“ We are Muslims, we are Muslims, please save us. Let us in.”

Teesta Setalvad

Terror stalks the streets of Ahmedabad again, as two persons were shot dead by the police at Dariapur on Sunday evening. The police of the Dariapur Police Station assisted a mob pelting stones at minority pockets in the area.  A local resident, Ayub Khan Pathan had his head blown off when he simply stepped out to get take a snapshot and get photographic evidence of police misdemeanors. The violence continued on the morning of April 15 between Delhi Darwaza and Shahibag (where incidentally the Commissioner of Police’s headquarters are located) and the targets were–Kanikhad  Muslim Mohalla (where 80 households live) and Sajjan Jamadar Mohalla (where 200-250 families live). The Kanikhad mohalla falls within the Shahpur police station and the Sajjan Jamadar Mohalla at the Dariapur police station.

Worse, or as bad, were the two terror attacks, by mobs of 15-20 and 100-200 respectively on std VIII and IX standard students giving examinations in two separate examination centres at Delhi Darwaza on April 15. Since last Thursday (April 11) students and parents belonging to the minority community have been agitated on the question of the deliberate discrimination in the location of the examination centres by the state government: whereas the location of centres in minority dominated areas were changed by the state government on grounds that it was unsafe for students of the majority community to travel there. For the minority community, that has incidentally been the target of ethnic cleansing and genocide led by the present CM and his cabinet who are cardholders and officebearers of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad/R.S.S. no such concern has been shown; they have been compelled to give examinations in majority dominated areas. This issue has been the subject matter of a writ petition filed by parents from Baroda and Ahmedabad that is scheduled to come up in the Ahmedabad High court on April 16.

Today, in two shocking incidents, two batches of Std VIII and IX students belonging to the minority community were actually threatened by a mob while they were giving their Std VIII and Std IX terminal examinations. This writer spoke to three students who gave her this testimony. There are at least 15 other witnesses to the same incident. The names of the students have been witheld to protect their identity.

Witness:One

“My school is the Jyot Kanya Vidyalaya near Delhi Darwaza. I was giving my Std IX terminal examination in a room on the ground floor of the building when around 10.30 a.m. There are in total about 60 Muslim girls giving exams at this school. Suddenly we heard shouts from outside. We asked our teacher, ‘What is the noise?” “Kuchh nahin” said the teacher, “ you carry on with the exam. We wrote a bit of the paper. Suddenly, a group of 10-15 persons stormed into the ground of the school and stood in the ground just outside the class. We were terrified. “Maro, kato” “Mussalmanon ko nikalon” “ Idhar aa jaao” (pointing to Hindu areas) were the cries we heard. We turned to our teacher who did nothing. She then said,  “you better go.” We started running frantically. One of the girls, a little stout, was a few steps behind; they managed to pull away her dupatta. We hope that she is safe. We did not see her after that. Some women came running from the adjoining Muslim mohalla and took us to safety there. How can we give our exams now? Even though this area is not entirely safe, as it is this side of the border, we came today. Then this happened. How can we go back?”

Witness: Two

“I was giving my class VIII terminal examination on the ground floor but in another class at the far end of the corridor at the Jyot Kanya Vidyalaya. Suddenly we heard ominous shouts. I turned to the Sir who was the supervisor. ‘What is the noise, Sir?” “Looks like a fight. You better not go anywhere” he said. (The girl was stammering with fright as she recounted the frightening incident.) Suddenly the shouts grew louder. We just ran out of our class and the school. Six to seven of us ran towards the Kanichad mohalla where the residents had blocked their entrance for fear of attacks from Hindus. We were banging on the blockade frantically. They would not open. We were screaming, in tears, “ We are Muslims, we are Muslims, please save us. Let us in. They finally pulled open the door and pulled us in to safety. We are not going to give the exam tomorrow. We are so frightened.”

Witness:Three

“I am studying in the std IX class in the KG Desai High school between Delhi Darwaza and Shahpur Darwaza. After the examinations when three of us were trying to leave the school to go home a lamba tola (huge mob) came running towards the school. We turned to the Principal’s room and the Principal, Ramanbhai Patel for help. He simply pushed us away. He shoved us and shut his door. We were left to the mercy of the mob and there were two other Muslim a boy with me. It was the Hindus from the back who had attacked us. Others in our school who were Muslims had left earlier. Luckily, we were finally saved by an old lady, a Muslim lady. I just cannot think of going back to school and giving my examinations tomorrow.”

Even as the minority community has barely recovered from over 47 days of stalking terror, brutal arson and insiduous hate propaganda, students from the minority who have risked all odds to give their exams are just not safe. Mobs stalk the streets, the police aids them and insecurity and fear is the order of the say. The continuing anarchy in Gujarat, targeted violence and a sectarian rhetoric continues unabated.

Norms of constitutional governance are not only be flouted they are ridiculed every day in Gujarat.

As bad as the terrorising acts of bands of men obviously enjoying the patronage of the party in power is the continued malfunctioning and blatantly criminal acts of the police.

It is imperative that

Article 356 is invoked and President’s rule with complete handover of the Law and Order Machinery to the Army is undertaken forthwith;

Since there is no expectation of this from the Central Government that has shown through its own sectarian belligerence that it supports the calculated murder and arson ---ethnic cleansing and genocide—indulged in by a stoic worker of their own party, Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat—these steps be taken by the Supreme Court in extraordinary situations as this one is;

Any moves towards Elections is foreclosed and prohibited since no elections under these circumstances can be free, fair or Independent; (there are by the government’s own accounts 1,25,000 in the state’s relief camps, refugees/displaced persons in their own country;

There are nearly 2000 dead; the figure may go up by about 500;

The government has not seen it fit or it has been unable to provide any statistics of loss of life, missing persons and loss of lives so far;  how then can any election under such circumstances be free, fair, representative or democratic?

The State of Gujarat be declared a disturbed area and these steps be taken forthwith.

Actions against erring Police Officials be Initiated and Day to Day Hearing of Criminal prosecutions be launched.

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