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OTHERS WHO WERE
WITNESS TO LATER PART OF THE INCIDENT
It is natural that
when an incident of such a gravity happens many citizens gather at and
near the place of incident. While visiting the affected areas and the
relief camps the team members kept on searching for the persons who had
been the witness to at least some part of the incident. Three such
persons could be contacted and interviewed. All of them reported of the
inability of the police to take action against the mob. The firing in
the air was reluctant and no one saw firing of teargas shells or use of
lathies as claimed by the police.
REPORTS IN LOCAL,
REGIONAL AND DELHI MEDIA
The Study Team went
carefully through the reports of the gory incidents published in more
than 22 newspapers and 9 newsmagazines. There is so much variance in the
reporting of the events in these publications that it is impossible to
draw out a cohesive acceptable chain of events. The reports vary from an
accusation that the fire was stage-managed in order to malign the Muslim
minority to an assertion that all Muslim passengers were asked to get
down before Godhra by the conspirators. Since the team had reasonably
credible evidence from direct witnesses it decided not to analyze the
media reports for reconstruction of the chronology of events.
GODHRA INCIDENT-
ANALYSED
FACTS AND INFERENCES
There has been so
much said, written and broadcast about the Godhra incident that it is
difficult to distinguish between the facts, half-truths, innocent
imagination and motivated lies. Media and interested parties have
selected, distorted and added fiction to the story to prove their
respective points of view. Unfortunately, professionals like media
persons, fact-finding commissions and administrators have, by and large,
failed to maintain the expected neutrality and objectivity. To engage in
a dispassionate analysis the Study Team has divided all the facts
relating to this incident into four categories:
1.
Indisputable facts.
2. Facts that appear
to be true but need verification.
1.
Information that appears to be untrue.
2.
Mysteries.
INDISPUTABLE FACTS
1.
On
27.02.02 Sabarmati Express from Faizabad reached Godhra more than four
hours late.
2.
There
were more than 2000 Hindu pilgrims on this train.
3.
No
serious dispute took place at the platform at Godhra between the
passengers and the vendors.
4.
The
entire train was stoned right after it left the platform at Godhra and
it continued even after it was stopped at Signal Faliya.
5.
Firebombs, acid bulbs and highly inflammable liquid(s) were used to set
the coaches on fire that must have been stored already for the purpose.
6.
Miscreants succeeded in torching only one coach.
7.
The
conspirators did not allow the fire fighting staff to reach the burning
train expeditiously.
8.
The
iron grills of the windows of S-6 were broken and bent from outside.
9.
Fifty-eight passengers of coach S-6 were burnt to death by a Muslim mob
and that one of the conspirators was a Congress Councillor, Haji Ballal.
10.
The
train was stopped by pulling the chain and the vacuum pipe was cut.
11.
Someone speaking on a mike calling the Hindu passengers kafirs and
enemies of Bin Laden instigated the mob.
12.
Assembly of a mob of about 2000 Muslims in three minutes could not have
been spontaneous.
13.
The
attack on Sabarmati Express on 27.02.02 was pre-planned and preparations
in advance had been made.
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