Apart from testimonies by families of victims of recent communal violence in Forbesganj, Rudrapur, Gopalgarh and Moradabad, Shweta Bhatt (wife Police office Sanjiv Bhatt) and elected officials of AIDWA addressed the convention and expressed solidarity with the riot victims.
Posted below are some relevant news reports on the convention:
Ummid
Punish erring police officials in communal conflicts: AIDWA
Wednesday November 16, 2011 11:00:43 PM, IANS
New Delhi: The All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) Wednesday demanded exemplary punishment for police officials responsible for "atrocities" during recent communal conflicts in different states and sought a legislation against communal violence.
At a convention here against communal conflict, AIDWA passed a resolution demanding speedy justice to the victims who belong to the minority community.
The AIDWA resolution said that ten members of minority community were shot dead by police in Bharatpur in September this year and four Muslims including a woman and a child were killed due to police firing in Araria district in Bihar when villagers were protesting forcible takeover of their land by a local politician from the ruling alliance.
It said that police had fired on protestors from minority community and communal fanatics had razed shops and property owned by them in Rudrapur in Uttarakhand and one person was killed in police firing in Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh.
Victims from Forbesganj in Bihar, Gopalgarh in Rajasthan, Rudrapur in Uttarakhand and Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh narrated their experience of "one-sided" police and administrative action at the convention.
"The convention condemned the communal bias of the police and administration during these riots," the resolution said.
The convention also demanded justice for victims of Guiarat riots and accused Gujarat government of "threatening and intimidating those who dare to expose the role of the chief minister (Narendra Modi) and his government in the Gujarat genocide."
Shweta Bhatt, wife of IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt, addressed the convention and expressed solidarity with the riot victims.
AIDWA patron Brinda Karat said Gujarat government was stifling attempts to book Modi for 2002 riots. She alleged that witnesses were being intimidated and killed and said United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had failed to provide protection of witnesses. She said that many survivors of the Gujarat riots were still living in camps "in deplorable conditions".
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The Hindu
NEW DELHI, November 17, 2011
Our fight will continue: Shweta Bhatt
by Smriti Kak Ramachandran
Shweta Bhatt, wife of suspended Gujarat IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, is undaunted by what lies ahead in their fight against the State administration. Taking on the Narendra Modi government, she said the State people wanted “a change” and were not afraid to speak against the system.
“When my husband decided to speak out, we knew there will be consequences; there were and we faced them. And we know it is not going to end soon,” she told The Hindu on Wednesday. Ms. Bhatt, who was in the Capital to attend a convention organised by the All India Democratic Women's Association, said though there was pressure on the family, covertly and otherwise, the thought of giving up did not arise. “I am very proud of my husband, he is a very brave man; my children are brave children of a brave father and I am completely with my husband.”
“We have been troubled in various ways: first he [Sanjiv Bhatt] was hounded, then the family was demoralised and old cases were dug out, but we are prepared to fight. We are getting a lot of support from people, a lot of young people are coming out to join us and that strengthens our resolve to fight against the injustice in Gujarat.”
She dismissed the claims of the Modi government that it has been able to usher in development in the State. “What is happening in Gujarat [in terms of development] is also happening in Kanpur and Bhopal. The money for the flyovers is coming from the Centre. What has the Modi government done? What is happening in Gujarat is not progress. Funds for judicial and police service are being subverted and Mr. Modi is using his office for carrying out his agenda.”
