When in the midst of mob frenzy where hatred in the minds turns to bestiality and blood-shedding on the streets, ordinary people muster extraordinary courage, defy the malicious ‘us’ vs. ‘them’ constructions and risk their own lives to save that of others, bringing to public knowledge the compassionate deeds of such unsung heroes and heroines is necessary not only because they make for good reading. Such accounts are necessary more so because they inspire all peace-loving citizens and point to the moral and social resources within society which, if nurtured, could be the future bulwark against the perpetrators of hatred and violence.

In communally sensitive Malegaon in north Maharashtra, in the wake of the US attacks on Afghanistan following the terrorist attacks of September 11, an intemperate protest by some local Muslims coupled with rash police action exploded into a communal conflagration on October 26, 2001 which quickly spread to 130 villages of Nasik district. In Malegaon city and in the surrounding villages, while Muslim and Hindu mobs targeted the ‘other’ community with unprecedented ferocity, there rose to the occasion small groups, at times even a single man or woman, who took huge risks in braving the blood-seekers and sheltering their terrified neighbours.

The numerous instances of compassion, fellowship, human solidarity and amity that Malegaon city and the surrounding villages threw up during their trial by fire would have been lost to the rest of us but for the sincerity and commitment of a local journalist, Abdul Haleem Siddiqui. Jolted by the genocide in Gujarat, he revisited the recent arena of carnage in his own surrounding, painstakingly collected moving accounts of sanity amidst madness to publicise them in the form of a book titled, Aman Ke Farishte (Messengers of Peace) in Urdu and Hindi.

For his admirable initiative and enterprise, Haleem received criticism and threats from both Hindu and Muslim communal outfits, even as he was felicitated by peace-makers among Malegaon’s citizens and the local police. It is our privilege to translate and publish his book in this issue with his permission so that the English-speaking readers of Communalism Combat are reacquainted with our tolerant tradition that the hate-mongers wish to uproot.

After the numbness, horror and shock of the Gujarat genocide, that was unleashed a year ago and which continues till date through social and economic boycott in 10 districts of the state (See CC, July 2002 and April 2003 among others), consistent effort of the Gujarat government to subvert the search for justice exposes its malafide intent. The acquittals in the BEST Bakery case on June 27 symbolise this malady. The worst part of this case was the fact that Zahira Shaikh, an 18-year-old girl who had witnessed the massacre of 14 persons during a 12-hour assault on her home and the family’s bakery on March 1-2, 2002 and had stuck bravely to her testimony until February 2003, had to resile on her statement before the court on May 17.

A month-and-a-half later, she re-surfaced in Mumbai, through the efforts of the Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) to tell her tale: "My family and I were threatened with our lives unless we lied in court." Thereafter, supported by the CJP, she deposed before the NHRC. While some debate the implications of her committing perjury on oath before the court, institutions of democracy like the judiciary and the police must face up to the serious moral, legal and political issues thrown up by this case.

The state public prosecutor, Raghuvir Pandya, did not meet the prosecution star witnesses even once, nor did he see any need to confront them in the court with the consistent statements previously made by them before the police, the NHRC and the Concerned Citizens Tribunal (headed by retired judges of the Supreme Court and the Mumbai high court) in May 2003 wherein they had clearly identified the accused. It was the duty of the public prosecutor to find out the reasons for their suddenly turning hostile. No questions were put to them in the witness box about possible threats and intimidation, no thought given to the possible need for witness protection. As bad, or worse, the family felt alone and isolated – a sad comment on civil society groups and initiatives in the state.

While Zahira’s courage and transparency have evoked a nationwide response, much hinges now on the response of the courts to her demand for a re-trial outside Gujarat. As part of its commitment to democratic ideals, CC pledges its full support to Zahira and the CJP in their fight for justice. And we do this with the certainty that in this our readers are with us.