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Rana Ayyub’s Gujarat files launched in Punjabi in Surrey
1-25-2017
“If you keep forgetting the past you will never get justice.” Rana Ayyub
Rana Ayyub is an investigative news reporter in India. Her fearless attitude to get to the bottom of a story has built her stature as a firebrand journalist. Her determination in getting her story told has at times made her quit her job several times. On average she has worked at various news organizations for about 7 months. The longest she has worked was at Tahelka for about 7 years.
In 2010 Tehelka’s editors dropped a crucial sting involving Gujarat chief minister, Narendra Modi and top officials of his government in the fear he and his men could wreak havoc in the magazine.
Her pursuit for truth in getting her story told led her to self-publish the book, Gujarat Files: The Anatomy of A Cover UP.
The publication bore the brunt of the BJP government’s fury.
In 2010, at the age of 26 she was able to send through her work Amit shah- the current BJB President to prison on charges of murder, conspiracy extortion, kidnapping and five other sections of Indian penal Code.
In December 6th, Gurpreet Singh of Radical Desai organized and launched the Punjabi edition of her Book Gujarat Files in Surrey.
Her Books translation into Punjabi and Urdu is much needed to highlight the injustices that are taking place for political gains. Inciting communal wedge issues creates an environment that’s gives rise to Communal violence.
Among the speakers were Fauzia Rafique, Barjinder Singh, Param Kainth and Ajay Bhardwaj. Harjit Daudhria.. Amrit Diwana opened the event with a poem. Other speakers were Jai Birdi, Hardev Singh, Parshotam Dosanjh and Jafar Bhamji from Alameen Post.
Dionne Bunsha was the chief Guest speaker. She is a writer and journalist who covered the Gujarat Massacre extensively. Dionne was sent by her magazine Frontline to Gujarat where she stayed behind after the Massacre to get an idea of what was the cause of the communal violence against Muslims. She talked about the rise of the right Hindutva forces in India and under Modi’s Gov’t it has seen new heights.
She Stated that “BJP has used fear of Islamic terror by creating a panacea for Building Ram temple on the site of Babri Masjid in Ayudhya. The Gujarat Massacre was a preplanned event. The Rioters infiltrated the police security and used violence against the Muslim community.”
This kind of Violence is nothing new. It is happening with Minority groups like Maoists, Adivasi, Dalits, Sikhs all along.
At the end of the event, Radical Desi honoured Kulwant Sandi with Dr. Ambedkar Award on behalf of We Are All Untouchables for standing up for Sandip- a Dalit,who was denied right to mount horse carriage during his marriage in Haryana by the upper caste goons. Pall Singh Beesla was honoured for including LGBT community in the Vancouver Vaisakhi parade with the Radical Desi Activism Award of the Year 2016. Radical Desi also honoured Harpreet Sekha with Radical Narrative Award of 2016 for challenging caste based oppression through story writing.
The event was successful despite the cold weather and first snow fall in Surrey.
We should read this book to get an idea of how communal violence is manufactured by the political elite and hopefully realize that we as community can stand up together against all injustices against minorities wherever it takes place.
Rana Ayyub’s Book encourages us to stand up for all regardless of race, color or religion and to fight for injustice wherever it takes place.
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