The Hindu : Constitutional breakdown in Gujarat, says CPI(M)

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 24, 2002

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Constitutional breakdown in Gujarat, says CPI(M)

By K.V. Prasad

HYDERABAD MARCH 23. Expressing concern over the continuing violence against the minorities in Gujarat and the manner in which the BJP Government in the State handled the riots, the CPI(M) today demanded the immediate removal of the Chief Minister, Narendra Modi.

In a resolution, the 17th party congress in session here said the violence exposed the ``self-serving'' claims of the Central and State Governments that the situation was under control.

"Gujarat today is in a state of constitutional breakdown. The Government has no right to continue in office.''

Condemning the Godhra attack on `kar sevaks' travelling back from Ayodhya, the resolution said that the incident shocked and angered the entire nation and that it was absolutely essential that the criminals behind the ``dastardly'' act be swiftly identified, arrested and punished.

It said the violence was "State-sponsored communal carnage that targets the Muslim community as part of the fascist project of the establishment of Hindu rashtra'', and rejected the justification of the Central and Gujarat Governments that the events after Godhra were a ``reaction''.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad-led mob's that ``butchered'' innocent people, including women and children, "looted and plundered properties owned by Muslims, destroyed places of worship in a bid to destroy all visual symbols of the Muslim religious identity".

"The terror is designed to subordinate the community, and the loot and arson to break its economic spine _ the savage message is that an entire community can henceforth live only as second-class citizens,'' the resolution said. Provocative leaflets calling for the economic boycott of the Muslim community began much before Godhra since the VHP represented the interests of rival Hindu competitors.

There was a complete subversion of the rule of law and far from arresting criminals, police did not even register complaints that named ruling-party and the VHP leaders, the resolution said.

The party adopted two other resolutions, one condemning "communalisation of education" and another on the agrarian situation. In its eight-point charter, the party demanded an immediate halt to import of agricultural and dairy products by imposing quantitative restrictions, remunerative prices for primary producers, revitalisation of the public distribution system, a strengthened and expanded employment guarantee scheme, stoppage of the reversal of land reforms and increased public investment in irrigation and power, as also increased access to institutional credit to the poorer sections and living wages for the farm labour.

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