CPDR report sees saffron hand in Ahmedabad riots

MUMBAI, AUG 21: A fact-finding report by the Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights CPDR has accused the Sangh Parivar of foment...

MUMBAI, AUG 21: A fact-finding report by the Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights CPDR has accused the Sangh Parivar of fomenting and feeding the communal fire that raged in Ahmedabad between July 20 and August 2. The report Communal Riots in Ahmedabad was released at at a conference today. The committee has demanded a judicial probe into the riots, during which eight people lost their lives.

A four-member team of advocate P A Sebastian, Sakharam Sathe, Surabhi Sharma and Niranjani Shetty visited Ahmedabad on August 7 and 8. 8220;After the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power, there have been no major incidents of communal violence, except for the attacks on Christians. We wanted to know why the riots took place,8221; observed Sebastian. The report is based on visits to the areas where the incidents took place and interviews with victims of and witnesses to the violence.

8220;There were attempts to communalise the atmosphere a month before the riots itself,8221; said Sebastian. The build-up is pinned downto three incidents: celebrations taken out in Muslim areas when India and Australia defeated Pakistan in the World Cup; Home Minister L K Advani8217;s visit to Gandhinagar with an urn containing the ashes of a jawan who was killed in Kargil and the Jagannath rath yatra on July 14. In the first two incidents, anti-Pakistan slogans soon elapsed into anti-Muslim ones, and another slogan during the rath yatra makhan chor changed to mia chor when the procession wound through Muslim dominated areas. This was followed by provocative leaflets distributed by VHP and Bajrang Dal.

8220;These were riots characterised by stabbings in the city rather than conflicts between two communities,8221; observed Sebastian. The first incident of violence, where a mentally retarded boy was stabbed in Dariyapur was followed by several incidents of stabbing. Based on interviews, the fact-finding team concludes 8220;8230;the aggressors were activists of the Sangh Parivar and the victims were Muslims. Muslims too indulged in violence,but was in the nature of defence and retaliation8221;. Arrested activists were named in FIRs as being Bajrang Dal members.

The team felt that the anti-incumbency factors must have working on the mind of the BJP, the Sangh Parivar8217;s acceptable front. 8220;Since the government couldn8217;t mobilise Hindus around its achievements as there weren8217;t any, it decided to mobilise them around communal hatred,8221; said Sebastian. A police official reportedly said that at a meeting between the Chief Minister, Home Minister, police officials and members of a peace committee, VHP and Bajrang Dal leaders were dictating terms to the government and the press was asked to leave the room.