The Truth: Gujarat 2002: Bharat Bhatt
Duration: 00:09:50; Aspect Ratio: 1.333:1; Hue: 66.106; Saturation: 0.011; Lightness: 0.392; Volume: 0.169; Cuts per Minute: 1.829; Words per Minute: 130.062
Summary: The Truth is an investigative report based on Tehelka's sting operation on key sangh members who are seen describing the events and consequences of 2002 Gujrat pogrom.
Bhatt: See, initially a certain environment was built up… It was an environment the judiciary and the police department were all keen about.
B: They helped because they thought they should, because they were Hindus themselves and because they are the kind who will go with the music...
B: It is only when the music stops, that they get to know that they are tired… In such a situation only that worker can be strong who is…
TEHELKA: Who is totally committed…
Bhatt: Who is committed…
B: People that we get in by force lose their enthusiasm. I gave a book to two judges today…The jehad Pravinbhai [Togadia] had written about…
TEHELKA: I have it…
Bhatt: You have it?… see, their [Muslims’] dharmjunoon [religious fervour] is very high… In comparison, ours is low…
TEHELKA: So how many cases have been registered against the Hindus in the district?
Bhatt: Fourteen hundred cases have been registered in the entire district…
TEHELKA: And in Mensa(?)?
Bhatt: I don't know about Mensa(?).
T: No, in Modasa?
B: In Modasa, the total number of cases are 1,400… out of which 600, or around 550, were committed in the beginning itself… The rest were re-opened…
B: When they were re-opened, people were again disturbed. Due to the stand the Supreme Court has taken now, the people are scared. These judges in the lower court aren’t courageous enough… not daring.
TEHELKA: Did they show some courage in the beginning?
Bhatt: They did in the beginning…
B: Actually right now, the ones in the upper courts have ordered the retrial of the Baroda case…
TEHELKA: Best Bakery…
Bhatt: The Best Bakery one… after that, the morale of new people went down…
TEHELKA: But there is still some support from people…
Bhatt: We are trying to fulfil our responsibility… whatever matters Ihave dealt with here, I was very hard with the Muslims…
B: They kept changing their statements, gave additional statements. I said these don’t have evidentiary value. But still these judges from the lower court… they also do wrong. They are scared of their seniors.
B: It’s like a policewala who may be corrupt but he will still be scared of his senior officers because his SP can suspend him just like that.
TEHELKA: So what is the attitude of the police now?
Bhatt: Attitude of the police?
TEHELKA: In the cases that have reopened.
Bhatt: See, they are also a little scared for their jobs but they don’t go against us.
B: They help us, listen to us, agree with us. They also know that the Muslims are trying to get as much compensation money as they can out of us. Recently they took around six and a half lakhs from us to settle this.
TEHELKA: Which case?
Bhatt: A riot case only… Section 436.
TEHELKA:Was it in Modasa?
B: Yes, Modasa.
Bhatt: He was asking for Rs 20 lakh. It was then settled for 10 lakh.
TEHELKA:Were they convicted then?
Bhatt: No… Then too these people resolved it by paying money.
B: Understand? If you were told that you wouldn’t have any problems, would you pay?
TEHELKA: No way
Bhatt: But still even you would be scared about whether you’d be acquitted or not. [I have to go, I have a flight...]
B: Moreover, we also have those psychological and fictitious fears...
TEHELKA: How was the money raised?
Bhatt: These people themselves contributed…
TEHELKA: The accused?
Bhatt: The accused contributed…
B: But before this, when I used to handle all the cases in the district, I never took any money from the accused. I used to hold meetings in the villages of the accused and tell the rich people there that there were people in Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana and UP who had property worth crores of rupees but had lost everything once madarsas opened nearby.
B: What is the point of having money if you can’t even put it to use for the welfare of your own community. While some gave Rs 5,000, others gave 10,000, sometimes even a lakh, this is how we collected 5-7 lakhs… which is what it took to settle the case since it was a daylight murder and he had used his sword to cut the man to pieces… Five people did it but they [the victims] named some decent people instead… for instance, the medical store owner…
TEHELKA: In Modasa?
Bhatt: No, in Biloda… I got it settled for Rs 4,60,000, out of which four lakh was collected by me, from the people.
TEHELKA: This happened in the beginning?
Bhatt: In the beginning…
TEHELKA: So what are the problems in the cases that have reopened recently?
Bhatt: In cases that have recently reopened, the problem is that we don’t have lawyers who can make sacrifices, and to get these kind of lawyers one has to spend money.
TEHELKA: Don’t you handle these cases… Aren’t you a public prosecutor?
Bhatt: I am a public prosecutor, but they will need a defence lawyer.
TEHELKA: But can’t they get any help from your side?
Bhatt: They get all kinds of help from me. Whenever I feel that there is a need to scold, I tell them you live in the village… settle the issue and keep each other’s honour intact, you have all your property there... live peacefully, whatever had to happen has happened.
B: The tongue and the teeth are both inside the mouth. Even if the teeth cut the tongue, we don’t break the teeth… Similarly, if you want to live in this village where your fathers and grandfathers have lived… and anyway, you wont leave this village and go to Pakistan… forgive him, he has committed a mistake… He will apologies. You also apologies… keep each other’s honour.
TEHELKA: So some people agree to what you suggest?
Bhatt: They agree…
TEHELKA: Do they take money to agree?
Bhatt: Some agree after taking money but some also agree on their own...
TEHELKA: So how many cases have been settled like this?
Bhatt: How?
TEHELKA: The ones in which the Muslims agreed?
Bhatt: In almost 25 percent of the cases they agreed.
Bhatt: ...Nine of our men were in jail but now they are out… Every 15-20 days we used to send 20-22 kilos of ration to their homes… Though we did not burst crackers at our own place on Diwali, we sent nine cartons of crackers to their place… sweets too… clothes for everyone… for the kids… for the parents… A vehicle was sent every 15-20 days… one person used to give us the vehicle for free… along with the diesel… the other one used to give seven packets of jaggery, 500 gm each… one person gave wheat…
B: Like this we used to collect stuff from around 10-15 people and every 22 days we would fill the vehicle and deliver the rations in their area.
TEHELKA: To the adivasis?
Bhatt: To the adivasis… because most of the men were in jail, the women had no resources to arrange for food.
TEHELKA: For how many years now have you been a public prosecutor?
Bhatt: I have been a public prosecutor since December 2003, so you can say from 2004.
B: When I came here as public prosecutor, I received Rs 400 per day. Although I get my own car everyday which runs on LPG. My expenditure is Rs 200 per day. So I end up earning only 200 rupees each day, but still I come for morality’s sake, for our work, for the work of Hindus.
TEHELKA: Are you a public prosecutor in these cases?
Bhatt: Yes, in all of them… I tell all the Hindus not to smile when they see me… not to say a word to me.. I tell them that I will scold them if they do… whatever I have to do I will do but it will be for them only… I get all these matters solved… I have already solved two-three murder cases like this before…
TEHELKA:Were the people acquitted in those cases?
Bhatt: They were acquitted… sometimes I deceive them… I scare them but later show my affections too…
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