The 2002 Sabarmati Express attack in Gujarat’s Godhra was a “tragedy of unimaginable magnitude” and the riots that followed this “was tragic for everyone,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said in an interview with US computer scientist and podcast host Lex Fridman. In a three-hour-long overarching interview, PM Modi was asked about the 2002 riots in Gujarat and what lessons he drew from it. PM Modi pointed out that the riots that took place, contrary to perception, were not the worst that Gujarat has seen. Nor has there been any communal tension in the state since.
PM Modi said a fake narrative was spread around the Godhra case. Before 2002, Gujarat had witnessed over 250 riots, and communal violence was frequent. The world had seen a surge in terrorist activities and violence during those times. However, since 2002, not a single case of riots has occurred in Gujarat. He also highlighted that people tried to malign his image after the riots but ultimately, justice prevailed and the courts cleared his name.
Describing the backdrop in which the events took place, he named the Kandahar hijack, the 9/11 attack in the US, attacks on the J&K Assembly and parliament. These events, he said, had “created the background”. “In such a tense environment, even the smallest spark can ignite unrest. The situation had already become extremely volatile,” he said.
Then he was handed the responsibility of leading Gujarat as its Chief Minister amid the massive quake in Bhuj and the rehabilitation efforts that followed.
“This was a crucial task, and from day one after my oath, I immersed myself in it. I was a person who had absolutely no prior experience with government. I had never been part of any administration, never even served in government before. I had never contested an election, never even been a State Representative. For the first time in my life, I had to face elections. On February 24, 2002, I became a State Representative, an elected representative, for the first time. And it was only around February 24th, 25th, or 26th that I stepped into the Gujarat Assembly for the very first time. On February 27, 2002, we were seated in the assembly for the budget session, and that same day, it had been just three days since I’d become a State Representative, when suddenly, the horrific Godhra incident occurred,” he said.
It was a “tragedy of unimaginable magnitude, people were burned alive,” PM Modi said.
“You can imagine, against the backdrop of incidents like the Kandahar hijacking, the attack on Parliament, or even 9/11, and then to have so many people killed and burned alive… You can imagine how tense and volatile the situation was. Of course, this was tragic for everyone, everyone prefers peace,” he said.
Summing up, he said, “So there was a long history long before I was in the picture. But that one tragic incident in 2002 became a sparking point, leading some people towards violence. Yet, the judiciary thoroughly investigated the matter. At that time, our political opponents were in power, and naturally, they wanted all allegations against us to stick”.
But “despite their relentless efforts, the judiciary analyzed the situation meticulously, twice, and ultimately, found us completely innocent. Those who were truly responsible have faced justice from the courts,”he added.
The perception that that the 2002 riot as the biggest ever is actually misinformation, PM Modi said.
“If you review the data from before 2002, you’ll see that Gujarat faced frequent riots, curfews were constantly being imposed somewhere. Communal violence could erupt over trivial issues, like kite-flying contests or even minor bicycle collisions. Before 2002, Gujarat witnessed over 250 significant riots. The riots in 1969 lasted nearly six months,” he said
But in the years since, there has not been a single instance of communal violence in the state, he said. With the policy of “Sabka Saath, sabka vikaas, sabka Vishwas”, the politics of appeasement has been changed into politics of development.