The credibility that Narendra Modi has acquired among many Hindu voters over the years is for what his government oversaw in 2002; not for engineering a spectacular model of economic development
There is little doubt that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will be back in power in Gujarat in the next fortnight. A vote in favour of the Congress, the only longstanding rival to the BJP in the State, would be no less than a tactical mistake. Despairingly or pragmatically, a certain section of Muslims continue to support the BJP even after their intuitive belief was proved right — that Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘sadbhavana’ felt too fantastic to be real. Indeed, of 182 BJP contestants fighting the elections, none is a Muslim.
But for every Gujarati Muslim compelled by pragmatism, there are twice as many who would willingly make the tactical mistake of choosing a party that has little chance of gaining power than a nearly invincible BJP. Here are three reasons why:
1. The cover of ‘development’
Every day the media reports statistical figures either giving evidence of the BJP’s economic achievements in Gujarat transgressing class and religion or counterevidence suggesting a skew in this eulogised model of development. Either way, the story of the BJP’s success in the last 10 years in the State is crucially centred on economic development. How true this is is of little relevance. The point is that the development story is an insidious cover: the credibility that Mr. Modi has acquired among large sections of Gujarati Hindu voters over the years is for what his government oversaw in 2002 and later in extra-judicial killings of Muslims, not for engineering a spectacular model of economic development. “Modi had the audacity to take on the might of the aggressive Muslims and to preserve our ‘asmita’ (regional pride). He is a real lion!” This is something I hear from Gujarati Hindus quite often during research in Ahmedabad.
At the heart of ‘asmita’ is a discourse of nativism and mobilisation around a narrative that had long seen Gujaratis as victims of outside meddlers, write Nalin and Mona G. Mehta in their edited book, Gujarat Beyond Gandhi: Identity, Conflict and Society. Victimhood of the Gujarati Hindu formed the core of the nativism. Indeed, provision of State resources and economic development are not the real winning factors for the BJP. In avoiding Muslim representation in the elections, the party has clarified that it has no intention to veer from its ideological commitment to Gujarati ‘asmita’ and Hindu nationalism. Unlike a Congress that can be held by the scruff of its neck for swaying away from its secular ideology, the BJP cannot be held accountable for ‘sadbhavana’ promises broken.
2. ‘Ten years of peace’
This is the BJP’s favourite catchphrase after ‘development.’ Sure, in Gujarat’s most riot-prone city of Ahmedabad, communal violence and curfews were so recurrent during Congress governments that a year without a big or small riot would find a centre spot in our year-enders. But are these 10 years of peace under BJP rule as vibrant as its economy?
Recently, Mr. Modi chose two important constituencies in Ahmedabad to make his electoral appeal to the voters: Vejalpur and Jamalpur-Khadia. As urban vocabulary goes in highly segregated Ahmedabad, both are ‘border’ constituencies. Unlike earlier, Mr. Modi was careful not to overdo the identity rhetoric. If in 2002 he used ‘Miyan’ Musharraf in the pejorative, 10 years later he is quick to clarify how his venerable reference to Ahmed ‘miyan’ Patel was misconstrued as a communal slur. Even as Hindus on one side cheered to every remark that their charismatic leader made, Muslims stayed silent. For many of them, Mr. Modi was giving across an untrustworthy signal. “I will not vote for him, though I fear that if I don’t there could be another riot,” my autorickshaw driver, a Muslim man from Jamalpur, said. In expressing his dilemma, the rickshaw driver simplified a vast scholarly literature on the subject of Hindu-Muslim relations in India: that electoral competition and violence are crucially linked. If there is peace in Gujarat today, it is primarily because violence is not required.
In addition, Ahmedabad is as polarised as it used to be and Muslims continue to be refused housing. A ‘Muslim property show’ held in Ahmedabad last month — the first of its kind in the country — was sad proof of Muslims reconciling to the fact that life in post-riot ghettos is a permanent reality.
Where communal segregation is assumed to be normal, peacefulness cannot be normal.
3. Legitimisation of prejudice
Anti-Muslim prejudice is rooted in most of urban Gujarat. It always was, even before 2002, when the Congress was in power. It is quite well known that asking a stranger her caste and religion in the first meeting is acceptable in Gujarat. ‘Tame keva? (literal: what are you?)’ rarely evokes embarrassment. In earlier times, if the recipient of this question was discovered to be a Muslim, the conversation would either reach an impasse or take on a more formal tone. Prejudice was profound but latent; a semblance of guilt in expressing anti-Muslim prejudice existed. The difference then and now is the expression of this prejudice. In these 10 years of peace the guilt has disappeared. Muslim hatred is completely acceptable today, for many continue their rant against Muslims even after they discover they are talking to one. Is the earlier hypocrisy preferred to the existing cockiness? Maybe so if one believes that legitimised prejudice is worse than calculated normality.
As a Muslim myself, I am proud of being part of a thriving democracy. But a thriving democracy inevitably means chaos and the liberty to dissent. The fear of disrupting peace by showing dissent is as frightening as violence. Development is as much about human dignity as it is about gross domestic product.
(Raheel Dhattiwala is a doctoral student in Sociology in the U.K.)
Gujarat Mass Genocide : The REAL Truth.
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ghulam muhammed
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ghulam muhammed
- Posts: 11653
- Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:34 pm
Re: Gujarat Mass Genocide : The REAL Truth.
In the words of the men who did it
Tehelka Investigations Editor Ashish Khetan’s sting investigation into the Gujarat riots played a crucial role in nailing Maya Kodnani and Babu Bajrangi in the Naroda Patiya massacre. The Supreme Court appointed SIT submitted the Tehelka tapes as evidence in the trial court. Ashish Khetan deposed and was cross examined for 4 days. These are excerpts of some of the conversations caught on camera.
This is the transcript for the meeting that happened at Babu Bajrangi’s office at Naroda, Ahmedabad on August 10, 2007. The meeting is divided into two sessions—pre lunch and post lunch. This transcript is for the pre-lunch session. The session has been recorded into four files. I have transcribed only the relevant portions—anything even remotely significant is transcribed — from each file.
Index of revelations
Here he says that he is facing charges of murdering 147 people but still he is ready to fight.
He says he has ‘rescued’ 956 Hindu girls from Muslim boys and thus in a manner of speaking has killed 5000 Muslims before they were born.
He says but for Narendra Modi he would have been still in jail.
He says the VHP did nothing for those Hindu rioters who were jailed except sending ration to their houses for a few months after the riots.
He says after returning from Godhra he had announced that he would take revenge for those killed in the inferno on the Sabarmati train. He says he had collected 23 revolvers from Hindus by threatening them of dire consequences. These revolvers were collected a night before the Naroda massacre.
He says he was in touch with Jaideep patel, the Gujarat State VHP President, while the Naroda massacre was on.
Says there are 14 Muslims and 16 policemen as witnesses against him. He says the policemen have become witnesses under immense pressure. As on the day of the massacre they remained mute spectators and did not stop him and others from killing the Muslims.
Says that the police was in complete control of Ahmedabad and the rest of the Gujarat while the killings were happening. But Modi had instructed them to stand back and not stop the Hindu rioters.
He says he has personal relations with Modi. Narrates an incident where Modi at his behest had got a Hindu boy who had become Muslim abducted.
Says if the judge were to ask him his last wish he would prefer to bomb 10-15000 Muslims before he dies.
Says there are two solutions for this menace called Muslims. One the order should come from Delhi to kill burn and loot them. This, he says, can be executed by lower caste Hindus living in slums. He cites the example of Naroda masscare where it were lowly castes who had carried out the killings. The second solution he says is to disenfranchise Muslims.
He says he and other Hindu rioters were better armed that’s the reason they could kill so many Muslims.
Confirms that BJP workers Bipin panchal and Manoj Videowala were also among the rioters.
Says people from the Congress were also among the rioters.
Says they had re-enacted the historic battle scene of haldighati at Naroda. Says there is a witness who says she had seen him cutting open a woman’s womb, taking the baby out and then rotating it on the tip of his sword. When I ask if its true he neither denies nor confirms.
Describes how a large number of Muslims were killed in the well.
Babu continues to narrate how a large number of Muslims hiding in a dry well at Patya were ambushed and killed.
He says later in the evening the police had got instructions to shoot him at sight. But the Naroda Police Station PI Mysorewala alerted him and he ran away.
He says after 4 months when he was eventually arrested he never stated in the police statement that he was from the Bajrang Dal or VHP.
He describes how after four months of hiding Narendra Modi who was under immense pressure to get him arrested staged his arrest drama. PP Pandey, the then JCP crime, set up the entire drama. He gives a graphic description.
He says that while he was absconding he had spoken to Modi more than a couple of times over the phone. He says he stills keeps in touch with Modi but he can’t meet him openly because of the media. He says such is the respect he has for Modi that even if Modi asks him to become a suicide bomber and kill people he will not bat an eyelid.
He says he hates only two people—Muslims and Christians. He says he takes ‘remand’ of Muslims at his office.
He then asks his attendant to parade before me the 7-8 Hindu girls staying at his house. These girls he says he had rescued from their Muslim husbands or boyfriends. 03:28:55/09259 (closing counter)
main bologna ek kam karro do din ki chuuti do mere ko…mai bologna bahanchood 10-15 bomb womb leke 10 –15 hajaarmiyuu ki maa chod daalo…
http://tehelka.com/in-the-words-of-the-men-who-did-it/#
Tehelka Investigations Editor Ashish Khetan’s sting investigation into the Gujarat riots played a crucial role in nailing Maya Kodnani and Babu Bajrangi in the Naroda Patiya massacre. The Supreme Court appointed SIT submitted the Tehelka tapes as evidence in the trial court. Ashish Khetan deposed and was cross examined for 4 days. These are excerpts of some of the conversations caught on camera.
This is the transcript for the meeting that happened at Babu Bajrangi’s office at Naroda, Ahmedabad on August 10, 2007. The meeting is divided into two sessions—pre lunch and post lunch. This transcript is for the pre-lunch session. The session has been recorded into four files. I have transcribed only the relevant portions—anything even remotely significant is transcribed — from each file.
Index of revelations
Here he says that he is facing charges of murdering 147 people but still he is ready to fight.
He says he has ‘rescued’ 956 Hindu girls from Muslim boys and thus in a manner of speaking has killed 5000 Muslims before they were born.
He says but for Narendra Modi he would have been still in jail.
He says the VHP did nothing for those Hindu rioters who were jailed except sending ration to their houses for a few months after the riots.
He says after returning from Godhra he had announced that he would take revenge for those killed in the inferno on the Sabarmati train. He says he had collected 23 revolvers from Hindus by threatening them of dire consequences. These revolvers were collected a night before the Naroda massacre.
He says he was in touch with Jaideep patel, the Gujarat State VHP President, while the Naroda massacre was on.
Says there are 14 Muslims and 16 policemen as witnesses against him. He says the policemen have become witnesses under immense pressure. As on the day of the massacre they remained mute spectators and did not stop him and others from killing the Muslims.
Says that the police was in complete control of Ahmedabad and the rest of the Gujarat while the killings were happening. But Modi had instructed them to stand back and not stop the Hindu rioters.
He says he has personal relations with Modi. Narrates an incident where Modi at his behest had got a Hindu boy who had become Muslim abducted.
Says if the judge were to ask him his last wish he would prefer to bomb 10-15000 Muslims before he dies.
Says there are two solutions for this menace called Muslims. One the order should come from Delhi to kill burn and loot them. This, he says, can be executed by lower caste Hindus living in slums. He cites the example of Naroda masscare where it were lowly castes who had carried out the killings. The second solution he says is to disenfranchise Muslims.
He says he and other Hindu rioters were better armed that’s the reason they could kill so many Muslims.
Confirms that BJP workers Bipin panchal and Manoj Videowala were also among the rioters.
Says people from the Congress were also among the rioters.
Says they had re-enacted the historic battle scene of haldighati at Naroda. Says there is a witness who says she had seen him cutting open a woman’s womb, taking the baby out and then rotating it on the tip of his sword. When I ask if its true he neither denies nor confirms.
Describes how a large number of Muslims were killed in the well.
Babu continues to narrate how a large number of Muslims hiding in a dry well at Patya were ambushed and killed.
He says later in the evening the police had got instructions to shoot him at sight. But the Naroda Police Station PI Mysorewala alerted him and he ran away.
He says after 4 months when he was eventually arrested he never stated in the police statement that he was from the Bajrang Dal or VHP.
He describes how after four months of hiding Narendra Modi who was under immense pressure to get him arrested staged his arrest drama. PP Pandey, the then JCP crime, set up the entire drama. He gives a graphic description.
He says that while he was absconding he had spoken to Modi more than a couple of times over the phone. He says he stills keeps in touch with Modi but he can’t meet him openly because of the media. He says such is the respect he has for Modi that even if Modi asks him to become a suicide bomber and kill people he will not bat an eyelid.
He says he hates only two people—Muslims and Christians. He says he takes ‘remand’ of Muslims at his office.
He then asks his attendant to parade before me the 7-8 Hindu girls staying at his house. These girls he says he had rescued from their Muslim husbands or boyfriends. 03:28:55/09259 (closing counter)
main bologna ek kam karro do din ki chuuti do mere ko…mai bologna bahanchood 10-15 bomb womb leke 10 –15 hajaarmiyuu ki maa chod daalo…
http://tehelka.com/in-the-words-of-the-men-who-did-it/#
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ghulam muhammed
- Posts: 11653
- Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:34 pm
Re: Gujarat Mass Genocide : The REAL Truth.
THE SHAM OF “VIBRANT GUJARAT!”
-Fr. Cedric Prakash sj
True to its name, the media in Gujarat vie with one another in calling the ensuing jamboree a ‘vibrant’ one! Banner headlines in almost all the newspapers, this morning in Ahmedabad, scream as though it was the most important event on earth! Remarks and comments by captains of industry and even from representatives of foreign countries made it appear that this was the ultimate for business and for development. Hoardings all over Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad and advertisements in the newspapers, brazenly portray the face and figure of just one man!
One definitely cannot overlook the flag-waving, the cheering and the adulatory speeches made, from anointing the CEO of Gujarat as the “king of kings” to comparing him with Mahatma Gandhi! (real tragedy indeed!) But then as Shakespeare would say in his ‘Hamlet’, “there is something rotten in the State of Denmark”.
Why is it that NO ONE has the courage to ask or say:
Why the CEO of Gujarat and his party have vehemently been opposing the Central Government in its Foreign Direct Investment plan but have gone all overboard to woo foreign investments for the State?
That real development is not about money but about people?
Why a huge wall has been constructed just opposite the Summit venue so that no one can see the miserable conditions of the people who live in the slums there?
Why justice in Gujarat is a far cry for the poor and very specially for vulnerable groups like dalits, adivasis and minorities?
How come the 'King of Kings" was silent when anger against gender violence and treatment of. our girls and women dominated public discourse?
How come Sir Creek was an issue before December 17 2012 and 'Mian Musharraf' a form of sic abuse in 2007 but not the mutilation of bodies of Indian soldiers on Jan 9 2013 prior to the Vibrant Gujarat summit 2013, that had paradoxically hosted Pakistani businessmen from Karachi ?
Why the CEO presided over the killing of hundreds of innocent people and the marginalization of many more, in the State?
Why some of his closest aides have been indicted or charge-sheeted in the annihilation of minorities?
Why the State is the worst performer in malnutrition with 69.7% of children upto the age of five, anaemic and 44.6% malnourished?
Why according to the Global Hunger Index Policy Research Institute India ranks 66 among the 88 countries listed; and Gujarat happens to be among the five worst performers?
Why the literacy rate in Gujarat is marginally above the national average but extremely low in the tribal areas; primary education in Gujarat is in the doldrums and the worst sufferers are the poor and the marginalized?
Why just 3.1% of the MOUs signed during the Summit in 2011 are actually under implementation?
Why female foeticide is high in Gujarat and today the Gujarat sex ratio has a skewed rate of 918 - making it one of the worst States in the country?
Why unemployment is rampant in Gujarat and that the average daily wage for casual workers in Gujarat is just about Rs.83 in the rural areas and Rs.106 in the urban areas?
Why large sections of the minority communities are confined to ghettos and cannot live in neighbourhood of their choice?
Why Gujarat has the most draconian ‘Freedom of Religion Law’ in the country which necessitates that the person has to seek the permission of the civil authority before they can convert to a religion of their choice?
Why three of the top ten polluted areas in the country are in Gujarat?
Why rampant corruption in the State is never allowed to be made into an issue?
Real development is ultimately about people. PR firms contracted on large retainers are certainly adept at fudging figures and turning myths, half-truths and lies into something believable. But since fear and fascism, rule the roost, no one has the courage and honesty of the little child to loudly cry, “the king has no clothes on!”
12th January, 2013
(* Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ is the Director of PRASHANT, the Ahmedabad based Jesuit Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace)
--
PRASHANT
- A Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace
Hill Nagar, Near Kamdhenu Hall, Drive-in Road, Ahmedabad - 380052, Gujarat, India
-Fr. Cedric Prakash sj
True to its name, the media in Gujarat vie with one another in calling the ensuing jamboree a ‘vibrant’ one! Banner headlines in almost all the newspapers, this morning in Ahmedabad, scream as though it was the most important event on earth! Remarks and comments by captains of industry and even from representatives of foreign countries made it appear that this was the ultimate for business and for development. Hoardings all over Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad and advertisements in the newspapers, brazenly portray the face and figure of just one man!
One definitely cannot overlook the flag-waving, the cheering and the adulatory speeches made, from anointing the CEO of Gujarat as the “king of kings” to comparing him with Mahatma Gandhi! (real tragedy indeed!) But then as Shakespeare would say in his ‘Hamlet’, “there is something rotten in the State of Denmark”.
Why is it that NO ONE has the courage to ask or say:
Why the CEO of Gujarat and his party have vehemently been opposing the Central Government in its Foreign Direct Investment plan but have gone all overboard to woo foreign investments for the State?
That real development is not about money but about people?
Why a huge wall has been constructed just opposite the Summit venue so that no one can see the miserable conditions of the people who live in the slums there?
Why justice in Gujarat is a far cry for the poor and very specially for vulnerable groups like dalits, adivasis and minorities?
How come the 'King of Kings" was silent when anger against gender violence and treatment of. our girls and women dominated public discourse?
How come Sir Creek was an issue before December 17 2012 and 'Mian Musharraf' a form of sic abuse in 2007 but not the mutilation of bodies of Indian soldiers on Jan 9 2013 prior to the Vibrant Gujarat summit 2013, that had paradoxically hosted Pakistani businessmen from Karachi ?
Why the CEO presided over the killing of hundreds of innocent people and the marginalization of many more, in the State?
Why some of his closest aides have been indicted or charge-sheeted in the annihilation of minorities?
Why the State is the worst performer in malnutrition with 69.7% of children upto the age of five, anaemic and 44.6% malnourished?
Why according to the Global Hunger Index Policy Research Institute India ranks 66 among the 88 countries listed; and Gujarat happens to be among the five worst performers?
Why the literacy rate in Gujarat is marginally above the national average but extremely low in the tribal areas; primary education in Gujarat is in the doldrums and the worst sufferers are the poor and the marginalized?
Why just 3.1% of the MOUs signed during the Summit in 2011 are actually under implementation?
Why female foeticide is high in Gujarat and today the Gujarat sex ratio has a skewed rate of 918 - making it one of the worst States in the country?
Why unemployment is rampant in Gujarat and that the average daily wage for casual workers in Gujarat is just about Rs.83 in the rural areas and Rs.106 in the urban areas?
Why large sections of the minority communities are confined to ghettos and cannot live in neighbourhood of their choice?
Why Gujarat has the most draconian ‘Freedom of Religion Law’ in the country which necessitates that the person has to seek the permission of the civil authority before they can convert to a religion of their choice?
Why three of the top ten polluted areas in the country are in Gujarat?
Why rampant corruption in the State is never allowed to be made into an issue?
Real development is ultimately about people. PR firms contracted on large retainers are certainly adept at fudging figures and turning myths, half-truths and lies into something believable. But since fear and fascism, rule the roost, no one has the courage and honesty of the little child to loudly cry, “the king has no clothes on!”
12th January, 2013
(* Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ is the Director of PRASHANT, the Ahmedabad based Jesuit Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace)
--
PRASHANT
- A Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace
Hill Nagar, Near Kamdhenu Hall, Drive-in Road, Ahmedabad - 380052, Gujarat, India
-
ghulam muhammed
- Posts: 11653
- Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:34 pm
Re: Gujarat Mass Genocide : The REAL Truth.
THE SHAM OF “VIBRANT GUJARAT!”
-Fr. Cedric Prakash sj
True to its name, the media in Gujarat vie with one another in calling the ensuing jamboree a ‘vibrant’ one! Banner headlines in almost all the newspapers, this morning in Ahmedabad, scream as though it was the most important event on earth! Remarks and comments by captains of industry and even from representatives of foreign countries made it appear that this was the ultimate for business and for development. Hoardings all over Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad and advertisements in the newspapers, brazenly portray the face and figure of just one man!
One definitely cannot overlook the flag-waving, the cheering and the adulatory speeches made, from anointing the CEO of Gujarat as the “king of kings” to comparing him with Mahatma Gandhi! (real tragedy indeed!) But then as Shakespeare would say in his ‘Hamlet’, “there is something rotten in the State of Denmark”.
Why is it that NO ONE has the courage to ask or say:
Why the CEO of Gujarat and his party have vehemently been opposing the Central Government in its Foreign Direct Investment plan but have gone all overboard to woo foreign investments for the State?
That real development is not about money but about people?
Why a huge wall has been constructed just opposite the Summit venue so that no one can see the miserable conditions of the people who live in the slums there?
Why justice in Gujarat is a far cry for the poor and very specially for vulnerable groups like dalits, adivasis and minorities?
How come the 'King of Kings" was silent when anger against gender violence and treatment of. our girls and women dominated public discourse?
How come Sir Creek was an issue before December 17 2012 and 'Mian Musharraf' a form of sic abuse in 2007 but not the mutilation of bodies of Indian soldiers on Jan 9 2013 prior to the Vibrant Gujarat summit 2013, that had paradoxically hosted Pakistani businessmen from Karachi ?
Why the CEO presided over the killing of hundreds of innocent people and the marginalization of many more, in the State?
Why some of his closest aides have been indicted or charge-sheeted in the annihilation of minorities?
Why the State is the worst performer in malnutrition with 69.7% of children upto the age of five, anaemic and 44.6% malnourished?
Why according to the Global Hunger Index Policy Research Institute India ranks 66 among the 88 countries listed; and Gujarat happens to be among the five worst performers?
Why the literacy rate in Gujarat is marginally above the national average but extremely low in the tribal areas; primary education in Gujarat is in the doldrums and the worst sufferers are the poor and the marginalized?
Why just 3.1% of the MOUs signed during the Summit in 2011 are actually under implementation?
Why female foeticide is high in Gujarat and today the Gujarat sex ratio has a skewed rate of 918 - making it one of the worst States in the country?
Why unemployment is rampant in Gujarat and that the average daily wage for casual workers in Gujarat is just about Rs.83 in the rural areas and Rs.106 in the urban areas?
Why large sections of the minority communities are confined to ghettos and cannot live in neighbourhood of their choice?
Why Gujarat has the most draconian ‘Freedom of Religion Law’ in the country which necessitates that the person has to seek the permission of the civil authority before they can convert to a religion of their choice?
Why three of the top ten polluted areas in the country are in Gujarat?
Why rampant corruption in the State is never allowed to be made into an issue?
Real development is ultimately about people. PR firms contracted on large retainers are certainly adept at fudging figures and turning myths, half-truths and lies into something believable. But since fear and fascism, rule the roost, no one has the courage and honesty of the little child to loudly cry, “the king has no clothes on!”
12th January, 2013
(* Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ is the Director of PRASHANT, the Ahmedabad based Jesuit Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace)
--
PRASHANT
- A Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace
Hill Nagar, Near Kamdhenu Hall, Drive-in Road, Ahmedabad - 380052, Gujarat, India
-Fr. Cedric Prakash sj
True to its name, the media in Gujarat vie with one another in calling the ensuing jamboree a ‘vibrant’ one! Banner headlines in almost all the newspapers, this morning in Ahmedabad, scream as though it was the most important event on earth! Remarks and comments by captains of industry and even from representatives of foreign countries made it appear that this was the ultimate for business and for development. Hoardings all over Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad and advertisements in the newspapers, brazenly portray the face and figure of just one man!
One definitely cannot overlook the flag-waving, the cheering and the adulatory speeches made, from anointing the CEO of Gujarat as the “king of kings” to comparing him with Mahatma Gandhi! (real tragedy indeed!) But then as Shakespeare would say in his ‘Hamlet’, “there is something rotten in the State of Denmark”.
Why is it that NO ONE has the courage to ask or say:
Why the CEO of Gujarat and his party have vehemently been opposing the Central Government in its Foreign Direct Investment plan but have gone all overboard to woo foreign investments for the State?
That real development is not about money but about people?
Why a huge wall has been constructed just opposite the Summit venue so that no one can see the miserable conditions of the people who live in the slums there?
Why justice in Gujarat is a far cry for the poor and very specially for vulnerable groups like dalits, adivasis and minorities?
How come the 'King of Kings" was silent when anger against gender violence and treatment of. our girls and women dominated public discourse?
How come Sir Creek was an issue before December 17 2012 and 'Mian Musharraf' a form of sic abuse in 2007 but not the mutilation of bodies of Indian soldiers on Jan 9 2013 prior to the Vibrant Gujarat summit 2013, that had paradoxically hosted Pakistani businessmen from Karachi ?
Why the CEO presided over the killing of hundreds of innocent people and the marginalization of many more, in the State?
Why some of his closest aides have been indicted or charge-sheeted in the annihilation of minorities?
Why the State is the worst performer in malnutrition with 69.7% of children upto the age of five, anaemic and 44.6% malnourished?
Why according to the Global Hunger Index Policy Research Institute India ranks 66 among the 88 countries listed; and Gujarat happens to be among the five worst performers?
Why the literacy rate in Gujarat is marginally above the national average but extremely low in the tribal areas; primary education in Gujarat is in the doldrums and the worst sufferers are the poor and the marginalized?
Why just 3.1% of the MOUs signed during the Summit in 2011 are actually under implementation?
Why female foeticide is high in Gujarat and today the Gujarat sex ratio has a skewed rate of 918 - making it one of the worst States in the country?
Why unemployment is rampant in Gujarat and that the average daily wage for casual workers in Gujarat is just about Rs.83 in the rural areas and Rs.106 in the urban areas?
Why large sections of the minority communities are confined to ghettos and cannot live in neighbourhood of their choice?
Why Gujarat has the most draconian ‘Freedom of Religion Law’ in the country which necessitates that the person has to seek the permission of the civil authority before they can convert to a religion of their choice?
Why three of the top ten polluted areas in the country are in Gujarat?
Why rampant corruption in the State is never allowed to be made into an issue?
Real development is ultimately about people. PR firms contracted on large retainers are certainly adept at fudging figures and turning myths, half-truths and lies into something believable. But since fear and fascism, rule the roost, no one has the courage and honesty of the little child to loudly cry, “the king has no clothes on!”
12th January, 2013
(* Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ is the Director of PRASHANT, the Ahmedabad based Jesuit Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace)
--
PRASHANT
- A Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace
Hill Nagar, Near Kamdhenu Hall, Drive-in Road, Ahmedabad - 380052, Gujarat, India
-
ghulam muhammed
- Posts: 11653
- Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:34 pm
Re: Gujarat Mass Genocide : The REAL Truth.
This news didn't get the prominence it deserved on the electronic media. Are they trying to keep bad news for Modi under wraps ??
The Supreme Court today issued notice to the Gujarat government and stayed Magistrate Ganatra's order dated 27.11.2013 closing Zakia Jafri's right to file a Protest Petition. Smt Zakia Jafri had, on 8.6.2006 filed a complaint alleging a sinister and wide level conspiracy to allow violence, deliberately subvert the strict directions to maintain order that led to the loss of over 2,500 minority lives. Chief Minister Narendra Modi, cabinet colleagues, senior IPS and IAS officers are among the 61 accused in this complaint. The Supreme Court had ordered investigation into the allegations on 27.4.2009 in the special leave petition filed by Smt Jafri and the Citizens for Justice and Peace. (SLP 1088/2008) Finally on 12.9.2011 the Supreme Court had directed that the matter be placed for consideration before a Magistrate under Section 173(2) and all documents related to the investigation be provided to the complainant.
We are praying for the right to get access to all investigations reports under Section 173(8) of the CRPC. Ever since the matter came up before the Magistrate in Ahmedabad, the SIT has been resisting making any documents available. An earlier Magistrate Bhatt (later transferred) granted Smt Jafri documents by an order dated 10.4.2012. Even after that, the SIT has been doggedly trying to conceal those further investigation reports that were submitted before the Supreme Court by Shri Malhotra and Shri Raghavan between May 2010 and July 2011 as they take a very different view from the Final Closure Report submitted by Himanshu Shukla on 8.2.2012. In his two reports to the Supreme Court, Amicus Curiae Shri Raju Ramachandran had come to the conclusion that there was sufficient material to prosecute chief minister Narendra Modi and at least two senior policemen.
The next date for Zakia Jafri's special leave petition is 7th February 2013. The CJP is assisting her legally in the case. This Special Leave Petition filed by Smt Jafri assisted by Citizens for Justice and Peace was specifically filed to get
clarity on the Order of the Supreme Court that the SIT came misinterpreting before the Magistrate (SLP 8989/2012). This first came up for hearing on December 3, 2012. On December 10 last year the SC had asked Chairman SIT RK
Raghavan to answer how previous statements of accused collected during investigation had not been made available to the complainant. Thereafter on December 15, 2012 about 1500 pages of documents were made available.
The Supreme Court today issued notice to the Gujarat government and stayed Magistrate Ganatra's order dated 27.11.2013 closing Zakia Jafri's right to file a Protest Petition. Smt Zakia Jafri had, on 8.6.2006 filed a complaint alleging a sinister and wide level conspiracy to allow violence, deliberately subvert the strict directions to maintain order that led to the loss of over 2,500 minority lives. Chief Minister Narendra Modi, cabinet colleagues, senior IPS and IAS officers are among the 61 accused in this complaint. The Supreme Court had ordered investigation into the allegations on 27.4.2009 in the special leave petition filed by Smt Jafri and the Citizens for Justice and Peace. (SLP 1088/2008) Finally on 12.9.2011 the Supreme Court had directed that the matter be placed for consideration before a Magistrate under Section 173(2) and all documents related to the investigation be provided to the complainant.
We are praying for the right to get access to all investigations reports under Section 173(8) of the CRPC. Ever since the matter came up before the Magistrate in Ahmedabad, the SIT has been resisting making any documents available. An earlier Magistrate Bhatt (later transferred) granted Smt Jafri documents by an order dated 10.4.2012. Even after that, the SIT has been doggedly trying to conceal those further investigation reports that were submitted before the Supreme Court by Shri Malhotra and Shri Raghavan between May 2010 and July 2011 as they take a very different view from the Final Closure Report submitted by Himanshu Shukla on 8.2.2012. In his two reports to the Supreme Court, Amicus Curiae Shri Raju Ramachandran had come to the conclusion that there was sufficient material to prosecute chief minister Narendra Modi and at least two senior policemen.
The next date for Zakia Jafri's special leave petition is 7th February 2013. The CJP is assisting her legally in the case. This Special Leave Petition filed by Smt Jafri assisted by Citizens for Justice and Peace was specifically filed to get
clarity on the Order of the Supreme Court that the SIT came misinterpreting before the Magistrate (SLP 8989/2012). This first came up for hearing on December 3, 2012. On December 10 last year the SC had asked Chairman SIT RK
Raghavan to answer how previous statements of accused collected during investigation had not been made available to the complainant. Thereafter on December 15, 2012 about 1500 pages of documents were made available.
-
ghulam muhammed
- Posts: 11653
- Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:34 pm
Re: Gujarat Mass Genocide : The REAL Truth.
India’s Narendra Modi and the Tale of Two Rapes
One of the most obscene moments after the death of the gang-rape victim in New Delhi was a tweet by Narendra Modi, the chief minister of the Indian state of Gujarat, offering regret and condolences to the dead woman’s family.
Modi, who has quelled restive minorities by allowing attackers to subject women to unspeakable horrors, has done more than any man to numb his prudish country to sexual violence. Yet he was elected to a third term last month and is the presumptive front-runner of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the main Hindu opposition party, for prime minister in next year’s national elections.
So long as Indians keep rewarding politicos such as Modi, the country’s collective outrage after the New Delhi case won’t change the culture that makes such atrocities common in India.
But as monstrous as this crime was, consider what happened in Gujarat in February 2002, a few months after Modi assumed office.
Organized bands of well-armed Hindus -- some from groups tied to Modi’s party -- fanned across the state seeking revenge against Muslims for allegedly burning a train full of Hindu pilgrims a few weeks earlier. The Hindu rioters systematically sought out and destroyed Muslim homes and businesses, killing more than 1,000 people.
Extreme Violence
Muslim women were singled out. According to many Indian and foreign sources, including a Human Rights Watch account and a report by an international research team called “Threatened Existence: A Feminist Analysis of the Genocide in Gujarat,” women were stripped, gang-raped, often publicly, and in almost all cases then burned or hacked to death.
The reason the violence reached such extremes was that the state police stood back and didn’t intervene to stop the Hindu attacks and even told victims that it couldn’t protect them. As if the bloodletting wasn’t horrific enough, Modi subsequently dismantled the shelters constructed by private organizations for dispossessed Muslims, calling them “child-breeding centers.”
Compared with the New Delhi rape, which has triggered a protest movement in India calling for the castration and execution of the suspects, the Gujarat rapes and pogrom elicited barely a whimper. Many Hindus either deny that the horror even occurred or, if they accept it, claim it wasn’t as grisly as news accounts suggest. And if they believe the accounts, they say Muslims had it coming. Fewer than 100 out of the thousands accused -- among them only one state minister and one Bharatiya Janata Party leader -- were convicted, and that was a decade later. Modi himself was exonerated.
Whatever public disgust there was against him has dissipated, given the stellar economic growth that Gujarat has seen on his watch. Business leaders and corporations, from India and overseas, turn a blind eye to Modi’s role in allowing the bloodshed, and praise his economic stewardship. His business backers have already managed to get the U.K. government to reverse its long-standing ban on him and to give him a visa. Now they are trying to persuade the U.S. government to follow suit.
What accounts for the wide gulf in the Indian public response to the single crime in New Delhi and the mass crimes in Gujarat?
The darker reality is that the young woman’s rape and murder outraged the country’s Hindu urban middle class because it was a random and senseless act that could have just as easily victimized their daughters. Not so with attacks on the Muslim women in Gujarat. The premeditated and programmatic violence against them meant that the broader Hindu majority was insulated from it. If the New Delhi woman’s fate made every Indian feel more vulnerable, the attack on the Muslim women made Hindus feel more secure.
The scale of the sexual violence in Gujarat was unprecedented in India. But smaller episodes are a matter of routine.
Tolerating sexual violence for any purpose erodes the overall stigma against it, opening a moral space where hoodlums can run amok. The lack of national outrage against the mass rapes perpetrated under Modi reduces their true cruelty, breaking down the psychological walls that would at least prevent nonsociopaths from going on a rampage. Hindus who turn a blind eye to the rape of Muslim women can’t ultimately protect their own.
How India can restore moral boundaries is a difficult issue, but it certainly won’t be solved by electing Modi to higher office -- even if he were Adam Smith himself. Protesters shouldn’t just seek justice against the six accused in New Delhi. Modi, too, has much to atone.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-01-1 ... rapes.html
One of the most obscene moments after the death of the gang-rape victim in New Delhi was a tweet by Narendra Modi, the chief minister of the Indian state of Gujarat, offering regret and condolences to the dead woman’s family.
Modi, who has quelled restive minorities by allowing attackers to subject women to unspeakable horrors, has done more than any man to numb his prudish country to sexual violence. Yet he was elected to a third term last month and is the presumptive front-runner of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the main Hindu opposition party, for prime minister in next year’s national elections.
So long as Indians keep rewarding politicos such as Modi, the country’s collective outrage after the New Delhi case won’t change the culture that makes such atrocities common in India.
But as monstrous as this crime was, consider what happened in Gujarat in February 2002, a few months after Modi assumed office.
Organized bands of well-armed Hindus -- some from groups tied to Modi’s party -- fanned across the state seeking revenge against Muslims for allegedly burning a train full of Hindu pilgrims a few weeks earlier. The Hindu rioters systematically sought out and destroyed Muslim homes and businesses, killing more than 1,000 people.
Extreme Violence
Muslim women were singled out. According to many Indian and foreign sources, including a Human Rights Watch account and a report by an international research team called “Threatened Existence: A Feminist Analysis of the Genocide in Gujarat,” women were stripped, gang-raped, often publicly, and in almost all cases then burned or hacked to death.
The reason the violence reached such extremes was that the state police stood back and didn’t intervene to stop the Hindu attacks and even told victims that it couldn’t protect them. As if the bloodletting wasn’t horrific enough, Modi subsequently dismantled the shelters constructed by private organizations for dispossessed Muslims, calling them “child-breeding centers.”
Compared with the New Delhi rape, which has triggered a protest movement in India calling for the castration and execution of the suspects, the Gujarat rapes and pogrom elicited barely a whimper. Many Hindus either deny that the horror even occurred or, if they accept it, claim it wasn’t as grisly as news accounts suggest. And if they believe the accounts, they say Muslims had it coming. Fewer than 100 out of the thousands accused -- among them only one state minister and one Bharatiya Janata Party leader -- were convicted, and that was a decade later. Modi himself was exonerated.
Whatever public disgust there was against him has dissipated, given the stellar economic growth that Gujarat has seen on his watch. Business leaders and corporations, from India and overseas, turn a blind eye to Modi’s role in allowing the bloodshed, and praise his economic stewardship. His business backers have already managed to get the U.K. government to reverse its long-standing ban on him and to give him a visa. Now they are trying to persuade the U.S. government to follow suit.
What accounts for the wide gulf in the Indian public response to the single crime in New Delhi and the mass crimes in Gujarat?
The darker reality is that the young woman’s rape and murder outraged the country’s Hindu urban middle class because it was a random and senseless act that could have just as easily victimized their daughters. Not so with attacks on the Muslim women in Gujarat. The premeditated and programmatic violence against them meant that the broader Hindu majority was insulated from it. If the New Delhi woman’s fate made every Indian feel more vulnerable, the attack on the Muslim women made Hindus feel more secure.
The scale of the sexual violence in Gujarat was unprecedented in India. But smaller episodes are a matter of routine.
Tolerating sexual violence for any purpose erodes the overall stigma against it, opening a moral space where hoodlums can run amok. The lack of national outrage against the mass rapes perpetrated under Modi reduces their true cruelty, breaking down the psychological walls that would at least prevent nonsociopaths from going on a rampage. Hindus who turn a blind eye to the rape of Muslim women can’t ultimately protect their own.
How India can restore moral boundaries is a difficult issue, but it certainly won’t be solved by electing Modi to higher office -- even if he were Adam Smith himself. Protesters shouldn’t just seek justice against the six accused in New Delhi. Modi, too, has much to atone.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-01-1 ... rapes.html
-
ghulam muhammed
- Posts: 11653
- Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:34 pm
Re: Gujarat Mass Genocide : The REAL Truth.
Riot After Riot
•Fifty-eight major communal riots in 47 places since 1967
•Ten in South India, 12 in East, 16 in West, 20 in North India
•Ahmedabad has seen five major riots; Hyderabad, four; Calcutta, none since ’64*
•The 1990s saw the most riots in the last five decades: 23
•The 1970s saw seven riots, the ’80s, 14; the 2000s have seen 13
•Total toll: 12,828 (South 597, West 3,426, East 3,581, North 5,224).
Year Place Toll
Aug ’67 Hatia, Ranchi 183
Mar ’68 Karimganj, Assam 82
Sep ’69 Ahmedabad 512
May ’70 Bhiwandi, Mah. 76
May ’70 Jalgaon, Mah. 100
Oct ’77 Varanasi 5
Mar ’78 Sambhal, UP 25
Sep ’78 Hyderabad 20
Oct ’78 Aligarh 30
April ’79 Jamshedpur 120
Aug ’80 Moradabad 1,500
Apr ’81 Biharsharif 80
Sep ’82 Meerut 12
Dec ’82 Baroda 17
Feb ’83 Nellie, Assam 1,819
Sep ’83 Hyderabad 45
May ’84 Bhiwandi, Mah 146
Oct ’84 Delhi 2,733
Apr ’85 Ahmedabad 300
Jul ’86 Ahmedabad 59
Apr/May’87 Meerut 70
Mar ’89 Bhadrak, Orissa 17
Oct ’89 Indore 27
Oct ’89 Bhagalpur 1,161
Oct ’90 Ahmedabad 41
Oct ’90 Jaipur 52
Oct ’90 Jodhpur 20
Oct ’90 Lucknow 33
Oct ’90 Chandni Chowk, Delhi 100
Oct ’90 Hailakandi, Assam 37
Oct ’90 Patna 18
Oct ’90 Hyderabad 165
Nov ’90 Agra 31
Dec ’90 Hassan, Mandya, Mysore 60
Dec ’90 Hyderabad 200
Dec ’90 Aligarh 150
May ’91 Baroda 28
May ’91 Meerut 40
Oct ’92 Sitamarhi, Bihar 44
Dec ’92 Surat 152
Dec ’92 Malpura, Andhra 24
Dec ’92 Kanpur 254
Dec ’92 Bhopal 143
Dec ’92/Jan ’93 Bombay 872
Nov/Dec ’97 Coimbatore 20
Feb ’98 Coimbatore 60
Dec ’98 Surathkal, Karnataka 12
Mar 2001 Nalanda, Bihar 8
Mar ’01 Kanpur 14
Oct ’01 Malegaon 13
Feb-May ’02 Gujarat 1,267
May ’02 Marad, Kerala 9
Apr ’06 Aligarh 6
May ’06 Baroda 6
Dec ’07 Kandhamal 12
Oct ’08 Bhainsa, Andhra 6
Sep ’09 Miraj, Karnataka 5
Sep ’11 Bharatpur 10
http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?280032
•Fifty-eight major communal riots in 47 places since 1967
•Ten in South India, 12 in East, 16 in West, 20 in North India
•Ahmedabad has seen five major riots; Hyderabad, four; Calcutta, none since ’64*
•The 1990s saw the most riots in the last five decades: 23
•The 1970s saw seven riots, the ’80s, 14; the 2000s have seen 13
•Total toll: 12,828 (South 597, West 3,426, East 3,581, North 5,224).
Year Place Toll
Aug ’67 Hatia, Ranchi 183
Mar ’68 Karimganj, Assam 82
Sep ’69 Ahmedabad 512
May ’70 Bhiwandi, Mah. 76
May ’70 Jalgaon, Mah. 100
Oct ’77 Varanasi 5
Mar ’78 Sambhal, UP 25
Sep ’78 Hyderabad 20
Oct ’78 Aligarh 30
April ’79 Jamshedpur 120
Aug ’80 Moradabad 1,500
Apr ’81 Biharsharif 80
Sep ’82 Meerut 12
Dec ’82 Baroda 17
Feb ’83 Nellie, Assam 1,819
Sep ’83 Hyderabad 45
May ’84 Bhiwandi, Mah 146
Oct ’84 Delhi 2,733
Apr ’85 Ahmedabad 300
Jul ’86 Ahmedabad 59
Apr/May’87 Meerut 70
Mar ’89 Bhadrak, Orissa 17
Oct ’89 Indore 27
Oct ’89 Bhagalpur 1,161
Oct ’90 Ahmedabad 41
Oct ’90 Jaipur 52
Oct ’90 Jodhpur 20
Oct ’90 Lucknow 33
Oct ’90 Chandni Chowk, Delhi 100
Oct ’90 Hailakandi, Assam 37
Oct ’90 Patna 18
Oct ’90 Hyderabad 165
Nov ’90 Agra 31
Dec ’90 Hassan, Mandya, Mysore 60
Dec ’90 Hyderabad 200
Dec ’90 Aligarh 150
May ’91 Baroda 28
May ’91 Meerut 40
Oct ’92 Sitamarhi, Bihar 44
Dec ’92 Surat 152
Dec ’92 Malpura, Andhra 24
Dec ’92 Kanpur 254
Dec ’92 Bhopal 143
Dec ’92/Jan ’93 Bombay 872
Nov/Dec ’97 Coimbatore 20
Feb ’98 Coimbatore 60
Dec ’98 Surathkal, Karnataka 12
Mar 2001 Nalanda, Bihar 8
Mar ’01 Kanpur 14
Oct ’01 Malegaon 13
Feb-May ’02 Gujarat 1,267
May ’02 Marad, Kerala 9
Apr ’06 Aligarh 6
May ’06 Baroda 6
Dec ’07 Kandhamal 12
Oct ’08 Bhainsa, Andhra 6
Sep ’09 Miraj, Karnataka 5
Sep ’11 Bharatpur 10
http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?280032
-
ghulam muhammed
- Posts: 11653
- Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:34 pm
Re: Gujarat Mass Genocide : The REAL Truth.
We are more than our name: A Gujarati Muslim ponders life under Narendra Modi.
By Zahir Janmohamed
I kept waiting for the phone to ring during the Gujarat riots in 2002. The week before I left for India, my father invited his Gujarati Hindu colleague Rupa Aunty for dinner at our house in California. When I was a kid, I tied the rakhi brotherhood bracelet on her son. When my mom was diagnosed with cancer, Rupa Aunty was the first to spend the night with us at the hospital.
“If you need anything at all,” she told me just before I left for India, “my family is from Ahmedabad and we will be there for you.”
I grew up in California mispronouncing names of Gujarati dishes like thepla and my trip to Ahmedabad in 2002 was the first time anyone in my family had returned since my grandparents left Gujarat for Tanzania in the 1920s. This – my father kept reminding me – was my trip “home.”
Twelve days after I arrived as a service corps fellow with the America India Foundation, a train carrying Hindus was attacked in the Gujarat city of Godhra on February 27, 2002. The Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, who may well become India’s next prime minister, was quick to blame the attack on Muslims.
The next morning, a Hindu mob carrying swords, torches, and kerosene filled bottles walked on my all-Hindu street in Ahmedabad looking for Muslims – Muslims like me – to kill. They made us shout names of Hindu deities that my parents taught me to say with reverence. In the distance I could see a lone business, owned by a Muslim, up in flames. When the mob passed, I ducked into an internet café and passed the front desk, hoping I would not have to sign in with my unmistakably Muslim name. But a young man stopped me.
“Sir, your good name, please?” he said, handing me a clipboard.
“My name,” I told him, “is Sanjay.”
I closed the curtain in the internet booth and held back tears as I emailed my parents the lie I needed to tell them: yes mom and dad, I am safe.
My father, a devout Muslim whose fondness for Mahatma Gandhi and Hinduism prompted him to give up meat as a young man, kept calling me during the riots.
“Have my friends contacted you? Have they offered to help?”
I did not need to tell him the answer. He knew.
“Just come home,” my father pleaded. India was suddenly alien and would never again be called “home” by anyone in my family.
During the riots I worked in the relief camps of Ahmedabad where tens of thousands of displaced Muslims fought for space and food in spaces half the size of a soccer field. I will never forget 12 year old Sadiq who watched both of his parents burned alive. In my six months working in the relief camps, I never heard him say a word. No one did.
When I returned to the US, the Gandhi picture my dad gave me when I graduated from high school was no longer hanging in my childhood bedroom.
“Gandhi is dead,” my father said.
***
All I wanted do after the riots was to talk about the riots. I traveled across the US for a year giving lectures. Everywhere I went I carried a small yellow plastic bag filled with newspaper clippings and photos of the homes, mosques, and lives I saw destroyed. When people doubted me, I would open up my bag.
“Here, this is what I saw. It really happened.” But many chose not to listen.
I grew distant from my friends. I stopped watching basketball. I started taking anti-depressants. My smile, friends kept reminding me, disappeared.
I switched my career to human rights and spent nine years working in Washington DC, mostly at Amnesty International. But I kept wondering: what happened to all those children I met like Sadiq who saw so much? How do they – and how do I – move on?
In March 2011, I quit my job as a foreign policy aide in the US Congress and returned to Gujarat for the first time in nine years, against the advice of my psychiatrist.
When I arrived, Hindus would not rent an apartment to me because I am Muslim and Muslims – now more insecure after the riots – told me they did not trust me. I ended up staying with a Hindu friend of mine. But there was one condition: I could not use my real name in the apartment building. Sanjay was back.
I begun conducting interviews and when I explained to Muslims in Ahmedabad that I returned using my own funds to write about the riots – and that the riots filled me with a loneliness that has not yet disappeared – some laughed.
“You are writing about 2002? Write about 2011.”
They have a point. Muslims I interviewed say they want more than justice. They want an end to employment discrimination. They want paved roads. They point out that in the Muslim ghetto of Juhapura where over 350,000 live, there are only six high schools – none of them government run.
But above all, Muslims in Gujarat told me they desire to be treated and viewed by their fellow Indians as Indians.
Last year, I interviewed a man named Nadeem Saiyed who organized survivors of the Narodya Patiya massacre to bear testimony to what they saw. A few months after I interviewed him, he was fatally stabbed 28 times. When I learned of his death, I replayed the audio from our interview. One line continues to haunt me.
“I was born,” he kept saying, “in the Gujarat riots of 2002.”
***
I hear this all the time. I think this all the time. But sometimes the pressure to “move on” becomes too intense and I fail to say these words.
Yes, the riots are over but the wound continues. Narendra Modi, after all, is popular in Gujarat because of the riots – not – despite the riots.
Today I am back in Gujarat and I live just two blocks away from where Nadeem was stabbed. When I decided to return to Gujarat this year to conduct more research, I was determined to retire “Sanjay” because I am exhausted from inventing a Hindu family that I do not have so that I may live in Gujarat.
After I failed to find an apartment in a Hindu area using my real name, I was forced to live in Juhapura, an area, some say, is the largest ghetto of Muslims in all of India. Police line is the street that functions as the “border” that surrounds this area and many Hindu rickshaw drivers refuse to enter Juhapura because they are “afraid.” On my street, a rickshaw driver, a real estate tycoon, a judge, and a nationally known journalist live side by side. I hear all of them repeat the same thing: “We live here because we have no other choice.”
Today in Juhapura I do not have regular running water in my apartment and my electricity cuts out often – something unusual in most parts, in particular in Hindu-dominated sections of Ahmedabad. When I finally registered my apartment lease with the police, a very kind Hindu officer told me I should be careful.
“The area you are staying is called mini-Pakistan and there are a lot of Pakistan intelligence (ISI) agents in the interiors.”
But it is here, only in this Muslim ghetto, where I feel safe.
I received the keys to my apartment the day before the Muslim celebration of Eid-al-Adha. The next morning I wore a crisp white Muslim style kurta over a pair of pleatless khakis and carried a white prayer skullcap in my hand.
All the men in my building had gathered at the front entrance. One man in his late 70s held his hand out as I came downstairs.
“Young man, I have not heard your complete name.”
I smiled and said the words I had to conceal so many times in Gujarat to survive.
“My full name,” I told him as we walked towards the mosque, “is Zahir Sajad Janmohamed.”
[Zahir Janmohamed is writing a book about the aftermath of the 2002 Gujarat riots. He previously served as a senior foreign policy aide in the US Congress and as the Advocacy Director for Amnesty International. Email: zahirj@gmail.com]
By Zahir Janmohamed
I kept waiting for the phone to ring during the Gujarat riots in 2002. The week before I left for India, my father invited his Gujarati Hindu colleague Rupa Aunty for dinner at our house in California. When I was a kid, I tied the rakhi brotherhood bracelet on her son. When my mom was diagnosed with cancer, Rupa Aunty was the first to spend the night with us at the hospital.
“If you need anything at all,” she told me just before I left for India, “my family is from Ahmedabad and we will be there for you.”
I grew up in California mispronouncing names of Gujarati dishes like thepla and my trip to Ahmedabad in 2002 was the first time anyone in my family had returned since my grandparents left Gujarat for Tanzania in the 1920s. This – my father kept reminding me – was my trip “home.”
Twelve days after I arrived as a service corps fellow with the America India Foundation, a train carrying Hindus was attacked in the Gujarat city of Godhra on February 27, 2002. The Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, who may well become India’s next prime minister, was quick to blame the attack on Muslims.
The next morning, a Hindu mob carrying swords, torches, and kerosene filled bottles walked on my all-Hindu street in Ahmedabad looking for Muslims – Muslims like me – to kill. They made us shout names of Hindu deities that my parents taught me to say with reverence. In the distance I could see a lone business, owned by a Muslim, up in flames. When the mob passed, I ducked into an internet café and passed the front desk, hoping I would not have to sign in with my unmistakably Muslim name. But a young man stopped me.
“Sir, your good name, please?” he said, handing me a clipboard.
“My name,” I told him, “is Sanjay.”
I closed the curtain in the internet booth and held back tears as I emailed my parents the lie I needed to tell them: yes mom and dad, I am safe.
My father, a devout Muslim whose fondness for Mahatma Gandhi and Hinduism prompted him to give up meat as a young man, kept calling me during the riots.
“Have my friends contacted you? Have they offered to help?”
I did not need to tell him the answer. He knew.
“Just come home,” my father pleaded. India was suddenly alien and would never again be called “home” by anyone in my family.
During the riots I worked in the relief camps of Ahmedabad where tens of thousands of displaced Muslims fought for space and food in spaces half the size of a soccer field. I will never forget 12 year old Sadiq who watched both of his parents burned alive. In my six months working in the relief camps, I never heard him say a word. No one did.
When I returned to the US, the Gandhi picture my dad gave me when I graduated from high school was no longer hanging in my childhood bedroom.
“Gandhi is dead,” my father said.
***
All I wanted do after the riots was to talk about the riots. I traveled across the US for a year giving lectures. Everywhere I went I carried a small yellow plastic bag filled with newspaper clippings and photos of the homes, mosques, and lives I saw destroyed. When people doubted me, I would open up my bag.
“Here, this is what I saw. It really happened.” But many chose not to listen.
I grew distant from my friends. I stopped watching basketball. I started taking anti-depressants. My smile, friends kept reminding me, disappeared.
I switched my career to human rights and spent nine years working in Washington DC, mostly at Amnesty International. But I kept wondering: what happened to all those children I met like Sadiq who saw so much? How do they – and how do I – move on?
In March 2011, I quit my job as a foreign policy aide in the US Congress and returned to Gujarat for the first time in nine years, against the advice of my psychiatrist.
When I arrived, Hindus would not rent an apartment to me because I am Muslim and Muslims – now more insecure after the riots – told me they did not trust me. I ended up staying with a Hindu friend of mine. But there was one condition: I could not use my real name in the apartment building. Sanjay was back.
I begun conducting interviews and when I explained to Muslims in Ahmedabad that I returned using my own funds to write about the riots – and that the riots filled me with a loneliness that has not yet disappeared – some laughed.
“You are writing about 2002? Write about 2011.”
They have a point. Muslims I interviewed say they want more than justice. They want an end to employment discrimination. They want paved roads. They point out that in the Muslim ghetto of Juhapura where over 350,000 live, there are only six high schools – none of them government run.
But above all, Muslims in Gujarat told me they desire to be treated and viewed by their fellow Indians as Indians.
Last year, I interviewed a man named Nadeem Saiyed who organized survivors of the Narodya Patiya massacre to bear testimony to what they saw. A few months after I interviewed him, he was fatally stabbed 28 times. When I learned of his death, I replayed the audio from our interview. One line continues to haunt me.
“I was born,” he kept saying, “in the Gujarat riots of 2002.”
***
I hear this all the time. I think this all the time. But sometimes the pressure to “move on” becomes too intense and I fail to say these words.
Yes, the riots are over but the wound continues. Narendra Modi, after all, is popular in Gujarat because of the riots – not – despite the riots.
Today I am back in Gujarat and I live just two blocks away from where Nadeem was stabbed. When I decided to return to Gujarat this year to conduct more research, I was determined to retire “Sanjay” because I am exhausted from inventing a Hindu family that I do not have so that I may live in Gujarat.
After I failed to find an apartment in a Hindu area using my real name, I was forced to live in Juhapura, an area, some say, is the largest ghetto of Muslims in all of India. Police line is the street that functions as the “border” that surrounds this area and many Hindu rickshaw drivers refuse to enter Juhapura because they are “afraid.” On my street, a rickshaw driver, a real estate tycoon, a judge, and a nationally known journalist live side by side. I hear all of them repeat the same thing: “We live here because we have no other choice.”
Today in Juhapura I do not have regular running water in my apartment and my electricity cuts out often – something unusual in most parts, in particular in Hindu-dominated sections of Ahmedabad. When I finally registered my apartment lease with the police, a very kind Hindu officer told me I should be careful.
“The area you are staying is called mini-Pakistan and there are a lot of Pakistan intelligence (ISI) agents in the interiors.”
But it is here, only in this Muslim ghetto, where I feel safe.
I received the keys to my apartment the day before the Muslim celebration of Eid-al-Adha. The next morning I wore a crisp white Muslim style kurta over a pair of pleatless khakis and carried a white prayer skullcap in my hand.
All the men in my building had gathered at the front entrance. One man in his late 70s held his hand out as I came downstairs.
“Young man, I have not heard your complete name.”
I smiled and said the words I had to conceal so many times in Gujarat to survive.
“My full name,” I told him as we walked towards the mosque, “is Zahir Sajad Janmohamed.”
[Zahir Janmohamed is writing a book about the aftermath of the 2002 Gujarat riots. He previously served as a senior foreign policy aide in the US Congress and as the Advocacy Director for Amnesty International. Email: zahirj@gmail.com]
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ghulam muhammed
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Re: Gujarat Mass Genocide : The REAL Truth.
I too am a Gujarat Muslim like Mr. Janmohammed, Here is my experience:
A very poor Dalit women in tattered cloths banged in to my car as I was entering my village in Gujarat. She sustained minor injuries on one of her arms. I got off my car, checked her injuries and offered to take her to the hospital which the women declined. I pressed a hundred rupee note in her hand by way of a small monetary compensation and returned to my car.
Meanwhile, word went around “a Dalit woman from the village was involved in a car accident and the driver is a Muslim”. A group of men wearing saffron scarfs around their necks appeared on the scene and began pestering me to increase the compensation to the women. I told them that the injury was minor and pleaded with them to be reasonable with their demands. The situations become tense, slogans began to be raised, Muslims were branded anti nationals and were asked to leave India and go way to Pakistan. An atmosphere of communal tensions was being initiated. To change the scene I asked the injured women to sit in my car so that I could take her to the hospital. Just as I started my car these so called leaders of BJP/RSS parcharak caught me by my collar and forced me to pay Rupees. 5,000 to the injured women. In order to settle the matter and nib the mischief in the bud, I sheepishly paid the amount and drove away.
A few days later the same woman came to my house in the village and asked me for some monetary help. I very politely asked her what she did with the Rs.5,000 which I gave her just a few days back; she said she received only Rs.100, the balance Rs.4,900 was pocketed by the BJP/RSS parcharaks. This is the character and the attitude of an average BJP/RSS man toward a Muslim in Gujarat.
Mohammed Jalal Shaikh
http://cafedissensus.com/2013/02/15/zahir-janmohamed/
A very poor Dalit women in tattered cloths banged in to my car as I was entering my village in Gujarat. She sustained minor injuries on one of her arms. I got off my car, checked her injuries and offered to take her to the hospital which the women declined. I pressed a hundred rupee note in her hand by way of a small monetary compensation and returned to my car.
Meanwhile, word went around “a Dalit woman from the village was involved in a car accident and the driver is a Muslim”. A group of men wearing saffron scarfs around their necks appeared on the scene and began pestering me to increase the compensation to the women. I told them that the injury was minor and pleaded with them to be reasonable with their demands. The situations become tense, slogans began to be raised, Muslims were branded anti nationals and were asked to leave India and go way to Pakistan. An atmosphere of communal tensions was being initiated. To change the scene I asked the injured women to sit in my car so that I could take her to the hospital. Just as I started my car these so called leaders of BJP/RSS parcharak caught me by my collar and forced me to pay Rupees. 5,000 to the injured women. In order to settle the matter and nib the mischief in the bud, I sheepishly paid the amount and drove away.
A few days later the same woman came to my house in the village and asked me for some monetary help. I very politely asked her what she did with the Rs.5,000 which I gave her just a few days back; she said she received only Rs.100, the balance Rs.4,900 was pocketed by the BJP/RSS parcharaks. This is the character and the attitude of an average BJP/RSS man toward a Muslim in Gujarat.
Mohammed Jalal Shaikh
http://cafedissensus.com/2013/02/15/zahir-janmohamed/
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ghulam muhammed
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Re: Gujarat Mass Genocide : The REAL Truth.
Naroda Gam deposition (Intitmidation of a Prosecution Witness-Ashish Khetan)
Letter addressed to Mr.Raghvan SIT Chief:
Dear Mr. Raghvan
As you must be aware my deposition in Naroda Gam Massacre case is presently on.
I'd like to bring to your notice a few disturbing developments.
First of all the defense lawyers particularly Mr. Chetan Shah have been quite abusive and insulting while cross-examining me. Through out my deposition he kept taunting and humiliating me. Also many of his questions were aimed at insulting and annoying me. But this was not all. On more than one occasion he also tried to intimidate and threaten the presiding judge. He on multiple ocassions screamed at her at the top of his voice and humiliated her in front of the packed court room.
The developments outside the courtroom have also been quite discouraging.
The Ahmedabad edition of Dainik Bhaskar newspaper dated February 5 published a factually incorrect and depraved account of my ongoing deposition in the Naroda Gram massacre case. On the same day the Delhi edition of the same group published a story claiming that I have retracted my testimony.
These two articles triggered a vicious vilification campaign against my evidence on social media. Clearly it's an attempt to not only demoralize me but also vitiate the public opinion against the credibility of my ongoing evidence.
Today, I sent a mail to Ahmedabad edition's resident editor (on his email id avnish.jain@dainikbhaskargroup.com) demanding an apology and clarification.
But instead of correcting the mistake, Mr. Jain called me from his cellphone 09978910358 at 8:14 pm and threatened that more editions of Dainik Bhaskar Group could also now start reporting that I'd retracted my statement.
Though I'm trying at my level to stop this vilification campaign against my evidence and writing letters to all concerned, I'd appreciate if you could also take steps you deem appropriate to preserve the sanctity of the ongoing trial.
Best regards
Ashish Khetan
Letter addressed to Mr.Raghvan SIT Chief:
Dear Mr. Raghvan
As you must be aware my deposition in Naroda Gam Massacre case is presently on.
I'd like to bring to your notice a few disturbing developments.
First of all the defense lawyers particularly Mr. Chetan Shah have been quite abusive and insulting while cross-examining me. Through out my deposition he kept taunting and humiliating me. Also many of his questions were aimed at insulting and annoying me. But this was not all. On more than one occasion he also tried to intimidate and threaten the presiding judge. He on multiple ocassions screamed at her at the top of his voice and humiliated her in front of the packed court room.
The developments outside the courtroom have also been quite discouraging.
The Ahmedabad edition of Dainik Bhaskar newspaper dated February 5 published a factually incorrect and depraved account of my ongoing deposition in the Naroda Gram massacre case. On the same day the Delhi edition of the same group published a story claiming that I have retracted my testimony.
These two articles triggered a vicious vilification campaign against my evidence on social media. Clearly it's an attempt to not only demoralize me but also vitiate the public opinion against the credibility of my ongoing evidence.
Today, I sent a mail to Ahmedabad edition's resident editor (on his email id avnish.jain@dainikbhaskargroup.com) demanding an apology and clarification.
But instead of correcting the mistake, Mr. Jain called me from his cellphone 09978910358 at 8:14 pm and threatened that more editions of Dainik Bhaskar Group could also now start reporting that I'd retracted my statement.
Though I'm trying at my level to stop this vilification campaign against my evidence and writing letters to all concerned, I'd appreciate if you could also take steps you deem appropriate to preserve the sanctity of the ongoing trial.
Best regards
Ashish Khetan
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ghulam muhammed
- Posts: 11653
- Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:34 pm
Re: Gujarat Mass Genocide : The REAL Truth.
Campaign for Justice and Dignity and against Social Exclusion and Physical Threats (Eleventh Anniversary of the Gujarat Genocide)
*FORGOTTEN CITIZENS OF 2002*
Victim Survivors of 2002 who are also IDPs (internally displaced persons) continue to languish in sub-human conditions eleven years after the state sponsored massacre which saw the brutal killings of over 2,000 members of
the minority community and rendered thousands homeless.
A year long protest programme to demand dignified rehabilitation from the Gujarat government will be launched from Citizen’s Nagar, Bombay Hotel area from Thursday, February 28 2013, the eleventh anniversary of the pogrom. A detailed memorandum highlighting the many demands of the residents of Citizens Nagar, Faisal Park and Ekta Nagar will be released and submitted to the Gujarat government thereafter. Until these demands are met the protest will continue and extend to other rehabilitation colonies and IDPs living all over Gujarat.The memorandum will be accompanied by a detailed survey of 239 homes from these localities.
The Gujarat government has shown scant respect to the Millennium Development Goals for Gujaratis in general and particularly for the Victim Survivors of 2002. The CJP will assist IDP communities all over Gujarat throughout the state to ensure regularization of their lands and homes, the provision of safe drinking water and sanitation facilities, access to primary health and education.
Together we participated in the Remembrance Prayers today as also the launch for this campaign of the "Forgotten Citizens of Gujarat for Justice and Dignity". We stood in solidarity with our sisters and brothers, the forgotten citizens of 2002 at Citizens Nagar, Bombay Hotel even as a Brutal Story of Exclusion and Torture of the Mustifabhai Ismailbhai Patel family at Virangam continues in Gujarat today.
*Threats and Exclusion faced by Muslim Hotelier in Viramgam, Gujarat (2013)*
Background: A hotelier since 1986, Shri Patel is being brutally victimised since 24.5.2012 and his hotel, Jyoti Hotel that he has been successfully running for decades, has been closed since 9.2.2013. Threats from Dasrathbhai and Ajmalbhai Gohil (captured on CD) with relatives DD Barat, working as Upsachiv in "Pipo" department at Gandhinagar have made his life a living hell. Shri Patel has gone for court proceedings and a Court Commission was set up on 22.2.2013 after which the hotel has been legally restored to him. He went to open it thereafter but even as he did so within 20 minutes 15-20 men along with the Gohils threatened him. Viramgam rural police have refused to give him protection (Viramgam PSI Rathwa and DSP Gagandeep Gambhir). The Patels contacted DD Barat the influential relative from Sachivalayas who further threatened him, "why have you done the case? we are in government..." Shri Patel will speak to us all and distribute the CDs that show the vile behaviour of the criminals. Shri Patel had also suffered significant loss when Jyoti hotel had been attacked and the hotel destroyed in 2002.
Venue: Citizen’s Nagar, Bombay Hotel area, Danilimda
Time: 3 – 5 p.m.
Date: February 28, 2013
Fr Cedric Prakash, Teesta Setalvad
*FORGOTTEN CITIZENS OF 2002*
Victim Survivors of 2002 who are also IDPs (internally displaced persons) continue to languish in sub-human conditions eleven years after the state sponsored massacre which saw the brutal killings of over 2,000 members of
the minority community and rendered thousands homeless.
A year long protest programme to demand dignified rehabilitation from the Gujarat government will be launched from Citizen’s Nagar, Bombay Hotel area from Thursday, February 28 2013, the eleventh anniversary of the pogrom. A detailed memorandum highlighting the many demands of the residents of Citizens Nagar, Faisal Park and Ekta Nagar will be released and submitted to the Gujarat government thereafter. Until these demands are met the protest will continue and extend to other rehabilitation colonies and IDPs living all over Gujarat.The memorandum will be accompanied by a detailed survey of 239 homes from these localities.
The Gujarat government has shown scant respect to the Millennium Development Goals for Gujaratis in general and particularly for the Victim Survivors of 2002. The CJP will assist IDP communities all over Gujarat throughout the state to ensure regularization of their lands and homes, the provision of safe drinking water and sanitation facilities, access to primary health and education.
Together we participated in the Remembrance Prayers today as also the launch for this campaign of the "Forgotten Citizens of Gujarat for Justice and Dignity". We stood in solidarity with our sisters and brothers, the forgotten citizens of 2002 at Citizens Nagar, Bombay Hotel even as a Brutal Story of Exclusion and Torture of the Mustifabhai Ismailbhai Patel family at Virangam continues in Gujarat today.
*Threats and Exclusion faced by Muslim Hotelier in Viramgam, Gujarat (2013)*
Background: A hotelier since 1986, Shri Patel is being brutally victimised since 24.5.2012 and his hotel, Jyoti Hotel that he has been successfully running for decades, has been closed since 9.2.2013. Threats from Dasrathbhai and Ajmalbhai Gohil (captured on CD) with relatives DD Barat, working as Upsachiv in "Pipo" department at Gandhinagar have made his life a living hell. Shri Patel has gone for court proceedings and a Court Commission was set up on 22.2.2013 after which the hotel has been legally restored to him. He went to open it thereafter but even as he did so within 20 minutes 15-20 men along with the Gohils threatened him. Viramgam rural police have refused to give him protection (Viramgam PSI Rathwa and DSP Gagandeep Gambhir). The Patels contacted DD Barat the influential relative from Sachivalayas who further threatened him, "why have you done the case? we are in government..." Shri Patel will speak to us all and distribute the CDs that show the vile behaviour of the criminals. Shri Patel had also suffered significant loss when Jyoti hotel had been attacked and the hotel destroyed in 2002.
Venue: Citizen’s Nagar, Bombay Hotel area, Danilimda
Time: 3 – 5 p.m.
Date: February 28, 2013
Fr Cedric Prakash, Teesta Setalvad
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ghulam muhammed
- Posts: 11653
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Re: Gujarat Mass Genocide : The REAL Truth.
SC seeks details of religious sites damaged in 2002 Gujarat riots
Asked by the Supreme Court whether the State of Gujarat will pay compensation if a religious shrine is destroyed in a tsunami or earthquake, the Narendra Modi-led government on Monday said it has a policy to pay ex gratia only in case of loss of life or injury.
The Gujarat government maintains that the state exchequer could not be used for building and repairing religious sites, a question the apex court has to now decide.
"You compensate if a house is washed away in a flood or if it is damaged in an earthquake. Then why not in case of a religious place?" a Bench of Justices K S Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra asked.
The apex court had also sought replies from a voluntary organisation, Islamic Relief Committee of Gujarat, which had filed a public interest litigation in the High Court in 2003 with details of damage to 271 religious structures in 26 districts during the post-Godhra riots. The High Court order had asked principal district judges in 26 districts to entertain applications seeking compensation for repair and reconstruction of religious structures.
A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J B Pardiwala of the High Court had ordered compensation for over 500 religious structures in the state, reasoning that when the government had paid compensation for destruction of houses and commercial establishments, it should also pay compensation for religious structures.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/sc-se ... ots/972413
Asked by the Supreme Court whether the State of Gujarat will pay compensation if a religious shrine is destroyed in a tsunami or earthquake, the Narendra Modi-led government on Monday said it has a policy to pay ex gratia only in case of loss of life or injury.
The Gujarat government maintains that the state exchequer could not be used for building and repairing religious sites, a question the apex court has to now decide.
"You compensate if a house is washed away in a flood or if it is damaged in an earthquake. Then why not in case of a religious place?" a Bench of Justices K S Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra asked.
The apex court had also sought replies from a voluntary organisation, Islamic Relief Committee of Gujarat, which had filed a public interest litigation in the High Court in 2003 with details of damage to 271 religious structures in 26 districts during the post-Godhra riots. The High Court order had asked principal district judges in 26 districts to entertain applications seeking compensation for repair and reconstruction of religious structures.
A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J B Pardiwala of the High Court had ordered compensation for over 500 religious structures in the state, reasoning that when the government had paid compensation for destruction of houses and commercial establishments, it should also pay compensation for religious structures.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/sc-se ... ots/972413
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ghulam muhammed
- Posts: 11653
- Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:34 pm
Re: Gujarat Mass Genocide : The REAL Truth.
India: Gujarat Officials Took Part in Anti-Muslim Violence
(New York) - State officials of Gujarat, India were directly involved in the killings of hundreds of Muslims since February 27 and are now engineering a massive cover-up of the state's role in the violence, Human Rights Watch charged in a new report released today
"What happened in Gujarat was not a spontaneous uprising, it was a carefully orchestrated attack against Muslims," said Smita Narula, senior South Asia researcher for Human Rights Watch and author of the report. "The attacks were planned in advance and organized with extensive participation of the police and state government officials."
The police were directly implicated in nearly all the attacks against Muslims that are documented in the 75-page report, 'We Have No Orders to Save You': State Participation and Complicity in Communal Violence in Gujarat. In some cases they were merely passive observers. But in many instances, police officials led the charge of murderous mobs, aiming and firing at Muslims who got in the way.
Under the guise of offering assistance, some police officers led the victims directly into the hands of their killers. Panicked phone calls made to the police, fire brigades, and even ambulance services generally proved futile. Several witnesses reported being told by police: "We have no orders to save you."
Starting February 28, 2002, a three-day retaliatory killing spree by Hindus left hundreds dead and tens of thousands homeless and dispossessed. The looting and burning of Muslim homes, businesses, and places of worship was also widespread. Muslim girls and women were brutally raped. Mass graves have been dug throughout the state. Gravediggers told Human Rights Watch that bodies keep arriving, burnt and mutilated beyond recognition.
Between February 28 and March 2, thousands of attackers descended on Muslim neighborhoods, clad in saffron scarves and khaki shorts, the signature uniform of Hindu nationalist groups, and armed with swords, sophisticated explosives, and gas cylinders. They were guided by voter lists and printouts of addresses of Muslim-owned properties-information obtained from the local municipality.
The groups most directly involved in the violence against Muslims include the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council, VHP), the Bajrang Dal, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that heads the Gujarat state government. Collectively, they are known as the sangh parivar, or family of Hindu nationalist organizations.
The Gujarat state administration has been engaged in a massive cover-up of the state's role in the massacres and that of the sangh parivar. Numerous police reports filed by eyewitnesses after the attacks have specifically named local VHP, BJP, and Bajrang Dal leaders as instigators or participants in the violence. The police, reportedly under instructions from the state, face continuous pressure not to arrest them or to reduce the severity of the charges filed. Top police officials who sought to protect Muslims have been removed from positions of command.
Government figures indicate that more than 98,000 people, an overwhelming majority of them Muslim, are residing in more than one hundred relief camps throughout the state. The state government has failed to provide adequate and timely humanitarian assistance to internally displaced persons in Gujarat. Relief camps visited by Human Rights Watch were in desperate need of more government and international assistance. One camp with 6,000 residents was located on the site of a Muslim graveyard. Residents were literally sleeping in the open, between the graves.
http://www.hrw.org/news/2002/04/29/indi ... m-violence
(New York) - State officials of Gujarat, India were directly involved in the killings of hundreds of Muslims since February 27 and are now engineering a massive cover-up of the state's role in the violence, Human Rights Watch charged in a new report released today
"What happened in Gujarat was not a spontaneous uprising, it was a carefully orchestrated attack against Muslims," said Smita Narula, senior South Asia researcher for Human Rights Watch and author of the report. "The attacks were planned in advance and organized with extensive participation of the police and state government officials."
The police were directly implicated in nearly all the attacks against Muslims that are documented in the 75-page report, 'We Have No Orders to Save You': State Participation and Complicity in Communal Violence in Gujarat. In some cases they were merely passive observers. But in many instances, police officials led the charge of murderous mobs, aiming and firing at Muslims who got in the way.
Under the guise of offering assistance, some police officers led the victims directly into the hands of their killers. Panicked phone calls made to the police, fire brigades, and even ambulance services generally proved futile. Several witnesses reported being told by police: "We have no orders to save you."
Starting February 28, 2002, a three-day retaliatory killing spree by Hindus left hundreds dead and tens of thousands homeless and dispossessed. The looting and burning of Muslim homes, businesses, and places of worship was also widespread. Muslim girls and women were brutally raped. Mass graves have been dug throughout the state. Gravediggers told Human Rights Watch that bodies keep arriving, burnt and mutilated beyond recognition.
Between February 28 and March 2, thousands of attackers descended on Muslim neighborhoods, clad in saffron scarves and khaki shorts, the signature uniform of Hindu nationalist groups, and armed with swords, sophisticated explosives, and gas cylinders. They were guided by voter lists and printouts of addresses of Muslim-owned properties-information obtained from the local municipality.
The groups most directly involved in the violence against Muslims include the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council, VHP), the Bajrang Dal, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that heads the Gujarat state government. Collectively, they are known as the sangh parivar, or family of Hindu nationalist organizations.
The Gujarat state administration has been engaged in a massive cover-up of the state's role in the massacres and that of the sangh parivar. Numerous police reports filed by eyewitnesses after the attacks have specifically named local VHP, BJP, and Bajrang Dal leaders as instigators or participants in the violence. The police, reportedly under instructions from the state, face continuous pressure not to arrest them or to reduce the severity of the charges filed. Top police officials who sought to protect Muslims have been removed from positions of command.
Government figures indicate that more than 98,000 people, an overwhelming majority of them Muslim, are residing in more than one hundred relief camps throughout the state. The state government has failed to provide adequate and timely humanitarian assistance to internally displaced persons in Gujarat. Relief camps visited by Human Rights Watch were in desperate need of more government and international assistance. One camp with 6,000 residents was located on the site of a Muslim graveyard. Residents were literally sleeping in the open, between the graves.
http://www.hrw.org/news/2002/04/29/indi ... m-violence
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ghulam muhammed
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Re: Gujarat Mass Genocide : The REAL Truth.
Supreme Court of India on Mass Carnage Gujarat 2002:
" When the ghastly killings take place in the land of Mahatma Gandhi, it raised a very pertinent question as to whether some people have become so bankrupt in their ideology that they have deviated from everything which was so dear to him. When large number(s) of people including innocent and helpless children and women are killed in a diabolic manner, it brings disgrace to the entire society. Criminals have no religion. No religion teaches violence and cruelty-based religion is no religion at all, but a mere cloak to usurp power by fanning ill-feeling and playing on feelings aroused thereby. The golden thread passing through every religion is love and compassion. The fanatics who spread violence in the name of religion are worse than terrorists and more dangerous than an alien enemy."
— From the Supreme Court Judgement in the Best Bakery case. Justices Soraiswamy Raju and Arijit Pasayat 12.4.2004
Other Direct Quotations from the Judgement
....."When a large number of witnesses have turned hostile it should have raised a reasonable suspicion that the witnesses were being threatened or coerced.
......"Strangely, the relatives of the accused were examined as witnesses for the prosecution obviously with a view that their evidence could be used to help the accused persons.
....."If the State’s machinery fails to protect (a) citizen’s life, liberties and property, and the investigation is conducted in a manner to help the accused persons, it is but appropriate that this Court should step in to prevent undue miscarriage of justice that is perpetrated upon the victims and their family members.
......."Right from the inception of the judicial system it has been accepted that discovery, vindication and establishment of truth are the main purposes underlying (the) existence of courts of justice.
......."If a criminal court is to be an effective instrument in dispensing justice, the presiding judge must cease to be a spectator and a mere recording machine by becoming a participant in the trial.
......."Failure to accord fair hearing either to the accused or the prosecution violates even minimum standards of due process of law. It is inherent in the concept of due process of law that condemnation should be rendered only after the trial in which the hearing is a real one, not sham or mere farce and pretence.
......."Time has come when serious and undiluted thoughts are to be bestowed for protecting witnesses so that ultimate truth is presented before the court and justice triumphs and the trial is not reduced to mockery.
......"Legislative measures to emphasise prohibition against tampering with witness, victim or informant have become the imminent and inevitable need of the day. Conducts which illegitimately affect the presentation of evidence in proceedings before the courts have to be seriously and sternly dealt with.
......"Witness Protection programmes are imperative as well as imminent in the context of alarming rate of somersaults by witnesses with ulterior motives and purely for personal gain or fear for security. It would be a welcome step if something on those lines is done in our country.
......."The entire approach of the high court suffers from serious infirmities, its conclusions lopsided, and lacks proper or judicious application of mind. Arbitrariness is found writ large on the approach as well as the conclusions arrived at in the judgement under challenge.
......"When the ghastly killings take place in the land of Mahatma Gandhi, it raises a very pertinent question as to whether some people have become so bankrupt in their ideology that they have deviated from everything which was so dear to him.
......'If one even cursorily glances through the records of the case, one gets a feeling that the justice delivery system was being taken for a ride and literally allowed to be abused, misused and mutilated by subterfuge. The investigation appears to be perfunctory and anything but impartial.
......."The golden thread passing through every religion is love and compassion. The fanatics who spread violence in the name of religion are worse than terrorists and more dangerous than an alien enemy.
......'It is no doubt true that the accused persons have been acquitted by the trial court and the acquittal has been upheld, but if the acquittal is unmerited and based on tainted evidence, tailored investigation, unprincipled prosecutor and perfunctory trial and evidence of threatened/terrorised witnesses, it is no acquittal in the eye of law.
......"The modern day “Neros” were looking elsewhere when Best Bakery and innocent children and women were burning, and were probably deliberating how the perpetrators of the crime can be saved or protected.
......."The high court appears to have miserably failed to maintain the required judicial balance and sobriety in making unwarranted references to personalities and their legitimate moves before the competent courts – the highest court of the nation, despite knowing fully well that it could not deal with such aspects or matters.
......."We are satisfied that it is fit and proper case, in the background of the nature of additional evidence sought to be adduced and the perfunctory manner of trial conducted on the basis of tainted investigation, a re-trial is a must and essentially called for in order to save and preserve the justice delivery system unsullied and unscathed by vested interests."
....."A-13 to A-18 (all policemen) started fabricating false evidence and causing disappearance of evidence immediately after Bilkis lodged an oral complaint giving the names of the assailants and the details of the incident, with the intention of causing disappearance of evidence to screen the offenders.
...."The two doctors conducting post-mortem did not discharge their duties truthfully, sincerely and strictly in accordance with rules and procedure. By not collecting valuable pieces of evidence such as vaginal swabs, saliva, nail clippings and clothes of the deceased, A-19 and A-20 caused disappearance of evidence with the intention to screen the offenders.
....."No person, however big he may assume or claim to be, should be allowed, irrespective of the position he may assume or claim to hold in public life, to either act in a manner or make speeches which would destroy secularism recognised by the Constitution of India.
......"Communal harmony should not be made to suffer and be made dependent upon (the) will of an individual or a group of individuals, whatever be their religion, be it of minority or that of the majority.
........."Religion cannot be mixed with secular activities of the State and fundamentalism of any kind cannot be permitted to masquerade as political philosophies to the detriment of a welfare State. Religion sans spiritual values may even be perilous and bring about chaos and anarchy all around."
" When the ghastly killings take place in the land of Mahatma Gandhi, it raised a very pertinent question as to whether some people have become so bankrupt in their ideology that they have deviated from everything which was so dear to him. When large number(s) of people including innocent and helpless children and women are killed in a diabolic manner, it brings disgrace to the entire society. Criminals have no religion. No religion teaches violence and cruelty-based religion is no religion at all, but a mere cloak to usurp power by fanning ill-feeling and playing on feelings aroused thereby. The golden thread passing through every religion is love and compassion. The fanatics who spread violence in the name of religion are worse than terrorists and more dangerous than an alien enemy."
— From the Supreme Court Judgement in the Best Bakery case. Justices Soraiswamy Raju and Arijit Pasayat 12.4.2004
Other Direct Quotations from the Judgement
....."When a large number of witnesses have turned hostile it should have raised a reasonable suspicion that the witnesses were being threatened or coerced.
......"Strangely, the relatives of the accused were examined as witnesses for the prosecution obviously with a view that their evidence could be used to help the accused persons.
....."If the State’s machinery fails to protect (a) citizen’s life, liberties and property, and the investigation is conducted in a manner to help the accused persons, it is but appropriate that this Court should step in to prevent undue miscarriage of justice that is perpetrated upon the victims and their family members.
......."Right from the inception of the judicial system it has been accepted that discovery, vindication and establishment of truth are the main purposes underlying (the) existence of courts of justice.
......."If a criminal court is to be an effective instrument in dispensing justice, the presiding judge must cease to be a spectator and a mere recording machine by becoming a participant in the trial.
......."Failure to accord fair hearing either to the accused or the prosecution violates even minimum standards of due process of law. It is inherent in the concept of due process of law that condemnation should be rendered only after the trial in which the hearing is a real one, not sham or mere farce and pretence.
......."Time has come when serious and undiluted thoughts are to be bestowed for protecting witnesses so that ultimate truth is presented before the court and justice triumphs and the trial is not reduced to mockery.
......"Legislative measures to emphasise prohibition against tampering with witness, victim or informant have become the imminent and inevitable need of the day. Conducts which illegitimately affect the presentation of evidence in proceedings before the courts have to be seriously and sternly dealt with.
......"Witness Protection programmes are imperative as well as imminent in the context of alarming rate of somersaults by witnesses with ulterior motives and purely for personal gain or fear for security. It would be a welcome step if something on those lines is done in our country.
......."The entire approach of the high court suffers from serious infirmities, its conclusions lopsided, and lacks proper or judicious application of mind. Arbitrariness is found writ large on the approach as well as the conclusions arrived at in the judgement under challenge.
......"When the ghastly killings take place in the land of Mahatma Gandhi, it raises a very pertinent question as to whether some people have become so bankrupt in their ideology that they have deviated from everything which was so dear to him.
......'If one even cursorily glances through the records of the case, one gets a feeling that the justice delivery system was being taken for a ride and literally allowed to be abused, misused and mutilated by subterfuge. The investigation appears to be perfunctory and anything but impartial.
......."The golden thread passing through every religion is love and compassion. The fanatics who spread violence in the name of religion are worse than terrorists and more dangerous than an alien enemy.
......'It is no doubt true that the accused persons have been acquitted by the trial court and the acquittal has been upheld, but if the acquittal is unmerited and based on tainted evidence, tailored investigation, unprincipled prosecutor and perfunctory trial and evidence of threatened/terrorised witnesses, it is no acquittal in the eye of law.
......"The modern day “Neros” were looking elsewhere when Best Bakery and innocent children and women were burning, and were probably deliberating how the perpetrators of the crime can be saved or protected.
......."The high court appears to have miserably failed to maintain the required judicial balance and sobriety in making unwarranted references to personalities and their legitimate moves before the competent courts – the highest court of the nation, despite knowing fully well that it could not deal with such aspects or matters.
......."We are satisfied that it is fit and proper case, in the background of the nature of additional evidence sought to be adduced and the perfunctory manner of trial conducted on the basis of tainted investigation, a re-trial is a must and essentially called for in order to save and preserve the justice delivery system unsullied and unscathed by vested interests."
....."A-13 to A-18 (all policemen) started fabricating false evidence and causing disappearance of evidence immediately after Bilkis lodged an oral complaint giving the names of the assailants and the details of the incident, with the intention of causing disappearance of evidence to screen the offenders.
...."The two doctors conducting post-mortem did not discharge their duties truthfully, sincerely and strictly in accordance with rules and procedure. By not collecting valuable pieces of evidence such as vaginal swabs, saliva, nail clippings and clothes of the deceased, A-19 and A-20 caused disappearance of evidence with the intention to screen the offenders.
....."No person, however big he may assume or claim to be, should be allowed, irrespective of the position he may assume or claim to hold in public life, to either act in a manner or make speeches which would destroy secularism recognised by the Constitution of India.
......"Communal harmony should not be made to suffer and be made dependent upon (the) will of an individual or a group of individuals, whatever be their religion, be it of minority or that of the majority.
........."Religion cannot be mixed with secular activities of the State and fundamentalism of any kind cannot be permitted to masquerade as political philosophies to the detriment of a welfare State. Religion sans spiritual values may even be perilous and bring about chaos and anarchy all around."
-
ghulam muhammed
- Posts: 11653
- Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:34 pm
Re: Gujarat Mass Genocide : The REAL Truth.
‘To Get Me Out On Bail, Narendrabhai Changed Judges Thrice’
What They Said About Modi
Transcript: BABU BAJRANGI
AUGUST 10, 2007
TEHELKA: The day Patiya happened, didn’t Modi support you?
Bajrangi: He made everything all right, otherwise who would have had the strength… It was his hand all the way… If he’d told the police to do differently, they would have f****d us…. they could have… they had full control…
TEHELKA: They had control?
Bajrangi: They were very much in control all over the city, all over Gujarat… [But] for two days, Narendrabhai was in control… from the third day… a lot of pressure came from the top… Sonia-wonia and all came here…
• • •
TEHELKA: Didn’t Narendrabhai come to meet you [in jail]?
Bajrangi: If Narendrabhai comes to meet me, he’ll be in deep trouble… I didn’t expect to see him… Even today, I don’t expect it…
TEHELKA: Did he ever talk to you over the phone?
Bajrangi: That way I do get to speak to him… but not just like that… The whole world starts singing…
TEHELKA: But when you were absconding, then he…..
Bajrangi: Hmm… I did speak to him twice or thrice…
TEHELKA: He’d encourage you…
Bajrangi: Marad aadmi hai [he’s a real man], Narendrabhai… If he were to tell me to tie a bomb to myself and jump… it wouldn’t take even a second… I could sling a bomb around me and jump wherever I was asked to… for Hindus…
TEHELKA: Had he not been there,then Naroda Patiya, Gulbarg etc…
Bajrangi:Wouldn’t have happened.Would’ve been very difficult.
• • •
SEPTEMBER 1, 2007
TEHELKA: Did Narendrabhai come to Patiya the day of the massacre?
Bajrangi: Narendrabhai came to Patiya… He could not make it to the place of the incidents because there were commando-phamandos with him… But he came to Patiya, saw our enthusiasm and went away… He left behind a really good atmosphere…
TEHELKA: Said you were all blessed…
Bajrangi: Narendrabhai had come to see that things didn’t stop the next day… He went all around Ahmedabad, to all the places where the miyas [Muslims] were, to the Hindu areas… told people they’d done well and should do more…
• • •
Bajrangi: [After the massacre] the commissioner issued orders [against me]… I was told to leave my home… I ran away… Narendrabhai kept me at… the Gujarat Bhavan at Mount Abu for fourand- a-half months… After that, whatever Narendrabhai told me to… Nobody can do what Narendrabhai has done in – Gujarat… If I did not have the support of Narendrabhai, we would not have been able to avenge [Godhra]… [After it was over,] Narendrabhai was happy, the people were happy, we were happy… I went to jail and came back… and returned to the life I’d led before.
• • •
Bajrangi: Narendrabhai got me out of jail…… He kept on changing judges…. He set it up so as to ensure my release, otherwise I wouldn’t have been out yet… The first judge was one Dholakiaji… He said Babu Bajrangi should be hanged — not once, but four-five times, and he flung the file aside… Then came another who stopped just short of saying I should be hanged… Then there was a third one… By then, four-and-a-half months had elapsed in jail; then Narendrabhai sent me a message… saying he would find a way out… Next he posted a judge named Akshay Mehta… He never even looked at the file or anything…. He just said [bail was] granted… And we were all out… We were free….. For this, I believe in God… We are ready to die for Hindutva…
http://tehelka.com/to-get-me-out-on-bai ... es-thrice/
What They Said About Modi
Transcript: BABU BAJRANGI
AUGUST 10, 2007
TEHELKA: The day Patiya happened, didn’t Modi support you?
Bajrangi: He made everything all right, otherwise who would have had the strength… It was his hand all the way… If he’d told the police to do differently, they would have f****d us…. they could have… they had full control…
TEHELKA: They had control?
Bajrangi: They were very much in control all over the city, all over Gujarat… [But] for two days, Narendrabhai was in control… from the third day… a lot of pressure came from the top… Sonia-wonia and all came here…
• • •
TEHELKA: Didn’t Narendrabhai come to meet you [in jail]?
Bajrangi: If Narendrabhai comes to meet me, he’ll be in deep trouble… I didn’t expect to see him… Even today, I don’t expect it…
TEHELKA: Did he ever talk to you over the phone?
Bajrangi: That way I do get to speak to him… but not just like that… The whole world starts singing…
TEHELKA: But when you were absconding, then he…..
Bajrangi: Hmm… I did speak to him twice or thrice…
TEHELKA: He’d encourage you…
Bajrangi: Marad aadmi hai [he’s a real man], Narendrabhai… If he were to tell me to tie a bomb to myself and jump… it wouldn’t take even a second… I could sling a bomb around me and jump wherever I was asked to… for Hindus…
TEHELKA: Had he not been there,then Naroda Patiya, Gulbarg etc…
Bajrangi:Wouldn’t have happened.Would’ve been very difficult.
• • •
SEPTEMBER 1, 2007
TEHELKA: Did Narendrabhai come to Patiya the day of the massacre?
Bajrangi: Narendrabhai came to Patiya… He could not make it to the place of the incidents because there were commando-phamandos with him… But he came to Patiya, saw our enthusiasm and went away… He left behind a really good atmosphere…
TEHELKA: Said you were all blessed…
Bajrangi: Narendrabhai had come to see that things didn’t stop the next day… He went all around Ahmedabad, to all the places where the miyas [Muslims] were, to the Hindu areas… told people they’d done well and should do more…
• • •
Bajrangi: [After the massacre] the commissioner issued orders [against me]… I was told to leave my home… I ran away… Narendrabhai kept me at… the Gujarat Bhavan at Mount Abu for fourand- a-half months… After that, whatever Narendrabhai told me to… Nobody can do what Narendrabhai has done in – Gujarat… If I did not have the support of Narendrabhai, we would not have been able to avenge [Godhra]… [After it was over,] Narendrabhai was happy, the people were happy, we were happy… I went to jail and came back… and returned to the life I’d led before.
• • •
Bajrangi: Narendrabhai got me out of jail…… He kept on changing judges…. He set it up so as to ensure my release, otherwise I wouldn’t have been out yet… The first judge was one Dholakiaji… He said Babu Bajrangi should be hanged — not once, but four-five times, and he flung the file aside… Then came another who stopped just short of saying I should be hanged… Then there was a third one… By then, four-and-a-half months had elapsed in jail; then Narendrabhai sent me a message… saying he would find a way out… Next he posted a judge named Akshay Mehta… He never even looked at the file or anything…. He just said [bail was] granted… And we were all out… We were free….. For this, I believe in God… We are ready to die for Hindutva…
http://tehelka.com/to-get-me-out-on-bai ... es-thrice/
-
ghulam muhammed
- Posts: 11653
- Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:34 pm
Re: Gujarat Mass Genocide : The REAL Truth.
Tehelka claimed it had 'irrefutable' evidence that the killings of Muslims post-Godhra train carnage in Gujarat was 'not a spontaneous swell of anger but a genocide' planned and executed by top functionaries of the Sangh Parivar and state authorities 'with the sanction' of Chief Minister Narendra Modi .
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Tehelka Editor-in-Chief Tarun Tejpal claimed that the magazine had carried out a sting operation over the last six months by talking to a number of Sangh Parivar leaders, including Godhra BJP MLA Haresh Bhatt, Shiv Sena leader Babu Bajrangi, who was earlier in the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and VHP leaders Anil Patel and Dhawal Jayanti Patel, to bring out the truth.
"We have evidence that bombs were being made in the VHP office premises," Harinder Baweja, Editor (Investigations), told rediff.com.
"In Tehelka's ground breaking investigations, for the first time, hear the truth of the genocidal killings from the men who actually did it. In shocking disclosures, Chief Minister Narendra Modi came and patted the back of criminals, and told them that they had done a good job," Baweja said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has reacted sharply to the magazine's report stating that Tehelka was acting as CIA (Congress Investigating Agency) and it was a collusive sting, which could hardly be called investigative journalism.
Party spokesman Prakash Javedekar said the 'dirty tricks department' of the Congress was at work again in view of the assembly elections in Gujarat.
None of the leaders caught on camera in the expose was available for comments, except Gujarat VHP leader Dhawal Jayanti Patel who said Bajrangi had not talked to him during the riots and that he had not seen the sting operation.
Bhatt was purportedly caught on tape saying he was present in a meeting in which Modi allegedly gave him three days time 'to do whatever they wanted.'
"After three days, he (Modi) asked to stop and everything came to a halt," Bhatt said, adding that the chief minister thanked them after the Naroda Patiya masssacre.
The magazine claimed that Dhawal Jayanti Patel told its undercover reporter that the VHP activists made lots of bombs in a factory owned by him. A BJP MLA was shown as saying they even made rocket launchers, which were used in the pogrom.
It also claimed that it has exposed 'a trail of lies and coercions' that establishes the fire in coach S-6 of the Sabarmati Express in Godhra on February 27, 2002 was a case of spontaneous mob fury and not a pre-meditated conspiracy as stated by the Gujarat government.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/oct/25godhra.htm
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Tehelka Editor-in-Chief Tarun Tejpal claimed that the magazine had carried out a sting operation over the last six months by talking to a number of Sangh Parivar leaders, including Godhra BJP MLA Haresh Bhatt, Shiv Sena leader Babu Bajrangi, who was earlier in the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and VHP leaders Anil Patel and Dhawal Jayanti Patel, to bring out the truth.
"We have evidence that bombs were being made in the VHP office premises," Harinder Baweja, Editor (Investigations), told rediff.com.
"In Tehelka's ground breaking investigations, for the first time, hear the truth of the genocidal killings from the men who actually did it. In shocking disclosures, Chief Minister Narendra Modi came and patted the back of criminals, and told them that they had done a good job," Baweja said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has reacted sharply to the magazine's report stating that Tehelka was acting as CIA (Congress Investigating Agency) and it was a collusive sting, which could hardly be called investigative journalism.
Party spokesman Prakash Javedekar said the 'dirty tricks department' of the Congress was at work again in view of the assembly elections in Gujarat.
None of the leaders caught on camera in the expose was available for comments, except Gujarat VHP leader Dhawal Jayanti Patel who said Bajrangi had not talked to him during the riots and that he had not seen the sting operation.
Bhatt was purportedly caught on tape saying he was present in a meeting in which Modi allegedly gave him three days time 'to do whatever they wanted.'
"After three days, he (Modi) asked to stop and everything came to a halt," Bhatt said, adding that the chief minister thanked them after the Naroda Patiya masssacre.
The magazine claimed that Dhawal Jayanti Patel told its undercover reporter that the VHP activists made lots of bombs in a factory owned by him. A BJP MLA was shown as saying they even made rocket launchers, which were used in the pogrom.
It also claimed that it has exposed 'a trail of lies and coercions' that establishes the fire in coach S-6 of the Sabarmati Express in Godhra on February 27, 2002 was a case of spontaneous mob fury and not a pre-meditated conspiracy as stated by the Gujarat government.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/oct/25godhra.htm
-
ghulam muhammed
- Posts: 11653
- Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:34 pm
Re: Gujarat Mass Genocide : The REAL Truth.
April 15, 2013
Mrs Zakia Jafri files her Protest Petition
A cold-blooded and clear-cut conspiracy to manipulate the tragic Godhra incident -- from the moment of the terrible news -- was planned and executed by Chief Minister Mr Narendra Modi (Accused no 1), in close consultation, especially with then Health Minister Mr Ashok Bhatt (accused no. 2) , Urban development minister, IK Jadeja (accused no 3) and other co-accused cabinet colleagues and especially VHP leader Mr Jaydeep Patel (accused no 21), with whom the CM was first in touch with soon after the tragic Godhra incident. This was aimed at ensuring that the tragedy at Godhra becomes ready fuel for the meticulously planned massacre of innocent Muslims all over Gujarat.
Mrs Zakia Ahsan Jafri today filed her Protest Petition praying for the rejection *in toto *of the SIT final report dated 8.2.2012, making a cogent case for the charge-sheeting of all 59 accused listed in her complaint dated 8.6.2006, beginning with Mr. Modi the chief minister of Gujarat.
The protest petition that runs into 514 pages also has three volumes of annexures and ten CDs. The Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) with its entire legal team has assisted in this painstaking and voluminous exercise.
The Petitioner strongly argues that the Supreme Court appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) had adequate documents and statements to come to a prima facie finding against all the accused. SIT, however decided to cover up the crimes and has gone out of its way to misguide the Court and give a clean chit to the accused.
Phone call records show Mr Modi (accused no 1, A-1) to have been in close touch with Mr Jaideep Patel (A-21) immediately after information of the Godhra tragedy comes in, even before he meets home department officials and
ministers. Thereafter, there is a hasty and publicly conducted post-mortem at Godhra, out in the public against all law and procedure while a crowd of VHP workers was present. Mr Modi is present while this happens.
Thereafter, while passions are being cynically stoked, another sinister decision to hand over the dead bodies of Godhra victims to VHP strongman Mr Jaideep Patel (A-21) is taken at a mini-cabinet meeting presided by Mr Modi in Godhra, at which co-accused ministers are physically present. Mr Jaideep Patel too is present at the meeting. Then Godhra district magistrate, Mrs Jayanti Ravi has clearly stated that Mr Jaideep Patel was present at the meeting.
The Protest Petition goes into great detail, relying on documents from the investigation papers, on how the administration and police were deliberately paralysed and neutralised by the conspiracy hatched by Mr Modi, Co-accused, then Gujarat DGP Mr K Chakravari (A-25), then police commissioner, Ahmedabad, PC Pande (A-29), then additional chief secretary, home, Mr Ashok Narayan (A-28) and other key members of the bureaucracy and police who connived as co conspirators in the conspiracy.
Key field reports from the SIB (state intelligence bureau) from all districts were given to the SIT by January 2010, i.e., full three and a half months before the SIT submitted its first investigation report to the Supreme Court on 12.5.2010. These reports reveal a grim ground level reality: gross provocations and bloodthirsty slogans by VHP workers from 4
p.m. onwards on the afternoon of 27.2.2002 (“Khoon ka badla khoon se lenge”, blood for blood) while Mr Modi had still not left for Godhra.
Phone records of the chief minister’s office (CMO) reveal that he went to the airport to catch a helicopter for Godhra via Meghaninagar where the massacre at Gulberg society the next day was organized. Phone records of the CMO also show that after landing in Ahmedabad from Vadodara by aircraft (where he had travelled by road from Godhra on his return journey) too, Mr Modi and officials of the CMO who accompanied him are located at Meghaninagar late evening (mobile phone call records).
Just a week before the Godhra incident, on 22.2.2002, Mr Modi had won in the Rajkot bye-election by a slender margin (a few thousand votes). The glory of his victory had been dimmed with minority votes going heavily against him. Former CPI leader and later Parliamentarian from the Congress, Ahsan Jafri had been an active campaigner against Mr Modi in the bye-election lived in Gulberg Society, in Meghaninagar.
In a sinister furtherance of the conspiracy, the late night meeting at Mr Modi’s residence effectively neutralised the police and administration from doing its constitutional duty. The Protest Petition states that the credibility of the evidence related to the critical 27.2.2002 meeting must be tested during trial and that it was not the job of the investigating agency to pre-judge the issue, acting like a court overstepping its jurisdiction to protect and save powerful accused.
Evidence from Police Control Room (PCR) records submitted by Mr. PC Pande to the SIT after 15.3.2011 reveal cynical and cold-blooded mobilization of RSS workers and VHP men at the Sola Civil hospital from 4 a.m. onwards on 28.2.2002 in aggressive anticipation for the arrival of the dead bodies. Repeated PCR messages, that the home department under Mr. Modi (A-1, who held the home portfolio) and Mr PC Pande (A-21) were trying to conceal, show that both in Ahmedabad and in several locations all over Gujarat crowds were mobilized to aggressively parade bodies with bloodthirsty sloganeering, inciting mobs to attack innocent Muslims.
The then joint police commissioner, Ahmedabad, Mr Shivanand Jha, also an accused in the complaint (A-38), was jurisdictionally in charge of Sola Civil Hospital in Zone 1. As the messages extracted below show, repeated PCR messages desperately ask for bandobast; they speak of the staff and doctors of the hospital being under threat; of a 5,000-6,000 strong mob accompanying the bodies and finally one message also says that “riots have broken out.”
Yet Mr Modi, the entire Home department and the accused under him and individuals accused including Mr Chakravarti (A-25) and Mr PC Pande (A-29) in collaboration with the SIT have strived hard to conceal this evidence.
While such aggressive funeral processions were allowed in Ahmedabad, an equally explosive situation prevailed simultaneously in Khedbrahma, Vadodara, Modasa, Dahod, Anand etc. A cynical government under Mr Modi and his co-accused conspirators has done their level best to conceal this evidence.
The PCR records -- that the SIT was trying hard to conceal -- also reveal that while the Ahmedabad police under Mr PC Pande and the home department under Mr Modi and then MOS, home Mr Gordhan Zadaphiya (A-5 ) had enough forces to escort a VHP leader known for his inciteful slogans, Acharya Giriraj Kishore, from the airport to the Sola Civil hospital to accompany the processionists, shouting filthy hate speeches and murderous slogans. But they did not have enough forces to send to Naroda Patiya where 96 persons were massacred in broad daylight (charge-sheet figures in the Naroda Patiya case, though more deaths have been recorded) and 69 persons at Gulberg society the same day and around the same time aggressive processions were being allowed. Mr Modi allowing and openly supporting the bandh and neutralising his administration, decided to give the RSS, VHP, BD mobs a free run of the Gujarat streets to massacre innocents.
As bad or worse were the provocations and hate speeches that were cynically allowed and encouraged by Mr. Modi and his administration. PCR messages of Ahmedabad and SIB messages from all over the state are testimony to this incendiary mobilisation.
Warnings Ignored (from SIB and PCR messages)
12:30 pm on the 27th February: An SIB officer through fax no 525 communicated to the headquarters that there were reports that some dead bodies would be brought to Kalupur Hospital station in Ahmedabad city. "So communal violence will occur in the city of Ahmedabad; so take preventive action."
Another SIB message numbered as Out/184/02 again warned about communal incidents if bodies were brought to Ahmedabad. "Communal violence will occur in the city. So take preventive action." The same message said that karsevaks had given explosive interviews to a TV station at Godhra and had threatened to unleash violence against the Muslims.
At 1:51 hours and again at 1:59 hours on the 28th February there were panic messages by wireless police vans positioned at Sola Hospital demanding immediate protection from Special Reserve Police platoons and the presence
of DCP Zone 1.
Message at 2:44 hours on 28.2.2002: the motor cavalcade has reached Sola Civil Hospital.
Page No. 5790 of Annexure IV, File XIV reveals that at 04:00 am: a mob comprising of 3,000 swayamsevaks, that is the members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), had already gathered at the Civil Sola Hospital.
At 7.14 a.m. the PCR van again informs the Police Control Room that a large mob had assembled at the hospital. (Page 5796 of Annexure IV, File XIV of the documents).
Again, another message three minutes later at 7:17 a.m. (Page 5797 of Annexure IV, File XIV of the documents) says that a mob of 500 people was holding up the traffic.
Ten bodies were taken to Ramol, an area near Naroda and a massive funeral rally of over 5,000-6,000 mourners took the bodies to Hatkeshwar crematorium in the afternoon.
At 11:55 am a PCR message is sent out saying that the Hindu mob had become violent and had set a vehicle on fire and was indulging in arson on the highway.
Message at 11.55 a.m. on 28.2.2002 (Page No.6162 Annexure IV File XV) saying that “Sayyed Saheb, the Protocol Officer had informed Sola-1 that riots have started at Sola civil hospital at the High Court where the dead bodies were brought.”
Again, there is another message with no indication of time (Page No.6172 of 28.2.2002) that states that the officers and employees of the hospital had been surrounded by a 500 strong mob and they could not come out”. The
message also made a demand for more security for the civil hospital at Sola.
Annexure IV File XIV- Message No. 5907 and 5925 at 11:58 a.m. on 28.2.2002 shows that when 10 dead bodies were taken from Ramol Jantanagar to the Hatkeshwar cremation ground, a crowd of 5,000-6,000 persons accompanied this procession.
On the morning of 28.2.2002, a SIB message (on page 258 of Annexure III File XIX, message No. Com/538/28/2/02) says that a funeral procession was allowed to take place at Khedbrahma, a town in Sabarkantha district. The message adds that soon after the funeral procession 2 Muslims on their way to Khedbrahma were stabbed and the situation had become very tense.
The subsequent message at page No. 262 of the same file (Annexure III File XIX) mentions that 150 Bajrang Dal workers were on their way from Ayodhya to Khedbrahma.
Another message at page 254 (Annexure III file XIX) – Com/574/2002 sent out at 15.32 p.m. on 28.2.2002 states that one more victim of the tragic train burning at Godhra, Babubhai Harjibhai Patel, resident at Vaghrol, Tal. Vadali in Sabarkantha was brought back and a funeral procession was organised in the town.
Warnings about the deliberate mobilization
At page 365 of Annexure III File XXI( D-166) message No. 73/02 dated 28.2.2002 sent by the ACP(Intelligence) Surat Region to State Intelligence Bureau Headquarters at Gandhinagar, says that between 9-10 a.m. on the morning of 28.2.2002, a meeting was held at Sardar Chowk in Vapi Town where Dinesh Kumar Behri of VHP and Acharya Brahmbatt of Bajrang Dal , Jawahar Desai of BJP and Vinod Chowdhary of RSS made inflammatory speeches
regarding the incident at Godhra and called upon the Hindus to unite.
Another message at page 188 in Annexure III, File XVIII sent at 20:38 hours on the day of the Godhra train burning tragedy, i.e., 27.2.2002, mentions the following: “Dilip Trivedi, the General Secretary of VHP and Joint Secretary Dr. Jaideep Patel and Kaushik Mehta in a Joint Statement issued by them have declared that innocent Ram Bhakt’s have been attacked and hence Gujarat Bandh has been declared. They have also stated that the attack on the Ramsevaks returning from Ayodhya was pre-planned by the Muslims. Innocent ladies were molested and compartments were set on fire and Ramsevaks were burnt alive.”
The joint statement issued by the three senior-most office bearers of Gujarat VHP’s unit was clearly designed to stoke communal passion. A reasonable response would have been an immediate government clampdown on such public utterances and if required putting all these trouble makers under preventive detention. But no such action was taken. The VHP called for a bandh on the 28th February and the BJP, the ruling party, openly supported the bandh call. The State, instead of clamping down on the bandh call, gave the VHP leaders and its cadres a free reign and a license to kill.
At page 345, the message titled Vardhi No. 24 contained in Annexure III File XIX dated 27.2.2002 sent from D.O., Ahmedabad to the Intelligence Office at Virangam (Virangam is in Ahmedabad rural district) stated that 50 to 75 members of the VHP and Bajrang Dal had gathered at Virangam town chali and in the Golwada area and the situation was very tense.
Another message in the same file, i.e., Annexure III, File XVIII (D-160) at Page No. 19 Message No. 531 ifrom SIB Police to KR Singh at 1810 hours on 27.2.2002 said that, “on 27.2.2002 at 4.30 p.m. when the train arrived at the Ahmedabad Railway station, the kar sevaks were armed with ‘dandas’ and shouting murderous slogans ‘khoon ka badla khoon’ and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’.”
Fax Mes. D-1/ HA/ Jaher Sabha/ Junagadh/ 311/02 dated.27.2.02 at10.12 pm sent by PI, CID, Int. Bhavnagar to IG, Guj. State IB, Gandhi Nagar said that Sadhu Samaj president Gopalnandji gave an agitated speech at Junagadh Kadva chowk, on dt.27.2.02 between19.30 to 21.00 hrs. The message then goes on to name specific local VHP leaders and says that they expressed their condolences to Kar Sevaks and then delivered hate speeches and urged all Hindus to unite and told the audience to chop the hands and legs of our enemies. They said in their speech that the incident that occurred at Godhra in the morning at 7.30a.m., yet there was no reaction from the Hindus which was very unfortunate. “Muslims who live in India with sincerity and patriotism, we don’t have any agitation against them. But we have objections against those who lived in India and favour Pakistan and carried out activities against the country. Anti- national activities are being done in Madrasas. We have objection against it. We do not have any kind of objection against spiritual religious education to the children. *Pooja prathna* at the temple and pray in the Masjid but Pakistan Zindabad is not right. Above mention ideas were expressed by them.”
Fax Mes. Com/HM/550/ 02 Dt.27.2.02 23:59 Out No.398 from ACP, Int. G’nagar Region to IG, Guj. State IB, Gandhi Nagar says that 50 Karsevaks travelling by a special bus from Ahmedabad reached Modasa centre in village Vadagam at
Taluka Dhansura at around 18:30 pm on 27.2.02. “They were received by a mob of 500 people and these kar sevaks addressed the mob and told the people how the compartment of Sabarmati Express was attacked. People present in
the mob got excited and at 21:30 p.m.
Mrs Zakia Jafri files her Protest Petition
A cold-blooded and clear-cut conspiracy to manipulate the tragic Godhra incident -- from the moment of the terrible news -- was planned and executed by Chief Minister Mr Narendra Modi (Accused no 1), in close consultation, especially with then Health Minister Mr Ashok Bhatt (accused no. 2) , Urban development minister, IK Jadeja (accused no 3) and other co-accused cabinet colleagues and especially VHP leader Mr Jaydeep Patel (accused no 21), with whom the CM was first in touch with soon after the tragic Godhra incident. This was aimed at ensuring that the tragedy at Godhra becomes ready fuel for the meticulously planned massacre of innocent Muslims all over Gujarat.
Mrs Zakia Ahsan Jafri today filed her Protest Petition praying for the rejection *in toto *of the SIT final report dated 8.2.2012, making a cogent case for the charge-sheeting of all 59 accused listed in her complaint dated 8.6.2006, beginning with Mr. Modi the chief minister of Gujarat.
The protest petition that runs into 514 pages also has three volumes of annexures and ten CDs. The Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) with its entire legal team has assisted in this painstaking and voluminous exercise.
The Petitioner strongly argues that the Supreme Court appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) had adequate documents and statements to come to a prima facie finding against all the accused. SIT, however decided to cover up the crimes and has gone out of its way to misguide the Court and give a clean chit to the accused.
Phone call records show Mr Modi (accused no 1, A-1) to have been in close touch with Mr Jaideep Patel (A-21) immediately after information of the Godhra tragedy comes in, even before he meets home department officials and
ministers. Thereafter, there is a hasty and publicly conducted post-mortem at Godhra, out in the public against all law and procedure while a crowd of VHP workers was present. Mr Modi is present while this happens.
Thereafter, while passions are being cynically stoked, another sinister decision to hand over the dead bodies of Godhra victims to VHP strongman Mr Jaideep Patel (A-21) is taken at a mini-cabinet meeting presided by Mr Modi in Godhra, at which co-accused ministers are physically present. Mr Jaideep Patel too is present at the meeting. Then Godhra district magistrate, Mrs Jayanti Ravi has clearly stated that Mr Jaideep Patel was present at the meeting.
The Protest Petition goes into great detail, relying on documents from the investigation papers, on how the administration and police were deliberately paralysed and neutralised by the conspiracy hatched by Mr Modi, Co-accused, then Gujarat DGP Mr K Chakravari (A-25), then police commissioner, Ahmedabad, PC Pande (A-29), then additional chief secretary, home, Mr Ashok Narayan (A-28) and other key members of the bureaucracy and police who connived as co conspirators in the conspiracy.
Key field reports from the SIB (state intelligence bureau) from all districts were given to the SIT by January 2010, i.e., full three and a half months before the SIT submitted its first investigation report to the Supreme Court on 12.5.2010. These reports reveal a grim ground level reality: gross provocations and bloodthirsty slogans by VHP workers from 4
p.m. onwards on the afternoon of 27.2.2002 (“Khoon ka badla khoon se lenge”, blood for blood) while Mr Modi had still not left for Godhra.
Phone records of the chief minister’s office (CMO) reveal that he went to the airport to catch a helicopter for Godhra via Meghaninagar where the massacre at Gulberg society the next day was organized. Phone records of the CMO also show that after landing in Ahmedabad from Vadodara by aircraft (where he had travelled by road from Godhra on his return journey) too, Mr Modi and officials of the CMO who accompanied him are located at Meghaninagar late evening (mobile phone call records).
Just a week before the Godhra incident, on 22.2.2002, Mr Modi had won in the Rajkot bye-election by a slender margin (a few thousand votes). The glory of his victory had been dimmed with minority votes going heavily against him. Former CPI leader and later Parliamentarian from the Congress, Ahsan Jafri had been an active campaigner against Mr Modi in the bye-election lived in Gulberg Society, in Meghaninagar.
In a sinister furtherance of the conspiracy, the late night meeting at Mr Modi’s residence effectively neutralised the police and administration from doing its constitutional duty. The Protest Petition states that the credibility of the evidence related to the critical 27.2.2002 meeting must be tested during trial and that it was not the job of the investigating agency to pre-judge the issue, acting like a court overstepping its jurisdiction to protect and save powerful accused.
Evidence from Police Control Room (PCR) records submitted by Mr. PC Pande to the SIT after 15.3.2011 reveal cynical and cold-blooded mobilization of RSS workers and VHP men at the Sola Civil hospital from 4 a.m. onwards on 28.2.2002 in aggressive anticipation for the arrival of the dead bodies. Repeated PCR messages, that the home department under Mr. Modi (A-1, who held the home portfolio) and Mr PC Pande (A-21) were trying to conceal, show that both in Ahmedabad and in several locations all over Gujarat crowds were mobilized to aggressively parade bodies with bloodthirsty sloganeering, inciting mobs to attack innocent Muslims.
The then joint police commissioner, Ahmedabad, Mr Shivanand Jha, also an accused in the complaint (A-38), was jurisdictionally in charge of Sola Civil Hospital in Zone 1. As the messages extracted below show, repeated PCR messages desperately ask for bandobast; they speak of the staff and doctors of the hospital being under threat; of a 5,000-6,000 strong mob accompanying the bodies and finally one message also says that “riots have broken out.”
Yet Mr Modi, the entire Home department and the accused under him and individuals accused including Mr Chakravarti (A-25) and Mr PC Pande (A-29) in collaboration with the SIT have strived hard to conceal this evidence.
While such aggressive funeral processions were allowed in Ahmedabad, an equally explosive situation prevailed simultaneously in Khedbrahma, Vadodara, Modasa, Dahod, Anand etc. A cynical government under Mr Modi and his co-accused conspirators has done their level best to conceal this evidence.
The PCR records -- that the SIT was trying hard to conceal -- also reveal that while the Ahmedabad police under Mr PC Pande and the home department under Mr Modi and then MOS, home Mr Gordhan Zadaphiya (A-5 ) had enough forces to escort a VHP leader known for his inciteful slogans, Acharya Giriraj Kishore, from the airport to the Sola Civil hospital to accompany the processionists, shouting filthy hate speeches and murderous slogans. But they did not have enough forces to send to Naroda Patiya where 96 persons were massacred in broad daylight (charge-sheet figures in the Naroda Patiya case, though more deaths have been recorded) and 69 persons at Gulberg society the same day and around the same time aggressive processions were being allowed. Mr Modi allowing and openly supporting the bandh and neutralising his administration, decided to give the RSS, VHP, BD mobs a free run of the Gujarat streets to massacre innocents.
As bad or worse were the provocations and hate speeches that were cynically allowed and encouraged by Mr. Modi and his administration. PCR messages of Ahmedabad and SIB messages from all over the state are testimony to this incendiary mobilisation.
Warnings Ignored (from SIB and PCR messages)
12:30 pm on the 27th February: An SIB officer through fax no 525 communicated to the headquarters that there were reports that some dead bodies would be brought to Kalupur Hospital station in Ahmedabad city. "So communal violence will occur in the city of Ahmedabad; so take preventive action."
Another SIB message numbered as Out/184/02 again warned about communal incidents if bodies were brought to Ahmedabad. "Communal violence will occur in the city. So take preventive action." The same message said that karsevaks had given explosive interviews to a TV station at Godhra and had threatened to unleash violence against the Muslims.
At 1:51 hours and again at 1:59 hours on the 28th February there were panic messages by wireless police vans positioned at Sola Hospital demanding immediate protection from Special Reserve Police platoons and the presence
of DCP Zone 1.
Message at 2:44 hours on 28.2.2002: the motor cavalcade has reached Sola Civil Hospital.
Page No. 5790 of Annexure IV, File XIV reveals that at 04:00 am: a mob comprising of 3,000 swayamsevaks, that is the members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), had already gathered at the Civil Sola Hospital.
At 7.14 a.m. the PCR van again informs the Police Control Room that a large mob had assembled at the hospital. (Page 5796 of Annexure IV, File XIV of the documents).
Again, another message three minutes later at 7:17 a.m. (Page 5797 of Annexure IV, File XIV of the documents) says that a mob of 500 people was holding up the traffic.
Ten bodies were taken to Ramol, an area near Naroda and a massive funeral rally of over 5,000-6,000 mourners took the bodies to Hatkeshwar crematorium in the afternoon.
At 11:55 am a PCR message is sent out saying that the Hindu mob had become violent and had set a vehicle on fire and was indulging in arson on the highway.
Message at 11.55 a.m. on 28.2.2002 (Page No.6162 Annexure IV File XV) saying that “Sayyed Saheb, the Protocol Officer had informed Sola-1 that riots have started at Sola civil hospital at the High Court where the dead bodies were brought.”
Again, there is another message with no indication of time (Page No.6172 of 28.2.2002) that states that the officers and employees of the hospital had been surrounded by a 500 strong mob and they could not come out”. The
message also made a demand for more security for the civil hospital at Sola.
Annexure IV File XIV- Message No. 5907 and 5925 at 11:58 a.m. on 28.2.2002 shows that when 10 dead bodies were taken from Ramol Jantanagar to the Hatkeshwar cremation ground, a crowd of 5,000-6,000 persons accompanied this procession.
On the morning of 28.2.2002, a SIB message (on page 258 of Annexure III File XIX, message No. Com/538/28/2/02) says that a funeral procession was allowed to take place at Khedbrahma, a town in Sabarkantha district. The message adds that soon after the funeral procession 2 Muslims on their way to Khedbrahma were stabbed and the situation had become very tense.
The subsequent message at page No. 262 of the same file (Annexure III File XIX) mentions that 150 Bajrang Dal workers were on their way from Ayodhya to Khedbrahma.
Another message at page 254 (Annexure III file XIX) – Com/574/2002 sent out at 15.32 p.m. on 28.2.2002 states that one more victim of the tragic train burning at Godhra, Babubhai Harjibhai Patel, resident at Vaghrol, Tal. Vadali in Sabarkantha was brought back and a funeral procession was organised in the town.
Warnings about the deliberate mobilization
At page 365 of Annexure III File XXI( D-166) message No. 73/02 dated 28.2.2002 sent by the ACP(Intelligence) Surat Region to State Intelligence Bureau Headquarters at Gandhinagar, says that between 9-10 a.m. on the morning of 28.2.2002, a meeting was held at Sardar Chowk in Vapi Town where Dinesh Kumar Behri of VHP and Acharya Brahmbatt of Bajrang Dal , Jawahar Desai of BJP and Vinod Chowdhary of RSS made inflammatory speeches
regarding the incident at Godhra and called upon the Hindus to unite.
Another message at page 188 in Annexure III, File XVIII sent at 20:38 hours on the day of the Godhra train burning tragedy, i.e., 27.2.2002, mentions the following: “Dilip Trivedi, the General Secretary of VHP and Joint Secretary Dr. Jaideep Patel and Kaushik Mehta in a Joint Statement issued by them have declared that innocent Ram Bhakt’s have been attacked and hence Gujarat Bandh has been declared. They have also stated that the attack on the Ramsevaks returning from Ayodhya was pre-planned by the Muslims. Innocent ladies were molested and compartments were set on fire and Ramsevaks were burnt alive.”
The joint statement issued by the three senior-most office bearers of Gujarat VHP’s unit was clearly designed to stoke communal passion. A reasonable response would have been an immediate government clampdown on such public utterances and if required putting all these trouble makers under preventive detention. But no such action was taken. The VHP called for a bandh on the 28th February and the BJP, the ruling party, openly supported the bandh call. The State, instead of clamping down on the bandh call, gave the VHP leaders and its cadres a free reign and a license to kill.
At page 345, the message titled Vardhi No. 24 contained in Annexure III File XIX dated 27.2.2002 sent from D.O., Ahmedabad to the Intelligence Office at Virangam (Virangam is in Ahmedabad rural district) stated that 50 to 75 members of the VHP and Bajrang Dal had gathered at Virangam town chali and in the Golwada area and the situation was very tense.
Another message in the same file, i.e., Annexure III, File XVIII (D-160) at Page No. 19 Message No. 531 ifrom SIB Police to KR Singh at 1810 hours on 27.2.2002 said that, “on 27.2.2002 at 4.30 p.m. when the train arrived at the Ahmedabad Railway station, the kar sevaks were armed with ‘dandas’ and shouting murderous slogans ‘khoon ka badla khoon’ and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’.”
Fax Mes. D-1/ HA/ Jaher Sabha/ Junagadh/ 311/02 dated.27.2.02 at10.12 pm sent by PI, CID, Int. Bhavnagar to IG, Guj. State IB, Gandhi Nagar said that Sadhu Samaj president Gopalnandji gave an agitated speech at Junagadh Kadva chowk, on dt.27.2.02 between19.30 to 21.00 hrs. The message then goes on to name specific local VHP leaders and says that they expressed their condolences to Kar Sevaks and then delivered hate speeches and urged all Hindus to unite and told the audience to chop the hands and legs of our enemies. They said in their speech that the incident that occurred at Godhra in the morning at 7.30a.m., yet there was no reaction from the Hindus which was very unfortunate. “Muslims who live in India with sincerity and patriotism, we don’t have any agitation against them. But we have objections against those who lived in India and favour Pakistan and carried out activities against the country. Anti- national activities are being done in Madrasas. We have objection against it. We do not have any kind of objection against spiritual religious education to the children. *Pooja prathna* at the temple and pray in the Masjid but Pakistan Zindabad is not right. Above mention ideas were expressed by them.”
Fax Mes. Com/HM/550/ 02 Dt.27.2.02 23:59 Out No.398 from ACP, Int. G’nagar Region to IG, Guj. State IB, Gandhi Nagar says that 50 Karsevaks travelling by a special bus from Ahmedabad reached Modasa centre in village Vadagam at
Taluka Dhansura at around 18:30 pm on 27.2.02. “They were received by a mob of 500 people and these kar sevaks addressed the mob and told the people how the compartment of Sabarmati Express was attacked. People present in
the mob got excited and at 21:30 p.m.
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ghulam muhammed
- Posts: 11653
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Re: Gujarat Mass Genocide : The REAL Truth.
Exclusive: Headlines Today probe reveals Gujarat riots were not spontaneous and sudden
In the past 10 years, the Gujarat government and senior BJP leaders have often said that the riots that broke out in the state in February 2012 were an 'instantaneous reaction' to the carnage at Godhra. The chief minister himself in an interview on March 1, 2002 had said, "What we are witnessing in Gujarat at this time is a chain of action and reaction. We want that there neither be action nor reaction."
But now Headlines Today has uncovered the police control room messages and the state intelligence bureau reports which show that the police had received a constant stream of inputs from its field officers about VHP leaders making provocative speeches, about crowds being mobilised and warnings about the possibility of major riots breaking out. Despite the flurry of ground reports and advance warnings, no curfew was imposed in Ahmedabad till noon the next day. The BJP government supported the VHP called bandhs that, as events turned out, proved to be the pretext under which violent mobs were mobilized. VHP leaders were not warned or put under preventive detention.
But the most intriguing aspect of these messages is that while they have been produced before the court as annexures, they don't find any mention in the 541 page closure report filed by the SIT. No attempt has been made by the SIT to reconstruct the sequence of events as they unfolded immediately after the news of Sabarmati train incident broke. The SIT did not assess the adequacy or appropriateness of the state's response in a chronological fashion as the law and order collapsed in large parts of the state.
The state government told the SIT that the 2002 riots were a spontaneous reaction to the Godhra tragedy, but documentary evidence tells a different story.
Eleven years after the after the horrific incidents as Narendra Modi aspires for the prime minister's chair, Headlines Today has tried to throw fresh light on why his ascension remains so contentious.
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/guja ... 62413.html
In the past 10 years, the Gujarat government and senior BJP leaders have often said that the riots that broke out in the state in February 2012 were an 'instantaneous reaction' to the carnage at Godhra. The chief minister himself in an interview on March 1, 2002 had said, "What we are witnessing in Gujarat at this time is a chain of action and reaction. We want that there neither be action nor reaction."
But now Headlines Today has uncovered the police control room messages and the state intelligence bureau reports which show that the police had received a constant stream of inputs from its field officers about VHP leaders making provocative speeches, about crowds being mobilised and warnings about the possibility of major riots breaking out. Despite the flurry of ground reports and advance warnings, no curfew was imposed in Ahmedabad till noon the next day. The BJP government supported the VHP called bandhs that, as events turned out, proved to be the pretext under which violent mobs were mobilized. VHP leaders were not warned or put under preventive detention.
But the most intriguing aspect of these messages is that while they have been produced before the court as annexures, they don't find any mention in the 541 page closure report filed by the SIT. No attempt has been made by the SIT to reconstruct the sequence of events as they unfolded immediately after the news of Sabarmati train incident broke. The SIT did not assess the adequacy or appropriateness of the state's response in a chronological fashion as the law and order collapsed in large parts of the state.
The state government told the SIT that the 2002 riots were a spontaneous reaction to the Godhra tragedy, but documentary evidence tells a different story.
Eleven years after the after the horrific incidents as Narendra Modi aspires for the prime minister's chair, Headlines Today has tried to throw fresh light on why his ascension remains so contentious.
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/guja ... 62413.html
-
ghulam muhammed
- Posts: 11653
- Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:34 pm
Re: Gujarat Mass Genocide : The REAL Truth.
Death for Kodnani move to warn Advani, deflect Zakia?
AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat government's clearance on Monday of the file put forth by the special investigations team that recommended death penalty for former minister Maya Kodnani, instead of a life term, in the Naroda Patia massacre of 2002 has brought about turmoil in the entire Sangh Parivar in Gujarat. The file had been submitted to the legal department in September 2012 and the timing is most discussed.
In an interview to BBC on January 28 this year, BJP president Rajnath Singh had said that Maya Kodnani is innocent and the party will fully support her in the legal battle. But the move on Monday against Kodnani is now being seen with suspicion by even Parivar insiders because Kodnani's loyalties lie with L K Advani.
Kodnani's parents, who have a strong Parivar background, had met RSS supremo Mohan Bhagwat in Ahmedabad last fortnight and requested him to use his good offices to help Kodnani. Many local RSS stalwarts had supported the impassioned plea from the family.
The timing of the clearance of the file is important as it comes seven months after the SIT submitted the report and deflects attention from Zakia Jafri protest petition against chief minister Narendra Modi with thousands of pages of wireless messages and call data record as evidence that Modi government knew about the violence in advance. Also, it comes on the heels of a section of the BJP and NDA favouring Advani as PM.
The change in government's stance is stark. In 2009, when Kodnani was granted bail and SIT wanted bail cancellation, the Modi government replied to SIT that Maya is innocent and denied permission. Even during trial, Kodnani was not arrested.
Kodnani was sentenced to 28 years in jail August 2012 with 30 others for their role in the Naroda Patiya massacre. Kodnani, a three-time Naroda MLA, was identified in the court by 11 survivors as a mob leader.
Kodnani, a gynaecologist inducted as minister of state for women and child development by Modi in 2007, is the first former minister to be found guilty in any case relating to the riots.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 607944.cms
AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat government's clearance on Monday of the file put forth by the special investigations team that recommended death penalty for former minister Maya Kodnani, instead of a life term, in the Naroda Patia massacre of 2002 has brought about turmoil in the entire Sangh Parivar in Gujarat. The file had been submitted to the legal department in September 2012 and the timing is most discussed.
In an interview to BBC on January 28 this year, BJP president Rajnath Singh had said that Maya Kodnani is innocent and the party will fully support her in the legal battle. But the move on Monday against Kodnani is now being seen with suspicion by even Parivar insiders because Kodnani's loyalties lie with L K Advani.
Kodnani's parents, who have a strong Parivar background, had met RSS supremo Mohan Bhagwat in Ahmedabad last fortnight and requested him to use his good offices to help Kodnani. Many local RSS stalwarts had supported the impassioned plea from the family.
The timing of the clearance of the file is important as it comes seven months after the SIT submitted the report and deflects attention from Zakia Jafri protest petition against chief minister Narendra Modi with thousands of pages of wireless messages and call data record as evidence that Modi government knew about the violence in advance. Also, it comes on the heels of a section of the BJP and NDA favouring Advani as PM.
The change in government's stance is stark. In 2009, when Kodnani was granted bail and SIT wanted bail cancellation, the Modi government replied to SIT that Maya is innocent and denied permission. Even during trial, Kodnani was not arrested.
Kodnani was sentenced to 28 years in jail August 2012 with 30 others for their role in the Naroda Patiya massacre. Kodnani, a three-time Naroda MLA, was identified in the court by 11 survivors as a mob leader.
Kodnani, a gynaecologist inducted as minister of state for women and child development by Modi in 2007, is the first former minister to be found guilty in any case relating to the riots.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 607944.cms
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faiyaz0987
- Posts: 28
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Re: Gujarat Mass Genocide : The REAL Truth.
Some bohris even voted for Narendra Modi in the elections following Godhra Massacre
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ghulam muhammed
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- Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:34 pm
Re: Gujarat Mass Genocide : The REAL Truth.
Very true because the majority of people who were brutally killed by Modi's henchmen were "Ola Musalmano" who have got nothing to do with Bohras !!!faiyaz0987 wrote:Some bohris even voted for Narendra Modi in the elections following Godhra Massacre
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ghulam muhammed
- Posts: 11653
- Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:34 pm
Re: Gujarat Mass Genocide : The REAL Truth.
Copied from the Internet :-
Saffron Terrorism: RSS/Bajrang Dal/BJP Axis of Evil
Indian Muslims need to fight a long war against intolerance and hatred fostered by fascist RSS and its affiliates.
Terror is an age old weapon of Hindutva terrorists. Now as Dalits are rising economically and politically due to reservations in education and jobs, desparate Brahmins are increasingly venting their frustration on defenseless minorities. Throughout history of Indian continent, Brahmins who could not prevail either by persuasion or by example have resorted to maligning Islam and the Indian Muslims through their terror militant organizations / outfits and splinter groups with criminal background operating under the guise of social organizations namely RSS, Bajrang Dal, Shiva Sena, Mukti Vahini, etc., and in many instances by insinuating the low caste Hindu mobs against Muslims.
Although they have caused large scale harm to Muslims financially, physically and psychologically they failed to break the will of Indian Muslims - either because Indian Muslims are not afraid to die for a life worth living, or because the Saffron terrorists themselves came to realize that free Muslims cannot be frightened by threats, ORGANIZED VIOLENCE and aggression. Any act of violence by the above mobs should be considered “domestic terrorism” and should sternly dealt with if country is to remain at peace.
RSS has taken a page from Nazis of Hitler and modeled the organization after fascist philosophy and indoctrinated Hindu youth since its inception.
In 2002, Narendra Modi emulates Bal Thackerey in Pogrom-II in Gujarat ! (Godhra and Post Godhra were scripted by the same Bhaand/Film Script Writer: Narendra Damodardas Modi). The people of Gujarat voted him., NOT BECAUSE OF DEVELOPMENT (There hasnt been any.. except for Nano factory)., BUT BECAUSE HE KILLED MUSLIMS. That planning and executing the Pogrom is his biggest achievement – and he is being repaid for that favour. It is an intellectual/emotional RETURN ON INVESTMENT. Narendra Modi is RSS’s most EVOLVED PRODUCT, who has ‘photoshopped’ Hindutva. Only Sangh insiders recognize that the core hasn’t changed.. Modi is Goebbels + Hitler and has (can) never abandon Hindutva project. Hindutva-project is a work in progress.
Hindus are not bad, per se. There is a huge provocation by RSS ! 24×7 for the past 90 years (1928-todate) RSS taught manufactured history, where Hindus are taught to hate ‘The Other’ (Muslims). Things have come to this because., the child is programmed from age 4… to hate Muslims… the dirty… the filthy… the beef-eaters… the badboo-daar… the uneducated.. the barbarians.. they raped your ancestors.. they looted your temples.. insulted your stone gods.. and your ancestors.. So hatred is slowly injected into the minds. When the boy is around 18-20 he considers it something HOLY to avenge the (fake) atrocities ! This is what leads to the present scenario.
To add fuel to the fire, the Congress has used RSS as a proxy against minority community all these years by letting this RSS fascist organization grow by leaps and bounds and commit atrocities in order to compel minorities to vote corrupt Congress which has administered slow poison in disenfranchising Muslims through its biased economic policies, usurping Wakf (Muslim endowment properties) on a larger scale, diluting Muslim vote through voter distribution i.e., a large scale discrimination is underway with the insidious use of other devices, such as the drawing of electoral boundaries to undermine the power of minority votes and using corrupt namesake Muslim leaders who do not represent Muslim community’s interest but promote party interest and betray the community of which they form part and never worry or do something positive about the community’s deteriorating educational and economic development which will explode one day and lead to greater social instability the country has not seen since its independence.
It is imperative that government ban communal fanatic organizations like RSS, Bajrang Dal; create affirmative programs for Muslims in higher education, jobs, access to capital; provide fair and equitable representation in government. If the economic disparities are not overcome the country will face serious social instability.
The influx of Hindu RSS Terrorists into U.S. and U.K. needs be stopped by the West.
Further, the RSS has spread its arms in Western countries especially U.S. and is carrying out its sinister strategy through Hindu temples. Temples in US and UK have become the breeding ground of Saffron terrorist activities and source of raising funds and channeling funds through “hawala” to RSS fascists in India to carry out genocides of minorities.
FBI should investigate these facts immediately and curb the funding of RSS by its UK and US subsidiaries.
Saffron Terrorism: RSS/Bajrang Dal/BJP Axis of Evil
Indian Muslims need to fight a long war against intolerance and hatred fostered by fascist RSS and its affiliates.
Terror is an age old weapon of Hindutva terrorists. Now as Dalits are rising economically and politically due to reservations in education and jobs, desparate Brahmins are increasingly venting their frustration on defenseless minorities. Throughout history of Indian continent, Brahmins who could not prevail either by persuasion or by example have resorted to maligning Islam and the Indian Muslims through their terror militant organizations / outfits and splinter groups with criminal background operating under the guise of social organizations namely RSS, Bajrang Dal, Shiva Sena, Mukti Vahini, etc., and in many instances by insinuating the low caste Hindu mobs against Muslims.
Although they have caused large scale harm to Muslims financially, physically and psychologically they failed to break the will of Indian Muslims - either because Indian Muslims are not afraid to die for a life worth living, or because the Saffron terrorists themselves came to realize that free Muslims cannot be frightened by threats, ORGANIZED VIOLENCE and aggression. Any act of violence by the above mobs should be considered “domestic terrorism” and should sternly dealt with if country is to remain at peace.
RSS has taken a page from Nazis of Hitler and modeled the organization after fascist philosophy and indoctrinated Hindu youth since its inception.
In 2002, Narendra Modi emulates Bal Thackerey in Pogrom-II in Gujarat ! (Godhra and Post Godhra were scripted by the same Bhaand/Film Script Writer: Narendra Damodardas Modi). The people of Gujarat voted him., NOT BECAUSE OF DEVELOPMENT (There hasnt been any.. except for Nano factory)., BUT BECAUSE HE KILLED MUSLIMS. That planning and executing the Pogrom is his biggest achievement – and he is being repaid for that favour. It is an intellectual/emotional RETURN ON INVESTMENT. Narendra Modi is RSS’s most EVOLVED PRODUCT, who has ‘photoshopped’ Hindutva. Only Sangh insiders recognize that the core hasn’t changed.. Modi is Goebbels + Hitler and has (can) never abandon Hindutva project. Hindutva-project is a work in progress.
Hindus are not bad, per se. There is a huge provocation by RSS ! 24×7 for the past 90 years (1928-todate) RSS taught manufactured history, where Hindus are taught to hate ‘The Other’ (Muslims). Things have come to this because., the child is programmed from age 4… to hate Muslims… the dirty… the filthy… the beef-eaters… the badboo-daar… the uneducated.. the barbarians.. they raped your ancestors.. they looted your temples.. insulted your stone gods.. and your ancestors.. So hatred is slowly injected into the minds. When the boy is around 18-20 he considers it something HOLY to avenge the (fake) atrocities ! This is what leads to the present scenario.
To add fuel to the fire, the Congress has used RSS as a proxy against minority community all these years by letting this RSS fascist organization grow by leaps and bounds and commit atrocities in order to compel minorities to vote corrupt Congress which has administered slow poison in disenfranchising Muslims through its biased economic policies, usurping Wakf (Muslim endowment properties) on a larger scale, diluting Muslim vote through voter distribution i.e., a large scale discrimination is underway with the insidious use of other devices, such as the drawing of electoral boundaries to undermine the power of minority votes and using corrupt namesake Muslim leaders who do not represent Muslim community’s interest but promote party interest and betray the community of which they form part and never worry or do something positive about the community’s deteriorating educational and economic development which will explode one day and lead to greater social instability the country has not seen since its independence.
It is imperative that government ban communal fanatic organizations like RSS, Bajrang Dal; create affirmative programs for Muslims in higher education, jobs, access to capital; provide fair and equitable representation in government. If the economic disparities are not overcome the country will face serious social instability.
The influx of Hindu RSS Terrorists into U.S. and U.K. needs be stopped by the West.
Further, the RSS has spread its arms in Western countries especially U.S. and is carrying out its sinister strategy through Hindu temples. Temples in US and UK have become the breeding ground of Saffron terrorist activities and source of raising funds and channeling funds through “hawala” to RSS fascists in India to carry out genocides of minorities.
FBI should investigate these facts immediately and curb the funding of RSS by its UK and US subsidiaries.
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ghulam muhammed
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Re: Gujarat Mass Genocide : The REAL Truth.
TV shows jailed IPS officer visiting home
Senior Gujarat IPS officer Rajkumar Pandian, who is an accused in the infamous Sohrabuddin fake encounter case, found himself in the dock on Monday when a local television news channel filmed him moving into his house for an apparent night stay when he was supposed to be in judicial custody.
The news channel filmed him taking a private car from the railway station and proceeding to the government circuit house, where he was supposed to be officially put up for the night.
However, from the circuit house, Mr. Pandian took the car and went to his home in the Prahladnagar area, where he reportedly spent the night.
On Monday morning, as he left his home, Mr. Pandian was intercepted by the television crew. He fled from the spot and was later found at the local court with police escort. There have been allegations that police officers arrested in fake encounter cases were being given VIP treatment, but this is the first time that it has been caught on camera.
The incident comes on the heels of the CBI accusing the Gujarat government of shielding another policeman accused in a fake encounter case.
The agency is likely to move the Gujarat High Court on Tuesday seeking arrest warrants for senior IPS officer and Additional Director-General of State CID P.P. Pande for his alleged involvement in the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case.
Earlier, a CBI court in Ahmedabad rejected plea for Mr. Pande’s arrest warrant. The agency told the court Mr. Pande, who has been on sick leave , had failed to turn up despite being summoned twice government maintains it has no idea about his whereabouts.
http://m.thehindu.com/news/national/oth ... 9RPGhaAL-8
Senior Gujarat IPS officer Rajkumar Pandian, who is an accused in the infamous Sohrabuddin fake encounter case, found himself in the dock on Monday when a local television news channel filmed him moving into his house for an apparent night stay when he was supposed to be in judicial custody.
The news channel filmed him taking a private car from the railway station and proceeding to the government circuit house, where he was supposed to be officially put up for the night.
However, from the circuit house, Mr. Pandian took the car and went to his home in the Prahladnagar area, where he reportedly spent the night.
On Monday morning, as he left his home, Mr. Pandian was intercepted by the television crew. He fled from the spot and was later found at the local court with police escort. There have been allegations that police officers arrested in fake encounter cases were being given VIP treatment, but this is the first time that it has been caught on camera.
The incident comes on the heels of the CBI accusing the Gujarat government of shielding another policeman accused in a fake encounter case.
The agency is likely to move the Gujarat High Court on Tuesday seeking arrest warrants for senior IPS officer and Additional Director-General of State CID P.P. Pande for his alleged involvement in the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case.
Earlier, a CBI court in Ahmedabad rejected plea for Mr. Pande’s arrest warrant. The agency told the court Mr. Pande, who has been on sick leave , had failed to turn up despite being summoned twice government maintains it has no idea about his whereabouts.
http://m.thehindu.com/news/national/oth ... 9RPGhaAL-8
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ghulam muhammed
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Re: Gujarat Mass Genocide : The REAL Truth.
Even Jyoti could not save his hotel in Gujarat
Ahmedabad, May 11: At Sanand-Viramgam Highway in Ahmedabad has stood a hotel for past 27 years. It is Jyoti Hotel, but as its owner is a Muslim the hotel has faced violent attacks at least thrice in last 10 years. It was attacked and vandalized during the 2002 pogrom, and now a couple of months back, on the occasion of the 11th anniversary of the riot, the hotel was attacked twice. Mustufabhai Patel has approached all from local police to court to National Minority Commission, but he still feels unsafe and being regularly disturbed by communal elements.
“I, Mustufabhai Patel a hotelier who has been forcibly prevented from conducting my 27-year-old business on the Viramgam highway where I have been running the Jyoti Hotel, a vegetarian Restaurant since 1986, have been prevented from doing so due to lawlessness and aggression by one Dashrath Ajmalbhai Gohil since 9.2.2013,” says Patel.
In recent past his hotel was attacked on 9th Feb and 23rd Feb. Despite Gujarat High Court order to authorities to provide him police protection, he is not able to run his hotel till date.
“I sent applications for help and protection to the concerned police authorities regarding the incident which occurred on 9-2-2013. Thereafter I tried to open my hotel on 23-02-2013 but on all occasions Dashrath bhai gathered a big mob of 100 to 150 Hindu people and used to create communal tension in the presence of the local police who gave me no protection,” he says.
All the higher authorities in the police know about this matter including, PSI (Rathwa Sir), PI (Rana Sir, Viramgam Rural ), CPI (Viramgam) , DYSP (Viramgam), SP (Ahmedabad Rural), DIG(Ahmedabad Renge), DG (Ghandhinagar), CID Crime Branch (Ahmedabad), LCB (Ahmedabad) and many more..
On 10th May 2013 Gujarat High court took a responsibility for the ostracism faced by the hotelier, Mustufabhai Patel, the hotel and their staff and gave him protection to start his business forthwith. The final order will be given after the vacation.
“For four long months when we tried to open hotel there ware communal tension so let’s see what will happen after two days…This blatant torture of the landlord that amounts to denial of fundamental rights of the minority in Gujarat under the political patronage of a highly paced official in Sachivalaya, Gandhinagar,” he says.
The website of his hotel has now turned into a documentary of the atrocities faced by him. When one opens the site the first line in big font comes up: Do we have a right to live and do business in Gujarat, being Muslim? The website has photographs and videos of vandalism.
http://muslimmirror.com/eng/even-jyoti- ... n-gujarat/
Ahmedabad, May 11: At Sanand-Viramgam Highway in Ahmedabad has stood a hotel for past 27 years. It is Jyoti Hotel, but as its owner is a Muslim the hotel has faced violent attacks at least thrice in last 10 years. It was attacked and vandalized during the 2002 pogrom, and now a couple of months back, on the occasion of the 11th anniversary of the riot, the hotel was attacked twice. Mustufabhai Patel has approached all from local police to court to National Minority Commission, but he still feels unsafe and being regularly disturbed by communal elements.
“I, Mustufabhai Patel a hotelier who has been forcibly prevented from conducting my 27-year-old business on the Viramgam highway where I have been running the Jyoti Hotel, a vegetarian Restaurant since 1986, have been prevented from doing so due to lawlessness and aggression by one Dashrath Ajmalbhai Gohil since 9.2.2013,” says Patel.
In recent past his hotel was attacked on 9th Feb and 23rd Feb. Despite Gujarat High Court order to authorities to provide him police protection, he is not able to run his hotel till date.
“I sent applications for help and protection to the concerned police authorities regarding the incident which occurred on 9-2-2013. Thereafter I tried to open my hotel on 23-02-2013 but on all occasions Dashrath bhai gathered a big mob of 100 to 150 Hindu people and used to create communal tension in the presence of the local police who gave me no protection,” he says.
All the higher authorities in the police know about this matter including, PSI (Rathwa Sir), PI (Rana Sir, Viramgam Rural ), CPI (Viramgam) , DYSP (Viramgam), SP (Ahmedabad Rural), DIG(Ahmedabad Renge), DG (Ghandhinagar), CID Crime Branch (Ahmedabad), LCB (Ahmedabad) and many more..
On 10th May 2013 Gujarat High court took a responsibility for the ostracism faced by the hotelier, Mustufabhai Patel, the hotel and their staff and gave him protection to start his business forthwith. The final order will be given after the vacation.
“For four long months when we tried to open hotel there ware communal tension so let’s see what will happen after two days…This blatant torture of the landlord that amounts to denial of fundamental rights of the minority in Gujarat under the political patronage of a highly paced official in Sachivalaya, Gandhinagar,” he says.
The website of his hotel has now turned into a documentary of the atrocities faced by him. When one opens the site the first line in big font comes up: Do we have a right to live and do business in Gujarat, being Muslim? The website has photographs and videos of vandalism.
http://muslimmirror.com/eng/even-jyoti- ... n-gujarat/
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ghulam muhammed
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Re: Gujarat Mass Genocide : The REAL Truth.
Forced out of business in Gujarat, 10 Muslim traders approach Minority Commission
New Delhi, March 30: All is not well in Gujarat as the chief minister Narendra Modi or the media tries to make one believe. Complaining hostile situation in the state, some 10 Muslim traders from the state have approached National Commission for Minorities for help. The businesses of these men were damaged in communal violence that took place on the eve of 11th anniversary of Gujarat 2002 riot this year.
On 18th March, ANHAD in Delhi had released video clips of the communal violence that took place in Chota Udaipur on Feb 12, March 8 and March 11 this year. According to the civil rights group, on the eve of the 11th anniversary of Gujarat pogrom this past February and early March, Vadodara witnessed burning of several businesses of minority community but media simply ignored the news.
http://muslimmirror.com/eng/forced-out- ... ommission/
New Delhi, March 30: All is not well in Gujarat as the chief minister Narendra Modi or the media tries to make one believe. Complaining hostile situation in the state, some 10 Muslim traders from the state have approached National Commission for Minorities for help. The businesses of these men were damaged in communal violence that took place on the eve of 11th anniversary of Gujarat 2002 riot this year.
On 18th March, ANHAD in Delhi had released video clips of the communal violence that took place in Chota Udaipur on Feb 12, March 8 and March 11 this year. According to the civil rights group, on the eve of the 11th anniversary of Gujarat pogrom this past February and early March, Vadodara witnessed burning of several businesses of minority community but media simply ignored the news.
http://muslimmirror.com/eng/forced-out- ... ommission/
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ghulam muhammed
- Posts: 11653
- Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:34 pm
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ghulam muhammed
- Posts: 11653
- Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:34 pm
Re: Gujarat Mass Genocide : The REAL Truth.
Naroda Patiya case: Modi government does a U-turn on Kodnani, Bajrangi
Ahmedabad: In a U-turn of sorts, the Gujarat state legal department has written to the chief prosecutor in the Naroda Patiya massacre case, seeking approval for enhancement of punishment for BJP leader Maya Kodnani and Bajrang Dal's Babu Bajrangi to be put on hold. The legal department wants the punishment to be put on hold until further instructions.
Earlier the department had given a sanction to the Special Investigation Team to file an application in the High Court seeking death sentence for Maya Kodnani, Babu Bajrangi and nine others. 97 persons were killed in Naroda Patiya during the 2002 Gujarat riots.
In 2012, a special court had sentenced Maya Kodnani to 28 years in jail for the massacre in Naroda Patiya. Kodnani is the sitting MLA from Naroda Patiya.
Kodnani, a three-time MLA from Naroda area, who was considered to be close to Chief Minister Narendra Modi, is the first woman and first MLA to be convicted and sentenced in a post-Godhra riots case.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/naroda-patiy ... 37-64.html
Ahmedabad: In a U-turn of sorts, the Gujarat state legal department has written to the chief prosecutor in the Naroda Patiya massacre case, seeking approval for enhancement of punishment for BJP leader Maya Kodnani and Bajrang Dal's Babu Bajrangi to be put on hold. The legal department wants the punishment to be put on hold until further instructions.
Earlier the department had given a sanction to the Special Investigation Team to file an application in the High Court seeking death sentence for Maya Kodnani, Babu Bajrangi and nine others. 97 persons were killed in Naroda Patiya during the 2002 Gujarat riots.
In 2012, a special court had sentenced Maya Kodnani to 28 years in jail for the massacre in Naroda Patiya. Kodnani is the sitting MLA from Naroda Patiya.
Kodnani, a three-time MLA from Naroda area, who was considered to be close to Chief Minister Narendra Modi, is the first woman and first MLA to be convicted and sentenced in a post-Godhra riots case.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/naroda-patiy ... 37-64.html
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ghulam muhammed
- Posts: 11653
- Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:34 pm
Re: Gujarat Mass Genocide : The REAL Truth.
The Importance of Zakia Jafri's Protest Petition
The protest petition filed by Zakia Jafri against the Supreme Court appointed Special Investigation Team report, which absolved Narendra Modi of all responsibility for the 2002 killings in Gujarat, is an important step towards justice for all the victims. This article recapitulates the long and difficult battle for justice through the courts and exposes the complicity of the SIT in protecting Modi from his crimes.
http://www.epw.in/commentary/importance ... ition.html
The protest petition filed by Zakia Jafri against the Supreme Court appointed Special Investigation Team report, which absolved Narendra Modi of all responsibility for the 2002 killings in Gujarat, is an important step towards justice for all the victims. This article recapitulates the long and difficult battle for justice through the courts and exposes the complicity of the SIT in protecting Modi from his crimes.
http://www.epw.in/commentary/importance ... ition.html
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ghulam muhammed
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Re: Gujarat Mass Genocide : The REAL Truth.
2002 Gujarat riots: He saved 100 lives in Sardarpura
Someshwar Pandya, 78, who was deputy sarpanch of Sardarpura at the time of the 2002 riots, played a major role in saving at least 100 lives.
"I sat at the main market of the village everyday. Even when the mob burnt shops of Muslim traders a day after the Godhra carnage, I watched from afar," relates Someshwar Pandya, 78, who was deputy sarpanch of Sardarpura at the time of the 2002 riots.
Pandya, who now walks with a stick, played a major role in saving at least 100 lives. "I was not physically strong to save anybody by fighting with the angry mob. I was nearly 69 at that time. The mob was so angry that it was impossible to stop it or try to make the people understand right from wrong. If I had tried to stop anybody, I might have become their prey," said Pandya recalling the black day of Sardarpura's history.
Apart from the Shaikh community, other Muslim communities like Pathans, Memans and Mansuris also lived in the village. However, after the Shaikh Vas was destroyed on March 1, 2002, Memans and Mansuris left Sardarpura. Pathans are still living in the village.
"There were around 150 families of Memans and Mansuris, but now they have left the village. Pandya saved lives of many people of these communities," said Munsafkhan Pathan, witness of the riots in Sardarpura.
While the mob was moving around in the village, most of the members of those communities took refuge in Harijan Vas.
Pandya, who belongs to a scheduled caste, was present there.
"While the people gathered around the Vas, I was present there. Seeing me at the place, the mob dispersed fearing that I would become a witness to their actions."
However, Pandya had to pay the price of his left eye, as he was also attacked later by the mob. "They attacked me and I lost eyesight in one eye because of injury."
But like many of the villagers of his age in Sardarpura, Pandya wants to forget everything and start afresh with communal harmony. He said, "Now I don't want to remember all those wounds, which are healing with time."
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/1611465/r ... sardarpura
Someshwar Pandya who risked his life to save poor and innocent Muslims from the murderous mobs of Patels at Sardarpura on 1.3.2002 passed away this morning. He had been with us on the Tenth Anniversary of the genocidal
carnage...He also suffered a physical attack when he went to testify, to tell the Truth...
Pandya lost an eye and suffered grievous injury at the hands of people determined to prevent him from deposing before the Nanavati Commission.
The Citizens for Justice and Peace Mourns this Loss
Besna is on Friday May 24.. Saluts to this brave and true Indian, a Peace Fighter... Teesta Setalvad.
Someshwar Pandya, 78, who was deputy sarpanch of Sardarpura at the time of the 2002 riots, played a major role in saving at least 100 lives.
"I sat at the main market of the village everyday. Even when the mob burnt shops of Muslim traders a day after the Godhra carnage, I watched from afar," relates Someshwar Pandya, 78, who was deputy sarpanch of Sardarpura at the time of the 2002 riots.
Pandya, who now walks with a stick, played a major role in saving at least 100 lives. "I was not physically strong to save anybody by fighting with the angry mob. I was nearly 69 at that time. The mob was so angry that it was impossible to stop it or try to make the people understand right from wrong. If I had tried to stop anybody, I might have become their prey," said Pandya recalling the black day of Sardarpura's history.
Apart from the Shaikh community, other Muslim communities like Pathans, Memans and Mansuris also lived in the village. However, after the Shaikh Vas was destroyed on March 1, 2002, Memans and Mansuris left Sardarpura. Pathans are still living in the village.
"There were around 150 families of Memans and Mansuris, but now they have left the village. Pandya saved lives of many people of these communities," said Munsafkhan Pathan, witness of the riots in Sardarpura.
While the mob was moving around in the village, most of the members of those communities took refuge in Harijan Vas.
Pandya, who belongs to a scheduled caste, was present there.
"While the people gathered around the Vas, I was present there. Seeing me at the place, the mob dispersed fearing that I would become a witness to their actions."
However, Pandya had to pay the price of his left eye, as he was also attacked later by the mob. "They attacked me and I lost eyesight in one eye because of injury."
But like many of the villagers of his age in Sardarpura, Pandya wants to forget everything and start afresh with communal harmony. He said, "Now I don't want to remember all those wounds, which are healing with time."
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/1611465/r ... sardarpura
Someshwar Pandya who risked his life to save poor and innocent Muslims from the murderous mobs of Patels at Sardarpura on 1.3.2002 passed away this morning. He had been with us on the Tenth Anniversary of the genocidal
carnage...He also suffered a physical attack when he went to testify, to tell the Truth...
Pandya lost an eye and suffered grievous injury at the hands of people determined to prevent him from deposing before the Nanavati Commission.
The Citizens for Justice and Peace Mourns this Loss
Besna is on Friday May 24.. Saluts to this brave and true Indian, a Peace Fighter... Teesta Setalvad.
-
ghulam muhammed
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Re: Gujarat Mass Genocide : The REAL Truth.
Is secularism good for business?
CYRUS GUZDER
I MAY be excused for apparently exceeding my brief by directly addressing the causes and consequences of the current civil disturbances in Gujarat. However, I propose to break with our customary practice of being politically correct in the belief that I am still being faithful to the CII’s outlook to business life which is modern, liberal, tolerant and caring of people.
‘The business of business is business,’ said Milton Friedman, the celebrated American free market economist. Most businessmen all over the world would, at first thought, agree with him. So why are we meeting today to discuss among other things, such distinctly ‘non–business’ themes as secularism? The answer lies partly in the implied other half of Friedman’s statement, that ‘the business of government is government.’ So, if government governs well, business should be free to concentrate on business.
But what happens when governments don’t govern? Or, if they misgovern? They can misgovern by errors of commission, for example, by persecuting a section of their citizens, as is happening in Zimbabwe or Iraq; or by errors of omission, by failing to govern, by failing to maintain law and order, and by failing to provide to citizens their fundamental rights to life and to work.
And when there is such a failure of government leading to disruption in civil life; the striking of terror among labourers, shopkeepers, teachers, judges; the closure of markets; an exodus of people who are consumers of the products we make and services we offer – then is it sensible, indeed even ethical, for business to say: ‘our business is only business...’ and then to bury their heads in the sand and debris of the rubble created by almost four weeks of unlawful and barbaric behaviour? Because, when labour flees and markets close and consumers stop buying, what future do our businesses have?
It will be a sad mistake, I believe, for us to indulge in wishful thinking that riots and civil commotion are just a part of our life, they come and go like the occasional hurricane off the coast of Florida, that the damage will be repaired (courtesy government grants and insurance claims), and soon we’ll be back to ‘business as usual’. Because what we are experiencing in Gujarat are not mere riots; nor will all the damage be repaired; nor will business bounce back. Gujarat has been wounded deeply this time, it is still bleeding, and as we shall see, the seeds are being sown for still worse to come.
It may be best, though distasteful, to confront certain facts directly. The more openly we speak about these, the more likely we are to be able to deal with them:
* The horrific incident at Godhra was a crime against humanity and it is to be utterly condemned. Its culprits need to be found, tried and dealt with in the most severe way that our laws provide, including if necessary with the death penalty. In the words of Professor Bandukwala: ‘Whoever committed that crime was surely one of the worst enemies of the Muslims.’
* The civil disorder in Ahmedabad, as it escalated into a combination of looting, arson and attacks on people, quickly revealed one clear pattern: that the maximum number of atrocities were committed against Muslims and dalits.
* The vernacular press in Gujarat played a highly regrettable role in the run up to, and during, the disturbances. These papers specifically listed many Muslim establishments bearing non-Muslim names, and all of these were subsequently torched to cinders.
* An amazing de-humanization could be seen in the behaviour of those on the streets. Most were young in age – in their twenties or less. To hear 12 and 15 year old boys screaming for rape and murder reflects a brutalisation that is difficult to comprehend in a land that was the breeding ground of ahimsa. A new and disturbing trend now is to hear women also expressing themselves in support of brutal retribution.
* As the genocide spread from Ahmedabad to other cities and the countryside, a systematic attempt could be seen to target and destroy the economic base of the Muslim community.
Consider the arithmetic of the situation:
* Fifty-six karsevaks are killed (let it be repeated) in an utterly condemnable atrocity.
* As a ‘natural’ reaction, somewhere around 600 innocents, that too in another city, are killed and then hundreds more are burnt or butchered in the other towns and villages of Gujarat.
* So, if the government does nothing to swiftly punish the perpetrators of Godhra, Ahmedabad and the killings elsewhere, they, and we the public that elects our governments, have accepted (or condoned) the principle that, 18 innocent lives are fair retribution for each karsevak killed.
* What if this chain of reasoning is carried one step further? For the thousand people now dead, would it be a ‘natural’ emotional counter-reaction, in the ratio of 18:1, for 18,000 more innocents to be slaughtered? You cannot fault the logic, or the arithmetic?
* Therefore, the citizens of this state – and particularly we businessmen – must do everything we can to refute this utterly dangerous proposition, that an act of violence can lead naturally to a counter-action of violence. It is nothing but a self-serving political argument, which if given greater currency, will surely wreak terrible damage on the economy of Gujarat and of India.
Can we teach minorities a lesson? Consider another set of numbers. The population of Muslims in India is approximately 120 million. If they were a nation on their own, with a population of that size, they would be ranked the 9th largest nation in the world! Does it make sense to threaten a war against such a large community in our midst, with slogans such as ‘go to Pakistan – or the kabarastan’?
The moment people begin to believe such slogans, seeds of deep insecurity will be sown in a vast population dispersed across every part of our country, cities and villages. Should such a community turn hostile, then in today’s world of advanced weaponry and suicide bombers, it is not difficult to envisage the majority community being subject to immense threat and risk, which may endure for generations.
The Sangh Parivar may derive satisfaction from pulling Muslim minorities down a peg or two; but the appalling consequences of their actions will be to breed a whole new generation of terrorists both in their own fold and among the communities of Muslim and dalit victims. Imagine an intifada type situation permeating the cities of India, where will the Hindus then turn? Especially when all the international goodwill we have recently built up will vanish and we shall be regarded as not different from our neighbours across our northwestern borders.
Is it not, therefore, our duty as educated, secular and modern thinking Indians to roundly condemn their hateful and suicidal slogans? Should we not be putting every pressure on government to clamp down sharply on the distribution of pamphlets spreading virulent nonsense about minorities?
With tens of thousands of Muslims huddled in relief camps, and with government reluctant to reach out to them, as it should, can we, as individuals, make a difference?
I’d like to close by quoting professor Bandukwala, who barely escaped with his life from Baroda while his house and library were gutted by the mobs. In a recent talk in Bombay, full of compassion and wisdom, he recalled a fable of Tagore, about a man on the shore watching the sun set over the sea.
The sun proclaimed, ‘now, darkness will descend, and you will be lost.’ The humble man, who was with his family and friends lit a small candle and said, ‘this is no sun, but it will give us light enough to find our way.’
READ FULL ARTICLE :-
http://www.india-seminar.com/2002/513/5 ... guzder.htm
CYRUS GUZDER
I MAY be excused for apparently exceeding my brief by directly addressing the causes and consequences of the current civil disturbances in Gujarat. However, I propose to break with our customary practice of being politically correct in the belief that I am still being faithful to the CII’s outlook to business life which is modern, liberal, tolerant and caring of people.
‘The business of business is business,’ said Milton Friedman, the celebrated American free market economist. Most businessmen all over the world would, at first thought, agree with him. So why are we meeting today to discuss among other things, such distinctly ‘non–business’ themes as secularism? The answer lies partly in the implied other half of Friedman’s statement, that ‘the business of government is government.’ So, if government governs well, business should be free to concentrate on business.
But what happens when governments don’t govern? Or, if they misgovern? They can misgovern by errors of commission, for example, by persecuting a section of their citizens, as is happening in Zimbabwe or Iraq; or by errors of omission, by failing to govern, by failing to maintain law and order, and by failing to provide to citizens their fundamental rights to life and to work.
And when there is such a failure of government leading to disruption in civil life; the striking of terror among labourers, shopkeepers, teachers, judges; the closure of markets; an exodus of people who are consumers of the products we make and services we offer – then is it sensible, indeed even ethical, for business to say: ‘our business is only business...’ and then to bury their heads in the sand and debris of the rubble created by almost four weeks of unlawful and barbaric behaviour? Because, when labour flees and markets close and consumers stop buying, what future do our businesses have?
It will be a sad mistake, I believe, for us to indulge in wishful thinking that riots and civil commotion are just a part of our life, they come and go like the occasional hurricane off the coast of Florida, that the damage will be repaired (courtesy government grants and insurance claims), and soon we’ll be back to ‘business as usual’. Because what we are experiencing in Gujarat are not mere riots; nor will all the damage be repaired; nor will business bounce back. Gujarat has been wounded deeply this time, it is still bleeding, and as we shall see, the seeds are being sown for still worse to come.
It may be best, though distasteful, to confront certain facts directly. The more openly we speak about these, the more likely we are to be able to deal with them:
* The horrific incident at Godhra was a crime against humanity and it is to be utterly condemned. Its culprits need to be found, tried and dealt with in the most severe way that our laws provide, including if necessary with the death penalty. In the words of Professor Bandukwala: ‘Whoever committed that crime was surely one of the worst enemies of the Muslims.’
* The civil disorder in Ahmedabad, as it escalated into a combination of looting, arson and attacks on people, quickly revealed one clear pattern: that the maximum number of atrocities were committed against Muslims and dalits.
* The vernacular press in Gujarat played a highly regrettable role in the run up to, and during, the disturbances. These papers specifically listed many Muslim establishments bearing non-Muslim names, and all of these were subsequently torched to cinders.
* An amazing de-humanization could be seen in the behaviour of those on the streets. Most were young in age – in their twenties or less. To hear 12 and 15 year old boys screaming for rape and murder reflects a brutalisation that is difficult to comprehend in a land that was the breeding ground of ahimsa. A new and disturbing trend now is to hear women also expressing themselves in support of brutal retribution.
* As the genocide spread from Ahmedabad to other cities and the countryside, a systematic attempt could be seen to target and destroy the economic base of the Muslim community.
Consider the arithmetic of the situation:
* Fifty-six karsevaks are killed (let it be repeated) in an utterly condemnable atrocity.
* As a ‘natural’ reaction, somewhere around 600 innocents, that too in another city, are killed and then hundreds more are burnt or butchered in the other towns and villages of Gujarat.
* So, if the government does nothing to swiftly punish the perpetrators of Godhra, Ahmedabad and the killings elsewhere, they, and we the public that elects our governments, have accepted (or condoned) the principle that, 18 innocent lives are fair retribution for each karsevak killed.
* What if this chain of reasoning is carried one step further? For the thousand people now dead, would it be a ‘natural’ emotional counter-reaction, in the ratio of 18:1, for 18,000 more innocents to be slaughtered? You cannot fault the logic, or the arithmetic?
* Therefore, the citizens of this state – and particularly we businessmen – must do everything we can to refute this utterly dangerous proposition, that an act of violence can lead naturally to a counter-action of violence. It is nothing but a self-serving political argument, which if given greater currency, will surely wreak terrible damage on the economy of Gujarat and of India.
Can we teach minorities a lesson? Consider another set of numbers. The population of Muslims in India is approximately 120 million. If they were a nation on their own, with a population of that size, they would be ranked the 9th largest nation in the world! Does it make sense to threaten a war against such a large community in our midst, with slogans such as ‘go to Pakistan – or the kabarastan’?
The moment people begin to believe such slogans, seeds of deep insecurity will be sown in a vast population dispersed across every part of our country, cities and villages. Should such a community turn hostile, then in today’s world of advanced weaponry and suicide bombers, it is not difficult to envisage the majority community being subject to immense threat and risk, which may endure for generations.
The Sangh Parivar may derive satisfaction from pulling Muslim minorities down a peg or two; but the appalling consequences of their actions will be to breed a whole new generation of terrorists both in their own fold and among the communities of Muslim and dalit victims. Imagine an intifada type situation permeating the cities of India, where will the Hindus then turn? Especially when all the international goodwill we have recently built up will vanish and we shall be regarded as not different from our neighbours across our northwestern borders.
Is it not, therefore, our duty as educated, secular and modern thinking Indians to roundly condemn their hateful and suicidal slogans? Should we not be putting every pressure on government to clamp down sharply on the distribution of pamphlets spreading virulent nonsense about minorities?
With tens of thousands of Muslims huddled in relief camps, and with government reluctant to reach out to them, as it should, can we, as individuals, make a difference?
I’d like to close by quoting professor Bandukwala, who barely escaped with his life from Baroda while his house and library were gutted by the mobs. In a recent talk in Bombay, full of compassion and wisdom, he recalled a fable of Tagore, about a man on the shore watching the sun set over the sea.
The sun proclaimed, ‘now, darkness will descend, and you will be lost.’ The humble man, who was with his family and friends lit a small candle and said, ‘this is no sun, but it will give us light enough to find our way.’
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