GUJARAT CARNAGE VIDEO-CASSETTE SCREENING PROMPTS GOVERNMENT ACTION IN GOA >From Frederick Noronha
PANAJI, May 22: Gujarat cast its long shadow over the Goa elections, with the BJP chief minister of the state, Manohar Parrikar, threatening action against those screening videotapes on the carnage in that city. Goa goes to the polls on May 30. Anti-communalism campaigners have been showing the violence wreaked, allegedly with the complicity or involvement of the Sangh Parivar. Many of the screenshots show victims blaming the BJP and its allies for the violence. In recent weeks, anti-communalism campaigners in Goa had taken forward the drive to highlight the havoc caused by religious bigotry and intolerance in Gujarat, and Congressmen apparently found this material just grist for their party campaign mill, particularly in the minority areas of Goa. Chief minister Parrikar, a self-acknowledged RSS member, came down hard on those screening the video tapes on Gujarat, which he claimed was being done with the intention of inciting communal violence in the state. In another development, the Cuncolim police from South Goa speedily seized the video cassettes at what they described as an "unauthorised meeting". Officials charged that the no "prior permissions" has been taken for the screening, and questioned whether the video "promotes communal tension" or not. Strangely, the films being shown in the state were by Delhi-based scientist Gauhar Raza (45), whose 'Junoon ke Badhte Kadaam' (Evil Stalks The Land) is his 12th in a series of films, with his earlier themes mainly centering around science and technology. Raza was also in town recently, and spoke emotionally about the impact of the Gujarat violence, and its scale. Another film that was brought here by anti-communalism campaigners was Gopal Menon's film "Hey Ram: Genocide in the Land of Gandhi". This too was speedily put-together due to the carnage in Gujarat, in the fallout of the Godhra massacre. "This is the usual case of those speaking the truth being labelled as the perpetrators of the crime," said Forum for Communal Harmony campaigner Vidhyadhar Gadgil. But Parrikar has warned that "such actions" could be viewed as an "attempt to incite communal passions" and the guilty could be booked under Section 153(A) of the Penal Code. Replying to a query later this evening, Congress central observer Sahai said: "The BJP government can seize the cassette, but it can't omit what they have done in Gujarat." Former Congress Rajya Sabha MP John Fernandes argued that the focus on the carnage victims was "nothing different from what was depicted by CNN and BBC in the international media". BJP came to power by defections in Goa in October 2000, and Goa is the first state to go to the polls after the Gujarat violence. This has cast its long shadow over the state, though it is not clear who would benefit, since regional factors will play a considerable role here too in the May 30 polls.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 !!
