Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Modi should quit

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi should resign if he has any sense of justice and responsibility left in him. The Justice U.C. Banerjee Commission's finding that the February 2002 fire aboard the Sabarmati Express in Godhra was an accident has dealt a fatal blow to him.

Atoofa Nasiha,
Chennai

The most convincing argument is that only 59 out of 250 passengers in the S-6 compartment died. How could the rest have escaped if the compartment had been locked from outside, a claim made by those who advanced the conspiracy theory? The stubborn denial and rejection of the findings by the BJP and the Sangh Parivar will only further damage their credibility. An apology to the nation, rather than defence of the post-Godhra carnage, would be a better option.

Jalees A.K. Tareen,
Mysore

By blaming Muslims for the Godhra tragedy, Mr. Modi sought to justify the Gujarat riots. Even the moderate Atal Bihari Vajpayee asked: kisne aag lagayee (who lit the fire)? Now that the panel has submitted that the tragedy was an accident, the edifice on which the Modi Government built its action-reaction theory has crumbled. Mr. Modi will not resign. But who is accountable for the murder of the hapless, unarmed innocent men, women, and children?

K. Jalaludeen,
Chennai

This is a moment of triumph for all those who believe in justice, peace, and humanity and a moment of embarrassment and guilt for all those who believe in hate and injustice. The outcome of the report bears testimony to the fact that truth will prevail and falsehood is bound to perish.

Aman Mohammad Khan,
Aligarh, U.P.

With the Banerjee panel ruling out the conspiracy theory planted by the communal forces, the time has come for Mr. Modi to resign on moral grounds.

M. Jeyaram,
Sholavandan, T.N.

The finding seems to be flawed. The commission has failed to point to the actual cause of fire. That the intelligence apparatus did not know that the kar sevaks were travelling on the Sabarmati Express does not mean no one else could have been aware of it.

A.V. Narayana Sarma,
Secunderabad

No outsiders, no conspiracy, the kar sevaks died on their own — amusing is the word for the Banerjee panel finding. Interim report before the Bihar elections and final report after the notification of Assembly elections — what a coincidence!

B.S. Ravi,
Chennai

Appointment of commissions of inquiry by parties in power is an exercise in futility. Except satisfying the ego of those at the helm and helping them to score brownie points over their adversaries, the voluminous reports serve no useful purpose and gather dust over the years.

H.P. Murali,
Bangalore

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