MINORITIES - 2002 - Indian Social Institute

others (who practise different faiths). Instead of living peacefully, they want to preach and propagate their
religion by creating fear and terror in the minds of others." Mr. Vajpayejj's attack on 'jehadi' Islam took
everyone here by I surprise. He asserted that India was a multi-religious society and "we do not believe in
religious .fundamentalism." No one should challenge India's commitment to secularism, he said pointing
out that it had been tolerant towards all faiths which had chosen to make it their home, long before
Christianity and Islam had come to this land. (Hindu 13.4.02)
14 th April
PM’s speech will worsen scars (7)
New Delhi, April 13: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's stand regarding Gujarat chief minister
Narendra Modi and his speech at the BJP national executive at Goa has been criticised strongly by
various groups. In a statement issued here, the All-India Christian Council has accused the Prime Minister
of betraying the nation in the darkest day of democracy and has said that his Goa speech encourages
fascist violence against minorities.
The council's president, Dr Joseph D. Souza, and secretary-general Dr John Dayal have said, "Mr
Vajpayee with cold-blooded cynicism has defamed Islam and Christianity, condoned state terrorism,
forgiven Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi (who is considered to be a mass murderer by the civil
society), and has sought to convert the bigotry and hate campaigns of the RSS and the VHP into votes for
the BJP." (Asian Age 14.4.02)
14 th April
Violence claims two lives (7)
AHMEDABAD: The violence area which rocked the Dani Limbda area of Ahmedabad late on Friday
night has claimed two lives, while a Congress worker of Mehsana who had filed police complaints against
the perpetrators of the Sardarpura massacre in the district was stabbed on Saturday. One of the victims in
Dani Limbda died in police firing. The other, a woman succumbed to severe head injuries sustained during
stone pelting in the area, late on Friday evening. The victim identified as Usha Srimali was traveling in an
AMTS bus when she was injured. (Times of India 14.4.02)
14th April
Bhujbal asks for probe into riots, curfew will continue (7)
Kalyan, April 13: The Shiv Sena does not want riots but is also not letting up on the pressure on the police
to arrest the main brains behind the Kalyan clashes. Sena district president Raghunath More said,
Balasaheb Thackeray has told us there should be no riots. The objective behind the Kalyan riots was to
create a Gujarat like situation. There was no local cause. In fact, there has been no tension in
Rohidaswada between Hindus and Muslims. There will be no end to violence if riots happen. But the
police must understand there is a popular sentiment that the culprits should be arrested immediately. If
they don’t, we cannot guarantee peace, Mr More said. (Asian Age 14.4.02)
14 th April
Deve Gosda shaken after visit to areas hit by riots (7)
Ahmedabad, April 13: Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda was visibly shaken after he got a "feel" of
Gujarat communal riots on Friday. During his one-day visit to the city, Mr Gowda could not hold back his
tears as he visited ill-fated Chamanpura. As Mr Gowda walked down the lanes that have been gripped in
eerie silence since that fateful day, district collector K. Srinivas , briefed him about how the attack had
unfolded. When Mr Gowda passed by the charred remains former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri's house and
was shown the spot where Mr Jafri was burnt alive, he broke down. He could be seen wiping his tears as
someone told him, "Despite several frantic calls made by Mr Jafri to save lives of about 200 people
trapped here, no one came for help." (Asian Age 14.4.02)
15 th April
Two killed in Ahmedabad; Army, RAF deployed (7)
Ahmedabad, April 14: Violence erupted again in the Dariapur area of Ahmedabad on Sunday afternoon
after a day of quiet and peace on Saturday. Two persons were killed and 10 others, including an SRP