NEW DELHI, March 2 - Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee appealed for peace
on Saturday following the country's worst religious bloodshed in a decade that
has left more than 280 people dead.
"Whatever the provocation, people should maintain peace and exercise
restraint," he said on state television. "The burning alive of
people, including women and children, from Godhra to Ahmedabad and other places
is a blot on the country's face."
He said this week's violence in the western state of Gujarat had damaged
India's reputation in the world. "I am confident all secular minded people
will observe peace and help the government in maintaining communal harmony.
Gujarat has been gripped by religious bloodshed since a suspected Muslim mob
set fire to a train on Wednesday and burnt 58 Hindus alive. Over 280 people
have been killed since then, and violence was continuing on Saturday.
The train was travelling from the northern town of Ayodhya, where Hindu
hardliners have been rallying to build a temple at the site of a mosque razed
in 1992. That incident sparked India's last major sectarian flare-up which
killed 3,000 people.
Thousands of soldiers sent to Gujarat have been so far unable to staunch the
bloodshed. Officials said more reinforcements were being sent to try to restore
calm.
Vajpayee's appeal followed a joint plea by leaders of various political parties
on Friday to maintain calm.
"It is our collective responsibility to promote brotherhood and national
unity at all cost. We also appeal to the people of other states to maintain
peace and communal harmony," the political parties said.
Vajpayee said he was sure people from all religions would heed the plea.
"There are times when the country is put to test. Such a situation has
been created today because of the violence In Gujarat," he said.
Vajpayee said he was confident the country would be able to overcome the crisis
in the same way it had done with several other crises in the past.
Muslims account for more than 12 percent of mainly Hindu India's one billion
population, making them one of the largest Islamic communities in the world.