Author: Dina Nath Mishra
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: May 12, 2002
I would like to begin my column
this week with a quotation from a collection of articles of Mahatma Gandhi
from Young India of 1928, named 'to the Hindus and Muslims'. This is to
explain tradition of Hindu-Muslim relations in certain parts of Gujarat
even in those days when there was no RSS presence barring in the city of
Nagpur. The question of VHP, Bajrang Dal, BJP presence etc did not arise.
In fact Godhra with half of its population being Muslim had a long history
anti-Hindu offensive.
It was also a strong hold of Muslim
League prior to partition. Mahatma Gandhi wrote in Young India in an article
titled 'What are we to do?' in the issue dated October 11, 1928. "Two weeks
ago I wrote in Navjivan a note on the tragedy in Godhra, where St. Purshottam
Shah bravely met his death at the hands of assailants. the heading of my
write-up was Hindu-Muslim fight in Godhra. Several Hindus did not like
the heading and addressed angry letters asking me to correct it (for it
was one-sided fight). I found it impossible to accede to their demand.
Whether there is one victim or more, whether there is a free fight between
the two communities, or whether one assumes the offensive and the other
simply suffers, I should describe the event as a fight if the whole series
of happenings were the result of a state of war between the two communities.
Whether in Godhra or in other places there is today a state of war between
the two communities. Fortunately, the countryside is still free from the
war fever, which is mainly confined to towns and cities, where, in some
form or other, fighting is continually going on.
Even the correspondents who have
written to me about Godhra do not seem to deny the fact that the happenings
arose out of the communal antagonisms that existed there.
"If the correspondents had simply
addressed themselves to the heading, I should have satisfied myself with
writing to them privately and written nothing in Navjivan about it."
But there are other letters in which
the correspondents have vented their ire on different counts. A volunteer
from Ahmedabad who had been to Godhra writes: "You say that you must be
silent over these quarrels. Why were you not silent over the khilafat,
and why did you exhort us to join the Muslims? Why are you not silent about
your principles of ahimsa? How can you justify your silence when the two
communities are running at each other's throat and the Hindus are being
crushed to atoms? How does ahimsa come there?"
After seventy-four years, today
when we are confronted with the situation of continued violence triggered
by Godhra carnage in the year 2002, we have to take into account new factors.
Firstly, after partition Gujarat has become a border state. Only last week
Home Minister, L K Advani informed about some intercepts from across the
border, which convincingly proves Pakistan's intentions in prolonging communal
riots in Gujarat. Intercepts in fact, hint for providing financial and
other required help, to keep the fire burning in Gujarat. As yet Godhra
carnage investigations have not come to the conclusions that Pakistan was
directly involved in triggering the violence through Godhra. But SIMI has
been very active in places like Godhra, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Mehsana etc.
It is well known that SIMI has connection
with international Islamic fundamentalist organisations. Only on May 9,
2002, the ban on SIMI was confirmed by the tribunal headed by Justice SK
Aggarwal. Additional Solicitor General KK Sud, who argued on behalf of
the Union Government, submitted before the Tribunal said that SIMI aims
to utilise students and youths in the propagation of Islamic religion and
mobilise support for 'Jehad'.
For the last six weeks what we are
witnessing in Gujarat seems to be the determined efforts of India's enemies.
In the latest issue of Time magazine, a report on Gujarat talks about civil
war in Gujarat. Gujarat has been the target of Pakistan's ISI, which has
been routing arms, drugs and counterfeit money through Gujarat. One can't
rule out the apprehension of a Jammu & Kashmir type situation developing
in Gujarat especially after this week's seizure of sophisticated arms and
ammunition in Ahmedabad. Godhra triggered violence in Gujarat may not be
the biggest in Independent India.
The 1969 riots of Ahmedabad continued
for more than six months. But restlessness caused by the recent riots in
the country in general and Gujarat in particular is unprecedented in the
history of independent India. There are reasons for it. In the background
of BJP's defeat in state assemblies, Gujarat riots provided great opportunity
to unite the Opposition and divide the NDA. The Parliament was in session
from the beginning of the Godhra itself till date.
This provided a big platform. Media
added fuel to the fire with half truth and total lies. Gujarat being ruled
by BJP inspired its opponents in politics and media to work overtime towards
it's avowed objective of removing Gujarat CM, Narendra Modi and destabilising
the Central Government.
The destabilising drive was subdued
only after defeat of Opposition motion in Lok Sabha by 94 votes despite
the abstention of the TDP and National Conference etc.The imperative of
Gujarat situation is to work for political consensus so that tempers cool
down. If the situation of Gujarat has to be brought to psychological normalcy
one has to realise Pakistan's game plan and the benefits it is deriving
out of continued violence in Ahmedabad and in few other places. One has
to understand the real intention of Pakistani media's glowing tributes
to the secularist Indian media.