[Reader-list] Gujarat Carnage: Is Their Hope? India Social Forum

[Avinash Kumar]

*GUJARAT CARNAGE: IS THERE HOPE?*

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*Date: 11/1106 4:00-7:00 evening*

*Venue: Hall M2, India Social Forum *

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*Speakers: Teesta Setalvad, Swami Agnivesh, Fr Cedric Prakash, Farah Naqvi,
Kamalmitra Chenoy, Siddhartha Varadrajan, Sophia Khan, Hiren Gandhi,
Lallubhai Desai*

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Gujarat 2002 witnessed an estimated killing of 2000 people, rape of
approximately 400 women, property damage worth Rs 3800 crores, around 1100
restaurants destroyed, 563 religious places destroyed or damaged.
About 2.5lakh people were directly displaced.

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*Where do we stand today almost five years down the line? *

The percentage of compensation compared to the official damage comes to a
meager 7 %. To top it all, the state govt. recently decided to return Rs 19
crores saying that there was no further need!

While a maximum ceiling to property damage was pegged at Rs 50,000 (well
below compared to other similar cases like Anti-Sikh riots package), less
than 10% people have received over Rs 30,000! There are on the other hand,
numerous cases where people have been paid as low as Rs 60 to 500! Most of
it remains within the range of  1200-2500!

Recent surveys reveal the shocking facts that there are between 5000 to
10,000 families still living in relief camps (ranging between 50 to 80)!
They are not recognized by the state government and remain without any basic
civic amenities!

Out of a total of 4252 FIRs lodged (very minuscule compared to unofficial
figures), 2208 cases were summarily closed and police has shown
unprecedented alacrity in releasing those accused within one year of the
carnage. According to latest figures 214 people are still languishing in
jails under POTA, all Muslims!

Severe economic and social boycott continues not only against the victims
but the minorities in general. In a recent case, 70 people were denied their
BPL cards by the state officials over the charges that they were
Bangladeshis.

An extreme sense of exclusion, marginalisation and hopelessness remains
palpable among the minorities. The state government on the other hand
continues to accuse those raising these issues for trying to divide five
crore Gujaratis.



Despite all this, there seems to be a larger amnesia about the continuing
plight of the Muslims in Gujarat. This panel discussion is another attempt
to bring Gujarat back into focus into the collective memory of the people.
This is crucial as Gujarat remains just one of the instance while the rest
of the country is on its way to becoming the larger lab of the Hindutva.



If you believe in notions like secular democracy, liberty, freedom,
equality, diversity, pluralism, be part of this process. For this, Gujarat
remains the test case. Shake the conscience of the civil society and the
state.

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