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IslaminIndia…
castingashadowontherelativelygoodcommunalrelationsincontemporary
India.Modi’spublicgestureputinquestionhisactualintentions.
GujaratPogrom,ItsOrigins,andConsequences
ThemainfactsabouttheGujaratpogromarewidelyknownthroughout
India,evenifitsscalehasbeenfrequentlydisputed.
Thechainofeventswastriggeredbyanattackonpilgrimsontheirway
backfromAyodhya,acityinthenorthofthecountryreveredbyHindus
andbelievedtobethebirthplaceofLordRama.Severalcenturiesago,the
MughalEmperorBaburorderedamosquetobebuiltexactlyonthesacred
spot,sparkingalongstandingcommunaldisputethatdefiedreconciliation
efforts.Finally,in1992,aHinducrowddemolishedthemosqueandan
announcementwasmadethataLordRamatemplewouldbeerectedtherein
thefuture.Thus,pilgrimagestoAyodhyacanbeseenbyradicalMuslimsas
aprovocation,especiallywhentheyareattendedbyactivistsfromextreme
Hinduorganisations.
InFebruary2002,atrainwithAyodhyapilgrimsstoppingintheGodhra
railwaystationcaughtfire,possiblyaresultofarson.Fifty-ninepeopledied
inthefire,allofthemHindus.Chargesofarsonandmurderwerehurled
atMuslims,withonlyafewpeoplebelievingthecauseoftheignition
wasaresultofabreakdown.SomemediaclaimedPakistan’sintelligence
servicewasinvolved.AwaveofviolentassaultsagainstMuslimhomes,
shops,mosques,andotherplacesofworshipfollowedandspreadintoall
majorcitiesinGujarat,includingAhmedabad,Gandhinagar,Vadodar,Surat
andMehsana.Thecarnagedidnotquitelooklikeaspontaneousoutbreak
ofangerinresponsetotheGodhrabloodshed,butmorelikeawell-
prepared,logisticallycoordinatedproject.TheMuslimcommunity,forits
part,respondedtotheviolencewithviolence:inastringofcities,Hindus
wereattackedwithequalcruelty.Thepoliceandsecurityservicesproved
ineffectiveandwereactuallyaccusedofconnivance,ifnotparticipation,in
theriots.Ittookfairlylongforlocalauthoritiestoregaincontrolandforthe
emotionstosubside.OnlyseveralyearsafterthepogromdidtheNewDelhi
governmentrevealthedeathtolltoparliament.Atotalof790Muslimsand
ThePolishQuarterlyofInternationalAffairs,2017,no.1
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