Gujarat Elections: AAP Wants Naroda Patiya To Move On But Scars Of 2002 Riots Remain

Twenty-one years after the Gujarat riots, the wounds of Naroda Patiya have turned to scar tissue, still visible, often painful and reminder of a communal divide still to be bridged. But life has to go on and focus should be on "community neutral" issues such as price rise, says AAP MLA hopeful Omprakash Tiwari.

Hoping to win over the people of Naroda Patiya, the locality on the outskirts of Ahmedabad that came to be associated with the 2002 riots, and the assembly elections next month, Tiwari said he would like religion to be left aside and for people to come together to vote for change. "We have forgotten what happened here 20 years ago. India is a religious country and everyone has freedom to practise the religion of their choice," Tiwari told PTI.

"But we have to first address the issues of unemployment, price rise and lack of affordable education for all," he added when asked if the riots that followed the Godhra train burning were an issue in the constituency that has been voting for the BJP since 1990.

A day after 57 'karsevaks' returning from Ayodhya were charred to death in a coach of Sabarmati Express train at the Godhra railway station, violence broke out in Naroda Patiya. Ninety-seven people, including women and children from the Muslim community, were killed by mobs which also ransacked and looted their properties, set their houses on fire and gang raped some women. Most of the victims were poor.

Naroda Patiya falls under the Naroda assembly constituency and will vote on December 5.

While the BJP and the Congress are yet to announce their candidates, the Aam Aadmi Party has fielded former Congress leader Tiwari.

The BJP and the Congress are yet to announce their candidates from the seat.

Tiwari, a two-term municipal councillor from Naroda, had contested from the seat on the Congress ticket in the 2017 assembly polls but lost to BJP's Balram Thawani by a huge margin of votes.

This time will be different, said the AAP candidate about the elections that will see a three-cornered contest with the advent of his party in a state that has traditionally been bipolar in its politics.

Naroda assembly constituency has about three lakh voters, mostly Hindus and Jains with about 4,000-5,000 Muslim voters.

Naroda Patiya is still fearful but seemingly ready for change.

Like Salim Shaikh, a witness in the massacre case in which former BJP MLA Maya Kodnani was among the accused, who expresses his willingness to back AAP. Kodnani was convicted and sentenced to 28 years imprisonment in the case by a trial court in 2012 but later acquitted by the Gujarat High Court.

Shaikh, his wife and children survived the violence but their house and other property were gutted in a fire. His niece's two children, one two years and the other just four months old, were killed.

"The 2002 incident was so painful for us. We had faith in the Congress but it didn't do anything for us even though it remained in power at the Centre for 10 years," Shaikh told PTI when asked about the mood of the minority community.

"Several accused are out of jail today, the compensation that we got was also inadequate... That's why we have decided to vote for the AAP this time," he added.

Shaikh said candidly that he doesn't believe AAP will end communalism.

"Yet we will support the party in this election because looking at its government's work in Delhi, we feel that things will change if it is voted to power." Yashin, whose house was also gutted in a fire in the area, said many of his neighbours shifted to resettlement colonies built at 87 locations in Gujarat. He is also apprehensive about what the future holds.

"Our colony was also rebuilt and we are living a normal life here. We have a cordial relationship with other community members. But all of us always live in constant fear. One never knows when communal politics will be played here," he said.

The AAP is confident its strategy of not talking about communal divide will succeed in attracting minority votes. But not everyone is convinced.

"They talk about education, corruption and other issues. They also talk about taking people to the Ram temple on pilgrimage. But when it comes to the release of the convicts of Bilkis Bano case, they go silent," Sharif, another victim of the 2002 riots, said.

With the AAP playing "soft Hindutva", the party will not get complete support of the minority community, he said.

"Minority votes would have shifted en bloc to the AAP, helping it gain at least 22 seats in Gujarat had the party reached out to the Muslims, raised their voice and promoted their leaders. The AAP wants Mulsim votes but doesn't want Muslim leaders," he said.

Sharif has been living in a resettlement colony developed in Ramol for the victims. He was living in Naroda Gam, about two kilometres from Naroda Patiya, when the violent mob attacked his colony, set his house on fire along with those of his fellow residents, and killed several people on February 28, 2002.

Gujarat will vote in two phases on December 1 and 5. The votes will be counted on December 8.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)