From: bcsabha.kal...@gmail.com To: Not just talk, but act, Opposition tells Modihttp://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/not-just-talk-but-act-opposition-tells-modi/
========== The PM’s promise..Editorial in IE Mum Feb 18thhttp://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/the-pms-promise/ Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke an important silence on Tuesday. In his tenure so far, his formidable eloquence has helped him to reach out to varied audiences. But it has also made his moments of wordlessness ring loud. Like in the aftermath of the recent incidents of the targeting of churches in the national capital. Or, before that, when outfits of the Sangh Parivar had mounted a “ghar wapsi” campaign in December last year and Opposition parties had demanded a statement from the PM in Parliament. In a speech at an event held to commemorate the elevation to sainthood of two Indians in the capital on Tuesday, Modi said his government “will ensure that there is complete freedom of faith and that everyone has the undeniable right to retain or adopt the religion of his or her choice… will not allow any religious group, belonging to the majority or minority, to incite hatred against others… Mine will be a government that gives equal respect to all religions”.The PM’s words are enormously welcome. It is not just that he has said what he chose not to, so far. It is also that by saying it so unambiguously, he has sent out a clear message: his government can now be held accountable if it does not ensure an environment that safeguards the freedom of faith for everyone — and especially for the minorities.While the PM’s words will resonate among the people, it is necessary that they be heeded by his party and parivar. BJP chief Amit Shah had responded to the furore over the “reconversion” campaign by Sangh outfits, not by denouncing or attempting to rein in the groups that sought to prevent others from exercising their right to adopt a different religion, but by announcing that the Modi government was ready to bring an anti-conversion law and daring “so-called secular” parties to support it. Then, RSS sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat had spoken of “bringing back our brothers who have lost their way” and of “belongings stolen by a thief” in a “Hindu Rashtra”. The BJP and the RSS must now respect the PM’s public assertion and assurance that “we believe that there is truth in every religion”.When PM Modi made his maiden speech in Parliament in June last year, he had said that “If one organ of the body remains weak, the body cannot be termed as healthy” and that addressing the predicament of minorities cannot be seen as “appeasement”. His speech on Tuesday is perhaps the most significant articulation of his government’s approach on minorities after that. The nation, not just the minorities, will hold him to his words.=========Promises not enough: PM Modi must walk the talk on religious freedom..Editorial HT Mum Feb 18thhttp://www.hindustantimes.com/comment/promises-are-not-enough/article1-1317877.aspx Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s election victory in the 2014 general election has often been credited to his decision of making stability and development his main poll plank.Since his victory in May last year, the PM has been sticking to that winning script, utilising every platform to talk about his growth agenda. Yet, there has been a growing disquiet over his “dangerous silence” on the repeated attacks on minority communities, mass conversion of minorities to Hinduism (ghar wapsi programme), love jihad and relentless barbs against minorities by the “loony fringe” of the Sangh parivar.Mr Modi did not respond even when US President Barack Obama during his visit to India spoke about growing religious intolerance in India and how it can affect the country’s development process.Against this backdrop, Mr Modi’s address at the National Celebration of the Elevation to Sainthood of Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Mother Euphrasia in New Delhi on Tuesday was definitely the kind of assurance that many have been waiting to hear from the PM for a while now.At the celebration, the prime minister said that his government will ensure that there is “complete freedom of faith and that everyone has the undeniable right to retain or adopt the religion of his or her choice without coercion or undue influence”.He added that no religious group would be allowed to incite hatred against others, overtly or covertly and that his mantra remains development.While many feel that the speech is a course-correction, the delay in responding to what has been happening across the country could take sheen off his speech considerably and also raise several uncomfortable questions: What prompted Mr Modi to now say what he should have long ago? Is it because of the drubbing that the BJP got in the assembly elections in Delhi? Or is it because Mr Modi has realised that his development agenda is in the danger losing out to the broader divisive social agenda of the right-wing groups?The Delhi election results is being seen as a trigger for the speech by detractors because it was only after the sixth attack on a church in the city that Mr Modi summoned the Delhi Police commissioner BS Bassi and directed him to take action with regard to the series of attacks on Christian institutions.However, promises are not enough. Mr Modi will now have to walk the talk: Take strong and visible action against all those disruptive elements in the Sangh who are trying to destabilise the country and systematically attacking the very idea of India.========http://epaper.dnaindia.com/story.aspx?id=76143&boxid=19541&ed_date=2015-02-18&ed_code=820009&ed_page=8 Modi’s catch-22..Edit. DNA Mum Feb 18thWhatever his statements, the PM’s critics see him as the face of Hindutva. The only way forward for him is to deter Hindu zealots through firm governmental action EditPrime Minister Narendra Modi has broken his silence over attacks on the churches in Delhi. He has also broken his silence on the reconversion of Muslims and Christians to Hinduism in the name of ‘ghar wapsi’ (return to home). Speaking at the national celebration of the elevation to sainthood of Kuriakose Elias and Mother Ephrasia in New Delhi on Tuesday, he said, “We cannot accept violence against any religion on any pretext and I strongly condemn such violence. My government will act strongly in this regard.”The political context of the Prime Minister’s statement cannot be ignored. It comes after the resounding defeat of the BJP in the Delhi assembly elections and in the context of the rising criticism that the BJP government is not acting firmly against the lunatic fringe elements of the right-wing Hindu groups. It may even appear that the Prime Minister’s assurance comes a little too late in the day. It would have carried greater conviction if he had spoken out before the Delhi election outcome. The landslide victory of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) may not have much to do with the attacks on the churches in the national capital, but there has been rising anxiety among Christians and other religious minorities that their safety cannot be taken for granted. Whatever the political motive, the Prime Minister’s statement should be assuring to the agitated minorities.The BJP has always maintained that it does not have anything to do with the Hindu fanatical groups, though the critics of the party take this statement with more than the proverbial pinch of salt. Because whenever the BJP is in power, the fringe groups tend to run amok. And the statements of BJP leaders that they do not associate with these fanatics have failed to impress. Even the liberal Atal Bihari Vajpayee could not bring himself to rise above the fray when it came to the determined delinquency of the Hindu zealots. The challenge before Modi is greater than that Vajpayee ever faced. Many people, rightly or wrongly, think that the Prime Minister is the political face of Hindutva. Though Modi has scrupulously avoided saying or doing anything smacking of Hindutva, his unwillingness to speak out against the fanatical elements has only strengthened the misgivings of his critics about his secular credentials. His speech at the Roman Catholic Christian gathering on Tuesday is an attempt to convince all concerned that he and his government do believe in the Indian traditions of religious pluralism, enshrined in the Constitution as well.It can be argued that Modi and the BJP have a stake in religious harmony and secularism, if not for ideological reasons then, at least, for the sake of political expediency. The PM may have to go beyond mere statements to make sure that the attacks on minorities are checked and the Hindu zealots reined in if he wants to implement his policy of good governance. There cannot be economic progress if there is social disharmony. Modi’s die-hard critics will never give credence to his professions of secularism. Perhaps, the PM is clearly aware of it and that is why he probably does not go out of his way to clear the air by making commitments to secularism. He is in a catch-22 situation. When he professes secularism, critics won’t believe him. And when he does not speak, he will be flayed for his silence. The only way out for the Prime Minister is to put in action his words that the government will not tolerate violence in the name of religion.Published Date: Feb 18, 2015=======http://epaper.dnaindia.com/story.aspx?id=76145&boxid=36955&ed_date=2015-02-18&ed_code=820009&ed_page=9 PM breaks silence, vows to protect minoritiesModi says his govt will not accept violence against any religion on any pretext==============http://epaper.dnaindia.com/story.aspx?id=76145&boxid=36954&ed_date=2015-02-18&ed_code=820009&ed_page=9 RSS has no easy answers for Muslim clerics’ questions =============== http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31804&articlexml=Modi-finally-breaks-silence-says-no-place-for-18022015001010 Modi finally breaks silence, says no place for religious intolerance ========== http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31804&articlexml=Modis-remark-aimed-at-Christians-says-VHP-18022015016015 Modi's remark aimed at Christians, says VHP ============== http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31804&articlexml=NaMo-quotes-Vivekananda-on-religious-tolerance-18022015016032 NaMo quotes Vivekananda on religious tolerance ==========http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31804&articlexml=Breaking-Silence-18022015022009 The Times of India (Mumbai)Breaking Silence..Edit TOI Mum Feb 18thModi has done well to uphold religious freedom and the right to chooseBreaking his silence on growing incidents of religious intolerance since the NDA government came to power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asserted his government's determination to protect freedom of religion and the citizen's right to choose in this regard. Anything else would be antithetical to the vision of modernity and unleashing of aspiration that he has otherwise articulated for 21st century India. The occasion on which he chose to do so is also significant while attending a church event to mark the sainthoods of Kuriakose Chavara and Euphrasia from Kerala.Union minister Arun Jaitley has also reinforced the message by describing the recent spate of church attacks in the capital as unacceptable aberrations. Modi emphasised that the government would not allow any religious group, either in majority or minority, to incite hatred overtly or covertly. This is what the government needs to stick to in practice. Development and communal polarisation cannot go hand in hand.Modi's slogan of `sabka saath, sabka vikas' can only be realised if communal harmony prevails and the government is seen to be upholding the law. Hitherto, there might have been an understanding among BJP top brass that allowing fringe elements to project a hardline Hindutva image would reap electoral dividends. Modi could speak development while the likes of Sakshi Maharaj or Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti could bolster the Hindutva plank. However, today's electorate is smart and sees through such ploys. If there is a lesson that BJP must learn from its crushing Delhi poll defeat, the extremist fringe within the party and allied organisations has to be reined in. In any case, RSS feels free to criticise BJP. Through its mouthpiece Panchjanya, RSS has roasted BJP top brass for the Delhi poll defeat. There is no reason for BJP to be overly beholden to RSS, especially when the latter is holding up the NDA government's legislative agenda by providing a reason for opposition parties to unite. Modi may have quietly marginalised his party's extremist wing in Gujarat after the 2002 riots. But the slow asphyxiation approach won't work at the Centre. He has done well to speak out publicly against religious intolerance. He must also openly counter BJP's ostensible wellwishers who undermine his development agenda. Only by walking the talk on inclusive development and sidelining the extremist fringe can the NDA government repay the faith that people have reposed in it. ============http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31821&articlexml=Interview-Oswald-Cardinal-Gracias-PMs-message-welcome-but-18022015008009 Feb 18 2015 : Mirror (Mumbai)Interview: Oswald Cardinal Gracias - `PM's message welcome, but action must follow'Jyoti Shelar TWEETS @jyotishelarBack from Rome, Archbishop of Mumbai says he was embarrassed when probed about attacks on churches in the capital. The govt's indifference, he says, and their `chalta hai' attitude is worrisomeBack in Mumbai after attending a meet of Catholic cardinals in Rome, Archbishop of Mumbai Oswald Cardinal Gracias is deeply affect ed by the attacks on churches in the capital. Known to have spoken widely about the secular environment in India, he felt a tinge of embarrassment when representatives from US, Europe, Germany and elsewhere probed him about the attacks.On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi finally broke his silence and said he would take stern action against any reli gious violence, but Cardinal Gracias wants to see action. He spoke to Mumbai Mirror at length on the attacks, conversions and the widely debated AIB controversy. Excerpts: Catholics are upset about the church's silence on the Delhi attacks... I did speak against the attacks. I wanted to have a united voice of all churches. I was in Bangalore when the last attack occurred. We held a silent protest and conveyed we were affected. Else, it gives a wrong signal to people that they can get away with such things. What's the reason for the attacks? I don't want to say that everything is anti-religious. If the police can prove the motive was robbery, I would accept it. But that would be too much of a coincidence. If you see the pattern, it's clear they wanted to make problems for Christians.The attacks indicated the community was targeted. It is worrisome to see the indifference of the government and their chalta hai attitude. I spoke to the archbishop of Delhi and he too was dissatisfied with how the matter was being handled. Now that Narendra Modi has spoken up, do you think it's too late? I'm happy he has spoken up, but action should follow. These incidents only spoil the country's image. I've just returned from Rome and people from every country asked about the churches in India. I'm not happy that our country is being looked at this way. I was surprised how everyone knew of the attacks and enquired about them. Are you satisfied with Modi's response? As I said, I want action. Our religion teaches us forgiveness, but for once I want culprits to be booked. Only this will deter peo ple from such attacks. The Delhi police are treating the issue like a small problem, but I hope they take it seriously now. These attacks cannot be tolerated. What about ghar wapsi? BJP said only a strong anti-conversion law will stop conversions. The Catholic church is against forced conversions. If anyone wants to convert, we have a rigorous two-year procedure so that the person understands the religion thoroughly. On the other hand, an anti-conversion law would be against human rights.It would simply become an instrument in the hands of people who want to create trouble. Do you think community groups are dragging the AIB issue? I don't encourage people to make a big issue of anything.However, I cannot infringe on their right to go to court. We are talking about this issue at a time when the entire world is debating on what is offensive and what is not after the Charlie Hebdo attack. While we cannot draw comparisons, I do agree that there's a limit to everything. But the stand-up comedians have apologised... Forgiveness is a Christian principle. Issues should not be dragged on, and if there's a sincere apology, it is right to forgive. ==========
