Residents of Gulbarg Society of Ahmedabad — where 69 people including a former Congress MP lost their lives in one of the most gruesome massacres of the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat — are up in arms against NGOs and have urged the police commissioner to ban their entry in their residential enclave on February 28, the day the incident took place.
In a signed letter dated February 18 addressed to the Ahmedabad police commissioner , the residents have stated that the unfortunate incident of the 2002 riots, are being used by a variety of NGOs and outsiders who visit the society every year on February 28 to show solidarity with the riot victims and use it for their narrow ends.
"Representatives of these NGOs organize big functions on this day with focused media coverage. Survivors are called on the dais to relate stories of the horrendous incidents, various rehabilitation schemes , financial support and the like are announced but never never implemented”.
Long back one of these NGOs, the letter states, even promised to purchase all the damaged houses of the society at the current market price to convert the same into a museum. " But during the last ten years nothing happened and we are living without any financial support and/or any other support as announced by these NGOs from time to time.
“From the false promises given by these NGOs during the last ten years, it is proved beyond doubt that these NGOs and outsiders are involved in making money for themselves in the name of providing financial support to us by projecting us in poor condition. It is also in our knowledge that they are not our sympathizers at all. These NGOs are also involved in making documentary films on our society and showing it to International bodies and have obtained huge grants from these organizations in the name of providing financial and legal support to us. We are living peacefully and we don’t want any support from these NGOs who have done nothing for us”, the letter states.
"Since these NGOs have done nothing for us we want a complete ban on their entering our society. We also want to put on record that we would like to silently offer prayers for our near and dear ones who lost their lives on this day in 2002 .These NGOs also breach our privacy by organising various programs in the Gulberg Society and force us to participate as well.
"In light of the above, we request sufficient security to prevent outsiders from entering our society on February 28 so that we can pay homage peacefully to our near and dear ones," it states.
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