The significance of February 27

Seldom has Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi invoked Mahatma Gandhi in any of his speeches, as he did on Thursday while addressing a gathering comprising leading industrialists and economic experts.

Ironically, Thursday, February 27, was the 12th anniversary of the burning of the Sabarmati Express in Godhra, in which 58 pilgrims died. These passengers were returning after a visit to the disputed Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya. The incident triggered widespread anti-Muslim violence in Gujarat in the days to follow, leading to the loss of 2,000 lives.

Incidentally, BJP President Rajnath Singh’s gesture of reaching out towards the community also came barely two days before the Godhra anniversary. On Tuesday, Singh told a gathering of Muslims the community should trust the BJP and in case of any mistakes, the party would bow down to seek forgiveness.

Many still blame Modi,  chief minister at the time of the riots, for administrative failure. A court-appointed Special Investigation Team didn’t find evidence of Modi’s direct involvement in the riots.