Five years later, Guj riot victims cry for justice

Ahmedabad, Mar 1 (UNI) Thousands of victims of the Gujarat riots, that triggered after the 2002 Sabarmati Express carnage, today took part in a reunion gathering to express their demand for justice saying ''there can be no peace without justice''.

''I saw my family getting engulfed in the fire set off by a mob and this picture still rakes my sleep, even after years of the incident,'' recalled Rehanaben in a programme organised by the Citizens for Justice and Peace at the Gujarat Vidyapeeth.

Rehanaben Vora, from Odh village of Anand where 27 people were killed in three separate incidents, escaped the mob fury as she hid inside a hut. ''The Gujarat government has openly supported the perpetrators and they all got anticipatory bail.

They ridicule us for levelling charges against them,'' she said.

Many others from different parts of Gujarat felt that the government had been tardy in giving compensation. Cried Rukhsana, a resident of Naroda Patiya, that witnessed one of the worst massacres during the riots, ''Our houses have been razed and earning members of our families killed. But there is no sign of compensation. Are we being penalised because we belong to a minority community? How come the compensation came faster for victims of Mumbai blasts case?'' she asked.

Another survivor, Fatima Sheikh from Naroda Patiya said, ''They attacked us, saying that Muslims had burnt a train in Godhra.

Where is the link between Godhra and Naroda? We do not commend what happened in Godhra, the rioters should be punished. But we need compensation. '' ''The government has done nothing to rehabilitate the victims,'' said Teesta Setalvad, who heads the Citizens for Justice and Peace.

Giving out the figures for Anand district, she said out of 1,146 households for which data had been analysed, only 256 got more than Rs 10,000 as compensation while 112 received below Rs 2,000 and 264 got nothing.

She pointed out that many people had not been able to go back to their homes due to the fear and threat from rioters, who still roamed free. ''The Gulberg society which witnessed killing of over 60 people, is today lying deserted. When the former residents visit the place, they are ridiculed and threatened,'' she said.

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