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Journalism of Courage
Amid allegations of intimidation of witnesses, day two of the public hearing of the Justice Nanavati-Shah Commission here yesterday saw victims showering praise on the police and administration for their quick reaction resulting in prevention of a major communal flare-up in the city.
Activists of the People’s Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL), which earlier announced it would stay away from the hearing along with two other NGOs, alleged that meetings had been held on Monday night at Police Bhawan and cops had been sent to specific homes in the city asking people to come and depose in their favour. Terming it as state-sponsored Muslim depositions, Rohit Prajapati of PUCL said the sham of hearings had turned even more ugly with police intimidation.
When quizzed about the alleged police intimidation most of those who submitted claimed off-record that they had been individually helped by the police during riots and that yesterday, some officers did call them up and ask them to depose in their favour. Most of the riot-affected from city limits testified to the police’s ‘‘hard work’’ at keeping peace. Credit was lavish and praise unwavering, making even the judges comment that the riots might have occurred somewhere else.
Interestingly, people from worst-affected areas were absent. Maretha, where till recently riot victims were not allowed to return home, victims of Best Bakery carnage, residents of Noor Park, and some other hotbeds of violence went unrepresented. Though one more day remains for the city, few expect them to turn up.
The hearings saw 31 groups depose. With 105 people in all, this was the highest number of representations made before the Commission in the 18 districts it has covered till now. Lalabhai Shyamwala of Kaumi Ekta Committee said that officers helped them even if it meant going out of their way. Mohammed Umar Haji Mustafa Daroga of Mughalwada said the police were ‘‘large-hearted’’ in providing an escort to shift some 400 people from Kishanwadi to Wadi.
