Hindus, Muslims walk hand in hand to forget riot memories

Ahmedabad, Feb 28 (UNI) Scores of people belonging to the Hindu and Muslim communities took out a rally here today in a show of communal amity and as part of observance of the fifth anniversary of post-Godhra riots.

Carrying placards saying ''Hum sab ek hai (we are one)'' and ''Communal harmony more important than economic development'', the people walked through the very streets of Prem Darwaza, Dariapur upto J P chowk that had witnessed the worst form of mass crimes in March 2002.

''Nobody would have ever imagined that the people from both the communities would be walking together, five years after communal riots had ripped both the communities apart,'' said Dr Mukul Sinha of the Jan Sangharsh Manch, the main organiser of the rally.

A prayer meeting was also held near the Gulburga Society where over 30 people were killed during the riots on this day, five years ago.

Activists like Teesta Setalvad and survivors and families of victims including Roopa Mody, whose son Azhar has been missing since the incident, were present. ''We hold this meeting every year on the anniversary in the memory of the victims. It was one of the worst massacres. It is a slap on the government's face that perpetrators of the violence are still at large and the government has never recommended a CBI inquiry,'' said Teesta.

Peace activists Father Cedric Prakash, Sophia Khan and Ghazala Paul stressed on the need for India to be a member of the International Criminal Court. Speaking at a seminar, they said India should be a signitory to the ICC as it acts as safety net to tackle perpetrators who escape clutches of domestic laws.

UNI