You Fill in the Rest: Dilip D’Souza on the Godhra verdict, MARCH 1, 2011 [Link]
Here’s a crime: February 27 2002, 59 people killed when a train is set on fire in Godhra. 90+ people are arrested and accused of the slaughter. Bail is denied to them all. The trial takes nine years, the trial verdict acquits 63 of them, finds the other 31 guilty. The judge sentences 11 of those 31 to death, the other 20 to life in prison.
Here’s another crime: February 28 2002 (the next day), 69 people killed when a building called Gulberg Society is set on fire and its residents attacked in Ahmedabad. You fill in the rest. How many arrested and accused of this slaughter? How many denied bail? How long does the trail take? How many are acquitted? How many are found guilty? How many are sentenced to anything at all?
I’m not saying I agree with the verdict or the death sentence. That’s an argument for another time. What I am saying is, take a look at these two crimes, then fill in the rest. When you’re done, or when you give up, ask this question: if we can find, arrest, try and punish the men who attacked a train and killed its passengers, how is that we will not find, arrest, try and punish the men who attacked a building and killed its residents? And then try some more.
Here’s a third crime: November 1984, 3000 people killed in Delhi. You fill in the rest. How many arrested and accused of this slaughter? How many denied bail? How long does the trail take? How many are acquitted? How many are found guilty? How many are sentenced to anything at all? Here’s a fourth crime: December 1992 and January 1993, 1000 people killed in Bombay. You fill in the rest. How many arrested and accused of this slaughter? How many denied bail? How long does the trail take? How many are acquitted? How many are found guilty? How many are sentenced to anything at all?
Now tell me, how do you explain this in your own mind? How do you rationalize this? How do you persuade yourself that justice has been done?
Here’s a crime: February 27 2002, 59 people killed when a train is set on fire in Godhra. 90+ people are arrested and accused of the slaughter. Bail is denied to them all. The trial takes nine years, the trial verdict acquits 63 of them, finds the other 31 guilty. The judge sentences 11 of those 31 to death, the other 20 to life in prison.
Here’s another crime: February 28 2002 (the next day), 69 people killed when a building called Gulberg Society is set on fire and its residents attacked in Ahmedabad. You fill in the rest. How many arrested and accused of this slaughter? How many denied bail? How long does the trail take? How many are acquitted? How many are found guilty? How many are sentenced to anything at all?
I’m not saying I agree with the verdict or the death sentence. That’s an argument for another time. What I am saying is, take a look at these two crimes, then fill in the rest. When you’re done, or when you give up, ask this question: if we can find, arrest, try and punish the men who attacked a train and killed its passengers, how is that we will not find, arrest, try and punish the men who attacked a building and killed its residents? And then try some more.
Here’s a third crime: November 1984, 3000 people killed in Delhi. You fill in the rest. How many arrested and accused of this slaughter? How many denied bail? How long does the trail take? How many are acquitted? How many are found guilty? How many are sentenced to anything at all? Here’s a fourth crime: December 1992 and January 1993, 1000 people killed in Bombay. You fill in the rest. How many arrested and accused of this slaughter? How many denied bail? How long does the trail take? How many are acquitted? How many are found guilty? How many are sentenced to anything at all?
Now tell me, how do you explain this in your own mind? How do you rationalize this? How do you persuade yourself that justice has been done?
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