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Stoking communal flames

The extended communal violence in Vadodara in Gujarat cannot be explained by its immediate provocation: the demolition of a dargah in Fatehpura area by the municipal authorities as part of a road-widening project. Ever since Narendra Modi took over as Chief Minister, Gujarat's Muslims have been living in a state of insecurity and fear. The genocidal pogrom of 2002 demolished whatever credibility Mr. Modi had in the eyes of the minorities. In the years following the pogrom, neither Mr. Modi nor the Bharatiya Janata Party Government headed by him has done anything to win back the confidence of Gujarat's minorities. Instead, the efforts of the Modi Government have so far been to feed the fears and complexes of the minorities at every available opportunity. Not surprisingly, Muslim residents near the dargah in Vadodara were suspicious of the real intent behind the notice issued by the Municipal Corporation for the removal of the structure — which they claim was more than 300 years old. That three meetings with the residents of the area did not end in any agreement cannot be cited as an excuse for the insensitive and irresponsible manner in which the Municipal Corporation staff and the police handled the demolition. Given the volatile situation, they ought to have shown greater tact and not bulldozed their way past the protesters. Instead of assuaging hurt sentiments, the authorities ended up fuelling the apprehensions of the Muslim residents of the area. With Mr. Modi at the helm, the demolition predictably took on a communal colour. Six people have lost their lives in the violence, including the three who died in the police firing.

The reaction of the State Government has been predictably partisan. Indeed, it needed constant monitoring by the Centre to ensure that the rioting did not spread to other parts of Gujarat. The initial reaction of the State administration to the Centre's offer of police assistance was not positive. The Director General of Police, P.C. Pande, who had just taken charge, was in denial mode, claiming that the violence was not communal in nature and that the State police were capable of dealing with the situation. But when the violence showed no signs of abating, the Union Home Ministry rushed the Army and paramilitary forces to Vadodara, displaying a degree of alertness and responsibility that contrasted sharply with the collusive attitude of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance Government towards the post-Godhra communal conflagration of 2002. One of the reasons for the anti-Muslim pogrom claiming so many lives then was the politicisation and communalisation of the police force under Mr. Modi. Central forces were not called in until the situation had spun out of control. Now, with elections due to the Gujarat Assembly in another 18 months, Mr. Modi might be tempted to make political capital out of communal riots, as he did in 2002. It is everybody's responsibility to deny him another such opportunity. The Centre must do everything in its power to hold Mr. Modi accountable — to the rule of law, the Constitution, and humanity.

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