TEN YEARS AGO…

This time ten years ago I was mailing crazy to every available [and conceivable] Muslim email ID urging them to condemn the Sabarmati carnage, to reach out to their Hindu friends with an apology on behalf of who were then alleged as the Muslim conspirators, to offer deepest condolences, and the commitment to participate in booking the guilty.

Not until tomorrow, ten years ago, would I be able to see the making of the “grand design”. By 10 AM 28th Feb the Ahmedabad sky was lit up with flaring lights while dark clouds of smoke were billowing up in every corner. You could virtually tell Muslim ownership / stake by the fire and the arson. And this despite some being christened Abhinav / Tulsi Restaurant, Abhudaya Hotel et al.

Today I offer my profound apologies to the 100 odd Godhra Muslims who spent nearly a decade in the jail, charged under the defunct POTA, until many were judicially acquitted recently. Interestingly, Mulla Umarji – who was alleged as the Chief Conspirator – in this case stood not guilty and was acquited. They were quite clearly implicated in this heinous crime completely falsely.

Over the years I have come to realize that this was an insider job. The Sabarmati victims [whom I pay profound homage] clearly fell to the political machinations of their fellow-religionists [who I wish to see exposed]. I hate to call such criminals as Hindus, for the Hindus I knew and grew up with were and are universally acceptable humane humans.

As I pen these lines memories of pain, of precious lives lost, of wealth laboriously collected over decades burnt in seconds, of lost opportunities.. and the ghastly thoughts of even worse possibilities since then, haunt me. And I can’t proceed. I really can’t.