It won't be an understatement if anyone claims that there is hardly any fight in Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency. The Congress's C.J. Chavda might just be able to reduce the winning margin of national BJP president Amit Shah. However, only a miracle can ensure a victory for the Congress on this BJP stronghold.
Even as the BJP ups its efforts to increase the winning margin and the Congress prepares for a tough fight, away from the cacophony are two unheard voices. Firozkhan S. Pathan, a victim of 2002 riots, and Valjibhai Rathod, whose 17-year-old son along with two other youth was killed in the police firing in Thangadh of Surendranagar district in 2012.
Pathan told THE WEEK that he is contesting the elections to highlight the fact that Gulbarg Society victims have not got justice. He said that in Naroda Patiya and Naroda village massacres, the accused got lifers. However, in the case of Gulbarg Society massacre several people associated with the BJP were let off. “Even those given imprisonment of seven years have been let out on bail. There are only five to six people who are behind the bars since 2002,” he said.
The number of dead and those who went missing in the Gulbarg Society massacre stands at 69. Among the dead included former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri. The incident occurred on February 28, 2002, a day after 59 persons, majority of them kar sevaks were burnt alive on board S6 coach of the Sabarmati Express in Godhra.
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The 45-year-old victim, who runs a cyber cafe, probably knows that it is out of bounds for him to win. He, however, said that he selected Gandhinagar seat as he has friends among Muslim, Thakore and Rabari community in nearby areas. Pathan stays with his family in Juhapura, one of the largest Muslim ghettos of Asia.
On the ill-fated day, he lost 10 persons of his family, including his mother, and extended family. They also had taken shelter at Jafri's house when the mob targeted his house. He survived as he was away in Surat.
Pathan is unhappy with the Congress also, and questioned as to what has the Congress done for the Muslims. He alleged that even the Congress leader Ahmed Patel remained silent after 2002 riots.
Another person fighting for the cause is Veljibhai Rathod of Dalit community from Thangadh whose 17-year-old son Mehul was killed along with two other Dalit youths in police firing in 2012. The police opened firing after a fight between the Dalits and upper caste people.
Rathod told THE WEEK that not a single accused is behind the bars and the state government has promoted one of the allegedly accused in the case as police inspector. He was then a police sub inspector. Rathod said that he decided to taken on Shah since he had not listened to their woes when he was the minister of state for home. “Now that I am contesting against him, he might listen,” said Rathod.
Kirit Rathod of Navsarjan Trust, working for the Dalits, said that the state government has also not made public an inquiry commission report. Talking to THE WEEK he said that they have a hunch that issues pertaining to dereliction of duty have been mentioned in the report.
He had also filed an appeal under RTI, and the information commissioner had asked the department concerned to give the report. “The report still have not been given to me,” he said. Sources said that under various provisions, certain details can not be shared with the public.
Deceased Mehul's younger sister Parul said that her father was fighting for justice.
