People's Democracy

AMID the daily accounts of senseless killings and annihilation of the Muslim minority in Gujarat, there are tales which reveal how large sections of people have refused to be drawn into the Hindutva mould and have displayed courage and determination in saving their neighbours’ lives and properties. Below we give an account narrating some such acts of fortitude and humanism that took place in Sabarkantha district of Gujarat. The account is based on the report filed by Kuberbhai Bhambhi, secretary of the Sabarkantha district committee of the CPI(M).

Along with many other districts of Gujarat, Sabarkantha was also affected by the large-scale "retribution" against the Muslim community that began with the two-day bandh called by the VHP and supported by the BJP to protest the gruesome attack on Sabarmati Express at Godhra. These attacks on Muslims have been unlike communal riots. Muslims have been systematically targeted. This all-sided attack is aimed at eliminating an entire community, destroying their properties and crippling them economically. According to information available, 200 Muslims have been killed (of them, several dozens were burnt alive) and 160 others are still untraceable. Some 3,000 houses, 15 mosques and property worth Rs 10,000 crore have been destroyed. In all, 94 villages were affected.

In Sabarkantha district, more than 7000 Muslims are lodged in 4 relief camps in the district. Initially, the district administration discouraged and pressurised the NGOs against setting up camps. When their attempts to dissuade the organisers failed, they passed instructions about not allowing any new inmate after March 15. There are reports that wheat and rice supplied to these camps are rotten and not fit for consumption; even this ration is received several days later. Besides, after the reports of attacks on relief camps in Ahmedabad came, there is a growing sense of insecurity in these camps too.

There are instances of Hindu neighbours from some villages visiting the camps, attempting to instil confidence in the Muslims and asking them to return back to their homes. But in many other places, apprehending trouble in the future, the victims have expressed their wish to be shifted to safer places. Given the fact that several Muslim shopkeepers were threatened, asked to close down their shops and work as agricultural labourers if they intended to stay back, such a reaction is understandable. Faced with constant threats and harassment, many Muslim government employees working in remote rural areas are seeking transfer.

Fear has gripped not the Muslims alone. Even the Hindus who ventured to come to the aid of Muslim victims or sympathised with them are being made targets of mob fury. This explains their silence when attacks against the minority community are taking place. However, the mass of the Hindus have remained unaffected by the poisonous Hindutva propaganda, aided and abetted by biased coverage in certain sections of the Gujarati press.

There are several cases where the intention was merely to break open shops and get some booty. In some centres, rampaging mobs first looted the shops owned by Muslims and then set them afire. Those who could not lay hands on anything worthwhile or joined the mob at a later stage, looted shops owned by Hindus as well. In several Adivasi areas, tribals were lured and instigated to loot the properties owned by Muslims.

Even in the midst of such mindless killings and wanton destruction of property, stories of how people protected members of the Muslim community from the rampaging mobs, at the risk of their own lives, stand as a silver lining.

In Bamna, the timely intervention of Purushottam Parmar and other CPI(M) workers saved 50 Muslim families from the attacks of the marauding mobs. In Meghraj taluka, CPI(M) workers led by Mahavir Singh saved Muslim families who were trapped in some of the villages. A similar thing happened in Bhiloda taluka also where CPI(M) workers saved several Muslim families. In Lilchha village of the taluka, the swift initiative taken by the local CPI(M) unit --- though it has just three members --- prevented any untoward incident in the village.

Lambadia village in Khedbrahma taluka has a history of communal disturbances in the past. A section of the Adivasi community, which took part in a communal riot on an earlier occasion, endeavoured to protect the Muslims in their village this time around. Dalits also played an active role in rescuing and protecting the lives of their Muslim brethren in all centres in the district except Prantij. In Bhiloda alone, vigilant Dalits saved 500 people from the minority community.

Despite the Congress party’s failure to effectively intervene and stop the killings, with some leaders even getting influenced by the rhetoric of the Hindutva forces, there are some instances of Congressmen coming to the rescue of Muslim families. The sarpanch of Vadagam in Modasa, a Congress leader of Chandrani in Himmatnagar, etc, protected the Muslims from attacks in their respective areas.

There are also instances of individual police officers discharging their responsibilities and enforcing the law, without bias. One such case took place in Modasa town that has a sizeable Muslim population. Here a crowd gathered near the police station and was on its way to attack the Muslims. But, despite the non-cooperation of the entire police force stationed there, the timely intervention of one police officer, Mr Chudavat, saved the lives of Muslims in the town. He stood his ground, pacified the crowd and sent them back. This individual instance apart, here too the police have refused to lodge FIRs and, more particularly, book the persons named by the victims, as they have been doing elsewhere in Gujarat.