The Sabarmati Report: True Story Of Hindu Genocide Shown In Vikrant Massey Starrer Will Jolt You

The Sabarmati Report: Vikrant Massey, Raashii Khanna and Rodhi Dogra star in the upcoming film from director Ranjan Chandel. It is said to be inspired by true events that followed in the aftermath of the Godhra train burning incident in 2002 in Gujarat . Vikrant will be seen as a vernacular journalist in The Sabarmati Report. He dubbed the incident as "India's 9/11 which changed our socio-political fabric overnight" while drawing parallels with the September 11, 2001 terror attacks in New York and the Godhra incident. Here are the true events, based on media reports, that have inspired the movie.

The Sabarmati Report: What happened on the fateful morning of February 2002?

On the morning of February 27, 2002, a coach of the Sabarmati Express — Coach S6 — was set ablaze and 59 passengers travelling in that coach were charred to death. The train had arrived at Godhra station, about 125 km from Ahmedabad, Gujarat just then. The victims included 27 women and 10 children. Injuries were suffered by another 48 passengers. According to a Commission of Inquiry report, most of the 59 people killed were kar sevaks who were returning from Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.

According to eyewitnesses and survivors, stones were pelted on the train and kerosene poured on the compartments before setting them alight. Only a few trapped in the S6 coach managed to crawl out of the broken windows. Children, adults and old people were stuck inside, with many pleading for their lives.

Why were kar sevaks onboard the Sabarmati Express?

Kar sevaks are people who volunteer their services for free to a religious cause. The term is derived from the Sanskrit words 'kar' (hand) and 'sevak' (servant). Kar sevaks were part of the group that demanded the Ram temple in Ayodhya for decades and struggled vehemently to achieve it.

The Sabarmati Express had begun its journey from Muzaffarpur, Bihar and was on its way to Ahmedabad. At least 2,000 kar sevaks and pilgrims, who had gone to attend the Purnahuti Maha Yagna at the insistence of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, had boarded the train from Ayodhya. The yagna was part of the Ram Temple building programme. Unfortunately, some kar sevaks who made it to Godhra in Gujarat were burnt to death.

A pre-planned attack on Hindus?

The Nanavati-Mehta Commission, appointed by the state government in the immediate aftermath of the Godhra train burning incident, concluded in 2008 that the arson was a "pre-planned act" and a "conspiracy" committed by a thousand-strong Muslim mob.

Riots in Gujarat jolt the nation

The Godhra train burning incident within hours triggered violent riots across Gujarat. The riots continued for 2-3 months across the state. The riots ended with thousands dead and injured and hundreds went missing. Many more were rendered homeless.

Convictions in Godhra train burning incident

In February 2011, 31 people were convicted in the Godhra train burning incident. The accused were charged with criminal conspiracy and murder in the burning of the S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express. Out of 31, 11 were sentenced to death and 20 to life imprisonment. In 2017, the Gujarat High Court commuted the death sentence to life terms and all 31 got life imprisonment.