A strong response to BBC documentary was warranted

Traditional Indian humility and silence are often mistaken in the West for weakness or an acceptance of culpability. We need to learn to stand up for ourselves and express ourselves confidently, clearly and loudly.

- VIVEK GUMASTE

It would be extremely naive to assume that the BBC two -part documentary, “India: The Modi Question” that puts Narendra Modi back in the dock for the Gujarat riots of 2002, is an objective journalistic exercise or an honest attempt to take a “fresh look at the legacy of the events…” as the BBC claims. Neither of this is true. The timing, the nuances of the narration and the BBC’s close ties with the British establishment suggest that there is more to it than meets the eye and militates against an altruistic motive. It is a sordid conspiracy of lies meant to sully the reputation of a growing global power and its popular leader by an ex colonial master reeking with envy at the rocketing fortunes of its former subject nation.

There is no denying that the Gujarat riots represented a horrendous and unfortunate chapter in the history of modern India; an occurrence that should not have happened. But it is important to recapitulate the details of the riots, the investigation that followed and the eventual verdict to dispel rumormongering by vested interests.

First the trigger event. On 27 February 2002, a train carrying Hindu Ram Sevaks returning from Ayodhya was surrounded by a Muslim mob in Godhra, doused with petrol and set ablaze. Fifty nine Hindu men, women and children were burnt to death. Seething Hindu anger spilled out onto the streets, leading to Hindu-Muslim riots that left 794 Muslims and 254 Hindus dead.