http://www.telegraphindia.com/archive/1020528/index.htm

Shocked by the violence and brutality that tore apart
the social fabric of Gujarat, a 15-year-old now tells
the world his story as seen through the lens.

Titled And They Killed Him Again, Sahir Raza’s roaming
exhibition contains 79 stills from the Gujarat
carnage. A student of Class XI, Sahir says he took the
photographs while in Gujarat between April 7 and 10.

“I’ve been taking photographs since (the age of)
nine,” says Sahir. He used a Nikon FE camera, and used
up some 20 rolls of 24 exposures each to etch on film
the images he wanted the world to take note of.

For a 15-year-old, the situation was complex. So, to
make his point, Sahir included a lot of subjects:
victims of the carnage, relief camps where an
estimated one lakh largely-Muslim victims have taken
refuge, burnt houses, buildings and shops, even
abandoned bodies.

Did he face any tense moment? “While shooting, not
really,” recalls Sahir. “But, at one shop I happened
to call my father abbu (the Urdu word for dad).
Suddenly, the shopkeeper started shouting out to
people: ‘Here’s this boy who’s calling his father
abbu, he must be a Muslim....’

“It was very scary and the feeling remains with you.
To realise that just the name of a person is enough to
get him murdered,” says he.

“I’ve never seen a carnage before. My photographs
should raise awareness of how bad the situation is in
Gujarat. Just being there scares you. People (benumbed
by the wanton brutality and now huddled in relief
camps) have not been to their homes for 40 to 50 days,
even for a look,” says Sahir.

The exhibition has so far travelled from Delhi to
Mumbai and now to Goa, from where Sahir plans to head
for Orissa and Kerala. While young Sahir worked on the
photographs, his father Gauhar Raza hastily put
together a 34-minute video-film titled Junoon ke Badte
Kadam (Evil Stalks the Land).

For Sahir’s father, this is not the first such film.
An electrical engineer from the Indian Institute of
Technology, Delhi and a scientist by profession,
Gauhar has 12 video films to his credit.

Based on scientific research and development, his
earlier films dealt with topics like eminent Indian
scientists (Homi Bhabha and S.S. Bhatnagar), computer
virus, computers in India, nuclear disarmament, and
related themes.

A film on communal violence was, therefore, for him a
different proposition. “This is an extremely important
subject that has to do more with the future of the
country,” says Gauhar.

According to Gauhar, though the English media is doing
a good job of building public awareness of the ghastly
events in Gujarat, “one per cent” of the enormity of
the situation is being portrayed.

He fears that intense religion-based intolerance could
yield an Indian form of fascism, just as race-based
hatred led to fascism in Germany.

“I come from Aligarh, the city of riots, and in 1984
saw Delhi burn (during the anti-Sikh riots),” he says,
adding that the terror unleashed in Gujarat was much
more shocking and at a much larger scale.

A day after blasts, riots revisit Gujarat
PTI [ THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2002 9:32:37 AM ]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Articleshow.asp?art_id=11439744

AHMEDABAD: At least two persons were killed and another injured as
fresh violence erupted in Kadi taluka town of Mehsana district late
on Wednesday night, prompting the authorities to impose indefinite
curfew in the area while the situation here remained peaceful, police
said.

A person who was taking food at a kiosk on the outskirts of the Kadi
town was killed and owner of the kiosk injured in a bomb explosion
while a bus conductor was burnt alive, police said here on Thursday.

Two unidentified persons, who had covered their faces with turbans,
came to the egg-selling kiosk to purchase food, when they hurled the
bomb before escaping with the food.

The customer, belonging to a majority community, died on the spot
while the kiosk owner, from a minority community, was injured, police
added.

As the tension mounted in the town, a mob gathered at Kundal village
between Kadi and Chhatral road and intercepted a state transport bus.

The irate mob then pulled out the conducter, belonging to minority
community, from the bus and burned him alive, police said.

As the rumours about the violence rent high in the town, authorities
immediately imposed indefinite curfew in the town even though the
night curfew was inforce.

Ahmedabad city, where a dozen person were injured in a series of bomb
blast on Wednesday, however, remained peaceful and without any
untoward incidents in the night curfew-bound areas, police added.

In Vadodara, curfew imposed in Panigate police station area on
Wednesday night following violence and police firing that left four
injured, was lifted on Thursday morning in view of improvement in
situation, Additional City Police Commissioner Pritamsinh Thakur said
here.

Three persons were injured in police firing and one in stone pelting,
police said, adding all of them have been admitted to a hospital.

The clashes broke out after police started combing operations in the
area following intelligence reports on storage of arms in the area.

Earlier, the Baroda Municipal Corporation had demolished 35 huts in
Bamanpura, which had made the dwellers of these huts agitated.

However, the situation at present was under control and patrolling
has been intensified, police added.

Copyright © 2002 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved

Blasts rock Ahmedabad
Crude bombs explode in 4 buses, injure 15

Ahmedabad, May 29

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020530/main3.htm

An official inspects a diffused bomb in Ahemdabad on Wednesday.

An unidentified victim injured during a bomb blast speaks to the
media at a hospital in Ahemdabad on Wednesday. — Reuters photos

In a serious setback to the 10-day-old peace and reconciliation
process in the riot-torn Gujarat, four bombs exploded simultaneously
in city buses today, injuring at least 15 persons, while eight stick
bombs fitted with timers were seized and defused.

The blasts took place during the rush hour, around 10 am, in
municipality-run buses in the majority community areas of Ahmedabad,
which had already borne the maximum brunt of the communal rage during
the past three months.

The explosions caused by "very crude bombs" occurred in two buses at
Vasna, one in Gokul and one on the Geeta Mandir road, the police
said, adding that the injured, including at least three women, were
rushed to hospital.

The state Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister
Narendra Modi, took a serious note of the development and described
the explosions as "acts of terrorism".

The Cabinet also decided to investigate the incident and take
immediate action against the culprits, Angriculture Minister
Purushottam Rupala told reporters.

"It was a mischievous work to create panic and derail the peace
process," a senior police official who visited the sites said,
adding, "Very crude bombs were planted and all three exploded at
around the same time".

Immediately after the explosion, the police went on alert and
searches were carried out in all buses.

At least eight stick bombs with timer devices were seized from tiffin
boxes kept under seats in eight buses in the Kalupur terminus, the
police said.

The explosions occurred a day after three persons allegedly having
links with Sangh Parivar outfits were arrested in connection with the
killing of 86 persons, mostly from a minority community, by a rioting
mob at Naroda Patiya on February 28.

The police suspects the blasts were planned. "Prima facie there seems
that there is some planning to it," Mr K.K. Ojha, Deputy Commissioner
said. PTI

Copyright : The Tribune Trust, 2002.

`Series of bomb blasts on Ahmedabad buses`

The Hindu.

http://www.hinduonnet.com/stories/2002053004240100.htm

AHMEDABAD May 29. Panic gripped Ahmedabad this morning following a series of
bomb blasts aboard three buses. Two live bombs were found in two other buses
and were defused.

Eleven persons, seven of them women, were injured in the three explosions that
went off almost simultaneously on three routes between 10 and 10.15 a.m., the
peak traffic hour. Three of the injured, including the driver of one of the
buses, are critical. Two bomb disposal squad men were injured when one of the
bombs went off while being defused.
The State Cabinet, which met in Gandhinagar, described the incidents as a
``terrorist act'' intended to cause panic among the people. The blasts could
have been ``influenced'' by the Pakistan President, Pervez Mushrarraf's speech
on Monday night and his critical references to the Gujarat riots, it said.
The Urban Development Minister, and Cabinet spokesman, I. K. Jadeja, said the
Government did not think that the blasts had anything to do with with the
communal disturbances in the State and suspected the hand of terrorists. It
decided to constitute a task force of senior police and Home Department
officials to probe the incident which was a ``well-planned conspiracy.''
The Minister of State for Home, Gordhan Jhadafiya, said all the three bombs
were of the same type, fitted with high-voltage batteries and timers and
concealed in plastic tiffin boxes.
The explosions ripped open the sides of two buses and the roof of another was
blown off and found 500 metres away. Two bombs exploded in the posh Gurukul and
Vasna localities while one went off near the bus depot on the Geeta Mandir Road
in the old city.
Buses on all routes were withdrawn immediately for some hours to carry out a
thorough check, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.
Senior police officials believed that the plastic bombs were of the same type
as those exploded in hundreds during the communal disturbances in the city,
though the ``tiffin boxes'' were a new phenomena. Some police officials,
rejecting the ``ISI hand'' theory did not rule out the possibility of the
blasts being caused by the Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad to protest
the arrest on Tuesday night of some of their men in connection with the
Naroda-Patiya incident during the riots. The VHP leaders, however, denied that
the Parivar was behind the blasts.
All the explosions occurred in the Hindu-dominated areas, they pointed out.
Muslim leaders, on their part, claimed that it was not in the interest of the
minorities to spread panic when life was fast returning to normal.
Meanwhile, police recovered two bags full of bombs, explosives and arms and
ammunitions found abandoned on the outskirts of the curfew-bound Godhra town,
scene of the February 27 train carnageAHMEDABAD May 29. Panic gripped Ahmedabad
this morning following a series of bomb blasts aboard three buses. Two live
bombs were found in two other buses and were defused.

Eleven persons, seven of them women, were injured in the three explosions that
went off almost simultaneously on three routes between 10 and 10.15 a.m., the
peak traffic hour. Three of the injured, including the driver of one of the
buses, are critical. Two bomb disposal squad men were injured when one of the
bombs went off while being defused.
The State Cabinet, which met in Gandhinagar, described the incidents as a
``terrorist act'' intended to cause panic among the people. The blasts could
have been ``influenced'' by the Pakistan President, Pervez Mushrarraf's speech
on Monday night and his critical references to the Gujarat riots, it said.
The Urban Development Minister, and Cabinet spokesman, I. K. Jadeja, said the
Government did not think that the blasts had anything to do with with the
communal disturbances in the State and suspected the hand of terrorists. It
decided to constitute a task force of senior police and Home Department
officials to probe the incident which was a ``well-planned conspiracy.''
The Minister of State for Home, Gordhan Jhadafiya, said all the three bombs
were of the same type, fitted with high-voltage batteries and timers and
concealed in plastic tiffin boxes.
The explosions ripped open the sides of two buses and the roof of another was
blown off and found 500 metres away. Two bombs exploded in the posh Gurukul and
Vasna localities while one went off near the bus depot on the Geeta Mandir Road
in the old city.
Buses on all routes were withdrawn immediately for some hours to carry out a
thorough check, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.
Senior police officials believed that the plastic bombs were of the same type
as those exploded in hundreds during the communal disturbances in the city,
though the ``tiffin boxes'' were a new phenomena. Some police officials,
rejecting the ``ISI hand'' theory did not rule out the possibility of the
blasts being caused by the Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad to protest
the arrest on Tuesday night of some of their men in connection with the
Naroda-Patiya incident during the riots. The VHP leaders, however, denied that
the Parivar was behind the blasts.
All the explosions occurred in the Hindu-dominated areas, they pointed out.
Muslim leaders, on their part, claimed that it was not in the interest of the
minorities to spread panic when life was fast returning to normal.
Meanwhile, police recovered two bags full of bombs, explosives and arms and
ammunitions found abandoned on the outskirts of the curfew-bound Godhra town,
scene of the February 27 train carnage.

Enough, fear takes backseat in Ahmedabad
Express News Service

http://www.indian-express.com/full_story.php?content_id=3538

Ahmedabad, May 29: The Amdavadis have decided to get
on with their lives after two months of violence and
nothing can stop them from doing just that. Not even
the bus explosions that stunned them momentarily, but
then, fear took a back seat and life went on.

In under an hour, people were back on the roads — and
even the bus stands — and shop owners who had downed
shutters were doing business again.

In Gurukul, where a bomb ripped the rear end of a bus,
the road was chock-a-block with office-goers. When the
explosion occurred, traffic came to a halt and people
ran for cover. But as soon as the thick smoke cleared
and the injured were taken away, traffic ran smooth.
‘‘I had heard about the explosions but when I passed
by an hour later, the area was perfectly normal. In
fact, I was a bit surprised,’’ LIC agent D.R.
Brahmbhatt said.

As news of the simultaneous blasts spread, commuters
gave AMTS buses a miss, preferring autorickshaws.
Buses even on busy routes plied empty but not for
long. ‘‘On hearing about the blasts, I thought the
city would be tense. But I was surprised to find
everything open and people going about normally. In
fact, most people I met just made a passing reference
to the blasts and got down to business,’’ electric
parts dealer Kantibhai Patel said.

Even at Vasna, initial panic turned to curiosity. The
bus stand was packed with commuters who did not want
to take the AMTS buses. But when a couple of buses
came in with a few passengers, there was a rush to get
in. The immediate police action of checking vehicles
and suspicious objects also helped.

© 2002: Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd. All
rights reserved throughout the world.

Bus driver burnt alive near Kadi
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
[THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2002 1:58:56 AM ]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=11408590

AHMEDABAD: Two persons, including a bus driver, were
killed as violence erupted in Kadi town late on
Wednesday.

The state transport bus driver was burnt alive near
Thol around 11 pm when he was on his way from
Ahmedabad to Kadi, police said.

In another incident, one person was killed and two
were injured when a bomb was flung at them from a
rickshaw on the Kadi-Chhatral Road around 10 pm, the
police said.

Copyright © 2002 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved

BJP blames pseudo-secularists for Gujarat's infamy
rediff.com,
May 30, 2002.

http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/may/30train2.htm

The BJP on Thursday blamed pseudo-secularists for
giving Gujarat a bad name the world over for the
unforeseen situation that emerged in the state
subsequent to the Godhra train carnage of February 27.

A political resolution passed at the party state
executive committee meeting in Ahmedabad said
pseudo-secularists have aggravated the pain and misery
of the people of Gujarat by their irresponsible
statements on the prevailing situation in the state.

The Congress president had gone to the extent of
calling the state 'Godse's Gujarat', the resolution
moved by senior party leader Vajubhai Vala and
seconded by party general secretary Nalin Bhatt, said.

Politicians coming from other states, particularly
from Congress ruled ones, had not condemned the Godhra
train attack even though it was masterminded by people
having links with Pakistan's Inter Services
Intelligence (ISI).

But these same leaders have not missed any opportunity
in flaying Chief Minister Narendra Modi for the
subsequent reprisal attacks in some parts of the
state, the resolution said.

"The Congress's state unit chief has blamed the Ram
sevaks travelling by the ill-fated train for the
carnage," it said.

The resolution complimented the administration for
successfully holding the state board examinations, the
good work done by the home and health departments in
containing the spread of violence and outbreak of
epidemic in relief camps respectively and for the
relief and rehabilitation measures being carried out
for the violence-affected people.

The meeting was presided over by state unit president
Rajendrasinh Rana.

BJP president Jana Krishnamurthy, vice-president and
state in-charge Ramdas Agarwal and Chief Minister
Narendra Modi were among those who attended the
meeting.

PTI

(c) 2002 rediff.com

Off to work, they reached hospital
Indian Express.
Himanshu Kaushik

http://www.indian-express.com/full_story.php?content_id=3539

Ahmedabad, May 29: For Niruben Patel, it started out
like any other day. She was headed for work today in a
packed 90/6 which drops her at Bhatta near her office
but instead of office, Niruben, a health worker,
landed up in hospital with injuries.

‘‘The driver, Haribhai Bharwad, of Route No 90/6 , was
drinking water just outside the Vasna depot when there
was an explosion and the bus was filled with smoke,’’
she says. She is one of the 10 injured in the three
bomb explosions that shattered the tenuous peace in
the city.

The explosion left driver Haribhai shell-shocked. ‘‘As
soon as the bus came out of the terminus, there was a
explosion just behind me. I do not know what happened
but after the explosion, the entire bus was full of
smoke. I could hardly see the passengers, all I could
hear was people crying and shouting.’’ Bharwad, on his
third trip of the day, is undergoing treatment at the
V.S. Hospital.

Govind Rabari, conductor of Bus No 46/1, is a shaken
man though he escaped injuries. ‘‘My bus left Kalupur
terminus at 9.40 and an explosion took place as it
reached Rajvi tower near Gurukul.’’

© 2002: Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd. All
rights reserved throughout the world.

UK nationals in Gujarat seeks probe into killing of 2
PTI [ WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2002 5:22:50 PM ]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.coStraw

NEW DELHI: British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw on Wednesday
suggested a probe into the recent killing of two of his countrymen in
the Gujarat violence and said the perpetrators of the crime should be
brought to justice.

He has taken up the issue with the Indian Government as a consular
matter since two British nationals were involved, Straw told
reporters in reply to a question.

Straw, who had separate meetings with External Affairs Minister
Jaswant Singh and Home Minister L K Advani during the day on
Wednesday, said that it was important that an investigation be
conducted and the perpetrators of the crime be punished.

He also sought adequate compensation for the bereaved families.

To a question whether he touched upon during talks with Indian
leaders the issue of prosecution of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra
Modi in the face of communal violence in the state, Straw said that
it was an internal matter.

Copyright © 2002 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved

VHP leader praises Dec 6 events
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
[ THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2002 6:41:39 AM ]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=11407306

NEW DELHI: Continuing with his diatribe against
Muslims, VHP vice-president Giriraj Kishore told the
Liberhan Ayodhya Commission on Wednesday that the
Babri Masjid demolition was a ‘‘collective response’’
of Hindus to ‘‘atrocities by Muslims’’.

He went on to explain why the demolition was
important: ‘‘It was our misfortune that no collective
response was given to the atrocities carried out by
Muslim invaders. Individual struggles were waged in
the past too. But the task was fulfilled on December
6. Muslims understood that Hindus will not tolerate
this anymore.’’

The ambiguity of his earlier depositions was nowhere
in sight as Kishore owned up his statement in which he
had said that the demolition had helped ‘‘put Muslims
in their place’’ besides ‘‘awakening Hindus’’. Kishore
is reported to have said, ‘‘The demolition had three
spin-offs.

First, it resulted in a tremendous awakening among
Hindus. Then it helped in reining in our fanatic
Muslim brothers who were forever dictating terms to
us.

“That has stopped at least and they have been put in
their place. Lastly, it sent a signal to the
international community that Hindus could no longer be
taken for granted,’’ Kishore told the panel.

Copyright © 2002 Times Internet Limited. All rights
reserved.

VHP launches oust-Gill campaign
Raveen Thukral
Hindustan Times
(Ahmedabad, May 29)

http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/300502/detnat17.asp
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal have
launched a covert campaign to get K.P.S. Gill out of
Gujarat. They are believed to have the blessings of
certain ministers in the Narendra Modi government, who
are pulling whatever strings they have in Delhi to
have the ‘supercop’ recalled.
The reason the Hindutva organisations are irked is
easy to seek: during the past fortnight, there has
been a massive crackdown on Hindu extremists.

The VHP and Bajrang Dal, said sources, have been under
great pressure from the families of arrested youths to
‘act’. Gill, however, has remained firm — refusing to
interfere with the process of law.

It is learnt that among the Gujarat ministers keen on
seeing the government’s security adviser leave is
Gordhanbhai Zadaphiya. The state home minister is a
member of the VHP and a loyalist of Parishad
international secretary Praveen Togadia. That there
may be others on the anti-Gill list was demonstrated
when two other ministers — Bharat Bharot and Kaushik
Patel — kept away from a meeting convened by the
officer recently.

Chief Minister Modi himself shares frosty relations
with Gill. He refuses to mention the ‘supercop’ at his
public meetings, and Gill prefers to work out of his
room at the CRPF guesthouse, than to attend office at
the CM secretariat.

It is believed that the almost instant results
produced by Gill, and his feting by the media, has
made Modi feel deeply insecure and resentful. Among
his friends, Gill can count, apart from the union home
ministry, the Muslims of Gujarat.

Initial apprehensions of his being a “tyrant” who had
been brought in to “flush them out like Punjab
terrorists”, have been allayed, and the Muslims have
now reposed full faith in him.

The feared Punjab Police — a force with a reputation
for human rights violations — too did not arrive, much
to the relief of the community. On his part, Gill has
made all the right moves.

By handpicking Ahmedabad’s police commissioner, he has
sent out signals that he means business, triggering a
general sense of urgency in the police force.

However, a section of policemen continue to feel
aggrieved by Gill’s appointment. “What has he done,”
said an officer.

Several policemen have alleged the government had
prevented them from cracking down on rioters. Gill’s
initial request for Punjab commandos too has not gone
down well.

“He thinks that our force is not capable of handling
such situations,” said an officer. Forces from Gujarat
had been sent to Punjab during the days of terrorism,
he recalled.

©Hindustan Times Ltd. 1997. Reproduction in any form
is prohibited without prior permission.

Sri Sri Ravishankar on peace mission
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

[ FRIDAY, MAY 31, 2002 2:33:24 AM ]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=11510772

AHMEDABAD: The solution for the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid issue
should be searched outside the ambit of the Supreme Court to ensure
communal harmony in the long run, opined spiritual guru, Sri Sri
Ravishankar of The Art of Living.

Identifying the Ram temple issue as the root of Gujarat's violence,
the guru who is on a visit to the riot-torn state to look for ways to
retore faith of both communities said, "the court verdict may decide
the matter but the feeling of anger and hatred between the two
communities could be detrimental to national interest."

The issue, the guru said, could be sorted out through a dialogue
between various religious heads and by "keeping politicians out of
the matter."

Talking about the current scenario in Gujarat, he said, "rather than
blaming the culprits and levelling allegations against each other ,
it is necessary to address to the needs and requirements of the
victims, finding the best possible way to rehabilitate them and
restore their confidence."

Sri Sri Ravishankar also visited some of the refugee camps and spoke
to the victims. He also met religious heads of the Muslim community
in Ahmedabad. "Time is short and we should not waste it in blaming
each other", he told them. He sought views on what should be done to
bond the two communities.

Later, he met representatives of the Hindu community and conveyed the
expectations of the other community. He appealed to people to restore
the sense of social security and confidence among all religions. "We
have been and we have to stay together, living separately is not
possible" , he said adding, "the sooner we achieve it again the
better it is."

Sri Sri also emphasised on the media's need to play a positive role.
He said the media should report all events with social
responsibility, and report positive events which take place amid
violence. "Not all Muslims are bad and not all Hindus are at fault
and this needs to be propagated by the media."

He visited the Sabarmati Central Jail in the morning and met a number
of persons rounded up in connection with the riots. "There is also a
need to understand them. Inside every culprit there is also a
victim," he said.

Copyright © 2002 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved

TDP still wants Modi to go: Naidu
By Mohammed Shafeeq,

Indo-Asian News Service.

http://in.news.yahoo.com/020530/43/1p5y5.html

Hyderabad, May 30 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu
Naidu Thursday said his party's "principled" demand for his Gujarat
counterpart Narendra Modi's sacking over failing to check sectarian
violence still stood.

Asked why the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) did not renew its demand for
Modi's sacking during a conclave in Warangal, Naidu shot back while
speaking to journalists here: "Every day we need not repeat the
demand."

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),
to which Modi belongs, had rejected the TDP demand even though 950
people, mostly Muslims, were killed in Gujarat since February-end.
TDP MPs merely walked out during a Parliament debate on an opposition-
sponsored censure motion over Gujarat as a mark of protest.

"We are sticking to our demand. We are a principled party and ours is
a principled stand," said Naidu a day after the three-day TDP
conclave ended at Warangal. "We won't compromise on our stand and our
commitment to secularism."

Analysts here say discussions and speeches at the TDP convention
seemed to suggest that the party considered the Modi chapter more or
less closed after its token protest in Parliament.

Naidu said he was satisfied with retired police officer K.P.S. Gill's
efforts to restore peace in Gujarat, especially the arrests of
members of rightwing groups like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad implicated
in mob attacks. The Vajpayee government had appointed Gill as Modi's
security adviser in early May.

"He was chosen as he had done a good job in Punjab," said Naidu,
referring to Gill's role in crushing Sikh militancy in the northern
state in the 1980s. "Now he is taking action (in Gujarat). That is
good. Let us wait."

Asked about the presidential election in July, Naidu called for a
consensus among all political parties to prevent any controversy. "It
is not good to create controversy over the election as the
president's is highest constitutional post."

Asked whom he would support as a candidate, Naidu said a consensus
would be better. "But if there is no consensus, we will decide at an
appropriate time," he added, refusing to elaborate.

While the main opposition Congress favours a second term for
President K.R. Narayanan, the BJP is reportedly seeking another
candidate.

Naidu denied that TDP's Warangal conclave featured mostly self-
congratulatory speeches and little introspection or critical self-
appraisal. "The quality of performance and skills of the party
leaders and cadres has clearly improved. The debates were
meaningful," he said.

Copyright © 2001 IANS India Private Limited. All rights Reserved.
Copyright © 2002 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.

Gujarat fails to cool down, 2 die
HT Correspondent
(Ahmedabad, May 30)

http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/310502/detnat09.asp

Two people were killed in Mehsana district on Wednesday night while
six people were injured in police firing in Vadodara.
One person was killed in Kadi town of Mehsana at around 11 p.m. on
Wednesday night when people in an auto-rickshaw hurled a crude bomb
at a kiosk selling eggs. Kiosk owner Bagabhai was killed and two were
injured.

Violence soon spread in the town. A state transport corporation bus
was stopped and conductor Sultanbhai Yusufrai was dragged out. The
crowd stabbed him several times before burning him alive.

In the Panigate area of Vadodara, an argument between two neighbours
turned violent. Police had to open fire to disperse the two clashing
groups. Six people were injured.

Indefinite curfew has been imposed in Kadi town and Panigate area
after last night's incidents.

The Ahmedabad police have not yet made any headway in nabbing the
culprits behind Wednesday's serial blasts in three buses.

The recurrence of violence has alarmed the state police. A senior
police officer said vested interests might be trying to prove that
bringing in super cop K.P.S. Gill wasn't helping.

*******************

Early polls?

BJP president Jana Krishnamurthi has virtually ruled out the removal
of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi before the next assembly
elections. But he has indicated there is a possibility of holding the
assembly elections in the state before the scheduled time of February
next year. But, he said, it was the prerogative of the CM to decide
when to hold polls.

HTC, Ahmedabad

©Hindustan Times Ltd. 1997. Reproduction in any form is prohibited
without prior permission

Night curfew to continue
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

[ FRIDAY, MAY 31, 2002 2:44:24 AM ]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=11511534

AHMEDABAD: Night curfew continues between 11 pm and 6 am at
Kagdapith, Dani Limda, Gaekwad Haveli, Kalupur, Shahpur, Karanj,
Vejalpur, Dariapur, Gomtipur, Saraspur and Amdupura in Sherkotda,
Charodia in Rakhial, Hardasnagar in Bapunagar, Khadia, Madhavpura and
Ranip in Sabarmati.

Restriction on pillion-riding will continue at Khadia, Kalupur,
Shahpur, Dariapur, Karanj and Gaekwad Haveli. Students and their
parents heading towards examination centres are exempted from this.

Copyright © 2002 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved.

`OPINION`

The premonition
Statesman News Service,
May 30, 2002.

http://www.thestatesman.net/page.editorial.php3?id=10654&theme=A

With Gujarat continuing to remain disturbed, an NRI
appeal to the Prime Minister has an important bearing
on India’s foreign exchange reserves, writes DIPANKAR
BOSE

Much before all this talk of an Indo-Pakistani
confrontation, the mask was taken off. When “secular”
India’s Prime Minister (The Statesman, 13 April)
declared at an open meeting in Goa that “wherever
Muslims are, they don’t want to live in peace. They
don’t want to mix with others... (they) use terror as
a weapon”. For all intents and purposes, the chief
minister of Gujarat continues to hold office and
probably will continue to do so with the Centre’s
support.
That very same day — 13 April — the Hindu Business
Line published a news item which said various NRI
organisations in the USA had decided to publish the
following in the main Indian newspapers as a joint
appeal to Atal Bihari Vajpayee: “We are deeply
anguished by the atrocities happening in Gujarat. We
are also appalled that the killings continue... Please
take immediate steps to restore peace.” The
advertisement appeared in some northern and western
Indian dailies the next day, but there was no end to
the atrocities. Indeed, Gujarat remains disturbed.
While the advertisements were in reaction to the gory
incidents taking place in Narendra Modi’s state at the
time and the surprisingly inactive role played by the
Central government, it does have important bearing on
India’s much-acclaimed foreign exchange reserves,
which crossed $55 billion on 19 April.
These reserves were built up partly by attracting NRI
deposits at rates of interest much higher than the
international level through various bonds such as the
India Resurgent Bonds ($4.5 billion) and the India
Millenium Bonds ($5.5 billion). The repayment period
of these bonds begins in early 2003, in dollars.
Recently, the Reserve Bank of India also bought huge
amounts of US dollars directly from the market,
causing the rupee to fall sharply vis-a-vis the
American currency. This aside, NRIs also have a
considerable amount of deposits which they can take
out at short notice.
And herein lies the danger. The disturbances in
Gujarat and the failure of that state government have
combined to give rise to a calamity of such a scale
that NRIs may begin to lose their confidence in the
very stability of the Central government, which could
lead to them withdrawing their deposits, however high
the rate of interest may be. This may begin like a
trickle and continue for some time. And if the
attitude of the ruling party does not change radically
(which is hardly likely) the situation is likely to
worsen. Because, credibility is a matter of
perception, and, in this case at least, perception is
as important as reality.
In fact, it is a matter of luck as also thanks to
state governments and minority communities in other
Indian states that a Gujarat backlash has not happened
as yet. But, luck changes.
For a better perspective, one needs to look at our
foreign exchange liabilities. Our total external debt
was $100.3 billion — $96.8 billion in long-term debt
and $3.5 billion in short-term debt as of 31 March
2001. Part of the long-term debt is with Russia, which
is rupee-denominated. Between 1990-91 and the end of
March 2001, this long-term debt increased by nearly 29
per cent, from $75.25 billion to $96.8 billion, while
the short term debt declined from $8.5 billion to $3.5
billion.
India’s trade balance (exports-imports) continues to
be negative and stood at $6.765 billion in 2001-02.
This is nearly $1 billion more than the 2000-01 figure
which was $5.774 billion as of 31 March 2001.
Our hard currency reserve is comfortable, but only for
the moment. And considering India’s exports growth for
April to February 2001-02 was only around 0.6 per
cent, the trade balance has been mostly negative. The
current account surplus has been possible because of
remittances from abroad. The future doesn’t look quite
comfortable.
This last point needs clarification. The outlook for
exports seems rather grim despite the new exim policy.
The USA and the European Union, which account for more
than half of India’s exports, are facing meagre growth
prospects. In fact, the USA has come out of a
recession only recently and has not yet found a firm
base for future growth. Moreover, both have been
raising trade and non-trade barriers systematically
for a long time to protect their own industries — the
USA blatantly, the EU more subtly.
Japan, the other economic superpower, has been going
downhill for more than a decade and is a big drag on
the global capitalist system. Thus, the system, as a
whole, finds itself in great difficulty for the first
time in 50 years. Its recovery is quite uncertain, and
when this takes place it is going to be a long drawn
out affair.
Under the circumstances, India cannot afford to rely
much on export earnings, which is the only free
foreign exchange earnings besides the remittances by
NRIs. This makes India’s hard currency reserves look
quite vulnerable because imports may not fall from
their present level, while foreign exchange earnings
are likely to. So NRI deposits and other holdings
become crucial to the stability of its reserves. In
this context, the credibility of India’s
politico-economic system to NRIs assumes the utmost
importance.

(The author is an economist.)

(c) 2002 The Statesman.