of the Prime Minister of India, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, Sikhs across India, especially in New Delhi, were targeted in a bloody massacre. 2733 (Government figure) innocent Sikhs were slaughtered in Delhi in just 72. While Mr. Rajiv Gandhi, son of Indira Gandhi and the succeeding Prime Minister, made irresponsible statements regarding this carnage, it was alleged that numerous Congressmen were directly involved in instigating and directing this carnage against the Sikh community.
Allegations have been leveled against one time ministers such as Mr. H. K. L. Bhagat, Sajjan Kumar and Mr. Jagdish Tytler himself. In fact, the international Sikh community is said to have made their dissatisfaction known regarding the appointment of Mr. Tytler as the Union Minister for NRI affairs.
In a fresh turn of events, NDTV reported that there is now enough evidence present with the Nanavati commission to charge members of the congress leadership with inciting riots and directing violence. It was within such a context that Mr. Tytler and Mr. Phoolka had been invited on an interview with NDTV to talk about the Congress role in the 1984 riots as well as why leaders allegedly leading riots get away.
Mr Tytler called Mr Singh a “liar”, a “blackmailer”, who was “acting dishonestly” and “who has rendered the so-called help to the victims for money”. Mr Tytler went on to threaten, scare and silence Mr Singh by saying: “You would not have been alive” “You are gone”. After the TV cameras were switched off, Mr Tytler continued intimidating the complainant and said, “Now I will finish you”.
NDTV Channel had invited Mr Singh for a discussion on the general issue as to why in India whenever large-scale riots take place, the guilty are not punished. This issue had assumed importance contemporarily in view of the witnesses turning hostile in the infamous Best Bakery Case relating to the Gujarat riots in the year 2002. Mr Tytler was also invited to participate in the television discussion.
The television presenter initiated the discussion asking why the guilty whether in Delhi or Gujarat were not punished. The presenter asked Mr Tytler why was it common for witnesses to turn hostile. Mr Tytler, instead of proceeding with the discussion, started shouting and levelling imputations against Mr Singh alleging that Mr Singh was a “liar”, a “blackmailer”, who was “acting dishonestly” and who had rendered the so-called help to the victims for money only. A video cassette containing complete video recording of the TV programmes (in Hindi and English) may be viewed at links shown below.
According to the complaint filed by Mr Singh, the defamatory statements made by Mr Tytler against Mr Singh in the television programmes were:-
“People like him (Mr Singh) who make money out of this are accusing this thing. He (Mr Singh) has made money. He (Mr Singh) is blackmailing people. He (Mr Singh) black mailed me.”
“But this man (Mr Singh) who has no credibility.”
“You (Mr Singh) have no credibility, You (Mr Singh) have no credibility, You (Mr Singh) have no credibility. You (Mr Singh)are blackmailer. You are blackmailer. He (Mr Singh) has blackmailed the people. He (Mr Singh) blackmailed widows – widows blackmailer. Aray chal!”
“Aray jao ! You (Mr Singh) are gone. You (Mr Singh) are a liar. You are discredited man. You (Mr Singh) are (sic) eaten money out of the widows. You (Mr Singh) have taken money out of the widows. Yes, yes.”
“I am come here only to – I wanted to expose this man (pointing towards Mr Singh) otherwise I would have never been here.”
Former Chief Justice of India, Ranjit Singh Narula, has sent a note to the Prime Minister of India commending Mr. Phoolka’s efforts, arguing that Mr. Tytler’s behavior is unwarranted and that the Prime Minister should intervene.
Footage of the interview are available at http://www.voicesforfreedom.org/hrabuse/phoolka/video/NDTVThreat.mpg
More information is also available at http://www.voicesforfreedom.org/hrabuse/phoolka/HRLawyerThreatened.htm
Posted by collective at October 19, 2004 05:50 PM
Subject: A proposal to build a South Asian Union (SAU) like European Union by expanding SAARC states.
His Excellencies,
Presidents, Prime Ministers, Kings, Head of Governments & States, Political & Religious Leaders, Intellectuals, Educationists, Economists, Welfare Organizations, Mass People of South Asian region.
Peace be upon all of you, history is repeating from the creation of human life till now and will be repeated until the last final judgment of Creator. Actually, Creator created us as his best creation of life but we divided it into different nations, religions, cultures, languages, ideologies, etc in several thousands of years since the appearance of 1st human Adam (PBUH). We don’t know when the human life on earth will be finished for ever on dooms day, but some think that human life never stop repeating it’s wrongs. Now we have seen that the days of the human being are becoming more critical, insecure, divided among our selves in different ideas, increasing of poverty, and destruction of economy of some nations in comparison with the economy of some rich countries of the west. So the time for South Asian nations to unite as a strong body which is most caring for the inhabitants of this region has come, and in this way, we can develop ourselves. I have no right to waste your valuable time, but my heart is pressing me to place this proposal or advice to the holy hearts of our great rulers of the people of SAARC countries.
Proposal for future South Asian Union (SAU)
1. The mass people of this region want to abolish visa system for them selves in order to enjoy traveling facility freely and free trade among the regional countries like EU states. We can include Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Turkey, Cyprus, Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, China, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Japan & Philippine. The Afghan president his Excellency Mr. Hamid Karzai and his Government also shows interest for entering into SAARC.
2. If we can include thirty seven more countries (Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Turkey, Cyprus, Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, China, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Japan & Philippine) with the seven countries of SAARC (Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives), then this organization or union will be one of the strongest unions. Then we can establish a powerful single currency like EURO as, for example SACU (South Asian Currency), dollar, or any other selected by the forum. And currency value can be fixed by averaging the currency values of the nations concerned.
3. All states will keep there own national flags as state flag and one common union flag, like that of EU.
4. We can establish joint military command council for the defense of the whole region like EU. That means we can unite in a union to ensure human life security along with a strong economy like European Union.
I do not know when the people of this region of South Asia will start to feel love and affection for each other, and will be united. But we should try to establish a golden future for ourselves. If successful, then generation after generation of this region will remember you for your kindness. God bless us with eternal & external peace.
Yours,
Saulat Kamran
E-Mail Address: saulat@dhaka.net
Website: http://www.southasianunion.net
House No -28, Road No-4, Dhanmandi R/A.
Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Proposed Road Map of SAU
. Marching a step ahead to form South Asian Union (SAU) is good sign for the people of the region. We may be of different cultures, religions, languages etc but we all are human and descendents or genealogy of first parents-Adam and Eve (p.b.u.t.).
We all have to come closer and make ourselves ambitious to lay down the foundation of the Union. Proposed 44 countries are mentioned below:
Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Turkey, Cyprus, Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, , Brunei, China, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Japan and Philippine.
Process of South Asian Union (SAU) Implementation
1. Forming union by including 44 countries as mentioned above.
2. The Nations of the region can form South Asian Parliament by approving the appointment of Presidents, Kings, Prime ministers, Foreign ministers, Home ministers, Defense ministers & ministers for trade & commerce as members of the SAU parliament.
3. Establishing a powerful single currency like EURO, for example South Asian Currency (SACU) or dollar or any other selected by the forum. And valuation can be fixed by averaging the currency values of the nations concerned.
4. Abolishing visa system in order to promote traveling freely, and adopting free trade among the regional countries.
5. Forming a joint military council to establish security of state, countries of the union & for common people.
6. Paving ways for the people of the Union to seek jobs according to their capabilities.
7. Making good uses of cultural and sports organizations through which the participating nations can establish their identity to understand each other.
8. Funding should be made by member nations to establish Research Centers for medicines, incurable diseases, and science & technology for the benefit of general people.
9. Establishing Bank such as Union Bank of South Asia to educate mass population, provide fund for natural disaster. Also making ways to drive homeless and astray people into employment through cottage industries to make their livelihood better so as to stop them from becoming smugglers, miscreants, or terrorists.
10. Regarding child labor, concrete steps should be taken by providing free education established by the Union in the form of NGO. Orphans to be included in this establishment.
11. Each state should be responsible to stop smuggler from drug/ arms trafficking. Also find ways to stop women & children trafficking.
12. State to State disputes should be resolved for the best interest of the people. If necessary, the SAU may be called in the process of settlement.
Yours,
Saulat Kamran
E-Mail Address: saulat@dhaka.net
Website: http://www.southasianunion.net
House No -28, Road No-4, Dhanmandi R/A.
Dhaka, Bangladesh.
|
|
