Janmorcha Report 253

( Jan Morcha, edited by Sheetla Prasad, is a Hindi daily published from Ayodhya. The paper carried thefollowing story on 25 Feb. 2002).

Bhelsar (Faizabad), 24 February: Trishuldhari Bajrang Dal workers, travelling to Ayodhya onboard the Sabarmati Express this morning, let loose a reign of terror upon dozens of helplessMuslim passengers, burqa clad women and innocent children. They also targeted the peoplewaiting at the platform, forcing them to shout the slogan, ‘Jai Shree Ram!’ A few even declaredthemselves to be Hindus in order to escape their wrath.

According to eyewitnesses, close to 2,000 trishul carrying Bajrang Dal workers on board theSabarmati Express coming from the direction of Lucknow began indulging in these activitiesfrom the Daryabad Station. Anyone identified as a Muslim on the train was mercilessly at-tacked with trishuls and beaten with iron rods. Even women and innocent children were notspared. Burqas were pulled off, women were beaten with iron rods and dragged, peoplewaiting at the platform were also similarly targeted.

This continued between the Daryabad and Rudauli stations. According to an eyewitness, ayouth who protested against this barbarism was thrown off the train between the Patrangaand Rojagaon stations. Several women, badly wounded and covered in blood, jumped off thetrain as it pulled into Rudauli around 8 a.m. The Bajrang Dal activists also got off the train andstarted attacking those whom they identified as Muslims from among those present on theplatform.

Ata Mohammad, from Takia Khairanpur, waiting to catch a train to Allahabad, was badlybeaten; some others were forced to shout, ‘Jai Shree Ram!’ Some escaped by declaring that theywere Hindus. 50-year-old Mohd. Absar who lives near the station was grabbed as he steppedout of his house. His long beard was rudely pulled before he was repeatedly stabbed withtrishuls. Another man from the Rudauli police station area who happened to be at the stationwas badly beaten with iron rods. Local residents rang up the police.

By the time the police chowki-in-charge, Bhelsar, arrived at the station, the train had left andthe injured were being rushed to the hospital. No report was registered at the police stationsince the officer-in-charge was unavailable. The injured have no idea why they were attacked.Rumours are rife. The people are petrified; respected Hindus and Muslims of the area havecondemned the shameful attack, Muslim religious leaders have appealed for peace and re-quested that there be no retaliation.