Within 48 hours of the fire on Sabarmati Express, which killed 59 Karsevaks (Hindu religious activists), near the Godhra railway stationon Feb 27, 2002, a most horrific genocide was executed in Gujarat. Over a thousand Muslims were killed by rampaging Hindu groups in and around Ahmedabad.
The police force of Ahmedabad did little to prevent the massacre. In fact, they defend their inaction by declaring they were ‘outnumbered and overpowered’ by the ‘emotionally charged’, fanatic Hindu mobs reacting to the ‘brutal killing’ of 59 Karsevaks caused by ‘torching’ the railway coach.
A few hundred affidavits were filed before the Nanavati Commission, investigating the Godhra riots, by police officials of local police stations all over
Gujarat. Barring a few, most of the affidavits state identical reasons for their failure to prevent the deaths and destruction – Outnumbered and overpowered.
The blame for the Muslims genocide is cunningly shifted onto the Muslims themselves. Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s action and reaction theory argues – Had the Muslims not ‘killed’ 59 Karsevaks at Godhra, the Hindus would not have reacted and killed them in rage. Defending the police inaction, Modi has said that if mobs are provoked and enraged, the police will be outnumbered and overpowered and unable to protect the citizens; victims shall be at the mercy of the mob.
But were the police really OUTNUMBERED or was it OUTRIGHT COLLUSION?
The zipped version of the above presentation can be downloaded here.
