2002 riots still rankle but Muslims less bitter about Modi: Survey

The Congress chooses to play it down, Narendra Modi won’t raise it unless provoked and in general, the ‘C’ word is not much in currency in the run-up to the December polls in Gujarat. In a clear departure from an electoral ritual in the years after the 2002 post-Godhra riots, the buzz over communalism has gone missing this time. So what’s up? The Congress feels raking up the riots issue polarises voters and such polarisation helps Modi. However, this could only be the partial truth. There are indications that the voters have made peace with the memories of the communal strife of 2002 and moved ahead. According to a CNN-IBN survey, while a large section of the Muslims is still not in the mood forgive and forget, there’s a general softening of position in the community towards Modi. [caption id=“attachment_508717” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  AP[/caption]The shift in mood is significant between 2009, when the general elections were held, and 2012. In 2009, 14 percent of Muslims said they liked Modi; the number has gone up to 26 now. While 44 percent said they never liked him during the general elections, the number came down to 23 per cent in 2012. This could be one of the reasons why the Congress is no more keen on making the riots an electoral plank. It cannot be milked any more. The survey, with a sample base of 3,658 respondents, was conducted between October 13 and October 20. The samples involving the cross section of the population were spread across 240 polling stations in 60 assembly segments of the state. The most interesting bit in the survey is, as many 44 percent Hindus feel Modi should apologise for the riots and 45 per cent believe Modi could have stopped the riots had he been serious about it. The numbers are expectedly higher in the Muslim community with 55 per cent saying he should apologise and 50 percent maintaining he could have stopped the riots. Both the communities feel the Gujarat chief minister’s recently-concluded sadbhavana yatra is a political gimmick - the numbers stand 51 per cent and 42 per cent respectively for both the communities. [See table ] The responses somehow puts Modi in an awkward position. While some feel 2002 riots should be treated as a thing of the past, not many absolve him of guilt - of omission and commission - for the communal killings in that period. His emphasis on development has not quite managed to erase the negative perception about him. As the survey reveals, the fear of another 2002-type communal violence still looms large in the public sentiment though it’s much less intense in 2012 compared to 2007. Responding to the question in 2007 whether a repeat of the riots was possible again, 69 percent Hindu and 80 per cent Muslim respondents had said that it was indeed possible. The number has come down to 55 per cent in each community in 2012. It reveals that Muslims are much less apprehensive now. It should be construed as the vote of confidence for Modi. [See table here and here ] Overall, the communal situation has improved over the last few years. The Muslims feel more secure and would like to move ahead. This means they won’t fall prey to the electoral politics being played around them any more. Political parties have realised the change in mood. Hence they are subdued over the ‘C’ word.