Prime Minister Narendra Modi is often called a ‘fascist’ by his detractors. I use the word detractors mildly. He has been demonised as the one who has zero respect for democracy and the rule of the land.
I have spent the major part of my life in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Rather, Modi’s Gujarat. I say that because my first tryst with a major political event was the then Gujarat CM Keshubhai Patel’s resignation amid allegations of corruption abuse of power followed by Narendra Modi being made the chief minister of the state. I very clearly remember when the riots broke out in Gujarat after the train returning from Ayodhya was set on fire by a mob. Almost 60 people, including women and children, were burnt alive in what can only be termed as an act of terror.
Now, Gujarat has a history of communal violence. It was under Congress’ Madhavsinh Solanki rule that Gujarat witnessed one of the worst communal riots in the 80s. Solanki introduced how to divide votes as per his ‘KHAM’ (Kshatriya, Harijan, Adivasi, Muslim) vote bank. That it was under him the likes of don Latif thrived in Gujarat. Did you know Latif won in five municipal wards in local body elections of Ahmedabad in 1986-87? He was in jail at that time. Congress’ Amarsinh Choudhary was the chief minister of Gujarat at that time.
In Gujarat, prior to 2002, communal riots (skirmishes, as today’s mainstream media, would say) would break out at the smallest thing, like cutting of strings on Uttarayan or Rath Yatra procession. These would usually take place in communally sensitive areas like the old city. The Ahmedabad on the west of the Sabarmati river would be usually peaceful. So when someone told me back then on 27th February 2002 that ‘riots’ have broken in the old city, I was like, meh. It was only when I saw smoke rise from the roof of my house (I live on the west of Sabarmati), that is when it struck me that this was not just ‘any other riot’.
About a kilometre from my house, right outside a temple, a city transport bus was set on fire. Again, let me reiterate, this was the first time I witnessed riots and not just read it in newspapers. Gujarati newspapers, that were not quite fond of Narendra Modi, would publish pages and pages filled with charred bodies. This, obviously, fanned more communal tension. No one held the media responsible back then, just as no one does it now.
One of the most prominent cases from the 2002 riots was the death of Ehsan Jafri, a Congress leader and former MP who lived in Gulbarga society in Chamanpura, Ahmedabad. On 28th February 2002, a rioting mob burnt down the society where about 35 people, including Jafri, lost their lives. His wife, Zakia Jafri named everyone from police to the then Gujarat Chief Minister as one of the accused in his death.
Supreme Court-monitored SIT was formed to look into the allegations and as part of the process in March 2010, a sitting chief minister of the state was grilled by the SIT for hours.
As lawyer Kartikeya Tanna said, as one of the accused in that particular case chief minister Narendra Modi went to the SIT office and sat for 9 hours and answered every question he was asked. He did not have an attorney present and took his own water bottle with him for the questioning. He even refused the tea that was offered.
Compared to that, there are massive allegations of post-poll violence in West Bengal where various committees, as well as the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), have found gross violations of human rights. Many people have come forward and accused the workers of the ruling party, TMC, of carrying out crimes like looting, rapes and murders. Many were victims only because of their political ideology where they supported the BJP.
It is shocking how the chief minister of that state, whose party cadres are accused of carrying out large-scale political violence, is not made accountable. No questions asked. In fact, in a certain section of media, people leaving the state fearing persecution is celebrated and encouraged as ‘purge’.
Chief Ministers of two states, twenty years apart, and we can all see who respected democracy.
