Draft Manifesto by Ram Puniani

For Discussion
Draft Manifesto
Ram Puniani

Preamble:

The communalization of the society and rise of communal politics by the forces espousing the cause of Religion based Nationalism, has posed serious threat to democratic and secular values of the society. During last two decades in particular we have witnessed anti-Sikh pogroms, Anti Muslim violence, demolition of Babri Masjid, and low intensity sustained anti-Christian violence. The state apparatus has been heavily communalized over the period of last many decades. While organizations like Simi have played their dirty role, the major communalization has been done by various components of Sangh Parivar. This has occurred at various levels. The most serious of these has been the systematic attempt by trained volunteers of RSS in infiltrating different wings of the state. The communalized social consciousness has also affected the other state functionaries in various ways. This has been manifested not only at the times of communal violence when the communal attitude of state apparatus and more particularly police force is very obvious, even at other times the state has shown its biases in recruitment policies and has resorted to other discriminatory polices against the minorities and other weaker sections of society.

Concerned social groupings and individuals have risen to this new threat to the democratic values. Their efforts have resulted in formation of various initiatives-groups, campaigns, publications, and different types of meaningful activities. These initiatives are supplementing each other’s role in fighting against the menace of communal politics. These efforts are scattered, non-coordinated and mostly effective at local level. The need is felt to create a platform, which can assist the local activities and also provide a National direction to these efforts, which aim to protect and promote the Democratic-Secular values and principles.


Agenda of Communal Politics:


In post-independence era communal riots began on a big scale around 1962 and went on increasing in frequency and intensity. These riots were outcome of various complex socio-economic factors and went along with the simultaneous strengthening of communalization of society. Communal ideology became a part of ‘social common sense’.

By late 80’s the large sections of society began to accept the myths, that Muslims were responsible for partition. Muslims are out to increase their population by multiple marriages. Muslims’ opposition to uniform civil code is coming in the way of ‘national integration’, Lately these myths have been joined by series of myths against the other minority community, i.e. Christians. Suddenly one has started hearing that Christians start school and Hospitals mainly to convert the people by force and inducement, that these conversions are anti-national acts, that lot of money is being brought to India for the Evangelization project from ‘Christian’ Nations. Needless to say communal parties are actively propagating these myths.

The role of Muslim communalists, was visibly seen during the Shah Bano judgment time when they roused the communal passions to get this judgment reversed. There are enough left over of Muslim communal politics, which have tried to keep the large sections of Muslim community in their grip. The rise of terrorism worldwide projects itself to be the monolith of Islamic terrorism. But all the same, while equally condemnable, their role in the communal conflicts and communalization of society has been secondary to the majoritarian communalism of RSS and its progeny.


Needless to say communal outfits are bereft of programs, which would benefit a majority of people and have all along tried to make a majority on communal lines. Communalism gives rise to revivalist tendencies and spells doom for women struggling against patriarchy and Dalits struggling for social justice. Communal riots legitimize retribution and create a violent society where democratic aspirations of the people cannot be realized.

To summarize, the freedom struggle and the accompanying industrialization/secularization process of the society meant a death knell for the birth based hierarchies of caste and gender, as it meant the introduction of the principles of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. The declining social classes of Feudal Lords and their social accompaniments resorted to the ‘Religion based Politics’ of Hindu Mahasabha, RSS on one side and of Muslim League on the other. Part of communalist ideology also got expressed through other political parties as well. Post independence, the Religion based Nationalism got deflated and industrialization and secularization proceeded at some pace. By the decade of 80s again sections of society threatened by the social transformation assertively brought this retrograde politics to the fore. This politics is for status quo to begin with and then attempts to push back the social relations in a backward direction i.e. towards restoration of birth based hierarchies of caste and gender. This politics is a cover for suspension of democratic rights, stifling of Human rights of the weaker sections of society and creation of an atmosphere of social hysteria, which acts as a camouflage for the march of Fascist agenda, agenda of intolerance.

Aims of All India Secular Forum:

1. To provide a National platform for the Secular struggles for all the groups for whom the issue of Communalism is the primary focus and for the other groups-women, worker, Dalit and adivasi, for whom it is a major concern in their work.
2. To provide a secular and democratic expression for the aspirations of the sections struggling for their Human and democratic rights.
3. To promote intercommunity relations, to ensure that machinations of communal forces in generating hatred and violence amongst different communities are stalled.
4. To positively work in the prevention of situations, which can cause communal tension. In the situations of communal tensions, to work for harmony committees and for protection of the rights of all the sections of society.
5. To work for the communal amity between different communities by demolishing the myths against ‘other’ communities.
6. To undertake campaigns for preservation and promotion of Secular values in the society.
7. To initiate cultural programs which express the syncretic and plural values of our society, culture of weaker groups of society.
8. To initiate workshops, camps and seminars for secular awareness.

Tasks ahead

In the immediate future we need to

a. State level meetings and conventions on this theme to be held.
b. To work towards a National Convention of Rashtriya Secular Manch at the earliest.
c. To net work all the groups interested in these issues
d. To run a newsletter to link these groups. To work towards publications, visual materials-films-posters for the spreading popular awareness.
e To initiate national campaigns for promotion of Secular values.
f. To support the Human Rights Campaigns initiated by other coalitions/groups.
g. The Forum will work to
1.Initiate campaigns to seek punishment of the guilty.
2. Support women struggling against patriarchy and Dalits struggling for social justice.
3. Work at preventing communal violence.
4. Work to counter communal propaganda.