1984 – 2002
However, lately a section of the politicians and press have attempted to equate the carnages of 1984 and 2002 with a view to painting the rulers at the time equally responsible. I beg to disagree. If you disagree, too, please contribute your reasons on why. Here are mine:
1. The primary killers in 1984 were identified beyond doubt. For Sabarmati train burning at Godhra to date there is no conclusive evidence of involvement of the accused. Indeed, the so-called Chief Conspirator – a semi-blind octogenarian – has himself been acquitted by the court.
2. The media coverage in 2002, thanks to the plethora of TV channels, was so overwhelming that the prosecutors and the judiciary could not bury the evidence. Yet several thousand cases were closed post haste and on SC directive only about 2,500 were reopened.
3. No CM/PM expressly ordered the police officers to allow revenge being taken, nor was a Gaurav Yatra taken out after 1984.
4. The history and track record of the two rulers were and are different. Indira had not discriminated against Sikhs and ruled out removing Sikh guards that killed her. Her daughter in law ensured that a Sikh became the PM twice for full terms. Modi on the other hand has always hated Muslims. As the charioteer of the 1992 Rath Yatra that eventually led to the demolition of Babri Masjid he ‘carved a niche’ for himself as someone who could fix the Muslims. That is what he claims to have done. That is what his cronies sold earlier and are discretely selling him now as. Never have the Nehru family members to the best of my knowledge been personally known and seen as anti-Sikh and priding in fixing them. Modi on the other hand has never appointed a single Muslim to his cabinet, nor given them a ticket for the Assembly.
I hope members will contribute more reasons.
But I repeat this is NOT to suggest that the killings of 1984 themselves were any less reprehensible. I merely suggest that the rulers don’t share the blame equally. The killers, though, were equally merciless and hateful.
