Yet
another factor was that Muslims did not come to the court to testify
against the perpetrators fearing reprisals. The acquittal of the nine
accused created an impression that it would set a pattern of
“honorable acquittals” as the police have diluted their cases.
Nearly everywhere, the police have either not filed any first
information report (FIR) or diluted it considerably, complains a
Muslim leader.
Amnesty
International submitted a memorandum to the Gujarat government in
March asking it to outline terms of reference for an impartial
investigation and asked for protection and restitution of those who
left their homes fearing for their lives.
“If
the government of Gujarat does not investigate promptly, independently
and thoroughly, those who perpetrated the violence will remain free to
do it again and again,” Amnesty said.
Sharing
the public concern, leader of Opposition and Congress Party President
Sonia Gandhi wrote to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee Saturday,
July 13, asking him to review relief and rehabilitation and direct the
central and state governments to take relief measures for people still
in the camps before the onset of the monsoon.
 |
|
Indifferent
police
|
She
said she wrote to write to him due to the state’s reported plans to
close the camps at a time “the situation does not warrant their
closure.” She added, “the victims living at the camps - most of
whom are poor - are urgently in need of continued food rations and
shelter during monsoon and fair compensation”.
Echoing
the complaint of victims, she said that the compensation paid was
inadequate and few had got it. As many of the victims had lost their
homes and livelihood, she urged “adequate compensation and loans for
reconstruction,” which she deemed “an urgent necessity”.
Because
of deliberate faulty recording by the police and distortion of
evidence by rioters, victims find it difficult to sustain their
claims. As a result, people who lost property worth hundreds of
thousands of rupees are getting (if at all) a sum of Rs 2,000 - Rs
3,000 [$ 40-61].
