By TCN Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: The 10th anniversary of Gujarat pogrom is being commemorated in different parts of the country in different ways – mourning prayers, candle vigil, seminars and conferences. Delhi-based fashion designer Azimur Rahman is doing it in his own unique way.
The Champaran-born designer, who has made designer dresses for top politicians of the country besides US President Barack Obama, has on Monday sent a khadikurta with blood stains to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi – khadi to remind him of the teachings of Gandhi and blood stains as reminder of the massacres of thousands of innocent people under his very nose in 2002. Even 10 years after the pogrom, he is yet to come out clean of the stains.
Azimur Rahman
Rahman has dedicated his art work to the victims of the Gujarat riots.
“The art work that I am revealing today is a symbolic representation of the post Godhra riots. I dedicate it to the victims and people who suffered during the turmoil. It even is an actual reminder to the Hon’ble C.M. (Narendra Bhai Modi) even though it has been long –it’s not over yet. He still is responsible (on moral grounds) for what happened ten years ago…the kurta which I am sending him is made out of khadi which symbolizes the Gandhian philosophy and blood stains represent massacres that took place,” says Rahman.
The man seems deeply hurt with the killings of innocents in Gujarat and to reflect his feeling he has sprinkled his own blood on the kurta which he sent to Modi. This to make Modi realize his responsibilities.
“Nothing can make it more original than blood that is my own so be it!. Though the hope is bleak but I still go by the silver lining on the cloud. Trying my way, to make Narendra Modi realize his responsibilities as C.M. and much above everything as a human that he owes something to the victims who are anxiously waiting for at least an apology on moral grounds,” Rahman says.
He says victims have not got justice even after 10 years and it is really disheartening.
“Ten years have passed by, victims are still running from pillar to post and it’s not only disheartening but very disgraceful, the mere ignorance of the state is shocking. On the contrary some sections of the ruling party believe in the timid lame theory of reaction to action. We the people ask a simple question? Where is the action over the reaction? This event and its pace leads me to a larger question, Am I safe? Where am I safe? Nowhere is the most obvious and instinctive answer.The answer makes me uncomfortable, the discomfort lead me to conceive, conceptualize, and execute something that might be a small effort in terms of its scale but its roots are deeply embedded in the rich heritage of Gujarat and its gandhian philosophy which I have been a dedicated follower of, the land that is known for Mahatma and khadi has been continuously under threat by the anti Gandhian philosophy since 2002.”