A Prayer For Sanity, Human Dignity And Freedom To Exist As A Minority – anywhere and everywhere

NEW DELHI, APR. 18, 2008, 09.30 Hrs (CBCI News):

As we sit at the Jantar Mantar monument to astronomical sciences at Parliament Street in New Delhi this afternoon, or sit in front of our TV sets and watch in warm approbation the tremendous mobilization in India in support of the protest of the hapless people in Tibet on the Olympic Torch relay, I say a silent prayer:

v That the people of Tibet will continue to exercise their God-given Freedom of Faith and of Culture, and that no majority culture will be imposed on them, or in fact on anyone else anywhere in the wide world, as it is sought to be done on Adivasis in India from Rajasthan and Gujarat and all the way to Jharkhand and Orissa by some majoritarian groups who are fully assisted by local governments.

v That civil society will continue to protest against brutalities by militarized police forces in South Asia and elsewhere, and specially in India where a climate of impunity reigns

v That Indian civil society will continue to press for justice to the victims of Punjab 1980s, Mumbai 1992-93, Gujarat 2002, Kandhamal- Orissa 2008

v That Salwa Judum and other militant groups will be disarmed, and brother not set against brother to suit the whims of governments

v That freedom of speech and expression will prevail at all times

v That His Holiness the Dalai Lama will not allow himself to be misled by the likes of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad which is still desperately trying to pit a synthetic Hindu-Buddhist `Indic’ coalition against Islam and Christianity in South Asia, masterminded by VHP international president B K Modi

v That His Holiness and others will prevail upon the Buddhist Sri Lanka regime not to bomb Catholic Shrines even as we call upon other principals in the Sri Lanka conflict to respect human rights and freedom of faith as basic principles of civilized world

v That Indian police forces will not demonise certain communities even as we correctly protest the violation of the human rights and freedom of faith and expression of persons of Indian origin in France, UK, US, Saudi Arabia

v That the rights of ALL minorities in ALL countries to live a life of dignity will be honoured, as the UN Charter resolved long ago.

A dream, perhaps, but I continue to pray.

John Dayal
New Delhi, India