The term 2002 Gujarat violence refers to the riots that took place in Gujarat state in India from February 27, 2002. The riots started a day after the Godhra Train Burning episode.

Officially 793 Muslims and 253 Hindus died as a result of the violence.[1][2].Unofficial estimates from Human Rights groups were between 2000 - 2500, mostly Muslims.[3][4][5]

A long distance train - Sabarmati Express carrying Kar Sevaks returning from a hotly disputed shrine in the state of Uttar Pradesh known as the Babri Masjid among Muslims and Ram Janmabhoomi among Hindus caught fire either from inside or outside killing 59 of them including women and children.

The Kar Sevaks went to participate in the Chetavani (Warning) Yatra ^{[citation needed]} to pressurise the government to allow the building of a Rama Temple at this land ^{[citation needed]}.

The Sabarmati Express was stopped and came under attack at Signal Falia near Godhra Junction by a mob of local Muslims. Time (Magazine) reports that as the engine gathered speed leaving Godhra, the emergency brake chain was pulled and attackers stormed the passenger cars. They hurled bottles filled with gasoline, setting coaches aflame. Able-bodied men managed to escape the conflagration; 40 of the 58 deaths were of women and children charred on board [6]. These claims have been hotly disputed since they were made^{[citation needed]}.

The BJP government in Gujarat cited this as the primary provocation or the "first use" of violence. However, others alleged that Kar Sevaks riding the train were shouting anti-Muslim slogans before a mob attacked the train^{[citation needed]}.

A statewide Bandh was called by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad eventually leading to the start of retaliatory attacks by Hindus.Time quoted that mobs burned families in their houses, demolished mosques, and sexually assaulted women.[7]

Many NGOs and newspapers reported that in Ahmedabad there were elements of planning in the violence^{[citation needed]}. Some rioters were seen with documents and computer sheets listing Muslim families and their properties, which the Indian Express claimed were accessed from the electoral rolls of the areas^{[citation needed]}. They also had detailed precise knowledge about buildings and businesses held by members of the minority community while there were also cases where Hindus living in mixed neighbourhood were attacked and driven out of their homes. [8]. Human Rights groups have alleged that the trucks carried quantities of gas cylinders^{[citation needed]}. Rich homes of people belonging to the Muslim community and business establishments were first systematically looted, stripped down of all their valuables, then cooking gas was released from cylinders into the buildings for several minutes. In addition, certain mosques and dargahs were efficiently razed, and in some cases the traces are no longer visible^{[citation needed]}.

There have been several well-publicised cases where charges were made subsequently withdrawn and again made, the most famous one being that of Zaheera Sheikh. The Indian judiciary is currently studying whether the witnesses have been victimised.

Around One hundred fifty Muslims, many of them women who were sexually assaulted by mobs of Hindus.[9]While some Muslim partisan organisations put the figure of more than five hundred Muslims killed in this area of Ahmedabad.[10].Referring to the severity of polarisation the Indian Communist Party in its first hand report said:"In Gujarat women not only shared the booty after their men had torched Muslims and their property by coming in droves to loot the destroyed shops, merrily matching the size of their shoes and colour of their dresses, piling the choicest pieces of furniture and scores of other items into vans, they helped in making acid bulbs, kaakaras (cloth wrapped several times around a long stick, which is then doused in kerosene and used to torch people and property), collecting sticks and stones."[11]One of the witnesses stated before the Nanavati commission that that BJP leader Maya Kodnani, Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi and others had led mobs on February 28 last year in the Naroda-Patia area. [12]

A high profile case involved an Ex- Congress MP who was surrounded by Hindu Mobs while many other Muslim residents in the area took shelter in his compound.In its report the National Human Rights Commission mentioned that "Shri Amar Sinh Chaudhary, former Chief Minister, Gujarat, narrated to the team his futile efforts in seeking police help for Shri Ahsan Jaffrey, former MP. He claimed to have personally contacted the Police Commissioner, P.C. Pande, at 10.30 AM on 28 February and apprised him of the imminent danger to the life of Shri Jaffrey. The Police Commissioner assured him that police assistance will be despatched rapidly. He reminded him again after receiving another frantic call from Ahsan Jaffrey that no police reinforcement had reached his place and that the few policemen present were ineffective and unwilling to control the violent mob."Eventually he along with fifty others were burnt to death.[13][14]

During the night of 1 March 2002, 14 people, including women and children, were killed. Despite repeated phone calls to the local police, a police vehicle reportedly only drove by once but none of the police officers took any steps to stop the attack, which lasted through the night.[15].After the Police prosecuted 21 persons for these killings,the district court of Vadodara in Gujarat acquitted all of them after 37 of the 73 eyewitnesses including the main witness Zaheera Sheikh turned hostile, later citing that they were victimised.The case went to the Gujarat High Court which stood by the lower court's acquittal judgement.However, the Supreme court ordered the case transferred to a different state [Maharashtra].[16]In another twist the prime witness changed her stance once again turning hostile against the prosection.An Indian Newsmagazine recorded her on tape negotiating payment for withdrawing allegations with the [BJP] MLA Madhu Srivastava - the authenticity of which was not established.However,the Maharashtra High Court awarded life sentences to nine of the accused.[17][18]

Human Rights Watch published that "Hindus have also suffered greatly from the violence in Gujarat".It refers to attacks on Hindu Dalits by Muslim mobs in Danilimda, Modasa, Himmatnagar, Bharuch, Sindhi Market, Bhanderi Pole, and other localities in the city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat. The loss of life and property came from attacks involving arson through the use of molotov cocktails, stone throwing and stabbing. Some of the Hindu riot victims mentioned being helped by Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and NGO doctors. The report also describes that "some Hindus feared retaliatory attacks by Muslims communities-promoted in some areas by false reports in the local language media -or fear of being mistaken for Muslim by Hindu mobs".[19].

Mass graves were unearthed in early 2006 and it has been alleged that in several cases including Pandharvada the police tried to bury and conceal evidence. In Kalol, the Indian investigating agency CBI arrested six policemen and two doctors for deliberately destroying evidence and thereby shielding the accused in Randhikpur massacre. They allegedly conducted a post-mortem at the site of the burial and added 60 kg of salt so that the bodies would disintegrate quickly. Some bodies from the Kidiad killings were found in the Panam dam.The police closed 2,120 of the 4,252 communal violence cases as `true but undetected'. Some eyewitnesses alleged police's failure to record statements properly.The Supreme court ordered special enquiry and retrials in the cases where evidence was available.It is alleged that instead of helping Muslims in finding out their relative's bodies, the Gujarat police victimised and harassed them.[20][21][22][23][24]

Human rights activists say they are the remains of Muslims killed in the 2002 Gujarat riots. But a senior police official says it is still unclear whether the remains belong to riot victims or whether an older graveyard has been dug up. The Gujarat Police dismissed the unearthing of the mass grave as an unnecessary publicity campaign.[25][26].

Two of the Muslims killed during the riots were British citizens.Their families have sued the Gujarati Government for $4.9 million (£2.6 million), alleging a conspiracy resulting in their husbands’ deaths.[27]

A total of Rs. 150,000 ($3,400) had been paid to the next of kin of each person killed[28].The Gujarat government paid out a total of 2.04bn rupees towards relief and rehabilitation according to a minister.NGO's and newspapers slammed the Gujarat government for discriminating between the Hindus and Muslims in dispensing compensation.[29]

Teesta Setalvadhad presented Zaheera Sheikh as her witness in her culpabilization of the Gujarati Hindus. In the past Zaheera had been a witness in the Best Bakery case, she recanted her statement against the accused in court, and then came back to say that she had been coerced and threatened to recant. Teesta then took her case and got a retrial, Zaheera and her mother and brother again recanted accusing Teesta of kidnapping and coercion. Proof of unaccounted payments of several lakhs in Zaheera's family helped the court decide that Zaheera had again recanted due to monetary gains and that her claims of kidnapping and coercion by Teesta were not valid and she was sentenced along with her mother and surviving brother[30][31]. Chronolgy of events given in following link. [32]. In addition, Setalvad is suspected of secretly converting to Islam [33], casting doubts on her non-pastisanship on this communal issue.

Arundhati Roy, in her articles, made several claims about the details of the situation in Gujarat at the time , particularly regarding the murder of former Congress MP Iqbal Ehsan Jaffri where she said that his daughters were raped and burnt by a mob which eventually killed at least 150 persons. BJP MP Balbir Punj, writing in Outlook India, has criticized her recounting of the events as highly questionable mentioning that Ehsaan Jaafri's daughters were not in Gujarat at the time of incident[34].However, Punj did not deny the killing of 150 persons in this incident.

Most Non Governmental organisations and Human rights champions blamed the "Sangh Parivar" for the riots.On the very next page where retaliation on Hindus was mentioned,"Human Rights Watch" said that the "Communal violence against Muslims in Gujarat is intimately connected to a rise of Hindu nationalism in the country and the state."[35]

All riot cases are under investigation in an official inquiry comprising of Justice (retd.) G.T. Nanavati and Justice (retd.) K.G. Shah. The inquiry included gathering and analysis of 20,940 oral and written testimonies, both individual and collective, from survivors and independent human rights groups, women's groups, NGOs and academics.

Various human rights organizations and major Indian newspapers have accused the Gujarat state government, led by Chief Minister Narendra Modi of supporting, and in some cases instigating, the riots.

The National Human Rights Commission had criticised the state government for 'a comprehensive failure to protect people's constitutional rights' while the Supreme Court of India criticising Modi observed that "modern day Neros" were looking elsewhere when innocent children and helpless women were burning and were probably deliberating how the perpetrators or the crime can be saved or protected... "[36]

The President of India at that time, K. R. Narayanan, formerly a Congress Party politician, later blamed the ruling BJP-NDA government.

In an interview to the Malayalam magazine Manava Samskriti on the eve of the third anniversary of the Gujarat riots he said :

There was governmental and administrative support for the communal riots in Gujarat. I gave several letters to Prime Minister Vajpayee in this regard on this issue. I met him personally and talked to him directly. But Vajpayee did not do anything effective. I requested him to send the army to Gujarat and suppress the riots. The military was sent, but they were not given powers to shoot. If the military was given powers to shoot then recurrence of tragedies in Gujarat could have been avoided. However, both the state(the Narendra Modi government) and central government did not do so. I feel there was a conspiracy involving the state and central governments behind the Gujarat riots.([37])([38])([39])

.

Some other allegations came from R.B. Sreekumar, who served as intelligence chief for the Gujrat Government during the riots. Mr. Sreekumar concluded that the violence was a planned massacre, with the consent of the State government[40][41]. He presented what he claimed were his notes at the time to India Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) which investigates complaints by civil servants.On it's part the Government of Gujarat refuted the allegations and chargesheeted R.B. Sreekumar in connection with his ‘‘semi-official’’ diary on the grounds of releasing official documents. [42]. Some critics of Mr. Sreekumar questioned the authenticity of the diary he submitted as evidence.[43]

On the other hand, a defense expert believes that when thousands of people defy curfew and come on street, Army should not shoot-at-sight because the resultant killings will be huge. These killings will do more damage than good. ([44])

Mr. Narendra Modi applied for a diplomatic visa to visit the United States. On March 18, 2005, the United States Department of State denied Mr. Modi this visa under section 214 (b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act because he was not coming for a purpose that qualified for a diplomatic visa.

Mr. Modi's existing tourist/business visa was also revoked under section 212 (a) (2) (g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Section 212 (a) (2) (g) makes any foreign government official who "was responsible for or directly carried out, at any time, particularly severe violations of religious freedom" ineligible for a visa to the United States. [45]([46]) This decision was protested by the Indian government, but in response the US government pointed out that their decision was based on the report by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India. [47].

An international women's enquiry committee condemned the "large-scale" violence against women belonging to minority community during the Gujarat communal violence and termed Gujarat worse than Bosnia,[48]. However, the published death tolls in the Bosnian War alone were orders of magnitude higher, totalling 102,622 versus 1046 in these riots. The rape casualties in Bosnia were more than 50,000 [49] [50]

The United Nations International Human Rights Commission has not recognized the Gujarat riots as a human rights issue. However, campaigns to recognize it have been made by Islamic organizations like the World Muslim Congress demanding expediency in the process.[51]Discussions in UNHCR[52]General Assembly Document

The Hindutva organisations expressed different views.The Vishwa Hindu Parishad said that "Gujarat riots had lord Ram’s blessings" according to the Press Trust of India reports.They said that " there was a plan to kill 2000 kar sevaks when they were returning from Ayodhya. The hapless kar sevaks in one of the compartments of the Sabarmati Express could not get out of the train and at least 49 of them were burnt alive"[53].

BJP's Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani said the the Gujarat riots as the only blot on the successful NDA rule.[54].

While Balbir Punj , a BJP MP said in India's parliament, The riots which took place in Gujarat are blot on any civilized society. We all are ashamed of what happened there.[55].

PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee further expressed that the Gujarat events were a "blot on India which enjoyed respect and prestige in the comity of nations because of the way the 100 crore people of diverse religion, culture and ethnic groups lived together happily, "share our griefs and joys, but never forget the message of peace and brotherhood. But what was happening in Gujarat was not only heart-rending but "most inhuman and horrible.[56]

The BJP government has defended the actions of Narendra Modi's administration against charges of 'genocide'. They said that the killing of 254 Hindus, mostly in police firing, indicates how the state authorities took effective steps to curb the violence[57]. In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs Sriprakash Jaiswal confirmed the Hindu death toll in the incident(s). He, in turn, accused the Congress for misrepresenting the extent of the riots as part of a political agenda. BJP MP Balbir Punj has also responded to criticisms from the press and advocates such as Arundhati Roy by accusing them of hyperbole and sensationalising the riots as part of an agenda of what he calls 'defamation' and 'left wing anti-India propaganda' [58]. In particular, Punj writes:

"She (Roy) terms Gujarat the “petri dish” of the Sangh parivar. The fact is that Godhra has been used as a crucible by the secular fundamentalists."

"Loss of 900-odd innocent lives (both Hindus and Muslims) is definitely not a “genocide” of any one community"

"The secular pack is not only guilty of parading half-truths but also of condoning and inciting violence. The banner headline of the Hindustan Times (February 28) reporting on Godhra set a trend for secularists when it said ‘Gujarat hit by Ayodhya backlash’. Scuttling beyond the ‘first-information-report’ with a cult of shady intellectualism, it thus immediately established a connection between the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and the gruesome carnage."

Belgian scholar of Indian studies Koenraad elst has criticized the press for providing a one-sided coverage of the incidents in favor of muslims against Hindus. In an interview with Ramesh Rao [59] he speculates that the Sangh Parivar has consistently tried to prevent riots and that the riots actually were the result of muslim hatred for Hindus.He qualified his statements by aggreeing in general terms that this was mostly a "Hindu retaliation for the Godhra massacre", and for all the earlier occasions of Muslim aggression.

India's Supreme Court, expressed its displeasure at the government's handling of the case. [60]. The Court also rebuked both the Gujarat High Court and the local justice system, stating, “Judicial criminal administration system must be kept clean and beyond the reach of whimsical political wills or agendas.” [61]

While some convictions have taken place,the National Human Rights Commission of India expressed dissatisfaction with the Gujarat government in its reports and observed that while in many cases members of the majority community were booked under offences - they were released soon and the charges framed against them were of lesser degree while the minority community was harassed by the police.National Human Rights Commission orders on Gujarat

Independent India has witnessed thousands of anti-Muslim and anti-Dalit riots. Conviction in riot-cases is rare.[62] [63] The first of the convictions in post-Godhra riot cases came on Tuesday, November 25 2003 with the Kheda district court sentencing 12 persons to life imprisonment. [64].

Final Solution explored the impact of the riots in creating a rift between the Hindus and the Muslims of the state of Gujarat and how the rift has affected everyday life in the state[65]. The film was criticized by BJP government at the time as being innacurate in its portrayal of the communal situation in Gujarat, which led to it being defended by some filmmakers. As a result of a wide publicity campaign the film is presently in public circulation.

A copy of the film is available online on * Final Solution[though it may or may not be the original version]. The film was widely recognised. [66]

The death toll figures claimed by the documentary are contrary to those published by official estimates [67]. Many of the claims made in the movie are unverified by third parties^{[citation needed]}. Some of the claims made by the documentary that are peripherally connected to the Gujarat riots have been debunked. For instance, the film claims that Narendra Modi introduced 7/8th grade history textbook that glorifies Hitler and the Nazi regime. It, however, turns out that the books was actually prescribed under a Congress government in 1993[68]. This claim has been criticized as an ad-hominem attack against Modi^{[citation needed]}. What is viewable, is that this (incident) is highly politicized, with the UPA playing pseudo-secular and vote bank politics, and the BJP blumbering around on the issue.

Human Rights Organisations:

• Human Rights Watch (HRW) report 'We have no orders to save you'
• Amnesty International Report
• Amnesty International report 'India Justice, the victim - Gujarat state fails to protect women from violence'
• National Human Rights Commission orders on Gujarat
• Efforts to bring justice to the victims of the violence
• India: Hate speeches on the violence in Gujarat must be stopped

Citizen Panels

• The International Initiative for Justice in Gujarat An Interim Report
• Crime Against Humanity - An Inquiry into the Carnage in Gujarat published by Citizens for Justice and Peace

National and International Newspapers and Magazines

• Outlook Special Feature on Gujarat Carnage
• Letter that prompted US to deny Visa to Narendra Modi
• Time Magazine Special Feature
• Ehsan Jafri's wife registers case against Narendra Modi
• Early news reports on the violence
• Indian Express-Full Coverage
• The Gujarat Riots Homepage
• The sufferings of victims

Hindu Cultural and Political Organisations - related sites

• report of BJP MP Balbir Punj on Godhra incident
• BJP questions Banerjee Committee's findings
• fsi article
• article by BJP MP Balbir Punj

Muslim Cultural and Political Organisations - related sites Others

• Myths on Gujarat

Universities and Research Centres

• Violences entre Hindous et Musulmans au Gujarat CERI France - French