The 1st Annual Conference of Gujarat-Mumbai Rationalist Association and the 77th Annual Conference of Rationalist Association of India was held on 24 & 25 November in Palanpur. Babu Gogineni reports on this unique event that turned out to be a vehicle for inspiration and excitement for more than 250 Humanists.

'May God Protect Us All!'
As our car sped along the excellent Mehsana Highway to Palanpur near the Pakistan border, I was struck by an imposing pair of fibre-glass hands joined in prayer, and sprouting out of a road junction. "What does the inscription on the sculpture say?" I asked. My rationalist companion Dr. Mayavanshi from Godhra town read it aloud with some embarrassment: "May God Protect Us All".

But in Gujarat state God does nothing of that sort - here God and man conspire to protect the wrongdoer and to terrorize the victim. Nearly six years ago in February 2002, in Dr. Mayavanshi's very own Godhra town, a train carrying Hindu pilgrims had caught fire and 59 Hindus had been charred to death in a horrific incident whose exact cause is still unknown. However, as soon as news of the tragedy spread, allegations began to circulate that the train had been set afire by a murderous mob of Muslims who had gathered at Godhra station. This sparked off several days of 'retaliatory' massacre, rape and arson orchestrated by Hindu fundamentalists, widely believed to have been encouraged by the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government led by Chief Minister Narendra Modi. These suspicions were recently strengthened following a daring, six-month long investigation by the English language Tehelka magazine. Over 2000 Muslims were killed. Human Rights Watch noted that more than a year after the death of the Hindu pilgrims and the massacre of the Muslims, while over 100 Muslims had been charged with involvement in the alleged attack on the train at Godhra, no Hindus were charged over the violence against the Muslims despite the scale of the terrifying events. (In a recent verdict eleven people have been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for their involvement in the massacre of the family of Bilkis Bano, a Muslim woman, in 2002. –Ed.) When the state government did make some moves to prosecute the guilty, the Asian Legal Resource Center judged them to be "sham trials, shoddy investigation and defective prosecutions. The Gujarat government's complicity in the genocide is now compounded by its obstruction of justice for the victims". India's official but feeble National Human Rights Commission called it 'a miscarriage of justice' while Amnesty International's 2003 report said "the same police force that was accused of colluding with the attackers was put in charge of the investigations into the massacres, undermining the process of delivery of justice to the victims". The Supreme Court of India expressed extreme anger against the State Government and ordered retrials of some infamous cases to be conducted outside the state - because when the trials were being held in Gujarat most of the witnesses had turned hostile and the accused were acquitted.

The world was watching Gujarat in spite of Narendra Modi returning to power with a resounding majority in the election later that year. In what must have been the first time in India's history, the US Government refused to grant Modi a visa when he wanted to travel to the US to address the rich Gujarati community in North America. Alarms were being raised at the increasing violence against Christians in the state and NGOs led a great battle against the government.

But the BJP and the Hindu right wing declared brazenly that Gujarat was going to be the laboratory for Hindutva, a form of extremist Hindu ideology, and the BJP leaders suggested that the Gujarat experiment would be repeated elsewhere in the country. Other rightwingers declared that they would build a cemetery for Secularists – hardly surprising because by then people of their ilk had managed to destroy the precious art works of Muslim-born artist M.F. Hussain, put the fear of death amongst Muslims, and infused fear amongst Christian preachers. The bachelor Narendra Modi, popularly hailed as Hindu Hriday Samrat - the Emperor of the Hindu Heart – reigned supreme over the state and created an atmosphere which fostered intolerance amongst the people of the state.

The Professor of Law Dr. Ashwin Karia who was the Convenor of the joint-convention of the Rationalist Association of India and the Gujarat Mumbai Rationalists' Association himself had to move to Palanpur from Godhra because of his Rationalist views and advocacy of the secular standpoint.

A Tense Atmosphere
As we arrive, the arid semi-desert landscape gives way to warm and smiling welcomes from the organisers. But the atmosphere is taut - this is the first such National Convention being held in Gujarat, and a daring feat indeed in such an atmosphere. There are too many uncertainties - how many delegates will attend, and will there be trouble from any quarters? How will the Government react to such an event in this district which forms the border with Pakistan?

Reassuringly, on the first day of the Conference itself, there were well over 250 active rationalists present. There was the indomitable Abdulbhai Wakani who set up his stall, selling his books, and his collection of magic tricks, and repeating his challenges to the religious charlatans. There were books on human rights - so relevant at that time – in Hindi, Marathi and English, copies of the International Humanist News, material from the Atheist Center in Vijayawada, and tomes on Humanism and on Philosophy by leaders of the Rationalist Association of India Ravipudi Venkatadri and Prof. D.D. Bandiste.

The Oasis
It was at the oasis that the Conference was, that the human rights agenda was being invoked. How could Humanists not speak of freedom where there was none? And was secularism not intimately linked to human rights and democracy? In a year when the 60th anniversary of India's independence was being marked, it was also important to recall Bhagat Singh, the young freedom fighter and martyr who, while on colonial death row, authored a powerful tract Why I am an Atheist, written at the age of 21. 2007 was his birth centenary year. It was also an occasion to offer support to Taslima Nasrin, the beleagured Humanist forced once again into exile both by the law makers and the law breakers (see Box Item).

In my Keynote address, I suggested that a move from Godless Atheism towards a Humanism that was in favour of human liberties would be an appropriate step. "I agree with what you say, but how many here do you think are willing to abandon their militant atheism?" asked Kiran Karnik, CEO of Manas Advertisement Agency in Ahmedabad, after signing up to membership of the Gujarat Mumbai Rationalists Association. It is true that the audience needed some persuasion to move towards mainstream human rights and Humanist issues but this process was helped by the active participation of noted Management thinker Dhawalbhai Mehta, and the well known women's rights activist Ila Behn Pathak. Prof. Indrayan's paper on Separation of Religion and State was an important contribution. Prof. B.A. Parikh, well known rationalist, academic and former Vice Chancellor of South Gujarat University and Prof. B.D. Desai from IHEU’s Member Organisation Satya Shodhak Sabha participated and strengthened the proceedings while Dr. Vijayam from the Atheist Center in Vijayawada put the problems in perspective by painting a positive picture of the prospects of Secularism.

The forces of progress need to have a new forum and the Gujarat Rationalists Association was creating it –the well known psychologist Dr. Aggarwal who actively supported the events said, while releasing the Conference souvenir, that he was a Humanist himself and that his ideas were the same as those of the organisers. The Souvenir has rich contents in Gujarati and English, with an introduction to Humanism and Rationalism and articles on science, secularism and politics. An article by Dr. Indiresan, a former Director of IIT Chennai, attacking Rationalists (rather than criticizing them!) was also published in the souvenir and I chose to respond to it in my inaugural address because it reflects a popular misconception that Rationalists target only Hindu superstition in India

Gulabbhai Bheda headed a discussion on the state of rationalism and the perspectives for activism and the Executive Committee has been charged with formulating an Action Plan. Under this plan, meetings have been held in Mumbai, plans are being made to organize a Leadership program, Mihir Dave attended the Humanist Leadership Training Program supported by IHEU and organized by IHEU MO Social Development Foundation and Viveka Educational Society.

As I write this, I receive news from Prof. Karia of their intention to start a Humanist Center. The situation for Humanism, Rationalism and Democracy is gloomy in Gujarat state, and will be so, so long as religion continues to influence state policy, and the religious minorities are cowering with fear, but news of this sort and contact with those who, despite the problems, dare to raise the Humanist voice inspires.

The 77th National Convention of the Rationalist Association of India meeting in Palanpur, Gujarat, with over 250 Human Rights, Humanist, Rationalist, Secularist, and Atheist participants from various parts of the country, expresses its horror, and condemns in the strongest terms the threats held out to our Humanist colleague Taslima Nasrin by Muslim fundamentalists, and the subsequent reaction by the state government of West Bengal.

Taslima Nasrin came to India to seek refuge and the protection of the Indian State and the Indian Constitution at a time when she faced threats to her life in her own country because of her bold and modern views. The Indian government and the government of West Bengal state have done much to protect this courageous Humanist in the last several years.

This Convention calls upon the Government of India and other state governments to continue to recognize and carry out their legal and moral duty to protect Taslima Nasrin and her moral and intellectual freedoms, and to ensure her physical security. Contrary to those who have broken the laws of the land and vandalized public property and extended death threats - all of which are acts punishable under the Indian Penal Code, Taslima Nasrin has broken no Indian law and has only advocated rights for women, and defended ideas, values and rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution.

This Convention demands that the culprits be punished and Taslima Nasrin be honoured by the central and state governments for her unflinching commitment to the modern and democratic values of the freedom of expression and the freedom of religion or belief, which also includes the freedom not to hold any belief.