(Samajweekly)
Letter to the Prime Minister of India condemning the death threat to Mr Rajinder Pal Gautam
Dear Prime Minister Hon. Shri Narendra Modi
We are alarmed to see the video being circulated of Swami Paramhans of Ayodhya and his associates giving a call to kill Rajinder Pal Gautam, Member of Delhi’s Legislative Assembly, with an award of 50 lakhs rupees to the person who decapitates Mr Gautam’s head. This horrific dictate issued by a religious leader is no different from the dictates issued by the Taliban. It is a terrorist act to create fear in the minds of free-thinking citizens of India. Swami Paramhans’ dictate and inflammatory statement has the potential to incite riots and violence. We condemn this dictate and demand the immediate arrest of Swami Paramhans and his associates under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for inciting the murder of Mr Gautam.
On 14 October 1956, Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar embraced Buddhism along with his followers. Those present along with Panchsheel and Trisharan also took the twenty-two vows given by Babasaheb. Since then, at the Dhamma Deeksha events, 22 vows of Babasaheb are taken by those converting to Buddhism at the initiation ceremony. The vows contain no derogatory word, or words of disrespect towards Hinduism or Hindu Gods or Goddesses. These vows simply express that as a new comer to Buddhism, the person converting will discard his/her old religious beliefs and will no longer follow any Hindu Gods and Goddesses and customs and ceremonies. The 22 pledges have been compiled by the former Union Minister and published by various Ministries and institutions of the Government of India. Even today, 22 pledges of Babasaheb Dr Ambedkar are available in English and Hindi in the compilation the Writings and Speeches of Dr Ambedkar on the website of Ministry of External Affairs. Furthermore, the Dr Ambedkar Foundation, an institution of the Government of India, also publishes this literature in English and Hindi and has made the entire collection available at very low prices. Nobody raised any objection. We believe Mr Rajinder Pal Gautam is being made scapegoat for political reasons.
Keeping in view the seriousness of the real threat made to the life of Mr Rajinder Pal Gautam, it is essential that he be provided State security to protect his life. We hope that you will take immediate action against the culprits so that peace is maintained in the society.
Yours Sincerely,
Arun Kumar
General Secretary
Federation of Ambedkarite & Buddhist Organisations, UK (FABO UK)
Copy to
1. Shri Sanjay Arora,
Delhi Police commissioner
Cp.sanjayarora@delhipolice.gov.in
2. Shri Vijay Sampla, Chairman National Commission for Scheduled Caste, Government of India
chairman-ncsc@nic.in
