MINORITIES - 2002 - Indian Social Institute

emained mere spectators. There was a political design in the recent tirade against the Christian
community, which was preovoked after a priest of St. Martin School in Bhawani Kheda, 25 km from Ajmer
was arrested on a charge of molesting students, they said. (Hindu 27.9.02)
Once again, Muslims flee Naroda Patiya (7)
Ahmedabad, Sept. 26: The localities of Naroda Patiya and Naroda Gam, where several Muslims were
burnt alive in a pogrom on February 28, 2002, were deserted on Wednesday and Thursday. There was a
mass exodus of over 7,800 Muslims from these areas because they feared a backlash during the bandh
called by the VHP. The VHP bandh call on Thursday turned violent with three people stabbed in south
Gujarat. The bandh was total and peaceful in the state barring the three stabbings. At Naroda Patiya, the
police allegedly did not give the few Muslim survivors, who had recently returned to their chawls, any
guarantee of safety during the two consecutive bandh days. (Asian Age 27.9.02)
Attack had nothing to do with the riots, says Modi (7)
AHMEDABAD. SEPTEMBER 26: GUJARAT Chief Minis ter Narendra Modi on Thurs day claimed terrorists
who struck at Akshardham could belong to PoK or even an "enemy countiy". He said that the modus
operandi of Tuesday's attackers was similar to the Parliament attack and it ap peared as if the terrorists
had come prepared to take devo tees hostage and bargain for some unidentified goal. He said a
committee, headed by DGP K. Chakravarti, was probing the ttack. (Indian Express 27.9.02)
28 th September
Sikh village shows little faith in electoral politics (7)
Sept. 27. — An eerie silence prevails along the 15-km-drive to the nondescript hamlet of Chit tisinghpora
from the temple town of Matton. Chittisinghpora is the largest village of Sikhs in Kashmir. About 3,000
members belonging to 450 to 500 Sikh families live here. On the night of 19 march, 2000, militants had
swooped down on this village and massacred 38 people. Two and a half years later, the mood has not
changed much. A small BSF camp has been set up. But nothing can take the element of fear out of the
place. Chittisinghpora remains untouched by the poll fever which has gripped the rest of the state.
Elections have failed to enthuse the vil lagers for the horror is still fresh in their mem ories. A stone
inscription stands outside the lo cal gurudwara where most of the menfolk were herded to and then shot.
Bullet holes still on the walls of the gurudwara. (Statesman 28.9.02)
30 th September
Gaurav Yatra to continue at any cost (7)
New Delhi, Sept. 29: Despite the attack on the Swami-narayan temple on Tuesday, the BJP, keeping in
mind its "political advantage," is determined to continue with its Gaurav Yatra at "any cost." The party on
Friday official ly declared that Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi was not only going to lead the party to
the polls, but he was BJP's "chief ministerial can didate." Overriding the apprehen sions of creating
communal tension in the state, Mr Modi, backed by deputy prime minister L.K. Advani and the BJP
central leadership, will carry on with the yatra, which will highlight the terrorist attack in the state and
exhort people to "rise against the Pakistani ele ments in Gujarat." BJP chief M. Venkaiah Naidu, during his
ongoing tour of villages in Haryana, ruled out any possibility of suspending the yatra. The third leg of the
yatra will begin from Ambaji temple in the state on October 5. (Asian Age 30.9.02)
2 nd October
EU team voices concern over minority killings (7)
NEW DELHI, OCT. 1. A five-member delegation from the European Parliament, which met with the Prime
Minister, A.B. Vajpayee, on Monday and the Defence Minister, George Fernandes, to day, raised the issue
of killings of minorities earlier this year with their interlocutors. Neena Gill, member of the European
Parliament from the United Kingdom, said that such incidents detracted from India's future given its
secular charac ter. Addressing a press confer ence today with Ms. Gill, E. Bar on Crespo, president,
parliamentary group of the Par ty of European Socialists, said they had no doubts about the way the
Election Commission conducted elections in India. Responding to questions on the elections in Jammu
and Kashmir, Mr. Crespo said it was not for them to put a "seal" on the polls taking place in the State.