[Reader-list] India on a list of countries which have failed to protect its religious minorities adequately

[Rakesh Iyer]

Dear Murali ji

You have conveniently avoided the answer to my query regarding Hindus to
speak in a single voice, but for the moment I will ignore that.

There was not just one survivor, but there would have been many survivors to
this account. The reason I say so is because it's a train which has been
attacked, and it's possible passengers of other bogies may have also seen
what happened. In addition, it has been said time and again by the people on
the train themselves that there were more no. of people travelling in the
bogie than the number of those who had reservations. Most of the "karsewaks"
are alleged to have been travelling without reservation and thereby making
travel for those with reservation inconvenient (leaving aside other
accusations on them like fighting with Muslim vendors). And this is not
meant to prove that burning of any citizen, Karsewak or not, is right or
legitimate. I don't accept burning of them or of any other citizen, whatever
may be the provocation.

Also, there were others around that train who can also give testimony, like
the Station Master and the guard as well as the person sitting in the
Attendant Cabin. What about them? Are their testimonies irrelevant?

What's more, I never said that the Banerjee Committee report has been
accepted. If that were the case, the SC wouldn't have constituted the SIT at
all to investigate Godhra. But the claim of the Nanavati Commission has also
not been accepted, and the matter stands at that.

Next, last but not the least, you state that 59 killed are karsewaks. But
the Railway Ministry claims that it hasn't identitifed all the victims, of
which most are women and children. So who made this claim that all of them
are 'karsewaks'. Where is the proof to prove this/

Even I would like to know what the truth is about Godhra, because I am
pretty sure there has been a tale wound around it, which we haven't got to
know about. And ironically, you and others always seem to avoid questions
rather than answering them.

Seems the Right wing learns lessons more efficiently than the Left wing from
China.

Regards

Rakesh