WOMEN'S TESTIMONIES OF THE ROLE OF THE STATE Shabnam, Resident of Vatva, Ahmedabad
Date of incident: March 1, 2002
Shabnam, 23, recounted the events of the afternoon of March 1: "The mob arrived, armed with trishuls and swords, shouting - Miya ne maro, Miya neo kato. (Kill the Muslims!). Some of them started pelting stones. We were 50 odd people, they were a few thousand. As we ran for our lives, the police blocked our escape, chasing us in the direction of the mob `Chalo maar do saalo ko' (Kill the bastards!), they shouted. This is the first time this has happened here. Where can we go? What is to become of us?"
(Qutb-e-Alam Dargah Relief Camp, Vatva, Ahmedabad. March 27, 2002)
Saira Bano, Resident of Khed Brahma town, Sabarkantha.
Date of Incident: February 28th, 2002
It was 9:30 in the morning when the attack started. A large crowd came at us. They were all our neighbours. I recognize each one of them - I know the castes: Bhatt, Vaghri, Prajapat. We ran to the Police Station. The Police gave us shelter, but said that they could not protect us for long. They put us in dabba gaadis (police box-cars) and packed us off into the care of local Muslim leaders in Vadali. That's how we landed up at the relief camp.
(Vadali Relief Camp, March 28th, 2002)
Kulsum Bibi and Jannat Bibi, Residents of Jawan Nagar, Naroda Patia, Ahmedabad.
Date of incident: February 28, 2002
The day began like any other. We were all drinking tea when we heard that the (local) masjid had been attacked. The men and boys went out to see what was happening. They were confronted by a crowd of several thousands, armed with trishuls and swords. Some of the swords had Bajrang Dal written on it. They were wearing khakhi shorts. Some were carrying petrol. This we now know they had got from nearby Bipin Auto. The owner is a Bajrang Dal agyavan (leader). The trucks that had brought these men were stacked with gas cylinders...Suddenly the police fired. Some of our men were killed in the firing. The women and children started fleeing. Our colony is sandwiched between the State Reserve Police (SRP) Colony, the State Transport workshop and the Hindu housing societies- Gopinath and Gangotri. We all rushed towards the SRP Colony. We were not allowed inside. We begged but the gates remained shut. We kept running back and forth like caged animals. Then there was a lathi charge. Many of us got hit. We heard the police say things like - yeh aap logon ka aakhri din hai - (this is your last day).
(Shah-e-Alam Relief camp, Ahmedabad. March 27, 2002)
Saira Bano, Resident Navapura, Vatva, Ahmedabad
The maidan was full of thousands of trishul and sword wielding men. I have never seen so many people. Everyone was panicking. We lost all hope when the police came with the crowd. When we pleaded with the police that they were meant to protect everyone, they told us- "Tum lad lo. Jitni takat hain mukabala kar lo". (You fight them with whatever strength you have.)
(Qutb-e-Alam Relief Camp, Vatva, Ahmedabad. March 27, 2002)
Date of incident: March 1, 2002
Shabnam, 23, recounted the events of the afternoon of March 1: "The mob arrived, armed with trishuls and swords, shouting - Miya ne maro, Miya neo kato. (Kill the Muslims!). Some of them started pelting stones. We were 50 odd people, they were a few thousand. As we ran for our lives, the police blocked our escape, chasing us in the direction of the mob `Chalo maar do saalo ko' (Kill the bastards!), they shouted. This is the first time this has happened here. Where can we go? What is to become of us?"
(Qutb-e-Alam Dargah Relief Camp, Vatva, Ahmedabad. March 27, 2002)
Saira Bano, Resident of Khed Brahma town, Sabarkantha.
Date of Incident: February 28th, 2002
It was 9:30 in the morning when the attack started. A large crowd came at us. They were all our neighbours. I recognize each one of them - I know the castes: Bhatt, Vaghri, Prajapat. We ran to the Police Station. The Police gave us shelter, but said that they could not protect us for long. They put us in dabba gaadis (police box-cars) and packed us off into the care of local Muslim leaders in Vadali. That's how we landed up at the relief camp.
(Vadali Relief Camp, March 28th, 2002)
Kulsum Bibi and Jannat Bibi, Residents of Jawan Nagar, Naroda Patia, Ahmedabad.
Date of incident: February 28, 2002
The day began like any other. We were all drinking tea when we heard that the (local) masjid had been attacked. The men and boys went out to see what was happening. They were confronted by a crowd of several thousands, armed with trishuls and swords. Some of the swords had Bajrang Dal written on it. They were wearing khakhi shorts. Some were carrying petrol. This we now know they had got from nearby Bipin Auto. The owner is a Bajrang Dal agyavan (leader). The trucks that had brought these men were stacked with gas cylinders...Suddenly the police fired. Some of our men were killed in the firing. The women and children started fleeing. Our colony is sandwiched between the State Reserve Police (SRP) Colony, the State Transport workshop and the Hindu housing societies- Gopinath and Gangotri. We all rushed towards the SRP Colony. We were not allowed inside. We begged but the gates remained shut. We kept running back and forth like caged animals. Then there was a lathi charge. Many of us got hit. We heard the police say things like - yeh aap logon ka aakhri din hai - (this is your last day).
(Shah-e-Alam Relief camp, Ahmedabad. March 27, 2002)
Saira Bano, Resident Navapura, Vatva, Ahmedabad
The maidan was full of thousands of trishul and sword wielding men. I have never seen so many people. Everyone was panicking. We lost all hope when the police came with the crowd. When we pleaded with the police that they were meant to protect everyone, they told us- "Tum lad lo. Jitni takat hain mukabala kar lo". (You fight them with whatever strength you have.)
(Qutb-e-Alam Relief Camp, Vatva, Ahmedabad. March 27, 2002)