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"Godhra will not be a
poll plank in Gujarat elections." — Vajpayee
Where the whole State
of Gujarat breathes in the high spate of Hindu communal passions, where the
post-Godhra nightmare still makes the minority community tremble in their
sleeps, where Glory Yatras, Vijay Yatras, Dharam Sabhas and Jan Jagrans vitiate
the atmosphere, where every now and then VHP, Bajrang Dal and RSS leaders spit
communal poison in the environs, where Ashok Singhal, Parveen Togadia, Acharya
Dharmender and numerous others issue daily bulletins of anti-Muslim hysteria,
the prime minister wants to record in the annals of history that he ensured
communal harmony so that the people were able to exercise their franchise free
from the fear of communal violence and the terror of the state. The prime
minister said that Godhra won’t be a poll issue in Gujarat and Modi said, "Yes
Sir, Godhra will not be an issue" and no communalist propaganda would be there.
Modi was directed to
bank upon the economic progress and development under his tenure as a poll plank
to woo voters. But Medha Patekar, the anti-Sardar Srovar Project crusader,
accused that the "Gujarat Government has been the perpetrator of violence
against development" as Gujarat will have to spend Rs. 40,000 crores on the dam
and this will only increase the woes of the Gujarati people. At this front too
Modi has little to offer to the people of Gujarat. She is right in this respect
as the dam, in the final analysis, is not going to give any succour to the
common man but will only help the rich.
As in the communal
carnage whether Godhra had happened or not the saffron forces were being readied
to pounce upon the Muslims, similarly, now whether there is any mention of
Godhra or not the utterances are laden with communal tongue and there is an
anti-Muslim tinge in every speak of the saffron brigade. Muslims are made the
culprits whenever something is referred to whether it is Kashmir or Akshardham
temple or anything else. If it is not the BJP leaders who spit venom openly then
it is the VHP, the RSS or the Bajrang Dal (the other three constituents of the
Saffron Brigade) that take up the mantle and complete the agenda of further
communalizing the situation. The PM, who advised Modi not to mention Godhra
remained silent on the communal speak of the Saffron Brigade. Nor Home Minister
did utter a word of condemnation, let alone register criminal cases against them
for communally charging the atmosphere.
Atal and Advani many
times speak a different tongue that is forced on them due to the compulsions of
being in the lead in the NDA alliance, but nevertheless, they praise Modi for
his "exemplary handling of the riots" after the Godhra incident. The Concerned
Citizens’ Tribunal, like numerous other organisations, has come out with a
report named "Crimes Against Humanity" indicting Modi Administration and the
Sangh Parivar for inciting communal hatred against the minority community and
organised the carnage. They have investigated and proved that the Godhra train
fire had started inside the coach and was not pre-planned. The PUCL states that
the document released by the Tribunal is comprehensive and can be used by the
Central agencies to frame charges against the perpetrators, including Modi, of
the carnage. The Tribunal comprises personalities like Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer,
P.B. Sawant and Hosbet Suresh. The Tribunal has also confirmed the fact that
NRIs from Gujarat ‘have been the lifeline of finance for the Hindutva
organisation’. But Atal and Advani are all praise for the Gujarat government and
Modi. Advani has defended not only Modi but has asked the people to give a
befitting reply to the ‘canards’ being spread by the congress party. He says,
"it is not only for us, the BJP and the Modi and-ministration to reply to the
baseless, issueless charges, but for the people to give a fitting reply to the
canard that the people of Gujarat were killers, rapists, and arsonists." What a
jugglery of words! Gujarat constitutes rapists, and killers and also the victims
of these crimes, not all are culprits, there are also sufferers. But he tries to
hoodwink through words.
Advani even went too
far for the VHP when he said that India would never be a theocratic state. The
VHP was quick to brand Advani as pseudo-secularist and playing in the hands of
anti-Hindu forces. Advani is fast learning the art of diplomatic talk employed
by Atal ever since he was made deputy prime minister along with being the home
minister.
The BJP’s election
process in Gujarat started with Modi taking on CEC Lyngdoh once again and
castigating the Muslims for not being genuine in their attitude towards Hindus.
The ‘advice’ that he was not to refer to Godhra and communalism, he had to
swallow hard and then vomited out when he went out on his poll campaign. Without
the carnage being referred to he cannot retain the title of Chhote Sardar
and when there is reference to carnage it is impossible for him to leave Godhra
to imagination. He tried his hand to control his tongue but slipped out. Apart
from this, there are reports that the Godhra CDs are being circulated throughout
Gujarat to fan communal passions and remind the Hindu mind that it was the
Chhote Sardar who masterminded the whole anti-Muslim tandav during
February and March. When Advani says that he "handled the riots in an exemplary
way," this is to win votes for him as the chief protagonist of the Hindutva
forces and to take that as an example to emulate in future. The VHP, RSS and the
Bajrang Dal openly say that Gujarat is the leading torch to be lit throughout
India to assert the rise of the Hindu nation and Hindu "nationalism." Advani was
‘severely’ criticised by the VHP when he said that India could never be a Hindu
nation. Advani’s statements have led many to doubt about his Hindutva
credentials. It is nothing but a fantasy and this in no way make him, like Atal,
acceptable to the forces that want to see a democratic and genuinely secular
India. Gujarat may not prove a Waterloo for the BJP yet it seems quite anxious
to retain its constituency with deceptive statements. May be, this is also a
part of a future strategy of the BJP that wants to win next parliamentary
elections as the leader of the NDA despite numerous setbacks it has suffered in
the assembly elections in various states. The BJP top brass wants to tell the
people that it is conducting the Gujarat elections in a hate-free climate and in
a democratic spirit.
That is what the
Indian parliamentary opposition has accepted and, in a way, the Chief Election
Commissioner too that all is well in Gujarat and it is normalcy as usual. It is
like telling the people that whatever may happen to their lives and livelihoods
the people should forget all and accept this system as a democratic one where
they are free to express their wishes through elections. It has no business with
the fundamental rights of the people and right to life of all human beings. In
our sort of set-up the people can "exercise their democratic right to vote"
without enjoying democratic rights and right to life at all. The show goes on in
the midst of bloodsheds and carnages while the perpetrators dance and giggle.
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