Ahmedabad: Gujarat's Muslims on Sunday welcomed, albeit mutedly, Chief Minister Narendra Modi's victory in the Assembly elections, hoping for continued peace and economic development over the next five years.
“The community is happy because there has been no large-scale violence during the last five years,” said Amin Sayyed, a community leader from Panigate locality of Vadodara.
“Muslims believe in peace. We in fact say Modi should continue for next 10 years – we are benefiting from the economic boom. There were 78 shops run by Muslims in Raopura locality (of Vadodara), now there are 122 of them," Sayyed told IANS over phone.
He said during the election campaign this time, unlike in 2002, Modi had not targeted Muslims with vitriolic comments. "He did not talk about Godhra (the 2002 communal violence after a train burning tragedy in that town) or revenge," he said.
More than 1,100 people, mostly Muslims, had died in the 2002 communal violence amid allegations that the Modi administration was biased against the minority community.
Mohammed Kalim Mansoori of Ahmedabad added, “Muslims have no problems with Modi running the government if there are no problems created for the community. We just want peace. He can keep his political power. He wanted to win, he has won."
A few Muslims, in fact, joined the victory celebrations at the BJP state office in Ahmedabad.
Mohammed Bilal, one of them, said, "Unlike before, there has been no curfew in these parts (with mixed population of Hindus and Muslims in the last five years. There have been some developmental works too. Let us hope Modi continues to develop Gujarat."
However, many survivors of the sectarian strife were clearly hoping for his defeat.
"Now we do not know if we will ever get justice. His government has done nothing for us in five years, what do we expect from him in next five years?" asked Ayeshabibi, who lives in an ad hoc rehabilitation camp on the outskirts of the city.
The number of Muslims in Gujarat Assembly has marginally increased from three to five. The Muslim candidates have won from Wankaner, Shahpur, Kalupur, Jamalpur and Vagra constituencies.
Muslims have a considerable population in about 14 constituencies of the state. While Congress had given tickets to six members of the Muslim community, BJP did not field a single Muslim candidate out the total 182 seats it contested.
In the 2002 Assembly elections, Muslim candidates had registered victory from Kalupur, Jamalpur and Vagra constituencies.
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