|
Half an
hour after the burning of Sabaramti Express's S-6 coach
on 27th Feb. 2002, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi
made a definitive statement that the burning of the
coach has been the handiwork of local Muslims in
collaboration with the Pakistan's ISI and the
International terrorism. This was followed by a prompted
'reaction' to the 'action' (Every action has equal and
opposite reaction, Newton quoted by Modi), the massive
Gujarat carnage in which apart from the loss of
property, two thousand Muslims lost their lives. Now
around 2and a half years after the tragic incident,
Justice U.C. Bannerjee comes out with the truth of
Godhra. According the interim report of this commission,
this tragedy was a mere accident and not a preplanned
one as claimed by Narendra Modi and the RSS and its
progeny.
Immediately after the release of this report BJP
spokesperson Arun Jaitley stated that this report is
meant to cover up the criminals behind this crime, it is
a appease the Muslim community. As such one can expect
such a reaction from Hindu, right? How else they cover up
their own acts of commission? It is nothing new to come
out with such distractions from the
content and analysis of the reports of riots. One knows
that most of the inquiry commission reports have
indicted RSS progeny for being the main players in these
riots, it is not for nothing that a close cousin of this
progeny Shiv Sena, which as per the meticulously
investigated Shrikrshna report, was the major player in
the anti Muslim pogrom in Mumbai riots
in 92-93, came out with a defense by saying that this
report is 'Anti Hindu'. There is no analysis and no
rebutting of the charges. Just a rhetorical diversion
from the crux of the matter. Mr. Jaitley operating on
the same wavelength, rather then analyzing the weakness
of the report comes out with a subtle self defense of
his party.
Immediately after the train burning Jayanti Ravi, the
collector of Godhra, who knew better, said that there is
no evidence of the pre-planned conspiracy, but was
overruled by Modi, who calculated in a shrew way to how
to use this incident as a pretext to unleash anti Muslim
carnage to consolidate his hold on the levers of power,
to march towards 'Hindu nation in one
state-Gujarat.' All the norms which were needed to be
done were thrown overboard and here the NDA ally of BJP
played the as per the script of RSS. As per the Railways
Act all major accidents have to be investigated.
Sidetracking this norm the question of investigating the
accident was totally ignored, the evidences contrary to
'Modi Explanation' were put under the carpet.
Haren Pandya, the then Home minister of Gujarat, for
reasons best known to him spilled the beans by telling
the Citizens Tribunal that Modi in a meeting of top
officials of the state on the same day told all involved
with controlling law and order that the revenge of
Godhra will be taken by Hindus and we should sit back
and let the things take their own course, democratic
laws can be put in the deep freeze. What followed was
beyond the worst fears, loss of lives; violation of
women; loss of property and to cap it all the
semi-permanent divide between the Hindu and Muslim
communities, the intensification of the process of
Ghettoisation of minorities.
Modi was thoroughly backed up and defended through and
through by other swayamsevaks who were supposed to
ensure that states behave as per the Indian
Constitution. The Central home minister Advani certified
that Modi's handling of the riots is exemplary and the
Prime Minister Vajpayee, while shedding the crocodile
tears went on to say 'but who lit the fire?' Citizen's
tribunal did come to the conclusion that there was no
preplanned conspiracy.Two and a half years down the line
no definitive evidence of involvement of Muslims, Muslim
organizations, of ISI and International terrorirism
could be produced by Modi. He took just half an hour to
come to the conclusion, but despite the lag of years he
has not been able to produce any evidence. He hid behind
the opaqueness of POTA and imprisoned over two hundred
Muslim, without any evidence.
The
aggressive propaganda of RSS progeny made a large
section of civil society to believe what was being
dished out by them was the truth. A large section of
social workers doubted this but in the din of hysteria
produced they remained a marginal voice. Since Modi had
adorned the cloak of national security those put behind
the bars were left unattended with total violation of
their democratic rights and civic rights. How does one
go about in the society in such situations? The garb of
national security is a convenient ploy to suppress the
voice of reason. BJP used the bogey terrorism to the
hilt, it showed the burnt coach of Sabarmati express
while fishing for votes in the rivers of blood to come
back to power with a huge majority due to the
polarization created by the violence and the way
propaganda was dished out by the section of media.
The
argument that the report is just for electoral purposes
will not wash. No doubt a politician like Lalu may try
to get benefit out of this, but the real point is the
defense of truth, the suffering of those who have been
jailed under POTA, those who have lost their lives in
the Gujarat carnage! How long will the society give
sanction to the imprisonment of the innocent ones who
have supposed to have burnt the coach, will they be
released immediately? Will they be compensated for the
false implication which they have suffered for last over
two and half years? That's the real question for the
large number of citizens of India?
|
