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The skyline of Ahmedabad filled with smoke as buildings and shops are set on fire by rioting mobs.

The 2002 Gujarat violence was a series of communal riots that took place in the Indian State of Gujarat in February-May 2002, involving violence between Hindus and Muslims. Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... Shortcut: WP:NPOVD Articles that have been linked to this page are the subject of an NPOV dispute (NPOV stands for Neutral Point Of View; see below). ... Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1184x800, 325 KB) Summary This is a scan of a photograph taken by me during the Communal riots on Ahmedabad in February/March 2002. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1184x800, 325 KB) Summary This is a scan of a photograph taken by me during the Communal riots on Ahmedabad in February/March 2002. ... , Ahmedabad (Gujarati: , Hindi: अहमदाबाद ) is the largest city in the state of Gujarat and the seventh-largest urban agglomeration in India, with a population of almost 51 lakhs (5. ... Teamsters, armed with pipes, riot in a clash with riot police in the Minneapolis Teamsters Strike of 1934. ... This article is for the Indian state. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ...

According to official estimates of the death toll given to the parliament on May 11, 2005 by the government, 790 Muslims and 254 Hindus were killed, and another 2,548 injured. 223 people are also missing. The report placed the number of riot widows at 919 and 606 children were declared orphaned.^[1][2][3] There are human rights groups which believed that the death tolls were higher, in the upwards of 1000 and up to 2000.^{[4][5][6][7][8][9]} The United States Congressional Research Service also places the figure at "up to 2000, mostly Muslim".^[10] Tens of thousands were displaced from their homes because of the violence. Only after the violence subsided in the month of May did a significant fraction of the displaced returned to the affected regions. Sansad Bhavan, The Parliament of India The Parliament of India (or Sansad) is bicameral. ... is the 131st day of the year (132nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ... The Congressional Research Service is the public policy research arm of the United States Congress. ...

The then ruling BJP party maintained that this was allegedly in retaliation for the burning to death, on February 27, 2002 of 58 Hindu pilgrims, mostly women and children, by a Muslim mob. This attack also resulted in the injury of 43 Hindus. ^[11][12] BJP could mean one of Indias largest political parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party British Journal of Photography British Journal of Psychiatry British Journal of Pharmocology This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ...

Several international news media agencies, governments, non-governmental organizations and human rights advocacy groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have reported on the riots. Some of them have referred to the incidents as a "massacre". They have also been critical of the Gujarat government's responses, to the point of alleging it's complicity in the riots. Organizations such as Human Rights Watch further criticize the Indian government for failure to address the resulting humanitarian condition of people, "overwhelming majority of them Muslim",who fled their homes for relief camps in the aftermath of the event. ^[13] In turn, some have accused these news media agencies, non-governmental organizations and human rights advocacy groups of media bias and bias against Hindus^{[14][15][16][17]}. Human Rights Watch Banner Human Rights Watch is a United States-based international non-government organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Amnesty international Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization which defines its mission as to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience... Human Rights Watch Banner Human Rights Watch is a United States-based international non-government organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... This article is about the Hindu religion; for other meanings of the word, see Hindu (disambiguation). ...

Godhra train burning

Main article: Godhra Train Burning

Fifty eight people, including 25 women and 15 children^[18] were burnt alive in a train coach at Godhra Station mainly constituting of Kar Sevaks, by a mob of mainly local Muslims.^[19] The Godhra Train Burning Incident occurred in the town Godhra in the Indian state of Gujarat at 0630 hrs on 27 February 2002. ... The term Kar Sevak is used to refer to people who offer their services for free (volunteer) to a religious cause. ...

Initial media reports blamed the Muslim protesters for setting the coach on fire,^[20] in what Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Giriraj Kishore alleged was a "pre-planned" attack.^[21][22] The claim that the attack was planned in advance rests on the fact that over 2000 armed people gathered within eight minutes.

The images from the train burning were broadcast in print as well as the electronic media, especially in local Gujarati language newspapers.^[23]

The bodies of those killed in the train were brought to Ahmedabad, where a funeral procession was held,^[24] a move seen as a major provocation for the ensuing communal violence.^[25]

The timings of the arrival of the dead bodies to the state capital Gandhinagar were advertised on the radio may have contributed to a very large turnout of people in an already charged atmosphere.^{[citation needed]} The Vishwa Hindu Parishad issued a call for a state-wide strike on February 28, 2002.^[26] That strike was later supported by the ruling BJP government.^{[citation needed]} The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP; World Hindu Council in Hindi), is a Hindu nationalist organisation in Bharat, an offshoot of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. ... is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ...

Post Godhra violence

151 towns and 993 villages^[27] in fifteen to sixteen of the state's 25 districts were affected by the post-Godhra violence, which was particularly severe in about five or six districts. The violence raged largely between February 28 and March 3, and after a drop, restarted on March 15, continuing till mid June.^[28] Northern and central Gujarat, as well as the north-eastern tribal belt where Hindutva mobilisation efforts were strong, were the worst affected while Saurashtra and Kutch remained largely peaceful.^[27] Saurashtra may refer to: Saurashtra (region) Saurashtra language Saurashtra script There are several popular cities in Saurahstra Area viz:- Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Rajula, Mahuva, Veraval, Kandla, Kundla Category: ... Kutch (Kuchchh) District, State of Gujarat Kutch (also spelled Cutch, Kachh, Kachch and even Kachchh) is a district of Gujarat state in western India. ...

A disputed claim from the minority community states that, the first incidents of attacks on the minority Muslim community started at Ahmedabad, where Hindus began throwing stones at and later burned a Muslim housing complex known as Gulburg Society, and then spread elsewhere.^[29] The initial violence was believed to be instigated by unsubstantiated rumours, endorsed by a senior VHP leader, of Muslims having kidnapped three Hindu girls during the Godhra train attack.^[29] Thirty three towns of the state were severely affected and had to be placed under curfew at one point or another during this period. According to allegations made by Human Rights Watchs report compiled by Smita Narula, Muslim monuments like mosques and tombs were demolished,and at some places temples erected over them ^{[30] [31][31]}. U.K newspaper "The Guardian" reported that "two hundred and thirty different Islamic monuments, including a 400-year-old mosque were destroyed or vandalized" which "Right-wing Hindu scholars justified saying that India's Muslim Emperors had demolished Hindu temples to build mosques", so the gangs who tore down the Muslim shrines were merely "redeeming the past" ^[32]. Human Rights Watch Banner Human Rights Watch is a United States-based international non-government organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. ... For other uses, see Guardian. ...

Attacks on Muslims

In Naroda, according to Human Rights Watch, at least 65 Muslims were killed, many of them women who were sexually assaulted by violent mobs[16]. One of the witnesses stated before the Nanavati commission that that BJP leader Maya Kodnani, Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi and others had allegedly led mobs on February 28 last year in the Naroda-Patia area. ^[33] Naroda is a suburban town of Ahmedabad. ... Human Rights Watch Banner Human Rights Watch is a United States-based international non-government organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. ... is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

A high profile case involved an Ex-Congress MP Ehsan Jafri who was surrounded by Hindu Mobs (including Congress workers) while many other Muslim residents in the area took shelter in his compound. JAfri was believed to have contacted the local police stations, MPs of the area as well as the Chief Minister Modi to save the people from the ever increasing mob. However, no police reinforcement had reached his place and the few policemen present were ineffective and unwilling to control the violent mob." Eventually he was burnt to death, along with fifty others.^[34] Narendra Dāmodardās Modī (Gujarātī: નરેન્દ્ર મોદી, born September 17, 1950) is the incumbent Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat since October 7, 2001. ...

According to HRW in its widely-quoted report, mobs of "thousands" (including people from "secular" parties), dressed in "saffron scarves and khaki shorts" - the signature uniform of the RSS - and "armed with swords, sophisticated explosives, and gas cylinders", were guided by voter lists and printouts of addresses of Muslim-owned properties, information obtained from the local municipal administration^[35]. The report further charged that in some cases members of the state police force "led" the mobs, "aiming and firing at every Muslim who got in the way", or instead of offering assistance "led the victims directly into the hands of their killers"^[35]. Calls for assistance to the police, fire brigades, and even ambulance services generally proved futile^[35]. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (Hindi: , English: ), also known as the Sangh or the RSS, is a Hindu nationalist organization in India. ...

It should be noted though that this report by Human Rights Watch has been opposed as being extremely biased and exaggerated by some groups^[36]. Human Rights Watch Banner Human Rights Watch is a United States-based international non-government organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. ...

Best Bakery

Main article: Best Bakery Case

Fourteen people, including women and children, were killed by a mob at the Best Bakery in the town of Vadodara on the night of 1 March.^[37] The ensuing murder trial received wide attention after witnesses retracted testimony in court and all accused were acquitted. The Indian Supreme Court, acting on a petition by social activist Teesta Setalvad, ordered a retrial outside Gujarat in which nine accused were found guilty in 2006^[38]. A key witness, Zaheera Sheikh, who repeatedly changed her testimony during the trials and the petition was found guilty of perjury.^[39] The Best Bakery case is the name used to refer to a case involving an incident which occurred on March 1, 2002, at a bakery (called Best Bakery) in Vadodara, India during the 2002 Gujarat violence in which 14 people were murdered, many of them burned to death. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Supreme Court of India is the highest court of the land as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India. ... Teesta Setalvad (b 9 February 1962)[1] is a Mumbai based Indian civil rights activist[2], journalist and educationist[3][4][5] . She graduated in Philosphy from Bombay University in 1983, before becoming a journalist[6]; she worked for The Daily, The Indian Express and Business India magazine, until 1993... Zaheera Sheikh is the key witness in the Best Bakery case. ...

Attacks on Hindus

Attacks on Hindus by Muslim mobs in Danilimda, Modasa, Himmatnagar, Bharuch, Sindhi Market, Bhanderi Pole, and other localities in the city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat were perpetrated by Muslim mobs ^[40]. The attacks have been described as "retaliatory" by Human Rights Watch. There was significant loss of life and property ^{[41] [42]}. and many Hindu Dalits were rendered homeless^[43]. , Ahmedabad (Gujarati: , Hindi: अहमदाबाद ) is the largest city in the state of Gujarat and the seventh-largest urban agglomeration in India, with a population of almost 51 lakhs (5. ... This article is for the Indian state. ... Human Rights Watch Banner Human Rights Watch is a United States-based international non-government organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. ... In the Indian caste system, a Dalit, often called an untouchable,or an outcaste, is a person who according to traditional Hindu belief does not have any varnas. Varna refers to the Hindu belief that most humans were supposedly created from different parts of the body of the divinity Purusha. ...

Ashok Patel, a BJP member and municipal corporator, testified before the Nanavati-Shah commission that Muslims in the Amraiwadi area unfurled the Pakistani flag and raised pro-Pakistan slogans ten days after the Godhra riots. He also claimed that riots were triggered after Muslims instigated them "with an intention of spreading fear". This account however was mere hearsay and has not been verified. It was disputed by other witnesses. ^[44]

In September 2002, at least 29 people were killed when suspected Islamic fundamentalist gunmen engaged in the Akshardham Temple attack in the city of Gandhinagar in Gujarat. The Pakistani ISI and Islamic terrorist group Lashkar-e-Toiba were accused of supporting the terrorists ^[45], but they have denied this accusation ^{[46] [47][48]}. The phrase Islamic fundamentalism is primarily used in the West to describe Islamist groups. ... The Akshardham Temple attack (or Akshardham Temple siege) occurred on September 24, 2002 when two heavily armed Muslim terrorists arrived at the Akshardham in Gandhinagar, the capital of Western Gujarat state in India at around 1630 hrs local time. ... Gandhinagar   (Gujarati: ગાંધીનગર, Hindi: गाँधीनगर) is the capital of Gujarat State, India. ... This article is for the Indian state. ... This article is about the Pakistani intelligence agency. ... Lashkar-e-Toiba (Urdu: لشكرِ طيبه laÅ¡kar-Ä• ṯaiyyiba, literally The Army of Pure, also transliterated as Lashkar-i-Tayyaba, Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba or Lashkar-i-Toiba) is one of the largest and most active Islamic terrorist organizations in South Asia. ...

According to the HRW report, over ten thousand Hindus were made homeless as a result of the Gujarat violence. ^[40] In several residential areas, including Mahajan No Vando, Hindus were targeted following calls for retaliation. However, as stated earlier, some groups have questioned the veracity of this report. This page is about the Egyptian deity. ...

In August 2002 a plot by Lashkar-e-Toiba to assassinate Narendra Modi, Praveen Togadia, and other Sangh Parivar leaders was unearthed by Indian police. Delhi Police Special Commissioner K. K. Paul noted their motive was to August 2002 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December // See also: Afghanistan timeline August 2002 Israeli-Palestinian conflict: A Palestinian suicide bombing claims 9 lives, near Safed; there is a shooting attack in Jerusalem, claiming 2; there is an attack upon a settler family, killing... Lashkar-e-Toiba (Urdu: لشكرِ طيبه laÅ¡kar-Ä• ṯaiyyiba, literally The Army of Pure, also transliterated as Lashkar-i-Tayyaba, Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba or Lashkar-i-Toiba) is one of the largest and most active Islamic terrorist organizations in South Asia. ... assassin, see Assassin (disambiguation) Jack Ruby assassinated Lee Harvey Oswald in a very public manner. ... Narendra Dāmodardās ModÄ« (GujarātÄ«: નરેન્દ્ર મોદી, born September 17, 1950) is the incumbent Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat since October 7, 2001. ... Praveen Togadia is an oncologist from Gujarat, India, and the International General Secretary of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), a major Hindutva organization advocating for a Hindu Rashtra in India. ... The Sangh Parivar is a loose family of organizations, which promote the ideology of Hindutva. ...

Role of government and police

The Modi led state government was reprimanded at various levels including the Parliament, Supreme Court and internationally. The upper house of the Indian parliament unanimously passed a resolution calling for federal intervention in Gujarat, after a similar censure motion in the lower house was defeated by about 100 votes.^[50] The Indian Supreme Court has been strongly critical of the state government's investigation and prosecution of those accused of violence during the riots.^[51] In Norse mythology, Móði (often Anglicized Modi), was the son of Thor. ... Executive President Vice-President Prime Minister Dy. ... The Lok Sabhha (alternatively titled, the House of the People, by the Constitution of India) is the lower house in the Parliament of India. ...

According to New York Times reporter Celia Dugger, witnesses were "dismayed by the lack of intervention from local police", who often "watched the events taking place and took no action against the attacks on Muslims and their property".^[52]

Hindu residents of Mahajan No Vando, part of the Muslim dominated area of Jamalpur, told HRW that on March 1, the police ignored phone calls and left them fend for themselves when a Muslim mob attacked.^[40] Numerous calls by Hindus throughout the riots were reportedly ignored by the police.^[40] is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The United States Department of State in its International Religious Freedom Report 2003 stated: Department of State redirects here. ...

^[53]

Amnesty International's annual report on India in 2003 claimed the "Gujarat government did not actively fulfill its duty to provide appropriate relief and rehabilitation to the survivors". It also claimed that "the same police force that was accused of colluding with the attackers was put in charge of the investigations into the massacres, undermining the process of delivery of justice to the victims."^[54]

In 2003, A comment by G.T. Nanavati, who leads the official commission investigating the riots, that part of the evidence collected and reviewed till then did not indicate any serious lapse on the part of the government or police in Gujarat^[55][56] was criticised as inappropriate by aid and reconciliation activists and other jurists.^[57][58]

One thousand army troops were flown in by the evening of March 1 to restore order. Intelligence officials alleged that the deployment was deliberately delayed by the state and central governments.^[59] On May 3, former Punjab police chief K P S Gill was appointed as security adviser to the Chief Minister.^[60] Kanwar Pal Gill, was born in Ludhiana, Punjab, India. ...

In response to allegations of state involvement, Gujarat government spokesman, Bharat Pandya, told the BBC that the rioting was a spontaneous Hindu backlash fuelled by widespread anger against Muslims. He said "Hindus are frustrated over the role of Muslims in the on-going violence in Indian-administered Kashmir and other parts of India" ^[61].

RB Sreekumar, who served as Gujarat's intelligence chief during the riots, alleged that the state government issued "unconstitutional directives", with officials asking him to kill Muslims involved in rioting or disrupting a Hindu religious event. The Gujarat government denied the allegations, calling them "baseless" and instigated out of malice because Mr. Sreekumar was not promoted.^[62]

Human Rights Watch alleges ^[63] that state enforcement and state machinery continues to "harass and intimidate"^[64] key witnesses, NGOs, social activists and lawyers who are fighting to seek justice for riot victims. Human Rights Watch Banner Human Rights Watch is a United States-based international non-government organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. ...

The US Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, John Hanford, expressed concern over religious intolerance in Indian politics, said that while the rioters may have been aided by state and local officials, "we don't believe that the Central Government even under the BJP Government was involved in inciting those riots." ^[65] John V. Hanford is the Ambassador at Large of the Office of International Religious Freedom of the US State Department which was created under the provisions of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. ...

Responses

The BJP government has defended the actions of Narendra Modi's administration against charges of 'genocide'. They said that the killing of 254 Hindus, mostly in police firing, indicates how the state authorities took effective steps to curb the violence.^[66] In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs Sriprakash Jaiswal confirmed the Hindu death toll in the incident(s).

BJP MP and journalist Balbir Punj disputed allegations of bias against Muslims by the BJP-run state government, pointing out that the majority of the arrestees during and after the riots were Hindus.^[67]. For other uses, see Journalist (disambiguation). ... Balbir Punj (1949-) is a journalist and columnist from India. ...

Role of Hindu nationalist organisations

Some independent reports have blamed the Sangh Parivar organisations to be responsible for orchestrating the riots. These organisations include the RSS, VHP, Bajrang Dal and affiliated organisations. The adult victims of the Godhra train burning were pilgrims and some may have been members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. The Sangh Parivar is a loose family of organizations, which promote the ideology of Hindutva. ... The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (Hindi: , English: ), also known as the Sangh or the RSS, is a Hindu nationalist organization in India. ... The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP; World Hindu Council in Hindi), is a Hindu nationalist organisation in India, an offshoot of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. ... Bajrang Dal (Hindi: , English: ) is the youth wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), and one of the family of organizations (Sangh Parivar) based on the core ideology of Hindutva. ... The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP; World Hindu Council in Hindi), is a Hindu nationalist organisation in Bharat, an offshoot of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. ...

Muslims in Ahmedabad alleged that there were elements of planning in the violence^[68]. Human Rights Watch alleges ^[69] that they also had detailed ^[70] about buildings and businesses held by members of the minority community while there were also cases where Hindus living in mixed neighbourhood were attacked and driven out of their homes. ^[71]. Human Rights Watch Banner Human Rights Watch is a United States-based international non-government organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. ...

The People's Union for Civil Liberties allege that pamphlets were in circulation by the Sangh Parivar which could have ignited the violence further. They also alleged that there are "elements of economic boycott" against the Muslim community in most areas of Gujarat.^[72] This March 2007 does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Sangh Parivar is a loose family of organizations, which promote the ideology of Hindutva. ...

Shortly after the riots, when most Muslims were still in relief camps, a leaflet campaign "urging Hindus to boycott Muslim-owned shops and other establishments" was widely reported.^[73][74] The leaflets urged the Hindu reader not to frequent Muslim-owned restaurants, work in Muslim-run offices, hire Muslims or see films starring Muslim actors; they further assured the reader that the boycott would "throttle these elements. It will break their backbone. Then it will be difficult for them to live in any corner of this country."^[73] The economic boycott and "pressure from Hindu radicals" caused fewer employers to re-hire returning Muslims.^[74] No group claimed direct responsibility for the leaflets but a senior official of Viswha Hindu Parishad (VHP) was quoted as saying he was "in complete agreement with whatever is propagated through them."^[73]

As a consequence of the leaflet campaign, observers claimed that ten months ^[75], a year^[76] and even two and half years later^[77], the economic boycott of Muslims was still severe in many parts of the state. As a consequence of the boycott and continued threats, relief organisations lamented that they were having to build "ghettoes" for the displaced.^[78] The name ghetto refers to an area where people from a given ethnic background or united in a given culture or religion live as a group, voluntarily or involuntarily, in milder or stricter seclusion. ...

Public enquiries

Shah-Nanavati commission

On March 6, the Gujarat government set up a commission of enquiry headed by retired High Court judge K.G. Shah to enquire into the Godhra train burning and the subsequent violence and submit a report in three months.^[79]. Following criticism from victims' organisations, activists and political parties over Shah's alleged proximity to the BJP, on May 22, the government reconstituted the commission, appointing retired Supreme Court Justice G.T. Nanavati to lead the commission.^[80]

National Human Rights Commission

In its Proceedings of 1 April 2002, the Commission had set out its Preliminary Comments and Recommendations on the situation and sent a Confidential Report of the team of the Commission that visited Gujarat from 19 March-22 March 2002 to Gujarat government and Central Home Ministry. The Gujarat government in its reply did not provide its response to the Confidential report. Therefore, the Commission was compelled to release the confidential report in its entirety^[81] and observed that nothing in the reports received in response "rebuts the presumption that the Modi administration failed in its duty to protect the rights of the people of Gujarat" by not exercising its jurisdiction over non-state players that may cause or facilitate the violation of human rights. is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 78th day of the year (79th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 81st day of the year (82nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ...

It further observed that "the violence in the State, which was initially claimed to have been brought under control in seventy two hours, persisted in varying degree for over two months, the toll in death and destruction rising with the passage of time despite the measures reportedly taken by the State Government".

The report claims failure of intelligence, failure to take appropriate action, patterns of arrests, uneven handling of major cases, and "Distorted FIRs: ‘extraneous influences’, issue of transparency and integrity" as key factors in the incident(s).

Banerjee Committee

In September 2004, a panel appointed by the central government and headed by former Supreme Court judge UC Banerjee to probe the Godhra train fire concluded that the fire was accidental.^[82][83]. Its findings were challenged by the BJP and the Gujarat inspector-general of police. In October 2006, the Gujarat High Court ruled that the panel was set up illegally, in violation of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952 which prohibits the setting up of separate commissions by state and central governments to probe a matter of public importance.^[84]

Aftermath

Opposition parties as well as three coalition partners^[85] of the BJP-led central government demanded the dismissal of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for failing to contain the violence, with some calling for the removal of Union Home Minister L K Advani as well.^[86] Narendra Dāmodardās Modī (Gujarātī: નરેન્દ્ર મોદી, born September 17, 1950) is the incumbent Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat since October 7, 2001. ...

On July 18, the Modi government stepped down, dissolving the state assembly and calling for snap elections.^[87] The Indian Election Commission ruled out early elections, citing the prevailing law and order situation, a decision the union government unsuccessfully^[88] appealed against in the Supreme Court.^[89]

Elections were held in December and Modi was returned to power in a landslide victory vindicating the stand taken by his oppponents.^[90]

Relief efforts

The Indian government's compensation policies offered 200,000 rupees for families with dead members on the train and 100,000 rupees for families who had relatives die in the riots. According to Celia Dugger of the New York Times, it has been called discriminatory by Muslims as all of the train burning victims were Hindus and about 75% ^[91] of the riot victims were Muslims.^[92]

By March 27, nearly 100,000 displaced people moved into 101 relief camps. This swelled to over 150,000 in 104 camps the next two weeks.^[28] The camps were run by community groups and NGOs, with the government committing to provide amenities and supplementary services. Drinking water, medical help, clothing and blankets were in short supply at the camps.^[93] At least another 100 camps were denied government support, according to a camp organiser.^[94] and relief supplies were prevented from reaching the camps over fears that they may be carrying arms.^[95]

Relief camp organisers alleged that the state government was coercing refugees to leave relief camps, with 25,000 people made to leave eighteen camps that were shut down. Following government assurances that camps would not be shut down, the Gujarat High Court bench ordered that camp organisers be given a supervisory role to ensure that the assurances were met.^[96]

Media coverage

Covering the first major communal riots following in the advent of satellite television to India, news channels set a precedent by identifying the community of those involved in the violence, breaking a long-standing practice.^[97]

The Gujarat government banned television news channels critical of the government's response. STAR News, Zee News, Aaj Tak, CNN as well as local stations were blocked.^[97] STAR News is the Hindi-language News channel of STAR Group India, the channel presents a mix of rolling news bulletins and specialised shows covering topics from crime to Cricket. ... Zee News is leading HINDI channel in india. ... Aaj Tak is a 24-hour Hindi news television channel run by TV Today Network Ltd. ... The Cable News Network, commonly known as CNN, is a major cable television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. ...

Critical reporting on the Gujarat government's handling of the situation helped bring about the Indian government's intervention in controlling the violence.^[97]

Allegations have been made of deliberately loading the reports against Hindus and whitewashing the violence perpetrated by Muslims. The media, as well as several opinion makers, have been criticized for ignoring the causal connection between rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country and the resulting frustration of Hindus that led to the riots and falsely attacking Hindus as the sole cause and the sole perpetrators of the violence.^[98] Jayalalithaa Jayaram, general secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, also criticized the media and politicians for bias, saying "it is saddening and strange that when such acts are perpetrated against the minorities all political leaders rush to condemn. But when the majority is attacked, not a single political leader condemns it."^[99][100] Islamic fundamentalism is a term used to describe religious ideologies seen as advocating literalistic interpretations of the texts of Islam and of Sharia law. ... This article is about the area administered by India. ... J. Jayalalithaa (Jayalalithaa Jayaram), (born February 24, 1948, Mysore is a former Chief Minister of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. ... Dr M. G. Ramachandran Janaki Ramachandran second Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu from AIADMK Party All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) (Tamil: அனைத்து இந்திய அண்ணா திராவிட முன்னேற்ற கழகம்) is a regional political party in Tamil Nadu state in India. ...

A group from the Editorial Guild of India rejected the charge that the graphic news coverage aggravated the situation, saying that the coverage exposed the "horrors" of the riots as well as the "supine if not complicit" attitude of the state, helping propel remedial action. The team also faulted Gujarati language papers Gujarat Samachar and the pro-Hindutva Sandesh of distorted and provocative reporting.^[97]

Columnist Rajeev Srinivasan of Rediff.com accused "the self-proclaimed 'intelligentsia'" of attempting to "mislead the public with its biased and one-sided perorations".^[101][102] He says that there is a decidedly Marxist,"Nehruvian" and anti-Hindu bias in the intelligentsia in India that leads them to believe that Hindu lives are "less valuable" than Muslim lives. This leads them to ignore the atrocities perpetrated by Islamic Fundamentalists against Hindus, as well as the Godhra Train Burning that precipitated the riots, and deflect attention away from them by focusing on the actions of the Hindus.^[101][102] The Godhra incident, however, received extensive news coverage until it was overtaken by the subsequent violence and the presentation of the Union budget.^[97] Rajeev Srinivasan is a prominent Indian journalist. ... Jawaharlal Nehru (जवाहरलाल नेहरू) (November 14, 1889 - May 27, 1964), also called Pandit (Teacher) Nehru, was the leader of the (moderately) socialist wing of the Indian National Congress during and after Indias struggle for independence from the British... Anti-Hindu leaflet launched by fundamentalist Christian churches Anti-Hindu prejudice is a negative perception against Hinduism, Hindus and Indian or Hindu culture. ... This article is about political Islam For the religion of Islam, see Islam. ... The Godhra Train Burning Incident occurred in the town Godhra in the Indian state of Gujarat at 0630 hrs on 27 February 2002. ...

BJP MP Balbir Punj has criticised an Arundhati Roy essay, pointing out a factual error in it, and accusing a "secular pack" in the media of hyperbole and sensationalising the riots as part of an agenda of what he calls 'defamation' and 'left wing anti-India propaganda' ^[103][104]. Punj writes "She (Roy) terms Gujarat the 'petri dish' of the Sangh Parivar. The fact is that Godhra has been used as a crucible by the secular fundamentalists." Punj later continues, "Loss of 900-odd innocent lives (both Hindus and Muslims) is definitely not a 'genocide' of any one community". Punj also says, "The secular pack is not only guilty of parading half-truths but also of condoning and inciting violence".^[67] Suzanna Arundhati Roy[1] (born November 24, 1961) is an Indian novelist, writer and activist. ... The Sangh Parivar is a loose family of organizations, which promote the ideology of Hindutva. ... , Godhra is a city and the Originally the name came from Gou means Cow and Dhara means Flow. The Cow are Flowing in the Panchmahal District, a municipality in Panchmahal district in the Indian state of Gujarat. ...

Controversies on the riots

Allegations of atrocities against women

There has been widespread public outrage regarding atrocities against women during the riots, including acts of rape, in respect of which FIRs were allegedly neither promptly nor accurately recorded, and the victims allegedly harassed and intimidated.

An international "fact finding committee" formed of experts from US, UK, France, Germany and Sri Lanka claimed that "Sexual violence was being used as a strategy for terrorising women belonging to minority community in the state.^[105].

Taking a stand decried by the media and other rights group, the National Commission for Women accused organisations and the media of needlessly exaggerating the plight of women victims of the riots. Nafisa Hussain, a member of the NCW, went on record saying that several organisations and the media have needlessly blown out of proportion the violence suffered by minority women in the communal riots of Gujarat.^{[106][107][108]} Other groups have challenged the stand of the NCW.The newspaper Tribune reported that "The National Commission for Women has reluctantly agreed to the complicity of Gujarat Government in the communal violence in the state." The tone of their most recent report was reported by the Tribune as "lenient".^[109]

Notes

Varsha Bhosle is an opinion columnist from India. ... is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... is the 61st day of the year (62nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Department of State redirects here. ... is the 109th day of the year (110th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 138th day of the year (139th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Balbir Punj (1949-) is a journalist and columnist from India. ... This March 2007 does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Dawn in Peng Chau, Hong Kong. ... ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ...

External links

• Harsh Mander Cry, the Beloved Country: Reflections on the Gujarat Massacre.
• Democracy: Who is she when she's at home? by Arundhati Roy
• Fiddling with Facts as Gujarat Burns - Balbir Punj
• Destruction of Gujarat's Muslim heritage
• The full story of Kauser Bano
• Truth in Gujarat by Balbir Punj
• Godhra train fire conspiracy theory bogus, says counsel
• Lalu panel calls Godhra an accident, what about flaming rags, ask victims
• Godhra train carnage survivor says he heard blast
• “We Have No Orders To Save You”:State Participation and Complicity in Communal Violence in Gujarat- Human Rights Watch Report
• Politics By Other Means: An Analysis of Human Rights Watch Reports on India - Criticism of Human Rights Watch Report, Guest column for the South Asia Analysis Group
• The Hindu filmmaker Rakesh Sharma's documentary India: Final Solution portrays the nature and the milieu of the Gujarat Riots of 2002, playing the incident as instigated by Hindu ultranationalists, and perpetrated against innocent Muslim families. The film also provides background on the preceding Godhra massacre.Interview with Rakesh Sharma. BBC profile of India: Final Solution
• Foreign missions: undiplomatic leaks - Allegations of anti-India media bias
• Time Cover Story on Gujarat Riots
• Pictures of Gujarat Riots
• Gujarat: Riots and Politics, Outlook dossier.
• Gujarat Riots, Indian Express full coverage
• The Gujarat Riots, Rediff News
• Gujarat Riots: The Aftermath, Hindustan Times
• Report on Godhra Riots, Justice Tewatia