PUCL Bulletin, May 2002

Appeal from the Citizens of Gujarat
Prof. D. N. Pathak

We the citizens of Gujarat strongly condemn both the reprehensible acts of horrendous murders of Ram Sevaks in Sabarmati Express at Godhara and systematic burning of the properties and members of minority community in the rest of Gujarat (including the burning alive of former member of parliament Ahsan Jafri with his family and 38 others).

The tragedy at Godhara is obviously due to the total failure of state intelligence and police. Due to this failure premeditated and preplanned killings of Ram Sevaks could not be prevented and instead of taking necessary measures to stamp out the perpetrators of Godhra killings, the state machinery has connived with the marauding and rampaging mobs, which has systematically targeted the lives and properties of the minority community all over Gujarat.
Most of us are witnesses, if not the victims, of the acts of communal terrorists with the active connivance of the State administration and police. The Ahmedabad city police chief went on record saying that he had shortage of force and police were also influenced by the environment and were angry. The Chief Minister himself also underplayed the mob violence and said only 26 places were under curfew.

Under the circumstances, we are fully convinced that the constitutional machinery in Gujarat has completely collapsed and is in no position to protect the life and property of the citizens.

We are, therefore, of the firm view that President's rule is required to be promulgated forthwith and the state administration be taken over by the Governor.

In the meantime, we demand immediate military intervention to control the situation in all parts of Gujarat and the state police be confined to their barracks.

-- Former Chief Justice at Rajasthan HC A. P. Rawani; Prof. D. N. Pathak, PUCL; Indukumar Jani, Prof. Sudarshan Iyengar, Sukhdev Patel, Dr. Mukuk Sinha, Harinesh Pandya, Kamlesh Oza, Suvarna, Raju Barot, Ms. Nafisa Barot, Digant Oza, Batuk Vora, Gautam Thaker, PUCL; Sonal Mehta, Bhushan Oza, Hasmukh Patel, Ambarish Patel.

March 1, 2002

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