The world was witness to the Nautunki of Gujarat CM Narendra Modi’s Sadbhavna upvaas at Ground Zero – Godhra – on 20 January where only a handful Muslims turned up to be counted with the Hindu posterboy. A couple of days back, a lot of excitement was created by the ‘news’ that a large number of Muslims had joined the BJP and were going to accompany Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi at the fast venue. Embracing Muslims from Godhra’s Signal Falia area would indeed have been historic as they were labelled fundamentalists, anti-nationals and conspirators of the Godhra train burning incident in 2002. But no such historic event occurred when Modi fasted in the town.

A few kilometres from Modi’s well-managed special fast venue, Signal Falia was seething with anger after the afternoon Namaaz. A handful did join but most stayed away. The majority of 50,000 strong Ghanchis are livid at being forced to live like pariahs. They were angry that all these years no one from the BJP or the state government had shown any sadbhavna by providing them with basic amenities such as supply of drinking water and a proper sewer instead of a gutter! The local people contributed Rs 2,000 per home to build their own sewage line.  The municipality collects taxes from them and sends them bills but claims that their houses don’t exist! . Faced with sub-human living conditions, residents of Signal Falia totally decried BJP’s tall claims of integration of Muslims, their development and the idea of bringing them into the saffron fold without any discrimination. They alleged that the BJP had never reached out to them nor had it tried to include them in the Sadbhavana Mission or invited them to the fast. In fact, they allege that the earlier calm and secular fabric of coexistence with other communities was ripped apart and ghettos had come up because of Modi’s divisive politics, which continues, Sadbhavana mission notwithstanding. These ghettos and their residents have been systematically disconnected from the mainstream and treated like pariahs.

Ashraf Chanda, an electrician who works in the area, says the BJP’s claims that their workers are reaching out to Muslims are pure hogwash. “They are working with people who were always inclined to the party; no one has come to Signal Falia to invite us to the Sadbhavana Fast. Three buses bearing Modi’s posters were reluctantly parked at Signal Falia in the morning, and some people joined of their own volition. But there has been no interaction,” he said.

To say that retired driver of Western Railway, Hussain Saif, is frustrated would be an understatement. “Our children have grown up amidst this filth. Forget Sadbhavana and development; all we ask for is our basic human rights for clean water and gutter,” he said. Several others sitting at a teastall on the crossroads of Signal Falia join Chanda in asserting this, but they do not want to be identified. At another adjoining Muslim ghetto, the scene was similar. Ismail Mainda claimed the difference between the streets of Signal Falia and other parts of Godhra was too obvious to be missed.

“Even sweepers and postmen are not allowed to come here. Our roads are not swept and no solid waste is collected from here. We have waited for 20 years. How much longer before we get drinking water and gutter system?” he says.

Mainda’s face is rather expressionless when he says other discriminations like unemployment continue to haunt their educated youth. “There is nothing wrong with our boys, but they do not get jobs. The BJP has not come to include us in Sadbhavana Fast because they know they cannot walk on these filthy streets. They cannot face us. However, they would come unabashed seeking votes before polls,” he adds.

Ishaq Gheetelee, a rickshaw driver and resident of Mainda Plot, says their area has become notorious without any reason. “There was never any communal hatred in Godhra before 2002. Incidents of untoward crime were never recorded from here, but after 2002, the BJP created such polarisation in the town that people started fearing us. Our businesses have also been affected. There is no hatred, but the discrimination by the establishment definitely continues. There is no inclusion from the BJP; all projections are superficial,” he says.