Activists and intellectuals here Tuesday unanimously expressed the
opinion that the riots in Gujarat in 2002 were an assault on Indian
secularism and a lot remained to be done to secure justice for the
victims.
The activists were speaking at a seminar at the M.F. Husain Art Gallery in the capital's Jamia Millia Islamia.
Well-known
leftist historian Romila Thapar delivered the keynote address. In her
speech, Thapar noted that Gujarat 2002 was 'a genocide and no ordinary
riot'.
"In the ten years since the riots, the Modi
administration has made repeated attempts to portray Gujarat as a
progressive and well-administered state. If that is the case, why is it
that most of those made accused in the Godhra case are still behind
bars? Why has compensation not been paid properly? And what of those
listed as missing," Thapar asked.
"The Gujarat of Narendra Modi
is not at all a secular state. Its system of governance negates the most
fundamental principles of the Indian constitution," Thapar said.
Other
speakers emphasized on why Gujarat 2002 should never be forgotten by
Indian society. "Memory is a moral responsibility for every society. And
how you carry out this particular responsibility depends on what future
you envision for your society," said author and academic Purushottam
Agarwal.
"This tragedy must never be forgotten. It should be
remembered and understood so that justice can be done. It was an assault
on secularism, democracy and modern republicanism," said activist Mukul
Manglik.
"They say Gujarat is developed. The term 'development'
is a synonym used by Gujarat's rulers for 'forgetting'. We want to
capture the struggle of memory against erasure," said sociologist Shiv
Vishvanathan.
Filmmaker and Jamia alumna Anusha Rizvi dwelt on
the social aspects of communal riots in modern India. "There are three
important aspects of communal riots today. First, they are a largely
urban phenomenon. Second, they are usually instigated by secular issues
like eve-teasing, land-grabbing and political assassination. And third,
communal riots are the only secular activity that politicians across the
board indulge in," Rizvi noted.
Among the attendees at the
seminar was R.B. Sreekumar, former Gujarat DGP and Mumbai-based activist
Teesta Setalvad, who has spear-headed the fight for survivors of the
Gujarat riots.
The seminar is the first in a series organised
jointly by Jamia and NGO 'Citizens for Justice and Peace' to commemorate
10 years of the 2002 massacres in Gujarat. The programmes will include a
photo retrospective, statistics, missing person's wall,
acknowledgements and survivor's conversations among other things. It
will end Oct 13.
