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A riot in Delhi, and one in Gujarat
There are two riots from modern India that have been attributed to political parties.
The Congress is blamed for...
The writer is a director with Hill Road Media in Bombay (aakar.patel@tribune.com.pk)
There are two riots from modern India that have been attributed to political parties.
The Congress is blamed for allowing the murder of some 3,000 Sikhs in Delhi after the assassination of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards in 1984. The BJP is thought to have stood by and done nothing while mobs killed a little over a thousand people, mainly Muslim but also Hindu, in Gujarat in 2002. This was to avenge the killing of 59 Hindu pilgrims who died after their train was firebombed. There was a third major riot, which happened after the fall of the Babri Masjid in 1992, but that is seen more as a free-for-all, and across parties and states. This week the BJP again had to face up to the past when its ally in Bihar, chief minister Nitish Kumar, did not attend the party’s gathering in his state. The reason he did not was that he has Muslim ministers, and Muslim voters in his constituency, whom he does not want to lose. And Nitish is worried that he will, if he even so much as appears on stage with Narendra Modi, chief minister of Gujarat during the 2002 riots, and still in the same job.
When Modi arrived in Bihar, advertisements were published mentioning Gujarat’s contribution made to flood victims in Bihar. This angered Nitish Kumar, who said it was barbaric to boast about helping those who were dying. But it is unlikely he would have been so touchy had the advertisement been made on behalf of someone other than Modi. This shows how worried Nitish is about the poisonous image that Modi has with his state’s Muslims.
But in Delhi, the prime minister of India, a Sikh, is from the Congress. And the Congress also regularly wins elections to govern Punjab, whose majority is Sikh. So clearly the Congress has done something to overcome its image as being bigoted against the Sikhs, and Sikhs themselves are willing to accept the party. Why is this so?
The answer is simple: Congress has apologised for its action, or inaction, during the butchering. The appointment of Manmohan Singh as India’s leader, while it is probably entirely due to his merit, is also seen as a balm offered to Sikhs. This might not amount to much, given the amount of trauma the Sikhs would have gone through and the actual damage to so many thousands of families, but they recognise the effort the Congress is trying to make.
The BJP, on the other hand, is still seen as the party that is prejudiced against Muslims, and the reason for this is also clear: it has made no apology for its inaction during the violence, and it has stood by the man who refused to say he had done anything wrong. Being in charge of a state when a thousand people are killed and billions in property is deliberately destroyed is a good reason to apologise, but Modi does not do this because he likes the image he has in certain sections of Gujarati society as being tough on Muslims.
This image does not travel particularly well because, as Nitish shows, most parts of India are repelled by it. But Modi has chosen to stick with it, and for that the BJP continues to suffer.
Published in the Express Tribune, June 16th, 2010.
Reader Comments (8)
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I thinkg all your report is wrong. I have a very specific reason. Media has decided to target modi even without having concrit proof and always brain washing people mind.
While on the other hand media is taking Congress very softly and not provoking people against congress as they still used to with Modi. Its well known conspiracy against Modi from media.
If there is any Court for media then people like you might be behind the Bar for broadcasting wrong news.
Jai Hind……..Recommend
Sikhs want to see justice. We will not rest until those accountable pay for their heinous acts.Recommend
I totally agree with Utkarsh. People of India love Modi and his sincere efforts to eradicate poverty. It is the media (sponsored by Congress) who is spreading rumors about Modi. Congress is threatened by the hard working uncorrupt and unbiased leader of Gujarat.Recommend
There is a big difference between the two riots – in 1984 in Delhi and in 2002 in Gujarat. The former was truly state sponsored where the non-sikh common man did not participate in killing of the innocent sikhs. The latter was the result of the outrageous non-muslim people provoked by the Godhara train burning incident. The people of Gujarat even went to the extent of selectively boycotting the muslim service providers and traders thus hitting their business. Media is always loyal to those who pay them, so such news is never seen in print or broadcast. There are muslim voters in Gujarat but Modi is not bothered about their appeasement to remain in power. He is doing tremendous work for the whole state where both non-muslims and muslims are benefiting alike. The congress politicians are working only for themselves and their family on cost of the country. How can they tolerate the good deeds of Modi?Recommend
To all those who think that the Gujarat pogroms where not state sponsored then they need to read the research of the aftermath where they will find that the whole setup was pre-planned and skillfully orchestrated. The bodies were not post-mortemed nor an independent body set up to investigate the whole incident. Modi is the butcher of Gujarat who has given blank license to rape the environment, adivasi lands, flora and fauna,natural resources, etc of Gujarat to select companies. What my Hindu brothers read about rights give to Muslims is all on paper without any enforcement. A Hindu victim’s family of Godhra gets lakhs in compensation while a Muslim victim’s family gets a few hundred rupees? You have been brainwashed by the VHP BJP junta and its media alliance. Congress is not exactly anyone’s friend but that does not make Modi the butcher any better. All this progress you are talking about will come to haunt your children and grandchildren in the form on diseases and pollution which will be irreversible. Already Gujarat has become the most polluted state in India under Modi. Don’t talk about good deeds when you can’t see beyond the hill, ask those who are living in Gujarat and going through the planned Godhra massacre.Recommend
Hanif,
The accusations you have made against Modi’s government are not proven in the court of law, at least not yet. So please get some solid evidences, not the reports prepared by interest groups, but something that you can claim as verdict of judiciary.
Regarding your accusation about pollution, Gujarat is the most developed state hence it is going to have more pollution than other backward states. Good news is government is imposing strict laws against such companies. I am not sure if you follow latest news but if you do, you should know well that Gujarat is the leading state in taking green initiatives.
Ofcourse you are conveniently ignoring all the positive development that state has witnessed under the leadership of Modi (BRTS, improvement in sex ratio, continued green revolution) because that doesn’t help you strengthen your hatred towards Modi.
Also, the supporters of Modi are not supporting him because they are members of VHP or RSS like you would like to imagine. The truth is we Gujaratis greatly appreciate the work Modi has done for the development of state and thats why we are here.
And lastly, I cann’t emphasize enough that all the allegations you made against Modi are merely allegations, they are not proven yet. So all your points might appease those who have already chosen to hate Modi but don’t really prove anything.Recommend
difrent between this two
1. delhi riote is happen becouse on one persone of indivudial family has been killed by sikh security gards, in gujarat because hindu pilgrims has ben killed by mob
2. so delhi riote take place between family loyalist vs sikh and in gujarat its hinud vs muslims
3. in delhi not singel family loayalist has been killed insted lots sikh killed and in gujarat muslims+hindu both dead (by this one can understand which riote is state sponcers)
4. in delhi rajiv justified killing of sikh by his state ment (bada paid girta hai) in gujarat modi stated that is reaction of hindu mean not justified and condemed also
5. delhi riote can be stoped by party as its dont by them but if bjp want they can not stoped gujarat as its by hindu pepole (they tried to stope as lots hindu killed in police firing)
6. in delhi riot rajiv gandhi has ben not introgated and in gujarat modi give full satisfide investigation agences which is opaintaed by supriam courts
and a lot more pepole of great india know everything
muslims in gujarat is more happey then any onthere congress lead stateRecommend
Those in Pakistan who accuse Mr Modi should visit Gujarat first before they throw blind accusations. He is one of the best leaders of Gujarat and respected by Hindus and Muslims here in Gujarat alike.Recommend