Modi Planned the Muslims’ Genocide in Gujarat

By Sajjad Shaukat

Indian fanatic Prime Minister Narendra Modi-the leader of the extremist ruling party BJP had got a land sliding victory in the Indian General elections 2014. During the election-campaign, Hindu majority was mobilized on ‘hate Muslim’ slogans and ‘anti-Pakistan’ jargons. Again, on the basis of especially anti-Muslims slogans, the BJP won huge majority in the Lok Sabha in the Indian general elections of 2019, with 21 seats more than it won in the 2014 elections.

The Muslim community in India had felt alienated, frightened and perturbed, as most of them were also effectively disenfranchised. Implementing the Hindutva ideology (Hindu nationalism) against the religious minorities, Modi-led regime particularly targeted the Muslims.

In this regard, various developments like unprecedented rise of Hindu extremism, persecution of  the Muslims, assaults on them, including their places of worships and property by the extremist Hindu mobs, ban on beef and cow slaughter, application of the laws—the Indian Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 (CAA), the National Register of Citizens (NRC) on Muslims, abrogation of the special status of the disputed territory of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) on August 5, 2019, revocation of articles 35A and 370 of the Constitution—bifurcation of the IIOJK into two territories to be ruled directly by New Delhi, continued lockdown there, deployment of more than 900,000 military troops who have martyred thousands of the innocent Kashmiris through brutal tactics, amendment of the law, allowing Indian citizens to buy land in the IIOJK and issuance of domicile certificates to more than 800000 non-Kashmiris clearly show that encouraged by the Hindu fundamentalist groups such as BJP, RSS VHP, Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena, including other similar parties, Modi-led government have been promoting religious and ethnic chauvinism in India against the Muslims.

In fact, Modi was already following biased policies against the Muslim community. In this regard, the 2002 Gujarat riots were a three-day period of communal violence in the BJP-ruled Indian state of Gujarat by extremist Hindus under the guidance and command of the Prime Minister Modi who was chief minister of Gujarat and masterminded the Muslims’ genocide in Gujarat,

Regarding that massive genocide, both Human Rights Watch in 2002 and Amnesty International in 2003 charged the “Gujarat state administration” for involvement in “a massive cover-up of the state’s role in that massacres” and pointed out numerous police officials—specifically ministers, high officials and leaders of the fundamentalist outfits such as RSS, VHP, BJP and Bajrang Dal as participants.

In this respect, Rana Ayub in his book, “Gujarat files-Anatomy of A Cover-up” and Manoj Mitha in his book, “The Fiction of Fact Finding”, and Sreekumar in his Book “Gujarat behind the Curtain” have proved Modi’s involvement in the genocide of the Muslims in Gujarat.

In this context, in an open letter published in the Guardian on April 10, 2014, pointed out that even most well-respected international intellectuals of India held Modi as the main culprit behind the massacre of Muslims in Gujarat.

According to Ashish Nandy, “The Gujarat programmes were not just about the number of helpless victims killed (over 3000) and rendered homeless (several hundred thousands). It was about the sheer planning, the brutality, the maniacal genocide that was perpetrated over a population for days on end…Narendra Modi did not only shamelessly preside over the riots and act as the chief patron of rioting gangs, the vulgarities of his utterances have been a slur on civilised public life…If Modi’s behavior till now is not a crime against humanity, what is?”

In this connection, following Gujarat riots in 2002 and state collusion, the US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) established that the then Gujarat Chief Minister Modi was linked to communal riots in a significant way. It also pointed to Modi’s ministerial colleague Maya Kodnani’s full involvement in the massacre of Muslims. Following its findings, the Commission recommended a US visa ban for Modi.

Notably, a report of the British High Commission in India had said that the programmes in Gujarat “had all the hallmarks of ethnic cleansing…this massacre was planned, possibly months in advance, carried out by extremist Hindu organisations with the support of the state government headed by Modi.”

Meanwhile, various investigations failed in showing the real criminals of Hindu terrorism in Gujarat, as they were top officials of the Indian government. Hence, the Supreme Court of India had ordered a fresh probe on March 25, 2008, but the same remains inconclusive due to concealment of evidence against the culprits who are members of the dominating political parties of the country. Since the BJP-led Modi became Indian prime minister, covert interference of his regime and those of the extremis parties—BJP and RSS, the investigations of Gujarat riots have been kept the case under carpet.

Despite eye witness testimony, implicating the highest elected political officials, justice continues to evade the victims. In this connection, 70 accused persons of the Gujarat programmes were set free by the court. On January 28, 2020, the Supreme Court granted bail to 14 convicts of 2002 Gujarat riots. Thus, it gave a clean chit to Modi.

While, the US had denied visa to Modi owing to his involvement in Gujarat genocide, however, after he became Indian prime minister, the stance of American government changed to his favour. It shows double standard of America.

It is surprising that theoretically, Indian Constitution safeguards the rights of minorities, but in practice, ideology of Hindutva prevails. Hindu majority led by the BJP has shown complete disregard to it, and commit excesses and cruelties against Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and Dalits with impunity.

It is of particular attention that P.M. Narendra Modi, the then Chief Minister of Gujarat who planned and led the Muslim massacre has, reportedly, destroyed all the documents related to the 2002 genocide of the Muslims.

As Hindu nationalism grows in India, the Modi-led BJP’s policies and practices in Gujarat state have served as a model for systemic, nationwide discrimination of the minorities, especially Muslims. So, keeping Modi’s past and present record, it can be forecasted easily that Indian minorities will face further persecution and barbarity at the hands of Hindu extremists and more incidents of Gujarat-like riots will take place, if Modi remains in power.

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations

Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com