The Hindu : Gujarat carnage

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 27, 2002

Opinion

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Gujarat carnage

Sir, — All of us are watching the country being torn apart but are unable to resist or react. While the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, has merely termed the Gujarat violence as a blot on the nation, the Home Minister, L. K. Advani, while deploring the carnage, lauded the Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, for "controlling the situation" in two days. To support his stand, he said the Congress Government did not fire a single shot during the anti-Sikh carnage of 1984, but during the Gujarat violence, 69 persons were killed in police firing.

However, independent inquiries and media reports have revealed that criminals, with the Government's connivance, ransacked the State for four days. And the Police Commissioner of Ahmedabad, for his part, said on television that police were also part of society and could not be expected to be unaffected by the "emotional outrage."

Now, hardcore fanatical voices are finding an audience among the Muslims in Gujarat. The victimisation and alienation of the Muslim masses will have a devastating effect on our polity. Despite protesting through critical editorials, silent demonstrations and hunger strikes, we have failed to impress those who have no respect for sanity or law and who have declared that the "real" safety of the Muslims lies in the goodwill of the majority.

The media must play a more active role. India's survival as a vibrant democracy will depend on the media and its preparedness to fulfil its new responsibility.

Sujit Ghosh,
New Delhi

Sir, — It was about an year ago that Gujarat was hit by a devastating earthquake. Unfortunately, this year too, it has been hit by a calamity, which was no less intense than any national disaster.

Mr. Modi and Mr. Advani should resign. It is very unfortunate that Mr. Advani has appreciated the Modi Government. The BJP's attitude has not changed and secularism is now in great danger.

M. Aleemuddin Farooqui,
Dammam, Saudi Arabia

Sir, — The dust after Godhra is refusing to settle down. The regional dailies, in particular, are apt to use the incident for playing the Hindutva card in a dangerous manner. What we have witnessed after the misdemeanour is the brittle philosophy of our nationalism.

Secularism and good governance are at stake and the Gujarat Government has fumbled. To come out of the situation is the Government's prerogative but how it will do so is worth watching.

Syed Amir Ali Hashmi,
Aligarh, U.P.

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