People's Democracy

WE stayed for some time in Ahmedabad Guest House on the Friday night in order to prepare for moving ahead. While we were in the room, the telephone rang; the call was from Muslim dominated Vatvajuhapura. Shabana Azmi receives the call. The person making the call tells that a mob of seven thousand has surrounded the whole area. Asking for help he says, "Please do something, otherwise all of us will be killed tonight." Hearing this Shabana Azmi starts crying and tells me that this all happened in Mumbai as well.

Besides the actual situation in Ahmedabad can be assessed on the basis of another incident. On the Friday night at around 10 o’clock when BBC reporter Rehan Fazal asks for accommodation in Taj Residency, a Five Star Hotel, the manager of the hotel tells him to mention a Hindu name if he wanted to stay in the hotel.

On Rehan’s insistence that he could not change the name that was there on his visa and Pass Port, he was denied accommodation in the hotel. This incident was narrated by Rehan Fazal to CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechuri.

I am here accompanying Amar Singh, Raj Babbar, MPs Samajwadi Party, Shabana Azmi and Sitaram Yechuri. D C Pandey, Police Commissioner who had a beard till yesterday, has now got it shaved. He apprehended a deadly attack on his person due to possible mistaken identity. One of the ANI correspondent also has got his beard shaved. Identity of the journalists is checked by undressing them. Whatever I along with any colleague Aziz Burni, Joint Editor, Rashtriya Sahara have seen here for the past one hour is simply horrendous.

About a few hundred metres away from the airport about 50 vehicles have been burnt. This is the scene of a ‘car bazar’ in which all the shops belong to Muslims. The police does not allow us to go even a little beyond this point. The senior officers of the police tell us that we cannot go beyond the guest house. We were told to stay in the guest house only. We were told by a police officer at the Airport itself that it was not safe for us to move in the city. The previous day George Fernandes had to face untoward situation.

The senior officials of the police and administration provide details of the horrendous situation during the past two days. They however request us not to mention their names. From the guest house Amar Singh calls the chief minister Narendra Modi on phone no. 2866343. Modi tells him that till then property worth Rs 3000 crore had been destroyed. Amar Singh tells Modi that victims of riots have been continuously calling him and other members of the team and all the members of the team wanted to visit V S Hospital. To this Modi’s response was that this was a very risky proposition. Modi adds, "We could not ensure security to George and we cannot provide security to you people as well." To this Amar Singh’s response was "We have police to accompany us." Modi thus retorts that your going to the city would aggravate tension. Amar Singh reacting to these remarks of Modi says "It is state’s planned terrorism."

Raj Babbar tells Modi on telephone that he received a call from Bapunagar and the caller told that firing was going on from the house of the home minister Govardhan Jhapadia. When I asked Raj Babbar about Modi’s response Raj Babbar told us "Modi remarked that you know who possess weapons. Hindus donot possess weapons." Amar Singh at this stage insists that despite risk of life we all must go to the city. Situation is highly volatile. Firing is going on from the house of the ministers. Police vehicles are carrying petrol for setting fire.

Sitaram Yechuri also talks to Modi on phone. On Yechuri’s insistence Modi tells him that people know your views and also recognise you all. Under the circumstances your security cannot be ensured. To this Yechuri’s reaction was that the chief minister was giving an open threat. Yechuri further told Modi what the media had done to increase tension. His pointer was towards ‘Star News’. Shabana Azami also had a telephonic conversation with Narendra Modi. To her also Modi says your presence in the city will increase tension.

The state health minister Ashok Bhatt was present in the guest house during the course of telephonic conversation with Modi. The minister was accompanied by BJP’s youngest MLA Bharat Pandey. They told us that the army could be deployed the previous day, but that could not be done due to cremation of the people who had died in Godhara carnage.

Pandey tells us names of places including Jamalpur where tension is somewhat more. In these areas Muslim population is 60 per cent while Hindus are 30 per cent. When he was told that tension was there in the whole of Ahmedabad, he admits this fact. When I enquired why despite repeated requests for safety for about six hours by Eshan Jafrey, a former MP on telephone, no security was provided to him and his family, Pandey told that he had first resorted to firing on the mob.

Meanwhile the UNI correspondent Sushil Parikh who had come from Mumbai enters the room. He is accompanied by cameraman Uday Iyer. The previous day Sushil’s Indica car and luggage were set on fire. Both were very much scared. For four hours they were begging for shelter in riot affected areas but no one obliged them. In the guest house we learnt that maximum victims of riots were in Almin Hospital. On making enquiry about this hospital, I was told by the health minister that it is a private hospital. Beyond this he did not know anything about this hospital.

We learnt that in the Muslim dominated localities around 250 hotels were completely burnt. Among these the more prominent hotels are Simnaur Hotel, Kabir Restaurant Sunflower, Rajkamal, Abhilasha, Topaz, Tulsi, Treat, Navrang, Milleneum, Bhagyoday, Navjeevan, Utsav, Balaji, Batta, Eliot, Apex, Raj Garden, Regal and Kalrav.

Despite police’s advice when we prepare to go out of the guest house, a crowd of around 200 persons surround us. A local leader coming forward remarks that only he knows how he managed to reach us. In the presence of dozens of police personnel he tells us "Don’t trust these persons. However, you can trust army. I appeal to you all, please do not visit riot affected areas." He further remarked that he had never witnessed such a horrendous situation since 1959. At this point Sumit Awasthi, correspondent of ‘Aaj Tak’ who had accompanied George Fernandes arrives. He reports how his Tata Sumo was stoned and how he ran for his life. He also advised us not to go out of the guest house. Ashwani, cameraman of ‘Aaj Tak’ was hurt in his head.

Despite all these warnings we leave the guest house with some policemen escorting us. After covering a distance of around 150 metres we reach the office of the Police Commissioner. On the way we see burnt vehicles and shops. In front of the office of the Police Commissioner a Board is installed. Astonished at the words ‘Service, Security and Peace’ written on it, Amar Singh remarks "Where one can find all this in Gujarat." It is 12 0’ clock at night. However, people are awake. Some people are standing at different places in small groups. Slogan shouting is going on. We are in the office of the Police Commissioner. Despite our repeated requests no police officer comes to escort us so that we could move ahead. In the Police Commissioner’s office we find journalists associated with various news agencies and dailies. They all are stating their experiences of the day. They are also talking about the slogans. One slogan is particularly mentioned. This slogan is ‘Jai Shri Ram ho gaya kam’ (Victory to Shri Ram, the task is performed).

Courtesy: Rashtriya Sahara, March 2

(Translated from Rashtriya Sahara, Hindi, by S K Mishra)