This
is the report of the fact-finding committee led by Justice Tewatia which visited
Godhra and other affected areas in Gujarat in the first week of April 2002
about a month after the train carnage and the riots that followed. The report
is based on field observation, interviewing the affected people, government
officials and others. It was not written sitting in air-conditioned rooms far
away and allowing imaginations run riot. It lays bare despicable political
chicanery, intellectual hypocrisy, media mendacity and the role of NGOs that
informed the Godhra riots myths in the Indian media and the foreign media that
fed off it.
FACTS
SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES GODHRA AND AFTER
A
Field Study by Justice D. S. Tewatia, Dr. J. C. Batra, Dr. Krishan Singh Arya,
Shri Jawahar Lal Kaul, Prof. B. K. Kuthiala.
COUNCIL
FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AND HUMAN RIGHTS,
A-208,
Surajmal Vihar, Delhi 110 092.
Phone
2374816, fax 2377653, Email rjournal@ndf.vsnl.net.in
GOVERNING
BODY FOR THE TERM 2001-03:
Chairman:
Shri Shanta Kumar, Parliamentarian, Palampur
Vice-Chairmen:
Justice D S Tewatia, Jurist, Gurgaon
Shri
Chaman Lal Gupta, Parliamentarian, Jammu
Shri Y
D Ahuja, Academician, New Delhi
Secy.
General: Shri Shyam Khosla, Journalist, New Delhi
Secretaries:
Prof. B K Kuthiala, Academician; Hisar
Shri R
K Sharma, Journalist, New Delhi
Shri
Kumar Rakesh, Journalist, New Delhi
Treasurer:
Shri R Chandiwala, Chartered Accountant, New Delhi
Members:
Shri
A. R. Kohli, Governor of Mizoram, Aizwal.
Dr
Harsh Vardhan, Medical Administrator, New Delhi
Dr N K
Trikha, Journalist, New Delhi
Dr
Ajay Kumar, Physician, New Delhi
Shri A
N Misra, Journalist, Nagpur
Mrs.
Sudesh Bhatia, Academician, New Delhi
Prof.
Shivaji Sarkar, Academician, New Delhi
Dr. J
C Batra, Senior Advocate, New Delhi
Shri
Vikas Mahajan, Advocate, New Delhi
Dr. J
B Goyal, Academician, New Delhi
Shri
Joseph Gathia, Social Activist, New Delhi
Shri
Pradeep Thakur, Journalist, Gaziabad
Dr. K.
C. Pandey, Teacher, Gaziabad
PREFACE
The
Council for International Affairs and Human Rights is deeply concerned over the
Godhra carnage that consumed 58 pilgrims, including 26 women and 12 children,
returning from Ayodhya when the Sabarmati Express carrying them was torched
near Godhra railway station and the subsequent sectarian violence. These gory
incidents shocked the nation to no end. Torching alive innocent citizens is in total
violation of Indian values and traditions and is a blot on the fair name of
this ancient civilization. It is a gross violation of human rights of innocent
citizens who were roasted alive or brutally killed or maimed for no fault of
theirs.
The
Gujarat tragedy is too deep for tears. An in-depth and objective study to understand
the conspiracy, if any, that led to the burning alive of pilgrims and the
killing of innocent citizens that took place is several parts of Gujarat is the
need of the hour. It is equally important to identify the evil forces that were
instrumental in accomplishing the "mission".
The
civil society needs to evolve ways and means to resolve the communal divide
that has become a festering wound and poses a serious threat to human rights.
It is of utmost importance to know how the administration responded to the
challenge and what the role of the political parties, social organisations, the
intelligentsia and the media was.
It is
in this context that the Governing Body of the Council that met at Delhi on
March 22, 2002 decided to send a team to conduct afield study into the communal
strife in Gujarat.
Justice
D. S. Tewatia, Vice-Chairman of the Council and a former Chief Justice of
Calcutta and Punjab and Haryana High Courts, is the leader of the team. Other
members are: Dr J C Batra, senior advocate, Supreme Court of India, Dr. Krishan
Singh Arya, Academician, Chandigarh, Shri Jawahar Lal Kaul, former Assistant
Editor, Jansatta, Delhi, and Prof. B K Kuthiala, Dean, Faculty of Media Studies,
G. J. University Hisar.
The
team left for Gujarat on April 1 and returned on April 7, 2002. It has produced
a comprehensive report dealing with numerous aspects of …
The
team conducted a scientific field study into the horrendous happenings in
Godhra and other parts of Gujarat and collected enormous evidence in the form
of interviews and documents the tragedy. It was not possible for the team to
uncover each and every dimension of the tragedy due to constraints of time and
resources. But it has done a wonderful job in the limited time and resources
available to it. The Council is extremely grateful to Justice Tewatia and his
team for conducting the study and producing a comprehensive report.
The
Council hopes that its labours will not go waste and that authorities
concerned, the intelligentsia and the media as also the common citizens will
take serious note of the conclusions and recommendations made by the team. A
careful reading of the report will help sift fact from fiction and identify
rumours and canards that have been spread by vested interests. The report, one
hopes, will enable the nation to have a correct perspective of the forces
behind the tragedy and the elements that exploited it for partisan
considerations. The Council is grateful to the members of the team, the
representatives of various organisations of Hindus and Muslims of Gujarat,
concerned citizens who came forward to narrate details of incidents and
provided evidence and the local authorities that ensured that the team
conducted the study without any hindrance.
Shyam
Khosla, Secretary General. April 26, 2002
CONTENTS
S. No.
Chapter Page
1. Introduction 1
2. Data Collection 5
3. Godhra incident 9
4. Facts and inferences 22
5. Communal riots in Gujarat 25
6. Conclusions 35
7. Recommendations 40
INTRODUCTION
NEED
FOR AN OBJECTIVE ANALYTICAL STUDY
Finding
the truth is the ultimate objective of any intellectual exercise. Be it a
fact-finding mission, analysis of social, political or economic processes or a
spiritual journey the edifice of truth is built on the facts. In sciences
experiments are conducted to generate new information, which forms the basis
for the enunciation of new theories and principles. Facts become sacred,
inferences and opinions must arise from the information of the past and the new
data gathered. Neutrality in the selection of past data, in the process of
gathering new information and also in the process of analysis and derivation of
inferences is fundamental to any objective intellectual endeavor.
UNIPOLAR
THOUGHT PROCESS
Any
exercise to search for truth has to make a beginning without any predispositions.
Objectivity is lost if the past attitudes and aptitudes of the seeker of truth
colour the vision and the analyst becomes blind to a set of information bits
and another set of data isvisualized as being greater than its real worth. In
research hypothesis are stated and the researcher has a mind-set wherein based
on dispassionate analysis of gathered data the stated hypothesis is either proved
to be right or wrong. Incorrect derivations and inferences would arise if the
researcher were emotionally or ideologically inclined to prove or disprove a
given hypothesis.
Truth
is the first casualty of such an exercise. Intellectual honesty demands
observations, analysis and derivations that are free from the personal or group
prejudice and likes and dislikes of the analysts.
Unfortunately
in today's India the vocal, articulate and dominant sections of thinkers and
analysts have become predictable. Even before an exercise of analysis of events
and processes begins it is possible to almost correctly forecast the inferences
and conclusions that are likely to be drawn by the individuals, groups or
organizations.
A
newspaper would publish editorials and articles supporting and proving only one
point of view. The outcome of the discussion is predictable depending upon the
television channel that is hosting it. Even in the case of simple journalistic
reporting the personal predispositions of the reporter glare prominently in the
news stories. The questions asked clearly indicate the ideological inclinations
of the interviewer.
So
much so that even the organizations created under the statutes of the
Constitution become partisan and their contentions are blind to a set of data
and hyper-responsive to another set of facts. Unipolar thought process of
Indian analysts and commentators has become a practice rather than an
exception.
QUEST
FOR TRUTH
When
the problems of the nation receive skewed notice from its intellectuals the
analysis cannot be realistic. Not only the problems get politicized, the
analysis too is coloured with the vision of the analyst. If the diagnosis of
the problem is faulty, the solution is bound to be unrealistic and misdirected.
When a physician commits error in the diagnosis of an ailment, he fails to cure
the disease and may give birth to new problems. The country today needs better
treatment by its intelligentsia. It is the dharma of the intelligentsia to be objective
and search and state the truth and only the truth.
If we
look back and introspect the achievements and failures of the nation after
independence three facts clearly emerge. First, there was acute shortage of
food grains and the country had to import wheat. It posed a serious challenge.
The farming community and the scientists responded magnificently and we are now
faced with a problem of plenty.
Second,
whenever the nation faced an external threat our jawans lived up to our
expectations and defended our borders at the cost of their lives.
It is
a matter of pride for us that jawans and kisans that constitute the majority of
the population brought glory to the country. The scientists too have taken the
country to new heights, be it innovations in farming practices, atomic and
space research or information technology.
FAILURE
OF GOVERNING CLASS
Third,
in most of the cases when a task came before the governing class of the society
that includes bureaucracy and politicians, mismanagement, failures and
deceptions are the outcome.
The
ruling class failed to manage the massive surplus produced by the farmers. The
contradiction is that while millions of tonnes of wheat is rotting, a large
chunk of our society is denied two square meals a day. It is a sad commentary
on the governing class. Successive Governments lost on the table the gains
achieved by our jawans in the battlefields.
A vast
majority of the people has contributed towards the growth and development of
the country during fifty-five years of independence but a minuscule minority
comprising the political class, bureaucracy, intelligentsia and the media have
let the country down.
The
tragic fact is that despite India being a democratic polity, a small minority
of the elite controls the destiny of the nation.
The
intelligentsia, professionals and the media failed to provide the link between
the vast majority of patriotic and duty conscious citizens and the governing
class. They were supposed to keep a watch and provide policy and action options
without prejudice. But what did they do? They lost their moorings and became a
part of the governing class and diverted their intellect for perpetuation of
the exploitative and self-serving elite class. Whereas kisans, jawans and scientists
have more than met the challenges of nation building the intelligentsia along
with politicians and bureaucrats have miserably failed to deliver the goods.
ALTERNATE
ACTION PLAN
Independent
India inherited the problem of disharmonious relationships between Hindus and
Muslims. Amongst many other major problems communal disharmony has been a
serious issue before the nation after independence. There were certain
inherited realities and solutions were to be found within those parameters. The
managers of free India have miserably failed to solve this problem. In fact,
they have accentuated the problem and widened the gulf between the two largest
communities living in the country. The disease aggravated as the decades passed
largely because of the wrong medication.
Is not
the continuation of communal tensions between two major communities of the
country an adverse comment on the performance of our ruling class,
intelligentsia and the media?
The
answer is an assertive YES.
The
inhuman burning of the Indian citizens traveling in a train at Godhra on the
morning of February 27, 2002 and whatever followed in Gujarat and elsewhere is
an evidence of the mismanagement of the communal divide between two major
communities of the country. The political class having made appropriate noises
to please their respective constituencies will go back to its Kumbhkarani sleep
to be woken up only when another carnage takes place. When a physician fails to
cure certain ailment he looks for an alternative action plan and even takes a
second opinion. But not our rulers.
INDEPENDENT
PROFESSIONALS
But do
our thinkers, planners and implementers ever sit back and ponder over their
failures? They sing the same songs with perhaps new music. Instead of looking
for their own failures they once again refuse to see the reality and
selectively isolate the data to prove their own, many times repeated and widely
known viewpoints. They are blind to their skewed perceptions. They are either
unaware or willfully remaining unaware of the need for an alternate course of
action.
It was
in this backdrop that the Council for International Affairs and Human Rights
decided to depute a Study Team of conscientious and independent professionals
to conduct a field study in Godhra and other areas affected by sectarian
violence. The team comprised:
Justice
D. S. Tewatia, former Chief Justice, Calcutta High Court and Punjab and Haryana
High Court.
Dr. J.
C. Batra, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India.
Dr.
Krishan Singh, Academician.
Shri
Jawahar Lal Kaul, Veteran Journalist.
Prof.
B. K. Kuthiala, Dean Faculty of Media Studies, G J University, Hisar.
DATA
COLLECTION
VISITS
INTERACTION AND DOCUMENTS
The
team reached Ahmedabad on 02. 04.02 in the morning by train and visited three
affected areas and some of the relief camps. At all the places team members
interacted with the members of the public freely without intervention of any
officials, government or otherwise.
On
03.04.02 the team went to Godhra and five delegations from both communities and
also of mixed composition presented their views and facts to the team. The team
then went to the Godhra Railway Station and interviewed the officials and some
other witnesses of the burning of the S-6 Coach of the Sabarmati Express in the
morning of 27.02.02. The site where the train was initially stopped and stoned
was also visited.
The
team also minutely observed the burnt S-6 coach. The officials of the Fire
Brigade who were involved in the fire fighting on the morning of 27.02.02 were
also interviewed. The localities adjacent to the railway station along with the
sites where demolition of structures illegally erected was carried out on
27.02.02 during the curfew hours were also visited. The team also visited a
Girls High School at Godhara where Muslims from rural hinterland had migrated
for safety.
In the
evening the team had a meeting with the District Collector, Godhra along with
other officials. The District Collector made a presentation of the actions that
the district administration had taken after the incident near the railway
station. Information was also provided in response to the questions raised by
the members of the team. Prime Minister was to reach Godhra the next day and
the team left for Vadodara late at night, as it did not want to be an obstacle
in the arrangements being made for his visit.
RELIEF
CAMPS OF HINDUS AND MUSLIMS
On
04.04.02 the team was in Vadodara where it visited five relief camps of both
the communities and seven areas, which were the scenes of arson, fire and
violence during the last month. Team also exposed itself to ground situations
by visiting some sensitive areas where either:
Two
communities lived face to face with each other in different localities.
A
small number of families of one community lived in neighborhood and surrounded
by a large number of the families of the other community.
Two
communities lived in the same locality, both in significant numbers with houses
of both communities randomly distributed.
The
team visited some of the areas, which have been evacuated by the residents
because either they were attacked or they apprehended an attack. To have the
exposure to the realities the team also visited some areas where curfew was
imposed. Permission to visit such areas was taken from the appropriate
authorities.
In the
afternoon the Commissioner Police, Vadodra and District Collector Vadodra met
the team along with other officials. The team members were updated with the
information regarding the management of situation till that day. The officials
also answered the queries of the team.
At
5.00 pm the team met with the representatives of various media organizations -
both print and electronic. About thirty media persons were present and an
informative interaction took place. The team had taken a conscious decision not
to address a press conference, as it did not want to express unprocessed,
half-baked and impressionistic opinions.
THE
GOVERNOR & THE CHIEF MINISTER MEETING
In the
evening thirteen (13) delegations consisting of 121 citizens met the team and
presented their viewpoints and information. The delegations included not only
the members of both the communities but ranged from the Association of
Hoteliers to a group of adivasis to affected Muslim and Hindu women.
On 05.
04.02, the team once again visited the affected areas to see the change in the
ground situation in two days after the team has visited on 02. 04.02. Here once
again the team spoke to common persons at the affected sites. In the afternoon
the team had an in-depth discussion on the situation in the state with Shri
Narendra Modi, Chief Minister, Gujarat.
After
meeting the Chief Minister, the team met the Police Commissioner, Ahmedabad. He
gave some data about the preventive arrests (3046), booked (1807), FIRs lodged
(636) killed (267 including 58 in police firing) and rounds fired by police
(2842). In the afternoon seven delegations - five from Ahmedabad and two
representing state level organizations briefed the team of their version of the
incidents, perceptions and possible remedial measures. Total number of citizens,
both Muslims and Hindus, present in these meetings was 91.
During
and after dinner some important persons of the minority community met the team
members personally and provided useful information. A retired judge of the High
Court belonging to the Muslim community also apprised the team of his
perception of the communal riots. He himself is a victim as his house was burnt
a few days ago. In the morning of 06. 04. 02, team members went out
individually to interact informally with common men to feel the pulse of the
people. At noon the team went to Raj Bhawan to meet Shri Sunder Singh Bhandari,
Governor, Gujarat where a very useful interaction took place.
OBJECTIVITY
IN OBSERVATION AND ANALYSIS
In the
evening the members boarded a train back to Delhi from where the team members
dispersed to their respective stations. At this point of time every team member
carried a heavy load of information, views and images of realities. For a week
the team members engaged themselves in the process of sieving facts from
fiction, correlating data with perceived realities and an objective
dispassionate analysis. On 15.04.02 and also on 19.04.02 the team met in Delhi
and after sharing each other's analysis the report has been penned down as a collective
effort.
It
would also be worth mentioning that the Study Team has used both audio and
video systems to record images of ground situation, evidence, and narration of
the events by victims and witnesses and interviews. Some of these recordings
were done with an explicit assurance given by the team to use the material only
for the purposes of analysis and hall not be made public. Similarly a load of
printed and handwritten documents have also been collected both from official and
privates sources. Use of Internet has also been made extensively to interact
and surfing for collection of relevant information.
All
this information about the methodology is being provided so that the consumers
of this information can evaluate the observations and analysis of the team independently.
The strengths and weaknesses are both laid out and there is no attempt to
pronounce hasty judgments without any scientific analysis or even without
collating the information with other members of the study team. It did not
visit the affected areas to strengthen the beliefs and perceptions of its
members in a partisan manner, but it went with an open mind and a clean state and
allowed the facts to speak for themselves. The objectivity of observation and
analysis has been coupled with the honesty and integrity of scientific process
of deducing and theory propositions.
GODHRA
INCIDENT:
BURNING ALIVE OF 58 INDIAN CITIZENS TRAVELLING IN COACH S-6 OF SABARMATI
EXPRESS
Train
numbers 9164, 9166 and 9168 have been named Sabarmati Express after the name of
the Sabarmati Ashram established by Mahatma Gandhi to experiment and propagate
his philosophies of non-violence and swadeshi. The train runs up to Ahmedabad,
from Faizabad (9164) on Saturdays, from Muzaffarabad (9166) on Wednesday,
Friday and Monday and from Varanasi(9168) on Thursday, Sunday and Tuesday. It
covers Lucknow, Gwalior, Bhopal, Indore and Dahod is its first halt in Gujarat.
After traveling 74 km in 2 hrs and 19 minutes from Dahod the train is scheduled
to arrive at 0255hrs at Godhra. After Godhra it halts at Vadodra, Anand and
Nadiad reaching Ahmedabad at 0700hrs
INNOCENT
PILGRIMS
On
26.02.02 Sabarmati Express started from Faizabad about 225 minutes late. On
that fateful day, about 2300 pilgrims were travelling by the train. Most of
them were returning from Ayodhya where they had gone for either participating
in the shila-pujan or for the purana ahuti of the ritual jap of Ram-naam that
the devotees began one month in advance at their respective places.
There
were other passengers in the train including members of the Muslim community.
However, it has been reported that most of the Muslim passengers got down at
Dahod Railway Station and rest of them at Godhra and it appears that when the
train was torched there were no Muslim passengers on the train except the
elements who were to stop the train by pulling the chain as part of a
conspiracy to burn the pilgrims alive.
CHAIN
PULLED AND VACUUM PIPE CUT
At
07.42 hrs the train stopped at Godhra Railway Station. After about five
minutes, the train started to move but stopped for a few moments as some
passengers could not board the train. It finally left the station but came to
halt about 700 metres away from the station as some one had pulled the chain.
The vacuum pipe between the Coaches No. S-6 and S-7 was cut thereby preventing
any further movement of the train. Miscreants threw bricks and stones at the
train as soon as it left Godhra Railway Station. The stoning intensified after
it finally stopped about 700 metres from the station. The passengers of the
train, particularly Coaches S-5, S-6 and S-7, were the main targets. The passengers
reportedly shut the windows and doors to protect themselves. Burning missiles
and acid bulbs were thrown on and in the coaches. One such acid missile landed
in Coach S-7 and a fire started which the passengers were able to extinguish.
But the attack continued and more burning missiles were thrown into the Coach
S-6.
FIFTY
EIGHT PILGRIMS ROASTED ALIVE
Soon,
S-6 caught fire and within minutes it was in flames. Passengers who managed to
get out of the burning compartment were attacked with sharp weapons and stoned.
They received serious injuries. Some of them got out through the windows and
took shelter below the coach. After some time (between 20 minutes and 40
minutes) fire engine arrived at the scene and took about half an hour to
extinguish the fire.
Inside
the coach, 58 charred bodies were found. These included 26 women and 12
children. Those who had seen the charred bodies shiver even weeks after the
incident while recalling the gory scene. Even a cursory look at the photographs
of the charred bodies is a chilling experience. Forty-three (43) injured
persons were rushed to the Civil Hospital at Godhra with different degrees of
burns. The train left Godhra at about 1230 hours minus Coach S-6, 58 dead and
43 injured.
The
question why a large number of Hindus were roasted alive at the hands of Muslim
crowds at Godhra and also what was the motivation to enact such a ghastly act
needs to be answered. There is strong logic supported by direct and
circumstantial evidence that enables the team to assert without an iota of
doubt that the entire action was carried out on the behest of then Government
of Pakistan. The primary objective was to create Hindu-Muslim communal conflagration
in India. The reasons why Pakistan would resort to such acts are:
Hindu-Muslim
communal riots in India would have echo in Bangladesh, and would help in
cleansing of Hindus from that country resulting in further straining of
relations with India. The communal rioting will provide yet another excuse for
India bashing. The reaction in Bangladesh will add fuel to the already
communally tense situation in India. It would ultimately give sustenance to the
"Two Nation Theory".
Hindu-Muslim
riots in India would further accentuate alienation of Kashmiri Muslims, thereby
creating further space in Kashmir for Pakistan's nefarious activities against
India.
Hindu-Muslim
riots in India would tend to adversely affect India's present friendly
relations with Afghanistan. It is worth mentioning here that Prime Minister of
Afghanistan had in a television interview while responding to a question about
the nature of Afghanistan's relations with India observed, "That would
depend upon how India treats its Muslim minority". Incidentally, the Prime
Minister of Afghanistan was in Delhi on the fateful day the train was torched.
Situation
at the Indo-Pak border is extremely critical and volatile. A little
misunderstanding or even an unintended move can lead to a war between the two
countries. Hindu-Muslim riots in such a situation would come handy to weaken
our defences as the army would have to be withdrawn from the borders to combat
riots. The army is normally summoned to assist the civil authorities when the
situation worsens as happened during recent riots in Gujarat.
With a
view to maintain law and order, two Brigades of army were deployed in various
parts of the state thereby leaving a portion of our border uncovered or weakly
protected. To cite an example, if the troops deployed on the Katch border are
withdrawn our defences in that area become weak and border more porous thereby
increasing the danger of infiltration by jehadis and smugglers dealing with
drugs and arms. What would please more the hostile neighbour and ISI than weak
defences and porous borders and what can be a better mechanism than creating a situation
where Indian army's attention is diverted because of its deployment in riot-hit
areas. All patriotic and nationalist forces, demanding deployment of army to assist
the civil authority for one reason or the other, need to look at the situation
from this angle as well.
Hindu-Muslim
riots increase the alienation of the saner elements among Kashmiri Muslim and
add to the support base of terrorist outfits sponsored, armed and financed by
ISI. Terrorism and insurgency get a shot in the arm. In the event of a war
between the two countries these subversive groups can play havoc.
Hindu-Muslim
riots create tensions and misunderstanding between India and Muslim countries
with which India has developed understanding and goodwill. By provoking
communal violence, Pakistan wants to isolate India in the international
community and tarnish its image as a pluralistic and democratic society. Another
question that needs systematic analysis is:
Why
Godhra?
Why
did Pakistan choose to enact this ghastly act at a small, little known town of
Godhra?
On the
basis of information gathered from various sources the team identifies the
following reasons for choosing Godhra for this carnage:
The
rate of growth of Muslim population in Godhra is much higher than the national
growth rate of Muslim population. At present the estimated ratio of
Hindu-Muslim population ranges from 60:40 to 48:52. In any case, it is an
established fact that Godhra has a very large Muslim population. Most of them
live on both the sides of the railway station in depth.
In
normal course, the Sabarmati Express was to arrive at Godhra Railway Station at
02.55 am. The conspirators must have chosen the place with a view to complete
their operation "Burn the train" at the dead of night when most of
the passengers would be asleep. They must have planned to accomplish their evil
"mission" unhindered and with impunity.
Godhra
has the dubious distinction of having a large number of Muslim fundamentalists
and jehadi elements. Godhra is neither a Muslim pilgrim center like Ajmer nor a
Muslim educational center like Aligarh and Deoband. The local Muslims are not
economically affluent either, yet this town had hosted three istema'- religious
congregations. In one of the istema', Muslim representatives from more than
hundred countries participated.
The
holding of international congregations on such a massive scale gives credence
to the commonly held perception that there has been a massive inflow of foreign
money into Godhra.
One
Shri Haji Bilal, a Congress member of Nagarpalika, who has been booked by the
police as the executor of the carnage, has been, according to locals, proudly
proclaiming himself to be "Bin Laden of Godhra".
President
of the District Congress Committee, Farooq Malla and Congress activist and
member of Godhra Nagarpalika, Abdul Rehman Dhatia, are amongst those booked for
the carnage giving credence to reports that local Congressmen were actively
involved in the burning of the train.
The
next question is: Why was this particular train chosen for torching? The team
provides the following answer:
This
particular train was chosen because the 2300 pilgrims were returning from
Ayodhya on this train. Torching and burning alive a large number of Hindu
pilgrims (including women and children) was intended to let loose a tide of
indignation and provocation of horrendous proportion in Hindu population
resulting in intended ignition of the communal tinder box, causing wide spread
Hindu-Muslim riots all over the country.
However,
the train got late and the miscreants were able to burn only one compartment
instead of the entire train and (contrary to the expectations of their
Pakistani masters) the communal riots were confined to only a part of Gujarat.
The
evidence that leads to the conclusion that the torching of Sabarmati Express on
the morning of 27.02.02 was pre-meditated can be stated as:
The
train took only three minutes, as per the statement of the Stationmaster, form
the platform to the place where it was stopped by pulling the chain at a
distance of about 700 metres. It is impossible for a mob of about 2000 persons
carrying acid bulbs and highly combustible liquids to converge within three
minutes that too in the early hours of the morning.
The
conspirators had done their homework. They ensured that the mob gets enough
time to accomplish the misdeed. Had the train stopped because of chain pulling,
the driver could have re-started the train after it was attacked by the mob. In
order to ensure that the train would not move even an inch, the conspirators
had deputed certain persons to cut the vacuum pipe. Consequently, the train
could not move before the pipe was repaired.
In
order to establish the correct chronology of events the Study Team collected
information from:
Staff
at the Railway Station, Godhra.
District
Administration
Passengers
traveling in Sabarmati Express on 27.02.02 in S-6
Passengers
traveling in Sabarmati Express on 27. 02. 02 other than in S-6.
Staff
of the Fire Brigade, Godhra.
Others
who were witness to the later part of the incident.
Reports
in local, regional and Delhi Press.
STAFF
OF RAILWAY STATION GODHRA
The
staff at the Railway Station Godhra told the team that no serious quarrel took
place on the platform when the train halted there for about 05 minutes.
Immediately after the train started moving it stopped and few left-out
passengers boarded the train and it started again. A mob of about 1000 Muslims
ahead of the Railway Station started pelting stones and other missiles on the
train. The train after moving about 700 metres stopped once again but with a
jerk as a result of chain pulling.
The
vacuum-pipe of the Coach No. S-6 was cut. The mob had by then swelled to more
than 2000. They stoned the train and also threw burning missiles, concentrating
on S-6 and S-7. Soon the Coach S-6 was seen burning and the flames reached
outside the coach in no time. Railway Police rushed to the scene and after
initial hesitation fired in the air to disperse the mob.
There
was no impact on the mob that did not disperse even after firing in the air and
kept shouting slogans and throwing missiles at the police and the crowd
comprising railway officials, passengers of the other coaches of the train and
bystanders.
Fire
brigade reached the site after about half an hour (from the time of the
departure of the train from the platform). It took about half an hour to
extinguish the flames and cool down the S-6 coach. District administration
reached the spot after the fire had almost been extinguished and the mob had
withdrawn to a distant place but was still shouting slogans.
All
through voices were heard on loudspeakers from both the sides of the railway
track inciting the mob to kill and burn the infidels (kafirs) and the enemies
of Bin Laden. With the help of civilians, the injured were taken to the Civil
Hospital and the dead were brought out and counted. Burnt bodies of passengers
were identified with the help of other passengers of the train including those
of S-6 who had escaped unhurt or were not seriously injured.
DISTRICT
ADMINISTRATION, GODHRA
As per
the presentation made by the Collector of Panchmahal at Godhra, the Sabarmati
express arrived at Godhra Railway station at 7.43 am (scheduled arrival at 2.55
a.m.). Train departed at 7.48 a.m. and was stopped at a distance of 1km from
Godhra railway station by pulling chain at "Signal Faliya". A mob of
about 2000 miscreants attacked the train with stones and firebombs. Bogies no
S/5 and S/6 were set on fire, bogies S/6 was completely burnt with 58
passengers in it including 26 women, 12 children and 20 men roasted alive.
D.S.P.
rushed to the spot as soon as he got the information about the incident. Relief
work started immediately by the Collector. Arrangements for firefighters were
made. Along with the arrangements of Ambulance Van and ST Buses from RTO, team
of three doctors rushed to the site.
Twentyfive
passengers were treated on site. Food packets, drinking water was made
available to stranded passengers. 43 injured passengers were shifted to civil
hospital. Police fired 14 rounds and 30 teargas shells to prevent the mob from
causing further damage. Curfew was imposed in the town at 10.55am.
Collector
with senior railway officers entered the burnt carriage to assess the casualties
– 58 dead bodies found. Train departed for Ahmedabad with the rest of
passengers at 12.40 pm. Inquest & postmortem of all bodies was done by 4.30
pm. Bodies dispatched at 10.30 pm to Civil hospital, Sola, Ahmedabad.
PASSENGERS
TRAVELLING IN SABARMATI EXPRESS ON 27.02.02 IN COACH NO S-6
Kamala
(name changed in view of threats received and bomb attack on her a day before
she was interviewed by the Study Team on O4.02.02), a college student, went to
Ayodhya along with her parents and two sisters to perform the purana ahuti of
the Rama jaap her mother was doing for the last one month. The family boarded
the train at Faizabad in Coach no S-6 on 26.02.02 at about 0800 hours. There
were many passengers on the train who were chanting Rama naama and occasionally
chanting "jai Sri Rama".
In the
morning of 27.02.02 the train was at Godhra railway station and as soon as it
moved, a barrage of stones were thrown at the compartment. Terrified and taken
aback, the passengers closed the windows.
The
train stopped for a few moments and again started. After about 2-3 minutes the
train stopped with a strong jerk rattling the passengers and the luggage. The
train continued to be stoned with great intensity. Mob outside the train was
pounding upon the windows and doors.
Somebody
from outside the train was able to open a window and threw a burning object
into the compartment. It fell on the luggage and the fire started. Some
passengers stated stamping on the fire, but more burning objects were thrown in
as the mob broke open more windows. Some liquid was also poured in from the
windows, which intensified the fire.
Iron
grills of some windows were detached from one side and bent to pick up the
passengers luggage. This luggage was set on fire and thrown back into the coach.
The passengers were terribly shaken and shouting for help. Some of them were
able to open the door and get out.
Soon
the entire coach was gutted. Smoke was so thick that it was impossible to
breathe or see anything. She looked for her family members in vain and dropped
out of the train from a window whose grill had been bent and detached from one
side.
Lying
of the ground she could breathe a little and saw a huge mob with swords and
iron rods hurling abuses at Hindus. She moved below the coach from where she
was rescued after sometime. She may have remained unconscious for some time.
She later identified the charred bodies of her mother, father and two sisters.
One sister was an engineer and the other was a commerce graduate.
The
same train took her to Ahmedabad where she now lives with her younger sister.
She has already got Rs. 50,000 as relief and expects more. She told the team
that she had heard certain Muslims saying that a lot of trouble was caused to
them because of her narration of the Godhra tragedy and that she would be
eliminated. A bomb was thrown into the room in which she was sleeping a day
before the team met her. Fortunately, it did not explode. The matter was
reported to the police who are investigating the case.
Raghu
(name changed for reasons of security of the witness) was traveling in Coach
S-6 of the Sabarmati Express on 27.02.02 and his narration of the events is
similar to those of Kamala. When the coach was set on fire he went up on the
upper berth in the hope that the fire will soon be extinguished. But when he
got choked because of the thick smoke he moved from one upper berth to another
towards the door but the flames frustrated his first attempt to jump out. He
returned and after some time made a desperate attempt and was able to reach the
door where a passenger whom he had earlier seen in the train dragged him
outside. He fell unconscious and was given water and sugar by a lady who was managing
the passengers belonging to Ahmedabad. Though he felt dizzy he received no burn
injuries except that his hair was partly burnt. His father and uncle were burnt
alive in the same coach.
PASSENGERS
TRAVELLING IN SABARMATI EXPRESS ON 27.02.02 IN COACHES OTHER THAN S-6
Shakuntla
(name changed because of security reasons) narrates a story similar to that of
Kamala and Raghu except that she was traveling in Coach S-7 and she was looking
after a group of pilgrims from Ahmedabad. She got down at Godhra Railway
Station and saw many pilgrims bidding each other Jai Rama ji ki as the first
greeting in the morning. Some passengers took tea and one of the vendors
angrily asked them not to make a noise. The pilgrims did not respond and got
into the train as it had started moving. As some lady passengers were not able
to board, the train stopped for a few moments and again steamed-off when the
left-out passengers boarded.
Along
with the stones a burning missile landed in S-7 in which she was traveling but
the fire was put out without much effort. After some time the train again
stopped with a great jerk and shouts of ‘maaro-maaro’ came from outside. She
could not tell the approximate number of persons in the mob as all the windows
were closed.
Someone
using a mike was inciting the mob to kill and loot the kafirs and the enemies
of Bin Laden. Through a slit in the window she saw a part of the mob with iron
rods and swords.
There
was tension and suspense in the compartment No one knew what was happening or
what would happen to him or her the next moment. After some time both the
shouts of the crowd and the voice on the mike stopped. Shakuntla along with
some other passengers got out and saw S-6 in flames. There were some injured
and perplexed passengers outside. The mob had withdrawn a few hundred yards
away. The fire engine arrived and the fire was put off. The mob kept throwing
stones at the train from a distance.
A few
policemen were also there but they did nothing to protect the passengers. More
and more passengers assembled near the burning coach and urged the police to
take action against the miscreants but the police did nothing. Crying and
shouting Shakuntla took out her bangles and offered them to the two policemen
with rifles. The policemen fired a few shots in the air. That did not deter the
mob.
When
more police came and the fire was put out several passengers along with some
policemen chased the attackers. Some persons told the police that
the attackers had taken shelter in a nearby garage. The police hesitated to
enter the garage.
When
the policemen on duty did not take any action, some passengers and locals
entered the garage. But it was too late as the miscreants had by then escaped
from another door on the other side of the garage. Shkuntla helped the
authorities to identify some of the bodies and returned to Ahmedabad by the
same train.
STAFF
OF THE FIRE BRIGADE, GODHRA
Shri
Pradeep Singh s/o Shri Bhola Singh, Motor Driver, Fire brigade, Godhra &
Shri Vijay Kumar s/o Shri Ram Chander Sharma, Fireman, Fire Brigade, Godhra
(names mentioned with the consent of the witnesses) said they reported for their
shift duty at 0800 hrs on 27.02.02. One of the major vehicles was out of order,
as its clutch-plates had been taken out a few days earlier. On their arrival on
27.02.02 in their office they found that one of the nuts that connects the pipe
to the water tank of the other fire engine was also missing. By the time they had
put the nut in place a message about the fire in the train was received.
The
Driver along with the firemen rushed towards the spot but on the way a mob led
by Haji Balal, a Congress member of the Godra Nagarpalika, stopped the vehicle
and did not allow it to proceed any further. A tall well built young man stood
in front of the vehicle. The mob started pelting stones at the vehicle. A
fireman sitting in the front seat had to take shelter behind the driver. The
headlights and the windowpanes of the vehicle got damaged. Fearing for his own,
and his crew's, life the driver drove the vehicle through the mob, as it was
not possible to move backwards. The mob gave in but by that time precious 15-20
minutes had been lost.
The
vehicle reached at the site and crew saw one of the compartments blazing. The
fire was brought under control in about half an hour. Fireman Vijay Singh
reported that he saw one woman trying to come out. He covered himself with a
blanket and tried twice to reach the lady but the flames were too hot and high
and he could not enter the coach. He is deeply disappointed and said some lives
could have been saved if the miscreants had not delayed the arrival of the fire
engine.
Both the
witnesses stated that they were sure that the acts of demobilizing one of the
vehicles and removing the nut of the connection of the pipe with the water tank
were premeditated and the Congress member of Ghodhra Nagarpalika, Haji Balal,
who is also chairman of the Vehicle Committee of the Nagarpalika, had hatched
the conspiracy. Haji Balal had been visiting the fire station at night for the
past few days on the pretext of watching films on the television.
They
also stated that had the train reached during the night, the entire train would
have been burnt. Both the witnesses also said that the manner in which the
bodies were charred and the furniture and luggage burnt indicates the use of
some highly inflammable material like solvent in addition to petrol, diesel and
kerosene.
The
fire-crew informed the team that although they had reported the damage to the
vehicle to their seniors no formal complaint had been registered. They also
reported having received a threatening call warning them not to give statements
about the obstruction to the fire engine by a crowd on 27.02.02. As the
fire-station has a call identification system, they know who made the
threatening call.
The
Study Team also inspected the Coach S-6. There was no evidence of any stove in
the compartment. Although the Team was surprised to find two plastic jerrycans
that have been referred to in the report submitted by a team of CPI(M).
Wonder
of wonders is that while the entire coach got burnt roasting alive the
passengers, two plastic jerrycans remained intact. It seems to be a deliberate
attempt to plant evidence that is a very serious offence.
OTHERS
WHO WERE WITNESS TO LATER PART OF THE INCIDENT
It is
natural that when an incident of such a gravity happens many citizens gather at
and near the place of incident. While visiting the affected areas and the
relief camps the team members kept on searching for the persons who had been
the witness to at least some part of the incident. Three such persons could be
contacted and interviewed. All of them reported of the inability of the police
to take action against the mob. The firing in the air was reluctant and no one
saw firing of teargas shells or use of lathis as claimed by the police.
REPORTS
IN LOCAL, REGIONAL AND DELHI MEDIA
The
Study Team went carefully through the reports of the gory incidents published
in 22 newspapers and 9 newsmagazines. There is so much variance in the
reporting of the events in these publications that it is impossible to draw out
a cohesive and acceptable chain of events. The reports vary from an accusation
that the fire was stage-managed in order to malign the Muslim minority to an
assertion that all Muslim passengers were asked to get down before Godhra by
the conspirators. Since the team had reasonably credible evidence from direct
witnesses it decided not to analyze the media reports for reconstruction of the
chronology of events.
GODHRA
INCIDENT- ANALYSED: FACTS AND INFERENCES
There
has been so much said, written and broadcast about the Godhra incident that it
is difficult to distinguish between facts, half-truths, innocent imagination and
motivated lies. Media and interested parties have selected, distorted and added
fiction to the story to prove their respective points of view.
Unfortunately,
professionalism took a back seat as media persons, fact-finding commissions and
administrators, by and large, failed to maintain the fairness, neutrality and
objectivity expected from them. To engage in a dispassionate analysis the Study
Team has divided all the facts relating to this incident into four categories:
Indisputable
facts.
Facts
that appear to be true but need verification.
Information
that appears to be untrue.
Mysteries.
INDISPUTABLE
FACTS
On
27.02.02 Sabarmati Express from Faizabad reached Godhra more than four hours
late.
There
were more than 2000 Hindu pilgrims on this train.
No
serious dispute took place at the platform at Godhra between the passengers and
the vendors.
The
entire train was stoned right after it left the platform at Godhra and it
continued even after it was stopped at Signal Faliya.
Firebombs,
acid bulbs and highly inflammable liquid(s) were used to set the coaches on
fire that must have been stored already for the purpose.
Miscreants
succeeded in torching only one coach.
The
conspirators did not allow the fire fighting staff to reach the burning train
expeditiously.
The
iron grills of the windows of S-6 were broken and bent from outside.
Fifty-eight
passengers of coach S-6 were burnt to death by a Muslim mob and that one of the
conspirators was a Congress Councillor, Haji Balal.
The
train was stopped by pulling the chain and the vacuum pipe was cut.
Someone
used the public address system exhorting the mob to kill kafirs and enemies of
Bin Laden.
Assembly
of a mob of about 2000 Muslims in three minutes could not have been
spontaneous.
The
attack on Sabarmati Express on 27.02.02 was pre-planned and pre-meditated. It
was the result of a criminal conspiracy hatched by a hostile foreign power with
the help of local jehadis.
FACTS
THAT NEED VERIFICATION
There
was a conspiracy to reduce the effectiveness of the fire fighting system of
Godhra municipal committee. The mob that burnt the coach had Muslims from
outside the town as well.
Firearms
were used by the mob.
Police
could have caught or killed some of the miscreants at the spot.
Local
politicians and elected representatives took active part in instigating the
mob.
Railway
Police at Dahod sent a message to Godhra Railway police that some Muslim youths
on board Sabarmati Express were likely to create mischief at Godhra.
Head
of a passenger of S-6 coach was cut when he tried to get out of the window. The
head was later thrown back into the coach to burn.
INFORMATION
THAT APPEARS TO BE UNTRUE
Some
women passengers are missing.
Some
women passengers were raped or molested.
Passengers
had pulled the beard of a vendor at Godhra Railway Station.
Passengers
carried weapons with them.
Railway
staff connived with the miscreants.
The
pilgrims had taunted certain Muslims of Godhra while returning from Ayodhya.
Police
firing while they were burning the coach killed two Muslims.
SOME
MYSTERIES
Assistant
Collector, Godhra (a young Muslim from eastern UP) goes on leave two days
before the incident and does not return till the middle of the March while the
district of his posting was aflame with communal riots.
The
unusual growth rate of Muslim population in Godhra.
Absence
of information with the District officials about the number of arms licenses
issued.
Abnormally
large number of passports issued to the residents of Godhra.
Presence
of a very large number of persons without ration cards in Signal Faliya and
Polan Bazar areas of Godhra.
A
large number of unemployed Muslims in Godhra have mobile phones.
Very
high traffic of telephone calls from Godhra to Pakistan (mainly Karachi) before
27.02. 02.
Holding
of istema - religious gatherings - at Godhra that were attended by foreigners
in large numbers.
COMMUNAL
RIOTS IN GUJARAT AFTER
27.02.02
BOTH
SPONTANEOUS AND PLANNED BUT A TRAP OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM
The
news of the events of 27. 02.02 at Godhra at about 0800 hrs spread like wild
fire all over the country by the afternoon. The television media, which has the
advantage of instantaneous reporting, played its role in disseminating the
information about this carnage. Nothing happened for almost twenty-four hours,
though the situation was said to be very tense. Vishwa Hindu Parishad gave a
call for statewide bandh to protest against the Godhra carnage. Communal
violence erupted almost simultaneously on 28.02.02 in many parts of the state
when the charred bodies, the injured and the passengers travelling in the
ill-fated train reached their homes. It became more intense during next
twentyfour hours and started subsiding after that. After 01.03.02 there were only
stray incidents of communal violence in certain parts of the state.
On
15.03.02, after shila-daan ceremony at Ayodhya by Ramchandra Paramhans,
processions of Rama-dhun were taken out all over Gujarat. The participation on
these occasions was very large in Gujarat, presumably as a reaction of what had
happened in Godhra. The Rama-dhun processions at many places including
Ahemdabad and Vadodra became the points of communal tensions once again and the
communal tension that was subsiding again flared up.
Although
the Muslim elders had assured the police at Vadodra that peace would be
maintained at all costs, the processions were stoned from a mosque. The
intensity of the attack proves that these were premeditated. The attack was so
massive that the police had a tough time handling it.
The
state once again came under the grip of communal riots. The rioting was very
intense for about three days. Sectarian violence, however, continued in several
parts of the state even three days after the attack on Hindu procession at
Vadodra.
Incidents
of violence on a large scale were initially reported from Ahmedabad and
Vadodara towns and the districts of Panchmahals, Sabarkantha and Mehsana. Later
it spread to other areas also. However the communal violence was mainly
confined to Central and North Gujarat. Saurashtra and South Gujarat remained
relatively peaceful. There was no communal violence in almost one half of
Gujarat.
The
team was told that when the charred bodies of the dead reached their families
or the news of their killings reached the relatives, friends and neighbors
attacked the nearby Muslim establishments. Similar incidents took place when
chautha and kriya ceremonies of the dead were solemnised.
Gujarat
has a long history of communal riots. The first such riot has been reported in
1714. After independence major riots broke out on several occasions since 1969.
Jagmohan Reddy Commission of Inquiry of 1969 and Dave Commission of Inquiry of
1985 analysed the causes and consequences of communal tensions in great
details. Serious rioting occurred in 1970 and also in 1992-93. According to
official data, Gujarat witnessed 443 major communal incidents between 1970 and
2002. Another characteristic of the communal frenzy in Gujarat is that it has always
taken a long time to return to normalcy. For instance in Godhra itself in 1985
curfew remained imposed for about a year. Communal disturbance in 1985
continued for more than five months from February to July 1985.
The
Study team has not gone into the facts and figures of the number of persons killed,
injured and displaced, the loss of property destroyed and the number of cases
related to molestation of women, if any. It is not because these facts are not
important but because the team lacked the time and resources to go into these
details. However the Study Team has analysed the situation for:
Administrative
response
Deployment
of Army
Relief
and resettlement measures
Confidence
building measures
Socio-economic
profile of the rioting mobs
Involvement
of vanvasis
Role
of media
ADMINISTRATIVE
RESPONSE
Based
on the information collected from official and non-official sources at Godhra,
Ahemdabad and Vadodara the Study Team is of the considered opinion that:
The
local administration did not respond with speed to the Godhra carnage. The
police remained a passive spectator and hesitated to use force against the
miscreants. It made no attempt to apprehend the leaders of the mob that
indulged in burning alive innocent pilgrims returning from Ayodhya. However,
the administration took preventive measures after the VHP gave a call for
Gujarat bandh in protest against the attack on the train.
In
Godhra, Vadodara and Ahmedabad the police tried to control the rioting mobs
but, more often than not, failed, as the police were outnumbered - the mobs
were unexpectedly large and the police were inadequately armed. In certain
cases, the mob carried more lethal weapons that the police had.
The
administration was not prepared to handle massive migration of riot affected
people of both the communities and did not have any idea of the quantum of the
relief and rehabilitation work required.
Co-ordination
between the administration and the NGOs was inadequate.
Training
and drills for managing communal tensions was conspicuous by its absence in a
state that periodically witnesses communal frenzy.
Socio-psychological
understanding of the communal divide is lacking amongst the officials.
The
adverse comments on the transfers of officials in the media and not so much the
actual transfers demotivated the official machinery.
At
many places policemen did commendable work of protecting life and property.
Policemen,
by and large, responded to the situation without communal bias.
DEPLOYMENT
OF ARMY
There
has been lot of comments on the timing of the deployment of army in various
urban and rural areas in Gujarat after the outbreak of violence. Although the
team did not have enough time to go into the question in depth, the information
made available to it shows that there was no delay on the part of the Gujarat
Government in summoning and deployment of troops. A comparison with the past is
presented for a proper perspective.
By the
afternoon of 28.02.0 it was clear that the communal violence has spread widely
and the situation had become so alarming that it was unlikely to be controlled
by the police and paramilitary forces.
On
28.02.02 at 4.30 p.m. the Chief Minister announced at a press conference that
the State Government has decided to call army to assist the civil
administration.
By
evening the Union Government had given instructions for the deployment of two
brigades in Gujarat.
Defense
Minister air-dashed to Ahmedabad at midnight and had a meeting with the Chief
Minister to discuss deployment of the army.
The
army had to be withdrawn from the country's border with Pakistan despite the fact
that the troops are deployed in full strength in eyeball-to-eye-ball situation
on Indo-Pak borders.
Withdrawal
of army from the border may have weakened the country's defensive and offensive
strategies.
Within
less than 24 hours at least one brigade of Indian Army had air-landed at
Ahmedabad. In a meeting at 0800hrs in which Chief Minister, Defence Minister,
army generals and civil officers participated, the formal plan for the
deployment of the army was approved. Magistrates who must accompany the army
were appointed and by 11 a.m. on 01.03.02 the actual deployment of army at
sensitive points had begun.
The
second brigade was deputed to Rajkot and Vadodara on 01.03.02 by that night.
Columns
allotted to Godhra reached there in the morning of 02.03.02.
Army
went back to barracks on 10.03.02.
In
1969 rioting started on 18.09.69 and army was called in on 21.09.69.
In
1985 the riots started on 15.04.85 and the army was called in on 16.04.85.
RELIEF
AND REHABILITATION MEASURES
Many
persons of both the communities whose houses were burnt or destroyed fled and
came to the nearby towns for shelter.
Many
persons who feared an attack on them also fled and gathered in nearby towns.
The
State Government arranged for shelters called Relief Camps to provide safe
temporary shelter to the displaced persons.
Many
voluntary organizations of both the communities also opened Relief Camps for
the displaced persons.
The
Government managed some camps while other camps were run by the voluntary
organizations.
Most
of the inhabitants in the camps remained unoccupied, leading to idle talk and
further reinforcement of views on communal basis.
The
inhabitants did not feel confident and safe to go back to their respective
habitations.
According
to the State Government following is the information about the camps:
District Number Of
Camps Number Of Inmates
Ahemdabad
44 68100
Anand 13
5200
Dahod 6 4526
Kheda 3 1441
Mahesana 6 2648
Panchmahals
7 8091
Sabarkantha
13 10938
Vadodara
11
12753
State
Total 103 113697
CONFIDENCE
BUILDING MEASURES
In
affected areas deployment of police or other forces was very scanty.
Residents
of the sensitive areas were living in an environment of fear.
The
mutual mistrust between Hindu and Muslim population is on the increase.
Longer
the stay in the camps more is the feeling of anxiety and uncertainty.
In
affected areas, sensitive areas and relief camps there was no publicity
material appealing and advising for communal harmony and peaceful co-existence
The
Information and Public Relations machinery of the state did not disseminate
words of assurance and appeals by the Prime Minister, Chief Minister and others
that are likely to have a soothing effect on the hurt psyche of the people.
Presence
of the reports of arson in newspapers and repetition of such reports on
television affected negatively the process of confidence building.
Most
of the voluntary and social organizations were working on sectarian lines and
hardly worked for creating an environment of communal harmony.
Efforts
of some of the officials to bring both the communities together and arrive at a
compromise failed, as the amount of antagonism against each other is very high.
Rumours
spread like wild fire increasing the level of anxieties.
SOCIO-ECONOMIC
PROFILES OF THE RIOTING MOBS
(Based
on information collected from officials and public; no direct observation)
Muslim
mobs predominantly included persons of lower socio-economic strata.
Muslim
mobs included many known faces but number of persons not earlier seen in the
locality was also very large.
Hindu
mobs, especially during the first week of March, comprised a mix of people
belonging to lower, lower middle and upper middle socioeconomic strata of the
society.
Involvement
of upper middle class Hindus in arson and looting is a phenomenon seen for the
first time in the country.
The
Hindu mobs appeared to be more interested in destroying the property of selected
establishments of Muslims. It was reported that a chain of restaurants with
Hindu names and owned by a Muslim family was targeted because of the perception
that lot of money from gulf countries had been invested thereby putting Hindu
competitors at a disadvantage.
Another
new phenomenon reported to the Study Team was the presence and active
participation of women in the mobs.
INVOLVEMENT
OF TRIBALS
Earlier
in Gujarat, tribals never got involved in the Hindu-Muslim riots. However,
their involvement in pos-Godhra riots added a new dimension to the communal
violence. In rural areas the vanvasis attacked the Muslim moneylenders,
shopkeepers and the forest contractors. They used their traditional bow and
arrows as also their implements used to cut the trees and grass while attacking
Muslims. They moved in groups and used coded signals for communication. Two factors
seems to have contributed to this disturbing phenomenon:
A
delegation of tribals told the Study team that the Muslim moneylenders,
shopkeepers and forest contractors have been exploiting the tribals for
decades.
They
charged exorbitant rate of interest to money loaned to tribals. In certain
cases the rate of interest is as high as 50 per cent per year.
Having
got into this never-ending vicious circle of loans, the tribals have been
reduced to the status of bonded labour. Tribals working as Muslims.
The
accumulated anger of years of exploitation became explosive when moneylenders
sexually exploited their womenfolk. The tribals are no longer allowed to use
forest produce that has been their sustenance for centuries. This too fuelled
the feelings of anger, hatred and revenge among them.
Tribals
have, of late, become conscious of their Hindu identity because of the
awareness campaign launched by VHP and other Hindu outfits. Burning alive of
Hindu pilgrims by a Muslim mob at Godhra provided the spark for the fire of
revenge and hatred.
It may
be mentioned that these are only exploratory postulations, scientific
anthropological, economic and sociological analysis is required to understand
the changed behavior of tribals.
ROLE
OF MEDIA
The
Study Team received a large number of complaints against biased reporting,
non-objective attitude and anti-Gujarat conspiracy of Delhi Media. The team
felt it necessary to objectively observe and analyse the role of Media both
regional and English language newspapers published from metropolitan cities. It
also solicited comments about the role of media from about 500 persons with
whom the members of the team interacted. The team's observations are:
Local
and regional papers at times seemed to be emotionally surcharged and lost sight
of objectivity. However, Gujarati newspapers, by and large, were factual in day
to day reporting.
The
editorial pages of local and regional newspapers maintained a balance in
projecting all viewpoints.
Newspapers
published in English from Delhi invariably editorialized the news. Direct and
indirect comments in the news writing were so telling that the personal likes
and dislikes of the news reporters were too obvious to be missed.
English
language newspapers published from Delhi appeared to have assumed the role of
crusaders against the State Government from day one. It coloured the entire
operation of news gathering, feature writing and editorials.
The
edit pages of English language press carried comments that clearly indicated
biases:
Against
the State Government of Gujarat,
In
favour of Congress, leftist parties and the secularist intellectuals,
Indifferent
to the carnage at Godhra,
Against
the Hindu organizations, and
Against
the NDA government at the Center.
Most
of the national newspapers and news channels played down the of Godhra carnage
and projected it as a result of provocation by pilgrims. Not many reporters
were deputed to dig out facts or to do follow-up stories. This resulted in
large number of editorials and articles that projected Godhra as a reaction to
provocation by karsevaks' and riots in rest of the state as "state
sponsored terrorism".
A
distorted image of sectarian violence in the state was projected by the
electronic and print media based in Delhi.
Repeated
telecasts of arson violence contributed in spreading the tension to unaffected
areas. TV channels ignored warning from officials and kept telecasting communal
riots like infotainment.
Coverage
of Machhipiti in Vadodara is an example. One national news channel went
overboard to telecast police firing at Machhipit as if it had taken place in
Ahmedabad.
On
27.02.02 the Government of Gujarat announced a compensation of Rs. 2 lakh for
the next of kin of victims of Godhra carnage. There were protests about
discrimination between Hindu and Muslim victims and the Government announced on
March 9 that all victims would get Rs one lakh. Yet, as late as the first week
of April a Congressperson in USA cited a report in an Indian newspaper to
accuse the Government of discriminating against minorities in the grant of
compensation. The newspaper concerned did not care to inform its readers of the
correct situation.
The
code of ethics prescribed by the Press Council of India was violated by the
media with impunity. It so enraged the citizens that several concerned citizens
in the disturbed areas suggested that peace could return to the state only if
some of the TV channels were closed for some weeks.
Media
did not help to cool down the tempers. It failed to act as a platform for a
dialogue between the Hindus and Muslims on the one hand and between the people
and the establishment on the other.
The
Study Team is of the considered opinion that the media in general failed to
perform as conscious and socially responsible gatekeepers of information. It
followed in the footsteps of an American journalist who said, "My job is
to report the facts. I give a damn to the consequences".
Telecasting
images that spread hatred and instigated violence is unhealthy, but their
repeated telecast is lethal. The media acted as an interested party in
the confrontation, not a neutral reporter of facts.
The
team was alarmed at the intensity of hostile attitude among the people of the
state for Delhi press and television news channels. This attitude was
especially articulated by delegations of intellectuals like lawyers, doctors,
and businessmen. Even the tribals complained that the media had no time to hear
their tale of their agony and was spreading canards against the Hindus.
CONCLUSIONS
TERRORISM
NURTURED BY COMMUNAL DISHARMONY
The
Godhra carnage and related incidents make a typical case study of international
designs and conspiracies to weaken India as an emerging world power. Analysts
and professional strategists of all ideological inclinations converge on one
forecast that India is going to be a major player on the international scene
sooner rather than later.
The
global community also realizes the inevitability of India becoming an important
economic and military power. In such a situation it is but natural that nations
hostile to India or its adversaries make all out efforts to create impediments
in this process.
Their
strategy is to keep India engaged in communal and caste strife so that the
nation's focus on development is defused and its endeavour to emerge as a
super-power is thwarted. It would surprise no one if Pakistan with the tacit
support of not-so-friendly neighbours and world powers hatches conspiracies to
destablise and weaken the Indian State.
A
careful and in-depth analysis, if carried out with an open mind, would throw
open an action plans where terrorist activities appear to be merging with the
already existing strong antagonism between Muslims and Hindus. Our hostile
neighbour, sometimes in the guise of a friend, keeps on creating wounds on the
body polity of our nation.
Creation
and perpetuation of Kashmir problem is one such example. The support to the
authoritarian regimes in Pakistan by USA and European countries speaks volumes
about the super power's commitment, or lack of it, to democratic values. Godhra
and the wide spread communal violence in Gujarat in recent weeks is a part of
this nefarious design. The Study Team concludes:
Burning
of 58 Hindu pilgrims at Godhra on 27.02.02 was an act of international
terrorism carried out with the evil objective of pushing the country into a
communal cauldron.
The
plan was to burn the entire train with more than two thousand passengers in the
wee hours of February 27, 2002. It was a terrorist action plan that partly
failed. The perpetrators of the terrorist acts received support from jehadi
elements operating from Godhra. These included some Congress members of the
Nagarpalika.
Preparations
for enacting Godhra carnage were made in advance.
There
were no quarrels or fights between Hindus and Muslim passengers on the train.
There
were no quarrels or fights between the vendors and the Hindu pilgrims on the
platform of Godhra Railway Station.
The
intention of the mob was to put to death all the pilgrims travelling by the
Sabharmati Express.
The
fire fighting system available in Godhra was weakened and its arrival at the
place of incident willfully delayed by the mob with the open participation of a
Congress Councillor, Haji Balal.
The
demographic changes in Godhra in recent years have made it a center for jehadi
activities.
The
Army was requisitioned and deployed in time.
The
police was on many occasions overwhelmed by the rioting mobs that were massive
and carried more lethal weapons than the police did.
Police
did not have the training and know-how to mange situations of communal strife
witnessed in the state in recent weeks.
Barring
a few exceptions, the police was not found to be communally motivated.
Frequent
deployment of army for internal management weakens the defence of our
international borders and facilitates infiltration from across the border.
The
local administration and police at Godhra did not take adequate and prompt
action even after the receipt of information about the attack on the train by
an armed mob. The local police was reluctant to use force against the rioting
mob and made no attempt to arrest the leaders of the gang.
The
local administration and the police should have been on the alert in view of
the demographic and political changes taking place in the town.
The
administration in Godhra, Ahmedabad and Vadodra was on the whole sensitized to
the plight of Muslim minorities in their respective areas. However, the police
failed to protect the citizens from frenzied mobs indulging in arson, looting
and killing.
The
relief work was carried out by establishing relief camps for victims of the
riots. There are separate camps for Hindus and Muslims. Refugees are not
satisfied with the facilities available in the camps.
Riot-affected
citizens belonging to both the communities are reluctant to go back to their
homes due to communal tension and apprehensions about violence.
Although
Gujarat is a state notorious for communal riots, the bureaucracy and the police
are not trained to handle communal riots and to take pre-emptive action to
prevent sectarian violence.
Alternate
strategies to mange communal divide have not been worked out.
Adverse
media reports about role of officials affected their performance and
de-motivated them. Several officers were reluctant to take firm action.
Gujarati
language media was factual and objective. Yet its propensity to highlight the
gory incidents in great details heightened communal tension.
English
language media, particularly the Delhi Press, is perceived by the Gujaratis to
be biased. The information disseminated by it was neither balanced nor
impartial.
By
converting half-baked news stories into major headlines, print as well as
electronic media widened the psychological hiatus between Muslims and Hindus.
By
disseminating half-truths and lies, the media played no mean role in distorting
country's image in the World.
The
credibility of the media both electronic and print is at dangerously low ebb in
Gujarat.
The
sectarian violence in Gujarat that began in Godhra on 27.02.02 can be divided
into four phases:
The
first phase was Godhra incident which was planned and executed by a combination
of external and internal jehadi forces. It lasted for less than an hour.
The
second phase was the reaction of Godhra where Hindu pilgrims were roasted alive
in the train. The backlash was very intense for 3-4 days. However, sporadic
incidents continued for several weeks.
The
third phase began on 15.03.02 after a Muslim mob attacked a Hindu procession
chanting Rama-dhun. Extensive media coverage of this attack provoked yet
another round of communal riots that lasted for 4/5 days.
Sectarian
violence continues even more than a month after Godhra. This fourth phase of
violence has no provocation or justification other than to sustain the
"Remove Modi" campaign. It is the constitutional duty of the State
Government to protect citizens and maintain law and order.
It is
also in the partisan interest of the ruling party in the state to put an end to
the communal violence as its continuity in office depends on how soon and how
effectively it combats violence. It is, therefore, hard to reject Chief
Minister's contention that the Congress party that has a vested interest in
getting him sacked is perpetuating the communal violence by provoking stray
incidents.
Thus
the Study Team concludes:
Communal
violence in Gujarat has become politicized, and instead of treating it as human
tragedy it is being used to get political mileage by political parties.
Loaded
statements made by political leaders propounding their action plans increases
the hiatus between Muslims and Hindus.
Continued
communal violence in Gujarat has tarnished the image of the country in
international field thereby reducing its status and bargaining power. Western
countries jealous of India's growing clout in the international community have
used the riots to interfere in our internal affairs. The Centre has taken some
steps to stem the rot but the role of the opposition is negative. It is
encouraging Muslim outfits to involve foreign powers in their "oust
Mody" campaign.
On the
world canvass today strong indicators are visible that point to a concerted
effort by jehadi forces to slow down everincreasing importance of India in the
world affairs.
There
are also concerted efforts to disintegrate India, politically as well as
emotionally.
There
are elements within the country that help and collaborate with the forces
inimical to India.
The
governing class in India is ignorant or willfully blind to the threat
perceptions posed by the jehadi forces.
RECOMMENDATIONS
ALTERNATE
PLAN OF THOUGHT AND ACTION
India
cannot escape taking the responsibility of failure to manage the relationship
between Hindus and Muslims just by pleading that the problem was inherited from
the colonial rulers and the Muslim invaders. Fifty-five years is a long enough
period to resolve the issue.
Unfortunately,
no serious effort has been made to bring Hindus and Muslims closer. On the
other hand, certain parties for partisan considerations have exploited the
hiatus between the two communities. External agencies fuel the fire of hatred
but they succeed only because there are weaknesses within the country.
International designs find a ready response from within the civil society as
there is a fertile ground for separatist tendencies to grow.
Traditional
methods of conflict-resolution having failed, new systems need to be employed
to convert communal mistrust into national affection and brotherhood. New
approaches are required to convert the weaknesses into strength. A minority as
large as the second largest Muslim country should not feel alienated nor should
the majority community be made to feel that the minorities were appeased at its
cost.
The
amount of time, energy, effort and other resources that the country spends for
managing the communal conflicts and failing again and again, if gets diverted
to the process of growth and development, India can become a land of plenty and
prosperity. But the old problems must be seen from new angles and unorthodox
measures taken. The intelligentsia will have to come up with new yet realistic principles
and theories of social systems that are based on ground realities. They must
stop romanticizing the miseries of the nation. The bureaucracy have to devise
action plans that show results within their lifetimes and cease to give
extensions to the problem solving systems. The politicians have to look for
alternate means of winning elections and stop treating citizens as mere voters
to be used only as pawns in the hands of politicians.
The
nation must accept that Hindus and Muslims have no options but to live
together. There are only two options. One, to live in amity and the other to
live in mutual hostility. Saner elements in the two communities would prefer
the first option. Every action and situation that carries the potential of
disturbing the mutual amity have to be identified and weeded out.
The
problem is complex and multifaceted and solution is bound to be difficult and
elusive. But the country has a large storehouse of brains that can find
solutions to still harder problems. New faces have to be entrusted this job. So
a different set of persons who look at the problems from new angles and propose
a mix of curative and preventive measures is the need of the hour.
In
view of the enormity of the cancerous problem of communal conflicts and the
field experience of recent happenings in Gujarat the Study Team proposes to
recommend
Long
term measures
Short
term measures and
Immediate
steps to be taken
LONG
TERM MEASURES
Following
groups be constituted to study the problems of communal conflicts in the
country:
Diagnostic
Team: to investigate the genesis of the process of communal conflict and
identify key problem areas
Curative
Team: to determine the solutions for the problems identified by the diagnostic
team
Preemptive
Action Team: to prepare action plans so that existing tensions do not flare up
and also to ensure that no new conflict situations arise.
The
teams should comprise of social scientists, conflict managers, jurists and
media persons.
Participation
in the acts of communal violence should be treated as a crime of as serious
nature as an act of terrorism. In no case, communal violence should be allowed
to become a lucrative vocation.
Deployment
of army for internal law and order should be confined to the situation of
internal emergency. The enemies of the country should not be allowed to use
communal violence as a strategy for withdrawal of army from the border.
In the
states, police forces on the lines of rapid action force be created for
deployment during riots and natural disasters.
Election
laws need to be amended so that the politicians are not able to use caste or religion
for nurturing vote banks. Once the politicians are aware that vote banks based
on caste or religion would not serve their purpose, a major portion of the
communal problem will disappear.
A
citizens standing committee be constituted to keep a watch on the communal
situation so that if and when communal tension in any part of the country tends
to increase the administration is warned to take preventive measures. Such
committees need to be constituted at State, District, Block and Village levels.
SHORT
TERM MEASURES
Several
laws and orders passed by the successive governments have remained on paper
only. Two such laws are directly related with maintenance of communal peace:
The
order to ban the use of loud speakers in religious places as well as in
processions.
The
law to regulate the sale of property by the members of one community to the
other in communally sensitive areas.
It is
recommended that the above orders should be implemented and indirect sale deeds
such as on power of attorney should also be taken care of. All encroachments in
important public places, busy markets, religious places, near railway stations
and bus stations as well as on highways especially at the entry points to the
cities should be cleared.
It is
recommended that the orders for the ban of loud speakers be put to practice
with the cooperation with the leaders of various communities.
An
inquiry commission should be set up to inquire into:
Economic
and social exploitation of tribals in the state.
Recommend
ways and means to stop their exploitation
Rehabilitation
is not merely a physical act of placement of families. Serious efforts need to
be done to restore the emotional state of mind. The village and mohalla
majorities should be intimately involved in the work of rehabilitation.
Gujarat
must conduct a review of its police force, which appears to be ill-equipped to
handle communal violence at the level of recent riots. Special training needs
to be given in crowd control methods.
IMMEDIATE
STEPS TO BE TAKEN
The
case of issuance of disproportionate number of passports in Godhra be
investigated.
Punitive
fines be imposed on the residents of localities where communal violence erupts
after a notified date.
Media
should use itself as a platform for creating harmonious relationships between
different communities. Its crusade, if at all, should be for or against the
processes and not for or against individuals.
Persons
living in relief camps should be provided safe habitations. Community leaders
should be actively involved in managing the rehabilitation.
Persons
booked for communal violence must be prosecuted quickly and given exemplary
punishment so that it acts as a deterrent.
An
independent commission should examine the role of media, both electronic and
print, during the communal violence in Gujarat.
A
code-of-conduct should be developed for the media both for general news
gathering and news presentation and during the communal riots. Till the time
new code is adopted the guidelines given by the Press
Council of India for covering communal tensions should be followed.
Television
news channels have very significant influence on the minds of the viewers. If
the channels so desire they can provide a healing touch to the wounded
population of Gujarat. Indian news channels also have the professional talent
required for the job. It is suggested that the television news channels take
the roles of crusaders for peace.
A
situation of continuous dialogue needs to be created in every habitation in
Gujarat by establishing citizens peace committees. It has been proved that
regular communication links reduces antagonism between warring groups.
