US House brings resolution on religious freedom in Gujarat

A Congressional resolution urging Gujarat government to restore religious freedom in the state has been introduced in the US House of Representatives on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of communal riots.

The non-binding resolution (H Res 569) "recognising the 10th anniversary of the tragic communal violence in Gujarat" was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Keith Ellison, early this week.

Unlike most of such resolutions, it has no co-sponsors. The resolution has been sent to the House Foreign Affairs Committee for necessary action.

Recognising the suffering of the people affected by the 2002 violence in Gujarat, including those who lost their lives in the Godhra train fire; the resolution shares the opinion of the US Department of State that the Gujarat government has not adequately pursued justice for the victims of the 2002 violence.

Expressing concern over reports from journalists and human rights groups about alleged complicity of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the 2002 violence; the resolution commends the US Government for denying a visa to Modi in 2005 on the grounds of a religious freedom violation under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.

The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), in a statement welcomed the introduction of the Congressional resolution.

"Congressman Ellison's resolution is an important effort to memorialise all those who were killed in the horrific sectarian violence of Gujarat in 2002," said Shaheen Khateeb, IAMC president.

"It is an opportunity to renew our pledge to continue the struggle for justice and reparation for the victims and to combat the discrimination and the economic hardships that plague minorities in Gujarat," he added.

In a statement, IAMC urged Indian American community to call upon their local Congressional representatives and urge them to become a co-sponsor of the House Resolution.

Gulberg case: SIT gives clean chit to Modi?

In what may be a make or break day for Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the Ahmedabad metropolitan court will on today pronounce its decision on the Hindutva leader’s alleged role in the Gulberg Society massacre during the 2002 Gujarat riots.

According to reports, the court will also decide if the SIT probe report on the Gulberg Society massacre should be made public or not.

The court will also pass its order on whether or not the SIT, which has reportedly given a clean chit to Modi, should be given more time to submit the pertinent documents before it.

On Monday, the trial court looking into Zakia Jafri’s plea seeking Special Investigation Team’s (SIT) report on post-Godhra riots of 2002 stayed its order till today. The court will today decide whether three main petitioners - Zakia Jafri, Teesta Setalvad and Mukul Sinha - are entitled to a copy of SIT’s report.

Zakia Jafri is the widow of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, who was killed in the 2002 Gujarat riots.

The SIT, which has so far opposed the sharing of its report with the complainant, has sought time till March 8 to submit documents pertaining to the case.

The SIT counsel had argued that Setalvad and Sinha have no locus to demand a copy of the judgement as they are not the aggrieved in the case.

Meanwhile, the counsel for Setalvad and Sinha had countered the SIT’s arguments by claiming that being a public document, the report has to be made public.

The report, it is claimed, deals with all the cases investigated by the SIT, which include charges against chief minister and over 50 individuals responsible for killing innocents in the post-Godhra riots.

Charges against Modi say that he allowed the dead bodies of karsewaks killed in the Sabarmati express in Godhra to be brought to Ahmedabad, that he deliberately delayed action and called the army too late. It is also alleged that he knew about the threat to life of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri but didn’t take any action, among others.

The SIT argued that the report—widely surmised to be a closure document on the Gublerg Society massacre—need not be made public to rights groups at the moment and that the court could decide on that later.

Meanwhile, it is still not clear whether the report filed by SIT gives a clean chit to Modi. The court is yet to examine the report.

The Gujarat Chief Minister then exuded confidenceand tweeted Swami Vivekanda’s words, “I stand for truth. Truth will never ally itself with falsehood.”

The Supreme Court had asked the SIT to investigate whether the chief minister failed in his responsibilities and whether there was a larger conspiracy behind the 2002 riots.

The Supreme Court had then asked amicus curiae Raju Ramchandran to independently assess the SIT report.

The Supreme Court on 12 September 2011, after going through Ramachandran’s report, had refrained from passing any order in the case and asked the SIT to submit its final report in the magisterial court in Ahmedabad.

The SIT almost took five months after the Supreme Court order to file its final report in the case.

The Supreme Court had asked the magisterial court to hear the petitioners before closure summary in the case, even if the report was in favour of Modi and others

Panchayat polls in Gujarat today

Election to 8,250 village panchayats of Gujarat will be held on Today amid tight security.

The panchayat election, on such a large scale, is being seen in the state as the semi-final of the next year's assembly election. Chief Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP and the Congress are the two main contenders in tomorrow's election.

Though the village panchayat elections are not fought with party symbols, in most places, BJP-backed panels are named Sadbhavna panels, while the Congress has named its panels as 'shanti' panel or 'vikas' panel.

"We have made elaborate security arrangements...more than 1.16 lakh policemen will be deputed," secretary of state election commission, PS Shah, said.

"A total of 1.70 lakh voters will exercise franchise, while 97,000 candidates are in the fray."

Polling will be through the ballot papers.

The state election commission published the notification on November 19, 2011 regarding elections for 10,405 village panchayats. Of which, 2,147 panchayats have been declared as Samras, where panchayat members have been declared elected unopposed, following consensus in the village.

The re-polling, if required, will be held on December 30. The counting of votes will be take place on December 31.