On March 12, 1994 The Washington Post published an article on the Hindu-Muslim rift in India The article highlighted the fact that minorities are feeling increasingly threatened in their homeland due to the recent escalation of militant Hindu fundamentalist groups. The purpose of these fundamentalist groups it would seem is to forces a mass exodus of all religious minorities. Their message Get out of India or face extermination.

The Indian Government for their part has been suspiciously tolerant of the barbaric acts perpetrated by the fundamentalists and has opted to turn a blind eye to this development. At their boldest the government has only issued noncommittal warnings to the Hindu groups which in reality amount to nothing more than light slaps on the wrist. They seem to be saying we approve of your crimes; just commit them quietly so that our trading partners don’t hold us accountable for our human rights record.

This From the nation that calls itself the world’s largest democracy Apparently & Democracy rips the tongues out of the mouths of people who would oppose them so that they can Out and they cannot laugh and they cannot eat.

Apparently a Democracy binds the hands of people who would question their authority so that they cannot work or feed their children or climb to a higher station in life.

Apparently a Democracy panders to trigger happy policemen whose sole function is to hold at  gunpoint all oppressed people daring them to take section Lesbo Wibpoe this is the Indian governments conception of a democracy then they have succeeded wildly Ask the

Muslims who make up approximately 12% of Indias population but cannot find employment and are for all Sikh people who invariably denied a voice in government and the right to exist peacefully in their homeland of Punjab. The Hindus have essentially relegated these minorities to the status of third-class citizens.

It is obvious that profound change is in order Sikhs Muslims and indeed all minorities in India must join together to fight the system it is only through solidarity that the oppressed peoples of India will ever rise up and cast off the shackles that bind them. And if their devotion to the cause is genuine they will emerge victorious with their dignity and their cultural heritage intact.

Andrew Croce Washington D.C.

Article extracted from this publication >> March 18, 1994