Dismissing Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s three-day fast as a political stunt, post-Godhra riot victims, in an open letter to him, said that there cannot be sadbhavna without justice.
“No amount of power or arrogance gave Midas his glass of water nor will you get your sadbhavana with all your developmental publicity,” riot victims stated in an open letter to Mr. Modi.
“We have no ill-feelings towards our Hindu brothers and sisters despite our terrible loss and sufferings. We both are the victims of powerful political forces whose strength lies in our division,” the letter written by Jan Sangharsh Manch (JSM), an NGO on behalf of riot victims said.
“We alone can create ‘sadbhavana’ by uniting and defeating the forces of fraud and deception for vote politics. You may be doing all this for your great ambition to become Prime Minister of the country, but we have only one small demand for Justice,” it said, adding that there cannot be Sadbhavna without justice.
“If you were so great a Chief Minister as you claim today, why could not you protect these innocent, helpless Muslims? In fact, why did you fail to protect the innocent 58 passengers of Sabarmati Express who also died in the terrible fire on 27th February 2002,” riot victims asked.
Are you celebrating the pain of the victims or are you trying to confuse the people by organising the five-star programme to give an impression that the cases against you have been closed, they further questioned.
In the letter, Mr. Modi has been accused of helping a handful of rich and powerful. “Have you ever peeped into the hell through which we the victims and community as a whole is going through? No, you have not and we know, you have no desire or intention to give us justice,” they stated.
Seeking an explanation from Mr. Modi, the victims asked him why POTA was applied to only the Muslim accused in different cases and why did he not order investigation into the alleged fake encounters and take action against the police officers involved.
Referring to the encounters of Sameer Khan Pathan, Sadiq Jamal, Ishrat Jahan, Sohrabuddin, Kausarbi, Tulsi Prajapati among others, the letter asked,” as to why in every FIR it was alleged that they were intending to kill you (Mr. Modi) and why did he not order for investigations in the fake encounter cases.”
