Gujarat riot victims still waiting for justice after four years

It was in 2002 when at least 2,000 people – mostly Muslims – were killed in a large–scale riot that followed the burning of a train compartment in Godhra. A few Hindu extremists died in the fire.

Now, four years have passed and Narendra Modi's government has done little to protect the victims or provide compensation, the National Commission of Minorities (NCM) has reported.

In response to several complaints, a NCM team, which visited Gujarat recently to investigate the condition of more than 5,000 riot–hit families in make–shift camps, noted that the state government has made no attempts to facilitate their safe return to their homes.

Also, the NCM rejected the state government's "view" that the riot–affected people were voluntarily living in rehabilitation camps.

"In view of the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, the commission finds this viewpoint untenable and evasive of a government’s basic responsibility," the NCM said after the visit to Gujarat of its vice–chairman Michel Pinto and members Dileep Padagaonkar and Zoya Hasan.

"Even four–and–a–half years after the riots, it has not been able to create an atmosphere in which those displaced by the riots can return to their homes," the NCM noted. The rehabilitation camps, it said, lacked basic facilities, such as potable water, sanitation, health care, approach roads and schools.

Also, it noted that an overwhelming number of riot–displaced families had no ration cards. "The few who do have them are in the above–poverty–line category and their request for below–poverty–line ration cards has been repeatedly turned down, as a result they are unable to obtain foodgrains, cereals and kerosene at subsidised rates," the NCM said.

Criticizing the state government's inaction, NCM said that the compensation and rehabilitation remain a distant dream for most riot victims as so far just seven percent of the compensation has been disbursed.

The Commission has observed that the work carried out by the Modi government in 47 relief camps meant for 5,000 displaced Muslim families could hardly be termed as providing "relief" as people continue to live without the most basic of facilities.

"There is no water, no electricity, no schools or bathrooms," Farah Naqvi, a riot victim complained.

According to news sources, the NCM members visited 17 of the 46 rehabilitation camps in Gujarat and also held discussions with Chief Minister Narendra Modi and state government officials. The NCM team, which visited the relief sites, has alleged that compensation package disbursed by the state government has not been enough.

The Modi government has also failed to explain why Rs. 41 crore has been given as property loss and damage when the total loss stands at 687 crore, the team noted.

The Commission has suggested that there should be a National Policy for treating internally displaced people and there should be a package in the lines of the anti–Sikh riots for victims of Gujarat riots, sources said.