The media- biased against the Sangh Parivar
and the BJP- has written horribly about the Gujarat riots. Innocent well-meaning
people have fallen prey to the media's evil designs. The Gujarat riots were
plain riots- not pogrom' or 'massacre'. The state government- far from being
involved in the riots- handled the riots effeciently and controlled them in
3 days- while riots continued in Gujarat for 6 months in 1969 and 1985 under
Congress rule in which close to 10,000 people each were killed. At the time
of the 2002 riots, this same English media did report the truth at times. The
following facts will make it clear-
1) On 28 February 2002 , The Hindustan Times reported that the entire police
force of 70,000 had been deployed in Gujarat view of apprehensions that riots
may break out.
2) On Feb 28 The Indian Express reported that "(On Feb 27) the state government
had deployed the Rapid Action Force in Ahmedabad and other sensitive areas and
the Centre sent in CRPF personnel".. Both these reports were published
even before a single riot had taken place.
3) Riots began in Ahmedabad on Feb 28 at 11 AM . India Today weekly ( 18 March
2002 ) reports that Modi informally requested the Centre for deployment of Army
at 12-00 noon i.e. within 1 hour. The same weekly also reports one column of
troops reached Ahmedabad at 2-30 AM on 1st March and staged a flag march the
same morning at 9 AM.
4) The same weekly in the issue also says that the then Defence Minister George
Fernandes was in Ahmedabad at 2-00 Am on 1st March on Modi's request and was
bravely on Ahmedabad's streets that morning (1st March) at a great personal
risk.
5) The Hindu reported on 1st March 2002 that, "The Army units, frantically
called by the Chief Minister, Narendra Modi…started arriving in Ahmedabad…".This
shows that some Army units reached Ahmedabad so quickly on Feb 28 that The Hindu
had time to report their arrival on Feb 28 itself and publish it on 1st March!
6) Out of 18,600 villages, 240 towns and 25 district headquarters, hardly 60
places saw riots. One-third of Gujarat, i.e. Saurashtra and Kutch were completely
unaffected by riots even in the first 3 days. After the first three days- riots
were limited to Ahmedabad, Vadodara and some places near Godhra- and almost
all were started by Muslims.
7) In the first three days- Gujarat police shot dead 98 rioters- majority of
whom were Hindus. On 1st March, The Hindu reported that- "At least 10 people
have been killed in police firing in Ahmedabad alone by evening (of Feb 28)".
Then on 2nd March, The Indian Express reported that "Police shot dead 20
people in Gujarat, 12 in Ahmedabad, on 1st March". Then on 3rd March, Indian
Express reported-"77 more people have been killed in Police/ Army firing
(on 2nd March)". Then on 2nd March 'The Hindu' reported that-"Unlike
Feb 28 when one community was entirely at the receiving end, the minority backlash
on 1st March has further worsened the situation."
8) The Times of India dated 18 March 2002 devoted a complete report titled,
"Riots hit all classes, people of all faith" on Hindu victims of the
riots and says, "Contrary to popular belief that only Muslims have been
affected in the recent riots more than 10,000 persons belonging to the Hindu
community have also become homeless".
9) The Indian Express devoted two full reports exclusively to Hindu victims
in Ahmedabad in its issues dated 7 May 2002 and 10th May 2002. The victims were
not only homeless; they did not even have relief camps to live in, and hence
had to live in temples.
10) India Today weekly reports in its issue dated 27 May 2002, "A series
of attacks by Muslims on policemen has further added to mutual lack of faith.
Now strapped with the anti-Muslim label, the police has been slow in acting
against Muslim fanatics".
11) India Today (27 May 2002) also gives details of attacks on Hindus by Muslims.
The same weekly reports in its issue dated 15 April 2002 that- "A young
Hindu went to Himmatnagar (Muslim) area of Ahmedabad to do business and was
found dead, with his eyes gouged out". This issue also gives details of
Muslim aggression.
12) India Today weekly dated 22 April 2002 also reports that 'Gujarat police
saved 2,500 Muslims from certain death in Sanjeli, North Gujarat on 1st March
2002'. The weekly also says- 'Like Sanjeli, 5,000 Muslims were also saved in
Bodeli town in Vadodara district by the police' and 'Thousands of Muslims were
also saved in Viramgam town from 15,000 armed Hindus' by police and the Army.
The UPA government- staunchly anti-BJP, has given figures of 790 Muslims and
254 Hindus killed in the Gujarat riots, and 223 missing, in Rajya Sabha on 11
May 2005. A total of 790 Muslims were killed in the riots- more than thrice
that number were saved on one day at a single place.
13) Throughout Gujarat riots- there are only two instances of real anti-Muslim
riots-The Ehsan Jafri case and the Naroda Patiya case. In the Ehsan Jafri case,
the police shot dead 5 Hindus outside his house and saved the lives of more
than 200 Muslims. There were 250 people inside Jafri's house and the mob killed
39- with police saving more than 200- despite being overwhelmingly numbered
by the rioters who were more than 10,000..
14) There have been 4 convictions of Muslims for rioting after Godhra and Muslims
were given various sentences. 4 Muslims were convicted by a Vadodara fast track
court on 16 October 2003 and given life imprisonment. Ex-Vadodara Deputy Mayor
and Congress leader Nisar Bapu was acquitted, but his son and son-in-law were
convicted. This was reported in at least three English dailies, including The
Times of India dated 17 October 2003. 9 and 7 Muslims were convicted in two
separate judgments on 18 and 28 March 2006 by fast track courts in Ahmedabad-
reported by all major English dailies the next day. Muslims were hardly the
cattle hiding from the slaughter house that the media makes them out to be.
The conviction of Muslims proves that Muslims were equally on the offensive.
The newspaper editors and others who call the
Gujarat riots as a 'holocuast', 'pogrom', 'genocide' or 'massacre' should look
at their own newspapers' reports on these very things. Will these facts awaken
the conscience of the newspaper editors and journalists and ofcourse the electronic
media and make them reveal the bitter truth of the Gujarat riots- that even
after Godhra, the riots that followed were not one-sided?
