Act Now to Stop Violence Against Muslims in Vadodara, Gujarat

May 03, 2006

The state of Gujarat, India is again experiencing violence directed at the minority Muslim community. The outbreak of violence was started off by the demolition of a 300 year old historical Muslim shrine. The police shooting at the protesters and the subsequent attacks by mobs have led to a death toll of six with many others seriously injured. One man was burned alive by a Hindu extremist mob of 1,500 that had besieged a Muslim neighborhood. Numerous Muslim localities in Vadodara are reported being besieged by violent mobs as we speak.

The fast deteriorating situation in Vadodara could very well lead to a repeat of the 2002 Gujarat massacres in which over 2,000 people were killed. Despite a predictable reaction to the destruction of a historical shrine, the government of Gujarat has been unwilling to take action to curb the violence. The rapidly spreading attacks on Muslims by mobs belonging to Hindu extremist groups indicate that the Gujarat government machinery is complicit in accommodating the mass violence and attacks on Muslims in the city. There have been multiple reports alleging police excesses on Muslims, including indiscriminate arrests of male Muslim members from their houses. Most of those killed or injured in the police firing belonged to the minority community.

Narendra Modi's government has been widely accused by Indian and International human rights organizations of active involvement in the massacre and ethnic cleansing of Muslims during the 2002 violence in Gujarat.

ACTION(S) REQUESTED:

IMC -USA urges all concerned to immediately call and write to the office of the Prime Minister of India, with the following demands:

1. The Central government of India should take immediate action to protect the lives and property of all the people in Gujarat, particularly the vulnerable minority Muslim community.

2. The Central government should take action against the Gujarat state government to prevent it from spreading organized violence against minority communities.

3. The Central government actively intervene and deploy the army to quell the ongoing violence.

4. An inquiry be called into the police action in firing and killing protesters at the shrine demolition

Please call/fax to:

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh:
Phone: 91-11-2301-2312, 91-11-2301-8939
Fax: 91-11-2301-9545, 91-11-2301-6857

Smt Sonia Gandhi:
Phone: 91-11-2301-9080, 91-11-2301-4481
Fax: 91-11-2301-8651

Home Minister Shivraj Patil:
Phone: 91-11-2309-2462, 91-11-2379-4842, 91-11-2309-2989
Fax: 91-11-2379-4833, 91-11-2309-3750, 91-11-2309-4221

Further information:
Contact: Dr.Shaik Ubaid - 516-567-0783
Please Cc: info@imc-usa.org in your emails.

Also See:
IMC-USA Press Release on the deteriorating Law & Order situation in Gujarat
http://www.imc-usa.org/cgi-bin/cfm/PressRelease.cfm?PRID=130