Annexure
5
Sample and Spread/ Nos of Statements
Totally 2094 statements, written and oral were
processed by the Tribunal.
Naroda: 49 testimonies and 73 written statements
Gulberg Society, Chamanpura: 23 testimonies and 7
written statements
Rest of Ahmedabad: 51 oral testimonies and 603 written
statements
Kheda and Nadiad: 43 testimonies and written statements
Banaskantha: 6 testimonies and 20 written statements
Sabarkantha: 29 testimonies and 52 written statements
Mehsana: 9 testimonies and 10 written statements
Godhra: 20 testimonies
Panchmahal District: 63 testimonies and 34 written
statements
Bharuch: 53 statements
Bharuch city: 18 testimonies and 78 written statements
Ankleshwar: 19 testimonies and 20 written statements
Rajpardi: 7 testimonies and 11 written statements
Vadodara 68 testimonies and 79 written statements
Vadodara tribal: 5 testimonies and 19 written
statements
Vadodara rural: 13 written statements
Dahod: 13 testimonies and 29 written statements
This totals 1547. Another 187 copies of FIRs,
panchnamas, post mortem reports were put on record and 313 detailed
collective statements of damages. This totals 2094.
This sample gave us a good spread of the carnage across
the state of Gujarat. Age of the witnesses also varied between 25-60 years
of age. This shows a representative sample that is reasonably
representative of the ground level. Over 50 per cent of the witnesses were
self-employed, either skilled workers or small traders, small businessmen
while at least 40 per cent were agriculturists, small and large families
and landless labourers.
Migrations
The data analysed deals with the issue of migrations
caused by the riots. Movements of victims and survivors were analysed and
an average of over 78 per cent of people affected by the violence had
shifted residence as a result of the fear and terror generated by the
violence at least for the first few months (at least three months). This
indicates the scale of violence that was unleashed.
The scenes of the worst massacres have seen migrations
that have been detailed in the Incidents of Violence—Volume I have
also resulted in near-permanent migrations and shifts of population. In
these locations only a bare 20 per cent of the original population has
returned to their original homes. This is true of Mehsana district,
Panchmahal, Anand, Dahod, Gulberg society and Naroda gaon and Patiya. The
fear and terror experienced until we go to press by victim survivors of
Dahod, Mehsana and Panchmahal is significant. The fact that the government
has determinedly turned it’s back on rehabilitation and the fact that the
perpetrators of the crimes have been named as powerful politicians still
in power has contributed to the insecurity and fear experienced.
Spread of Violence
The evidence before the Tribunal speaks eloquently of
the vast spread of the violence in the first 72 hours just after Godhra,
that is between February 28-March 3, 02. Trends are discernible too in
various districts of the pre-planning and preparations made even before
the Godhra incident. The worst incidents of gruesome massacre were
effected with precision in those dates though the violence simmered on for
months and is continuing still.
Significant data also points to the second bout of
violence between March 12-15,02 [the date of the Shlila poojan
planned by the VHP at Ayodhya; then again at the end of March—April 3, 02
on the eve of the PM’s visit to the relief camps. May 02 also saw many
bouts of violence in at least eight locations in Gujarat. On May 7, 2002
there were brutal killings of stray Muslims in Ahmedabad city. This was
while the Tribunal hearings were on.
Causes
An analysis of the data before us clearly shows that
the construct around the Godhra violence was consciously and deliberately
used at the town, city and district levels to foment anger, hatred and a
sense of revenge among the mobs that struck. Zerox copies of the photos of
the burning coach were distributed widely. The slogans shouted by the
violent mobs clearly showed that they had been deliberately instigated
using Godhra as the reason and excuse.
Loss to Life
Our data shows details of the sheer brutality in the
manner of killing. The computation of this data also shows that it is the
manner of the killing that has made the loss to life shattering. Detailed
evidence of the manner of killing and destruction of the bodies of loved
ones makes the crimes even more difficult to bear. In many cases there are
no traces of the dead. The Tribunal has collected data about the lists of
missing persons and annexed these in Volume III. The state
government has not computed any official data on the violence.
Damage to property
A detailed analysis of 2094 strong evidence points to
economic destruction as emerging as a major motive in the violence. Where
the mobs did not kill or maim, they had a clear-cut motive, of destruction
of homes and properties. Independent computation of losses puts this at a
primary loss of Rs 3,800 crores to the Muslim community of Gujarat.
Law and Order
Throughout the data analysis what emerged was either a)
absence of the police from the scene of mass crime when they ought to have
been present; b) actual connivance and participation in the destruction of
properties and the arson. It would be safe to conclude from this data
analysis that a committed and hard core of about 30 per cent police
personnel in Gujarat are committed soldiers to the agents of the crime.
Many of the balance are terrified and just a handful rises above these
considerations and function as is required of them under the Constitution.
Over 50 per cent of the victims who’s data was
processed spoke of repeated pleas for help to the police being turned
down. Another 30 per cent spoke of first hand knowledge of the police
telling the victim community to protect itself and not expect anything
from the police. The few instances of shining valour from the police stand
out but offer little hope in terms of scope and percentage.
Relief Operations
Relief operations were almost entirely manned by
community leaders who organised relief camps. It was weeks before the
state government began their supply. A fair amount of aid from other
groups and individuals and the rest of the country came in but the state
government unabashedly not only assumed no responsibility for the relief
and rehabilitation, but also gave it grudgingly while heaping abuse on
camps and the refugees staying there. The data analysed shows that in 60
per cent of the cases victims have stayed in camps for over two months,
that mental and physical state of the survivors is fragile. With no
genuine efforts are rehabilitation, despair and hopelessness was reflected
in the responses of over 85 per cent of the deponents.
NGOs
Social groups, and other non governmental organisations
have been involved in some relief measures. However over 70 per cent of
the deponents spoke of the need for more sustained need-based support
that centres around building up of livelihoods, rehabilitating
communities and families in a fashion that caters to their trauma, loss
and yet enables them to draw out of it. Women and children victim
survivors especially expressed the need for more sustained and creative
support in over 70 per cent of the statements recorded by us.
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