February 28, 2003	Friday	Zul Hijjah 26, 1423

NEW YORK FEB 27: One year after the beginning of communal violence in Gujarat that claimed over 2,000 lives, there have been no convictions of those responsible and little in the way of promised relief for victims, Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday.

In a scathing report the New York-based human rights watchdog noted that although the Indian government initially boasted of thousands of arrests following the attacks, most of those arrested have since been released on bail, acquitted or simply let go.

According to local activists, those who remain in jail largely belong to the Dalit (so-called untouchable), Muslim or tribal communities. Due to manipulations in the filing of charge sheets, the instigators and ringleaders of the attacks may escape prosecution altogether the HRW said.

“At this point, the central authorities must step in,” said a senior researcher for South Asia and author of the Human Rights Watch report on the Gujarat violence.

Witnesses who initially came forward to file complaints and identify their attackers have since been harassed, threatened or bribed into turning hostile on the witness stand or simply not showing up when a case goes to trial. Instead of pursuing murder and rape charges, authorities have regularly downgraded charges to rioting instead.

The HRW said that last week, the Gujarat State government charged 131 Muslims for the Godhra attack against Hindus that sparked the anti-Muslim violence. All were charged under the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA).

But no Hindus have been charged under POTA in connection with the post-Godhra violence against Muslims the HRW said.