COLOMBO: Indian Government officers at rehabilitation and relief camps have advised Muslims to leave Gujrat state, some even advising them to leave for Pakistan. ... Many of these officers who were Hindus told the victims that this was only the beginning as more violent attacks would follow in due course.

Mr Mohammad Yusuf Saleem, Indian Deputy Law Minister, who visited Gujrat last week, complained about the disgraceful treatment meted out to the Muslim refugees and accused Government officials of pressuring Muslims to flee from Gujrat. Gujrat Revenue Minister Premjibhai Thakker refuted Mr Saleem’s statement and protested to the Home Ministry about his “activities” and statements in Gujrat. Mr Badruddin Tyabji, former Indian Ambassador to Japan and Indonesia, said immediate penal measures would have stopped the communal flare-up in Gujrat. He said the state Government had acted too slowly and there was lack of proper liaison between politicians and the administrators.

Gujrat Chief Minister Hitendra Desai said it was wrong to argue that Gujrat alone was rocked by Hindu-Muslim riots. Such riots were everywhere in India, demanding a national solution. ... Latest reports say that several Hindus, including Mr Hitendra Desai and Mr Jayaprakash Narayan, had begun supporting the absurd theory spread by the Jan Sangh and RSS that Pakistan was behind the riots.

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2019