Ehsan Jafri called Modi for help, I heard Modi abuse him: Gulberg survivor

Rupabehn Mody's voice choked as she recounted the violent events of 28 February 2002 over the phone. The events, that is, of the Gulberg Society massacre which consumed her son. Azhar was reported missing, and later presumed dead, in the massacre. His is a heart-rending tale that has been widely documented, including in the critically-acclaimed film Parzania.

Though they were Parsis, Mody and her children took refuge in Congress leader Ehsan Jafri's house. And she was among those who heard Jafri make calls for help, including to then chief minister Narendra Modi.

Also read - Modi & Sangh Parivar: What potentially undid the Gulberg verdict

She alleges that Modi abused Jafri over the phone and appeared to express astonishment that the Congress leader wasn't dead already. Mody saw Jafri being dragged out by the mob and butchered. She and her daughter were among the very few people at Gulberg to survive the 4,500 strong mob. She never saw her son again, however.

She talks about the events of that day and more in this conversation with Catch.

The court has convicted 24 people and acquitted 36. How do you feel about it?

Yes, 36 people have been acquitted. I learnt about this from the media. I think we have to get together and think about this. We had given a lot of evidence against them. I don't think full justice has been done. KG Erda has not been convicted. How can that be?

Why is the acquittal of Erda more painful to you?

After the riots, when I was running from pillar to post trying to find my son, it was Erda who took me to the rioters and questioned them before me. Five of us had gone with him, including my young daughter. He had asked me to bring along a photograph of my son.

He asked them before me: "Ye laal T-shirt waale ko maara to nahi?" One of them replied in the negative, and that was that. I never got to see him again.

What happened that day, on 28 February?

My son and daughter were with me that day. The whole of our society was burning. I was holding my daughter's hand and she was holding my son's hand. Only our kitchen was not burning but then it too caught fire.

I though that being burnt to death was worse than being cut into pieces since nothing would remain of us if we were burnt. So, we decided to run out of our third storey flat and we found other people in our society who were also fleeing to safety. Everyone was running to Ehsan Jafri sahab's house. We too went to his place on the first floor. In front of me, he called Narendra Modi several times.

We had asked him to call Modi. We had even asked him to call all the gundas if he could and convince them to spare our lives.