By IANS
Mumbai : Several spiritual and religious leaders including Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Swami Agnivesh Saturday said that those behind Gujarat’s communal violence of 2002 “should be ex-communicated from the Hindu fold”.
While lauding the courage of the Tehelka journalists for its undercover operation on the perpetrators of violence, the leaders associated with Sarva Dharam Sansad (‘Parliament of Religions’) said that the conduct of those responsible for such cold-blooded crimes distorts the spirit of Hindu thought and philosophy.
In a statement, they warned the people that slogans such as “Hinduism is in danger” are a ploy to mask self-seeking, criminalised politics under the cover of religion.
Those who plan, perpetrate or patronise such inhuman atrocities are outright criminals and need to be dealt with as such, they said.
Tehelka Thursday released footage prepared by an undercover reporter in which several leaders and activists of Gujarat’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allied organisation are shown claiming that Chief Minister Narendra Modi had sanctioned the communal carnage that claimed more than 1,000 lives.
Sri Sri Ravishankar of the Art of Living Foundation strongly condemned the attitude and conduct of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal and the Gujarat government in this regard.
Social reformer-activist Swami Agnivesh said that similar sting operations are needed to expose criminal activities of those who wield power and abuse the apparatus of the state in terrorising the citizens for political gains, citing the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 as an example.
As a civilized society, the country needs to promote “zero-tolerance” towards all acts of barbarity, especially those against Dalits, tribals and vulnerable groups, they pointed out.
Link:
http://www.swamiagnivesh.com/