October 23, 2002	Wednesday	Sha’aban 16,1423

LONG BEACH (USA), Oct 22: Several Indian politicians, intellectuals and jurists on Sunday criticized the growing fascism and hatred against Muslims and other minorities in India.

The occasion was an annual convention of the American Federation of Indian Origin at Long Beach, 50kms from Los Angeles.

The theme of the convention was: “Extremism in India and its Impact on US Interests.”

“There has never been so much frustration,” said Amirbhai Mahida, a prominent hotelier and former president of the Islamic Center of South Bay.

Aziz Ahmadi, former chief justice of India, condemned the present government for its handling of the Gujarat carnage and for taking no action against chief minister Narendra Modi.

Ahmadi, who is also a member of the United Nations Commission on human rights violations in East Timor and Zimbabwe, said that while the Gujarat carnage was unique in the most blatant abuse of state machinery for organized violence against Muslims, it is not a one-time phenomenon.

“The fact is that the country has been periodically afflicted with this malady with variations of scale and local colour acquired by the specific situations,” he said.

Ahmadi pointed out the need for reforming the laws and law enforcement system so that a firm institutional mechanism of protection of vulnerable minorities could be ensured.

Rahul Dipankar, president of the Indian Dalit Association, condemned not only the “inherent fascism” in the Hindu religion, but also Muslims for their inability to evolve social institutions, not giving due importance to education and not participating in the political process.

Dipankar said for the last 3,000 years Dalits had been despised by Brahmins as untouchables, but the RSS felt no qualms in using the same people for carrying out the massacre of Muslims.

E. Ahmad, a member of Lok Sabha from Kerala, said Modi even refused to listen to him when he visited Gujarat.

“When I told him that I just saw 266 bodies in the hospital, Modi replied ‘what? Do you think were all the bodies of Muslims?’ I told him ‘I am talking about the bodies, not Hindus and Muslims’,” Ahmad said.