Again over the last few months the same recycled half-truths and vilification replete with false allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been doing their rounds in the Indian and Western media regarding the 2002 Gujarat Riots. One of the biggest accusations by the media has been that as chief minister of Gujarat Modi never took any action during the first 3 days of riots but actually encouraged it. Ironically enough the proof against the accusations can be found in those very same media outlets during that period which shows that the state government not only sent in police, but cracked down more effectively on the communal disturbances than the British government did during the urban riots of 2011 when an impotent police force compelled local communities to form their own self-defense units against marauding mobs.
Official Figures – 790 Muslims and 254 Hindus were killed in the riots, 2548 people were injured and 223 people were missing (2005)
Steps taken on February 27
Now- let us see the steps taken by the government of Gujarat to control the violence. The Godhra massacre occurred on February 27 at 8 AM. At 8:30 AM to 9 am –Chief Minister Narendra Modi- then in Ahmedabad- was informed about the carnage. Modi then went to visit Godhra in the evening. Modi visited the railway platform. He gave ‘shoot-at-sight’ orders and curfew at Godhra at 9:45 am itself when he was in Ahmedabad/Gandhinagar.. The leading English daily from South India- The Hindu in its issue dated 28 February 2002 reported that- “The Chief Minister Narendra Modi gave shoot-at-sight orders in Godhra”.
The same day- The Times of India reported in a report titled “Shoot-at-sight orders, curfew in Godhra” -
“The Gujarat government imposed an indefinite curfew and issued shoot-at-sight orders in Godhra after 57 people were killed and several injured when a mob set the Sabarmati express on fire. Four bogies of the train were set on fire by miscreants at Godhra station…”
See link: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2256789.cms
This report was posted at 1:37 PM. This shows that Modi’s claim of imposing curfew at 9:45 AM was absolutely true.
The same day- The Tribune (published from Chandigarh) – gave a report titled-“Sabarmati Express set ablaze- 57 dead -‘Ram sevaks’ among victims, shoot-at-sight orders in Godhra” and the report said-
“Indefinite curfew was clamped and the shoot-at-sight order issued in Godhra town immediately after the incident…”
See link: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020228/main1.htm
It wasn’t merely them. All English dailies the next reported this- and websites like rediff.com also reported this- and so did many foreign newspapers. The Daily Breeze- a US newspaper- reported on 28 February-
“Fearing the attack would ignite sectarian riots, Indian officials immediately stepped up security across this vast, religiously divided nation. The prime minister urged Hindus not to retaliate.”
One link: http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1774&dat=20020228&id=Z4UeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=w38EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6789,2011702
Even Xinhua news agency also reported this online on 27 February 2002- that Vajpayee appeals for peace.
The same day- the website rediff.com also reported that the state government had taken all precautions and tightened security to prevent riots. These reports of rediff.com are given in Chapter 7, Myth 15 “Narendra Modi gave free hand 3 days”.
On Feb 27 itself- www.rediff.com reported- “The situation became tense as news of the incident spread to other parts of the state prompting the state government to initiate precautionary security measures. Security has been tightened in Godhra and other parts of Gujarat.”
The Link for this report is:
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/feb/27train.htm
Rediff.com also reported on Feb 27 itself- after Godhra that- “Two companies of the Rapid Action Force and one company of the State Reserve Police were deployed at Godhra to guard against further outbreak of violence.”
The link for the report: http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/feb/27train4.htm
After this- Narendra Modi returned to Ahmedabad in the evening. On his return to Ahmedabad- 827 people were arrested as a preventive measure. Narendra Modi said this in an interview to India Today weekly dated 18 March 2002- and this is on official records.Even the SIT appointed by known anti-Modi judges of the SC like Aftab Alam and Arijit Pasayat admitted 827 preventive arrests.
The same day-on February 27- the Gujarat government deployed the entire police force of 70,000 in Gujarat- as per the report of The Hindustan Times dated 28 February 2002- in view of the apprehension that riots may break out in retaliation of burning down of Hindu pilgrims at Godhra. The Telegraph of UK in its issue of 28th February also reported that more than 70,000 security men had been deployed in Gujarat on 27 February. These foreign dailies also reported that security had not only been tightened in Gujarat- but also in all places with sizable Muslim population in India- on 27 February.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/1386341/Hindus-massacred-on-blazing-train.html
The same day-on February 27- the Gujarat government deployed the Rapid Action Force in Ahmedabad and other sensitive areas and the Centre sent in the CRPF personnel. This was reported by The Indian Express in its report dated 28 February 2002. The English daily Mid-Day also reported both these things in its issue of 28 Feb.
See link: http://www.mid-day.com/news/2002/feb/21232.htm
These reports- of The Hindustan Times and The Indian Express were published even before a single large-scale retaliatory riot had taken place.The Gujarat Government had requested the Centre to send 10 companies of CRPF according to The Times of India online of 27 Feb and also The Economic Times the next day.
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2002-02-28/news/27362130_1_sabarmati-exp-godhra-railway-station-police-officers
The Hindu- also reported on Feb 28 that- “(On Feb 27) The state government has appealed to the people to maintain peace…The Home Minister said the Government was taking necessary steps to ensure that the disturbances did not spread during the bandh tomorrow (i.e. Feb 28).” This was reported by many newspapers on 28 February.
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2002/02/28/stories/2002022803070100.htm
That same day the RSS gave a statement saying- “RSS condemns the killings and calls for restraint”. The Hindu also reported in its report on Feb 28 that the “RSS appealed to the people to exercise restraint”.
The then RSS Joint General Secretary Madan Das Devi said-“Now is the test of the patience of the Hindu society…These killings are a ploy of the terrorists to create riots…”. This was reported in weekly Organiser, the weekly mouthpiece of the RSS, in its issue dated 10 March 2002, which covered events till 27 February. In the 10 March 2002 issue itself, two RSS leaders- Madan Das Devi and Mohan Bhagwat gave statement’s asking the Hindu society to maintain peace. The then RSS General Secretary and now chief Mohan Bhagwat said on 27 Feb:
“I appeal to all RSS volunteers, sympathisers and friends who have faith in Hindutva to do their utmost in preventing any activity – like sloganeering and stone-pelting – that would disrupt peace, keeping in view the disturbed situation in the country for it would only strengthen the hands of anti-national terrorist elements,” in a statement in Delhi.
He urged followers of other faiths not to fall prey to the instigation of terrorist elements and ‘to conduct themselves as children of India along with their Hindu brethren’. This was reported by weekly Organiser dated 10 March 2002, covering events till 27 Feb.
The Telegraph reported on 28th February 2002-
“The RSS rallied behind the Prime Minister, pleading for restraint. Joint general secretary Madan Das Devi said: “The tolerance of the Hindu society is a litmus test. Instead of taking the law into their hands, people should cooperate with the state government in dealing with the serious situation.”
See link: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1020228/front_pa.htm#head1
See the statement by Madan Das Devi in the topic- “Nation faces trial by fire” 9th paragraph from the top.
The VHP also appealed for peace. The Times of India reported on 28 February 2002 even before a single major riot had taken place:
“VHP international Vice-President Acharya Giriraj Kishore told reporters here at Sola Civil Hospital, where 54 out of the 58 bodies of the train attack victims were brought, that “Hindus should maintain calm and keep patience. I appeal to Muslim brethren to condemn the attack and ask them not to put Hindus’ patience to test. Hindus are keeping a restraint but if such incidents do not stop, there can be a counter reaction which may be uncontrollable”.”
Link:http://www.timesofindia.com/articleshow.asp?art_ID=2347298
The Indian Express dated 28 February 2002 also reported that the Centre had announced a nationwide alert in the evening of 27th February.
Thus, in brief, the steps taken on 27 February (Wednesday) were:
1) The Gujarat Chief Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, rushed from Ahmedabad to Godhra and gave shoot-at-sight orders.
2) The entire police force of 70,000 was deployed in Gujarat.
3) All companies of Rapid Action Force in the state were deployed in Ahmedabad, Godhra and other sensitive areas by the state government.
4) The Central Government rushed CRPF personnel to Gujarat. The Gujarat Government requested the Centre to send CRPF personnel.
5) The state government imposed curfew in Godhra at 9:45 am- within 2 hours of the Godhra carnage and in other sensitive areas.
6) 827 preventive arrests were made.
7) The Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the Gujarat Government urged Hindus not to retaliate and maintain peace.
8) The RSS and VHP also appealed to Hindus to maintain peace and not retaliate.
9) CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) units were also deployed.
10) The Centre sounded a nationwide alert in the evening.
These were the steps taken by the Gujarat Government on February 27 itself to quell the violence- or prevent the violence. But on February 28- large –scale riots happened. That was due to the extreme anger of the masses over Godhra- the reaction from pseudo-secularists on it- and great anger over terrorism and anti-national activity.
On February 28
Now-the government faced genuine difficulties in controlling the anger of the masses in view of the limited police force. Again let us see what Uday Mahurkar wrote for weekly India Today dated 18 March 2002:
“That the police was ineffective is clear (on February 28). But was this intentional? Ahmedabad has a police force of 6,000, including 1,500 armed personnel. In addition, the entire state has just four companies (530 jawans) of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) of which only one company could be spared for Ahmedabad. Considering that the mobs that simultaneously surfaced at nearly half a dozen places numbered from 2,000 to 10,000, the forces proved woefully inadequate. At one point on February 28 there were at least 25,000 people targeting the Muslim localities in Ahmedabad alone.
What’s more, the police was expecting trouble in Ahmedabad’s walled city, which has been the scene of communal violence in every riot in the past two decades. This time, however, it wasn’t the walled city where the troubles began. (This was also reported by The Times of India online on 28 February 2002). At Naroda Patia, the scene of the worst carnage, there was no police presence worth the name to prevent the mobs from grouping in the morning and going on a rampage. There were at least three mobs of 4,000 to 5,000 each attacking Muslims. Among them were members of a tribe called the Chara, who have a township not very far from Naroda. Till now the Charas were known for thefts and bootlegging. Last Thursday (i.e. Feb 28), they earned a reputation for rioting too.
In Chamanpura area where nearly 40 persons, including former Congress MP Ehsaan Jafri and his family members were killed, there were just a few armed guards when the crowd began assembling. Reinforcements did arrive but by that time the mob had swelled to 10,000 and even though police firing killed at least five persons on the spot-in all police firing led to 40 deaths in Ahmedabad alone-it didn’t stop the carnage. The situation was aggravated further by Jafri firing from his revolver on the mob injuring seven. Others in the housing complex are said to have thrown acid bulbs too.
Last Thursday (i.e. Feb 28), the Ahmedabad police received at least 3,500 calls for help from fear-stricken residents, mostly Muslims, against the normal average of 200. The fire brigade which has the capacity to handle 100 fire calls received 400 calls on February 28. Says Ahmedabad Police Commissioner P.C. Pande: “In my 32-year career I have never seen something like this. It was an upsurge, unstoppable and unprecedented. A stage came when it became physically impossible for the police to tackle mobs running into thousands.”
Elsewhere in Gujarat, the problem was broadly similar. The state police force is about 43,000 strong, though only 12,000 of them are armed. The SRP numbers 14,000. The mobs which targeted Muslims in rural areas ranged in strength from 500 to 10,000. In Sardarpura, where 29 people were burnt to death, the mob was over 500-strong while in Pandarwada, where more than 50 were burnt to death in their homes the mob, drawn from people of nearby villages, numbered over 5,000. Gujarat Minister of State for Home Gordhan Jhadaphiya says, “There is ample evidence to show that the police resorted to effective firing against rioters”. Union Law Minister Arun Jaitley stated in the Rajya Sabha that the police fired 2,000 rounds which killed 98 rioters. In addition, 4,000 people were arrested for rioting in the past week…
…There’s also much criticism over the delay in calling for the army’s help. According to Modi, he had officially called for the army by 4 p.m. on February 28. By 6.30 p.m. a formal request had landed in Delhi. By 1 a.m. on March 1, George Fernandes had landed in Ahmedabad at Modi’s behest. At great personal risk, he bravely took to the streets next morning to check the violence. At 11.30 a.m. the army was staging a flag march in Ahmedabad.
Significantly, Modi tried to ensure that the bodies of the victims were cremated near the hospital where they were brought for post-mortem at 3.30 a.m. on February 28 from Godhra. The Sola Civil Hospital is on the western outskirts of Ahmedabad where the Muslim population is negligible. Cremating the bodies there, Modi thought, would have helped contain the anger.
Some VHP leaders present at the spot were also under instructions to convince the relatives of the victims to agree to the proposal. But the moment the proposal was floated, the kin of the dead flared up and accused the BJP “of acting in a manner worse than the Congress”. Vishnu Sathwara, a VHP worker shouted: “After using us to climb to the top, the BJP leaders have now left us at the mercy of the wolves.” …
…Says political analyst Arvind Bosmia: “It is beyond the means of the Sangh Parivar to lead such an upsurge. It was largely a spontaneous reaction to the Godhra killings. And not just Modi but the entire Sangh Parivar has been put on this strident path. In fact Modi has been swept up in this militancy.””
Link: http://www.indiatoday.com/itoday/20020318/cover.shtml
What does this report from Uday Mahurkar reveal? That the Gujarat police had an easy task in dealing with the situation? That is- we must note the vital points here-
1-Entire police force of Ahmedabad was deployed –total 6000- out of which only 1500 were armed. The size of the mobs was unprecedented on Feb 28 and the police forces were woefully short.
2-Even though Rapid Action Force was deployed- it too could not prevent the violence.
3-Ahmedabad police received at least 3500 calls on Feb 28- against an average of 200.
4-Ahmedabad Fire Brigade- which has the capacity to handle 100 calls received 400 calls on that day.
5-The statement of the then Ahmedabad Police Commissioner P.C. Pande also shows that the situation was out of control.
6-The Hindu also reported the next day that mob fury reached its crescendo on 28 February 2002.
The leading most English daily from South India- The Hindu reported on 1st March 2002- covering events of 28 February –
“The Army units, frantically called by the Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, as the situation seemed to slip out of hand, started arriving in Ahmedabad and are likely to be deployed in the city on Friday.”
http://www.hinduonnet.com/2002/03/01/stories/2002030103030100.htm
The Times of India reported on 2nd March 2002- “Neither the Army nor the shoot-at-sight orders given to the Gujarat police could control the mob frenzy in Ahmedabad on Friday (1st March 2002) as the city witnessed a total collapse of the law and order machinery for the second straight day taking a heavy toll of human lives…”
And this was on 1st March- when the violence was much less as compared to 28 February. If even the Army and shoot-at-sight orders couldn’t control violence when it was much less, what must have been the situation on 28 February- when the Army was not present during the day and the violence was far more?
Even in its infamous article misquoting the Chief Minister Narendra Modi as saying “Every action has equal and opposite reaction”, The Times of India reported on 3rd March 2002 that- “The sparse police presence looked like a drop in the ocean of violence”. This- despite the deployment of the entire police force, State Reserve Police, Rapid Action Force and CRPF personnel. The Times of India dated 1st March 2002 also said that the situation was out of control in Rajkot, and that the fire brigade received 175 calls and was out of water. Police fired two rounds and imposed curfew on half the city- according to this report.
This shows that the situation in Ahmedabad has slipped out of hand- and no administration –be it of Narendra Modi or of Sonia Gandhi could have controlled it. What Acharya Giriraj Kishore had warned, reported by The Times of India on 28 February 2002, that the anger of the Hindus could be uncontrollable- became true. We have also seen the report of The Telegraph dated 1st March 2002 that the Vajpayee government ordered deployment of the Army (On Modi’s request) as law and order were out of control.
But the state government dealt with the situation firmly, harshly and ofcourse- effectively.
India Today in its issue of 11th March (which reported events till February 28) reported that, “Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, an RSS pracharak-turned-BJP politician says, ‘The culprits of the gruesome incident will be brought to book, come what may.’ He is in a difficult situation. Though Modi had the Army called into Ahmedabad, he said, ‘The anger of five crore people of Gujarat is impossible to control with our limited police force. We have done our utmost to prevent the violence from spreading.’”
URL: http://www.indiatoday.com/itoday/20020311/cover2.shtml
India Today reported on February 28 itself that the Army had been called into Gujarat and that the Chief Minister was caught in a difficult situation.
The riots began in Ahmedabad on 28 February 2002 at around 11 AM. At 12-00 PM, the Chief Minister Narendra Modi called on the then Union Home Minister L. K. Advani and requested him for deployment of the Army, informally. The Army, which was then posted at the border in view of the war clouds between India and Pakistan, sent some of its units immediately. The troops left the border areas and left for Ahmedabad immediately. They did not even take 1-2 days to leave the border areas. Some troops arrived in Ahmedabad at 2 AM in the morning on March 1 itself. By the 2nd of March, the Army had taken complete control of Ahmedabad.
Now we have seen the statement of The Hindu in its issue of 1 March that on February 28 Narendra Modi frantically called the Army units to Ahmedabad. Despite this many anti-BJP people in the media have spread canards that- “Modi did not call the Army for three days”. The Gujarat police were overwhelmingly outnumbered on that day in Ahmedabad. Despite this- the police fired 1,000 rounds on that day. A total of 10 Hindus were shot dead in police firing in Ahmedabad alone- and 16 were injured. These are official government figures- and also can be seen from the report of The Hindu- dated 1 March 2002-
“At least 30 others were killed in police firing, stabbing and other incidents in different parts of the city while the casualty in other cities and towns in the State was put at over 50…
Till evening, police fired 46 rounds in Ahmedabad, in which at least 10 persons were believed to have been killed.”
The link is the same as the earlier one.
Now-in its earlier statement it says at least 30 were killed in police firing, stabbing and other incidents in Ahmedabad without specifying how many were killed in police firing. And at another place-it states that at least 10 were believed to have been in police firing in Ahmedabad alone- by evening. This clearly shows that the government figures of at least 10 Hindus being shot dead and 16 being injured are absolutely true. The Portsmouth Herald reported online on 28 February 2002- “In the state’s commercial center, Ahmadabad, officers fired tear gas at a Hindu mob descending on Muslim houses. The crowd wouldn’t stop, so police fired rifles, injuring six people, three of them seriously, officials at the Civil Hospital told The Associated Press.”
URL: http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20020228/NEWS/302289980
In fact, the BBC reported online on 28 February when the death toll reported by it was a mere 40 for the entire state of Gujarat i.e. when violence was going on-“The army has been deployed there (Ahmedabad) to counter Hindu youths…They included six people who were shot dead by police in Ahmedabad as they tried to restore calm. (Final figure was 10)”
URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1845996.stm
The Telegraph dated 1st March 2002 also reported:
“Authorities said police were forced to open fire and lob tear gas shells at several places as protesters got out of hand during today’s VHP bandh (28 February, Thursday). Two persons died in police firing in Nadiad and Godhra.”
The Army units were frantically called to Ahmedabad. They arrived from the border areas so quickly- that they reached Ahmedabad on 1st March
at 2 AM in the morning.
The full chronology of this can be read in the chapter- “Contrasts between the 1984 riots and the Gujarat 2002 riots” in the category Police/Army action and on pp 68-69.
See link: http://www.indiatoday.com/itoday/20020318/cover.shtml
The Hindu reported in its issue dated 1st March- “ The Army units started arriving in Ahmedabad and are likely to be deployed in the city on Friday (i.e. 1st March)”. This shows that the Army units reached Ahmedabad so quickly on Feb 28- past midnight- that The Hindu had time to report their arrival and publish it in its issue dated 1st March!
The same day- The Indian Express also reported-
“This pushed the toll, by 1.30 am, to at least 70 out of which 60 was for Ahmedabad alone. By this time, Defence Minister George Fernandes was in town meeting Chief Minister Narendra Modi and the Army’s Gandhinagar-based 11 Division had begun to send out reconnaissance patrols.
The news of the Army’s arrival came as a glimmer of hope to residents of the city …”
That is-The Indian Express also had time to report the arrival of the Indian Army- and also of George Fernandes- in its issue of 1st March 2002.
The report on the online edition of The Indian Express on Feb 28 was-
“1,000 para-military personnel rushed to Gujarat
Press Trust of India
Posted online: Thursday, February 28, 2002 at 1629 hours IST
New Delhi, February 28: Home Minister L K Advani on Thursday directed despatch of about 1,000 personnel of para-military forces to trouble-hit Gujarat following a request by Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
“Eleven companies of para-military forces have been despatched to Gujarat and they will be reaching there by tonight,” a Home Ministry official said.
Modi had telephoned Advani to apprise him of the situation in Gujarat in the wake of Wednesday’s attack on Sabarmati Express and requested for additional forces to deal with law and order problem.”
This clearly indicates how quickly and frantically Narendra Modi called the Army to Ahmedabad. The link for the above report is-
http://www.expressindia.com/news/fullstory.php?newsid=7922
The time of this report’s posting is 4:29 PM. Take into consideration time required for preparing the report, editing, proof reading and posting and it becomes clear that the decision of calling the Army was taken much earlier. It was done so quickly that by 4:30 PM of 28 February, the report was published online.
Among another step taken was the request made to George Fernandes by the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi himself to come to Ahmedabad. He came immediately- on 1st March at 1:00 AM.
The Tribune, which editorially fully supported the claim of U C Banerjee that the Godhra train burning was an accident absolving Muslims of their heinous crime in January 2005, reported on 1st March 2002:
“The police complained they were outnumbered and the rampaging mobs had set up road blocks hindering their movement. Chief Minister Narendra Modi told a crowded press conference here 700 arrests had been made throughout the state (BBC report quoted earlier also admitted 700 arrests), including 80 in Godhra, where the train was set ablaze killing 58 persons…Mr. Modi had telephoned Mr. Advani to apprise him of the situation in Gujarat in the wake of yesterday’s attack on Sabarmati Express and requested for additional paramilitary forces to deal with law and order. The Centre today issued a fresh direction to the state governments and Union Territories to deploy security forces in sensitive areas while arranging logistics for implementation of contingency plans…The police opened fire in Kalol town to disperse unruly mobs…”
URL: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020301/main7.htm
Nowhere is it alleged that the police deliberately turned a blind eye to the rioting. No mention of police being involved in the violence or giving a free hand to the rioters. No mention of any delay in calling the Army. These charges of “Police turning a blind eye, allowing killings for 3 days, not calling Army until 3 days had passed…etc” were made after the riots. If these charges were true- the newspapers would have screamed and gone downtown on the very next day. Nothing like this happened. And of course- no charge that the riots were being ‘sponsored’ by the Gujarat Government!
The Hindu also reported on 1st March that on Feb 28-
“An indefinite curfew has been clamped in 26 cities and towns in the State, including parts of Ahmedabad, Surat, Baroda, Rajkot, Nadiad, Anand and Kaira in addition to the indefinite curfew in force in Godhra since Wednesday.(27 February)”
Not merely The Hindu, almost every newspaper reported this the next day and so did weeklies India Today and Outlook in their issues dated 11 March 2002- covering events till February 28.
The only newspaper that accused the police of deliberately turning a blind eye to the rioting was The Indian Express in its issue dated 1 March 2002- on events of Feb 28. After that not even The Indian Express made any allegations- during the actual time of the riots. And The Indian Express’ allegations too were out of personal and ideological bias. That day newspapers like The Hindu did not report anything against the police as such. Now no one can deny that the stray policeman may be lethargic in his duty or sympathetic towards the rioters- but does that mean that the government ordered the police to turn a blind eye? Also when the policemen are overwhelmingly outnumbered by the rioters and if they try to intervene in a hopeless situation- will they not lose their own lives and that too without any gain? Despite this- there are occasions in Gujarat where Police officers have saved the Muslims at a great risk to personnel life- like in Viramgam, Bodeli. The bias of The Indian Express can be seen from the fact that it did not report that the police shot dead 10 Hindus in Ahmedabad alone by evening- which was reported by The Hindu- nor did it report that-“Narendra Modi frantically called the Army to Ahmedabad and requested George Fernandes to come” –but it did report both of their arrival. Nor did it report that the police fired 600 rounds in Ahmedabad and 1,000 in the whole state.
The Times of India reported on 1st March in a report titled “Six burnt alive near Godhra”:
“…Kalol has been the worst-affected, with nearly 5,000 people descending on it after rumours that the town had been attacked by miscreants… The police have been grossly outnumbered on the highway as villagers attacked passing vehicles…Arad road was one of the worst-affected, with a mob of at least 200 people on the street at any given point of time. Many have armed themselves with knives and sticks. Violence from these two towns has spilled on to the highway where villagers are having a field day. They have created roadblocks using boulders, burning tyres, large drainage pipes and leftovers of unfinished engineering projects. Every once in a while a police van arrives and disperses the crowds from the highway but they are back again the moment the van moves ahead to the next trouble-spot. As one policeman puts it, “They will lynch me if I try to stop them. It is better I turn a blind eye.” (The Times of India justifies this).
URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com//india/Six-burnt-alive-near-Godhra/articleshow/2472761.cms
The Indian Express reported on 2nd March 2002-
“(On 1 March)In Vadodara, three persons were burnt alive and one person succumbed to police bullets when police fired to disperse a violent mob that gheraoed a Deputy Superintendent of Police and an inspector in Manjalpur. Police Commissioner D D Tuteja said additional forces had to rush in to save the policemen.”
According to The Times of India in its online edition of 1st March 2002- police escorted 400 Muslims to safety in Naroda Patiya after succeeding in dispersing the mob.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Mob-burns-to-death-65-at-Naroda-Patia/articleshow/2473565.cms
Even before any riots had taken place, The Times of India reported: “Vadodara: Five companies of paramilitary forces will be stationed in Vadodara to take care of any untoward incident. A company of RAF is also scheduled to arrive in the city. These will be in addition to five companies of SRP already present in the city. One company of recruits from the police training school will also be deployed in the city. Five additional mobiles equipped with communication equipment will also be given to each police station.”
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com//city/ahmedabad/Security-beefed-in-Vadodara/articleshow/2308509.cms
On February 28 former Lok Sabha member from Ahmedabad Ehsan Jafri was killed by a Hindu mob in Gulbarg society in Ahmedabad. Now in this case there were around 250 people in the complex. Ehsan Jafri fired on the Hindu crowd with his revolver-injuring 7- as per India Today weekly dated 18 March 2002. This drove the crowd mad and they killed Jafri and 68 others. Here-India Today weekly clearly states that the police reinforcements arrived outside Jafri’s house- despite the fact that the police forces were inadequate in the city- but by that time the mob had swelled to 10,000. Police shot dead 5 Hindus outside his house and saved the lives of 200 Muslims in this episode. India Today weekly clearly states that the police shot dead 5 Hindus outside his house. Narendra Modi in an interview- which we will see later- said that police saved 200 Muslims in this episode. This claim seems to be completely true- going by the fact that there were 250 people in the complex- and 69 were killed. When Jafri fired on the Hindu crowd the situation was further aggravated and the people went crazy and planned to kill each and every person in the complex- but the police saved 200 Muslims in this episode. The Times of India in its online edition on 28 February 2002 reported:
“…Meanwhile fire tenders which rushed to the spot were turned back by the irate mob which disallowed the Ahmedabad fire brigade (AFB) personnel and the district police from rushing to rescue…Sources in Congress Party said that the former MP after waiting in vain till 12.30 pm for official help to arrive had opened fire on the mob in self-defense, injuring four (Actually 14 were injured and 1 killed- as per India Today 5 April 2010). Thereafter mayhem ruled the roost…The mayor Himmatsinh Patel appealed to residents to maintain peace… The situation remained volatile and an inferno raged till 8 pm, till which time the police forces could not gain entry into the colony.”
The Times of India in its online edition on 28 February 2002 reported at 2:34 PM :
“Ahmedabad: At least six persons were injured when police opened fire to disperse a rampaging mob in Meghaninagar area of the city on Thursday afternoon. The injured were brought to civil hospital where the condition of at least three is stated to be serious…the incident took place at Chamanpura area under Meghaninagar police station. Meanwhile, one person was stabbed to death in Kalupur area of Ahmedabad which is placed under curfew. The incident took place at Ghadiali na Khancho area in the afternoon. With this, the death toll in the post-Godhra aftermath in the state has risen to 8, with four deaths recorded in stabbings in Ahmedabad. The toll is expected to go up higher as reports of more violence are trickling in.”
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com//india/Police-open-fire-in-Ahmedabad-6-hurt/articleshow/2360713.cms
That is- as early as 2:34 PM itself police had injured 6 outside Ehsan Jafri’s house and actually 5 were killed in their firing. This despite the hopeless situation- which is clear from reading The Times’ report that Fire Brigade and Police were not allowed to be reached by the mob. Though police gained control only after 8 PM- they fired much before that- before 2 PM and saved 200 Muslims. Kalupur was already under curfew before 2:34 PM. Infact, reading the online reports of The Times of India one knows that almost places where violence was being reported were under curfew- which must have been imposed immediately as violence occurred. Another report posted at 11:31 AM on 28 February titled “VHP bandh turns violent 8, stabbed to death” also mentions imposing of curfew at many places. And in its report titled “Indefinite curfew in Ahmedabad, Vadodara” posted on 28 February, it says:
“Gandhinagar: Curfew was imposed in many areas of old Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon following unprecedented acts of violence and arson. The district collector of Ahmedabad has requested for more forces to be brought in as violence and arson threatens to spread into rural Ahmedabad. Fires have been reported in more than 80 places in Ahmedabad. According to government sources, the situation in rural Ahmedabad could turn grim as enough forces are not available to impose curfew. Police Commissioner P C Pandey said at 12.30 pm that he was imposing curfew in the police station areas of Shahpur, Dariapur, Karanj, Kalupur, Bapunagar, Gomtipur and Rakhial and the police chowky areas of Saraspur and Isanpur. Police burst tear gas shells on C G road to control mobs which were setting on fire shops belonging to a particular community. Curfew has also been imposed in the towns of Bharuch and Ankaleshwar following acts of arson on Thursday morning (28 Feb). Curfew was imposed earlier in areas of Vadodara city following deaths of two persons in stabbings. Curfew in Vadodara Indefinite curfew has been imposed in the city from 8 am on Thursday morning (28 Feb) following two cases of stabbing reported from Salatwada and another from the highway after midnight Wednesday night, a senior police official said. Curfew had been imposed in the six police station areas of the walled city and RAF and CISF(Central Industrial Security Force) companies have been deployed in sensitive areas, city Police Commissioner Deen Dayal Tuteja said. Indefinite curfew has also been imposed in Lunawada town of Panchmahal district after 2 am on Wednesday night (27 February) following incidents of arson and looting, he said.”
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com//india/Indefinite-curfew-in-Ahmedabad-Vadodara/articleshow/2340805.cms
The Times of India’s report in its online edition of 1st March titled “Gujarat violence hits industries” also says that police were totally outnumbered in the town of Halol-and unable to stop the mobs. The same was the case in other industrial areas like Shapar Veraval and Latiplot according to the report.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com//india/Gujarat-violence-hits-industries/articleshow/2483562.cms
The Times of India also reported in its online edition on 1st March that rich men in cars became looters- just like India Today in its issue of 18 March 2002.
As per information put up on the site www.indianembassy.org-the state also requested for additional forces from Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. Two companies of Maharashtra Reserve Police Force arrived and were deployed in Surat.
Thus, in brief, the steps taken on 28 February were:
1) The riots began in Ahmedabad at 11 AM. The Chief Minister Narendra Modi informally contacted the Central Government to send Army at 12 noon – i.e. within 1 hour. Curfew was imposed by 12:20 at noon.
2) As per the report of The Hindu- Narendra Modi “frantically” called the Army units.
3) Narendra Modi requested the Union Defence Minister George Fernandes to come to Gujarat.
4) Curfew was imposed in 26 towns and cities in Gujarat.
5) There were around 250 people in the housing complex of Ehsan Jafri and the mob killed 69- with the police saving about 200 Muslims- despite being overwhelmingly outnumbered by the mob- which was 10,000 strong- and the crowd going mad by Jafri’s firing. Police shot dead 5 Hindus outside his house.
6) The police fired 1,000 rounds in the state- including 600 in Ahmedabad.
7)The police shot dead 10 Hindus in Ahmedabad and injured 16. At least 2 were shot dead outside Ahmedabad in Nadiad and Godhra.
8) Gujarat Government requested Army deployment within 1 hour. At 4 PM- a press conference was held- in which this decision was publicly announced. All procedures needed for this were done very quickly- Cabinet meeting of Central Government was held at 6:45 PM, it approved Army deployment and Army units reached Ahmedabad after midnight.
9) The Army units reached Ahmedabad so quickly that newspapers like The Hindu, The Indian Express had time to report their arrival on 28 February 2002 (Thursday) itself and publish it on 1st March 2002 (Friday)!
10) Defence Minister George Fernandes reached Ahmedabad so quickly that newspapers like The Indian Express reported his arrival the next day!
11) Police escorted 400 Muslims to safety in Naroda Patiya after dispersing the mob in Naroda Patiya. Total of 95 people were killed- at least 900 Muslims were saved, since The Times of India reports that 1,000 Muslims lived in the attacked area in Naroda Patiya.
12) The Gujarat Government requested neighbouring states to send additional police force. All these states were ruled by the Congress.
13)700 people were arrested by the police in the state, including around 80 in Godhra on the very first day of the violence when situation was out of control. Tear gas shells were also burst.
On March 1
On the next day- i.e. 1st March 2002- the Army staged a flag march in Ahmedabad at 11:30 AM. The Hindu reported on 2nd March 2002-
“The Army began flag marches in the worst-affected areas of Ahmedabad, Baroda, Rajkot and Godhra cities and the `shoot at sight’ order was extended to all 34 curfew-bound cities and towns in Gujarat”.
See link: http://www.hinduonnet.com/2002/03/02/stories/2002030203050100.htm
The title of the report itself was- “Shoot orders in many Gujarat towns, toll over 200”. Now- on this day- the Army had arrived- but even the Army couldn’t prevent the riots. As mentioned earlier- no newspaper accused the administration of being involved in the riots from this day onward. The Indian Express reported on 2nd March-
“The police, its credibility lowest than ever, tried to salvage its reputation intervening in some clashes by opening fire. Twenty were killed in police firing across the state, 12 in Ahmedabad.”
There are two things to be noted from this very vital statement. First- the police did their best to control the violence and could not be accused by anyone, even The Indian Express of negligence from this day onward- the second day of the riots i.e. 1st March 2002. And second, there were “clashes” going on between Hindus and Muslims- not one sided massacres of Muslims.
Direct evidence of the fact that Muslims were equally on the offensive is available from the report of a newspaper as anti-BJP as The Hindu dated 2nd March 2002:
“But unlike Thursday (Feb 28) when one community was entirely at the receiving end, the minority backlash (On Friday, 1 March) caused further worsening of the situation.
Police presence had little impact on the two communities pelting stones at each other in Bapunagar, Gomtipur, Dariapur, Shahpur, Naroda and other areas from where incidents of firing had been reported…Pitched battle was continuing between the two communities late in the evening.
The official sources said timely arrival of the police foiled a retaliatory attempt to break into a prominent temple in Jamalpur locality in the walled city.”
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/2002/03/02/stories/2002030203050100.htm
The bias of The Indian Express can be seen from the fact that though it reported that George Fernandes appealed the citizens for peace in Ahmedabad- and later left for Vadodara- it did not bother to mention that he was bravely on the streets of Ahmedabad at a great risk to personal life! This was mentioned by India Today weekly. The Indian Express also reported- “Godhra funeral procession turns into a killer mob”.
The Hindu reported on 2nd March 2002- that at least 17 were killed in police firing in Ahmedabad until the 2nd day of the riots. The Telegraph reported on 2nd March 2002 that “(On 1 March) Despite the presence of the army — some 3,500 soldiers have arrived in the state — in Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot, the rioting has not stopped.”
Official records show that on the first day- i.e. February 28- 10 Hindus were shot dead and 16 injured by police firing. On the second day- i.e. 1st March additional 24 Hindus were shot dead and 40 were injured. These are figures given to B. P. Singhal – former Director General of Police by official government sources.
On 1st March 2002- the Police saved 2,500 Muslims from certain death when they were attacked by 8,000 armed tribals in Sanjeli, a town in North Gujarat. This was reported by weekly India Today in its issue dated 22 April 2002.
See link: http://www.india-today.com/itoday/20020422/states.shtml
Thus- the shoot-at-sight orders were extended on 1st March 2002
to Ahmedabad and 33 other places- as reported by The Hindu the next day.
The website www.indianembassy.org reports:
“The next brigade of the Army was also deployed in Rajkot and Vadodara on 1 March 2002 itself. Three columns allotted to Godhra reached in Godhra, Lunawada and Halol on the early morning of 2 March 2002.
Thereafter the Army has been shifted in Surat and Bhavnagar as and when the situation warranted such a shift.”
URL: http://www.indianembassy.org/new/gujarat_02/index.htm
Official records show that people were also saved at other places. There are many other instances as well. Some of them are:
a) 5,000 people from the Noorani Mosque area were saved by Ahmedabad Police
b) 240 people were saved at Sardarpura of Mehsana district and shifted to safer places
c)450 were saved in Pore and Nardipur villages of Gandhinagar district, and shifted to safer places
d) 400 were saved in a Madrasa at Bhavnagar
e) 1,500 people were saved from Fatehpura village of Vadodara district
f) 3,000 people were saved and shifted from Kwant village of Vadodara district
1st March 2002 was Friday. On this day- the violence was much less as compared to 28 February (Thursday). And also- the Muslims started a backlash on this day- according to The Hindu dated 2nd March 2002. The steps taken were:
1) On morning of 1st March, George Fernandes bravely took to streets to check violence in Ahmedabad, at a great risk to personal life. He was pummeled with stones. Later he left for Vadodara.
2) 24 Hindus were shot dead by police and 40 injured.
3) Police fired 2167 rounds in the state and fired 1969 tear gas shells on 1 March 2002.
4) The Army staged flag marches in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot’s worst affected areas.
5) Shoot-at-sight orders were extended to all 34 curfew-bound cities and towns in the state.
6) 2500 (Two thousand five hundred) Muslims were saved in Sanjeli, a town in North Gujarat from a crowd of 8000 armed tribals by the police.
On March 2
2nd March 2002 was Saturday. On this day also- Muslims were aggressive. Ahmedabad was almost completely peaceful on this day- with major violence occurring in other parts of Gujarat. The police brought the situation under control there and fired on pitched battles between Hindus and Muslims. The Tribune reported on 3rd March 2002 that:
“Ahmedabad, the worst hit by the communal flare-up in the wake of Godhra train killings, was virtually back to normal…”
That is- the Gujarat Government managed to control riots in the state in 3 days after Godhra; and in only 2 days in a communally ultra-sensitive place like Ahmedabad! Reports of The Hindu and The Telegraph of 3rd March 2002 also prove that Ahmedabad was virtually back to normal on 2nd March 2002 itself.
On the third day of the riots- i.e. 2nd March 2002- the police shot
dead 47 people in