Two Letters to IHEU

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A Letter from Kerala THANKS TO HUMANIST CAMPAIGNERS!

 

In March 2003, IHEU launched a campaign for Rationalist leader Sreeni Pattathanam in Kerala to highlight his harassment by the Kerala Government for having written a book questioning the activities of Mata Amritanandamayi, also known as the “Hugging Mother”. With help from IHEU member organizations, especially the American Humanist Association, the issue was given wide publicity.

 

Dear Mr. Babu Gogineni,

 

The excellent propaganda and public awareness work done by IHEU had its positive effects in the Sreeni Pattathanam vs. the Hugging Mother case. The Principal Secretary of Kerala State Govt. Home Department summoned Mr. Pattathanam along with his printer and publisher on March 19. Two senior lawyers appeared for the mother’s devotee Advocate Ajan, who filed the complaint. The Principal Secretary of the Home Department, taking into audit the international opinion created by IHEU in the case, asked the lawyers whether they had served the copy of the complaint to the author, printer and publisher. ... They were in need of time up to April 9 to serve the said copy of the complaint to us. The Secretary told them that he won’t be waiting so long and he would be constrained to dispose the complaint at an earlier date. I suppose that it seems the Chief Minister of Kerala is perhaps in a face saving exercise. Thanks to

IHEU initiative in the matter. The newspapers in Kerala like Deshabhimani (the CPI(M) organ), Malayala Manorama, Deepika (a pro- Catholic paper), and Mangalam published reports about IHEU’s intervention in the matter...

 

Sincerely,

 

C.I. Oommen,

President, Bharatiya Rationalist Association (Kerala), Affiliated to Rationalist Association of India

 

A Letter from Bangladesh

 

In the last issue of IHN, we reported the arrest in Bangladesh, for the second time, of the Humanist activist Shahriyar Kabir. Kabir heads the Nirmul Committee, demanding that those responsible for genocide during the Bangladesh War of Independence in 1971 be brought to justice. He was detained under the Special Powers Act. Shahriyar Kabir writes:

 

28 January 2003

 

Dear Gogineni,

 

I was released from jail on 7 January and admitted to hospital for treatment. This time my days in police remand were real nightmare. Yesterday I was released from hospital but I have to continue medical treatment for couple of weeks. While watching my e-mails I have seen your wonderful statement demanding our release. Please accept my thanks and gratitude.

 

I am not sure how long our govt. would allow me to stay out of prison though I consider Bangladesh a prison for religious minorities and secular intellectuals. Before my next confinement in the smaller prison I am working hard to complete two white papers, one is on communal persecution and the other is on the rise of religio-fundamentalism in Bangladesh. I am confident about the merit of the publications that would help to create awareness among our people in resisting fundamentalism and communalism.

 

With best wishes,

 

Shahriar