Sabrang Alternative News Network

Naroda Gaon and Naroda Patiya:
About 15 kms from Ahmedabad city, Naroda Gaon and Naroda Patiya have been home to around 1,000 daily wage earning Muslims. Many of the residents here are migrants from Karnataka and Maharashtra. The area lies on a stretch of the outer city, situated along a deserted highway road. The Gopinath and Gangotri housing societies situated nearby are home, the survivors allege, to many of the attackers. The government’s ST warehouse is located across the wide road.

Naroda Patiya and Naroda Gaon have a long story of VHP provocation. Police sources revealed to CC that in 1999 a dargah was broken down and an idol installed in its place. At the time, the local police repaired the dargah and arrested 10-15 persons, including Dr. Jaideep Patel, Maya Kotdani and Amrish Pandey. Pressure was mounted by the then home minister, Haren Pandya, but the police stood their ground and the law-breakers backed down.*[1]

Testimony: From Thursday to Monday (February 28-March 4), I remained hidden in the locality. I hid inside the SRP quarters along with seven children of the locality. My whole family was scattered here and there. My two-year-old son was with my mother-in-law and I found them later.

Before escaping to the SRP quarters, I witnessed Kausar Bano being brutally raped in the Javan Nagar Maidan. Her stomach was carved opened, her baby flung into the fire before she was sexually abused, cut up and burnt.

The attack was spearheaded from Gopinath society and Gangotri society. Mumtaz Bano was another victim. Other women who were similarly brutalized and killed were Ayesha Bibi, Shaheen Bano, Noorjahan, Najma Begum, Hasan Ali, Zainab Bano, Noorjahan Alori and Sufia Bano. I also saw Sadiq Salim Sheikh being killed brutally, his head smashed with an iron pipe.

Dr Jaideep Patel (second in rank to Praveen Togadia of the VHP), for leading the mob.

Testimony: I have only a brother, a sister and my father who is quite old left now. My mother Jerina and my other sister Nasreen were stabbed, burnt and killed. I saw it all happening. My sister does not stop crying, my father does not speak. I only know that those Hindus were attacking Muslims. I saw it all happen.

The previous day we were told that some trouble might happen. When nothing happened at night, we thought it was just a rumour and went back thinking that nothing might happen. In the morning, a crowd started pelting stones. We ran towards Gangotri and Gopinath society but it was residents from these societies who got the tolas (crowds) together.

While I stood on a wall, I saw my mother and sister being stabbed. Then they sprinkled kerosene on both and burned them alive. I was so shocked I fell down. When I got up a man hit me on the chest and on the abdomen.

They even said, “Chop his head off”. But an elderly person in the group said, “Do not kill the child.” Though others argued, he told me to run away. He said, “Bhag ja beta (“Run away, son).” I ran. I still remember the face of the old man.

I had to stay inside a small shed with another woman and through a tiny entrance we watched these people kill. Later, I crawled quietly into one of the SRP quarters and found my aunt there. I lived there for three days. My whole family had been separated.

Then I was taken to the Shahibag relief camp where my sister, who is here with me now, had come looking for me from the Shah Alam camp.

From 7.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. on Thursday, February 28 a 20-25,000-strong mob surrounded the Chamanpura area in the heart of Ahmedabad city. The FIR lodged by KG Erda of the Meghani Nagar police station (Communalism Combat has a copy) gives a blow-by-blow account of the utter failure of the police to put off the assailants and protect the residents.

The FIR admits that the arson and destruction began from the morning itself. What is not contained in the FIR, but a fact to which an eyewitness survivor and two Yuva Congress members are witness, is that the commissioner of police, Ahmedabad, PC Pandey visited Ehsan Jaffri at 10.30 a.m. sharp and assured him of police reinforcements.

The CP stands directly indicted as he did not keep his promise of sending police help. The few men who were deputed from the Meghani Nagar chowky merely watched as 70 persons were butchered and burned. The 10-12 women among the victims were brutally gang raped. The centre of an Indian commercial city saw a medieval and macabre dance of death, humiliation and revenge heaped on women, children and men.

Mohammmed Shareifbhai Nasiruddin Sheikh,

Chamanpura

Testimony: Sharief Bhai is a survivor of the Chamanpura mass arson. He lost his wife, Nasreen and two daughters. The owner of a prosperous electronic business, he could have escaped with his family but he was at the forefront, along with young men, warding of the murderous attack.

Today, he and his son Sahil (10) are the sole survivors of his family. When I met him on March 24, he told me that he had not cried so far. Justice even if it is a long and arduous fight, is what he seeks and is willing to fight for.

Vatwa, an area located on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, saw repeated and prolonged bouts of violence, led often by the residents of the nearby housing colonies like Murlidhar Society, Mani Society, Asapalav Society, Picnic Park and Manav Nagar. The attacks were allegedly led by a resident of Vatwa who is also a Bajrang Dal leader – Haresh Patel. Patel was ably supported by the police. Nawapura-Kabrastan, a basti of 300 houses, was completely gutted by mobs that attacked all day and night. The attack came from the residents of Aspalav, Picnic Park, Manav Nagar housing colonies. There were many persons from the Waghari community involved in the attacks.

All Muslim homes were burnt down in the following localites: Bachubhai Kua (70-80 houses), Bismillah Nagar (60 house), Darbar Khetar (70-80 houses), Syedwadi (150 houses), Azim Park (100 houses); Muchadipir (9 houses); Roshni Raos (105 houses).

The attacks continued from February 28-March 2 in the first instance and terror generated was relentless until the middle of March. Finally again on April 5, policemen unleashed terror on the whole locality cloaking their faces under the helmets. “Police chor-dakoo ho gayee hai” is the refrain of residents. Forty young men from the targetted minority have been arrested in selective combing operations by the police.

Formed in 1932. During the 1969 riots there was no problem in this area. In 1990, there was some disturbance, one member from a family living in Delite Apartments was burnt alive. ‘Wahi log aaj bhi kam kar rahe hain’ (‘The same people are up to similar deeds now’.

Haren Pandya is elected from this constituency (Ellis Bridge). During his campaign for the last elections he was openly campaigning saying, ‘Paldi se musalman ka naam aur nishan mita denge’ (‘We’ll wipe out any trace of Muslim presence from the Paldi area’).

This writer spoke to two couples from the Paldi area -- Aftab Bhai and Ghizala Kadri (the latter works at the Oriental Insurance near Lal Darwaza Ahmedabad) and Ayaz and Wasim Aslam (employed by the Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service) on March 9.

Both the couples are residents of Kazmi Apartments, Paldi, Flat No. 3 and 4 respectively. Justice AN Divecha (retired judge of the Gujarat High Court) lives in Flat 1 & 2 of the same apartment and is a neighbour. Besides being victims themselves, they are eyewitnesses to what happened to justice Divecha.

Testimony: On the night of February 28, some 25-30 petrol bombs were thrown inside our flats from outside. When we looked out to see who the assailants were, we recognized them as VHP people from the area. We rang up 100 (Police control) and spoke to DCP Pargi who sent a PI and PSI to check on the damage. We were asking for protection because though only the walls were damaged, the intention of the attackers was clear.

PSI Birja who inspected the damage said it was not enough to warrant any police protection. The next morning at about 11.30 a.m., a mob of 50-60 persons hurled stones and broke the windowpanes of flat number 3. We called police control again. In the mob, we could spot some of the known faces we had seen the day before. We wondered what to do but I (Aftab Kadri) felt leaving our home may not be a good idea.

In our building, Kazmi Apartments, there are 12 flats, all belonging to Muslims. By the morning of 28^th there were only 10-12 of us around. Some were out of town and others had left. We sent off our families elsewhere and I spent whole of 28^th watching a 2,500-3,000 strong mob wreck havoc in the area.

They first attacked Tarana Apartments. They were armed with baseball bats, hockey sticks and cricket bats. They used to use the force of 3,000 persons to break down a strong gate. They were travelling in Sumo vans. They broke the locks of 12 flats at Tarana Apartments, looted and burnt them.

The second building to be attacked was Delite Apartments. They used Pepsi bottles to create the impact of home bombs. They used chemical solvents to ensure that once a fire starts it does not stop.

The third building to be attacked was Elite Apartments where mostly advocates live. The fourth building was our building, Kazmi Apartments. Justice Divecha left in the dead of night, at 12 p.m. My family had left the day before. In my case, I suffered a loss of Rs 4-5 lakh.

Resident of Paldi/Eyewitness to Gujarat Revenue Minister Haren Pandya inciting Mobs to Violence;

“It was February 28. The time was 1.45 p.m. I saw a mob gathering. Within minutes I then saw Haren Pandya who has won the assembly election from our constituency come to the corner of the street where the building where we we live at Tarana Apartments and start making gestures with his hands that appeared to say “come on start the work.” When a mob gets encouragement from a leader, it gets courage. And that is when the destruction began. The gate was broken. Vehicles on the way were destroyed. Then they attacked the Tarana Apartments; the first floor and second floor was attacked and set fire to. The Police were in a jeep walking along with the crowd and did not even step out. The policemen were talking to the crowd.

My wife even asked me to ask the police for help but I told her how could I expect any help from the police? My house in Tarana was looted thrice after that I went to the police to register my FIR naming the minister which they refused. Thereafter I have registered my statement with my lawyer that has been sent to the police. I have received threats saying “ You named Pandya. We have burned your homes. Next we will burn you.” You cannot imagine the threats that we live under.”

My father, mother, Dadi were all cut up and burned. It was the 28^th of February. We were all in the house. When the mob attacked, my father managed to get me and Norrjehan and me out of the house and force us to run ahead. My mother was left inside. My father forced us to run ahead. But they caught him. They asked him to say ‘Jai Sri Ram.’ He refused. In front of my eyes, they c ut him up and burned him. When I returned to the house I found a heap of persons killed.

(Uncle Yusuf Khan Pathan: Totally eleven members of our families brutally lossed their lives. My wife, two girls, son too. I was busy defending us since we are located in the midst of the Patel locality.

I have identified the accused as Daya Purushottam, Babubhai Puruhottam, Ramesh Daya Madhabar but it is the MLA, Prahlad Ghosa supplied arms. The DSP earlier Gahlot was helpful in trying to locate the bodies of our near and dead ones. Therefore in vengeance, CM Narendra Modi transferred him out and brought AK Sharma in his place who is close to him from Rajkot.

[1](pg.20 , GENOCIDE—GUJARAT 2002,Communalism Combat Report)