Author: Yossarin
Publication: IndiaSecular.wordpress.com
Date: August 5, 2007
URL: http://indiasecular.wordpress.com/2007/08/09/justice-srikrishna-report-reality/
Justice Srikrishna Report : Media Myths and
Reality
With the media clamour on action on the Srikrishna
Commission Report getting louder by the day. Most of the media activism on
this front is by CNN-IBN led by Rajdeep Sardesai and Sagarika Ghosh. Karan
Thapar too had Soli Sorabjee on the same subject. CNN IBN's sensationalism
is naseuating to say the least when it compares Sanjay Dutt's conviction for
illegal possession of an AK-47 with Sarpotdar's posession of an unlicensed
pistol while quoting from the report.
Offstumped takes a critical look at the Srikrishna
Commission report to get to the bottom of the media myths.
At the outset it must be said the eminent
Justice has done a great job digging into facts far and wide to put the chronology
of events into perspective. However the Justice's personal opinions make their
way into the report every step of the way. On a subject as sensitive as this,
one would have expected the Justice to withhold personal opinion while drawing
conclusions solely from his findings. Nevertheless it is a commendable effort
by him.
The clamour in the media in recent days has
been primarily two fold. The first is a demand for some kind of equity that
since Muslims were sentenced for the Mumbai Blasts how can the Hindus be allowed
to go scot free. The second is the suggestion that there were specific individuals
against who a case was made out by the Commission and despite that no action
has been taken against these individuals.
Offstumped sets about to analyze the report
primarily from this perspective as well as to point out some talking points
that have been highlighted and repeated by the media while obscuring the facts.
One of the talking points often made in the
media is that the report finds that an inordinately high number of Muslims
were killed in the riots. It is not hard to find the origin of this talking
point. While describing the events of 8th December 1992 the report talks about
police firing deaths in 33 jurisdictions in 43 cases and makes this remark
The police firing resulted in the death of
a large number of Muslims as compared to Hindus
When taken in isolation this remark biases
the uninformed very easily and is ready fodder for a media that thrives on
"secular" moral grandstanding. But what are the actual numbers the
commission is comparing to draw this conclusion
The police had to resort to firing in 43 cases
resulting in the death of 21 Hindus, 31 Muslims and three other
So compared to 21, 31 is a large number, remember
this is only deaths not injuries. If one looks at the numbers from 9th December,
one gets a better perspective on the sweeping generalization made above.
The police firing resulted in deaths of 17
persons (five Hindus and 12 Muslims) while 13 Hindus, 12 Muslims and six others
sustained injuries.
Its generalizations of this kind that the
media has picked up on and repeated many times over that have colored the
debate here and made it that somehow the blasts were about punishing Muslims
and fairness demands that the riots be made about punishing Hindus.
The report once again goes on to make sweeping
generalizations in summing up the December 1992 riots that disproportionately
large number of Muslims were killed but it however goes onto absolve the police
of any wilful wrongdoing.
the Commission is not inclined to give serious
credence to the theory that dis-proportionately large number of Muslim deaths
in December 1992 was necessarily indicative of an attempt on the part of the
police to target and liquidate Muslims because of bias
If you look at the actual numbers as cited
above by Offstumped the "disproportionately large" comes only on
Dec 7th, on 8th and 9th the numbers marginally different. On 10th and 11th
few deaths were reported and violence petered out by the 12th. On the 7th
however
Police intervention came about by resort to
fire on 72 occasions, killing 20 Hindus and 72 Muslims and injuring 131 Muslims
and one other.
But then remember the 7th was primarily a
day of rioting led by Muslim mobs a fact cited by the report
Large mobs of Muslims came on the streets
and there was recourse taken to violence without doubt. This time the Muslim
mobs appear to have come out with the intention of mounting violent attacks
as noticed from their preparedness with weapons of offence.
So net net the "disproportionately large"
numbers come from a day when the rioters were "dispropriotantely large"
Muslim.
So you can see how a sweeping generalization
becomes a media talking point and almost truth by obscuring facts and pushing
a convenient secular template - Muslims were targeted.
The report then goes on to set the context
for the 1993 riots. A very interesting paragraph in the report, one doesnt
hear much of it in the news though.
The last week of December 1992 and first week
of January 1993, particularly between 1st to 5th, saw a series of stabbing
incidents in which both Hindus and Muslims were victims, though the majority
of such incidents took place in Muslim dominated areas of South Bombay and
a majority of victims were Hindus. The stabbings appeared to be executed with
professional accuracy intended to kill the victims. The killers had not been
then identified in several cases, though it was presumed, at least in the
cases where the Hindus were victims, that the killers were Muslims. The motive
for the stabbings appears to have been to whip up communal frenzy between
Hindus and Muslims.
Interesting that these were planned attacks,
professional not amateur and clearly targeting one community over the others.
No sweeping generalizations based on this though. It is interesting how the
secular templates the media plays tend to be consistently pro-minority. The
report then goes onto identify the brains behind these planned attacks.
Some of the Muslim criminal elements operating
in South Bombay, like Salim Rampuri and Firoz Konkani, have been identified
as the brains behind the stabbing incidents.
The report cites these attacks as one of the
prime reasons for subsequent Shiv Sena led mobilization and incidents that
followed from that mobilization. The other reason cited is the murder of Mathadi
workers.
The Mathadi workers' Union called for a Bandh.
Huge meetings were held which were addressed by leaders of Mathadi Unions.
Speeches were made during this meeting to condemn the police and Government
for their ineffectiveness with exhortations that Hindus might have to pick
up swords to defend themselves if the police failed to protect them.
The report also cites that at that time
At the time when these murders of Mathadi
workers took place, neither the police, nor the public, had a clue as to the
identity of the killers, which came to be established much later. Nonetheless,
the Hindus spearheaded by the Shiv Sena kicked up a furore that the murders
had been committed by Muslims, virtually giving a call for arms.
Once again the vicious spiral of "cause
effect" that triggered the chain of events is diluted when one looks
at the secular template with which the media has gone to town on the reports
findings that there was a deliberate conspiracy to trigger riots and to target
the Minority community.
6th Jan is cited as the trigger for the 1993
phase of the riots. Again the facts of the day are something one rarely sees
in the media.
On 6th January 1993 there were several cases
of stabbing in Dongri, Pydhonie, V.P. Road and Nagpada jurisdictions in which
the victims were innocent pedestrians who were stabbed after ascertaining
their identity. In all, 18 cases of stabbing were reported by the evening
of this day of which eight were from Pydhonie, two from Dharavi, two from
V.P. Road, two from Nagpada and one each from Nirmal Nagar, Kherwadi and Andheri.
These stabbing cases resulted in one Hindu, one Muslim and two others being
killed and 13 Hindus, one Muslim and one other being injured. Mob violence
accounted for the deaths of seven Hindus and one Muslim and injuries to nine
Hindus and eight Muslims.
It is once again strange that no "disproportionately
large" comparisons were made about the events of the 6th which provoked
the subsequent events.
The report then goes onto describe the happenings
on 7th Jan which in its opinion was the first day of the 93 phase of riots.
The stabbing incidents resulted in deaths
of 16 Hindus and four Muslims and injured 41 Hindus and twelve Muslims. Eleven
cases of mob violence occurred in different jurisdictional areas, killing
two Hindus and injuring ten Hindus and two Muslims. Seven cases of arson were
reported on that day in which, apart from huge property loss, two Hindus were
killed; five Hindus and two Muslims were injured.
By no means was the first full day of violence
described as "disproportionately large" in targeting one community
over the other. Remember the media spin machine has always projected the Jan
1993 phase of riots as one of revenge by Hindu Mobs, well clearly not on the
first day of violence.
8th January has more provocations.
During the wee hours of 8th January 1993,
at about 0030 hours, some of the Hindu residences in a chawl popularly known
as Radhabai Chawl in Jogeshwari jurisdiction were locked from outside and
set on fire by miscreants. One male and five female members of a Hindu family
(Bane) and their neighbours were charred to death and three other Hindus sustained
serious burn injuries.
The report then makes a very curious remark
One of the victims was a handicapped girl.
This incident was sensationalized by the media by giving exaggerated and provoking
reports.
Surprisingly there is no criticism of media
sensationalization before this one. Nevertheless the report goes on to talk
about the Hindu bacjkash.
So there you have it folks, all the clamour
in the media about bringing "Hindu Terrorists" to justice and somehow
making the entire Srikirshna Report as being about justice to Muslims by punishing
Hindus, all of that clamour refers not to the events of December 1992, not
even to the provocative stabbings in the run up to the events of Jan 1993,
not even to the first full day of violence but it almost exclusively refers
to the events after the morning of 8th Jan.
If this is not selective outrage, what is
it ?
Nevertheless let us examine the facts of the
8th and subsequent days.
Sixty-six stabbing cases were reported from
different jurisdictions, in which 11 Hindus, 15 Muslims and two others were
killed and injuries caused to several Hindus and Muslims. Forty-eight cases
of mob violence occurred in which six Muslims were killed and 11 Hindus and
17 Muslims and one other received injuries. Thirty-one cases of arson were
reported which, apart from causing loss of property, resulted in deaths of
six Hindus and two Muslims and injuries to five Muslims and two Hindus.
So there you have it the "Hindu backlash".
It is hard to see by what stretch of the definition of the word backlash,
these statistics could explained the fairly equitable nature of the casualities.
Police resorted to firing on 31 occasions
in different jurisdictions resulting in the killing of nine Hindus and 18
Muslims and injuries to 20 Hindus and 24 Muslims and one other.
A backlash indeed, but very equitable in its
casualities.
9th January the mayhem continues.
Fifty-seven cases of stabbing resulting in
death of eight Hindus and 18 Muslims and injuries to 27 Hindus, 33 Muslims
and one other, were reported. Ninety-seven cases of mob violence occurred
in various parts of the city resulting in the death of one Hindu and six Muslims
and injures to 19 Hindus and 24 Muslims. Seventy-three cases of arson were
reported from different jurisdictions which caused loss of property, death
of three Hindus and six Muslims and injures to four Hindus and six Muslims.
Fifty-two cases of police firing occurred
in different jurisdictions, killing 15 Hindus, 22 Muslims and one other.
The concrete references to an organized backlash
come only on the 9th. While the overall casualities are high on both sides,
the report calls out one incident of police high handedness which pretty much
set the tone for the only police offer to have surrendered and a case filed
against him in subsequent years.
Operation launched against the alleged terrorists
by the Special Operation Squad (SOS) under the direction of joint commissioner
of police, R.D. Tyagi, and extensive firing by the SOS resulted in deaths
of nine Muslims. The police failed to apprehend even a single so-called terrorist,
nor did they seize any fire-arms, sophisticated or otherwise, from which firing
was done at them, as claimed.
10th January more mayhem but high casualties
on both sides.
Eighty-one cases of stabbing occurred in different
jurisdictions resulting in deaths of 10 Hindus and 39 Muslims and injuries
to 24 Hindus and 42 Muslims. One hundred and eight cases of arson occurred
in which there was property loss, death of one Hindu, five Muslims and two
others, while one Hindu, one Muslim and one other were injured.. One hundred
and eight cases of arson occurred in which there was property loss, death
of one Hindu, five Muslims and two others, while one Hindu, one Muslim and
one other were injured. Firing on 82 occasions, resulting in deaths of 22
Hindus, 23 Muslims and one other, while injuries were caused to 77 Hindus,
27 Muslims and two other
The Muslim casualties on 11th were markedly
higher. This borne by the fact that markedly more Hindu casualties in police
firing as the mobs were Hindu.
Eighty-six cases of stabbing occurred in
different jurisdictions resulting in the death of 11 Hindus, 44 Muslims and
one other; 23 Hindus, 58 Muslims and one other were injured. Four Hindus,
19 Muslims and two others were killed in 129 incidents of mob violence in
different jurisdictions. Ninety-three cases of arson in different jurisdictions
resulted in the death of two Hindus and 12 Muslims and injuries to seven Muslims.
Police firing on 67 occasions caused to deaths of 19 Hindus and seven Muslims
and injuries to 45 Hindus, 21 Muslims and two others.
12th Jan produces a gruesome incident similar
to Radhabai Chawl but this time it is a Hindu Mob and Muslim women. The report
cites that
Though the miscreants were arrested and tried
by the Sessions Court at Bombay, later on they were all acquitted on the ground
that the panchanamas were defective and that the eye-witnesses were not produced
There is no reference in the report of anybody
being brought to justice for the other such incident. The statistics on the
12th too bear signs of a backlash.Police resorted to firing on 31 occasions
in different jurisdictions resulting in the deaths of four Hindus and six
Muslims and injuries to 23 Hindus and seven Muslims. Fifty-six cases of stabbing
occurred in different areas resulting in the deaths of three Hindus, 27 Muslims
and injuries to 11 Hindus and 41 Muslims. Seventy-one cases of mob violence
in different areas occurred in which one Hindu and six Muslims were killed;
nine Hindus and 21 Muslims were injured. From the 13th to 15th the violence
peters out with lower overall numbers but deaths due to stabbing report a
higher Muslim number while on injuries the numbers are comparable between
the two communities.
The final tally reported by the Commission
across December 1992 and January 1993.
Dead - 900(575 Muslims, 275 Hindus, 45 unknown
and 5 others). The causes for the deaths are police firing (356), stabbing
(347), arson (91), mob action (80), private firing (22) and other causes (4).
Injured - 2,036 (1105 Muslims, 893 Hindus,
and 38 others).
The cunulative numbers present a chilling
overall casualty rate but it must be borne in mind, a 100 of the muslim deaths
occured during the first 2 days of violence in December 1992 mostly on account
of police firing on Muslim mobs.
In fact if you examine the days of peak violence
on account of the "Hindu backlash", on no single day did the cumulative
Muslim deaths equal or exceed those on the first day of violence in December
1992.
The reports conclusions on the question of
Whether any individual or group of individuals,
or any other organization, were responsible for such events and circumstances
For the December phase the report completely
absolves any individuals or groups of individuals for the Muslim reaction
instead it calls it spontaneous and leaderless which commenced as peaceful
protest, but soon degenerated into riots. Now contrast this with its own language
in the reporting of the events of the same day.
Large mobs of Muslims came on the streets
and there was recourse taken to violence without doubt. This time the Muslim
mobs appear to have come out with the intention of mounting violent attacks
as noticed from their preparedness with weapons of offence.How does the report
square the intentions and preparedness with spontaneity ?The report then goes
onto blame Shiv Sena, Bal Thackeray, Madhukar Sarpotdar and Manohar Joshi
for inciting the Jan 1993 phase of retaliation.
Because some criminal Muslims killed innocent
Hindus in one corner of the city, the Shiv Sainiks 'retaliated' against several
innocent Muslims in other corners of the city.
There is no material on record suggesting
that even during this phase any known Muslim individuals or organizations
were responsible for the riots, though a number of individual Muslims and
Muslim criminal elements appear to have indulged in violence, looting, arson
and rioting.
The report neither names the Muslim criminal
elements in a significant way nor does it name specific individuals responsible
for specific acts of violence in its conclusions. In fact the only individuals
the report names explicitly in its conclusions are the 31 police officers
against whom it recommends specific action to be taken.
A lot has been made in the media on the purported
letting off the hook of politicians who engineered the riots. The names of
Madhukar Sarpotdar, Manohar Joshi and Bal Thackeray are oft repeated including
some media reports even mentioning BJP leader Gopinath Munde. The reality
of the conclusions drawn by the report is however quite different.
In the entire volume on conclusions (volume
1) Madukar Sarpotdar's name appears only once and that too not for ascribing
blame for any specific incident or riot but for expounding a "doctrine
of retaliation". Most of what has been reported in the media against
him appears in volume 2 and the smost serious pecific case against him is
illegal possession of a pistol.
Manohar Joshi's name appears only twice. The
first time in reference to the 13 day Vajpayee Government asking him to revive
the Commission. The second time in ascribing blame for the Jan 1993 phase.
Again here too there is no specific incident or riot that is called out but
only a "doctrine of retaliation" is mentioned.
There is no reference to Gopinath Munde in
the conclusions report, in fact no BJP Leader is mentioned by name in the
report for any of the violence. It is a media myth and a mischevious one at
that which has references to Munde and the BJP largely on account of Munde's
assistant being apprehended with a firearm not licensed to him.
Bal Thackeray is referred to 3 times The first
time for his writings, the second time for his attitude in in the Time Magazine
Interview and the third time that he commandeered like a General the retaliation.
While no specific instances of commandeering are mentioned in the conclusions
volume. Volume 2 however goes into the alleged notes made by a journalist
Mohite who accompanied Mayor Handore to Thackeray's house and overhead Thackeray's
phone conversations which is the basis for the Commissions observation on
Thackeray commandeering the riots. While Thackeray was arrested briefly a
few years ago the case against him fell apart.
Offstumped Bottomline:
The 1992-1993 riots are a blot on civil society.
Attempting to selectively cull the vicious
spiral of cause and effect 17 years own is not about healing the wounds or
society of the malaise of mob violence.
Instead it is about vote bank politics and
political correctness of the Left of Center media in assuaging it sense of
guilt over the 1993 blasts convictions.
A serious debate on ridding India of the scourge
of mob violence would have focused more attention on how Law enforcement needs
to be reformed and how local communities should be made stakeholders in law
enforcement.
Instead this one sided of secular template
that the media is pushing does neither justice to the affected Muslims who
have since moved on 17 years after the fact nor to the Hindus who too were
affected in comparable numbers.
By asking irresponsible questions like "What
about the Hindu Terrorists ?" the media is obscuring facts and manufacturing
fiction and a dangerous one at that.
Specific action on specific individuals for
specific acts of violence on both communities must be taken and the judicial
process brought to closure without delay.
The one sided witch hunt the media is clamouring
for, however serves no purpose but to fester open wounds and further vote
bank politics.
