After NDA allies, BJP faces salvoes from the printed page... PANAJI, Goa. April 14 - Beleaguered by its allies, pilloried by public opinion, and now the ruling BJP is finding itself blitzed by an ad-campaign telling it to take serious its task of providing good governance.
As the ruling party's three-day national executive ended in Goa on Sunday, a full-page advert surfaced in a section of the press, urging the BJP to "stop the killing in Gujarat at once, please!". Put out by NRIs based in the US, the ad asked the Indian government to "protect life and property of all the citizens, provide immediate and long-term assistance, prosecute attackers of innocent men women and children, promote harmony groups to prevent future tragedies, and publish an action-taken report in 30 days". "We are deeply anguished by the gruesome atrocities happening in Gujarat. We are also appalled that the government has not been able to stop the killing even after 40 days," said the advert published by individuals in Connecticut, New York, Maryland, New Jersey and other centres of non-resident Indian migration. It is also backed by the India Foundation in East Lansing (Michigan), the India League of America, Seva International, Vaishnava Centre for Enlightenment of Michigan, the Vedanta Society of East Lansing, the Association of Indian Muslims of America in Washington and groups working for communal harmony in India. "You must vigorously prosecute and punish the criminals and their supporters, regardless of how high or low a position they hold. Please take effective steps for estoring immediate peace to Gujarat," they told Prime Minister Vajpayee. On Saturday, some 200 citizens in Goa marched in a peaceful protest in the Goa capital of Panaji, even as the BJP national executive was underway. The protest was against what the citizens called "state-abetted communal killings in Gujara", and was organised by the Forum for Communal Harmony. It demanded Gujarat's Narendra Modi government be dismissed, President's Rule be imposed, and an inquiry under a sitting Supreme Court judge be set up to probe both the Godhra and post-Godhra killings and punish the guilty. Relief needed to be implemented "without discrimination", it demanded. This Forum also called on the Goa government to immediately set up a state human rights commission and a state minorities commission. Playcards carried read: "Mr PM, hide your face in shame, not from world leaders, but from the women and children of Gujarat" and "Bharat ki parampara -- Shanti, Sadbhav Bhaichara" (India's tradition, peace and communal amity). "Participation was good. It did make the point," advocate Tina Almeida, one of the protest leaders, told this correspondent. On the initial day of the launch of the three-day meet, local newspaper Herald carried a full-page of articles critical of the anti-minority Gujarat violence, which was carried just opposite to another full page official advert issued by the BJP-run state government welcoming "poet, statesman and prime minister" Vajpayee to Goa. It carried former IAS official Harsh Manders's article on why the Gujarat violence "brought shame and more shame to India", and a case by industry to argue that "secularism (and communal peace) is good for business". (ENDS) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-W-E-B---S-I-T-E-=-=-= To Subscribe/Unsubscribe from GoaNet | http://www.goacom.com/goanet =================================================================== For (un)subscribing or for help, Contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dont want so many e=mails? Join GoaNet-Digest instead ! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Help support non-commercial projects in Goa by advertizing!! * * * * Your ad here !!
