MINORITIES - 2002 - Indian Social Institute

Violence continues in Ahemdabad (7)
Ahmedabad May 11: VIOLENCE CONTINUED in he walled city with indents of arson, looting and lashes
in several areas. Two people were allegedly killed and six hurt in police firing : Jamalpur and Raikhad.
There was, however, no official confirmation on this. While the toll in Friday's violence reached eight with
two more killings late last about a dozen people were injured in fresh clashes on Saturday. Police used
teargas and resorted to firing to disperse clashing mobs in areas of Gunj Sahid Kabristan and Danilimda.
Mobs from both communities clashed in Danilmda area where miscreants set several shops and factories
afire. (Hindustan Times 12.5.02)
12 th May
Spare our neighbours, Hindu women tell cops (7)
AHMEDABAD: MAY 11: THEIR actions have been questioned more than once in the two months since
Godhra. But on Thursday, the Ahmedabad police were stopped in their tracks by an unusual group: Hindu
women of Mochi Aul locality, who stood in front of the cops and turned them away from their Muslim
neighbours, telling them they were firing at the wrong group. After two Muslim youths of the locality in
Delhi Dar-waja area—a minority-dominated area with seven Hindu families, and a mosque and temple
next to each other — received injuries reportedly in police firing, Hindu women stepped forward to stop it.
They alleged that the police were targeting their neighbours even though they had been attacked by
Muslims from across the road. (Indian Exp 12.5.02)
12 th May
Riots didn’t kill him, relief did (7)
AHMEDABAD: MAY 11: The riots didn't claim him, but the "compensation" did. Within 10 minutes of
receiving the cheque from the state government, 58-year-old Babulal Abdul Hamid collapsed. .He owned
three houses and a kerosene shop, but after the rioters came for him, had to flee from his house in
Shahibaug. In his FIR, he mentioned a total loss of about Rs 8 lakh. As others in his family despaired, he
comforted them, telling them everything would be all right. But then on April 25, he got his cheque from
the state. He was in for a rude shock — all the government deemed him fit for was Rs 2,000. Babulal
suffered a fatal heart attack. "He had high hopes even when everything was lost," says his daughter
Madina Banu. "However, when he saw the cheque of Rs 2,000, he went into deep shock. (Indian Exp
12.5.02)
12th May
Another killed as Gill meets minority leaders (7)
AHMEDABAD: Even as K P S Gill, security advisor to Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi,held a
marathon meeting at Gandhinagar with minority leaders from across the state on Saturday , one more fell
victim to the communal violence. Police said the body of a middle- aged man h stab wounds was
recovered from the Sabarmati banks. Incidents of violence and arson were reported from Raikhad
Haveli. Several vehicles, including riot control vans, were stoned. RAF personnel and policemen resorted
to teargas shelling to disperse the mobs in Raikhad and Jamalpur areas. (Times of India 12.5.02)
12 th May
26 injured as mobs clash in Gujarat (7)
AHMEDABAD AND BARODA: May 11: Twenty-six people were injured in heavy rioting and crude bomb
attacks in Ahmedabad as violence entered its 74th day on Saturday. New city police commissioner K.R.
Kaushik appealed to the people to help restore peace in the city. Danilimda was once again .the centre of
violence as mobs clashed, torched shops and houses, indulged in heavy stone-throwing and even threw
crude bombs at each other and at police personnel. No reports of violence were reported from other parts
of Gujarat. Mr Kaushik, in a very brief address to the media, said he was new on the job and wanted
everyone to attempt to restore peace in the city. "People should not expect the police alone to restore
peace. It is an effort we must all put in collectively," he said. (Asian Age 12.5.02)
12 th May
Attack on dargah shatters a peaceful Ahmedabad locality (7)