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3 I get

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[Music]

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welcome to Sputnik orbiting the world

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with me George Galloway and me gatri for

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decades the Naro family bestro India

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like a Colossus the founder of the

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dnasty led the independent struggle and

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then his daughter Mrs Gandhi piloted the

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country through many Troubled Waters

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mainly clinging to Nero's policy of

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non-alignment Suspicion of us hegemony

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and an aversion to neoliberalism

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she succumbed to an assassin as in turn

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did her successor and Son Rajiv Gandhi

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over the last few years raji's Widow

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Italian born Sonia has been the power

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behind the throne as their party

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Congress has done more u-turns than

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their sister party new labor here in

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Britain out went the old and in came the

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new Congress embracing new liberal

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economics and aligning mainly with the

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US in the process they appear to have

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burned large parts of their once V fast

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and poor electoral base just by all they

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have left is that they are a secular

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option standing weekly against the tide

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of Hindu nationalism and just like new

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labor paved the way for the return of

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the conservatives so it seems new

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Congress has paved the way to the

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possible reemergence of a very powerful

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adversary Narendra Modi with real

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dangers to the very Unity of the country

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to help us understand the alphabet soup

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which is the Indian election we invited

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prominent British political activist and

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civil rights campaigner himself of

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Indian background sures Grover and I'm

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glad to say he joins us now on the

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Sputnik sures welcome uh for the

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uninitiated which uh I'm afraid partly

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includes me uh paint a picture would you

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of the main Runners and riders in this

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Indian election well the main Runners

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would be obviously the Indian National

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Congress which is led by Sonia Gandhi

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and her son Rahul Gandhi then you have

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the BJP the Bara J party which is a

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Hindu nationalist party and its prime

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minister candidate is Narendra Modi and

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then you have arind kraal who is uh the

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latest addition to a very powerful force

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in India against corruption against

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communal disharmony and against crony

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capitalism which is what the manifesto

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says uh who's part of the arm admy party

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known as AAP uh and then you have

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Regional figures who've been stall vs

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for a long time for example mamab B

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from West Bengal who broke away from

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Congress some time ago then you have

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people like nites Kumar from biar uh you

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have ja who was an actress before in

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taminadu who who actually in terms of

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power blocks in terms of building

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alliances with these two parties are

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very very forceful uh Indian elections

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for some time haven't had a majority of

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either the two main political parties

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BJP or the Indian national Congress so

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the magical figure for them is 272 seats

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out of

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543 the last elections saw Indian

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National Congress got 206 seats and the

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BJP around 118 so they have to build a

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National Alliance or different forms of

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alliances So currently the congress

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party has the United Progressive

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Alliance the UPA UPA and the PARTA J

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party which is in opposition is called

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the national democratic elction Alliance

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so it is a

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political um U framework which has to

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link up with other political parties and

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in that are political parties who will

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never join with the BJP like the

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Communist Party the United left blocks

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either the Communist Party of India the

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Communist Party Marxist I was going to

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ask you about them because the Communist

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Party of marxist were once a powerful

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force I mean they ran uh West Bengal

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didn't they for 36 years and mam banerji

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broke that in the last election now the

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block of which Congress is the principal

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uh uh block uh building block uh as the

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name suggests used to be the progressive

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or Center left part of politics but in

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my introduction you'll have heard my

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thesis that actually Congress has lost

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its way is no longer really deserving of

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the title uh left am I right in that

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absolutely followed new liberal policies

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it created an industrial Bastion which

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favored industrial over poor people and

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cut wages uh it increased gas prices it

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increased prices of raw materials and

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foods like onions which has shifted

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political parties away from congress

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party because of the dissent of ordinary

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people and it's also uh extremely

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corrupt there are three difficulties at

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the moment in India the first is the

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issue of corruption who really will

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tackle it seriously the second is who

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will tackle crony capitalism as as it's

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known in in India who will actually

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stand against the big power blocks the

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Tartas the Bas the financial power

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blocks the Tartas the Bas the ambanis

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the mythal and what's happened in

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Gujarat this is where Modi comes in he's

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given free access to these big

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industrialists to situate their houses

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in Gujarat he's made a free market

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Paradise hasn't he it's like a new trade

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new free trade zones as we used to know

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them and that's had an adverse effect on

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both environment law and labor laws and

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the gap between the rich and the poor

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has increased not just in Gujarat but

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actually over the last despite the

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economic growth of

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8% massively in India over the last year

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so the economic framework and how you

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tackle that and how you going into the

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rural areas is going to be very very

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crucial the third factor which I think

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nobody's talking about but I believe it

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to be a very serious factor is that out

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of the 810 million people who are

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legible to vot we're talking about a

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massive number of people out of 1.2

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billion there's 810 million who will

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vote 100 million are new voters now the

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Indian population about 65% of them are

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below 35 years of age 50% of them are

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between 18 and 23 now they started

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mobilizing on the streets against rapes

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for example and violence against women

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against corruption now where will they

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go who's going to take their votes well

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on that kind of subject when I mention

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the word garat here in this country in

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my own area in Bradford for example it

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means only one thing it means

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intercommunal violence and Slaughter now

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Modi was the the chief minister who was

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in power when a massacre of Muslims in

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Gujarat took place does that suggest

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that the Muslims will be throwing their

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weight almost universally behind Mr

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Gandhi and Congress not necessarily with

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Congress but with other political

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parties they have their own samage party

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in Gujarat but what Modi is trying to

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say is that he can win over Muslim votes

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now I represent the da family who live

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in batle very near to Bradford and they

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were the British tourists who were

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killed during the genocide in 2002 and

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we've taken action against Modi on

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crimes against humanity and I served a

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writ on him in Gujarat in 2004 now that

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genocide is one of

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the most polarizing brutal acts of

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violence that has ever taken place in

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that subcontinent which has seen

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experienced festi side not even genocide

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I mean the partition which I'm a product

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of

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uh Saw 3 million people ding a period of

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three three months or so so in Gujarat

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Modi being the chief minister as you

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know it developed as a result of a

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burning of the Hindu Seas Saks in godra

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57 people died Modi being the chief

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minister abdicated his

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responsibility threw away the

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constitution of India called a bun which

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is a strike where the law enforcement

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agencies became paralyzed whipped up

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anger against Muslim Community and large

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um blamed the uh the burning of the

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Train on the ICI ICI in Pakistan when he

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had no evidence and then sought Revenge

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by putting police officers in police

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stations so they could monitor where uh

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massacres were taking place and would

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not respond a congress Member of

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Parliament efran Jaffrey according to

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his daughter and his servants rang Modi

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when he was being killed slaughtered to

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place about him and his family 57 people

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died and mod refused to help as a result

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2,000 Muslims these are official figures

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they bound to be more were massacred

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100,000 were displaced and about 80% of

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Muslim businesses were targeted in Us in

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around Amad the capital of Gujarat so

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where would Muslim voters go certainly

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not with Modi in my view you know mod

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Modi is a a lifetime member of the RSS

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he was born into it he's been a servant

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extremist it's a militaristic wing and

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it's political Wing is the BJP it's a

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secretive male dominated militaristic

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Army of 1 million people and this is the

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milu from which he comes just time for

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one last uh question dynastic nepotistic

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policies neru was one thing Mrs Gandhi

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also was uh another uh but now we're

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into what's that four uh Generations now

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and it would be wrong to say that each

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generation is better than the last is

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this the end for the neru Gandhi family

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if Rahul uh loses this one not really

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the reason for that is I think Rahul

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doesn't want to stand and and this is

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going to be very important yes of course

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the Congress has no other Central

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figures apart from the gandhis and

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that's deliberately done to create and

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um harness that denti wing and everybody

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in the congress party not independent uh

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commentators but they'd rather have

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prianka the daughter of Sonia Gandhi the

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the sister of Rahul leading the party

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she's more charismatic she's brighter

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than him um it's not the end because the

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results are not predictable I know

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there's a wave that saying um Modi will

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definitely win but they only have 116

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seats at the moment and for them to get

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272 creates a massive increase in

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percentages of votes and I think it

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really depends on who's good at horse

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trading in terms of alliances Etc if

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anybody wants to go the with the BJP

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they'll never get being a prime minister

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for example because Modi wants to be the

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prime minister with Congress it's likely

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they'll accept yeah somebody else from a

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prime minister I think the dasty isn't

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going to go I think it will only go if

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the grassroot Ordinary People begin to

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have a momentum and it'd be interesting

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to see where up goes this election from

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Delhi to a national party is going to be

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a massive qualitative leap the only

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National part is Congress BJP only has

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real power in five states out of 30 odd

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so who creates that National picture is

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going to be important so will you come

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back and talk to us after the result

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absolutely with pleasure be fantastic

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sures grova thanks very much coming up

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after the break as a wave of

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islamophobia accompanies the run-up to

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elections here in Britain we'll be

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talking to one of the British Muslim

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communities brightest stars we'll be

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right

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[Music]

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back welcome back to the Sputnik in the

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nearby London barar hamlets the

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independent mayor L for Raman is

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embroiled in a bitter reelection

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campaign under state sponsored fire from

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the BBC to the communities and local

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government Minister the former commander

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of the anti-terrorism police has been

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sent in by the British prime minister to

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investigate uh the election of school

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governors in the Midlands in which

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Muslims are alleged to be organizing to

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get Muslim parents involved in running

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their children's schools wow and then

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just across the river from us now from

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the pulpit of Bloomberg's last week Tony

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Blair finally went absolutely berserk

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declaring war permanent war that is of

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the orwellian 1984 variety on Muslims

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worldwide anyone would think there was

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an election coming up indeed joining us

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now to take the temperature in the

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British culture wars is anayat Bala

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always my first Port of Call on matters

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pertaining to the British Muslim

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Community in welcome let's start with

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the most serious of these three examples

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we gave of this new wave that we seem to

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be in the middle of the speech at

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Bloomberg's by Tony Blair even startled

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most mainstream commentators such was

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its

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Manan uh apocalyptic Vision how did it

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play to you well let's let's take some

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context to this uh Speech I mean Tony

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Blair our former prime minister is a man

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whose reputation worldwide is now in

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shreds following the Iraq War um he's

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widely believed to have misled the

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British public and Parliament over the

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reasons for war he led us to war and a

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false perspectus this is now established

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opinion in in Britain and he's expected

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to come under very heavy criticism in

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the forthcoming chilot report so he's a

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man whose reputation is is already in in

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in tus and this is now him trying to Reg

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try and regain some Credence amongst the

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public by uh engaging in what is always

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00:14:56,199 --> 00:15:00,040
a hobby which will get you some votes in

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Britain which is back bashing Islam and

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bashing Muslims by scare mongering about

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the faith of Islam and and the faith of

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millions of Believers worldwide it's

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interesting to point out that just a

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00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:12,839
decade ago 11 12 years ago during the

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run-up to war in Iraq Tony Blair and

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00:15:12,839 --> 00:15:17,600
other uh neocon commentators were making

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the argument that they had to intervene

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00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:22,680
in Iraq to establish democracy to

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promote freedoms and now just last week

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00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:27,440
Tony Blair very openly very unashamedly

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was arguing in favor of the overthrow of

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the Egyptian government which was Dem

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00:15:29,079 --> 00:15:32,000
atically elected whose president

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00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:34,440
president Mory was democratically

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brought to power so he's now gone is

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totally uh overturned his arguments from

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00:15:36,639 --> 00:15:40,880
11 years ago and now unashamedly

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00:15:38,519 --> 00:15:43,399
supporting autocrats in the region and

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he's also doing this currently as a

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peace Envoy of the Middle East you know

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you if you made up the story you

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00:15:47,319 --> 00:15:50,639
couldn't make that up could you he's

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00:15:48,920 --> 00:15:52,639
he's the the permanent priest Envoy to

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00:15:50,639 --> 00:15:54,800
the Middle East this it's actually quite

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00:15:52,639 --> 00:15:56,720
frightening yeah well look if his

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concept of democracy turns out to be

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elastic so does his uh definition of

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00:15:59,880 --> 00:16:06,600
extremist because he argued that we

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00:16:03,519 --> 00:16:09,800
ought to be more deeply involved in the

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Civil War and foreign intervention in

359
00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:17,759
Syria which could only bring by any

360
00:16:13,519 --> 00:16:20,160
standards extremists uh into power in

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Damascus and of course the one country

362
00:16:20,160 --> 00:16:24,959
he didn't mention at all was Saudi

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Arabia which is the font of almost all

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00:16:24,959 --> 00:16:29,680
extremism it's astonishing because I

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00:16:27,319 --> 00:16:32,160
mean any analysis of the rise of

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00:16:29,680 --> 00:16:34,480
extremism over the last 20 years will

367
00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:39,000
always Focus the Locust will always be

368
00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:40,720
Saudi Arabia where a very uh very um

369
00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:43,360
intolerant brand of Islam has been

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00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:45,040
promoted and exported in in other parts

371
00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:46,680
of the world the Saudi monarchy is

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00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:49,040
perhaps the most reactionary monarchy in

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00:16:46,680 --> 00:16:50,560
the entire world it's it's and the UNF

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00:16:49,040 --> 00:16:52,399
freest and the least Democratic

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absolutely you know they they routinely

376
00:16:52,399 --> 00:16:57,199
I mean I was there and I was there to

377
00:16:55,199 --> 00:16:59,000
perform Hajj I couldn't buy a copy of

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00:16:57,199 --> 00:17:01,759
the Quran translated by Muhammad Assad

379
00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:04,400
who was a a Western European and because

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00:17:01,759 --> 00:17:06,000
it was regarded as a not an accurate

381
00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:07,959
translation so they routinely too

382
00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:10,520
liberal absolutely so they routinely

383
00:17:07,959 --> 00:17:12,880
censor books they routinely uh deny the

384
00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:14,240
PO their population access to freedoms

385
00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:15,799
and yet this is the one government that

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00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:17,760
Tony Blair did not there's not a single

387
00:17:15,799 --> 00:17:19,280
word mentioned about he mentioned lots

388
00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:21,959
of different governments in the region

389
00:17:19,280 --> 00:17:23,679
and his his uh solution to bring uh

390
00:17:21,959 --> 00:17:25,919
greater freedoms to these countries but

391
00:17:23,679 --> 00:17:28,400
Saudi Arabia not a word it's almost as

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00:17:25,919 --> 00:17:30,320
if as long as Saudi Arabia keeps uh

393
00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:32,240
spending hundreds of millions of dollars

394
00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:35,000
every year buying useless Weaponry from

395
00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:38,000
the west and then it will be overlooked

396
00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:40,720
the the uh reasons for him making the

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00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:43,600
speech then uh prophylactic reasons in

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00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:47,080
advance of the chilot though God knows

399
00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:50,320
when chilot is going to report we can

400
00:17:47,080 --> 00:17:53,720
understand why did the British media uh

401
00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:56,720
give it such extraordinary prominence it

402
00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:59,360
dominated the news agenda for fully 24

403
00:17:56,720 --> 00:18:01,760
almost 48 Hours yes it's just it's true

404
00:17:59,360 --> 00:18:02,960
I mean it's it's regrettable that uh a

405
00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:04,720
speech from a man who's been so

406
00:18:02,960 --> 00:18:08,360
discredited can get that kind of

407
00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:09,919
publicity but in today's climate where

408
00:18:08,360 --> 00:18:13,480
the government La last year did try and

409
00:18:09,919 --> 00:18:15,480
make an attempt to um uh Galvanize the

410
00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:18,159
population although it failed into

411
00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:19,600
supporting attack on Syria uh this is

412
00:18:18,159 --> 00:18:21,240
another attempt by Tony Blair down the

413
00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:23,960
same line to try and Galvanize public

414
00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:25,679
opinion into rally rallying it behind

415
00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:28,080
great aggression in the Muslim world and

416
00:18:25,679 --> 00:18:30,840
so the establishment must kind of favor

417
00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:32,919
that uh you or they would given them the

418
00:18:30,840 --> 00:18:34,240
prominence well it's worth reflecting

419
00:18:32,919 --> 00:18:35,880
that at the time of the Iraq well the

420
00:18:34,240 --> 00:18:38,960
British public was very heavily divided

421
00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:41,000
you know maybe 5050 or 6040 but the vast

422
00:18:38,960 --> 00:18:42,720
majority of the press did support uh

423
00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:44,640
Tony Blair's invasion of Iraq and all

424
00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:45,919
the Murdoch press was almost unanimous

425
00:18:44,640 --> 00:18:48,320
in it support for Iraq so the

426
00:18:45,919 --> 00:18:49,960
establishment was very much behind this

427
00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:52,000
intervention in Muslim countries you

428
00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:54,919
mentioned the climate so let's dig

429
00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:58,000
deeper into the climate this Trojan

430
00:18:54,919 --> 00:19:00,600
Horse business where the heus crime is

431
00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:02,760
alleged that some Muslims were trying to

432
00:19:00,600 --> 00:19:05,440
get themselves elected to the board of

433
00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:07,960
school governors in a country crying out

434
00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:10,159
for people to come forward to become

435
00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:12,799
School Governors and school Governors

436
00:19:10,159 --> 00:19:15,520
don't have very much power or authority

437
00:19:12,799 --> 00:19:17,799
anyway the government has sent in the

438
00:19:15,520 --> 00:19:20,840
former commander of the anti-terrorism

439
00:19:17,799 --> 00:19:23,720
squad to look into this plot yes I mean

440
00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:25,760
if that's not stirring up islamophobia I

441
00:19:23,720 --> 00:19:27,559
can't imagine what is well it's worth be

442
00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:30,000
in mind here who our education secretary

443
00:19:27,559 --> 00:19:32,320
in Britain is uh it is Michael Gove and

444
00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:34,760
Michael Gove used to be uh chairman of

445
00:19:32,320 --> 00:19:37,799
policy exchange which is a very neocon

446
00:19:34,760 --> 00:19:40,200
uh Think Tank here in the UK um it's

447
00:19:37,799 --> 00:19:43,000
very very regrettable that Michael go

448
00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:45,080
chose uh I believe it's detective

449
00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:46,799
inspector Clark exactly the former

450
00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:48,400
antiterrorist Chief to head this

451
00:19:46,799 --> 00:19:49,919
investigation even the chief conable of

452
00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:51,880
the West Midlands said it was very very

453
00:19:49,919 --> 00:19:55,559
regret it was because it was seen as by

454
00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:59,000
by Muslims in Birmingham as trying to uh

455
00:19:55,559 --> 00:20:00,840
again um vilify a legitimate uh suit

456
00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:02,799
which is trying to get more Muslims

457
00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:04,360
engaged in the running of their schools

458
00:20:02,799 --> 00:20:05,720
you would think where Muslims constitute

459
00:20:04,360 --> 00:20:07,640
the majority in many schools in

460
00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:09,400
Birmingham in that area Muslim do

461
00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:11,799
constitute the majority of of of the

462
00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:13,720
population in in in in terms of pupils

463
00:20:11,799 --> 00:20:15,720
you think the government would welcome a

464
00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:18,039
greater involvement by their parents in

465
00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:19,559
the education of their own children but

466
00:20:18,039 --> 00:20:21,559
here I think Michael Gove and some

467
00:20:19,559 --> 00:20:24,120
right-wing commentators have hinted that

468
00:20:21,559 --> 00:20:26,720
there is a Sinister plot an islamist

469
00:20:24,120 --> 00:20:29,520
plot uh to try and take over these

470
00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:31,880
schools but if if there was then we'd

471
00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:32,840
need to see the evidence and up till now

472
00:20:31,880 --> 00:20:34,120
the evidence hasn't really been

473
00:20:32,840 --> 00:20:36,919
forthcoming we've seen an anonymous

474
00:20:34,120 --> 00:20:38,880
letter which has not not been really we

475
00:20:36,919 --> 00:20:41,280
don't know who auth is it may all turn

476
00:20:38,880 --> 00:20:43,000
out to be a hoax my sources in

477
00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:45,320
Birmingham which are many and well

478
00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:47,679
placed indicate that actually it's a

479
00:20:45,320 --> 00:20:51,480
forgery it's a hoax and of course just

480
00:20:47,679 --> 00:20:53,320
along the road from here uh L for Raman

481
00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:55,679
uh we don't want to interfere in the

482
00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:58,679
electoral process which has begun we

483
00:20:55,679 --> 00:21:01,400
don't have a side uh can't have as a a

484
00:20:58,679 --> 00:21:04,360
British television program uh in this

485
00:21:01,400 --> 00:21:07,200
but it was a remarkable barrage that the

486
00:21:04,360 --> 00:21:09,280
elected mayor came under all at a very

487
00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:12,039
advantageous time just before the

488
00:21:09,280 --> 00:21:14,880
elections kicked off BBC the state

489
00:21:12,039 --> 00:21:17,960
broadcaster in Britain in its Panorama

490
00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:21,039
Flagship opened fire uh no sooner had

491
00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:24,000
the uh closing credits disappeared off

492
00:21:21,039 --> 00:21:26,520
the screen the communities Minister had

493
00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:29,440
sent in the police who a couple of days

494
00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:32,120
later uh said there was no case to

495
00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:35,559
answer uh but nonetheless the inspectors

496
00:21:32,120 --> 00:21:38,679
are still in and so on this surely is

497
00:21:35,559 --> 00:21:40,640
belongs as part of this picture that I'm

498
00:21:38,679 --> 00:21:43,840
trying to describe of Britain in the

499
00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:46,080
grip of an islamophobic wave it is uh it

500
00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:48,159
was again it was astonishing that Eric

501
00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:50,600
pickles responded to what was a very

502
00:21:48,159 --> 00:21:52,799
inflammatory BBC documentary uh on

503
00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:55,960
Panorama by sending an inspector so

504
00:21:52,799 --> 00:21:58,240
quickly uh it's I mean we know there's

505
00:21:55,960 --> 00:22:00,320
been bad blood between L for Rahman and

506
00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:02,480
the conservative party L for rman used

507
00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:05,559
to be a member of the labor party had to

508
00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:08,640
uh stand as an independent and you know

509
00:22:05,559 --> 00:22:10,080
it has to be said he was elected by by a

510
00:22:08,640 --> 00:22:11,480
lot of substantial support you don't

511
00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:12,919
just get elected as an independent MP

512
00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:14,880
just like that you have to have some

513
00:22:12,919 --> 00:22:16,679
Grassroots standing there so it was an

514
00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:19,880
incredible campaign he ran some several

515
00:22:16,679 --> 00:22:23,400
years ago and to see the BBC intervening

516
00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:25,880
in what seemed to uh say to to my eyes a

517
00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:27,559
very very party political way was was

518
00:22:25,880 --> 00:22:29,360
regrettable but it was remember we have

519
00:22:27,559 --> 00:22:32,559
to bear in mind the reported behind it

520
00:22:29,360 --> 00:22:34,480
John wear is not not no stranger to

521
00:22:32,559 --> 00:22:36,840
controversial reporting on the BBC he is

522
00:22:34,480 --> 00:22:39,720
not in fact I made a complaint about him

523
00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:42,799
many years ago in a Saudi related story

524
00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:46,880
which was upheld uh which is a was a

525
00:22:42,799 --> 00:22:50,120
rare experience uh for me um so summing

526
00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:52,559
up what's life like for the 2 million

527
00:22:50,120 --> 00:22:54,080
Muslims in Britain today in this

528
00:22:52,559 --> 00:22:56,080
atmosphere British Muslims have been on

529
00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:58,799
the spotlight now for a number of years

530
00:22:56,080 --> 00:23:01,159
and um the events of 9911 only exacer

531
00:22:58,799 --> 00:23:02,919
that Spotlight we've seen uh many

532
00:23:01,159 --> 00:23:06,120
right-wing commentators in the UK who

533
00:23:02,919 --> 00:23:08,600
are you know very extensively placed in

534
00:23:06,120 --> 00:23:11,480
in our media uh continually vilifying

535
00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:13,200
this community we've seen the rise of a

536
00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:15,520
explicitly anti-muslim movement in the

537
00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:18,640
shape of the English Defense League uh

538
00:23:15,520 --> 00:23:19,880
targeting British Muslims uh our

539
00:23:18,640 --> 00:23:21,559
established farri parties like the

540
00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:23,360
British national party make no bonds

541
00:23:21,559 --> 00:23:25,799
every time there is an election their

542
00:23:23,360 --> 00:23:28,880
campaign is explicitly anti-muslim they

543
00:23:25,799 --> 00:23:30,960
see it as a way of winning votes what

544
00:23:28,880 --> 00:23:32,840
most depressing is that some of our

545
00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:35,400
mainstream parties like the conservative

546
00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:37,240
party in Britain have seen this as a as

547
00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:38,760
a vote winner as well and rather than

548
00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:40,840
pushing back against his extremism

549
00:23:38,760 --> 00:23:43,480
pushing back against his racism they

550
00:23:40,840 --> 00:23:46,120
appear all too eager to jump on board uh

551
00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:47,919
the bashing Muslims bandwagon that is

552
00:23:46,120 --> 00:23:51,039
really really regretable and it's it's

553
00:23:47,919 --> 00:23:53,320
not just we in the UK who are uh seeing

554
00:23:51,039 --> 00:23:56,080
this it's an established Trend in Europe

555
00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:58,240
now as well we see European parties far

556
00:23:56,080 --> 00:24:00,919
right parties and M rightwing parties

557
00:23:58,240 --> 00:24:03,520
are are uh seeking rally votes on the

558
00:24:00,919 --> 00:24:06,000
back of anti-muslim Hysteria inight

559
00:24:03,520 --> 00:24:08,440
bonga as always I'm deeply grateful

560
00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:08,440
thanks for

561
00:24:09,799 --> 00:24:14,400
that and now it's your turn to tell us

562
00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:16,880
what you think through the portals of

563
00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:18,440
social media what's rattling gri well I

564
00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:21,360
asked the people whether Britain is in

565
00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:23,640
the grip of islamophobia to which Jack

566
00:24:21,360 --> 00:24:26,039
Tipple replies it's been in the grip of

567
00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:28,960
islamophobia since the West needed a new

568
00:24:26,039 --> 00:24:31,840
Boogyman at the fall of the Iran curtain

569
00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:34,520
well that's true uh but periodically uh

570
00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:37,159
it waxes and wins and it's definitely

571
00:24:34,520 --> 00:24:39,640
waxing right now and that has to be

572
00:24:37,159 --> 00:24:42,360
connected to the European Parliament

573
00:24:39,640 --> 00:24:45,640
elections the local elections the

574
00:24:42,360 --> 00:24:48,240
xenophobia of ukip and so on and of

575
00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:50,720
course the general election just next

576
00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:52,240
year Chris Allen says that the

577
00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:54,399
government would like that to be the

578
00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:57,760
case but most people I know have their

579
00:24:54,399 --> 00:25:00,559
own minds um about the speech that Blair

580
00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:02,919
made last week RM makes the point that

581
00:25:00,559 --> 00:25:06,200
the one country Blair did not mention in

582
00:25:02,919 --> 00:25:08,480
his radical speech was Saudi Arabia H

583
00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:11,320
wonder why well he he didn't mention it

584
00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:15,440
but he implicitly said that we should

585
00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:18,159
back it uh which is a measure of just

586
00:25:15,440 --> 00:25:21,279
how perverse this speech was yeah you

587
00:25:18,159 --> 00:25:23,520
could make it up about India Moss says

588
00:25:21,279 --> 00:25:25,919
that the election will be between the

589
00:25:23,520 --> 00:25:29,640
nepotistic Congress and the anti-

590
00:25:25,919 --> 00:25:33,640
non-hindu BJP AA way don't have hope in

591
00:25:29,640 --> 00:25:36,039
hell and talif KH says that both

592
00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:38,000
Congress and BJP serve the corporate

593
00:25:36,039 --> 00:25:40,159
interest and that we just have to choose

594
00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:42,440
between the L devil that's all for this

595
00:25:40,159 --> 00:25:44,480
week which unfortunately means that's

596
00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:47,760
the end of the show you can keep touch

597
00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:49,640
with us on Twitter at rtor Sputnik and

598
00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:52,120
on Facebook you can like us on Sputnik

599
00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:54,320
on Russia today it's goodbye from me gri

600
00:25:52,120 --> 00:25:57,320
and from me George Galloway it's been

601
00:25:54,320 --> 00:25:57,320
marvelous

602
00:25:58,679 --> 00:26:03,890
oh

603
00:26:00,770 --> 00:26:03,890
[Music]

604
00:26:06,870 --> 00:26:17,820
[Music]