July 2003 Vol. 15, No. 4 (C) COMPOUNDING INJUSTICE: The Government's Failure to Redress Massacres in Gujarat Table of Contents I. Summary ................................................................................................................................................................4 Impunity for Attacks Against Muslims ..................................................................................................................5 Inadequate Assistance for Victims and Continued Anti-Muslim Discrimination ..................................................6 Communalism as a Political Strategy .....................................................................................................................7 II. Main Recommendations to Indian Authorities .....................................................................................................8 To the State Government of Gujarat .......................................................................................................................9 To the Government of India ...................................................................................................................................9 III. Background to the Violence .............................................................................................................................. 10 Overview of the Violence ..................................................................................................................................... 10 State Complicity in the Attacks ............................................................................................................................ 11 The Sangh Parivar ............................................................................................................................................... 12 Distribution of Weapons and Training by the Sangh Parivar .......................................................................... 13 Foreign Funding of Sangh Parivar Activities .................................................................................................. 14 IV. Impunity for Attacks against Muslims .............................................................................................................. 15 The Naroda Patia Case ......................................................................................................................................... 16 The Gulbarg Society Case .................................................................................................................................... 19 Non-Prosecution of Rape Cases ........................................................................................................................... 22 Bias in the Courts ................................................................................................................................................. 25 The Shah-Nanavati Commission of Inquiry ......................................................................................................... 26 V. Police Shootings and False Charges against Victims ......................................................................................... 27 Police Shootings ................................................................................................................................................... 27 False Charges Against Victims ............................................................................................................................ 29 VI. The Godhra Investigation .................................................................................................................................. 30 The Godhra Massacre ........................................................................................................................................... 30 The Prevention of Terrorism Act.......................................................................................................................... 32 Uses of ―Terrorism‖ ............................................................................................................................................. 34 Godhra‘s victims .................................................................................................................................................. 35 VII. Attack on Akshardham .................................................................................................................................... 35 VIII. Inadequate Relief to Victims .......................................................................................................................... 38 Failure to Provide Humanitarian Assistance ........................................................................................................ 38 The Forcible Closure of Relief Camps ................................................................................................................. 39 Ongoing Insecurity of Returnees .......................................................................................................................... 40 IX. Lack of Government Compensation for Victims .............................................................................................. 41 Compensation Guidelines ..................................................................................................................................... 41 Compensation for Damages to Homes ................................................................................................................. 43 Compensation for the Death of Family Members ................................................................................................ 45 X. Economic Marginalization of Muslims .............................................................................................................. 46 ―Ghettoization‖ ..................................................................................................................................................... 47 Discriminatory Economic Boycotts...................................................................................................................... 48 The Effect on Children‘s Education and Identity ................................................................................................. 49 XI. Communalism as a Political Strategy ................................................................................................................ 51 The BJP Victory in Gujarat State Elections ......................................................................................................... 51 Criminal cases against elected officials ............................................................................................................ 54 Post-election violence in Gujarat .......................................................................................................................... 54 The Targeting of Christians in Gujarat ................................................................................................................. 55 Anti-conversion legislation .............................................................................................................................. 55 Government-sponsored surveys of Christians .................................................................................................. 56 Renewed attacks against Christians .................................................................................................................. 57 The Recruitment and Targeting of Dalits and Tribals .......................................................................................... 57 The Sangh Parivar‘s recruitment of Dalits and tribals ..................................................................................... 57 Attacks against Dalits ....................................................................................................................................... 61 Replicating the ―Gujarat Experiment‖ in Other States ......................................................................................... 62 The Ram Temple Campaign in Ayodhya ............................................................................................................. 63 XII. Recommendations to Indian Authorities and the International Community .................................................... 64 To the State Government of Gujarat ..................................................................................................................... 64 Justice ............................................................................................................................................................... 64 Relief and rehabilitation ................................................................................................................................... 65 Legislative and administrative reforms ............................................................................................................ 66 Security ............................................................................................................................................................. 66 To the Government of India ................................................................................................................................. 66 To India‘s Donors and Trading Partners .............................................................................................................