How do we write about such violence, I asked myself, without either sensationalizing it and producing a pornography of violence, or sanitizing it by reducing it to a set of abstract numbers and ‘underlying’ causes?--- Gyanendra Pandey writing on Bhagalpur riots.
Who died in Police Firing?
On 2 May, law
minister Arun Jaitley told Parliament it was not true Muslims had been targeted by the Gujarat government. At the same
time, he refused to provide a religion-wise breakdown of those killed in police
firing.
He had good
reasons not to do so.
For on the
same day, the police in Ahmedabad was admitting it had killed more Muslims than
Hindus in its ostensible attempts to stop what was clearly mob violence against
Muslims. ‘Of the 184 people who died in police firing since the violence began,
104 are Muslims, says a report drafted by Gujarat Police’, Vinay Menon of Hindustan Times reported (‘Cops admit
killing more Muslims’, 3 May 2002).’The statistic substantiates the allegation …
that not only did the local police not do anything to stop the Hindu mobs; they
actually turned their guns on the helpless Muslim victims’.
For example,
on 28 February, 40 men shot dead near the Bapunagar police station
in Ahmedabad were all Muslims, most shot in the head and chest. They had been
defending themselves from a 3000 - strong mob.(Janyala Sreenivas, ‘Who shot
them point blank?’, Indian Express, 9
April 2002).
Though the
number of Muslims and Hindus killed in police firing has been collated by the
Gujarat government, noted Menon,this has so far not been released. ‘Coming out
with the truth would only inflame the situation, it is feared’. The government
argues that in the first 72 hours of violence, more Hindus were killed in
police firing. State home minister Gorghan Zadaphia told Menon : ‘I have data
that shows more Hindus were killed till March 3, but it cannot be disclosed.’
By the third
week of May, 75 of the 105 killed by police firing in Ahmedabad were Muslims.’But
the real numbers,’ said Raveen Thukral, ‘are probably likely to be far larger :
major manipulations are alleged to have been done at the stage of carrying out
autopsies.’(‘The missing are dead, Gujarat toll may go up,’ Hindustan Times, 24 May 2002).
(Gujarat -- The Making of a Tragedy ed Siddharth Varadarajan, page 182 )
This list is from CCT Vol 1
List of persons killed in police firing on February 28 and March 1, 2002.--
1) Akbarkhan Makrani,
2) Zahiruddin Nasiruddin Ansari
3) Mohammed Idrio Mohd. Ismail
4) Tohkir Ahmed Munir Ahmed
5) Jamilmiya Kifayatumiya Mistri
6) Kadri Karnaluddin Ahmed Ali
7) Noorbanu Mohd Hakim Ansari
8) Abdul Rehman Abdul Razak Sheikh
9) Hamidbhai s/o Gulam Rasul Abdulbhai
10) Ansari Mohiuddin Jamadar
11) Sultanbhai Azizbhai Malek
12) Ansari Iliyasbhai Jumerati
13) Sabirhussain Fatehsad
14) Hanifbhai Ali Baks Railwaywala
15) Mohd Hussain Allahrakha Sheikh
16) Abdul Karim Mehboobmiya Pathan
17) Zakirhussain Mehmoodhussain Arian
18) Ilias Ahmed Jumroti
19) Mohd. Ishak Abdul Aziz
20) Mohd.Mubin Ali
21) Samir Ahmed Iqbal Ahmed Arian
22) Jummadin M. Zakira
23) Mahmud Hanif Mahmud Sheikh
24) Gulam Rasool Gulamnabi (Age 22; 408 Noor Nagar, Rakhial; shot in the head.)
25) Trohadali Haiderali
26)Gabbarbhai (Wahid) (Age 25; private security guard; living in Mandu, Masterni Chali in Bapunagar; shot between the eyes on February 28.)
27) I s t i y a k Khan Nizamuddin Khan (Age 24; Morarji Chowk, Bapunagar; shot in the head.)
28) Parwezbhai Gulamdastagir (Age 26; Residence on General Hospital Road, Bapunagar; shot on the nose.)
29) Samir Iqbalbhai Mansuri
30) Kausharbhai Sobrati Ali
31) Nasirkhan Kayamkhan
32) Zakirbhai (Mahagujarat Bakery)
33)Samirbhai (Mahagujarat Bakery)
34) Azharuddin Sirajuddin
35) Ismailbhai Frywale
36) Anwar Hussain
37) Nasirbhai Rajput
38) Akhtarbhai
39) Mohammed Naim Nasrullah
40) Mohammed Azim
41) Nisarahmed A. Hamid
42) Aslambhai
43) Imtiazkhan Nizamuddin Pathan, (Age 21; a resident of Morarji chowk; shot in the head. ‘‘I could not
recognise my own son, part of his head was blown off,’’ his mother, Ammiben, said.)
(Source: Al Ameen Garib Niwas Hospital)
This is an additional list of persons shot dead by the police thereafter.
5.3.02 Gullubhai Karimbhai Sheikh (42); Jamalpur
26.3.02 Sarfroz Takubbhai Baggiwala (23); Jamalpur
15.3.02 Mohd. Irfan Abdul Jabbar Ansari; Dodheshwar Masjid (2 bullets in the chest)
15.3.02 Sikandar Khan Pathan (22); Vatwa (Siddique bhai Shaikh-Peace Corps)
15.3.02 Syed Farzana Bukhari (30); Vatwa
3.4.02 Advocate Nizaam (shot dead)
---------------------------------------------------------------
TOI newsreport of 28th April claims
More fall prey to police firings in Gujarat
Gandhinagar: Two months after the riots began in gujarat, there is a perceptible change in the type of people falling prey to police bullets. The latest statistics available with the gujarat police show that more muslims have been killed in police firing in gujarat than hindus. Statistics made available by top sources in the police bhavan here show that out of the 170 persons killed in the state so far, 93 are muslims and 77 hindus. According to officials this was not the case in march when records suggested that 60 out of 100 killed in police firing were hindus and 40 were muslims. these damning statistics, which are also being sought by the national commission for minorities clearly show that of the 70 people killed in the second month of violence, an overwhelming 53 are muslims and only 17 hindus. This, police officials would claim, was a result of trying to control the 'muslim backlash' that was being talked about in the official circles. police officials said that the backlash could be especially seen in ahmedabad, where out of the total number of persons injured in stabbings, 62 are hindus and 30 muslims. the overall figures for gujarat of those injured in stabbings tell a different story, with 131 hindus and 179 muslims. the figures should be seen in the light of the community-wise break-up of total number of riot victims in gujarat. the break-up is available for 726 deaths in riots, which show that 552 muslims and 168 hindus, including the 59 godhra train victims, have been killed so far. it is significant that the maximum jump in police firing deaths of the two communities has taken place in ahmedabad, where right from the begining of the riots, the number of muslims falling to police bullets is disproportionately high. about a month back, out of the total of 40 police firing victims in ahmedabad, 17 were hindus and 23 muslims. today, the ahmedabad figures show that of the 90 people killed in police firing, 59 are muslims and 31 hindus. this means, of the 50 people killed in police firing in ahmedabad in the second month, 36 are muslims and only 14 hindus. in other words, in the second month of violence, the percentage of muslims falling to police bullets is a staggering 72 per cent. no wonder then that the minority community is expressing a completely lack of faith in the present police administration, especially in ahmedabad. the police records also show that of the 523 places of worship damaged in the last two months of riots, 298 were dargahs, 205 mosques, 17 temples and three churches. besides, of the total substantive arrests made by the police, 9,954 are hindus and 4,035 muslims. however, in the preventive arrests column, the statistics show that the number of hindus arrested is much higher — 17,947 as against 3,616 muslims. the police estimates also put the total property loss in the state at rs 682 crore. however, while community-wise break-up of the damage is not available for gujarat, the figures for ahmedabad are — muslims, rs 400 crore, and hindus rs 10 crore.
The above report was much before before the CCT report came out. The figures are given for entire Gujarat. If one goes through CCT report, death from police firing continued into June also.
However seven years after, with public memory short, and concerned activists busy with court cases, here is HT report
However, the HT report is careless. The figures quoted by CCT was the police figures. The final figure that the police was claiming in 2009 was the figure that it gave out in April 2002. No wonder that activists have been claiming under reporting of deaths.
| GOVERNMENT OF INDIA |
| MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS |
| RAJYA SABHA |
| UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-5209 |
| ANSWERED ON-11.05.2005 |
| PERSONS KILLED IN GUJARAT RIOTS . |
| 5209 .SHRI R.K. ANAND |
(a) how many people have been killed in Gujarat riots after Godhra incident and of which community; (b) how many persons are missing, injured and rendered widows, orphaned; (c) how much amount of compensation to each individual have been paid by Government; and (d) whether Government published the said data of these people district-wise as recommended by the NHRC? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI SRIPRAKASH JAISWAL) In the case of those injured the rates of payment to each individual are as under: Rs.5,000 each to those with upto 10% disability; Rs.15,000 each to those with 10% to 30 % disability; Rs.25,000 each to those with 30% to 40% disability; Rs.50,000 each to those with more than 40% disability and permanent incapacitation. In addition, relief has been extended by the State Government to the victims of the riots under the following heads: i) Cash doles and assistance for house-hold kits; ii) Food grains to Below Poverty Line families in riot affected areas; iii) Housing Assistance; iv) Rebuilding earning assets; v) Rehabilitation of Small business; vi) Assistance to Industries/shops and hotels; vii) Interest subsidy on loans to affected units; viii) Insurance paid to the affected; ix) Rehabilitation of orphaned children and widows; x) Integrated Child Development Scheme services to riot affected children, pregnant and lactating mothers; xi) Widows` Pension, etc. The State Government has further informed that a total expenditure of Rs. 204.62 crores has been incurred towards relief and rehabilitation measures. (d) : The State Government has informed that they have published the data as recommended by NHRC. (a): As per information made available by the State Government of Gujarat, 254 Hindus and 790 Muslim (including those killed in Police firing) were killed in the post Godhra riots of 2002. (b): As per available information 223 persons have been reported missing, 2548 persons sustained injuries, 919 persons were rendered widows and 606 children were orphaned during the riots. (c): The rates of compensation paid by the State Government of Gujarat are as under: An amount of Rs 1.5 lakhs has been paid as ex-gratia to the next of kin of each person killed. It remains to be seen where the state has published the districtwise data. |
However seven years after, with public memory short, and concerned activists busy with court cases, here is HT report
More Muslims than Hindus died in firing by policemen
Mahesh Langa, Hindustan Times Ahmedabad, February 19, 2012
First Published: 23:27 IST(19/2/2012) | Last Updated: 01:37 IST(20/2/2012)
The Narendra Modi-led Gujarat government does not acknowledge the Concerned Citizens Tribunal, but is on the same page with it on one facet of the 2002 riots in the state.
More Muslims died in police firing during the riots than Hindus, show the government's statistics and the report of the tribunal headed by former Supreme Court judge justice VR Krishna Iyer.
According to the tribunal, which conducted its own probe into the massacres, this skewed body count defies logic because the riots were largely led by Hindus.
The casualty figures due to police firing vary too. The tribunal states 104 of the 184 people killed were Muslims. Government puts the death toll at 170 - 93 Muslims and 77 Hindus.
According to state government records, of more than 1,200 people killed in the riots, nearly 950 were Muslims. The riots had erupted after the torching of the Sabarmati Express near Godhra on February 27, 2002.
Most of the 59 passengers killed in the train carnage were kar sevaks returning from Ayodhya.
The tribunal said in its report of November 2002, "The shocking levels of police complicity in the Gujarat carnage cannot be over-emphasised… not only did the local police not do anything to stop the Hindu mobs; they actually turned their guns on the helpless Muslim victims."
In 2004, when Indian Police Service officer Rahul Sharma deposed before the Modi government-appointed Nanavati Commission probing the riots, he had said after more Hindus died in police firing than Muslims in Bhavnagar, Gordhan Zadaphia, the state's the then junior home minister, had asked him to maintain ratio.
Sharma was the superintendent of police of Bhavnagar district during the riots.
According to Sharma, "Zadaphia had called, on March 16, 2002, and said that the toll in police firing in the district was weighted too heavily against the Hindu community as against the Muslims - at 5 to 1."
"I had explained to the minister that the casualty ratio in police firing depended on the composition of the mob… if 90% of the mob is Hindu, then obviously 90% of the casualty will be Hindus," he had deposed
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