Manushi Publications New Delhi First published in 2014 by Manushi Publications ISBN: 978-81-929352-0-1 Cover photo: Narendra Modi leading Jansampark Yatra during Rajkot Municipal Corporation election, 2010. Copyright © Madhu Purnima Kishwar, 2014 All royalties of this book are dedicated to Manushi Trust All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The author and publisher would like to see these essays translated in as many regional languages as possible—both as a book as well as extracts from it in newspapers and magazines. Those interested in translation rights may contact at the following address: [email protected] [email protected] Website: www.manushi.in Dedicated to the people of Gujarat For gifting to the people of India a new hope in the midst of deep despair & To my parents For having encouraged me to stand for Truth & Justice, no matter what the cost. Contents Foreword by Cho Ramaswamy 7 Introduced by Salim Khan 9 1 Why I Felt Impelled to Undertake Study of Post-2002 Gujarat 13 2 The Modi Myth Created by ‘Conflict Entrepreneurs’ 22 Gujarati Muslims Speak for Themselves 3 Narendra Modi Airdropped as CM in October 2001 51 NaMo’s First Message to the People of Gujarat 4 Learning the Ropes of Governance 66 Novice NaMo’s First Interactions with Bureaucrats 5 Modi’s First 19 Weeks as CM 75 “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” in Action 6 Turning Disaster into an Opportunity 98 Transformation of Earthquake-Ravaged Gujarat 7 How Bhuj Rose Out of Its Own Ashes 126 A Survivor’s Account 8 Congress Panic at “Whirlwind” Muslim Support for NaMo 148 Modi’s First Election from Rajkot in February 2002 9 Of Muck Throwing & Lotus Blooming 164 Congress’s Lawless Sleazy Campaign in Modi’s Pre-Godhra Election 10 Aiming for Nirmal Gujarat & “We Can Do It” Spirit 177 Pre-Godhra Speeches of Modi 11 The Godhra Train Massacre 187 Accident or Conspiracy? Contents 12 Who Needed Post Godhra Riots? 211 The Congress or Narendra Modi? 13 Firm Action against Terrorists & Mafias 235 Why Modi Drove Congress to Desperation 14 Who Kept the Pot Boiling? 242 Four Phases of Post-Godhra Riots 15 When Tragedies are Spiced Up 264 The Accounts of Doers Vs Noise Makers Regarding Relief Camps 16 Of Skullcaps and Puppies 283 Media Distorts News, Adds Fuel to the Fire 17 Did Muslims Vote for BJP out of Fear in 2012? 304 Gujarati Muslims as Game Changers in Indian Politics 18 Of Peace & Prosperity 322 Are Muslims Part of Gujarat’s Growth Story? 19 Hindu Hriday Samrat or New Mehmood Gaznavi of India? 338 The Myth Versus the Reality of Hindu-Muslim Relations in Gujarat 20 Flimsy Opposition Over Non Issues 354 Why the Congress Lost Credibility & Support 21 Nightlife in Gujarat Cities & Picnics on Footpaths 364 Changing Role and Perceptions about Gujarat Police 22 Of Trusteeship, Dharma & Compassion 378 NaMo’s Connect with Gandhi ji & Gautam Buddha Epilogue 390 Acknowledgements 396 Foreword by Cho S Ramaswamy Editor, Thuglak Ever since learning about the remarkable rehabilitation work done by the Gujarat government after the earthquake in 2001, which shattered the lives of thousands of men, women, and children, I had become an admirer of Shri Narendra Modi. After reading Madhu Kishwar’s Modi, Muslims and Media I have started adoring him. The manner in which the author has gone about talking to officials and people in detail, about the functioning of the Gujarat government under Modi; her visits to various parts of Gujarat to know about the conditions prevailing in the state; her unbiased and masterly analyses of the material she gathered through her tireless work, makes this book almost a thesis. But unlike an academic thesis, the book makes absorbing reading; apart from being an irrefutable answer to the prejudiced critics of Modi, it is a page-turner too. Even the blinkered antagonists of Modi would have to concede the objectivity of the author, because her assessment of Modi and his governance is based not on her own opinion, but on the perception of the scores of diverse people whom she met. How did Modi come to grips with the administration of a state? How did he manage the after-effects of a devastating earthquake even as he took charge of the administration? How does he manage to provide 24x7 electricity to all of Gujarat? How did he accomplish the participation of the people in many of his schemes? How did he improve the agricultural produce of state several times over? How did his administration come to be known as one that puts technology to effective use? How is it that while he is painted communal by the media and some political parties, the Muslims of Gujarat look to him as a friend and a deliverer! These and such other questions may agitate the minds of even supporters of Modi. This book answers them all. From the moment the reader is introduced to Zafar Sareshwala, the book becomes unputdownable. When Modi tells Zafar, ‘you are mine. Among the five crore Gujaratis, you are included. When I bring Narmada water into Sabarmati river, do I stop it from flowing through the Muslim settlement of Juhapura? Who are the biggest beneficiaries of Sabarmati waters near Nehru Bridge?’ The reader realises that he is about to join a journey which would lead him 8 Modi, Muslims and Media to a view point from where he could witness the majestic flow of facts and truths that would annihilate all the false propaganda that has been unleashed against Modi and his model of governance. Madhu Kishwar’s work should convince any objective reader about the dishonesty behind the anti-Modi propaganda that has been let loose on our society. He is the man of the hour; and that is the clear message delivered most effectively by Madhu Kishwar. The messenger deserves the gratitude of all truth loving people who want to understand Narendra Modi and his mission. Introduction by Salim Khan Script writer & columnist In recent times, media trials have become more important than trials in courts. Our objectivity has given way to systematic undermining of facts. It took us about five thousand years to create diverse and deeply profound versions of the Mahabharat and the Ramayana, but in our present era, dubious versions of each contemporary tragedy, or farce, are ready within minutes. Truth, at various levels, has been the first casualty of the media. Infact, reality gets distorted so rapidly that it becomes unrecognizable. As a film person, I have a special fondness for Rashomon. In this classic film of Japanese director Kurosawa, four persons claim to be a witness to the same murder. But each one has a thoroughly different version of what happened-each version is at total variance with those of the others. The film doesn’t privilege any one version and leaves the viewer to decide for her or himself which one, if any, appears most convincing. I believe that hearing multiple versions of a story is always an enriching experience— both emotionally and intellectually. However, in recent years, our politics and public life have become so polarised that people are not allowed to hear diverse voices. This is especially true with regard to Narendra Modi–who has emerged as one of the most controversial figures of our times. On the one hand are those millions who admire him passionately and see in him a savior of India who has the ability to rid the country’s polity of crime and corruption and lead it towards a bright future. On the other hand are those who project him as the biggest threat to India’s minorities, as well as its democratic and “secular” fabric. The main evidence provided by those who see Modi as a scourge for India are the 2002 Gujarat riots. Their version, which presents Modi as a Hitlerian mass murderer, has come to dominate political discourse. Those who have convinced themselves of this “truth” are not willing to change their opinion even after the Special Investigative Team, (SIT) appointed and monitored by the Supreme Court, has given Modi a clean chit which has also been endorsed by lower courts. The value of Madhu Kishwar’s book Modi, Muslims and Media lies in the fact that she has taken the trouble to actually study Modi’s tenure as