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(Continued from
previous issue)
(Part-2)
Aligarh
witnessed another bout of communal violence on 29th
May when a BJP leader was murdered and in retaliation
two persons were killed. The police further extended the
curfew which was already force since last eruption of
violence and clamped it in two more areas. Thus curfew
was clamped in all five police station areas. Ahmedabad
also experienced communal violence after a scooter rider
knocked down person of another community near a place of
worship. The police resorted to lathi charge and in all
30 persons were injured both in lathicharge and stoning
between persons of two communities.
Next
communal violence erupted in Karoli, Rajastan on 16th
June when at a tea stall a mentally unstable person put
cow dung on Qur’an and wrote objectionable things on it
and showed it to people. This caused provocation to
Muslims who set fire to two Hindu shops besides damaging
some stalls. They then marched to collector’s office and
submitted a memorandum demanding action against the
offender. Some Hindus set fire to an autorickshaw. There
were some incidents of stabbing also.
On 18th
June there was incidence of communal violence in Goda
village in Pratapgarh district of U.P. Two girls were
burnt alive after the murder of a Hindu youth by some
unknown persons. As the news of Hindu youth’s murder
spread hundreds of people poured in Gonda village with
weapons and attacked establishment of a Muslim community
in Gonda, Baldu and Subedar villages. Over 100 houses
were set ablaze in which two girls were charred to
death. These three villages border on Pratapgarh and
Raebareli districts. Immediate police reinforcements
were rushed and situation was controlled. Some 100
persons were arrested.
On
fourth September Raesen town in M.P. saw eruption of
communal violence. Some persons allegedly threw pieces
of beef at Jain temple. Hearing this news Hindus began
to gather in large numbers and began stoning shops
belonging to Muslims and damaging them. The police tried
to disperse mob by firing teargas shells and when crowd
did not disperse it fired three rounds in the air.
Police reinforcements and Rapid Action Force was brought
to keep situation under control.
Ganpati
festival is another occasion for eruption of communal
violence. This year on 7th September Rabori
area of Thane, near Mumbai and Usmanabad in Marathwada
saw eruption of communal violence. In Rabori Muslims
and those in the Ganpati procession clashed and began
stoning but the police was quite alert and immediately
brought the situation under control within 15 minutes.
However, it was more serious in Usmanabad where those in
the Ganpati procession began throwing gulal (red
powder) at Muslims in an inebriated state. They threw
stones at the mosque and several Muslim shops. They also
began to set fire to shops and vehicles and broke open
some shops. It went on till late at night. It began from
Khwajanagar of Shams chowk and continued right up to
Samtanagar, near the place where Ganpati is submerged in
water. Police arrested 64 persons from both the
communities.
Nanded
is another communally sensitive town in Marathwada
region of Maharashtra. It witnessed communal violence on
29th September when student organisation
Chava took out procession against reservation on
religious grounds and passed through a Muslim locality
and began stoning a mosque and damaged stalls selling
iftar (breaking fast) eatables as it was month of
Ramadan. These students having support of Shalinitai, a
Maratha leader, were carrying lathis and other sharp
weapons. They were shouting slogans against Muslims and
attacked Abidin mosque near Bank of Hyderabad and
damaged stalls selling fruits for Iftar. The vehicle
belonging to Chava was full of stones. They were also
carrying and waving swords. The police remained silent
spectator and did not take any action against students.
This procession was taken out when article 144 was in
force. But police Dy.S.P. Abdurrazzaq claimed it
lathicharged the processionists and arrested 30 of the
Chava Organisation.
Mangalore in South Karnataka is highly sensitive area
and BJP has its stronghold here. Since the BJP became
part of ruling coalition in Karnataka, the communal
situation has deteriorated there. The police is playing
partisan role and Sangh Parivar members have become
quite bold. Mangalore area has history of communal
violence. In 1998 Surathkal riots 8 persons were killed
and Muslim properties were widely damaged. This time
around 2 persons were killed in Mangalore area between
October 4 and 7 but also in between hundreds of minor
skirmishes took place between Hindus and Muslims.
The
communal polarisation has been created by BJP since 1992
when Babri Masjid was demolished and BJP has reaped
benefits in elections by winning 11 seats in Assembly
elections of 2004 from the region. According to T.A.
Jhonson of Indian Express “several flashpoints
for communal violence have emerged from the issue of
transportation of cows in violation of a state law to
eve teasing to inter-religious relationships.” Also, the
minorities complain of administration’s bias since the
BJP became partner in coalition. Ironically the
Mangalore district is under the charge of a BJP
minister. The rightwing Hindu youth feel that they can
get away with anything. Those in 15-25 year age group
are cause of frequent violence against Muslims and
over-react on issues like cow transportation as they
feel no action will be taken against them.
However, Hamid Khan, member of the Muslim Central
Committee said that police acted swiftly after outbreak
of violence on October 4 and imposed curfew effectively,
otherwise situation would have got out of control. The
BJP minister Nagaraj Shetty also gave assurance that
action will be taken against the guilty “without
politics”. The Janata Dal (Secular) which allied with
BJP blamed Bajrang Dal and SIMI for violence.
On the
occasion of Diwali on 22nd October communal
violence erupted in three districts of U.P.
Muzaffarnagar, Bulandshahar and Ambedkarnagar. In
Khalapar region of Muzaffarnagar a firecracker was
ignited and dispute started with this between some
Hindus and Muslims and violence erupted in which one
person was killed and more than three were injured.
There was firing from rooftops, which continued for half
an hour resulting death of one person. Mulayamsingh
declared compensation of Rs.5 lakhs for family of Pankaj
killed in the clashes. Another person, a student of 11th
class was murdered in Ambedkarnagar and communal
disturbances started in which several people were
injured including some police officers. Here many shops
and houses were also damaged.
From
what has been narrated above it can be seen that several
small riots take place on small matters like playing
cricket or lighting a cracker or someone being knocked
down by a scooterist and so on. Why does it assume
communal colour? The obvious reason is that communal
forces indulge in communal propaganda and poison the
minds of people and this continues throughout the year
without any respite. This helps create communal mindset
and even personal disputes between Hindus and Muslims
then acquire communal colour and becomes cause of
communal violence.
Communal propaganda going on unceasingly becomes
greatest obstacle in smooth relationship between two
major communities of India. Unfortunately the
governments even in the Congress ruled states does not
contemplate any action against such propaganda though
there are laws prohibiting such propaganda creating ill
will between communities. Not only this there is
pronounced bias in text books taught in government as
well as private schools from primary to secondary
levels. These text-books also help create polarisation
in our country. Education has thus become part of the
problem instead of part of the solution.
One
more thing which we observe from description of riots
above that these incidents sparking communal violence do
not assume major proportions only because political
parties do not perceive any political benefit in
spreading communal violence and police curbs violence by
taking effective action. However, if politicians
perceive any direct benefit they immediately exploit the
incidents to create major communal flare up. Thus it is
mainly politicians who are responsible for major
communal flare up. The violence will be contained if
politicians do not want and it will assume major
proportions, if they desire communal violence for
electoral politics like in Mumbai in 1992 and Gujarat in
2002.
It is
only proper awareness among people and active role of
civil society actors which can help contain major
mishaps. We need aware and vibrant civil society to
contain outbreak of major communal violence. When civil
society gets polarised on communal lines as in Gujarat,
it becomes very difficult for civil society to
intervene.
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