Third Anniversary of
Gujarat Massacre Observed
Washington, DC: The
Association of Indian Muslims of America (AIM), Washington
DC, a social service organization of Muslims from India
in North America, observed the third anniversary of the
large scale mayhem in Gujarat, three years ago today by
appealing to the people of India and NRIs to observe one
minute of silence at 12 noon February 28.
AIM said that this observance is intended to draw global
attention to the horrible event exactly three years ago
in which about 2000 defenseless Muslims, many of them women
and children, were killed in Ahmedabad and other cities
in Gujarat State, by militant sectarian mobs. Houses, schools,
places of business, places of worship of a large number
of Muslims were burnt down. Many Muslim women were raped
and killed. Over 100,000 Muslims were rendered homeless
and became refugees.
India’s mainstream media, Indian human rights groups,
international human rights groups, and many civic bodies
in India alleged that the then BJP party government and
police of the State of Gujarat, refused to protect the victims
and allowed a free hand to the marauders to kill and burn
the victims with impunity.
Three years after the mayhem not a single marauder guilty
of these heinous crimes has been brought to justice by the
state of Gujarat.
Even the Supreme Court of India has criticized the BJP government
in Gujarat for its unwillingness to bring the marauders
to justice. This mayhem and massacre is a stain on the ancient
Indian nation that has been a land of tolerance and communal
harmony among the religiously and ethnically diverse people
of India.
“Today, on this third anniversary of the Gujarat massacre,
Association of Indian Muslims of America, appeals to the
government of India to take effective and speedy actions
to bring to trial the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra
Modi, and other senior officials of Gujarat State for their
alleged role in the above massacre. We also appeal to the
Indian government to institute special courts to try the
many culprits of this heinous crime who are roaming free
and are threatening the survivors of the above massacre,”
says the AIM.
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