It's arm's length at Godhra

GODHRA: Salim Pathan, who runs a tea stall at the Godhra railway station, was told by friends to shave off his beard when they found out that a fresh batch of Ram sevaks would be passing through.
The last thing that the residents wanted was another confrontation after the tumultuous events of February 27 last year. But Salim refused, saying a beard would not make any difference.“But I do keep my stall closed when trains filled with Ram sevaks pass by,� he says.
“Why invite unnecessary trouble?� But it seems both sides are trying to avoid a confrontation. In fact, since October 10, more than 3,000 Ram sevaks have passed through this little town which was the epicentre of communal violence. But none of them have started arguments at the station. As one of the Ram sevaks, Dhiren Mistry, who got onto a train from Godhra, said, “We are not scared but there is no need for instigation.�
Few Ram sevaks get off the train for snacks and tea, but the nasty sloganeering of last year is not there. Only when the train starts moving do they shout ‘Jai Shri Ram’. Shabbir Ghulam Rasool, another tea vendor at the station, has devised a unique way to avoid confrontation. His Hindu employees take charge when the Ram sevaks are at the station. “I don’t mind the sloganeering.
It is normal,� he says. “Once you see slogan-shouting as normal, it is no longer provocative.� There was some tension in the town on Monday evening when about 1,200 Ram sevaks paraded through the town. “Once they reached the station, we put extra men at the entrance and with the group,� says JS Yadav, sub inspector with the Gujarat Railway Police.
“The group arrived at 11.30 pm, one hour before the Sabarmati Express came, which led to some tense moments, but nothing happened.� In all, 3,150 Ayodhyabound Ram sevaks have passed through the town in the past few days, according to GRP figures. Nearly 100 policemen have been deployed here. RM Bagol took over as station superintendent after the Sabarmati Express was attacked.
“I am keeping my fingers crossed,� he says, adding that “there are enough cops at the station this time�. VHP functionary Dhananjay Thakkar said that the organisation had taken extra care to ensure that only registered members boarded the trains. “They have been given photo identity cards and registration numbers. Security arrangements are also elaborate,� Thakkar said.