MINORITIES - 2002 - Indian Social Institute

LUCKNOW, MAY 22. The Uttar Pradesh Government today said Pakistan's ISI was active in various
districts of the State but denied that members of the minority communities were being harassed on the
pretext of security. "There is no question of any discrimination of minority community members in this
connection," the Parliamentary Affairs ! Minister, Sukhdeo Rajbhar, told the State Assembly. Replying to
an adjournment notice by a Samajwadi Party member, Mata Prasad Pandey, he said several ISI agents
had ' 1 been arrested in the State. "The Government is alive to the Problem," he said. The SP member
had alleged that attempts were being made to instil a sense of fear among the members of the minority
community by branding them as ISI agents. '' (Hindu 23.5.02)
24 th May
Chargesheet filed against 101 Godhra accused (7)
AHMEDABAD, MAY 23: THECID (CRIME) on Wednesday evening filed an interim chargesheet against
101 people for Godhra's Sabarmati Express attack, in which 58 passengers were burnt alive on February
27. Another interim chargesheet was filed against 11 people for attacking the police after the incident.
Both chargesheets were filed at Godhra's Railway Court. Contrary to initial theories of terrorist or ISI hand
— which many BJP leaders had propagated—the chargesheet hints at a local conspiracy behind the train
attack. Former municipality chief Mohammad Kalota and member Haji Bilal have been named the main
accused. (Indian Exp 24.5.02)
24th May
Modi is a changed man: Minorities panel (7)
New Delhi: GUJARAT CHIEF Minister Narendra Modi is a changed man. At least the National .
Commission for Minorities (NCM) thinks so. In a letter sent to the Prime Minister and the Home Minister
on May 15. the Commission has expressed satisfaction that positive signals have begun to come from
Gujarat. Giving details of the first meeting it organised between the Chief Minister and 75 influential
leaders of the minority community since the riots broke out, the NCM wrote, "We must compliment the
Chief Minister on his savoir faire; he handled the large Muslim delegation with equanimity, humour and
candour." Sources in the NCM said Muslims were angry and blasted the Chief Minister while narrating
what all they had been subjected to. The Chief Minister remained cordial and said he will learn from this
experience. The letter said, "minority leaders wore able to ventilate their grievances and were given
assurances that no relief camps would be closed and residents of the camps would be shifted only after
providing them full security." Mr Modi also promised to look into complaints of missing persons and
speedy disbursement of compensation amount. (Pioneer 24.5.02)
24 th May
The missing are dead, Gujarat toll may go up (7)
'THE GUJARAT government is considering upgrading the official death toll in the recent communal riots.
The statewide toll is currently put at around 950. More than 400 additional deaths may be declared in
Ahmedabad alone, said sources in the state's social welfare and rehabilitation department. Three
hundred of these people were among the 850 reported missing since the Godhra carnage of February 27.
One hundred and two unidentified bodies that are still lying in morgues will be counted too, pushing
up the toll in I the city to 830 from the present figure of 427. The official number of deaths in police firing
too, is likely to go up, sources said. Of the present 427 people declared dead in Ahmedabad, 105 were
killed by the police. Seventy-five of these were Muslims. But the real numbers - both of those killed by
police, and of those who were Muslims among them are probably likely to be far larger: (Hindustan
Times 24.5.02)
25 th May
Criminals called the shots in Gujarat (7)
'Ahmedabad: CONTRARY TO claims made by the establishment in Gujarat, the recent violence in the
state was not the "spontaneous reaction" of the people to the burning alive of kar sevaks at .Godhra.
Data collected by the Centre now appears to ^uggest that it was gangs of Hardened criminals and
professional mercenaries, not ^ordinary citizens, who carried out the looting, murders and rapes. In the 78
days from February 27 to May 15,2002, law-enforcement agencies arrested 3close to 10,000 individuals
Svith a criminal background for alleged involvement in the riots. Almost 65 per cent of them were Hindus;
35 per cent were Muslims. "A senior police officer said the involvement of professional killers was