Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1998 14:45:28 -0500
From: Partha Banerjee <partha-AT-capital.net>
Subject: Re: Collective Letter for Accountability of Self-Promotional


>What is the consensus among women on this list interested in writing a
>letter to the organizers of the VHP conference at Harvard?  Are
>collective signatures forthcoming?
>
>Please let me know.
>
>Best,
>
>-Manjusree
_______________

Friends,

I wouldn't call this a VHP conference though. It is a conference that was
almost a "non-event" for the past two years (at Harvard) because of its
organizers' denial and/or apathy to discuss "dirty" Indian politics and
their failure to gather women's groups around this issue. My own
correspondence with South Asian women's groups has been futile as they
showed little interest for this "no-show."

What is happening this year though is that the chief financial patron of
the conference is leaning heavily toward the
fundamentalist/supremacist/fascist BJP government of India (a party that
has recently been cited in many American newspapers to be responsible for
fomenting hatred against the church and missionaries in India -- several
nuns have been killed; previously, they killed many Muslims and
"untouchable" Hindus not to say anything about the killed women). It seems
that now a desperate attempt is being made to get support from the same
government and the ruling party in India that is historically known for its
anti-woman, anti-environment, ultraconservative views and acts. And that
government is responding positively because they desperately want
credibility on women's issues. I wouldn't be surprised if they shower this
"conference" with future blessings.

The elite academia of Harvard (at least them who are involved with this
"no-show") and London, etc. are not taking an active role to dissuade this
patronage by and for the fanatics. For example, they have done little to
dissuade the financial patron from inviting leaders and ministers from the
fundamentalist parties and government of India.

But I still wouldn't call this a VHP (Viswa Hindu Parishad) conference. And
Dr. Mike Witzel, the "other" organizer, is anything but a right-wing person
himself. So is Dr. Julia Leslie of London.

A collective campaign however would be good, really.

-Partha