National Solidarity Forum (NSF) Cordially Invites for the National Webinar
TWELVE YEARS OF KANDHAMAL MEMORIAL
‘RECLAIMING DEMOCRACY, DEFENDING DIVERSITY’
Date: 12th September 2020
Time: 4.30 pm to 7.30 pm
Dear Friend,
Greetings from National Solidarity Forum!
The National Solidarity Forum invites you to a National Webinar 'Twelve Years of Kandhamal - Reclaiming Democracy, Defending Diversity' on Saturday, 12th September 2020 to mark the 12th Anniversary of the targeted violence against Dalit and Adivasi Christians in Kandhamal, Odisha, which took place in 2008.
Independent India chose to be a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic. Three quarters of a century later, there are alarming trends that challenge the very foundations of the Republic our Founding Fathers laid.
Global Peace Report 2016 ranks India among 20 most violent places in the world to live in; even less peaceful country than Burundi. India is the fourth worst in the world in safety women according, to Thomson Reuters Report. India is fourth worst country in the World for Religious Hostilities among 198 according to Pew Research Study Report in April 2015.
NDTV’s study showed that there has been a 500% increase in the last four years in the use of hateful and divisive language by high-ranking
politicians. In this, 90% of the hateful comments were attributed
members of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA). No one was
prosecuted.
It is not Christian minority, but other vulnerable groups bear the brunt of hate crimes. “Amnesty International India documented 721 such incidents between 2015 and 2018. In 2018 year, itself, it tracked 218 hate crimes, 142 of which were against Dalits, 50 against Muslims, 40 against women, and 8 each against Christians, Adivasi and transgenders”. (The Hindu; 10 July, 2019)
The Webinar Programme:
| Login by Participants from 4.15 PM to 4.30 PM |
|
4.30 | Welcome and Introduction to National Solidarity Forum | Dhirendra Panda, Coordinator, National Solidarity Forum |
4.35 | Introducing the Webinar | Ajaya Kumar Singh, National Minority Rights Awardee |
4.40 | Moderator | Dr. John Dayal, Editor, Activist |
4.40 | Keynote Address on ‘Democracy’
| Justice V. Gopala Gowda, former Judge of the Supreme Court of India, former Chief Justice, Orissa High Court |
5.00 | Questions and Replies |
|
5.05 | Launching the Book ‘Kandhamal Memorial’ | Aloysius Irudayam SJ and Ms. Beena Pallical |
| Panel Discussion |
|
5.10 | Challenges in Protection of Minority Rights | Mr. J. D. Seelam, former Minister of State for Finance, Government of India |
5.20 | Defeat Discriminations, Defend Diversity | Dr. Thol. Thirumavalavan, Member of Parliament |
5.30 | Hurdles in search of Justice for Victims of Targeted Violence | Dr. Colin Gonsalves, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India; Founder, Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) |
5.40 | Media’s Role in Targeted Hate and Violence | Ms. Pamela Philipose, Senior Journalist and Public Editor, The Wire; Senior Fellow, Indian Council of Social Science Research |
5.50 | Polarising Indigenous Communities | Dr. Joseph Marianus Kujur SJ, Director, XISS, Ranchi |
6.00 | Targeted Hate and Violence: Command Responsibility and Reparations | Ms.Farah Naqvi, Writer and Activist |
6.10 | Communal Violence and Freedom of Religion | Dr. Angana Chatterjee, Research Anthropologist, University of California |
6.25 | Responses | Mr. Kedar Mishra, Editor and Poet Ms. Zakia Soman, Founder, Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan Ms. Vidya Dinkar, Activist Adv. Bibhu Prasad Tripathy, Lawyer, Odisha High Court Adv. Irfan Engineer, Director, CSSS Dr. Goldy M George, Researcher and Activist |
6.45 | Way Forward | Dr. Ram Puniyani, Winner of the National Communal Harmony Awardee, Writer, Peace Activist, Public intellectual, Medical, former Professor, IIT Bombay |
6.55 | Concluding Remarks | Dr. John Dayal |
7.05 | Vote of Thanks | Adv. Justine Gitanjali Senapati, Odisha High Court |
The webinar will take place on Zoom platform.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/
Meeting ID: 873 7694 4691
Passcode: 364158
(Please circulate this widely among like-minded friends)
On Behalf of the National Solidarity Forum
Dr. Ram Puniyani: ram.puniyani@gmail.
Dr. John Dayal: john.dayal@gmail.com
K.P. Sasi: kpsasi36@gmail.com
William Stanley: stanley111@gmail.com
Wilfred D’Costa: willyindia@gmail.com
Ajaya Kumar Singh: ajaysingho@gmail.com
Dhirendra Panda: dhirendrapanda@gmail.
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