EDITORIAL
GUJARAT IN FLAMES - WHO WILL PUT OUT THE
FIRE
The surcharged atmosphere of the communal frenzy developed due to the organised attempt by VHP to bring in thousands of karsevaks to Ayodhya to start their illegal construction of Ram Temple at the disputed cite has been used by the Muslim fundamentalists in Godhra to a planned attack on the Sabarmati Train on 27th of February, 2002. They have burned a compartment comprising 58 persons mainly karsevaks coming back from Ayodhya has been put to death. This barbarous inhuman planned action should be condemned with our full might and demand that those culprits should be booked and severely punished.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad observed a protest day in Gujarat on 28th and an All India Bandh on 1st of March. Organizing a protest against such monstrous murder is understandable. But in this case it has been used as a signal for attacking the Muslim minority community in a big way in the state of Gujarat. During the All India Bandh Day too in some part of the country attacks on the Muslims took place and many were put to death. On the 28th in Ahamedabad hundreds were killed by burning the houses not allowing the inmates to go out. The details of which are reported in the press are horrific and therefore we do not wish to narrate the same. Not only in Ahamedabad in other towns and villages areas also this kind of inhuman carnage were committed while the state law and order machinery, the police were only onlookers which provided a field day for the frenzied mob to commit such monstrous crimes. It is said that the total death today has exceeded 500.
According to the available information the government of Gujarat especially the chief minister was not functioning, as the head of state whose primary responsibility is to protect the life and property of the people, shamelessly become an abettor of crimes in many cases.
The government at the centre too while expressing lip sympathy did not take the required steps to send in army in time and made them to act firmly to put out fire by declaring the affected areas as disturbed areas. Though the military reached late in the scene that itself had some restraining effect however the latest available reports goes to show this carnage is still developing in rural areas of Gujarat.
Therefore the only remedy now to save Gujarat is to declare affected areas as disturbed areas and the military should be given freedom to act. However Mr. Advani is reluctant to do so and trying to cover up the failure of the Chief Minister Mr. Modi.
While the demand for handing over the affected areas under military control the people should rally unitedly in each areas forgetting the religious affinities to form themselves into peace squads to stop the rioters and put out the fire and to save Gujarat from burning and to save Indian unity.
The working class in each area should come together and rally forward to organize "peace squads" and be in the front rank to restore peace even at the cost of their own life.
