LEST WE FORGET: THE MARTYRDOM OF VASANT & RAJAB
-Fr. Cedric Prakash sj*
It is sixty nine years today since that fateful day of July 1st
1946. The traditional rath yatra - instead of being a day of bonding and
harmony - resulted in a communal conflagration as both Hindus and Muslims went
for the jugular: in a rioting spree and murdering one another.
Vasant Rao Hegishte and Rajab
Ali Lakhani were good friends and
also volunteers with the Seva Dal. Deeply disturbed with what was happening in
the city, they were determined to do all they could to stop the venom, the fire
and the killing from spreading. They jumped into the midst of the violence
begging those involved on both sides to cry halt immediately; many did listen
and relented. Recorded evidence tell us
that their heroics helped save a Muslim driver from a Hindu mob and a Hindu who
owned a washing company from a Muslim mob.
Their acts of valour seemed to have temporarily quelled the violence.
Late that day, they returned very exhausted to the Congress Office at
Khand-ni-Sheri, when they received news that a group of Dalit families in the
Jamalpur area were surrounded by a very violent mob. They immediately ran back
and tried to pacify the mob. Their entreaties were in vain. The crowd warned
them to stay away; but Vasant and Rajab lay down on the road in order to
prevent the Dalit families from being touched.
The blood-thirsty mob did not spare them and brutally murdered them: two
young men who had the courage to lay down their lives for the cause of communal
harmony and peace!
Vasant and Rajab have plenty to teach us: today Ahmedabad, many areas of
Gujarat and across the country are polarized and divided on communal lines; powerful
politicians and other vested interests leave no stone unturned in dividing and
instigating people in the name of religion.
Media in Gujarat has just reported of how a Superintendent of Police has
referred to the minority community as “dogs”.
The SP shamelessly admits that he is a classmate and close to the
international President of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and has connections with
the RSS; that a ranking officer can boast of such claims speaks volumes indeed
of the ground reality in our country today.
The martyrdom anniversary of Vasant & Rajab is indeed a painful
reminder to all of us that our great country is about pluralism and diversity;
about respect and tolerance of all religions and ideologies and above all,
about justice and equity for all.
The sad fact is that the memory of many is very selective and we
conveniently forget heroes like Vasant & Rajab, who walked the talk; who
died for a greater good!
1st July, 2015
(* Fr.
Cedric Prakash SJ is the Director of PRASHANT, the
Ahmedabad-based Jesuit Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace)
Address: PRASHANT, Hill Nagar, Near Saffron Hotel, Drive-in Road, Ahmedabad - 380052
Phone: (079) 27455913, 66522333 Fax: (079) 27489018
Email: sjprashant@gmail.com www.humanrightsindia.in
Email: sjprashant@gmail.com www.humanrightsindia.in
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