Gujarat Riots@SLA

We were shown few movies and were asked to write an essay or design a poster on one of them, and I chose to take an easy pick…tats writing an essay…..I decided to write on Godhra…..


Godhra, the name that reminisces ugly scenes of a burnt train, half burnt human bodies, charred limbs and subsequent clashes that turned out to be uglier by any figment of human imagination. The year 2002 saw the worst of communal clashes in modern Indian history, perhaps, next only to those witnessed during the days of partition.

The Godhra incident can be compared to Jallianwala Bagh massacre, where innocent people were killed by the Britishers. Though the killings in Jallianwala Bagh were quite cruel, but burning live bodies is even more dreadful. One can’t even think of imagining of going through this awful act by humans.

Killings, riots, massacres etc on basis of religion is not a new thing in India, it has been happening for quite sometime now. Our constitution states that India is a “Secular” country. But where has all the secular feelings gone. We all just need an excuse to fight amongst ourselves. If we continue to fight amid ourselves on the basis of castes, creed etc, we are heading nowhere. It has been and will remain one of the major hindrances on our development and aspirations to get rid of the black mark of “3rd World Countries”.

Again constitution states that we are a Democratic Country, we are run by peoples’ representatives who are elected on the basis of votes casted by us. But if these political parties and so called people representatives will use religion a weapon to win elections and peoples support, how can we survive and raise our voices against people who try to segregate country on basis of religion and those who are involved in hideous acts such as Godhra Riots.

Godhra riots has not been the last incident of such a kind, even today there are issues related to religion, caste, creed, sex etc. One of the most recent acts that I can be reminded of is the act of genocide once again in the state of Assam by the militant groups.

No one of us knows that when will all these come to an end. Its not that no one from the society is trying to curb these incidents from coming up, but due to few disturbing elements in the society their efforts have been in vain. As the phrase goes “even one dead fish can dirty the whole pond”.