Reproducing notes (unedited) from my notebook which I had written after I visited Gulberg Society for the first time in 2006 or 2007 (i cannot remember correctly). I was so affected that just sat in one corner and penned these thoughts. I had headlined it as 'Stepping into History'
The moment i saw those rusted doors of Gulberg society, i sensed an invitation. Invitation from history. I walked up to the doors, half expecting to see disgruntled and shattered families, half naked kids running helter skelter, some old men squatting in a group, women going about their chores.. But reality is not so routine. The gates opened on to a deserted era in history. Crumbling buildings, vacant rooms, broken walls, locks, abandoned motorcycles, rusted rods, cobwebs, weeds, shrubs and shadows. Each wall, each door, each padlock, every broken electric meter, all the dried taps, abandoned steps... the air, sunlight, earth every element of this chapter in history was patiently waiting for a visitor like me to come and listen to their stories.
As a part of the research for my assignment i had read up all that was available to try understand the silence of Gulberg. Around 300 muslims were killed, brutally murdered, raped, split opened reportedly by hindu fanatics during the 2002 Gujarat riots. I had read every petition, every statement, every piece of evidence connected to the Gulberg massacre.
Nothing can justify what happened then. But as Jose Saramago puts it, " Its easy enough to give reasons for what we do or don't do. When we see that we haven't got a reason or not enough of a reason, then we try to invent one."
Clearly a reason had been created. A reason accepted by the Hindus. A reason Muslims were forced to accept. I was standing inside the ruins of Gulberg Society. I felt dead, indifferent and perhaps unaffected. These massively complicated terms like Hindus, Muslims, secular, communal etc are beyond my limited understanding. What happened then, I can only imagine, or sympathise with it. I can never actually feel what the victims must have felt.
What surprises me is that in the name of justice, Ngo's are cashing in on the victims, petition after petition are being filed, accepted and dismissed. Court dates are sought to either create, destroy or alter evidence. Statements are recorded to know where to alter the truth. Political promises are made because its fashionable. And now even the victims have started exaggerating with the idea that a great amount of exaggeration will at least fetch minimal justice.
