The pogrom in Gujarat may be far from over. Intelligence collated by
the Gujarat Police reveals that "Hindu activists" are piecing
together a survey to identify students from rich, educated Muslim
families in some prominent schools here.

The objective, sources say, is to sustain the fear psychosis that has
overcome the minority community, resulting in a sharp drop in the
number of Muslim students attending school. "By conducting the
survey, these religious maniacs are trying to force Muslim families
to get their wards to leave these schools for good. A kind of
cleansing of the education system, without spilling any blood," said
a senior police officer.

The three schools targeted are Xavier's Loyola Hall, Diwan Ballu Bhai
and Ankur.

This is the second time since the riots began that a "survey" like
this has been conducted. On February 27 (a day before the riots
began) meetings were reportedly held in several pockets of Ahmedabad
city to identify Muslim properties and houses. This information was
then passed on to mobs that attacked the targets.

Several VHP and Bajrang Dal leaders have FIRs registered against them
for leading these mobs - a charge both organisations deny.

Intelligence inputs have not identified specific organisations that
are responsible for the latest 'survey', but the needle of suspicion
points in a familiar direction.

"Our report shows that school staff, bus drivers, and autorickshaw
drivers who ferry the children to school have been asked to assist in
leaking information about Muslim students," said the police officer.
"The idea this time being not necessarily to attack the targets, but
to scare the children to the extent that it becomes difficult for
them to attend schools without fear of being attacked."

Collecting such information, sources say, is not a difficult task for
these 'surveyors' since they have popular support. "It is not strange
to see a schoolbus driver, who is also an activist or relative of an
activist of one of the many Hindu organisations, assisting these
goons in their job," the officer said.

Information, it is reported, is also being collated by the same group
of Hindu activists on what remains of Muslim business establishments
across Gujarat.

Such behind-the-scenes legwork continues even as eight areas with
some minority presence in Ahmedabad city alone remain tense and under
curfew. "The Prime Minister's speech was an effort in confidence
building. But today, after more than 36 days of rioting, we still
cannot walk on the streets of the city like free men, without fear of
communal violence," said Anwar, a resident of Daryapur.

One dead, 6 hurt

Communal violence continued in Ahmedabad and other parts of Gujarat
on Friday. One person was stabbed to death and six others were
injured. Police opened fire to disperse mobs in Ahmedabad. In
Lunavada town, an accident between a rickshaw and a tractor sparked
off communal clashes. Night curfew continued to be in force at many
places in south, central and north Gujarat where the situation was
under control but tense.