Why no questions are being asked about the carnage, asks Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
Over a decade has passed — 12 years to be precise — when the Godhra carnage took place. The incident, seen as the main reason behind the Gujarat riots, saw 59 people — kar sevaks of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) — being charred to death in the S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express on February 27, 2002.
Twelve years down the line, there is a sense of discontent among the families of the victims, who lost their lives in the incident. There is much talk about the riot cases and the involvement of powerful people in the massacre thereafter. But VHP feels not much attention has been paid towards kar sevaks and their families.
“Everyone talks about riot cases and justice to victims. But why no questions are asked about the Godhra incident, why the incident took place? What is the fate of the families of the S-6 coach victims? VHP did everything to provide relief and rehabilitation to those families,” said Dr Jaydeep Patel, then general secretary of VHP. He is an accused in one of the riot cases and feels that he had been framed.
“Activists have filed wrong affidavits in the court and framed me. I was named in the Naroda Gam riot case where I was not present. Why no one looks at these things?” he asked.
For Vishwa Hindu Parishad, February 27 is a day to observe martyrdom of those who lost their lives. “Every year, we remember the shaheeds (martyrs) who lost their lives. Like every year, we will pay our homage and respect to them at Godhra,” a VHP leader said.
On the one hand, where people are playing the blame game, there are a few, who believe in destiny and have completely moved on in life. Among them is 35-year-old Urvashi Acharya, who is an income tax employee and lost her sister-in-law in the Godhra carnage.
“Ami, my sister-in-law, was in that compartment. Images of her body still haunt me. I know the pain of losing someone close. Though, it is more than 10 years now, I still cannot forget the incident. I firmly believe, if not by the court, the almighty will punish them,” she had said two years ago during the verdict of Naroda Patiya massacre case.
Currently, she refuses to say anything on record. “I have moved on. I do not want to recount those painful days. I do not have any words at the moment,” she said on Wednesday.
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