MINORITIES - 2002 - Indian Social Institute

AHMEDABAD, MARCH 4. About 35 powerloom units in the curfew-bound Limbayat locality in the
southern outskirts of Surat city, were set afire late tonight. The uidustrial-cum-residential area heavily
inhabitated by the migrant labourers from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa and Andhra Pra-desh, has a history
of communal disturbances. The police, however, claimed that only four units were set on fire but
eyewitness accounts said at least 38 units were burning. The police had earlier during the day raided
some of the houses in the locality on information of a plan to burn alive some people. Though curfew was
relaxed in most other parts of Surat for a few hours today, no relaxation was given in Limbayat because of
the prevailing tension. Elsewhere in the state, atleast seven persons were killed in stabbing incidents and
group clashes, even as the official toll in the five days of violence went up to 523. (Hindu 5.3.02)
5 th March
Muslims face boycott in Gujarat (7)
New Delhi, March 4: Gujarat is witnessing perpetration of a systematic economic agenda against Muslims.
Pamphlets are being circulated amongst the masses calling for an economic boycott of Muslims, their
business establishments and even the eating joints owned by them.
So much so, the public is being asked to boycott even those films in which Muslim actors and actresses
figure. People are being told that even those producers who choose to hire Muslim starcast should be
thrown out of India. Talking to The Asian Age, veteran Gandhi-an Nirmala Deshpande related that peace
activists working in the troubled state of Gujarat have faxed her such pamphlets. (Asian Age 5.3.02)
5 th March
Christians face communal wrath missions attacked (7)
New Delhi, March 4: It is not only Muslims who are being attacked in Gujarat, but Christians too are being
targeted. In recent days, several cases of violence against Christians have been reported in Gujarat,
which has been witnessing communal riots for the last one week. The secretary-general of the All-India
Christian Council, Dr John Dayal, said that a mission being run at Sanjeli by the Divine Word Society was
completely ransacked and burned by the RSS and VHP activists on March 2. Father Chachkochan and
his companion Brother Gnanarul were attacked with stones. A mob came at around 2 pm and destroyed
everything. It returned again at around 6 pm and broke open the house. The attackers looted the house
and set fire to the building. (Asian Age 5.3.02)
6th March
Self employed youth in crisis (7)
Ahmedabad/Vadodara, The communal frenzy that gripped the state after the gruesome Godhra incident
has not only claimed over 500 lives but has also had an adverse impact on self-employed people and
many small-scale manufacturing units all over the state. With attacking mobs reducing many such units in
the industrial ' estates to ashes, the serious question of how people of the minority community who have
been victimised are to make a living requires an immediate answer. Nearly 500 shops were set ablaze in
Ahmedabad, along with small-scale units engaged mainly in fabrication, welding, printing and diamond
cutting. In Vadodara, lakhs of labourers have been left jobless. In Ahmedabad, more than large-scale
industries, it is the shopkeepers, garage owners, rickshaw drivers, petty roadside dhaba owners and
vendors who have been most affected by the riots. (Asian Age 6.3.02)
6 th March
Riots cast ugly shadows in Andhra (7)
Hyderabad: THE COMMUNAL riots of Gujarat are casting their long and dark shadows on the communal
peace in Hyderabad and with a series of untoward incidents and localised communal clashes, the fear of
outbreak of communal violence in old city is on the rise. Once again tension prevailed in many sensitive
areas of old city of Hyderabad last night after the members of two communities complained of stone
pelting. Senior police officials swung in to action and deployed additional police pickets and rapid action
force personnel and increased the police patrolling in the sensitive areas. (Pioneer 6.3. 02)
7 th March
Teachers unite to fight communalism (7)
New Delhi, March 6: Hundreds of teachers from all over the country on Wednesday marched in protest