RALLY FOR COMMUNAL HARMONY (MAY 29, 2009, THE HINDU)

Noted Gandhian S.N. Subba Rao and his followers of the National Youth Project (NYP) held a rally for communal harmony in Berhampur on Wednesday evening.

Mr Rao and 220 youth volunteers of the NYP from 25 States of the country were on their return journey from the communal violence-hit Kandhamal district.

Led by the veteran Gandhian the NYP volunteers had visited different violence-hit villages of Kandhamal district for over a week to disseminate the message of peace and harmony. The rally began at the Berhampur railway station and ended at Berhampur stadium.

http://www.hindu.com/2009/05/29/stories/2009052960601200.htm

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PROBE INTO MODIS RIOT ROLE BEGINS (MAY 27, 2009, HINDUSTAN TIMES)

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) began the probe into the 2002 Gujarat riots on Tuesday, a month after the Supreme Court directed it to investigate the alleged role of chief minister Narendra Modi, his cabinet colleagues, bureaucrats and police officials in the riots. As the first step, R.K. Raghavan, chairperson of the SIT and other members of the team heard Zakia Jaffrey, widow of former MP Ehsan Jaffrey, who was killed on February 28, 2002 in Gulbarg society.

It was on the basis of Zakia Jaffrey’s petition that the Supreme Court had appointed the SIT and directed a fresh probe. "We started the proceedings today and spoke to Ms Jaffrey about the incidents and the petition. This is the first of a series of interactions with the petitioner," Raghavan told reporters later in the SIT office in Gandhinagar. On whether the SIT would call Modi to depose before it, Raghavan said it was too early to comment on that, but the SIT could summon Modi if the need arose. Raghavan, however, ruled out the possibility of appointing a special team within the SIT to probe specifically the role of Narendra Modi, "as individual allocations (within the SIT) are already there".

The SIT chief assured that witness protection would be a priority and worked out a witness protection scheme to provide combined protection from the state and Central forces to witnesses of different riot cases. "I wrote to the Union home secretary and I even asked the state DGP to provide a superintendent of police-rank official to take care of witness security," Raghavan said.

The SIT chief, who visited the Sabarmati Jail earlier where the Godhra trial would be conducted, said the fast-track courts are ready for the trial. The SIT is also finalising a list of public prosecutors for the cases. Speaking to Hindustan Times, Zakia Jaffrey expressed her satisfaction over Tuesday’s hearing, while Teesta Setalvad, a co-petitioner, said she presented before the SIT minister Haren Pandya’s admission to a Citizens’ Tribunal in May 2002 that a high-level meeting on February 28, headed by chief minister Modi, chose to turn a blind eye to the massacre. Pandya was later killed at a city park.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print.aspx?Id=c165d60b-f18b-4800-94a4-a4778493b467

SEE ALSO:

• Jaffri, Setalvad meet SIT, ask for probe into Modis role (May 27, 2009, Indian Express)
  http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/466584/
• Modi govt gets controversial Godhra investigator back (May 30, 2009, Times of India)
  http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4595443.cms
• SIT files chargesheet against four in Naroda Gam case (May 28, 2009, Indian Express)
  http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/467084/
• Court proceedings in Godhra train carnage case begins (May 26, 2009, Central Chronicle)
  http://www.centralchronicle.com/viewnews.asp?articleID=8121

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GUJARAT RIGHTS PANEL SAYS BIASED COPS BEAT MUSLIM MEN, FUDGED FACTS (MAY 30, 2009, INDIAN EXPRESS)

The Gujarat State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has found "biased and prejudiced" policemen publicly caned Muslim youths at the behest of some "Hindu organizations" following a communal clash in the town of Savarkundla, Saurashtra, in January this year. The police also attempted to book the Muslim youths under the tough Prevention of Anti-Social Activities (PASA) Act, and falsely implicated a local journalist who tried to photograph them assaulting the youth at a crossing in the town, the SHRC has said in its report. In its report, the SHRC said: "It is evident that the police had planned well in advance on the demands of Hindu organizations to publicly beat up the Muslim youths – this is extremely regrettable and shameful. The police should not have violated human rights or incited communal passions to appease Hindu organizations, instead of containing communal passions

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