Cross this ‘border’ at your peril

Months after Godhra and the riots that followed, Vadodara town is still simmering. So strong is the communal divide and so scared are both communities that they have started marking their “territory”.

Green flags tied to bamboo sticks flutter in Muslim localities and saffron flags in Hindu localities.

‘‘This is the only way casualties can be prevented if there’s a conflagration,’’ said Feroz Mohammad Khan of Fatehpura.

‘‘Many innocent people get caught in the crossfire between mischievous elements from both communities. These flags serve as signposts and guide people to safety,’’ he says, a telling comment on thestate of things in the town.

In Fatehpura, the number of flags increase as one walks deeper into the locality. These are prominent in the so-called ‘‘border’’ areas of Fatehpura.

‘‘The flag at the entry point has been placed up high so it’s visible from a distance. So a person will know which way to run,’’ said Jayesh Rana, a resident.

Though the ostensible intention is to protect lives, social activists say it indicates the rift between communities.

‘‘When people have to put up flags to identify their areas, it’s just a pointer to how bad things are.

Police, administration and leaders of both the communities are equally responsible for failing to bridge the chasm,’’ pointed out social activist and Anjuman-e-Imdade-Bahami member Zuber Goplani.

He said that it was time senior citizens of the two communities sat down and talked across the table.