Candle light protest march in Ahmedabad

Mumbai: Human rights organisations in Gujarat marked the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi with a silent, candle light march in Ahmedabad to highlight the intimidation and harassment of citizens who work for justice in the state.

Several human rights workers as well as ordinary citizens gathered at Sardar Baug, hoping that the police did not cancel at the last minute the permission to hold the meet.

"Chief Minister Narendra Modi may make a grand gesture of pardoning the man who was sending hate mail to him but the ground realities are quite different here," Cedric Prakash, Prashant, a Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace worker, told Gulf News from Ahmedabad.

He cited examples of how even ordinary people were hauled up by the police. For instance, police filed a First Information Report against the local people of Lunawada who first reported spotting skeletons in their village. "Even as we were making preparations for this candle light peace march, I was intensely interrogated by the police," said Prakash.

"We have yet to see justice for the victims of Gujarat's riots even after four years. Major cases like the Best Bakery may see its final end but what about the 2000 cases which need to be reopened and looked into again."

In the Dangs tribal district of southern Gujarat, a frightening repeat of the 1998-1999 violent mobilisation against a section of Dang residents is being systematically carried out. In spite of these realities, there is a desperate attempt to project an image that all is well in Gujarat, he says.

Some of the well-known figures who have been tirelessly working for justice to victims of violence and intimidation in Gujarat include Swami Agnivesh, Chunibhai Vaidya of Gujarat Lok Samiti, Teesta Setalvad, Citizens for Justice and Peace, Nandita Das, film actor and activist, Rajendra Prasad, Sahmat, Mansukh Rathod, Dalit Yuva Vikas Sangthan, Rajkot, and Dr Suman Sahai, Gene Campaign, Delhi.

Says Prakash, "Ever since Gandhi was shot dead on January 30 1948, nameless violence in the name of faith continues to rage our precious sub-continent. Gujarat is no exception.