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Bombay 'rioters' confirm report's accuracy
Published on Fri, Aug 24, 2007 at 21:23, Updated on Sat, Aug 25, 2007 at 00:42 in Nation section
Tags: Special Investigation, Mumbai Riots , Mumbai
THE AUDACITY OF IT ALL: Every key player in the riots confirms what the report says upholding its veracity.
Mumbai: The Srikrishna Report was submitted on February 26, 1998. The BJP-Sena government in Maharashtra declared the report "inaccurate" and the Maharashtra Assembly rejected its findings. But the irony is that the very people the report indicts confirm it's veracity to CNN-IBN.
August 1998: Gopinath Munde and Shiv Sena activists burnt copies of the Srikrishna report outside the Maharashtra Assembly, after it was tabled before the House.
The reason as Samna editor Sanjay Raut puts it was: "Is report ko Maharashtra Assembly ne khariz kiya hai kyunki yeh anti-Hindu hai. (This report has been rejected by the Maharashtra Assembly as it is anti-Hindu)"
But even though the report was labelled "inaccurate " and rejected, 14 years later, today, the very men who have been indicted by it, uphold its veracity.
An unrepentant Shiv Sena MP, Madhukar Sarpotdar, who was caught by the Army with fire arms in his jeep during the riots confirms it for CNN-IBN's cameras.
"There is no question of regrets. I was in jail for three months. The case has been recorded against me for no fault of mine," says he.
The report strongly accuses Sena leaders of propounding the theory of retaliation -- a theory Sarpotdar still defends.
"If the Muslims are justified in taking revenge for Babri Masjid in Mumbai, then everything becomes justified," says he.
The Sena Shakaha pramukh (head) in Dharavi during the riots was Ramkrishna Keni. The report indicts him for leading a cycle victory rally on December 6, 1992.
It was the first provocation that led to rioting in the area and Keni has no qualms re-confirming this on camera.
"Haan cycle rally humne nikali thi. Uske baad public meeting bhi hone waali thi 8 baje. (Yes we had a cycle rally. We were to hold a public meeting at 8 pm too)," says Keni
Ditto goes for Pramod Thakur from Pratiksha Nagar -- who was a Sena Corporator in 1992 - 1993, who marked Muslim homes, took protection money from Muslim households and then attacked them. He still defends his actions.
"Humne eent ka jwaab eent se, pathar ka pathar se diya. Us time agar hum kuch nahi kartey toh hum Hindu log mar jaatey (We reacted in the same way as they did. If we had not done anything at that time, we Hindus would have been killed).
The then police commissioner, Srikant Bapat -- who was unable to control the spiraling violence -- says he got little help from the Army.
"According to me, the Army should never be called into areas of civil disorder. They are not trained for it. The Army platoons that came to us, several of them were cooks and gardeners," says he.
However, the report says it was Bapat who didn't use the Army well: "The Army could have been given an operation role, which could have swiftly and decisively put an end to the communal riots."
Then again the report notes: "The enforcement of curfew turned into a farce," -- something which was confirmed by the then Jt Commissioner, R D Tyagi.
"My senior officers admitted themselves in the hospital instead of controlling the riots," says Tyagi.
CNN-IBN: "You are talking of ACPs and DCPs?"
R D Tyagi: "Yes, ACPs and DCPs."
CNN-IBN: "During the riots?"
R D Tyagi: "Yes, and they have been promoted and honored!"
Every key player in the riots confirms what the report says upholding its veracity. The question is, why then has justice not been done?
(With inputs from Toral Varia in Mumbai)
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