The Hindu : Violence was planned months in advance: U.K. officials

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 28, 2002

International

International

Violence was planned months in advance: U.K. officials

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON APRIL 27. British officials in India have been quoted by the BBC as saying that the violence in Gujarat was ``planned, possibly months in advance'' and its aim was to ``purge Muslims from Hindu areas.''

It said that according to a ``damning'' internal report, prepared by British officials who visited Gujarat, the violence had ``all the hallmarks of ethnic cleansing and that reconciliation between Hindus and Muslims is impossible while the Chief Minister remains in power.''

``It's a damning indictment of the State Government. It says the violence, far from being spontaneous, was planned possibly months in advance, carried out by an extremist Hindu organisation with the support of the State Government,'' the BBC said.

This is the second time in a week that the findings of a British High Commission investigation have been ``leaked'' to the media despite the Indian Government's strong protests. A Foreign Office spokesman confirmed to The Hindu last week that a team of the British High Commission in India had visited Gujarat, and that the British Government was ``concerned'' that the scale of violence and deaths was higher than earlier believed.

The Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, is reported to have spoken to his Indian counterpart, Jaswant Singh, and regretted the leak. But he is under pressure from the families of British victims of the Gujarat events to speak out more strongly against the continuing violence, and the alleged role of the State Government. ``We have told him that a line has been crossed and it is no longer an internal matter of the Indian Government,'' a spokesman of the Council of Indian Muslims (the U.K.) said today.

`Hindus are with us'

LONDON APRIL 27. A leading organisation of British Muslims today claimed that they had the support of many Hindus in its campaign for removal of the Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, in the wake of continuing violence in the State. It also offered to work with the families of British victims of the riots who are planning to file legal cases against Mr. Modi on charges of ``murder'' and ``genocide''.

``It is not a Muslim issue and despite the Vishwa Hindu Parishad's propaganda many Hindus are as much concerned about what is happening in Gujarat as we are,'' Munaf Zeena, chairman of the Council of Indian Muslims (UK) told The Hindu. He said Hindus were present at a public meeting organised by the Council in Blackburn on Friday and addressed by the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw. ``The VHP is very small but very vociferous which is why the voices of sanity in the Hindu community get drowned,'' he said.

The Council, he said, was exploring all legal avenues to arraign Mr Modi for his Government's ``complicity'' with rioters and would work closely with the families whose relatives had gone missing in Gujarat or were killed.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

Stories in this Section

Saudi plan helpful, says U.S.

Four Israelis killed in West Bank

Germany in shock after school shooting

Slayings trigger gun-law reviews

Vote for anyone but BNP, says Blair

Russia, U.S. to fight terrorism

`No Indians among boat mishap victims'

Fate of INS to be decided by U.S. Senate

ARD rally draws good response

Pak. SC upholds referendum

Pak. rejects charge

Violence was planned months in advance: U.K. officials