My dear sisters and brothers, The law of nature is that
Truth alone triumphs – Satyameva Jayate. Our judiciary having spoken, I felt it
important to share my inner thoughts and feelings with the nation at large.
The end brings back memories of the beginning. The
devastating earthquake of 2001 had plunged Gujarat into the gloom of death,
destruction and sheer helplessness. Hundreds of lives were lost. Lakhs were
rendered homeless. Entire livelihoods were destroyed. In such traumatic times
of unimaginable suffering, I was given the responsibility to soothe and
rebuild. And we had whole heartedly plunged ourselves into the challenge at
hand.
Within a mere five months however, the mindless violence
of 2002 had dealt us another unexpected blow. Innocents were killed. Families rendered
helpless. Property built through years of toil destroyed. Still struggling to
get back on its feet from the natural devastation, this was a crippling blow to
an already shattered and hurting Gujarat.
I was shaken to the core. ‘Grief’, ‘Sadness’, ‘Misery’,
‘Pain’, ‘Anguish’, ‘Agony’ – mere words could not capture the absolute
emptiness one felt on witnessing such inhumanity.
On one side was the pain of the victims of the
earthquake, and on the other the pain of the victims of the riots. In
decisively confronting this great turmoil, I had to single-mindedly focus all
the strength given to me by the almighty, on the task of peace, justice and
rehabilitation; burying the pain and agony I was personally wracked with.
During those challenging times, I often recollected the
wisdom in our scriptures; explaining how those seating in positions of power
did not have the right to share their own pain and anguish. They had to suffer
it in solitude. I lived through the same,experiencing this anguish in searingly
sharp intensity. In fact, whenever I remember those agonizing days, I have only
one earnest prayer to God. That never again should such cruelly unfortunate
days come in the lives of any other person, society, state or nation.
This is the first time I am sharing the harrowing ordeal
I had gone through in those days at a personal level.
However, it was from these very built up emotions that I
had appealed to the people of Gujarat on the day of the Godhra train burning
itself; fervently urging for peace and restraint to ensure lives of innocents
were not put at risk. I had repeatedly reiterated the same principles in my
daily interactions with the media in those fateful days of February-March 2002
as well; publically underlining the political will as well as moral
responsibility of the government to ensure peace, deliver justice and punish
all guilty of violence. You will also find these deep emotions in my recent
words at my Sadbhavana fasts, where I had emphasized how such deplorable
incidents did not behove a civilized society and had pained me deeply.
In fact, my emphasis has always been on developing and
emphasizing a spirit of unity; with the now widely used concept of ‘my 5 crore
Gujarati brothers and sisters’ having crystallised right at the beginning of my
tenure as CM itself from this very space.
However, as if all the suffering was not enough, I was
also accused of the death and misery of my own loved ones, my Gujarati brothers
and sisters. Can you imagine the inner turmoil and shock of being blamed for the
very events that have shattered you!
For so many years, they incessantly kept up their attack,
leaving no stone unturned. What pained even more was that in their
overzealousness to hit at me for their narrow personal and political ends, they
ended up maligning my entire state and country. This heartlessly kept reopening
the wounds that we were sincerely trying to heal. It ironically also delayed
the very justice that these people claimed to be fighting for. Maybe they did
not realize how much suffering they were adding to an already pained people.
Gujarat however had decided its own path. We chose peace
over violence. We chose unity over divisiveness. We chose goodwill over hatred.
This was not easy, but we were determined to commit for the long haul. From a
life of daily uncertainty and fear; my Gujarat transformed into one of Shanti,
Ekta and Sadbhavana. I stand a satisfied and reassured man today. And for this,
I credit each and every Gujarati.
The Gujarat Government had responded to the violence more
swiftly and decisively than ever done before in any previous riots in the
country. Yesterday’s judgement culminated a process of unprecedented scrutiny
closely monitored by the highest court of the land, the Honourable Supreme
Court of India. Gujarat’s 12 years of trial by the fire have finally drawn to
an end. I feel liberated and at peace.
I am truly grateful to all those who stood by me in these
trying times; seeing through the facade of lies and deceit. With this cloud of
misinformation firmly dispelled, I will now also hope that the many others out
there trying to understand and connect with the real Narendra Modi would feel
more empowered to do so.
Those who derive satisfaction by perpetuating pain in
others will probably not stop their tirade against me. I do not expect them to.
But, I pray in all humility, that they at least now stop irresponsibly
maligning the 6 crore people of Gujarat.
Emerging from this journey of pain and agony; I pray to
God that no bitterness seeps into my heart. I sincerely do not see this
judgement as a personal victory or defeat, and urge all – my friends and
especially my opponents – to not do so as well. I was driven by this same
principle at the time of the Honourable Supreme Court’s 2011 judgement on this
matter. I fasted 37 days for Sadbhavana, choosing to translate the positive
judgement into constructive action, reinforcing Unity and Sadbhavana in society
at large.
[May check, Gujarat riots 2002: Was wracked with pain, says Narendra
Modi, by FP Staff Dec 27, 2013.
I think, political scientists might analyze this tweet for a good length of time to decide whether it is a true confession or a classic piece of a clever politician's pseudo remorse. As they will focus more attention on the contemporary situation and the impending general elections, they might not bother much about Mr. Modi's antecedent actions and utterances. But, historians might take a different view and try to assess him as a politician in toto.
For a mere nobody in Indian politics, like me, who only follows it as an existential engagement, a time-pass, and never as a stake-holder, the question is rather of only academic interest. But it is a real question all the same:
Is the tweet proof of a changed Mr. Modi? Or, an yet another instance of a politician's double speak? The jury is still out. Let us not rush it.
Whatever the verdict, Mr. Modi is likely to go down in history as the most successful Indian demagogue ever, perhaps next only to Mr. Jayaprakash Narayan. Those who follow history might see a pattern in the career of demagogues. Be that as it is. I take solace in the fairly familiar adage; Sambhavami yuge yuge ....
