PRESS RELEASE IN APRIL 2007
07.04.2007
PRESS RELEASE
The judgement of the Single Judge of the Allahabad High Court, Justice Srivatsava holding that Muslims of UP are not a minority deserving special protection, represents a visionary and brilliant analysis of what constitutes a minority under the Indian Constitution.
The UN Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities had gone into this same question ten year ago after inviting opinions of member nations. Many nations including Thailand in Asia and Brazil in Latin America had flatly stated that there are no minorities in their respective countries, despite these countries being multi-ethnic, multi-religious and sub-multi-racial.
The UN Sub-Commission therefore held that a ‘minority’ (deserving of protection) is not necessarily a numerical concept. It cited the example of Whites in South Africa and Zimbabwe as numerical minorities but not deserving protection because they had been of ruling class. In India, Parsis, although a tiny fraction of Indian population have themselves consistently rejected any proposal of protection or affirmative government.
Muslims and Christians have been ruling classes in India for a thousand years, during which they brutalized and impoverished the Hindu majority, and enriched themselves. Even after Partition, they are in majority in some states and many districts. They do not therefore deserve to be called minorities, since they have been ruling classes for centuries like the Whites of South Africa. The Division Bench of the Allahabad High Court should hence uphold Justice Srivatsava’s seminal judgement.
(SUBRAMANIAN SWAMY)
05.04.2007
PRESS RELEASE
It is suicidal for Pakistan to raise the question, as its Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz did on the eve of the SAARC meeting, of the status of Jammu and Kashmir, and seek a ‘solution according to the wishes of the people’ of that state. It is suicidal because if the Instrument of Accession signed by the Maharaja of J&K merging the state irrevocably to India can be called into question today, the creation of Pakistan can also be disputed by Indians. Pakistan and the Instrument of Accession derive their legitimacy from the Indian Independence Act passed by the British Parliament in June 1947, and neither required ascertaining the wishes of the people.
Hence, if Pakistan keeps raising the legality of the merger, then Indians will have the right to question the legality of Pakistan itself because the creation of Pakistan and the Instrument of Accession draw their legal sustenance from the same source—the Indian Independence Act.
Pakistan however is depending on Jawaharlal Nehru’s assurance of a plebiscite in the state. But Nehru’s commitment is not binding on India because it was never considered and approved by the Cabinet. Nor going to the UN Security Council was put before any Indian Cabinet. Hence, the UN resolutions are mere pieces of paper, and evidence of Nehru’s casual handling of India’s national interests.
In the interest of peace between neighbours, internal developments in Kashmir can however be discussed with Pakistan just we discuss the internal disturbance in Sri Lanka with that country. But because of Article 1 of the Indian Constitution, not an inch of Indian Territory including that under Pakistani occupation can be given away. This should be made clear to Pakistani leaders so that they do not entertain any illusions about India’s national integrity.
(SUBRAMANIAN SWAMY)
04.04.2007
STATEMENT OF DR.SUBRAMANIAN SWAMY,
PRESIDENT OF JANATA PARTY, MADE IN CHENNAI
The Rama Setu, as a bridge-like formation of shoal stones has already been shown to exist by satellite image photography of the US National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA). According to Dr.Murli Manohar Joshi, more evidence is now available to show this formation is an ancient man made site Informed sources confirm that scientists, recently consulted by the President of India, have given him a written opinion last week that, based on geological studies, the Rama Setu is a man made bridge constructed by placing of shoal stones, and is at least 9000 years old. The historicity of the Setu, as stated in the Ramayana, thus has now been established by scientific evidence.
Hence I demand that the President immediately ask the Prime Minister to halt the dredging work on the present canal alignment that calls for cutting through the Rama Setu, and instead choose an alternative alignment, which does not breach the Rama Setu, and which is also less costly.
The Janata Party will conduct a public meeting in Madurai on April 16th, to focus the public attention on this atrocity being committed against a national and engineering wonder that the Rama Setu represents, and that is sought to be destroyed by the foreign-inspired UPA government and the cash-driven DMK. The BJP State President Ela Ganesan will also address this public meeting.
In the meeting, the future agitational course of action, with the blessing and support of all prominent spiritual leaders of the country, will be announced.
The failure of the DMK to persuade the UPA government to furnish adequate and recent data on Reservations is one more indication of the political impotence of Mr.Karunanidhi at the national level. In Mulla Periyar Dam and Cauvery Waters sharing issues, the Tamil Nadu government despite the Supreme Court verdicts in Tamil Nadu’s favour, has failed to safeguard the State’s interests.
Moreover, despite the Dravidian Movement parties being 60 years continuously in power, and after implementing the 69% Reservation, Tamil Nadu has still the third highest unemployment and poverty rates in the country. The Dravidian Movement has thus setback the six and half crores Tamil people.
Mr.Karunanidhi has reached an unholy secret agreement with the Kerala Chief Minister to scuttle the Supreme Court judgement in the Mulla Periyar Dam’s water level issue and thus betray the Tamil farmers.
Hence, I have decided to support the plea for the Supreme Court to hear an urgent application and direct both TN and Kerala government not to delay or obstruct the raising the water level to 142 feet immediately. The Supreme Court has issued Notice and given the two states four weeks to reply.
(SUBRAMANIAN SWAMY)
02.04.2007
PRESS RELEASE
The bandh called last Friday by the Chief Minister Mr.M.Karunanidhi is a pathetic admission of DMK’s political impotence on the national scene. It is ridiculous for the President of the ruling Party to call for a bandh in its own State. The bandh moreover was enforced with the help of police and rowdy Party cadres, and was observed more out of fear than in support of any demand that the ruling party may have on the question of Reservations. Mr.Karunanidhi should have instead called a bandh in Delhi and seen the response of the people in the national capital.
The bandh was intended to express disapproval of the DMK of the Supreme Court Order on the matter of reservations for backward classes in educational institutions. All that the Supreme Court had asked for was the data base on which the 27% reservation was to be decided in the first place. This the Supreme Court has every right to call for. Mr.Karunanidhi is moreover obliged to cooperate in collecting and providing necessary data to the Supreme Court.
Hence, the Chief Minister should apologize to the people of Tamil Nadu for imposing extraordinary inconveniences on the people and causing unnecessary harassment to trade & commerce.
(SUBRAMANIAN SWAMY)
