Lal Krishen Advani, leader of the Bhartiya Janta Party (Indian People's Party) and the chief architect of the rise of Hindu right, on a chariot journey from Somnath temple in the western Indian state of Gujarat to Ayodhya town in northern state of Utter Pradesh, which most Hindus consider the birthplace of Rama. Advani made the journey to galavanize the Hindu riught supporters to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya at the site of a medieval mosque.

Advani (center) and other BJP leaders during the Ram
Rath Yatra (Ram Chariot Journey).

On December 6, 1992 Hindu right activists exhorted by various leaders of
the Rashtriya Syawensevak Sangh (National Volunteers Association) RSS,
and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council) VHP, demolished the
medieval Babri mosque in Ayodhya. Sectarian violence followed
throughout India and thousands were killed. In the next four years,
Hindu right in India rose dramatically and the BJP formed the federal
Indian government in 1996.

Medieval Babri Mosque before it was demolished.



Leaders of the BJP government including then Indian
prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee celebrating India's nuclear tests
in the Pokhran desert, Rajasthan in May 1998. Following the nuclear
tests, the Hindu right became more aggressive.

In the state of Gujarat, where the Hindu right was its
strongest, a long time RSS propagandist and BJP leader, Narendra Modi
became the chief minister in October 2001. But despite six years in the federal
government, the BJP couldn't build the Ram temple in Ayodhya because
of the pressure from its allies in the coalition government.

In February 2002, activists of the RSS, the VHP, and the BJP gathered at the site of the demolished Babri Mosque in Ayodhya to place a foundation stone for the temple. After two weeks of negotiations, the Indian government allowed a token ceremony. The jubiliant activists were returning home when some of them had a fight with some Muslim shopkeepers at the railway paltform in a Gujarat town called Godhra. A Muslim mob attacked the Hindu-activist filled Sabarmati Express train. It caught fire and 59 were burnt. A federal enquiry later declared that the attackers did not set the train on fire but it broke out inside the train compartment.

Hours after the burning train reached Ahmedabad, the
capital of Gujarat, activists of the BJP, RSS, and VHP began
attacking Muslims. The attackers were armed with daggers, swords,
tridents, petrol cans, and computer print outs of voter lists which
provided addresses of Muslim houses and businesses.

A Hindu militant during the violence in Ahmedabad.

Qutubuddin Ansari, a Muslim tailor pleading a Hindu
mob to spare his life. This Reuters picture became the most celebrated
and powerful image of the Gujrat pogrom. Ansari had to leave Gujarat
and now lives in Calcutta.



A Hindu woman crying after seeing the rioters murder
her Muslim neighbors.

Rioters burning Muslims' business establishments
and vehicles in Ahmedabad.



Child survivors of the worst massacre at Naroda Patiya
neighborhood in Ahmedabad at a refugee camp outside the city. With no
more schools the go to, the traumatized children spend their days
playing with marbles.





A Muslim family among the remains of their house.



Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi addressing a
gathering of his supporters. He ordered the Gujarat police not to stop
the Hindu rioters.

Women displaced by the violence at a rally to seek
justice in Ahmedabad.

As justice continues to elude the survivors of Gujarat,
a displaced family runs a tea stall in a refugee camp outside Ahmedabad.