Mohit Ranadip discuss the pre-genocide features of a society as explained by Professor Gregory Stanton and argues for immediate intervention to avert such a possibility in our country.    

Professor Gregory Stanton was the professor of department of ‘Genocide studies and Prevention’ in George Mason University of Virginia. In 1989 he meticulously analysed the internal situation of Rwanda state in Africa. While conducting his intensive and ground breaking research he expressed his anticipation regarding imminent genocide in that country. He informed the president of Rwanda and the United Nations that large scale genocide was in the offing. But they did not pay heed into his warnings. Those who could prevent the pogrom did not take any step to preempt that violence. Five years from issuing the warnings a gory, macabre genocide took place between majoritarian ‘Hutu’and ‘Tutsi’ who fell under the category of minority.  The place of that internecine genocide was Rwanda which was the colony of erstwhile Belgium. In that country the government took various steps that were directed against the minorities. That abetted the desire of the Hutu community to gain racial supremacy and paved the way of merciless killings of minorities. That pogrom was carried out at the tacit approval of government which remained passive onlookers throughout the period.  Eight to ten lakh people lost their lives in those ghastly mass-killings. People belonging to minority ‘Tutsi’ community lost their lives in large numbers. In retaliatory action more than lakhs of people belonging to ‘Hutu’ community lost their lives. That large-scale violence could have been resisted if the government or civil society movements fought back resolutely.

Professor Gregory Stanton conducted an in-depth research into the history of genocide and their antecedents in various countries. He categorized ten features of genocide. Among which eight are early signs.

1. Classification

It is a clever ploy to create a division and divide the society between ‘we’ versus ‘other’. This division can be done on the planks of race, religion, language, provincialism, colour of the skin, ideology or for any  other matter.

2. Symbolisation

This method is used to exclude a particular community by using symbols. During the Nazi reign the Jews were branded by Nuremburg laws. Then they were forced to wear badges or hand bands bearing yellow stars.  By that the Jews were labelled as ‘outsider’ or detested ‘community’.

3. Discrimination

State takes various discriminatory measures to categorise the ‘other’. Whether one performs his or her religious duties, cultural activities, expresses unhindered opinion, or exercises citizen’s rights, in every case that individual would be dubbed as ‘second class citizen’. In that social fabric based on abject discrimination the minorities will always be at the receiving end.

4. Dehumanisation

State adopts planned initiatives to spread hate campaigns among the majoritarian communities to portray the minority communities as violent, demeaning and detestable. They skillfully use all the media to propagate that they are unhygienic, violent, rapist, untrustworthy. They have a criminal bent of mind. Now-a-days by using the internet these pernicious campaigns can be spread rapidly. Eminent journalist Mario Resa of Philippines who recently won the Nobel Peace Prize categorically denounced Facebook. According to her, Facebook at the behest of state apparatus is playing a pivotal role in spreading hate-filled canards against a particular section of people.

5. Organisational and militaristic preparation   

State has its own anti minority militias to execute its dubious plans. In 1933 ‘Gestapo’ which was a secret police force was formed in Nazi ruled Germany. That militarily trained force exterminated the Jews communities throughout Europe. Even those who expressed differing views were not spared. That force was associated with secret killings and subversive activities.

6. Polarisation

State relentlessly spreads hate-filled campaigns against particular communities. All the other identities are kept on the backburner. Those identities are made secondary. Efforts are taken to bring into prominence two identities. This shrewd ploy exacerbates the rift. In India the gulf between majority and minority has been widened by calculated measures.

7. Preparation

In this process the minority community is again identified. They are forcefully evicted from their habitats. As a result they are compelled to live elsewhere. Same scenario prevailed in Germany before the extermination of Jews community. First they were termed as ‘second class citizens’ by Nuremberg Laws. Then they were compelled to wear badges bearing yellow marks. After that they were evicted from their settlements and put in concentration camps.

8. Beginning of persecution

Atrocities get unleashed upon an identified section of people. Those who air differing views are not spared either. The liberal broad minded people who voice their protest are at the receiving end. Sometimes they become victim of organized mob-lynching. Secret assassins stealthily deal lethal blows upon their lives. Perpetrators set ablaze the houses of protestors. They plunder their homes. In order to unleash reign of terror small scale riots and pogroms are also organised.

9. Extermination

Most of the genocide aims at eliminating particular communities. These try to eradicate the traces of those communities. On the eve of Second World War Nazi forces planned large scale genocide to eliminate the Jews. The Nazi top brass hatched a dubious plan to exterminate one crore and ten million Jews from the whole Europe. It took only ninety minutes to take such a heinous and barbarous decision. They materialized their plans through Holocaust. During the period of 1965-66 almost twelve lakh members of communist party in Indonesia were assassinated by the state and far-right groups. During the time of Bangladesh Liberation war Pak army and Muslim fundamentalist force of East Pakistan perpetrated massive genocide and committed mass rapes from March to sixteenth December in 1971. It was anticipated that three to thirty lakhs Bengalis were exterminated. They belonged to both communities Hindu and Muslim who wanted to liberate their motherland. Three to four lakh Bengali women became the victims of brutal gang rapes. From twelve to thirteen August in 1971 many Naxalite activists were killed in Baranagar and Kashipur locality. About one hundred and fifty youths were the victims of that carnage. On eighteenth February in 1983 at Nellie in Nagaon of Assam, almost ten thousand poor people were brutally killed. They belonged to the Muslim community. In nineteen eighty-nine the communist dispensation of China mercilessly killed three thousand people and students in Tiananmen Square. In 1994 almost seven lakhs people belonging to the Tutsi community in Rwanda lost their lives. In Gujarat, three to five thousand people were brutally killed at the behest of the ruling dispensation. Many women were gang raped.

10. Denial

It is quite natural that after every genocide rulers would want to wash their hands off. On the contrary they want to put the blame on the victims. After Gujarat genocide the perpetrators are now at the helm of affairs of our country.

In a conflict ridden country the researchers associated with Genocide Watch gauge the possibility of genocide through these signs. Professor Gregory Stanton established ‘Genocide Watch  to conduct study, research and possibility of genocide in 1999. Of late this organization delved deeper into the social, psychological, and political aspects of India and expressed apprehension that within two years these signs would express a grave possibility of genocide. The perspective of the above mentioned ten features is quite pertinent in our country also. The ruling dispensation of our country which  adheres to the fascist ideology of Hitler and Mussolini is pursuing the syllabus of Nazi Party verbatim.

Despite their Himalayan failure, the Narendra Modi-led BJP won the 2019 general election, resting on jingoism in the wake of the Pulwama attack. Before 2024, their failures are becoming more prominent and stark. In this grim reality no possibility can be overruled. On sixteenth January in Haridwar, Yati Narsinghanand, Sadhvi Annapurna, Swami Dharamdas exhorted the people of Hindu community and law enforcing agencies to get armed. They gave a clarion call of ‘safai abhiyan’. This ‘safai aviyan’ is nothing but ethnic cleansing or extermination of minorities. It has become clear to all.

Sangh Parivar has advanced one step further. Kashmiri Pandits were persecuted and fled the valley in March, 1990. Kashmir Files, the movie was made by mixing canards, half-truths and blatant lies regarding the incident. The purpose of that movie was to spread venomous hatred and malice against the minorities. They want to spread these among the majoritarian community. Prime minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and chief ministers of several BJP ruled states played pivotal roles in publicising the movie. Chief of the Sangh met with the director of the movie. A particular section of the audience raised hate-filled slogans against the minority community outside the cinema hall at the end of the movie. It happened almost everywhere. The process of finalising the religious polarity has been started. ‘The Kashmir Files’ is actually a prelude before the actual mayhem.

‘Gujarat to sirf trailer tha, picture abhi baki hai’ (Gujarat was only the trailer of the movie, the real movie is yet to be seen) – the words spoken by a Sangha loyalist to his co-passenger while returning from North Bengal only embolden the anticipation and possibility of a bleak future expressed by Gregory Stanton.

The president of Rwanda or the United Nations did not pay heed to warnings of Gregory Stanton. The civil society of that country remained mute spectators. They had to suffer because of that nonchalance. Don’t we learn the lessons from their experiences? Will we trudge along the path of absolute indifference?

▪︎ Writer is a Psychiatric Social Worker and associated with ‘Aamra-Ek Sachetan Prayas.

▪︎ Translated by: Joydip Ghosal