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(Continued from previous issue --
click
here for Part I)
Next communal violence took place on 31st August when two groups
belonging to two communities clashed after a college girl complained
that she was teased. It was again a case of girl teasing which led
to eruption on August 31. A college student of Shahera village
complained to her community members that she was being harassed. A
couple of boys belonging to the other community. Members of both
communities gathered and indulged in stone throwing at each other. A
local police fired a round in the air and lobbed tear gas shells to
disperse the crowd. The crowd had turned violent and burnt four
vehicles and shouted slogans against each other. The police, fearing
worst, even called additional forces. However, situation came under
control.
Next on 1st September Allahabad witnessed communal flare up when
Qur'an was desecrated in Kareli area. Some pages of Qur'an were
found burnt in an old cemetery of Kareli area. The news spread like
wild fire and thousands of people gathered and began shouting
slogans and began stoning. Police vehicles were damaged due to
stoning. In Kareli area 80% are Muslims. Since people gathered were
shouting slogan in support of Samajwadi M.P. Atiq Ahmed, BJP
believed it was done by followers of Atiq Ahmed. The police fired in
the air and lobbed teargas shells to disperse the mob. Fourteen
persons were arrested. Curfew was imposed in five police station
areas.
Then it was turn in Jalgaon in Maharashtra to go through communal
bout on 17th September when some Muslim youth tried to stop a Ganesh
procession which was passing through an unauthorized route and hell
was let loose. The police rushed to the spot and faced shower of
stones. Several police people were injured and had to be
hospitalized. It must be said that the police showed great deal of
patience and did not react to the mob violence otherwise whole
Jalgaon would have burnt. The mob could be mollified only after
police announced that 20 persons who allegedly obstructed Ganesh
procession have been arrested. The situation was saved.
On September 19 Surat experienced communal violence when a VHP
leader of Gauraksha samiti (Cow protection committee) was murdered
allegedly by a Muslim. The family of VHP leader alleged that police
has given shelter to the murderer and refused to perform his last
rites. One person was stabbed and four shops burnt as fresh violence
erupted by an irate mob in Kosadi village in Surat district.
Jashubhai Darbar, VHP leader was maintaining vigil against illegal
slaughter of cows and he was attacked by a mob with swords and iron
rods and died on spot. As news of murder spread, Hindus from nearby
villages gathered and targeted Muslim establishments and houses. One
person was stabbed in Kim village. Police arrested 30 persons in
connection with rioting in Kosadi village. There is 5000 Muslim
population in Kosadi and it is alleged cow slaughter is rampant in
the area.
Panigate area of Baroda city is highly sensitive area and it
witnessed frequent riots. On 22nd September it erupted in communal
violence on the occasion of Ganapati procession. Tension built up as
on Friday the Ganapati processionists halted before a mosque and
began dancing and singing in a obscene manner. Then stoning started
on the procession and riots broke out. The police commissioner
P.C.Thaker himself was injured in stoning. Many others were also
injured in rioting. Even 30 policemen including a deputy police
commissioner were injured. A rumour was spread that a Bajrang Dal
activist was killed and rioting spread in other areas of Baroda.
Police commissioner said that he would take action against those who
spread this rumor.
Baroda again witnessed communal violence on 27th September again
on the occasion of Ganapati Visarjan (immersion) in which 10 persons
were injured However, police controlled the situation in time.
On 28 September Khamgaon, in Maharashtra came under the spell of
communal violence on the occasion of Ganesh procession. Three
processions passed off peacefully through Aman Chowk. But the fourth
procession accompanied by local MLA stopped before a mosque and
indulged in provocative acts. Some Muslims requested the procession
to go ahead as it was Iftar time (breaking fast). Then stoning on
procession started though some maintain miscreants themselves
organized stoning. Then riots broke out and police played a partisan
role. Next day also in some areas Hindus attacked Muslim houses and
there was police firing in which one Muslim youth was injured.
Police role was quite pro-rioters of Hindu community. It is alleged
that thousands of Hindus attacked Barde plot and Yasinkhan plot
(Muslim mohallas) right in presence of police. The mob openly used
obscene words against Muslim women. Curfew had to be imposed in
Khamgaon. Shiv Sena members even threatened Muslims publicly that
?you observe Ramzan, we will celebrate Eid'. And despite all this
innocent Muslims were arrested. A high level inquiry was demanded by
Muslims of Khamgaon in the role of police and those responsible for
riots.
On 7th October Communal violence broke out in Jaisalmer, border
town in Rajasthan. The Hindutva forces have penetrated even in
border areas now. The violence took place on the issue of cow
slaughter. Sangh Parivar gave call for bandh and it resulted in
violence in which mob set ablaze 8 houses and two vehicles belonging
to minority community.
We witnessed communal violence next in Amravati, another
communally sensitive town in Maharashtra. On 22nd October Hindus and
Muslims clashed in which 26 people were injured. The clash occurred
during Durga immersion procession. The clashes took place in
Achalpur of Amravati district. The mob set fire to several jewellery
shops and police had to resort to firing. It all began with some
youngsters dancing and throwing gulal which fell on religious place
and two groups clashed and stoning and incidents of arson started.
Achalpur had not witnessed communal violence on this scale. Violence
spread to several areas and jewellery market was looted and burnt.
Police fired at least 50 rounds to disperse the rioting mob. An
indefinite curfew was imposed. Achalpur is a historical town once
ruled by Bahmani rulers. It was a devastating scene after rioting.
Here too police played partisan role and a Muslim delegation met
R.R.Patil, Home Minister of Maharashtra in this connection and told
him that one policeman was involved in raping a Muslim woman. Many
Muslims fled from Achalpur for fear of their lives. Kadre, a police
inspector was subsequently suspended.
Savner town in Indore district came under spell of communal
violence on 3rd November where a bye-election for assembly seat was
due. Violence broke out after some altercation on a teashop. One
person was killed according to official sources but media reported
three dead and several injured. Curfew had to be imposed. Some
analysts maintained that this riot was part of a conspiracy since
assembly election was due on 12th December. According to a Milli
Gazette report Police and SRP men were among the rioters in looting
and burning 137 shops burnt, property worth crores of rupees were
destroyed and more than 200 persons arrested.
On Christmas Day i.e. on 25th December riots broke out against
Christians in Kandhamal district. This was first time that
Christians faced systematic riots in which VHP was deeply involved.
Several churches were burnt and according to official account 4
persons died but unofficially 12 persons died. Orrisa has been the
centre of anti-Christian violence. It was in this state that an
Australian priest working among the lepers Graham Stains was burnt
alive along with his two sons. BJP and VHP have become very bold
since BJP is part of ruling coalition. Though Christians face charge
of conversion everywhere by Sangh Parivar but Orissa has large
tribal population and VHP has made it centre of its anti-Christian
activities. So far churches were burnt, priests attacked and nuns
molested in several parts of India, specially in tribal areas but
Orissa witnessed full fledged communal riots for the first time.
This naturally came as a great shock for the Christian community.
CONCLUSION
We have given above account of communal riots throughout 2007
which we could monitor. May be some riots may have been left out
which were very minor in character. It is our efforts to monitor
almost all riots which take place in India. Most of the riots listed
here are small in character. The causes, it will be seen, are very
petty. In no other countries such petty causes will result in
communal violence. Personal disputes soon acquire communal
character.
This is of course result of widespread communal propaganda and
law taking no serious notice of communal organizations. No action is
ever taken against provocative newspaper articles or speeches by
political leaders. Everyone thinks of nothing but votes and no one
cares for the country and woes of the people. Even no concerted
efforts are made to secularise police. Several RSS trained persons
join police force and they show sympathy with majority community
rioters.
Communal forces are aggressively exploiting religion for
political ends and it appears there is silent consensus among all
political parties (except of course left parties) including secular
parties like Congress, Samajwadi Party, Mayawati's BSP, Janta Dal
(U) as well as Janta Dal (secular) to use communal sentiments for
political purposes. Some symbolic noises are made against
communalism but except left all want to benefit from religious and
caste sentiments. It is dangerous game and very harmful to unity of
the country in the long run. But who cares if you can capture power
today?
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