Narendra Modi opens up on the pain of riots,mainly his own

“With this cloud of misinformation firmly dispelled,I will now also hope that the many others out there trying to understand and connect with the real Narendra Modi would feel more empowered to do so,” he wrote in the blog addressed to “My dear sisters and brothers”.

With many potential allies considering Modi and the BJP virtually untouchable because of Modi’s riots baggage,the Gujarat chief minister sought to underline that he had come out unscathed from “unprecedented scrutiny” of his conduct during the riots.

“The Gujarat government had responded to the violence more swiftly and decisively than ever done before in any previous riots in the country. Yesterday’s judgement culminated a process of unprecedented scrutiny closely monitored by the highest court of the land,the honourable Supreme Court of India,” he wrote.

His detractors,Modi added,had heartlessly added to the suffering of the riots victims reopening wounds and preventing them from healing.

“For so many years,they incessantly kept up their attack,leaving no stone unturned. What pained even more was that in their overzealousness to hit at me for their narrow personal and political ends,they ended up maligning my entire state and country.

“This heartlessly kept reopening the wounds that we were sincerely trying to heal. It ironically also delayed the very justice that these people claimed to be fighting for. Maybe they did not realise how much suffering they were adding to an already pained people.

“Those who derive satisfaction by perpetuating pain in others will probably not stop their tirade against me. I do not expect them to,” he said,adding that this was the first time he was sharing the “harrowing ordeal” he had gone through in those days at a personal level.

Citing the scriptures,Modi said,“During those challenging times,I often recollected the wisdom in our scriptures; explaining how those sitting in positions of power did not have the right to share their own pain and anguish. They had to suffer it in solitude.

“I lived through the same,experiencing this anguish in searingly sharp intensity. In fact,whenever I remember those agonising days,I have only one earnest prayer to God. That never again should such cruelly unfortunate days come in the lives of any other person,society,state or nation.”

Modi said he was accused of the death and misery “of my own loved ones,my Gujarati brothers and sisters. Can you imagine the inner turmoil and shock of being blamed for the very events that have shattered you!”

He said his detractors,in their attempt to target him,ended up maligning the entire state and country. He added that it was not easy for him to choose the path of peace over violence. “We chose peace over violence. We chose unity over divisiveness. We chose goodwill over hatred. This was not easy,but we were determined to commit for the long haul,” he wrote.

Modi defended his conduct during the riots and equated the man-made “mindless violence” to the “natural devastation” caused by the earthquake in Gujarat in 2001,suggesting that his challenges had been compounded by the two events.

“On one side was the pain of the victims of the earthquake,and on the other the pain of the victims of the riots,” Modi said in the only reference in the blog to “victims of the riots”.

“The devastating earthquake of 2001 had plunged Gujarat into the gloom of death,destruction and sheer helplessness. Hundreds of lives were lost,” Modi said. And the challenge of reconstruction after he took over as chief minister was compounded as “the mindless violence of 2002 had dealt us another unexpected blow”.

“Innocents were killed. Families rendered helpless. Property built through years of toil destroyed,” Modi said,adding that the riots were an act of “inhumanity” that caused him to experience a clutch of emotions.

“I was shaken to the core. ‘Grief’,’Sadness’,’Misery’,’Pain’,’Anguish’,’Agony’ – mere words could not capture the absolute emptiness one felt on witnessing such inhumanity,” Modi wrote.

“I sincerely do not see this judgement as a personal victory or defeat,and urge all – my friends and especially my opponents – to not do so as well,” he said.