People's Democracy

THE Election Commission’s decision to defer the assembly polls in Gujarat has come as a shot in the arm for all the secular and democratic forces --- not only in the riot-ravaged state but nationwide. It was, in fact, the last in a series of indictments the BJP-ruled state government had been receiving over the last few weeks. In fact, since the visit of the commission and the final decision, even some officials have heaved a sigh of relief.

As though the reprimands by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the National Commission on Minorities (NCM) and numerous NGO-sponsored fact-finding committees were not enough, the Narendra Modi administration was recently rebuked mildly even by the president, Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, during his short visit to the state.

True the president’s itinerary was so planned that he could not see the stark reality about the minorities living in the relief camps or their damaged homes. But by the end of the day-long tour of Ahmedabad, Dr Kalam was well informed ----thanks to the meetings with the several NGOs and delegations of political parties, including the CPI(M).

The CPI(M), the Congress as well as other secular parties apprised the president of the real situation, including the physical, material and psychological damages the minorities have suffered during the three-month long rioting and arson in the state. Moreover, the president was told that every effort is being made to systematically sabotage the process of investigation and prosecution of the guilty and also the process of rehabilitation of the affected minorities.

Before the president’s visit, all the delegations of the Election Commission and the NGOs which came to the state arrived at the same opinion that the saffron brigade had carried out the attacks on the minorities as per a pre-planned design. The idea was to regenerate a jingoistic Hindu militant sentiment with an eye on the coming assembly elections for the party’s four-year long governance had failed to impress the electorate due to its corruption and maladministration.

If failure to provide relief and rehabilitation to the earthquake victims was enough reason for the BJP high command to remove chief minister Keshubhai Patel, political observers feel and question: then why should Narendra Modi be allowed to continue for neglecting the task of proper rehabilitation of the riot-affected minorities?

The state government reels out statistics of the cereals, pulses, edible oil and sugar sent to the relief camps, but fails to admit the reality of the sub-human existence of the citizens in the so called camps.

Even now, after the visits of the statutory bodies and the NGOs, the minorities returning to their old homes to assess the damage are being threatened by the Sangh Parivar goons. The latter have virtually taken over the state’s law and order machinery ever since the BJP came to power in the state.

Even on the Independence Day, no official or leaders visited the minorities in the relief camps, giving them a feeling of being neglected in their own homeland. Still, the organisers of the relief camps distributed tricolour flags to the children to emphasise the significance of the day.

A resident of Chamanura said on Independence Day that her house is in a livable condition though looted, but the family is still scared to return as the locality is surrounded by the majority community houses who are Bajrang Dal supporters. "With some guarantee of security and compensation to rehabilitate, many of the minorities could have celebrated I-Day in their own homes," commented a camp volunteer.

At the widow home in Juhapura, where 60 riot-affected and 63 of their children have taken shelter, the organisers tried to bring solace to the disturbed minds through mental counselling. On Independence Day, the semi-literate widows were explained the significance of the day. "That is important as these widows come from a very low educational background," said a volunteer at the widow home. Another volunteer opined that it was two days of some relief, but what after the VIPS go!

With the announcement of the delayed schedule for the assembly elections, the minorities have heaved a sigh of relief and believe that now the government might be obliged to take up the knitty gritty of actually some rehabilitation, at least for the sake of impressing the Election Commission before it comes again. All in all, the chief election commissioner has won some kudos by his visit and even in the Congress camp for the past few days a desire to fight back is visible. With two VIP visits, Ahmedabad in particular is buzzing with some hope in an overall climate of despair. The riot wounds have not yet healed, feels the EC. The scars are there for all to see, except the eyeless. (INN)