| Condemn the VHP attack on filmmaker Gopal Menon and his team
By via SACW 12/07/2003 At 12:19 Statement by concerned citizens condemning the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) attack on filmmaker Gopal Menon and his team in India Press Release | 12 July 2003
CONDEMN the spread of Fascism in India
Condemn the VHP attack on filmmaker Gopal Menon and his team
In yet another bid to suppress basic citizens‚ rights as well as freedom of expression, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Kerala state police have manhandled well-known documentary filmmaker Gopal Menon and his team in a public function at Kozhikode on Tuesday, July 8.Gopal Menon, who has made several films on human rights violations in India including 'Hey Ram—Genocide in the Land of Gandhi' (that documented the post-Godhra communal carnage in the State of Gujarat) was trying to record the vituperative public speech of VHP chief, Praveen Togadia, when the VHP activists and the police manhandled him.
Gopal Menon was accompanied by Viju Verma and Mustafa Deshamangalam, who were also subjected to manhandling.
As soon as the team reached the spot at the Muthalakkulam Maidan in Kozhikode where Praveen Togadia was addressing the crowd, Gopal Menon was identified by the VHP activists. With the help of the state police, VHP activists manhandled all three and then threw them out of the venue. The VHP activists threatened the filmmakers and asked the police not to allow them again inside the maidan. The police threatened to arrest them if they failed to leave immediately.
The filmmakers argued that since the event was a public meeting, they had every right to attend and also film the function. But neither the organisers of the meeting nor the police paid any heed to basic ethics of media freedom or citizen rights.
The police force was evidently acting hand in glove with the VHP, giving protection to Togadia all through his Kerala tour aimed at fomenting communal hatred and violence. This was a clear instance of the official machinery of the State that is supposedly committed to secular principles being hijacked by a communal outfit like the VHP for its nefarious ends.
The attack on Gopal Menon is a sequel to concerted attempts by the VHP, RSS and BJP activists last year to disrupt screenings of several documentary films across the state and the State police to foist cases against the organisers of such film screenings.
The latest open tirade against the minority communities by none other than the Chief Minister of Kerala, Mr. A.K. Antony, amply proves that the State has already been hijacked by the VHP-BJP-RSS combine which is making a concerted bid to spread fascism in Kerala.
We feel that it‚s high time we stand up united to uphold basic citizen rights against the plans by the State as well as the fascist forces to divide the people on communal lines.
We feel that it's high time the socially-conscious citizens of the country joined hands to uphold the rights of expression of truth and reality against poisonous statements of communal politicians.
We condemn the efforts of the VHP and its ilk to spread violence and hatred that would lead to further bloodshed. Let's see to it that the fascist ‘Gujarat experiment’ is not repeated anywhere.
Signed/-
M.T. Vasudevan Nair
Paul Zachariah
Medha Patkar
Asghar Ali Engineer
Mahesh Dattani
Prof. Babu Mathew
Thomas Kocheri
Ram Punyani
Civic Chandran
K.E.N Kunhammed
Mukundan C Menon
 URL:: http://www.mnet.fr/aiindex/2002/PRattackonGopalMenon.html
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What is happening to Kerala ? Kerala has the distinction
of being 100 % litrate. Socially and culturally in the foremost among Indian states. Still it is shocking to see
Communal and religious groups spreading its tentacles.
It was a once bastion of left politics . Where is the social and cultural leadership shown by Keralites ?
I condemn all religious and extremist politics. No doubt.
But let me ask, what so called marxist politicians are doing. If they can win elections, the influence they created in Kerala must be huge and which canot be challenged by anyone else.
Or it is wise to think lefts in Kerala has gone down the path of somehow winning elections by appeasing communal
groups. This is what UDF does. LDF is not different.
Kerala needs urgent attention by youths and well meaning democratic minded people. You must not loose hope. Uphold
the democratic and secular traditions. Uphold the religious
harmony. Show leadership to other states. Remove the old
and greedy leaders. Let the youth of Kerala uphold the principles and wipeout the communal forces rom its soil.
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Kerala is going to be next Kashmir , these marxists - Missionaries -Islamists are hand in glove with sole aim to exterminate Hindus in Kerala . The Intellectual and Publicity arm for this whole operation is provided by Hindu Hating Pseudo Secular Forces like SABRANG , SAMHAT and host of organisations streatching from USA to Kerala .
Is it not Congress Leader Vailar Ravi personally picked up the guys to butcher at Marad Beach ?
Is it not State Government has enough Inteligence on the happennings ?
It's shame that Muslims and Christians in India are acting as Fifth Column ,supporting Pan Islamic Jihadi Orgs and Missionaries .
First mosque was allowed to build in Kerala by a Hindu King , Now the same Muslim and Christians want to decimate Hindus .
It's high time to teach such cunning Organisations who want to defame Hindu Organisations in one way or the other . IF THE MISSION IS TO EXTERMINATE HINDUS , then Hindu community has to act strict .
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Vinod ! Commie madarchood , Gopal Menon is a bastard and u are progeny of rape . U R PROGENY OF RAPE .
U love to decimate Hindus .. Right ???
Bastards listen ! We will fuck u all in mass . Sabrang ka aulad madarchoods , pakistani ISI agents , Didn't u sent u r sister and wife to Mulla for a night ??? I know even u sent to FATHERS /Brothers of church .
By the way Mr.PROGENY OF RAPE . Get ready for a royal FUC we will unleash here ..
Hi hi hi madarchood
Look at this. The same person abuses himself and uses some one else name. This is the VHP/RSS tactic. Use abusive language themselves and pretend Muslims and communists are abusing them. The name vinodh, Rajesh and Vinodh all seems
to be single individual. I feel this person has a severe mental problem. Who else can use such abusive language on themselves ? It is questionable whether Hindus and Indians
want this person to be the guardian of their culture.
Both Mukundan C Menon and Paul Zachariah are known anti social and anti national bastards and should be treated deservingly and should not given a chance to utter anymore. Anti national and anti social elements do not deserve any immunity.
Babu
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