Account of a 16-year-old survivor
Posted on May 22, 2008 - Filed Under 01 - The Godhra Carnage | 37 Comments
On the 27th February, the Ahmedabad bound Sabarmati Express, carrying karsevaks from Ayodhya was barbarously attacked and burnt at Godhra in which around 60 karsevaks laid their lives. Gayatri Panchal a young eleventh class student was also amongst those who were returning from Ayodhya. She is a surviving witness to the inhuman atrocious cruelty in which right in front of her eyes two of her sisters and parents were burnt alive.
Harshadbhai Panchal, a resident of Ramol, left for karseva at Ayodhya on the 22nd February, together with his wife Neetaben and three daughters, Pratiksha, Chhaya and Gayatri. His sister in law, her son, her neighbour Poojaben and her would be husband were also accompanying him.
All of them were returning to Ahmedabad along with several other karsevaks. Harshadbhai and his family, Poojaben and her husband were in one compartment. While his sister in law and her husband and their son were in another compartment. The only survivor out of these ten, Gayatri, says about this horrible event that, “On the 27th morning, at around 8 a.m. the train left Godhra Station. The karsevaks were loudly chanting the Ram Dhoon. The train had hardly gone ½ Km., when it suddenly stopped. Somebody had perhaps pulled the chain to stop the train. Before anybody could know what had happened, we saw a huge mob approaching the train. People were carrying weapons like Gupti, Sphere, Swords and such other deadly weapons in their hands and were throwing stones at the train. We all got frightened and some how closed the windows and the doors of the compartment. People outside were shouting loudly, saying “Maro, Kato” and were attacking the train. A loudspeaker from the Masjid close by was also very loudly shouting “Maro, Kato, Laden na dushmano ne Maro.” These attackers were so fierce that they managed to break the windows and close the doors from outside before pouring petrol inside and setting the compartment on fire so that nobody could escape alive. A number of attackers entered the compartment and were beating the karsevaks and looting their belongings. The compartments were drenched in petrol all over. We were terrified and were shouting for help but who was there to help us? A few policemen were later seen approaching the compartment but they were also whisked away by the furious mob outside. There was so much of smoke in the compartment that we were unable to see each other and also getting suffocated. Going out was too difficult, however myself and Pooja some how managed to jump out through the windows. Pooja was hurt in her back and was unable to stand up. People outside were trying to hold us to take us away but we could escape and run under the burning train and succeeded in crawling towards the cabin. I have seen my parents and sisters being burnt alive right in front of my eyes.” Luckily, by the grace of God, Gayatri was not hurt too badly. “We somehow managed to go up to the station and meet our aunty (Masi). After the compartments were completely burnt the crowd started withering. We saw that even amongst them were men, women and youngsters like us both male as well as female. I returned here after evacuating the dead bodies of my family members at Godhra Station. Out of 18 of us ten had laid their lives.”
Gayatri’s father was a carpenter whereas her mother worked in the Madhyanha Bhojana Yojna (i.e. Mid-day meal scheme), her elder sister Pratiksha was serving in the Collectorate.
In spite of what had happened, Gayatri still feels that she would any time once again venture to go for karseva. She says, “I shall not allow the sacrifice of my parents to go in vein.”
(Source: VSK, Gujarat and various English dailies- such as The Indian Express- 28 Feb 2002)
Among some details of the brutality, an event that reveals the killing of a Dalit karsevak in the Godhra massacre is worth reproducing. [3]The burning of innocent karsevaks alive was an event that made one’s hair stand erect. Umakant Govindbhai of Saijpur was 25 years of age and working in the Collector’s Office. On 27th February Umakant was in S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express. A mob of 2000 Muslims swarmed on this coach with Petrol cans, stones and sticks. They first threw stones on it and as the doors and windows were closed, threw petrol and set the entire coach on fire. Umakant, who was trying to break the closed door and get away, was pelted with stones by them and pushed with the bamboos inside the coach.
This sort of massacre was not seen anywhere in independent India. Nor could this compare with any other event- such as the murder of Indira Gandhi, or the post-Godhra riots, or any of the brutal murders of the opponents of the CPI (M) in Kannur district of Kerala. The terrorist attack on the Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar or various other temples in India or deadly bomb blasts in various places could, in no way, compare with this horrific massacre.
Godhra was by no means an act of terrorism. Most right-thinking people claim so, from the Nanavati Commission, to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. But terrorism is completely different. The terror is temporary, the pain is momentary. Indira Gandhi was done to death by a couple of bullets. It was a natural case of murder, albeit of a Prime Minister. Ordinary murders occurring anywhere are mostly the result of stabbing or bullet shots.
But Godhra was not that. It was much worse. It was an act of communalism and not real terrorism. ‘Terrorists have no religion’ is a statement parroted many times in the media by many people. But Godhra was not done by 1 or 2 terrorists. It was done by a mob, a mass mob of more than two thousand people, ordinary people, not terrorists undergone training in training camps. Not terrorists armed with AK 47, AK 56 rifles or grenades. They were locals, not foreigners. The local Muslims did the barbaric, communal and criminal act of Godhra.
dear DEEp….talking of communal harmony why do v always tend to forget the contributin of the naxals and the maoists. And not to forget the murderers of 1984 anti sikh riots. these people are no muslims and yet they murder and wipe out families. every community has confused peole who never really understand what their religion teaches them. It is very wrong to blame only the muslims just because they are in minority. Hindus in this case are as much to blame as the Muslims. the ampount of bloodshed the hindus caused is no less than the muslims.
our gr8 muslim bros.do live in india,earn their bread in india,blast some bombs in india in the name of their religion,always cheer 4 their paki bros, destroy da communal harmony in india and yet mr.XYZ don’t critisize ‘em…
i think modi will b the great prime minister of India. he made gujrat number one state and he can make India number one country. Then there shoud b no corruption and equal rights for everybody
Their book preaches….
Then, when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them (captive), and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush. But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due, then leave their way free. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful….
Id Mubarak Arshia….!!!!
dear XYZ
i want to explain few relevant points which u have missed,it isn’t your fault actually it is your mind which has been poisoned by false teachings.Whatever you’ve discussed is because of the prejudices against Islam.
You are talking about Quranic verses,people like you can never understand even a single verse.
You all are pro Americans but are you not aware that in America women had no voting rights till 19th century. If u want to talk about discrimination between men & women then don’t forget that in Hindu system girls had no property rights before Hindu marriage Act,1955. In Islam girls have property rights(Quran is approx. 1432 yrs. old book)how can u say that there are contradictions in holy book, these contradictions arises when people like u start writing books.
In Islam women are forced to gain knowledge, forced to do innovative work.
women are not allowed to be witnesses because it has been proved that women are psychologically weak they are mentally unstable.It is not easy to trust them,not because God discriminates but because they aren’t powerful enough to remain stable.
You people are quite rigid u won’t understand anything,THESE ARE NOT MY WORDS GOD HAS DISCUSSED ABOUT PEOPLE LIKE YOU IN HOLY QURAN & PLEASE FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE IF U CAN’T UNDERSTAND HOLY BOOK THEN DON’T READ IT, YOU PEOPLE CAN’T MISGUIDE ANYONE.
@Adnan-I will tell you what Islam preaches you…
It preaches you hatred,intolerance towards Other religions….Chaptr 9 verse 5
It preaches you discrimination against girls….chapter 2 verse 282
Quran is not word of God as it contains a loads of contradiction….
@deepak-Chaptr 4 verse 13 claims that when a woman is raped she needs to produce 4 male witnessess to prove that she has been raped….or else she is punished for having extra marital sex….
Now using common sense anyone can say that it is hopeless to demand four male witnessess for a rape scene….n if there are any…then it is clear that they are co-rapists…..
As a result it is clear that Islam dicriminates on the basis of sex….
Now dare to criticise Islam for this if you have courage….Or else go on with your hopeless talks….
Recent Assembly Election:
Total seats Contested: 765
BJP’s total number: 5
A true “National Party
”
AA true party that is working for the nation!!
JAI HIND
Congratulation to BJP for spectacular performance in recent state electioons across India. Lol, seems like entire nation is hsowing the mood to BJP that there days in politics are numbered lol!
JAI HIND
Really interesting news article: http://communalism.blogspot.com/2011/02/sanjeev-bhatt-cop-who-has-blown-lid-on.html
Fourteen policemen involved in the Ishrat Jahan encounter on Tuesday alleged there was “serious groupism and infighting” among senior Indian Police Service officers in Gujarat, as a result of which they were being victimised and they have approached the High Court for transferring the case.
The case relating to the encounter should be transferred either to 5the Central Bureau of Investiugation or any other Special Investigation Team and there should be no officer of state police on board, they said in an application before the Gujarat High Court.
Ishrat Jahan, along with three others — Javed Sheikh alias Pranesh Pillai, Amjad Ali Rana and Zeeshan Johar– was killed on the outskirts of Ahmedabad [ Images ] on June 15, 2004 in a police encounter.
IPS officer G L Singhal and 13 other policemen in the application alleged that “on account of serious groupism and infighting among senior ranked IPS officers” they were being victimised in Gujarat.
The policemen stated that they are anticipating arrest by the present SIT, which has now virtually become a one-man team of IPS officer Satish Verma, following the April 21 order by a High Court Bench comprising Justice Patel and Justice Abhilasha Kumari.
Singhal and others have contended that handing over the probe to only one IPS officer would be ‘prejudicial’ to them. They also expressed serious apprehensions that Verma could take coercive steps against them, generate fake evidence and may falsely implicate them in the case.
In their application, the policemen have said that “Verma is acting either at the behest of or in connivance with senior IPS officers, who like Satish Verma are harbouring personal grudge against them, for reasons best known to them”.
The application was urgently mentioned before Justice Patel on Tuesday. However, the Court refused to hear the plea saying that it will be heard in a routine course when the matter is listed for hearing or along with the main case which is scheduled to come up again on May 12.
Meanwhile, senior counsel Nirupam Nanavati, representing the aggrieved police officers, submitted that there was ‘deep internal rivalry among the IPS officers, because of which his clients were being victimised.
Justice Patel, however, said that the division bench hearing the case was not present. He further said that the police officers cannot be heard at this stage as they were not even named accused in the case. They can be heard only after their arrest, he added.
In their application, the policemen accused Verma of using ‘extra legal’ investigation methods so as to falsely implicate them in the case. They have cited complaints of certain police officials who had claimed that Verma was employing coercive tactics to extract statements from them.
Besides Singhal, the 13 others who have moved the application were Tarun Barot, J G Parmar, D H Goswami, B A Chavda, K M Vaghela, R I Patel, K S Desai, C J Goswami, T Vyas, N B Saiyyed, M N Menat, B R Bharwad and A J Chowdhary.
The Crime Branch which carried out the encounter had claimed that the four victims were Lashkar terrorists who had come to kill Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi
THIS IS TJHE CONDITION OF CURRENT IPS OFFICERS IN GUJARAT YOU MORONS, AND YOU ARE IMPLICATING SANJEEV BHATT FOR ONE CRIMINAL ACT?? POLICE OPFFICERS FROM GUJARAT ITSELF ARE BEGGING TO TRANSFER THE CASE OUT OF GUJARAT BECAUSE ALL THE OFFICERS ARE SO CORRUPT AND SLAVES TO SAFFRON IDEOLOGY!!
HA HA HA HA !! JOKERS