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The term 2002 Gujarat violence, also known as the Gujarat Genocide, Gujarat Pogroms, and Gujarat Massacre refers to the violent incidents that took place in Gujarat state in India beginning February, 2002 as a result of Godhra Train Burning where on 27 February 2002, about 58 Hindus died and 43 were injured in a train fire in Godhra.

Build up of the rioting

The gruesome images from the train burning were broadcast in print as well as the electronic media, especially in local Gujarati language newspapers. The reason for the attacks given was that it was a premeditated attack on innocent women and children returning from a puja. The Chief Minister of the BJP ruled state, Narendra Modi ordered a state funeral for the deceased in the train burning incident. The timings of the arrival of the dead bodies to the state capital Ahmedabad were advertised on the radio may have contributed to a very large turnout of people in an already charged atmosphere. Modi immediately blamed the Pakistani secret service Inter Services Intelligence behind the incident. As it was known that the local Ghanchi Muslims had stopped the train before it caught fire, the demonisation of the Muslim community followed as if they were sympathisers or agents of the neighboring Pakistan, with whom India shares a historic enimity. Leaflets decrying the incident as a premeditated plan by Muslims with the backing of Pakistan were published and distributed, in some cases without any indication of who wrote or distributed them. The World Hindu Council issued a call for a peaceful statewide bandh on February 28, 2002. That bandh was later supported by the ruling BJP government.

Incidents

The first incidents of attacks on the minority Muslim community started at Ahmedabad, where Hindus began throwing stones at and later burned a Muslim housing complex known as Gulburg Society, and then spread elsewhere. The initial violence was instigated by a rumor, encouraged by senior members of the World Hindu Council, that Muslims had kidnapped three girls from the trains. The violence continued unabated with only one section of the population becoming the primary targets. Thirty three towns of the state were severely affected and had to be placed under curfew at one point or another during this period. Some incidents that became very well known are Naroda Patia, Gulbarg Society and Best Bakery in Ahmedabad.

Naroda Patia

Around One hundred fifty Muslims were killed, many of them women who were sexually assaulted by violent mobs. One of the witnesses stated before the Nanavati commission that that BJP leader Maya Kodnani, Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi and others had led mobs on February 28 last year in the Naroda-Patia area.

Gulbarg Society - Case of Ahsan Jaffery

A high profile case involved an Ex-Congress MP who was surrounded by Hindu Mobs while many other Muslim residents in the area took shelter in his compound.Ahsen was believed to have contacted the local police stations, MP's of the area as well as the Chief Minister Modi to save the people from the ever increasing mob.However, no police reinforcement had reached his place and few policemen present were ineffective and unwilling to control the violent mob."Eventually he along with fifty others were burnt to death.

Best Bakery Incident

During the night of 1 March 2002, 14 people, including women and children, were killed. Despite repeated phone calls to the local police, a police vehicle reportedly only drove by once but none of the police officers took any steps to stop the attack, which lasted through the night.. The prime witness to the case, Zaheera Sheikh has been found guilty and has been sentenced to one year in prison for lying to the court. Human rights activist Teesta Setalvad also is believed to have induced her to fabricate accusations against the defendants. In fact, the prosecution stated that Sheikh and her mother may have demanded money from Setalvad to make statements in court ].

Role of Government and Police

The Modi led state government was reprimanded at various levels including the National Parliament, Supreme Court and the international fora. It was observed that the Gujarat government referred to the death of 58 people in the Godhra train episode as carnage while those post Godhra events, where by independent accounts more than 2500 perished were referred to as disturbances seen as an effort to pass on the subsequent deaths as a natural reaction to Godhra Train incident.

Witnesses were dismayed by the lack of intervention from local police, who often watched the events taking place and took no action against the attacks on Muslims and their property.

Role of Hindu Nationalist Organisations

Most independent reports have blamed the Sangh Parivar organisations to be responsible for orchestrating the riots.These organisations include the RSS,VHP,Bajrang Dal and affiliated orgainsations.The Hindutva forces are said to have launched a systematic demonisation of Muslims and to a lesser extent the Christians in Gujarat. The attack on the Muslims was a backlash against the terrorist attacks while attacks on Christians were justified by their intense proselytizing among dalits and tribals.

It was also reported in independent media that there are elements of economic boycott against the Muslim community in most areas of Gujarat, mainly due to Hindu anger at the attack on the Sabarmati express. Muslims who were forced to move to the Relief camps are reported to have found it difficult to return and restart economic activity because of bad blood between them and the Hindu community.

Aftermath

The Indian government's compensation policies, which offered 100,000 Rupees for a Muslim death and 200,000 Rupees for a Hindu death, for families was criticized as a discriminatory practice. It was modeled on Saudi policies of blood money.

References

1. ^ Dugger, Celia W. 200 Are Dead In 3-Day Riot Of Revenge In West India New York Times. New York, N.Y.:Mar 2, 2002. p. A1
2. Dugger, Celia W. Hindu Rioters Kill 60 Muslims in India New York Times. New York, N.Y.:Mar 1, 2002.
3. Dugger, Celia W. Ahmedabad Journal - In India, a Child's Life Is Cheap Indeed New York Times. New York, N.Y.:Mar 7, 2002.

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