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STUDY OF THE STATUS OF REHABILITATION OF

VICTIMS OF COMMUNAL VIOLENCE IN THE 2002

GUJARAT RIOTS

REPORT OF THE YOUTH TRAINEES

JANUARY 2010

______________________________

Study carried out under HBF Grant

______________________________

Submitted to the Centre for the Study of Society and

Secularism, Santacruz-East, Mumbai-400 055

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PREFACE According to the 2001 Census report, the population of Ahmedabad Urban Agglomeration was 45.19 lakhs or 4.5 million. Ahmedabad has a literacy rate of 79.81% which is the highest in Gujarat (87.81% Males and 71.21% females). Ahmedabad also enjoys great religious diversity. According to 2001 census, 84.26% of the population in Ahmedabad was Hindu, 2.92% Jain, and 11.4% Muslim and 0.72% Christian. Under a Grant from the Heinrich Boll Foundation, the Center for Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS) Mumbai had organized a one-month programme from 10 December 2009 to 10 January 2010, under which a batch of students from University of Madurai and University of Mumbai were sensitized to the concepts of Peace and Communal Harmony. The participants- both boys and girls- were selected on the recommendations of the Heads of the Departments in which they were studying. One of the prerequisites of the selection was that the selected candidates should not be biased against any particular religion or its adherents and have an open mind to accept the truth based on facts. The participants were given a theoretical training at the Centre through lectures on the subjects of Peace and Communal Harmony, Religious tolerance, Fundamental Rights of Citizens and Human Rights etc., for a period of 15 days. They were given an opportunity to study the literature on these subjects and understand the concepts properly. Following the theoretical sessions, they were taken on a field visit to Ahmedabad for 15 days to enable them meet the families of the victims of the communal violence that rocked Gujarat in February-May 2002 and study the status of rehabilitation, their lives in the rehabilitation camps/colonies and their problems. The undersigned and two Research Fellows of the Centre viz., Ms. Minal Mhatre and Mr. Riyas V.M accompanied the batch of students to facilitate their meetings with NGOs engaged in the rehabilitation of the victims of communal violence and the victims and/or their families. During the visit to Ahmedabad, the students met representatives of the NGOs like Sanchetana, Gujarat Sarvajanik Welfare Trust, Action Aid, Aman Samudaya, Prashant, Safar, and Samarth. These NGOs were/are either directly or indirectly involved in the rehabilitation of the victims of the 2002 Gujarat Genocide. The resettlement colonies visited were, Citizen Nagar, Faizal Nagar, Madina Nagar and Vejalpur Border etc.

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• Sanchetana is headed by Dr. Hanif Lakdawala and works among marginalized people in the society like Urban slum dwellers, Women, Minorities and Dalits. Sanchetana has evolved as a human rights body that rallies round the urban poor for the common cause of social justice, education, gender equality, women’s empowerment and Secularism. After the 2002 riots they extended their support to the people living in Faizal Nagar resettlement colony and continue to work with them. Sanchetana is trying to provide them small employment opportunities and has also opened a small health care center. It is also conducting programmes on communal harmony.

• Gujarat Sarvajanik welfare trust is founded by Mr. Afzal Memon. It had been directly involved in building the rehabilitation colonies for the riot victims and repairing the houses which were burnt in the riots. Mr. Memon is also active in filling PIL on behalf of the people who have not received compensation after 2002 Gujarat Genocide.

• Action Aid is an international agency working in over 40 countries. In India it is working with more than 300 civil society organisations and 12 million poor and excluded people in 24 states. Its focus is on the rights of India’s most marginalised communities. We met Mr. Javeed Amir, Mr. Ozefa and Mr. Ashwaqua, who gave us the details regarding rehabilitation done so far. They shared information about the families in the relief camps at Citizen Nagar, Emarte Saria, Ekta Nagar (Vatwa Nagar) and Siddika Bagh. The resettlement colonies for the victims were built mainly by Muslim organization like Jamat-e-Hind, Jamat-e–Ulema and Islamic Relief Fund. We were told that in these colonies proper infrastructural facilities were not available. Schooling was available only up to class 7 in the government primary schools and the private schools available in the area charge a fees which the parents could not afford.

The Central Government had declared a compensation amount of Rs.7.50 lakh for those who had lost a family member in the riots and Rs.1.50 lakh to the injured. In 2002 riots 142 men were registered as missing. In such cases, the wives were eligible for a compensation of Rs.3.50 lakh. However, the compensation amount was disbursed only after 2007, at the initiative taken by Muslim organisations and the intervention of NGOs. We were also told that the riot victims had not received any compensation or rehabilitation facilities from the state government of Gujarat ruled by the BJP. The State Government initially paid negligible amounts of Rs 100, 500, 1000 etc and it was only after the Central government declared compensation that the victims could get a reasonable compensation. Some of the victims are yet to receive the compensation.

• Prashant is an NGO headed by Fr. Cedrick Prakash, a recipient of Minorities Rights Award in 2007. The organization is not directly involved in rehabilitation work but Fr. Cedrick Prakash has been associated with the

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rehabilitation work. The organization has been involved in the research and documentation.

• Social Action Forum Against Repression (SAFAR) headed by Ms. Sophia Khan, aims at strengthening the capacity of grass roots activists and make the minority women become aware of their rights and assert themselves. Ms. Sophia Khan was directly involved in the rehabilitation work. Though the organization is not directly involved in any rehabilitation program, its main aim is to create awareness and sensitise the people towards social issues and human rights. SAFAR is taking care of one block in the Siddkha Bagh resettlement colony, where it is organizing awareness programmes on communal harmony. Ms. Sophia Khan said that unlike in 2001, when several NGOs came forward to help the earthquake victims, there were hardly any NGOs in the aftermath of the 2002 Gujarat riots. SAFAR has also formed a group named KOSHISH under which women have come together to resolve their common problems.

• Samarth is a non-profit organization established by Gazala Paul. Samarth imparts peace education to small children in the age group of 2 to 5 years and 10 to 14 years, to make them understand that they should live in peace and harmony with everybody. Samarth is presently working with children in 42 schools, meeting them 4 times a month. It has seventeen centres in Juhapura and nearby localities.

The students also meet people in the resettlement colonies. They shared with the students their experiences and the problems they faced in the day to day life. The resettlement colonies visited were mostly situated in the outskirts of Ahmedabad. The students visited resettlement colonies at Citizen Nagar, Faisal Nagar, Madina Nagar and Vejalpur Border. The condition in these resettlement colonies is more or less same. The observations and findings of the students are contained in the following pages. Ram Rahim Tekda is an area in Ahmedabad is unique. The population in this area is 50 per cent Hindu and 50 per cent of Muslim. During 2002 riots when the entire city was burning, Ram Rahim Tekda was not affected. The inhabitants of the Tekda had secured the entire area and did not allow fundamentalists of either religion to enter in the area by keeping a day and night vigil. This area stands out as an example to everyone; that instead of getting afraid of the situation, people belonging to different religions should stand together and fight the situation. Conclusion Gujarat riots took place from 28th February 2002 and continued till May 2002. There was massive destruction of property and thousands of lives were lost. As usual women and children suffered the most. There was widespread public outrage over

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atrocities against women. The Narendra Modi led state government was reprimanded even by the Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee for failing to prevent the riots. On March 6, 2002 the Gujarat government set up a Commission of Enquiry headed by retired High Court Judge K.G. Shah to enquire into the Godhra train burning and the subsequent violence and submit a report in three months. Following criticism from victims' organisations, activists and political parties over Justice Shah's alleged proximity to the BJP, on May 22, the government reconstituted the commission, appointing retired Supreme Court Justice G.T. Nanavati to head the commission. In 2008, the Nanavati Commission came out largely in favour of the Gujarat government. The Banerjee Committee setup in September 2004 by the Central government to probe the Godhra train fire concluded that the fire was accidental. Its findings were challenged by the BJP and the Gujarat Inspector General of Police. In October 2006, the Gujarat High Court ruled that the panel was set up illegally, in violation of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952 which prohibits the setting up of separate Commissions by state and Central governments to probe a matter of public importance. A group of non-governmental organizations responded to the acute humanitarian crisis. Activists from these NGOs worked to provide immediate relief to the riot victims. Many of the NGOs are still actively in working for the people in the resettlement colonies. Some Muslim religious groups had come forward and built resettlement colonies for the victims. But, such organisations are dictating terms in the matter of education of Muslim children, their dress code etc. The facilities which the state government is expected to provide are not adequately in place. The primary schools available in the colonies provide education only up to standard 7 and schools are not accessible for further education, resulting in a high drop-out rate among the children. The opportunities for earning are poor in the colonies, making their survival very difficult.

The students, from cities like Mumbai and Madurai (Tamilnadu), who had never had such exposure to violence-affected victims, posed probing questions to the affected families to understand the situation. They saw for themselves the poor sanitary conditions under which people were living in the colonies. At the same time they found that the Muslim community had no leadership that would effectively fight for the community’s welfare. The community also lacked initiative and the

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urge to improve its lot through self-help. The study made the students understand that there is no alternative to peaceful living, which is possible only through understanding each other and communal harmony. The students also felt that the Muslim community should try to take the initiative to come up in life through education and self-help. They could, for instance, keep their colonies clean instead of blaming that no conservancy staff was visiting to clean. The women in the colonies could start small businesses like setting up small kiosks to sell the needs of the colony inhabitants or prepare and sell food from home to the factory workers of the locality etc. The students were moved beyond words at the calamity that had befallen the minority community, understood the nefarious designs of the politicians and pliant bureaucracy and resolved to do their best to prevent such incidents in their areas and try to help the victims if such incidents happen. They could not have understood the situation by merely reading media reports. From this point of view, the programme organised by the CSSS could be said to have achieved its aims. The Centre and the participating students are grateful to the Heinrich Boll Foundation for supporting the activity. Mumbai Dr. Vasundhara Mohan Executive Director, CSSS

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STUDY OF THE STATUS OF REHABILITATION OF VICTIMS OF

COMMUNAL VIOLENCE IN THE 2002 GUJARAT RIOTS

Gujarat: A Background

Gujarat forms an area that encompasses the regions of the Indus Valley civilization

and Harappan sites. Around 50 Harappan sites are found in Gujarat at Lothal,

Rangpur, Amri, Lakhabaval, Rozdi etc. The Dravidian tribes are said to be the

original inhabitants of this region. Even before the Aryan occupation of Gujarat it is

said to have had trade relations with the Persian Gulf in about 1000-750BC. Rock

edicts in the Girnar hills indicate that Ashoka extended his domain into Gujarat. It

was during the Mauryan rule that this region witnessed the influence of Buddhism.

The Mauryans also promoted trade. After 300AD the Guptas established their reign

which lasted till 460AD. The Guptas were followed by the Vallabhis, Gujjars and

Solankis till 1143 AD. Gujarat attained its greatest territorial extent under the Solanki

dynasty. Muhammad of Ghazni attacked Somnath in Gujarat leading to the downfall

of the Solankis. Following the conquest of Gujarat region by Allauddin Khilji, in

1288, the Sultans of Delhi had their sway over Gujarat from 1298-1392AD. Ahmad

Shah I, the first independent Muslim ruler of Gujarat founded Ahmedabad in 1411.

Then the Mughals ruled for about 2 centuries till the Marathas terminated their rule

in the mid-18th century. It was during the18th century that Gujarat was divided

among a number of Chiefs. During 1803-1827 the British established their

administration. The British East India Company had its first head quarters in Surat.

It was later moved to Bombay. Finally in May1, 1960, the state of Gujarat was formed

from the north and west portions of the Bombay state, the remainder being renamed

the state of Maharashtra.1

GEOGRAPHY AND TOPOGRAPHY

The State of Gujarat is bounded on the west by the Arabian Sea, on the north-west by Pakistan, on the north by Rajasthan, on the east by Madhya Pradesh and on the south and south-east by Maharashtra.

The State of Gujarat occupies the northern extremity of the western sea-board of India. It has the longest coast line of 1600 km among Indian states. The state comprises three geographical regions.

1 Excerpted from http://www.webindia123.com/GUJARAT/history/history.htm

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1. The peninsular Saurashtra is essentially a hilly tract sprinkled with low mountains.

2. Kutch on the north-east is barren and rocky and contains the famous Rann (desert) of Kutch, the big Rann in the north and the little Rann in the east.

3. The mainland extending from the Rann of Kutch and the Aravali Hills to the river Daman Ganga is on the whole a level plain of alluvial soil. 2

The climate of Gujarat is humid in the southern districts and dry in the northern region. The Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Cambay reduce the temperature and render the climate more pleasant and healthy. The State experiences winter climate from November to February and summer from March to May. The State is visited by the south-west monsoon from June to September/ October. The average rainfall in Gujarat varies from 33 to152cms, with Dangs district receiving the highest average rain fall of about 190cms. The semi-desert area of Kutch and some parts of Ahmedabad, Mehsana, Banaskantha, Panchmahals, Surendranagar, and Jamnagar districts face acute scarcity conditions for want of adequate rains.

ECONOMY

In terms of business and economy the state of Gujarat controls some of the largest businesses in India. The state controls 19% of the national industrial output, 10% of its mineral production, 20% of its exports, 25% of its textile production, 40% of pharmaceutical products and also 47% petrochemical production. Due to the presence of the largest sea shore of 1670 km, the state has got some additional advantages. The largest ship breaking yard in the global spectrum is in Gujarat near Bhavnagar at Alang. Reliance Petroleum Limited operates the oil refinery at Jamnagar which is the world's largest grass roots refineries. The state of Gujarat also happens to be the first in the national scenario in the sector of gas-based thermal electricity generation with national market share of over 8%. Gujarat is second nationwide in nuclear electricity generation with national market share of over 1%. The State also has a number of establishments engaged in the manufacture of

2 http://www.webindia123.com/GUJARAT/land/land.htm

Area 196,124sq.km

Capital Gandhinagar

Language Gujarati

Districts 25

Population

Male

Female

55,696,629

26,344,053

24,252,939

Literacy 69.97%

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machinery and machine-tools and parts, wool, silk and synthetic fibre, textiles, basic metals and alloys. Other manufactured products include rubber, plastic, petroleum and coal products, transport equipments and parts, food products etc. Gujarat’s diary industry is the first of its kind in the country.

The major resources produced by the state include cotton, peanuts, dates, sugarcane,

and petrol. The state is rich in calcite, gypsum, manganese, lignite, bauxite,

limestone, agate, feldspar and quartz sand. Gujarat produces about 90% of India’s

requirements of Soda Ash and gives the country about 75% of its national salt

production. Other major food crops include rice, wheat, jowar, bajra, maize, tur, and

gram. Even in the field of education, the state is ahead of others with 13 Universities,

and 4 agricultural universities.

Gujarat also produces oil and natural gas at Ankaleswar, Cambay and Kalol and has an oil refinery at Koyali. Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) has developed around 257 mega industrial estates like the ones at Jhagadia, Vagra, Savli, Dahej, Ankaleswar etc. Jamnagar, Porbandar, Jafrabad, Bhavnagar etc 3 Vision 2010 document of the Government of Gujarat envisages the setting up of 24 new industrial estates with an investment of Rs. 7162 crores before 2010. Most of these new locations will be port-based.

Agriculture

Agriculture forms a vital sector of the state's economy, providing the required food grains for the state's population and raw material for most of the agro-based industries. The state's agricultural productivity is low on account poor soils, inadequate rainfall, frequent droughts and floods, bad drainage and undeveloped irrigation facilities. A characteristic feature of the state's agriculture is that it is dominated by cash crops like cotton, ground nuts, tobacco, cumin, sugar cane etc.

Kaira, Baroda, Broach and Surat districts are the main contributors to the agricultural production of the State. Valsad has become India's first integrated horticulture district. The State also produces banana, mangoes, honey, wax, bamboo and medicinal herbs. State’s forests also yield considerable quantities of teak, Khair, sadad, hadariyo, and good quality of wood.4

LANGUAGE AND DEMOGRAPHY

The official and primary language is Gujarati. In terms of religion, while about 89.1%

of the population of Gujarat are Hindu, Muslims account for 9.1%, Jain 1.0% and

3 http://www.webindia123.com/GUJARAT/economy/industry.htm

4 http://www.webindia123.com/GUJARAT/ECONOMY/agriculture.htm

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Sikh 0.1% of the population. Due to the strong reverence to Lord Krishna and the

Vaishnava sect of Hinduism, most of the Gujarati Hindus are strict vegetarians. 91%

of the Hindus speak Gujarati while the rest speak Hindi, Marathi and other

languages. Almost 88% of the Muslims speak Gujarati while the rest speak Urdu.

Besides Gujarati the local Kutchi language is widely spoken in the district of Kutch.

The population of the Gujarat State was 50,671,017 as per the 2001 census data.

About 89.1% of the population of Gujarat are Hindu. Muslims account for 9.1%, Jain

1.0% and Sikh 0.1% of the population. About 37.36 per cent population of Gujarat

resides in urban areas.

The Gujaratis, the people of Gujarat, are found all over the state. These people trace

their lineage from the people originally known as Gujjars. Gujaratis were highly

influenced by the cultural waves from the mainland and accepted the monarchies

that ruled over them. Various Hindu traditions like Shaivism and Vaishnavism which

sprang upon the mainland were imbibed by Gujarat which in turn developed its own

galaxy of saints and devotees and its own art and culture. The successive waves of

immigration were absorbed in the society that was fast evolving and today the word

Gujarati does not seem to suggest any definite association with a particular stock, a

tribe of immigrants or a specific group of people.

RELIGION AND CASTE

The population of the state consists of Hindus, Muslims and Jains. Zoroastrians or

Parsis can also be seen in Gujarat.

The caste system is strictly followed by the Hindus of Gujarat. Besides the Brahmins and Banias whose functions and occupations are fairly well determined, the community of Patels owning land is the strongest force in the economic and political life of the state. The fourth regional group locally known as ‘Bhils’ inhabit the hilly tracts of Gujarat that border the plains from Abu in the north to Dangs in the south. The Bhils regard themselves as belonging to the Kshatriya caste that had to take shelter in the hills of the Vindhyas and the Satpuras, along the lower Narmada. The Bhils of Gujarat thus do not possess any racial basis distinct from the other inhabitants of the region.

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HISTORY OF COMMUNAL VIOLENCE IN GUJARAT

(Excerpted from http://www.sabrang.com/tribunal/volI/comvio.html)

Gujarat is considered as hypersensitive as far as communal violence is considered since the late 1960s. Between 1961 and 1971, 16 districts in Gujarat were rocked by communal violence, recording some 685 incidents in urban and 114 in rural areas.

• Of the 685 incidents in urban Gujarat recorded for the decade (1961-71), 578 occurred in 1969 alone. In 1969, starting with Ahmedabad, the worst affected city, violence spread to several other places including Vadodara. This was Gujarat’s first major bout of communal violence involving massacre, arson and looting on a large-scale. The violence took over 1,100 lives and property worth several crore rupees was destroyed. Planned riots took place for the first time in Vadodara in 1969. Shops of Muslims, marked out in advance for easy identification were systematically destroyed, suggesting pre-planning and organisation.

In the period, 1974-1980, other issues preoccupied Gujarati society. The 1981 anti-reservation agitation, a reaction to the KHAM policy adopted by the ruling Congress at the time, was re-channelised into a major communal conflagration. Conceived as a vote bloc of some OBCs, Dalits, Adivasis and Muslims, KHAM, (Kshatriya, Harijan, Adivasis and Muslims), the logic of numbers rendered KHAM unmatchable in terms of electoral arithmetic.

This fetched the Congress huge electoral dividends; the party swept the polls in the 1985 polls. But apart from the upper castes, KHAM outraged Patels, the intermediate caste with real economic muscle and immense political clout. When Patels took upon themselves the task of dismantling KHAM, Muslims proved to be the weakest link in the chain.

The issue of reservation quotas for backward castes and communities became the focal point for the hostile political mobilisation of the upper castes, which turned violent. Communal riots between Hindus and Muslims now began to follow on the heels of caste violence. Retaliation and counter-retaliation sent waves of violence across cities, its virulence manifest in the fact that for the first time stones and crowbars were giving way to guns, petrol bombs, and other explosives.

For the caste-Hindus, the caste struggle in Gujarat coincided with the establishment of the VHP and soon thereafter, the Bajrang Dal in the state. These RSS outfits were conceived with a specific agenda – wooing of the ‘lower’ castes with a programme of ‘Hindu unity’.

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• In 1982, there were riots around a Ganesh Chaturthi procession in Vadodara. In 1983, there was the first political mobilisation by the Sangh Parivar around the ‘Ganga Jal’ (‘Holy water from the Ganges’) and the ‘Bharat Ekta Yatra’ symbols.

• In 1985, it started with anti-reservation riots again, the issue being a hike in quota for OBCs by the Congress government. Communal riots were then engineered by the party in power to defuse the explosive caste conflict.

A striking new feature of the 1985 anti-reservation stir was the mobilisation of upper caste women in support of their men folk. They stood like a buffer between the agitating mobs and the police, effectively preventing the Police from taking any strong action against the mobs.

• In April 1985, the police revolted and participated in the violence. They burnt down the office of Gujarat Samachaar in Ahmedabad. In the course of the communal riot engineered to quell the caste war, it was under police supervision that 400 Muslim houses were set ablaze and reduced to ashes all over the state.

To bring the difficult situation under control the army had to be called in. The VHP, hardly a force so far, launched a vicious campaign charging the army with pro-Muslim bias; its commanding officer happened to be a Muslim. The Muslims, on the other hand, complained of a pro-Hindu bias.

By 1985 the lower castes were better organised, and the last phase of the agitation saw an Adivasi backlash. Huge rallies were organised in tribal areas sending warning signals to the upper castes. The nexus between anti-social elements (of both communities) and politicians, which was started in 1969, got a further boost in the ’80s. The patronising of liquor mafia dons belonging to rival communities, Hindu and Muslim, by different factions of the Congress in Ahmedabad and Vadodara led to the criminal-politician nexus behind communal violence surfacing with a vengeance.

• Between 1987 and 1991, 106 communal incidents took place in Gujarat. Political rivalry and conflicts during elections were responsible for triggering around 40 percent of these riots. Tensions related to ‘religious processions’ were responsible for another 22 percent of these clashes.

• In September 1990 LK Advani launched his Somnath to Ayodhya Rath Yatra leaving a nationwide trail of violence in its wake. The chief architect of that Yatra was Narendra Modi. During the years of communal violence in 1986, 1987, 1989 and 1990, Modi was general secretary of the BJP. Men, women and youngsters from Gujarat, participated in the demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992. Surat, a town with an unblemished record of communal harmony, joined other centres in Gujarat which had a more fractured history of inter-community relations. Violence spread to rural areas that had hitherto been largely unaffected.

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• In September 1990, on the occasion of Ganesh Visarjan, Vadodara saw the worst- ever riots in the walled city. Shops belonging to Muslims in the walled city and Raopura were looted and burnt in broad daylight, in the presence of the police. The Jumma Masjid near Mandvi was also attacked.

Sustained and systematic efforts were made by BJP and its Sangh Parivar affiliates to communalise Gujarati society, through large-scale distribution of hate literature and other means. Hinduism was given more and more aggressive interpretations with a conscious design to promote a feeling among Hindus that they, the majority community, were being treated unjustly through ‘appeasement’ of Muslims by various ‘vested interests’. The view that Muslims were fundamentalist, anti-national, and pro-Pakistan was systematically promoted. In some cases, Hindus were even exhorted to take up arms to defend their interests.

• After 1992, there was a relative lull punctuated by stray incidents of violence against Muslims. From 1997 to 1999, especially in south Gujarat, a new trend was visible. The Sangh Parivar managed to create a divide, turning Hindu Tribals against Christian Tribals. In ’98 and ’99, Christian institutions – churches, schools, and hospitals were systematically targeted particularly in Dang, Surat and Valsad districts.

The BJP first came to power in Gujarat in the mid-nineties. But, since 1998, public space and atmosphere has been completely vitiated within the state. In recent years, the unending barrage of hate literature helped create a state of mind, even as persistent communal tension contributed to the perpetuation of violence as a way of life. Steady state support was extended to the activities of organisations such as the RSS, VHP, Bajrang Dal and the organisations it spawned. Anti-Christian propaganda and violence were initiated. Posts within the bureaucracy at various levels, police and Home Guards and educational institutions have been steadily filled with persons wedded to a communal worldview.

Sustained efforts have been made to penetrate the tribal belt, where the influence of the BJP was earlier limited. Trishuls, swords and other weapons have been distributed during ceremonial and religious functions. Training campaigns were organised to spread hate-ideology.

Contrived ‘aggressions’ by the Muslim community (‘abduction’ and ‘forced marriage’ with Hindu girls), and Christians (‘forced conversions’) have been used to whip up local sentiments to a fever pitch. The utter failure of the law and order machinery and other wings of the state to check such blatantly unconstitutional behaviour are truly worrying for the future of secularism and democracy.

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Judicial Commissions on Communal Violence in Gujarat

• The Jagmohan Reddy and Nusserwanji Vakil Commission of Inquiry were instituted in 1969 in the wake of the violence that claimed 1,100 lives. Unfortunately, irrespective of their political affiliation, successive governments in power have shown no interest in punishing the guilty, or in initiating the systemic changes recommended to check the recurrence of unbridled violence.

• In 1986, the Dave Commission was appointed, but the Congress (I) government under Chimanbhai Patel found its recommendations politically inexpedient. Hence, it simply did not accept the findings that were made. In between, the Kotwal commission also investigated bouts of communal violence in Ahmedabad city. Again the report was not implemented.

• The Chauhan Commission set up after the brutal violence in Surat in 1992, had completed its report and needed barely a 15-day extension for finalisation of the document, when the Congress-supported Vaghela government disbanded it. As a result, the findings of this commission could not even be made public, let alone the issue of its recommendations being acted upon.

Whatever the cause of communal violence, BJP invariably benefited and

consolidated its position through sustained propaganda against Muslims. The

congress was in total disarray in Gujarat and finally BJP came to power defeating the

congress. The earthquake of Gujarat in January 2001 exposed the prevailing

corruption in the BJP ranks. The shocks felt as a result of corruption were making

BJP lose its credibility, and by the middle of 2001 it started losing elections. It lost

the Panchayat and municipal elections as well as assembly by elections ringing alarm

bells in BJP circles.

The only way to regain its lost credibility was to ignite communal violence and win

back support of the Hindutva followers. It appears that the BJP fell for this strategy

and preparations were made for a real big riot. They looked for an opportunity to

begin the same. And, an opportunity was provided by what happened at the Godhra

railway station.

___________

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The 2002 Carnage

It is a mystery as to what really happened at the Godhra on the 27th of February 2002

in which 56 Hindu passengers returning from Ayodhya by Sabarmati express and

travelling in the S-6 coach were burnt. No one knows as to who set fire to the S-6

compartment or whether it was an accidental fire. However, it was assumed by the

BJP government that, Muslims living in the locality near Godhra railway station,

deliberately set fire to it to kill the Karsevaks. The BJP leaders including the Home

Minister L.K.Advani blamed the ISI-Pakistani intelligence service. The Godhra train

tragedy soon turned into a state-wide communal violence.

Quoting Newton’s law of action-reaction, Narendra Modi said that what began on the

morning of 28th February in Gujarat was a reaction to ‘Muslim action’ in Godhra.

Though unnecessary, he ordered the bodies of 56 victims to be brought to

Ahmedabad, which were subsequently taken out in procession through the city to

provoke communal sentiments in a most brazen manner. In fact, the BJP leaders

were waiting for such an opportunity to provoke Hindu communal sentiments so as

to be able to draw quick political advantage. It is also alleged that Modi told his

senior police officers and bureaucrats on the evening of 27th February that they

should not intervene in whatever might happen the next day.

What happened for 3 months starting from February 28th to May 2002 has been

widely reported. It was unparalleled in

the history of communal riots in India

in terms of the intensity and brutality

of violence. Scores of women were

raped. Muslim women were subjected

to unimaginable brutalities before

being killed. Even pregnant Muslim

women were not spared and in a

reported incident, a pregnant Muslim

woman’s stomach was cut open and

(Picture from BBC World News) the foetus was taken out with a trishul

and proudly exhibited. Nothing could be more barbaric than this reported incident.

Muslim areas were subjected to planned onslaught and even old people were not

spared. Muslim business establishments, both big and small, were systematically

looted before being burnt to ashes. Reports of the period said that a number of dead

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bodies were thrown into nullahs and deep gorges, making a tally of the dead

impossible.

Though the government figures claim that 900 people lost their lives, unofficial

figures put the death toll at more than 2000.

Area and People suffered in 2002 Violence

Date Place Affected areas Affected people

Dead

27 Feb Godhra - 56 58 28 Feb Ahmedabad Naroda Gaon, 15000 200 28 Feb Ahmedabad Naroda Fruit market 10000 - 28 Feb Ahmedabad Odhav, Gamtipur, Amraiwadi - - 28 Feb Ahmedabad Meghani Nagar,Chamanpura 20-22000 70 28 Feb Ahmedabad Paldi - - 28 Feb Ahmedabad Kabadi Market 7-10000 - 28 Feb Ahmedabad Vatwa 10-20000 - 28 Feb Vadodara Town{Fatehpura, Chhipwad and

Makarpura 30 7

28 Feb Gandhinagar Burnt Half Board and the State Minority Finance Corporation

- -

28 Feb Sabarkantha Prantij - 66 28 Feb Sabarkantha Himmatnagar - 1 28 Feb Sabarkantha Ahmedabad Rural Dholcra, Netalpur,

Ramol, Mandav 3000 -

1 Mar Panchmahals Pandharvada - 76 Mehsana Saradarpura Village Pansar, Virnagar,

Unjha, Umta, Becharaji. - 28

Kheda Memdavad, Jinger, Ghodasar, Kheda Nadiad, Piplak and Dumral

- -

Ahmedabad Gomtipur, Vatwa - - Gandhinagar Some places affected - - Banaskantha Mankdi, Thalwad, Jetpur - 4 2 Mar Bharuch Bharuch City, Ankaleswar and rural areas - - Halol Factories and trucks set on fire - - Rajkot Violence Spread In Industrial Areas Of Ajit,

Shapar- Veraval and GIDC Estate. - -

Latipot Sardarpara Village In Mehsana 29 - 3 Mar Gandhinagar Shops, Showrooms, Larri-Gallas - - 4 Mar Surat Sabarkantha and Kheda - 6 4 Mar Surat Vadora Rural: Savli, Chhota

Udepur,Desar,Sokhda(Vadodara) - -

17

Analysing the reasons for the repeated occurrence of communal violence in Gujarat, Social worker Achyut Yagnik, who runs the non-governmental Setu organisation, opined that urbanisation and rising prosperity are partly to blame. Rapid economic growth in the 1960s and 1970s turned Gujarat into one of India's richest and industrially developed provinces. "It is this prosperity which in some ways became a curse for us," Mr Yagnik told the BBC. (BBC News World Edition, 25 September 2002, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1856049.stm)

Yagnik elaborated: “The mushrooming of industry, especially textile mills, in Gujarat provided for a large influx of people from other Indian states; People who were never really brought up in the Gandhian tradition. When recession in the 1980s forced the closure of many of the mills, some 50,000 people lost their jobs. Frustration and unemployment turned many to crime and Gujarat now has a thriving underworld, second only to and closely linked with the underworld in Bombay. Muslims constitute only about 12-13 % of the state's population, more or less in line with the rest of the country. But the fact that one of the state's most powerful underworld dons in the 1980s was a Muslim raised religious tensions. Huge sums of money have been made smuggling arms, contraband and silver from Pakistan to Bombay via Gujarat. Much of that money has found its way into the hands of religious extremists, both Hindus and Muslims. Crime gangs also quite openly take sides in communal riots, making the violence that much more bloody and vicious.

__________

18

Field Visit

The field trip to Ahmedabad was aimed at studying the status of rehabilitation of the

victims of the 2002 violence. In reply to a Starred Question (No.148) raised by Shri R

Raaamachandrayya, MP, the Minister of State in the ministry of Home Affairs said in

the Rajya Sabha on 24 July 2002 that the Prime Minister had announced in the Lok

Sabha on 30.4.2002 a package for economic rehabilitation of the Gujarat riot

victims. The package, interalia, comprised an assistance of Rs. 150 crores to the

Government of Gujarat for rehabilitation of all those who lost their homes,

belongings and means of livelihood and for immediate revival of normal economic

activities in all riot affected areas. The package was meant to cover:

• Reconstruction of houses in urban areas under the Valmiki Ambedkar

Awas Yojana

• Assistance under the Indira Awas Yojana for the construction of houses in

rural areas

• Scheme for provision of earning assets under the Prime Ministers Rozgar

Yojana

• Provision of earning assets:

(a) Grant of 20% subject to a ceiling @ Rs. 10000/- per

beneficiary.

(b) Grant of 20% subject to a maximum of Rs. 50000/- for

rehabilitation of larger business establishments.

• Provision of household kits @ Rs. 2500/- per beneficiary from the Prime

Minister’s National Relief Fund for 30000 beneficiaries

• Special scheme for rehabilitation of widows/orphans:

(a) women livelihood restoration

(b) Establishment of widow homes

(c) Anganwadi relief and Trauma Counselling Centres

It was also stated that the Government have

instructed banks and financial institutions to

provide immediate assistance in implementing

schemes for recommencing business, commercial

and industrial activities. The insurance companies

have also been advised to ensure speedy relief to

the victims.

19

But, the National Minorities Commission which

visited 17 of the 46 camps in 2006 where

thousand of Muslim families displaced by the

2002 riots in Gujarat were still living found that

they were living under "sub-human conditions"

without the most basic facilities. A mere 7% of

the compensation amount has been disbursed to

riot victims. NCM members found that inmates

at the camps lived without the most rudimentary

civic amenities like potable water, sanitation, streetlights, schools, primary health

centres and approach roads. Besides, "an overwhelming" number of families did not

own ration cards. Requests for below the poverty line (BPL) cards had been

repeatedly turned down. Most of the camps were

located on land bought by CSOs or donated by

wealthy Muslims. Many inmates were key

witnesses in major legal cases connected with the

riots and didn't want to return home as the people

against whom they had to depose were out on bail.

The state government refused to have anything to

do with those living in these camps, and believes

that these people should go back like the 45,000

riot-hit who have now gone back home. The state government says these people are

staying away from home voluntarily.

It is almost eight years since the communal violence; four years since the government

of India announced relief package and three years since the National Minorities

Commission fulfilled its “obligation” of visiting the relief camps. Has anything

changed?

In order to ascertain the present status of the

rehabilitation projects undertaken, if any, by the

government and NGOs alike to rehabilitate the

displaced people and in order to learn about the

rehabilitation process, we visited some of the

colonies like Citizen Nagar, Faisal Nagar, Ram

Rahim Tekda, Vejalpur Colony etc. where families

affected by the 2002 communal violence were

living. We also met NGOs like Action Aid, Council for Social Justice, Aman

Samudaya, SAFAR and Samerth, apart from individual social activists in

Ahmedabad.

20

Shri Digant Oza

A renowned journalist considered secular among the journalist in Ahmedabad, he

was the right person to start the field visit with. We had a long conversation with

him. Shri Oza stressed that the BJP government has emerged as a power in the state

by default only because the opposition, mainly the congress and other smaller

parties, were incompetent to hold representation.

In spite of being a secular, he clearly expressed his hatred toward s the Modi-led BJP

government, accusing it of being a fundamentalist government. He also provided us

his own compilation where he has accused that “Vibrant Gujarat” campaign was only

a glorified and an expensive layout meant to fool the masses on the whole. He

claimed that Shri Narendra Modi is a fundamentalist and has dual standards for the

Hindu masses and Muslims. He believes that Shri Narendra Modi is the architect of

the political genocide in Gujarat which killed more than 2000 people in the state and

displaced many others.

Being a retired journalist, Shri Oza was the best person to give us an insight on the

role of media during the riots of 2002. Shri Oza held the media as much responsible

as Shri Narendra Modi in fuelling the riots. He gave conclusive evidence against the

Gujarat Samachaar, Gujarat Mitra and Sandesh. He also pointed out that women

behaved irresponsibly and very badly during the riots.

GUJARAT SARVAJANIK WELFARE TRUST

This is one of those biggest NGOs working in the field of rehabilitation in

Ahmedabad; a trust run by Afzal M Memon, who worked actively during 2002 riots,

and played a vital role in helping in the rehabilitation of the victims. The Trust has

built a housing colony named Siddikabad in the Juhapura area near Sarkhej

highway. Afzal M Memon, himself a big trader in fruits business, has donated a large

amount for construction and re-construction of damaged houses.

While talking to him, we came to know that the Gujarat Sarvajanik Welfare Trust is

working on many aspects of the society, including extending legal aid minorities. He

agreed that some NGOs have made it a business of providing homes to victims.

According to him minorities lack leadership and that is one of the reasons as to why

they never came to the forefront in many fields.

21

ACTION AID

Action Aid is an International Non-governmental Organization receiving funds from

National and International donors. The chairman of this NGO is Mr Javade Ameer.

This NGO is mainly working on health-related issues and education in 13 relief

camps. They also train people to file Public Interest Litigations (PIL) apart from

helping them to obtain ration cards and BPL cards to the victims. Action Aid

established trauma centres in collaboration with NIMHAS Bangalore and is working

in many colonies for their upliftment in the field of education. They also provide

paralegal training to the victims and are helping people get their dues.

CITIZEN NAGAR

Citizen Nagar was established after 2002 riots in

Jamalpur area by an Islamic committee with 116

houses out of which 30 are on ownership basis.

It is located next to the dumping ground in

Ahmedabad and in some cases dead bodied

packed in plastic bags were thrown by unknown

people in this dumping area.

Majority of the people of Citizen Nagar are from

Naroda Patiya. An organization named AMAN

SAMUDAY is working with the affected people and helping them in securing voter

ID, ration cards and also paralegal training, so that the affected people could claim

their rights through legal process.

During the course of our survey, a majority of the affected people pointed out that

they got no support or aid from the State Government. It also came to light that the

relief camps run by the state for the victims were closed because of lack of support of

the State Government.

Basic necessities like drinking water, drainage

system, roads were absent. There are no

hospitals in their area. Every 30 houses receive

water from a water tanker which is insufficient

and fuels disputes among their own community

people. There are a few schools but they are

located far away. The houses have no proper

22

water and drainage connections. People are still fond of their earlier homes at

Naroda Patiya. They said that “earlier it was good .There is no vegetable market here.

It is very far away from the main road and there is a huge garbage dump. But since

we have come here we will have to adjust our lives. The government gave us

nothing”.

People who used to make Rs.25,000 per month are now making Rs.3,000 to

Rs.4,000 and said that they had established small-scale industries in Naroda Patiya

but after the riots they are afraid to go back to Naroda Patiya .

There are two government schools in the Bombay hotel area. But they prefer sending

their children to the Madrasas which are located within the colony rather than

sending their children to the Government Schools which are 5 km away from their

residence. Subjects taught in the Madrasa include Gujarati, Hindi, English, Science

and Maths. After school hours, the Madrasa teach reading of Quran to the children.

The families also did not have any knowledge as to how they could go about

supplementing their income; a result of lack of exposure to the situation around

them and awareness. Right outside this colony is a BRTS corridor which connects

Citizen Nagar to the main city and makes travel easy and affordable.

MADINA NAGAR

A lot of poverty hides behind the plush entrance

of Madina Nagar (Ramol village), a remote area

of Ahmedabad. People have inhabited this

colony since the last 8 years. They have mostly

moved from Naroda Patiya and Banaskantha

village. The rehabilitation centre is pretty well

laid out with grand community centre, a mosque

an ambulance and around 300 hundred houses

in a block-wise fashion.

It is surprising to see that amidst this poverty every house hold has an active cable or

dish TV connection. There were separate housing facilities provided for widows,

within this colony. Under special permission military was mobilized in order to

ensure the safety of eye witnesses staying in this area. This area was covered by the

government-established 108 ambulances. At a distance of about one kilometre from

this colony there is a bus stop which connects this colony to the rest of Ahmedabad.

23

With the help of ration cards they get 16 kg of rice and 16 kg of wheat flour a month

at the rate of 98 rupees and 10 litre of kerosene. But the quality of flour and rice is

poor.

The people of Madina Nagar are engaged in small-scale industry, labour work and

stitching, rakhi making, making of incense sticks and candles as alternate sources of

income. Farming is also carried out in the space available around the colony.

Family planning being very poor, each family comprises a minimum eight people.

Most of the youth have not studied beyond the tenth standard. But, it is nice to see

that post the riot, education is being encouraged in this colony.

VEJALPUR BORDER

The Vejalpur colony in Juhapura was created due to fear psychosis and polarization

among the people. A clear boundary is constructed by the people. Previously the

Vejalpur colony consisted of only 30 houses but after 2002 riots Muslims living on

the other side of the boundary were displaced and sent to this colony.

Thus, the colony has become a Muslim dominated area with a Hindu minority. The

building on the other side of the border has become a Hindu dominated area.

This colony has been totally neglected by the state government, due to which people

are facing the problems such as a poor drainage system and no drinking water supply

to the colony. As we went through the colony, we came to know that a mob of about

40,000 people ruined the economic and social life of the Muslim people.

The aftermath of this has left the people reeling. They have become outcasts and as a

result their businesses and social life have suffered. They have been denied education

and the incidence of unemployed Muslim youth is high. This ghettoisation has

isolated the Muslims of this area and has stunted their growth. The trauma has tinted

their ability to think and move towards progress. Trauma centres have to be

established in order to change the mindset and set them on the path towards

progress.

SAMERTH

Samerth is one of the most noble and effective ideas to counter and help establish

communal harmony and a feeling of brotherhood in a communally polarized

Ahmedabad.

24

Samerth is an NGO and a non-profitable group established by Gazala Paul and is

registered in the year 1992 under the Bombay Public Trust Act 1950. Samerth works

towards development of humane, sustainable and equitable society. It focuses on

improving the conditions of the marginalized and closely works with the government

and the sidelined communities for Child Rights and Education.

Post-2002 riots, Samerth introduced Peace Education in its curriculum. This module

targeted children between ages 4-17. Samerth works in 17 communally affected

pockets and in collaboration with 42 schools all over Ahmedabad. This Peace module

has been compiled and created with the support of the Australian High Commission

and the Indo-Global Social Service Society.

Samerth consists of 33 members in their Urban Programme and 5, very active

members, in their Peace Programme. All members of the organization have been

trained in Trauma Reconciliation, a programme conducted in Baroda. The Peace

Programme works to rehabilitate children affected by violence. They do this through

drawings. This helps children to get rid of their fears and suspend their traumas and

remove all prejudices.

But establishing themselves and getting to work with schools and trusts on the Peace

Programme was no easy task. They obtained a certificate from the Zilla Parishad and

thus obtained an entry into schools. They now work actively with the government

and private schools alike. They have about 8,000-10,000 children enlisted in their

Peace Programme.

The work done by Samerth in upholding peace and creating a feeling of communal

harmony is laudable and praiseworthy.

Though NGOs talk about Peace and Communal Harmony the Noble cause of

Samerth isn’t supported by many, resulting in lack of funds for expansion and

development of the youth.

SAFAR

Of the many NGOs working in Ahmedabad, Safar is one of the most successful NGO

working in the tarnished Juhapura area of Ahmedabad.

SAFAR started off its journey to promote peace and harmony in riots affected

Gujarat only post-2002, but SAFAR has been working untiringly in the field of

women’s emancipation.

25

Safar believes in all-round development.

According to the founder Sophia Khan Gujarat

is only a glorified state, making materialistic

development but a victim of moral stagnation.

The lack of moral realization is one of the

major causes of most of the social evils

prevalent in the society today. This moral

stagnation can only be eradicated by achieving

justice which can be achieved with awareness.

Sophia Khan believes that justice makes way

for peace which in turn leads to happiness and development making it a better and a

wholesome atmosphere. Therefore one of the most essential aims of Safar is to make

various powerful and under-privileged sections of the society sensitive to issues of

justice and peace. SAFAR has taken steps to give para-legal training to women and

minorities in Siddhikabad colony.

Koshish another specialized cell of Safar, which tries to resolve minor/major

problems between the people of the colony and imparts education to children along

with vocational education to women and tries to make them become self sufficient in

life.

ROLE OF NGOs

After the riots of 2002, in a communally turbulent Gujarat very few NGOs have come

to the forefront to provide aid to the affected people. Those that came to the forefront

to aid the displaced people were religious organization, and staunch secular NGO

and secular organizations.

The government played a minimal role in the

rehabilitation programme. They had setup relief

camps in the initial days. But these camps lasted

for 3 months. The condition of people living in

these camps was very poor. The food supplied

and the water provided was not of best quality

and sanitation facility was absent. Even proper

compensation was denied to the people and that

is where the NGOs played a major role.

26

NGOs and Religious organizations provided the displaced families with houses and

got them ration cards and voters IDs. NGOs such as: Gujarat Sarvajanik Welfare

Trust, Action Aid and Aman Samuday are active in the rehabilitation processes.

NGOs such as Sanchetana and Action Aid are providing vocational education and

health education. Also NGOs such as SAFAR, Action Aid and Council for Social

Justice are either providing para-legal training or filing PIL on behalf of the affected

minorities.

While it is seen that many NGOs are actively working for the people there were some

who are unaware about funds and relief packages. Also according to a rediff.com

report many funds given to NGOs have not been distributed properly.

FINDINGS

This field trip to Ahmedabad was aimed at studying the status of rehabilitation of the

victims of 2002 communal violence in Ahmedabad. As a part of this programme we

have visited a large number of NGOs and rehabilitation colonies. This experience has

sensitized us to the problems faced by the minorities in Ahmedabad. We have both

positive and negative observations to make. The negative aspects are:

• After discussions with people of both the Muslim minority and the Hindu

majority, we have realized that even after 8 years, there is remorse about the

killings in 2002.

• In most of these attacks the Muslim minority has suffered huge losses as

compared to the Hindus.

“In order to rehabilitate the victims, the government had provided compensation,

but in many cases people failed to claim compensation, as they felt that the

amount was insufficient” : Ms. Sofia Khan of SAFAR.

“While the NGOs and self help groups where filling a number of PIL to

emancipate the affected minorities, members of the minority committee

themselves, often put spokes in the wheels of justice.” : Valjibhai Patel

• Another important observation that we could make was that there is lack of

leadership among the members of the minority community. There is no

organization among the members of the Muslim community to move to the

27

court to fight for their rights. This proves the lack of leadership, self-drive and

representation among the Muslim minority.

• Due to poor education, there is a lack of exposure to current happenings.

Their minds are prejudiced and as a result fear continues to be embedded in

their minds. This fear psychosis is a key element in the way of their

upliftment.

• The food grains supplied against ration cards to these people are of poor

quality and the people of these colonies are cheated during distribution of the

ration by local distributor who himself is a Muslim.

• Employment opportunities are denied to the minorities and they are self-

employed and engage themselves in small labour work like stitching, driving

auto rickshaw, weaving etc.

• We also observed that there was a lack of initiative in looking for alternate

occupation and in utilising their skills to supplement their earnings.

• Another important observation was that the investment of earning and

compensation money was poor, money received by means of compensation or

daily earning are utilised in buying luxuries like motorcycles, TV and cable TV

connection rather than on investing in school or expanding small scale

businesses.

• Alcohol abuse and smoking have become a part and parcel of the life of the

people. This is their way to vent their frustration. This is due to absence of

trauma centres and rehabilitation centres.

On the positive side, we have the following observations to make:

• It is said that the government is sidelining minorities but it can be clearly seen

that the government is doing a lot for the people of these rehabilitation

colonies. Right outside the rehabilitation colonies of Faisal Nagar and Citizen

Nagar runs the BRTS corridor which provides good connectivity. Outside

Madina Nagar there is AMTC bus connectivity and the Siddikabad and

Vejalpur border colonies are located right on the Sarkhej highway.

28

• Municipal servants come daily to sprinkle DDT powder to keep mosquitoes

and flies away from the colonies, Gujarat being the only state to do so all over

India.

• There are medical camps run by the government which provide medical aid to

the people free of cost. Such medical camps are organized twice a month.

Thus, we feel that there are provisions made for public health.

• It would thus be wrong to say that the government is completely sidelining the

minorities; some work has been done but much needs to be done. We would

also like to point out at this juncture that there is a failure on the part of the

minorities also to make best use of such facilities provided to them.

• As a result of the riots, education has got a fillip and the literacy rates have

started rising. The victims of these riots, especially the minorities, are looking

for secular education to prevent such things from happening again.

Thus there are positive and negative to take from this rehabilitation programme. A

lot of good work to rehabilitate them is carried out by NGO’s, such as Action Aid and

SAFAR, self help group like SAMARTH are striving towards mental rehabilitation

and counsel for social justice run by Valjibhai Patel towards getting the minorities

their legal rights.

Research Coordinator

Dr V. Mohan

Research Team

Minal Mahtre

Riyas V.M

Shrey Sahni

Shashank Ugrankar

Deepak Dubey

Dheiva Prakash

Sathyaraj

Poorna Lakshmi

Nagrajan

January 2010