आतंक का गढ़ आज़मगढ़ नहीं अमेरिका है!

NOT AZAMGARH BUT AMERICA IS THE 'MASTERMIND' OF TERRORISM
Join
People's Convention
for Democracy and against anti-Muslim Witch-hunt
October 19 2008
Azamgarh, 11 AM onwards

Dear friend, Azamgarh, specifically the Muslim community of Azamgarh, has been turned into a byword for 'terrorism' by the state machinery. Even before the Delhi serial blasts and their aftermath, Muslim youth from Azamgarh were being arbitrarily jailed and tortured as 'masterminds' of serial blasts in UP, without a shred of evidence. Lawyers taking up the cases of such accused young men were beaten up by Sangh Parivar supporters in court premises in Uttar Pradesh. At the same time, evidence of involvement of members of Sangh Parivar outfits (at many places in UP as well as in other states) has been wilfully suppressed or ignored by investigative agencies.

Now, after the Delhi blasts, the investigative machinery, aided by large sections of the media, has intensified its targeting of Azamgarh. The minorities of Azamgarh are living in terror, in an atmosphere of sharpened communal polarisation and open instigation by communal forces in the region.
Many democratic voices have come forward to challenge the communal common-sense peddled in the name of anti-terrorism. Lawyers, human rights activists, university teachers, and student and youth groups have reached out to the people of Jamia Nagar and Azamgarh, have demanded a judicial enquiry into the Jamia Nagar encounter, and are waging a struggle for fair trial for all those accused of abetting or perpetrating terror.
Meanwhile, even as Manmohan Singh, choking with emotion, sealed the Nuke Deal with the US and declared eternal 'love' (on behalf of 'all of India') for President Bush, bombs explode at regular intervals all over urban India to warn us that we are fast turning into a typical outpost of the US 'empire of terror,' much like our neighbour Pakistan.
The BJP has renewed its clamour for re-enactment of POTA and the Congress, while uncertain about the return of POTA, has promised 'tougher' anti-terror laws. Even beyond the domain of legislation, the competitive anti-terrorist rhetoric of the Congress and the BJP continues to fuel anti-Muslim prejudices across the country. The Sangh brigade is using this environment to the hilt to refuel its communal fascist agenda and anti-minority campaign. The Sangh's campaign of anti-Chirstian violence has already spread from Orissa to Chhattisgarh and Karnataka, and in UP, Sangh outfits are working overtime to whip up anti-Muslim communal frenzy.
In the name of tackling terrorism, the US has imposed a global war on the world. Similarly, in India, the Sangh brigade has been using anti-terrorist rhetoric to intensify its campaign of communal fascist violence. Nothing could pose a bigger threat to India than a combination or convergence of these two ominous trends under the patronage of the state and the ruling classes.
We invite you to stand in solidarity with the people of Azamgarh, send out a strong message that 'Not Azamgarh but America is the 'mastermind' of terrorism,' and defend democracy and people's rights by joining a People's Convention at Azamgarh on October 19 2008.
All India Students' Association (AISA), Revolutionary Youth Association (RYA),All India Progressive Women's Organisation (AIPWA), Jan Sanskriti Manch (JSM), People's Union for Human Rights (PUHR), CPI(ML) Liberation, and many other human rights groups and social organisations based in Azamgarh.

Contact: Kavita Krishnan at kavitakrish73@gmail.com,
Phones: 09868112252, 01122481067