Zakia Jafri, a voice for Gujarat riot victims and wife of Ehsan Jafri, dies

Zakia Jafri, the wife of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, who was killed in the 2002 Gujarat riots, passed away on Saturday at the age of 86 in Ahmedabad.

Ehsan Jafri was among the 69 people killed inside Gulbarg Society, a Muslim neighbourhood in Ahmedabad, on February 28, 2002, a day after the Sabarmati Express train coaches were set on fire in Godhra, resulting in the deaths of 59 'karsevaks' returning from Ayodhya, an incident that sparked widespread violence across the state.

Teesta Setalvad, a human rights activist and long-time ally of Zakia, shared the news on X (formerly Twitter), writing, "Zakia Appa, a compassionate leader of the human rights community, passed away just 30 minutes ago!" The passing of Zakia Jafri marks the end of a life dedicated to justice for the victims of the violence that erupted in Gujarat in 2002.

Zakia Jafri became a national figure for her relentless legal battle to hold top political leaders accountable for the large conspiracy behind the riots following the Godhra train burning. She fought her case all the way to the Supreme Court, seeking justice for the victims and the victims' families.

In a statement about her death, her son Tanveer Jafri shared the details of Zakia's final moments, saying, "My mother was visiting my sister's house in Ahmedabad. She completed her daily morning routine and was chatting normally with her family members when she complained of feeling uneasy. The doctor who was called in declared her dead at around 11:30 am."

Zakia's husband, Ehsan Jafri, was a former Congress MP, a freedom fighter, a unionist, and a literary figure. He was killed during the violence in February 2002 after a public call against then-Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who was contesting a by-election in Rajkot.

Ehsan Jafri had publicly urged voters not to support Modi, referring to him as an "RSS man."

The assault on Gulbarg Society, where Ehsan Jafri lived, stands as one of the most egregious instances of the violence. It has been described as the "first carnage" following the Godhra train burning incident, which triggered the riots.

The Concerned Citizens Tribunal, which investigated the events, noted that the attack on Gulbarg Society was likely the first of its kind, as the compound had long been considered a safe haven due to Ehsan Jafri's former political status.

The report further highlights that the attack set a grim precedent, as Ehsan's compound had previously been protected by high-ranking officials during the 1985 riots.

As tensions in the region escalated in 2002, residents of the surrounding neighbourhood sought refuge within the secure walls of the Gulbarg Society, believing it to be a safe place. However, they were met with brutal violence as rioters breached the compound, leading to the tragic loss of life.

With input from PTI