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The Rediff Special/ V Gangadhar

A fragile peace rules in Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad city, plagued by communal disturbances since July 20 that have so far taken a toll of eight lives, finds permanent peace elusive.

Two of the busiest localities in the city, Shahpur and Karanj, are under curfew. There are still sporadic instances of stone-throwing, arson, attacks on the police. Another disturbing factor is the stab-and-run mischief-maker whom the local police have not been able to identify and control.

Of the eight killed so far, seven have died of stab wounds. Five of them were Hindus. The police say they have arrested most of those responsible for the incidents, but refuse to divulge the motives for the attacks.

Meanwhile, normal life in Ahmedabad continues to be paralysed. Even in areas adjoining those where curfew has been imposed, most shops remain closed. Streets are deserted after 7 pm, cinema halls and restaurants are less crowded.

As usual, it is areas within the walled city -- Kalupur, Dariapur, Shahpur, Raipur, Karanj and Shahlam -- that are the worst hit.

The trouble began on July 20 when there was an altercation between Hindus and Muslims at Kalupur where a young boy was pushed around. Stones began to fly and things got out of control. The police, caught napping, finally controlled the situation.

But there was more tension the next day when an outsider, Nageswara Rao, was stabbed in Kalupur. He died the same day.

By now, the local police had braced themselves for the worst. Curfew was imposed in the trouble spots and for a couple of days there were no major incidents.

But the discovery of the body of a Muslim youth with stab wounds on July 24 set off a stabbing spree three days later, which claimed four lives. The same day, a group of people poured kerosene over a Muslim youth and torched him. He now lies critically ill in a civil hospital. Security measures have been in full swing from that day, and there have been no major skirmishes.

The Gujarat authorities, including Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel and Home Minister Haren Pandya, have dismissed the disturbances as localised, caused by anti-social elements. According to them, these are not 'communal riots'. There have been no bomb blasts and the trouble has not spread to other parts of the state.

While admitting that the police were taken by surprise on the first two days, the home minister has clarified that strict instructions have now been issued to policemen at all levels not to allow interference by outsiders, including politicians. (See interview.)

Members of the public and the Opposition had alleged that Bharatiya Janata Party politicians and members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad had indulged in arm-twisting and getting the arrested goondas (ruffians) released.

VHP leaders, however, accuse the Keshubhai Patel government of not taking any action against 'Pakistani elements'. The chief minister has denied the charge. The home minister says the situation has returned to normal in the usually sensitive areas of Kalupur and Dariapur after he arranged a face-to-face meeting of the 'ugravadis' (hot-headed people) and urged them to work together to maintain peace.

Pandya, however, is unable to explain how the trouble began. Tension had been building up in Ahmedabad since the annual rath yatra on July 14 which was supervised by more than 7,000 security force personnel, including units of the Central Reserve Police Force.

Though the rath yatra itself passed off peacefully, the 'Kargil effect' appears to have caused most of the trouble. Hindu mobs, while burning effigies of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharief, shouted obscene anti-Muslim slogans, which the local Muslims resented. These created further tension within the walled city and could be one of the reasons for the attacks.

Intellectuals like human rights activist Girish Patel say a section of the people identifies the local Muslims with Pakistani elements. This is particularly true of the VHP zealots. And the government took no action against them.

Despite the government's assurance of no political interference, the morale of the city police is low. A senior inspector was injured in heavy stone-throwing at Janpura on Thursday.

The Rediff Specials

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