{"id":1065,"date":"2023-12-26T05:21:01","date_gmt":"2023-12-26T05:21:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gujaratriots.com\/gujaratriots\/?p=1065"},"modified":"2025-01-30T18:29:43","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T18:29:43","slug":"sangh-parivar-organizations-like-vhp-organized-the-riots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gujaratriots.com\/gujaratriots\/2023\/12\/26\/sangh-parivar-organizations-like-vhp-organized-the-riots\/","title":{"rendered":"Sangh Parivar organizations like VHP organized the riots"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Fact:\u00a0<\/strong><\/b>Out of Gujarat\u2019s 18,600 villages [there were also 240 towns, and 25 district headquarters], the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) had units in 10,000 villages at the time of the riots of 2002. If it had wanted, it could have easily organized retaliatory riots in many of these 10,000 villages. Instead, only 40 out of the state\u2019s 18,600 villages saw riots, and a total of only less than 90 places in the state- towns, villages and cities together saw violence.<\/p>

The then-powerful VHP General Secretary Dr. Praveen Togadia [who later became Working President, and was later removed from the organization], is a Patel and hails from Saurashtra region of Gujarat- just like Keshubhai Patel. But no riots happened in Saurashtra at all- even in the first 3 days.<\/p>

On the other hand, the scale of the riots on February 28 in Ahmedabad [and other 25 places] was so large, that no organisation or group of organisations, like the Sangh Parivar could have done it alone. It was a spontaneous mass reaction to the Godhra killings.<\/p>

Some people have asked- \u201cOn one hand you say nothing happened-hardly 40 villages saw riots. On the other hand you say that the riots were so enormous that they could not have been organized by anyone\u201d.<\/p>

Both these things are simultaneously true. On February 28 in Ahmedabad- there were 17,000 people attacking Muslims in Naroda Patiya area- as per the testimony of the then Police Inspector of the area- K.K. Mysorewala to the Nanavati Commission on 19 Aug 2004 [reported by The Hindu<\/em> on 20 August 2004]. India Today\u00a0<\/em><\/i>weekly also reports in its issue dated 18 March 2002 that the Charas had attacked in Naroda Patiya leading 3 mobs of at least 4 to 5 thousand each. At one point of time in Ahmedabad there were at least 50,000 people targeting Muslim localities on 28 Feb 2002. The mob outside Ehsan Jafri\u2019s house was 10,000 strong by the time re-inforcements arrived, and had swelled to above 20,000 by the end.<\/p>

The SIT says (p 491 of its report) that the mob in Naroda Patiya was 15 to 17 thousand strong, in Naroda Gram was 5 to 7 thousand strong. Though SIT hasn’t clearly mentioned the mob strength at Ehsan Jafri’s place [it may have on p 490 of its report, but that page is not available in public domain, unfortunately], it was clearly above 20,000 as Ehsan Jafri’s widow Zakia Jafri herself said (reported by India Today<\/em> weekly dated 18 March 2002): “I have never seen such a huge mob<\/strong>. They burnt alive my husband.” The mob strength at these 3 places itself gives us at least 42,000, and there were mobs at various other places in Ahmedabad as well, on 28 February 2002, making the total strength clearly above 50,000.<\/p>

The police force of 6,000 for Ahmedabad out of which only 1500 were armed and the Rapid Action Force and the CRPF jawans could not control the violence. The Hindu<\/em><\/i> also reported the next day that the situation seemed to slip out of hand. Ahmedabad Police received 3,500 calls instead of the normal 200. It was beyond the means of the Sangh Parivar- or anybody to organise mobs on such a large scale in Ahmedabad within 24 hours.<\/strong><\/b><\/p>

However, the VHP could have easily organised riots in many of the 10,000 villages in\u00a0Gujarat\u00a0where it had units, either on February 28, or days after that.<\/p>

On February 27 occurred the Godhra massacre. That same day the RSS gave a statement saying- \u201cRSS condemns the killings and calls for restraint\u201d.\u00a0<\/strong>The Hindu<\/em><\/i>\u00a0also reported<\/a><\/span> in its report on Feb 28 that the \u201cRSS appealed to the people to exercise restraint\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>

The then RSS Joint General Secretary Madan Das Devi said-\u201cNow is the test of the patience of the Hindu society\u2026These killings are a ploy of the terrorists to create riots\u2026\u201d. This was reported in pro-RSS weekly Organiser<\/em><\/i>, but not its official mouthpiece, in its issue dated 10 March 2002, which covered events till 27 February.\u00a0\u00a0In the 10 March 2002 issue itself, two RSS leaders- Madan Das Devi and Mohan Bhagwat gave statement\u2019s asking the Hindu society to maintain peace.<\/p>

\"\"<\/p>

\"\"<\/p>

The Telegraph<\/em><\/i>\u00a0reported on\u00a028th<\/sup>\u00a0February 2002-<\/p>

\u201cThe RSS rallied behind the Prime Minister, pleading for restraint. Joint general secretary Madan Das Devi said: \u201cThe tolerance of the Hindu society is a litmus test. Instead of taking the law into their hands, people should cooperate with the state government in dealing with the serious situation.\u201d<\/strong><\/b><\/span><\/p>

See link:<\/p>

https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20160106021940\/https:\/\/www.telegraphindia.com\/1020228\/front_pa.htm<\/a><\/p>

See the statement by Madan Das Devi in the topic- \u201cNation faces trial by fire\u201d 9th paragraph from the top.\u00a0<\/em><\/i><\/p>

The VHP also appealed for peace.<\/strong><\/b>\u00a0The Times of India<\/em><\/i>\u00a0reported on 28 February 2002 even before a single major riot had taken place:\u00a0\u201cVHP international Vice-President Acharya Giriraj Kishore told reporters here at Sola Civil Hospital, where 54 out of the 58 bodies of the train attack victims were brought, that: \u201cHindus should maintain calm and keep patience<\/strong><\/b>. I appeal to Muslim brethren to condemn the attack and ask them not to put Hindus\u2019 patience to test. Hindus are keeping a restraint but if such incidents do not stop, there can be a counter reaction which may be uncontrollable\u201d.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

http:\/\/www.timesofindia.com\/articleshow.asp?art_ID=2347298<\/a><\/p>

On\u00a02nd<\/sup>\u00a0March 2002-\u00a0www.rediff.com<\/a>\u00a0reported quoting Agencies:<\/p>

\u201cRSS,VHP appeal for peace in Gujarat<\/span><\/strong><\/p>

In the wake of mounting violence in Gujarat, the RSS and VHP on Saturday appealed to their volunteers to avoid any action that would disturb peace in the country and expressed hope that \u2018good sense will prevail\u2019.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cI appeal to all RSS volunteers, sympathisers and friends who have faith in Hindutva to do their utmost in preventing any activity \u2013 like sloganeering and stone-pelting \u2013 that would disrupt peace, keeping in view the disturbed situation in the country for it would only strengthen the hands of anti-national terrorist elements,\u201d RSS general secretary Mohan Bhagwat said in a statement in Delhi.<\/span><\/p>

He urged followers of other faiths not to fall prey to the instigation of terrorist elements and \u2018to conduct themselves as children of\u00a0India\u00a0along with their Hindu brethren\u2019.<\/span>(This statement of Mohan Bhagwat was reported in weekly\u00a0Organiser<\/em><\/i>\u00a0in the 10 March 2002 issue. This statement was given on 27 Feb itself).<\/p>

Meanwhile, the VHP also made an appeal to put an end to the ongoing violence in\u00a0Gujarat, saying \u2018any kind of violence against anyone\u2019 was a matter of concern.<\/span><\/p>

Talking to reporters in\u00a0Delhi, VHP spokesman Veereshwar Dwivedi said: \u201cThe Godhra incident and the violence that followed was tragic. Any kind of violence against anyone is a matter of concern.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>

Calling for an end to the ongoing carnage in\u00a0Gujarat, he said: \u201cGood sense must prevail soon.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p>

Dwivedi also condoled the deaths and expressed sympathies for those affected by the violence in the state.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>

He, however, regretted that opposition parties had decided to send a delegation to\u00a0Gujarat\u00a0to assess the situation but did not consider it appropriate to do so after the Godhra killings.<\/span><\/p>

Dwivedi said this was being done taking vote bank politics into consideration.<\/span><\/p>

Agencies\u201d<\/span><\/p>

The URL for this is:<\/p>

http:\/\/www.rediff.com\/news\/2002\/mar\/02train10.htm<\/a><\/p>

\u00a0\u00a0 On 27 February, The Times of India<\/em> online reported that the Gujarat VHP appealed to every Hindu to \u2018stay indoors\u2019 the next day, i.e. 28 February, the day of the bandh. If all Hindus stayed indoors, it would not be possible for them to retaliate.<\/p>

To read the full chapter, read the book \u201cGujarat Riots: The True Story\u201d<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>

https:\/\/www.amazon.in\/Gujarat-Riots-True-Story-Truth\/dp\/1482841649\/<\/a><\/p>

\u00a0\u00a0 ________________________________________________________________<\/p>

You can follow us on twitter at\u00a0https:\/\/twitter.com\/Gujaratriotscom<\/strong><\/a><\/p>

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