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FACTS SPEAK FOR
THEMSELVES GODHRA AND AFTER
A Field Study
by
Justice D. S. Tewatia
Dr. J.C.Batra
Dr. Krishan Singh
Arya
Shri Jawahar Lal Kaul
Prof. B.K.Kuthiala
INSIGNIA
COUNCIL FOR
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AND HUMAN RIGHTS
A-208, Surajmal Vihar
Delhi – 110 092
(Phone 2374816, fax
2377653, Email
rjournal@ndf.vsnl.net.in)
PREFACE
The Council for
International Affairs and Human Rights is deeply concerned over the
Godhra carnage that consumed 58 pilgrims, including 26 women and 12
children, returning from Ayodhya when the Sabarmati Express carrying
them was torched near Godhra railway station and the subsequent
sectarian violence. These gory incidents shocked the nation no end.
Torching alive innocent citizens is in total violation of Indian values
and traditions and is a blot on the fair name of this ancient
civilization. It is a gross violation of human rights of innocent
citizens who were roasted alive or brutally killed or maimed for no
fault of theirs.
The Gujarat tragedy
is too deep for tears. An in-depth and objective study to understand the
conspiracy, if any, that led to the burning alive of pilgrims and the
killing of innocent citizens that took place is several parts of Gujarat
is the need of the hour. It is` equally important to identify the evil
forces that were instrumental in accomplishing the "mission". The civil
society needs to evolve ways and means to resolve the communal divide
that has become a festering wound and poses a serious threat to human
rights. It is of utmost importance to know how the administration
responded to the challenge and what was the role of the political
parties, social organizations, the intelligentsia and the media. It is
in this context that the Governing Body of the Council that met at Delhi
on March 22, 2002 decided to send a team to conduct a field study into
the communal strife in Gujarat.
Justice D.S. Tewatia,
Vice-Chairman of the Council and a former Chief Justice of Calcutta and
Punjab and Haryana High Courts, was the leader of the team. Other
members were: Dr J C Batra, senior advocate, Supreme Court of India, Dr.
Krishan Singh Arya, Academician, Chandigarh, Shri Jawahar Lal Kaul,
formerly of the Jansatta,
Delhi,
and Prof. B K Kuthiala, Dean, Faculty of Media Studies, G.J. University
Hisar. The team left for Gujarat on April 1 and returned on April 7,
2002.
The team conducted a
scientific field study in to the horrendous happenings in Godhra and
other parts of Gujarat and collected enormous evidence in the form of
interviews and documents. It has produced a comprehensive report dealing
with numerous aspects of the tragedy. It was not possible for the team
to uncover each and every dimension of the tragedy due to constraints of
time and resources. But it has done a wonderful job in the limited time
and resources available to it. The Council is extremely grateful to
Justice Tewatia and his team for conducting the study and producing a
comprehensive report.
The Council hopes
that its labors will not go waste and that authorities concerned, the
intelligentsia and the media as also the common citizens will take
serious note of the conclusions and recommendations made by the team. A
careful reading of the report will help sift fact from fiction and
identify rumors and canards that have been spread by vested interests.
The report, one hope, will enable the nation to have a correct
perspective of the forces behind the tragedy and the elements that
exploited it for partisan considerations.
The Council is
grateful to the members of the team, representatives of various
organizations of Hindus and Muslims of Gujarat, concerned citizens who
came forward to narrate details of incidents and provided evidence and
the local authorities that ensured that the team conducted the study
without any hindrance.
Shyam Khosla
Secretary General.
April 26, 2002
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