Redefining a riot

by Rishi Sun Jan 12, 2014 10:27 am

Take away those killed in the police firing, and the numbers killed in the actual violence stands at 697 Muslims and 177 Hindus. This means that 80 per cent of those killed were Muslims. In a state where the Muslim population amounts to just 9 per cent of the total population, the numbers portray a sickening story of one-sided killings.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica a pogrom is a "a mob attack, either approved or condoned by authorities, against the persons and property of a religious, racial, or national minority’’. The break up of those killed in police firing bears testimony to something significant. In a situation where 80 per cent of those killed in the violence were Muslims, how did police firing manage to kill more Muslims than Hindus? Even those who claim the violence was spontaneous concede what eyewitnesses have borne out, that the vast majority of the mobs that murdered and raped were made up of Hindus. The only answer that fits the facts is that the police deliberately chose their targets. And if they did so deliberately, they did so under directions.

Bhagwati and Co seem to believe that the death of some Hindus in the violence is evidence to suggest that this was not a pogrom. But if 80 per cent of those killed in the violence were Muslims and the violence was spread over large parts of the state, with the police either condoning, or worse still participating in the violence, it does amount to an organised massacre. Do Bhagwati and Panagariya shy away from the word because it comes far too close to describing the truth?

Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/politics/redefining-a-riot-panagariya-bhagwati-write-to-the-economist-1335539.html?utm_source=ref_article

>>> What about the organized burning of 58 innocent Hindus women and children included in the Godhra train station? The Muslim mob was waiting for the train carrying these 58 people to arrive.

That is the one which started it all.

Hartosh Singh Pal conveniently left that out.

by Guest Sun Jan 12, 2014 11:07 am

Rishi wrote:Take away those killed in the police firing, and the numbers killed in the actual violence stands at 697 Muslims and 177 Hindus. This means that 80 per cent of those killed were Muslims. In a state where the Muslim population amounts to just 9 per cent of the total population, the numbers portray a sickening story of one-sided killings.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica a pogrom is a "a mob attack, either approved or condoned by authorities, against the persons and property of a religious, racial, or national minority’’. The break up of those killed in police firing bears testimony to something significant. In a situation where 80 per cent of those killed in the violence were Muslims, how did police firing manage to kill more Muslims than Hindus? Even those who claim the violence was spontaneous concede what eyewitnesses have borne out, that the vast majority of the mobs that murdered and raped were made up of Hindus. The only answer that fits the facts is that the police deliberately chose their targets. And if they did so deliberately, they did so under directions.

Bhagwati and Co seem to believe that the death of some Hindus in the violence is evidence to suggest that this was not a pogrom. But if 80 per cent of those killed in the violence were Muslims and the violence was spread over large parts of the state, with the police either condoning, or worse still participating in the violence, it does amount to an organised massacre. Do Bhagwati and Panagariya shy away from the word because it comes far too close to describing the truth?

Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/politics/redefining-a-riot-panagariya-bhagwati-write-to-the-economist-1335539.html?utm_source=ref_article

>>> What about the organized burning of 58 innocent Hindus women and children included in the Godhra train station? The Muslim mob was waiting for the train carrying these 58 people to arrive.

That is the one which started it all.

Hartosh Singh Pal conveniently left that out.

What exactly happened in the Godhra train station--particularly the circumstances in which the S6 coach of the train was burnt-- still seems to be a mystery as per these blog posts:

http://www.truthofgujarat.com/topics/godhra-train-burning/

Redefining a riot

Redefining a riot

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