The Hindu : Muslim leaders call off meet with Parivar leaders in Gujarat

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 28, 2002

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Muslim leaders call off meet with Parivar leaders in Gujarat

By Manas Dasgupta

GANDHINAGAR MAY 27. The efforts of the National Commission for Minorities to bring the Hindus and Muslim closer in riot-torn Gujarat received a setback today with the Muslim leaders refusing to meet the representatives of the Sangh Parivar.

The Muslim leaders, who had earlier agreed for the meeting at the NCM's initiative did a last-minute `u' turn and refused to meet the representatives of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the Bajrang Dal and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, whom the minorities hold as the "accused'' in the post-Godhra communal carnage.

The leaders communicated their decision to the NCM and the State Social Justice Department Secretary, R. M. Patel, who was coordinating the initiative, on Saturday. Accordingly, the meeting scheduled for today in the presence of the NCM delegation, led by its chairman, was postponed and the visit by the NCM delegation cancelled. The Godhra disturbances, which claimed two lives on Friday was cited as the reason for the postponement.

At the instance of the NCM, which formed a 16-member committee of the riot-hit minorities to carry out negotiations with the Sangh Parivar across the table, the minority delegation had met the Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, who announced a series of relief measures, including the restoration of all the damaged and destroyed places of worship and rehabilitation of the riot-hit. Today's meeting between the representatives of the two communities was considered to be the final step towards establishing a lasting peace in the trouble-torn State.

The Muslim leaders gave different reasons for refusing to meet the representatives of the Sangh Parivar and accepting their credentials. As Mohsin Kadri, coordinator of the Shah-e-Alam Roza camp, said, there was no question of talking to the VHP and the Bajrang Dal leaders whom the entire Muslim community held responsible for the riots. "We are ready to talk to Hindu representatives with credibility, may be some `mahants' and others who command respect and following among the people, but not the VHP or the Dal.''

Mufti Shabbir Ahmed, Imam, Ahmedabad Jama Masjid, held the VHP and the Bajrang Dal just as much "anti-national'' as the Jaish-e-Mohammad and other Muslim terrorist organisations. "How can we talk to such fundamentalist organisations (which were) responsible for the riots,'' he asked. The leaders of the VHP and the Dal were now keen on a meeting so that they could be "bailed out'' of the charges of perpetrating the carnage.

The time was not ripe for such a dialogue as the Muslim leaders were busy in the task of rehabilitation, he said. In a frontal attack on Mr. Modi, he said the Chief Minister had made "tall promises'' but nothing was being implemented. "The Government has made a fool of us.''

However, the prominent social activist and leader, Hanif Lakdawala, questioned the very credibility of the Muslim leaders in representing the community in talks.

The "maulanas'' had no acceptability among the community nor had they communicated to the Muslims the talks they had held with the NCM earlier and the promises made by the Government.

Besides, as the Muslims believed that the VHP and the Dal were the perpetrators of the post-Godhra violence, the Government needed to create a conducive atmosphere for talks by arresting at least "some big names,'' allegedly involved in serious incidents of crime during the riots. Instead of holding talks between the "self-styled leaders" of the two communities, links would have to be established at the grassroots by bringing the people from the two communities in the local areas together, he said.

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Muslim leaders call off meet with Parivar leaders in Gujarat