Ganesh Devy's Tributes to J S Bandukwala. https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/j-s-bandukwala-conscience-keeper-courageous-crusader-7748902/
Prof. JS Bandhukwala passed away this morning (29th Jan 2022) 
at vadodara. A human rights defender. Jimmy Dabhi
He survived 4 attacks on his home. The last time, 2002, it was burnt. He and his daughter had to hide in the neighbour's. He recalled this again when we met him 2-3 weeks back. Always courteous and polite when we went to his home, he could have gone to US after 2002 at the urging of his daughter. But he insisted his duty was here. With his demise, 3 remarkable individuals - Bandukwala, Kirit Bhatt and Tulsi Boda- who were active in Baroda PUCL are gone. Exemplary lives
The Attack on Prof Bandukwala from Final Solution Long version Mar 18, 2014 https://youtu.be/6e4dJbPxJQE?t=106
Prof. JS Bandukwala, a well known Professor of nuclear physics at the University of Baroda and his daughter, Umaima, talk about the terrors of the Godhra riots that they had to undergo.
Prof. Bandukwala has been involved with many secular societies (Vice President of People's Union of Civil Liberties) within Baroda and has also been speaking at many events including RSS events. At one such event with RSS, the Professor had ended his talk with a harmless comment that the country can either choose either choose Savarkar's or Mahatama Gandhi's path- if we want to strengthen the country, it is Mahatama Gandhi's path that can take India ahead.
It was because of this statement that Prof. Bandukwala's house was ransacked and burnt by the Hindu extremists and burnt to ground, which was the first attack in Godhra. The attack was organized by the same people who had invited the Professor for the event, i.e. the RSS. This video details how the Professor and his daughter had to face hardship in the violence that ensued.
‘Terrorist sympathiser’ undaunted https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/terrorist-sympathiser-undaunted/story-wJ6Gj2QJJNun2T5Ki4kpGI.html A Vadodara-based human rights activist has offered to sponsor the education of the children of those responsible for the July 26 serial blasts, reports Rathin Das.
“This gesture should not be misconstrued as my pronouncing judgement on the accused. They should be punished if they are proved guilty, but the education of their children should not suffer,” Bandukwala said. His offer was prompted by the news that the children had applied for school leaving certificates as their mother could no longer afford their education.
Dr Bandukwala, who attracted his own community's ire for suggesting Muslims should forget and forgive those responsible for the Godhra riots, asserted he has said umpteen times that terrorism is against the tenets of Islam.
The professor said that after dropping out, a child from a lower middle class background ends up either at a tea stall or gets into a madrasa, the later being worse. “The bitterness in the young mind gradually grows into hatred and he becomes an anti-social or a terrorist,” reasoned Bandukwala, who has witnessed three decades of communal riots in Gujarat.
Articles:
Quality of education, not religiosity, must be road ahead for Muslim community October 5, 2020 https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/the-way-of-the-school-6702883/
Part of the problem is Partition. We are still paying the price for Jinnah’s folly. The violence spawned religious hatred and revived old conflicts concerning mosques and temples. In a sense, this religious madness has paralysed our country all these 73 years. One such conflict was over the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi. A sickening clash over a house of god ruined countless families. The tragedy was compounded by politicians who sought power by inflaming passions on both sides. I was a victim of this mad fury. I suffered heavily, financially and emotionally. God alone saved my only daughter from a tragedy. What did these politicians gain by destroying the lives of innocents, who had no link to the Babri Masjid?
How do we prevent such tragedies? On the Muslim side, they have to accept the reality of Partition. Equally, our Hindu brothers and sisters must accept that Muslims are a part of this country. There is no way we can remove such a huge population. No country will accept such a huge migrant inflow. We can see on our TV news the horror of people on boats trying to find safety in Europe. The CAA and NRC will only prolong the tragedy. Narendra Modi and Amit Shah must realise this.
The way out lies with the Muslims of India. They have to overcome their bitterness of the last 73 years. Jinnah will not come back. We have to lower the level of religiosity within the community. It is not conducive to good citizenship. The focus has to be quality education, business and industry, and most importantly, gender equality within the community.
See other similar articles in Indian Express: : https://indianexpress.com/profile/author/j-s-bandukwala/