Many people express surprise why the mild mannered Gujaratis participated in one of the worst pogroms in an independent India. But it should be mentioned here that Gujarat’s socio-cultural milieu has diverse strains and its simplification as one homogenous entity could be misleading. The riot that started as retaliation to the burning of Hindus in Sabarmati Express at Godhra station, soon engulfed almost entire urban Gujarat leading to massive loss of life and wealth. The participation of administration in the riot and the planned way in which Muslims were targeted left little to imagination. Equally disturbing was the manner in which attempts to subservience justice were made. The only bright spot was the aggressive media coverage that led to identification and arrest of several culprits and made it difficult for the Modi government to put their people off the hook.
