MINORITIES - 2002 - Indian Social Institute

in Kalupur. Another person was stabbed in Shahpur by Friday afternoon. Details of the other deceased
could not be confirmed. Meanwhile, in a major development; the Delhi police arrested two persons,
reportedly terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba. During interrogation, the two confessed they were
involved in the communal riots in Gujarat and had plans to go to the state to carry out a terrorist operation.
(Asian Age 11.5.02)
11 th May
Frenchman on peace mission to Gujarat, will meet Modi (7)
Ahmedabad, May 10: Many came, saw and left but the state continues to burn. The closure of a number
of refugee camps and the fear of having to return to homes that may not be safe has compounded the
plight of the riot victims. In such a scenario, comes a French man on a "peace mission" all the way from
France en route to' South America, Africa and West Asia. Before entering India from Mumbai on April 11,
20-year-old Sylvan Quenel was oblivious to the situation in Gujarat. "After I sought permission from the
mayor of Mumbai, I was warned off the state. However, all this increased my determination to visit
Gujarat," says Quenel. Now, after arriving in the state and having visited the riot-torn areas of Baroda,
Monsieur Quenel is planning to meet chief minister Narendra Modi in Gandhinagar with a peace message.
(Asian Age 11.5.02)
11 th May
No help from Govt, say relief agencies (7)
AHMEDABAD: As the fires of sectarian conflict show no signs of abating, non-governmental organisations
(NGOs) say they are facing an uphill task in providing succour to the victims, much of it without the
government's help. "We are stuck between relief and rehabilitation," says Victor Moses,, who co-ordinates
relief activities of an NGO called the Citizen's Initiative. "For how long do you think the NGO's are going to
sustain relief activities in these camps. It has almost drained us out. We're still making efforts to mobilise
funds. There is no effort being made by the government to rehabilitate the victims in these camps.," says
Moses. Pradeep Shenoy, a social worker from Bangalore says, "We have been trying hard to pacify
victims by providing them counselling. But if violence continues, it would be difficult for us to restore faith
in them." "We have been working in these relief camps for quite a few days. What we've realised is that
the apathetic attitude of the authorities is one of the main reason for widening the gulf between the
communities," says Abhijeet Loreng, working with an NGO called DANA. (Times of India 11.5.02)
10th May
I saw Dara burn Staines Vehicles (7)
Bhubaneswar, May 9: Raghunath Dohari, the 34th witness produced by the CBI in the
Khurda district and sessions judge's court on Thursday, made a startling revelation when he said
he had seen Dara Singh burning the two vehicles in which Graham Stewart Staines and his two
minor sons were sleeping on the night of January 22, 1999. This is the first that a witness, has told
the court about Data's direct involvement in the crime. Dara is the prime accused in the killings of
Australian missionary Graham Stewart Staines and his two minor sons Philip and Timothy. (Asian
Age 10.5.02)
12 th May
Red Cross moves in where Modi govt fails (7)
NEW DELHI: 11 MAY: Thousands of Muslim survivors of sectarian violence in Gujarat may finally start
picking up the threads of their lives again, thanks to the efforts of the International Red Cross Society. The
global relief and rehabilitation group is set to distribute work tools at relief camps across Gujarat so that
people can start going back to their trades. Backed by a corpus of Rs.20 million from the Prime Minister's
Relief Fund, the Red Cross has devised a "Back To Work" scheme and is currently busy identifying likely
beneficiaries.Once it readies a list of people — among them carpenters, motor mechanics, electricians
and the neighbourhood clothes ironers — the Red Cross will start to supply them with kits containing work
tools. Many would be given carts too, on which they can sell their wares.( Economic Times 12.5.02)
12 th May