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A riot-hit Ahmedabad now waits for March 15th

Sheela Bhatt in Ahmedabad

"What do you think will happen on March 15?" asks Valliullah Ishak, a businessman whose flat in Tarana Apartment in Paldi area of Ahmedabad was set afire during the riots a couple of weeks back.

Instead of narrating his ordeal when he and 14 others were trapped in a building, which was burnt down by a mob, he shows us a headline in a Gujarati daily that says: "At last, Centre surrenders before VHP demands."

He says, "We are scared to read the news of Ayodhya and view it on television. We don't know what will happen to us if a confrontation takes place in Ayodhya. We are worried of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the army coming face to face. We are praying to Allah."

Ila Bhargav, a journalist, says: "Anything can happen. People fear that if something goes wrong in Ayodhya, Ahmedabad will be severely hit. Ahmedabadis are expecting a backlash because the development in Ayodhya will excite both the communities. If the VHP manages even a symbolic puja, it will be unacceptable to one community, and if any VHP worker is killed in the tussle with the army, then it will have a domino effect."

Indu Mehta, a housewife in Ambawadi area, shows the lead story in a daily titled: "Tension in Ayodhya."

She says, "Such news can't be ignored. We have to keep track of Ayodhya. We fear more violence."

On the other hand, VHP workers in Gujarat are not dithering. According to VHP leader Kaushik Mehta, more than 10,000 karsevaks have expressed their resolve to reach Ayodhya on March 15.

While the VHP's schedule is well planned, Bhanu Dave, who is suffering from severe arthritis, is waiting. She lives in Vejalpur. Her home is near Juhapura, an area dominated by Muslims. She shifted to her sister's home in Ambawadi, which is a Hindu dominated area, when the VHP's plan became clear.

Gazala Paul, a social worker who lives in Juhapura, says, " Fear is in the air. When I called up R M Patel, the secretary of social justice and empowerment, he said that the government would distribute relief items (for the riot-affected) only after March 15."

"The riot victims have been offered grains worth Rs 17 and edible oil worth Rs 5 per day. Victims who have become homeless will be given utensils worth Rs 1250 per family. But nothing will start before March 15."

The Ayodhya Issue: Complete Coverage

The Riots in Gujarat: Complete Coverage

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