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Police claim leads on Godhra violence
PTI [ MONDAY, MAY 27, 2002 1:07:17 AM ]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=11104951

AHMEDABAD: The Godhra police Sunday claimed to have got ``some
leads'' on Friday midnight violence even as authorities are taking
steps to ensure participation of both communities for round the clock
vigil in sensitive pockets and restore mutual trust.

``As of now, I can say we got some leads and further investigations
are on,'' S P Panchmahal Raju Bhargav said.

He said situation is ``as normal as it was two days ago but we are
not taking any chance''.
So far 54 people, from both communities, have been taken into
custody, he said.

Copyright © 2002 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved.

Cops had lead for May 24 riots: Godhra Police
PTI [ SUNDAY, MAY 26, 2002 3:05:37 PM ]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=11063049

AHMEDABAD: Godhra police today claimed to have got "some leads" for
Friday midnight violence even as authorities are taking steps to
ensure participation of both communities for round the clock vigil in
sensitive pockets and restore mutual trust.

"As of now, I can say we got some leads and further investigations
are on," S P Panchmahal Raju Bhargav said.

He said situation is "as normal as it was two days ago but we are not
taking any chance".

So far 54 people, from both communities, have been taken into
custody, he said adding "prima facie there is no evidence yet to show
that people from outside Godhra, Gujarat or country were involved in
trying to precipitate another serious problem in this small township".

"Right now we are looking at which community was really responsible
for precipitating the May 24 violence in Zuharpura area of the city,"
he said.

Police opened fire and lobbed teargas shells to control the situation
resulting in killing of two people and leaving seven persons,
including two women, injured.

To a question, Bhargav said so far there was no strong clue to
suggest whether those killed in police firing or those taken into
custody had hatched "any conspiracy", that resulted in the eruption
of violence.

Copyright © 2002 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved.

Gill asks police to ensure peace
PTI [ SUNDAY, MAY 26, 2002 8:46:46 PM ]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=11086410

AHMEDABAD: In the wake of fresh violence in Godhra and Ahmedabad, K P
S Gill, security advisor to the chief minister, on Sunday directed
the city police to take appropriate action to prevent recurrence of
violence.

Three unidentified persons assaulted and killed one Lalit Kumar
Mistry (39) with sharp weapons on Saturday night on Kalupur bridge in
curfew-bound area of the city.

Official sources said here that Gill directed city police
commissioner K R Kaushik to look into the incident.

After twelve days of peace in Ahmedabad and other parts of Gujarat,
violence erupted once again on Friday night claiming three lives,
including two in police firing in Godhra.

Since that evening, tension and mutual suspicion between communities
has virtually threatened to derail the hard-earned peace process.

Alarmed by the fresh spate of violence, Gill rushed to Godhra on
Saturday.

The super cop tried to broker a peace between the estranged
communities and also directed authorities to take stern action
against those responsible for the Friday night incident, sources
said.

Following Gill's intensive meetings with community members and civil
and police officials, authorities in Panchmahal district and Godhra
have initiated steps to ensure "greater interaction between the two
communities", Superintendent of Police Raju Bhargav said over phone.

"To start with, we are involving people from both sides for round-the-
clock vigil in sensitive pockets," he said.

Besides this, proposals to organise cultural, educational and sport
events to ensure greater free and frank deliberations between two
communities were being looked into, he said.

Meanwhile, Godhra police have taken into custody 54 people from both
the communities even as Bhargav described the situation in the
town "as normal as it was two days ago".

Stating that police have found some leads as to who could be
responsible for masterminding the Friday night incident at Zuharpura,
Bhargav said "prima facie there is no evidence yet to show that
people from outside Godhra, Gujarat or the country were involved in
trying to precipitate another problem".

"We are trying to find out which community was responsible for
precipitating the May 24 violence," he said.

Copyright © 2002 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved.

BJP govt is shameless: Basu
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

[ SUNDAY, MAY 26, 2002 11:02:47 PM ]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=11096339

BANGALORE: Veteran CPM leader Jyoti Basu on Sunday came down heavily
on the BJP-led NDA government for ``insulting Hindus by attacking
minorities.''

Addressing a rally here, the former West Bengal chief minister said
no Hindu philosopher, including Vivekananda and Ramakrishna
Paramahamsa, had advocated love for one's religion at the cost of
another. ``It is a shameless government. It is time all of us wage an
ideological and political battle against the NDA government which is
dividing the country on communal lines.''

Outlining the need for strengthening the Third Front to present an
alternative for the BJP, the CPM leader said: ``In my 64 years in
politics, this is the first time I am seeing the country ruled by a
communal party. It is sad that even BJP allies are surrendering to
communalism. But I am confident that democracy and civilisation will
ultimately triumph.''

CPM general secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet said the BJP did not
have a single leader who participated in the freedom movement. ``What
moral right do these BJP leaders have to divide the country, when
they have not spent even 24 hours in jail during our freedom
struggle?''

The BJP is using various means to divide people on religious grounds,
including changing textbooks. ``But we will not allow the government
to divide India,'' Surjeet declared.

Both CPM leaders criticised the Centre for its economic policies
which they felt had ``pledged'' India to World Bank.

At its four-day Central Committee meeting which concluded on Sunday,
the party urged the Centre to provide more autonomy for Kashmir and
continue to mount political and diplomatic pressure to prevent war
with Pakistan.

Copyright © 2002 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved

Smuggled VCDs on Gujarat riots
AZMATH
TIMES NEWS NETWORK [ SUNDAY, MAY 26, 2002 11:07:55 PM ]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=11096694

BANGALORE: Karnataka police had better watch out, for VCDs and video
cassettes containing accounts of Gujarat riot survivors, images of
desecrated shrines, burnt bodies and vandalised homes are freely
available in Bangalore and other parts of the state.

Group screenings of these CDs in homes and business places are going
on, and have become a great hit among religious fanatics. Whether pro-
Hindu or pro-Muslim, they depict gruesome pictures, live action
during violence and terrifying accounts of those who survived the
riots, post-Godhra.

Loaded with explicit scenes with inciting background commentary, the
CDs have the potential to spread communal hatred in society, start
propaganda wars and score points against rivals. If unchecked, these
VCDs smuggled into Karnataka from Ahmedabad and Mumbai can pose a
threat to the law and order machinery, a senior police officer
acknowledged.

They are fast becoming collectors' items. Some NGOs working for
communal harmony are screening these CDs for select audiences to
mobilise public opinion against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi
and the BJP.

Among the VCDs, the most popular is titled Genocide in Gandhi's Land
and is in the possession of many NGOs. Another one doing the rounds
has captured the complicity of the Gujarat police during the riots.
Yet another is about a girl who is believed to have been on the
fateful Sabarmati Express during the Godhra carnage. Some CDs have no
titles and carry no credits.

These are by anonymous producers and are meant to split society
further. ``The police should step in and seize all this stuff.
Otherwise, volatile places in Karnataka will go the Gujarat way,''
observes B Gautam, a peace activist and advocate.

Enterprising elements in Bangalore are making money out of these VCDs
by making copies and selling them to target audiences. Greedy
merchants from SP Road and Majestic area, known for selling pirated
VCDs, are turning the riots into a money-spinner. Video libraries are
renting out the VCDs to loyal customers.

When this was brought to Police Commissioner H T Sangliana's notice,
he said: "I want to put a stop to this dangerous situation. I will
activate my staff to keep a watch on these VCDs, at the same time I
welcome information on this from the public and everybody concerned."

It is difficult to check the source of these CDs as they carry no
credit lines, except for the background commentary which urges
viewers to take a clear stand and leaves no doubt about where the
sympathy lies.

Copyright © 2002 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved.

Gujarat women get Rs 100 crore aid

Deccan Chronicle.

http://www.deccan.com/national/nat1.shtml

Raipur, May 26: Union Minister of State for Women and Child Welfare,
Sumitra Mahajan on Sunday said the Centre has provided Rs 100 crore
for the rehabiliation of the women victims of the Gujarat violence.

Talking to reporters here, mahajan said the funds could be used to
train women to earn their livelihood. Gujarat government has also
been directed to send a fresh proposal on empowering the women
victims.

She said that the Centre was taking all measures to ensure that women
are protected in the refugee camps set up in Gujarat. Counselling was
also being provided to victims, she said.

In reply to a query she said Rajasthan was satisfactorily
implementing the centre sponsored projects on women and child welfare
while Madhya Pradesh and Bihar have failed to take advantage of
Rashtriya Mahila Kosh.

On the Women's reservation Bill, she said her government wanted it to
be passed unanimously but some political parties were not allowing
its smooth passage in both the Houses.

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1 killed in Gujarat, NCM meet put off
Deccan Chronicle

http://www.deccan.com/national/nat2.shtml

Ahmedabad, May 26: One person was stabbed to death here, taking the
toll in renewed violence since Friday night to three even as
indefinite curfew in Godhra continued for the second day, police said
on Sunday.

They said three unidentified persons assaulted and killed one Lalit
Kumar Mistry with sharp weapons on Kalupur bridge in curfew-bound
area of the city.

Meanwhile, a meeting between members of Hindu and Muslim communities
to bring communal harmony by National Commission for Minorities has
been postponed. The commission has intimated the State government
about the cancellation of the meeting citing no reason, official
sources said.

Members of the commission were scheduled to meet representatives of
VHP, RSS, and Muslim leaders.

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