By: ARUN JAITLEY
Critics of Narendra Modi are caught in a time-warp while Gujaratis have moved on. Harmony and growth have healed the wounds of the post-Godhra violence
Any riot, be it inspired by religious, caste or any other frenzy, leaves huge wounds behind. It causes death, injury, loss and suffering. It divides the society and polarises people on basis of their birth. Every civilised society has to free itself from the menace of such social tensions.
Gujarat for a long time had an unfortunate history of such riots, small or big. It was men and events which triggered such conflicts, the last of such major riots being in 2002. As a section of the media re-visits the Gujarat riots of 2002, it is equally important to look at Gujarat 10 years after the riots. Gujarat has finally had a riot-free decade. Hopefully, the unfortunate events of 2002 will never be repeated. Gujarat’s agenda today is no longer a social divide. It is economic development, improvement in the life of every citizen and a desire to compete with the most successful societies in the world. The memories of 2002 are not revived by Gujaratis. They are revived by elements within the society whose relevance exists in reviving sad memories of the past.
The burning of compartment S-6 of Sabarmati Express on February 27, 2002 was a barbaric act. It was planned by mischievous elements with the intention of generating communal trouble in the country. It stunned the society. Many were misled into a retaliatory action. The violence was so widespread that the security apparatus of the State was out-numbered. The Army had to be called in to take positions. A very large number of innocent people lost their lives due to this violence. Hundreds were killed even in police firing. Contrast this with the anti-Sikh riots in New Delhi in 1984 where not one person died in police firing.
Thousands of charge-sheets have been filed, many have been convicted, some trials are pending. Many important cases have been subjected to judicial monitoring. Their investigations have been cross-checked and improved upon by court-appointed Special Investigative Teams comprising independent officials. Prosecutors have been appointed by an independent mechanism as directed by the courts. Judges conducting trials have been nominated by the High Court. There have been more charge-sheets and even convictions than in any other religious or caste riot in India. This should be seen in the context of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi, where charge-sheets and convictions were negligible. Even the PUCL publication giving the details of the Sikh killings was banned. The media response was muted and judicial attitude was passive.
The political leadership of Gujarat, particularly Chief Minister Narendra Modi, went through a serious test. Should he have allowed the environment of the State to be dominated by the agenda set by Godhra and the post-Godhra riots? There were many who wanted that agenda to continue. The Chief Minister and the Government overcame various odds to change the agenda. The greater good of the largest number of people was the ultimate object. The State embarked upon an unprecedented growth story, undeterred by hostilities. The State GDP grew by double-digit. The State used its potential to become India’s manufacturing hub. The port infrastructure was strengthened with the advantage of a large hinterland available to Gujarat. Its road network now compares with the developed world. Agriculture, which was crippled due to water shortage, has multiplied at an impressive double-digit growth rate, thanks to the Sardar Sarovar project which the State managed to achieve despite political and judicial obstacles. Electricity being provided 24 hours a day became a great achievement. Red-tape was eliminated in economic decision-making. This incentivised domestic and international investors to look at Gujarat as the prime investment destination in India. Corruption-free Government became the brand image of the State and its Chief Minister. Today, irrespective of religious or caste affiliations, Gujaratis are looked upon as entrepreneurs who, being free from the shackles of indecisiveness, are facilitated by a political leadership to be a part of peace and prosperity.
The world today knows Gujarat for the growth story and for its immense economic potential. The advantages of this growth have trickled down. Enriched revenues of the State have been used for various social and poverty alleviation schemes. The Hindus and the Muslims of Gujarat are both a part of this growth story. This has been acknowledged by most studies which have observed that the Muslims minority in Gujarat is economically much better than most other parts of the country.
Gujarat has changed its agenda in the last 10 years, much to the dislike of the Congress leadership and some NGOs which work as its front. The changed agenda does not suit their politics. It is, therefore, necessary for them to keep the riot-torn image of Gujarat alive. Politically they have been on the losing side. Mr Modi cannot be defeated by the Congress in the elections. The strategy, therefore, is to use other methods to fight him. The initial strategy was to use a section of the media which rejoiced in anti-Modi stories. Rumours, falsehood and propaganda were convenient instruments. For years we were narrated a horrific story of a woman who was pregnant and her stomach was torn apart. The entire story was manufactured and no fact could be proven. Gujarat Police found no evidence against Mr Modi in the riots. The courts were petitioned to appoint an SIT. The SIT of Gujarat Police officers found no evidence against him. It was replaced by an SIT comprising former CBI officials. Media reports indicate that there is no evidence against Mr Modi. They found no prosecutable evidence against Mr Modi. A further arrangement was made which went outside the Code of Criminal Procedure. The investigators’ findings would be reviewed by a lawyer — an amicus curiae. Is the process of hounding to continue till facts can be manufactured to suit the politics of some?
The Home Minister of the State, against whom no evidence was available in two prior investigations, was charge-sheeted and arrested by the CBI in an encounter case. A bare analysis of the charge-sheet and the accompanying evidence indicates the falsity of the evidence. Voluminous evidence is available of a disgruntled police officer communicating with the Gujarat Congress leadership on how to implicate Modi. The State Congress leadership even sent to him a blue-print of the legal process required to be followed in order to implicate the Chief Minister.
Every encounter is not a fake encounter. India has suffered at the hands of Maoist violence, cross-border terrorism and various other forms of insurgency. Police and security forces have often clashed with these insurgents. In the last one decade the list of State-wise encounters would show that the number of encounters in Gujarat was amongst the lowest. Every other State can be trusted to presume that encounters are genuine or it can appoint its own mechanism to investigate these encounters. However, the judicial yardstick to investigate encounters in Gujarat is different. In an astonishing case where a woman activist of the Lashkar-e-Tayyeba was killed along with some others, the Union Government withdrew its affidavit supporting the encounter as genuine and real. The LeT website had owned her up as a LeT operative. A court has now appointed an SIT which includes an officer nominated by the NGOs and the Union Government to investigate the case. Motivated investigators will hardly be fair. In all other States the Lokayukta would be appointed on the advice of the Council of Ministers but in the case of Gujarat, the Governor can ignore the recommendation of the Council of Ministers. A court has found this to be legally acceptable. Several legislations passed by the State Assembly are either waiting assent of the Governor or of the Union Government.
The NGOs which have been actively campaigning against Gujarat during these past 10 years have simultaneously pleaded for those who burnt the Sabarmati Express which started the sordid saga of 2002. The UPA Government chose to appoint a carefully chosen retired judge of the Supreme Court to opine in an inquiry that the fire in the Sabarmati Express was started from inside coach S-6.
The last one decade has been a challenging one for the State of Gujarat. There was a history of social tensions. Gujarat now has had a riot-free decade. It has tried to move away from the past. It has embarked upon a road to economic growth. The tragedy of Gujarat is that since Mr Modi’s opponents can’t defeat him politically, they hide behind NGOs and a section of the media. One can only hope the judiciary keeps out of this political thicket and remains even-handed.
The guilty must be punished but the attempt at media trials and manufacturing of evidence must end. Harmony and growth will be the best healers. The future road map of Gujarat will see a battle between those who want Gujarat to be caught in the time-frame of 2002 and those who believe that this century promises to be that of Gujarat’s. Gujarat has now to overcome the challenge of this negative energy.
(The writer is Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.) click for original post
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