Violence in Gujarat: A Firsthand Account

09 May, 2002    ·   747

Report of IPCS Seminar held on 5 May 2002
The present violence in Gujarat has many aspects:

 

 

Brutality: 

 

 

I had witnessed and handled many riots in the past, but have never seen violence of this magnitude. It is a spirit-breaking one, attacking specific targets, and emphasizing sexual violence; the violence did not spare even children and women. This has been corroborated by the reports of many Commissions including the National Human Rights Commission.

 

 

Role of the State: 

 

 

The state in Gujarat is not an impartial arbitrator between the two communities. There was connivance by the administration from top to bottom. For instance, dargahs were demolished and roads laid overnight by the municipal corporations, including those controlled by the ‘secular’ Congress party. The State’s hand in the systematic planning of rioting and arson was evident by the use of voter’s list for identification of targets by the mobs; police inaction and cooperation with the rioters, and the use of innovative technologies in causing violence and damage to property. 

 

 

A District Magistrate is entrusted with enormous powers, which are sufficient to keep violence under control. The district administrators do not have to wait for orders from the political bosses; the law provides for ample autonomy of action and freedom to take decisions on their own. Unfortunately, this did not happen in Gujarat . The main reason is lack of accountability. Compensation and relief was biased. Some administrators showed personal initiative in quelling the riots. In my understanding, the 1984 anti-Sikh riots was the major turning point in the administration’s involvement in rioting, which was never there earlier.

 

 

Civil Society: 

 

 

It has divided and broken down in Gujarat . It is surprising that even professionals like lawyers and doctors belonging to the majority community are refusing to entertain Muslim clients. Hindu businessmen are unwilling to sell goods to Muslims, whereas Hindus are boycotting Muslim shops. NGOs are not coming forward to arrange for the relief, rehabilitation and resettlement of the riot affected. As a result, the Muslim relief camps are virtually being run with help from the mafia. This will have serious consequences for the future security of the country. When so much of aid was collected during the Kargil war and for those affected in Gujarat earthquake, there has not even been a single appeal for help by the NGOs. The media, too, has displayed indifference. A section of the media has in fact played a negative role by inciting violence through biased reporting, instead of calling for communal harmony.

 

 

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