AHMEDABAD: Britain's top diplomat in India will on Monday hold talks with the chief minister of Gujarat state, ending a 10-year boycott over religious riots in 2002 that left three Britons dead.
Narendra Modi, a Hindu nationalist who is tipped as a possible future prime minister, came to power shortly before the riots in Gujarat and is accused of doing little to prevent India's worst religious violence since independence.
After the riots, British officials were banned from dealing directly with Modi but the government this month changed its policy and said High Commissioner James Bevan would travel to Gujarat.
"The High Commissioner will hold talks in Ahmedabad with senior politicians including Mr Modi, and will also meet with British firms who have infrastructure projects in the state," a British embassy spokesman told AFP.
The riots in 2002 were triggered by the deaths of nearly 60 Hindu pilgrims in a train fire that was initially blamed on a mob of Muslims.
Modi is accused of failing to halt the orgy of revenge that left more than 2,000 people - mainly Muslims - dead, according to rights groups. The government figures put the death toll at about 1,000.
Among the dead were three British nationals - Saeed Dawood, Mohammed Aswat Nallabhai and Shakil Dawood - who were burnt to death in Sabarkantha district of the western Indian state.
When Britain announced it would end the boycott, junior foreign minister Hugo Swire said the British envoy would discuss a "wide range of issues of mutual interests".
"We want to support human rights and good governance in the state," Swire added.
Modi, a senior leader of the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, denies any misconduct over the riots. But he has struggled to shake off the allegations, and the United States has refused to grant him a visa since 2005.
Despite the scars of the sectarian violence, Gujarat in recent years has lured foreign firms with its reliable power supply, good infrastructure by Indian standards, and the availability of educated but cheap labour.
COMMENTS (16)
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Wow! almost missed this gem of a sentence. So, who were finally blamed for the deaths of 60Hindu pilgrims anyway?!
Modi going to Britain is a problem why? There are cases of prosecution against some Godhra rioters. What cases are brought against perpetrators of Gojra riots? Still Sharif brothers have no issue visiting UK.
@Nitish: Yes he has no remorse like a lion. Indians deserve a lion not a human.
@Diogenes: "t was Modi who decided to parade the bodies through Gujarat".
Yes indeed. Would you also like o elaborate on why did the bodies exist in the first place? Was it Modi that instigated the Muslims to kill the 60 pilgrims including women and children?
"It was Modi whose party men sat in police control rooms"
"Yes just as Congress was in charge during 1984 and 1993 riots which were bigger in scale". Also it was Zardari whose party has been in charge when 26/11/ happened when Hazara and Gilgit SHias continue to be picked of buses and killed when thousands of people in Karachi have been target killed.
"It was Modi who said he would give two days of full freedom to the mobs" This is Teesta Setalvad propaganda. If there were any evidence available, he would have been convicted by now. What is a fact is that after 2 days when he swa the police could not control the issue, he asked the army to come in and the riots stopped. This was not done by the Congress government in either 1984 or 1993 and hence the death toll was higher.
"Modi will forever remain a blot on the face of India and due to his past crimes, the BJP will never get the alliances it needs to gain power at the Centre."
You may think so. Even Gujarati Muslims don't because BJP has been elected in Muslim majority areas in Gujarat in the 2007 elections.
It was Modi who decided to parade the bodies through Gujarat. It was Modi whose party men sat in police control rooms It was Modi who said he would give two days of full freedom to the mobs Modi will forever remain a blot on the face of India and due to his past crimes, the BJP will never get the alliances it needs to gain power at the Centre.
-- An Indian Hindu.
British are smart people . They are the creator of divide and rule policy . They have already smelled the PM-ceremonial food being cooked for Mr.Modi . If Mr.Modi becomes PM , then British firms will weep in Blood filled eye .Now-a -days no country cares UK , sun has already set in the kingdom .After 10 years , Indian business men will eat away all of their business .
@curious: "All I can say is money talks, forget past atrocities."
I do not justify loss of innocent lives - the rioters should be prosecuted and they are. To blame it on the CM who actually called the army on the 3rd day which stopped the riots completely seems unfair. ALso note that there have been no communal riots in Gujarata in the last 10+ years. And if Modi is to be held personally liable for the riots,thousands of Muslims die in KArachi, Quetta and Gilgit target killings - is anyone holding Zardari responsible and boycotting him?IS someone holding Zardari responsible for the 10 people who got on the boat and came to India killing 167 people? How then can you hold Modi responsible for the riots?
" United States has refused to grant him a visa since 2005." After the original denial of visa , he has never sought it again, so to say it has denied him since 2005 is inaccurate. It should he was denied in 2005.
@Nitish: Yes he is a Lion but made of Plastic.....
@curious:
Talking of past, has Pakistan already apologized for 1971?
I like his pose.He is a lion.
Have they forgotten the Tony Blair affair with Libya and the Lockerbie bomber and the egg they got on their face...........
All I can say is money talks, forget past atrocities.
This was bound to happen!!! Question was not if, but when???