While the world celebrated Human Rights Day on Wednesday, 50-odd Muslim families were pleading with the Anand district collector to be allowed to return home after living as refugees for almost two years since the Godhra riots.And this when the Modi government promised ‘‘Justice for all, appeasement of none’’ and continues to maintain that ‘‘all’s normal’’ in the state.A visit to Mogri and there are clear enough remains of the past — burnt down houses, a desecrated mosque.On Wednesday, the Muslims made a last-ditch attempt to return home and knocked on the door of District Collector R.B. Dave. There was no assurance, though. ‘‘I need to ascertain their story before any action can be initiated,’’ Dave said.The wait only gets longer for the families that have been living in other towns as outsiders and they can only hope to return some day. ‘‘Inshallah, the masjid will reverberate with the muezzin’s call on Id-ul-Zuha,’’ says Maulvi Abu Bakar, the caretaker of the mosque.Elsewhere in central Gujarat, where hundreds of Muslims fled their homes in the aftermath of Godhra, many have returned to their village. iN oDE village, where 27 Muslims were burnt to death, some families have come back. But in Mogri, no Muslim will be taken back.Dominated by Patels, with a population of around 6,000, the village maintains a sullen silence on the issue.‘‘Our story is no different from that of any other village in Gujarat. after Godhra, we fled and returned to find our homes burnt down. Elsewhere, people went on with life but we are just not welcome here,’’ says Ismail Vohra, the community leader in the village. After the Muslims filed police complaints of arson and looting, mediation efforts were undertaken in the presence of district officials and the local police but all came to nought. The village mob shouted down the peace meeting held in the panchayat office almost six months ago. When work began on their houses in the cover of the dark, villagers threw stones at the labourers and drove them away.‘‘This time, the pretext was an India-Pakistan World Cup cricket match this year in which India won,’’ says Siraj Vohra, who has started living with his brother outside the village. ‘‘We want security and we want to stay in our homes only, not as refugees in other towns.’’Sarpanch Girish Patel says it may take at least a year for Muslims to return. ‘‘The Muslims want security which I cannot assure. Who can rein in young blood?’’ he said. ‘‘It is the responsibility of the district authorities to decide the issue.’’ Former Sarpanch Sunil Patel said the youth wouldn’t relent. ‘‘It is a sad state of affairs but there seems to be a stalemate in this village.’’
