Audience weeps while watching film on Gujarat violence By Ehthashamuddin Khan, Indo-Asian News Service
New Delhi, Apr 30 (IANS) A nearly 100-strong audience here watching a documentary on the brutal Gujarat violence broke down and wept at the scenes of butchery and bloodshed. Besides about 70 invitees, 30 victims of the violence watched burnt and rotten corpses and heard survivors' heart-rending tales in journalist Pankaj Shankar's documentary, "In the name of Faith". In stunned silence they heard victims describe how neighbours they had never wrong betrayed them to Hindu fanatics and how the police remained passive in the face of what they called a "well-organised carnage". A moved Mahesh Bhatt, the noted filmmaker, said: "All of us are responsible for the carnage because of our indifference and apathy." But Bhatt urged the victims not to confuse the Gujarat government with the people of India, saying: "We do not share the feelings which made you victims." Dilawar, 11, and his eight-year-old sister Salma from Mehsana town of Gujarat described how a mob killed their parents in front of them. A weeping Dilwar said: "They surrounded us and started throwing stones. Then they entered our house, locked the door and electrocuted my father and mother." He couldn't go on any more and there was a soul-searching silence punctuated only by his sobbing. Documentary producer Shankar was the first to break it. "Let us ask ourselves how long we will remain silent." It was the first time a film was screened on the victims of Gujarat's sectarian violence that has claimed about 920 lives since February 27. Houses and business establishments belonging mostly to Muslims were burnt and looted while Chief Minister Narendra Modi's government and police in the western state have been accused of siding with the killers and arsonists. A girl screamed on the screen: "Is the government only yours (for Hindus)? Are they not for us Muslims too? Don't we too live here? Are we not Indians?" Shankar said: "When she said this to me, I was confused. With which Hindus should I associate myself? Those who burnt Muslims or those who saved them? Those who didn't take part in the violence are larger in number but they are silent and don't have the courage to protest." The 30 survivors who came to New Delhi to tell the media about the situation blamed the Gujarat police for supporting the killers and rapists. Zahira, 28, from Vadodra town, said: "They stripped me in front of my brothers and then burnt my brothers alive. I have named the people who did it but police didn't listen to me. I can't go back to my village." "Nearly 15 people raped a neighbour," said Noorjahan from Ahmedabad. "The police directed the mobs to attack and kill us." The documentary showed a man holding up a policeman's identity card to show that police participated in the arson and looting. An emotional Valson Thampu, a Christian priest, apologised to the victims that he didn't do anything to help them. He said: "For the first time in my life I am ashamed of being a religious man because the carnage was done in the name of religion. We don't want religion any more." --Indo-Asian News Service =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-W-E-B---S-I-T-E-=-=-= To Subscribe/Unsubscribe from GoaNet | http://www.goacom.com/goanet =================================================================== For (un)subscribing or for help, Contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dont want so many e=mails? Join GoaNet-Digest instead ! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Help support non-commercial projects in Goa by advertizing!! * * * * Your ad here !!
