Impugning impunity

Politics in the Subcontinent often has a farcical element about it, with politicians posturing and preening and often ending up with a foot or two firmly ensconced in their mouths. But this comedic aspect can also acquire a darker side, as has been seen in the fast recently undertaken by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi under the tag of Sadbhavana Mission. (One could be forgiven for drawing an analogy with the Panchatantra fable of the crafty crane, who pretended to go on a fast to lull the suspicions of the fish in the lake.) The idea of Modi fasting for peace and amity, even while the wounds of the victims of the 2002 Gujarat anti-Muslim carnage – which occurred under his watch as chief minister, and in which he has been repeatedly accused of complicity – is grossly insensitive, and adds further insult to already grievous injury.

The fast comes a week after the 2002 events have been in the news once again. The Supreme Court has declined to pass an order on the petition of Zakia Jafri, the wife of a former Congress party MP, Ehsan Jafri, who was murdered during the riots. Zakia Jafri is seeking action against Modi and others for their role in the violence; her petition relates to the massacre at Gulberg Society, one of the most infamous incidents of violence in 2002, in which a housing complex was burnt to the ground. While there have been various interpretations of the order, with the BJP hailing it as a vindication of Modi, the fact is that the Supreme Court has now admitted evidence from the Special Investigating Team and also permitted placing the findings of the amicus curiae – and asked the magistrate to consider the case. Clearly, this is far from the exoneration claimed by the BJP, but the fact remains that the long battle of Zakia Jafri and others for justice continues without any resolution in sight.