Communal Riots During 2008

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By Asghar Ali Engineer

January 8, 2009

When the year 2008 began it appeared it might be riot-free year for the first time in 60 years after independence. However, soon this hope was belied and riots began to take place as every year. Though again most of the riots were not major towards the end of the year even that hope was belied. Also as usual police behaviour was totally partial though with few exceptions and minorities received drubbing.

Another peculiarity of 2008 was major communal violence against Christians for the first time in post-independence India. Though Christians have been under attack for several years but it was dubious distinction of 2008 that it saw major communal violence against Christian minority in Kandhmal district of Orissa. The Sangh Parivar was never in such foul mood against this tiny minority which has rendered great services in the field of education and health.

In fact the first riot occurred against Christians in Kandhmal district on 1st January 2008. In fact riots against Christians had erupted on 25th December 2007 and situation was already simmering. Several houses belonging to Christians were burnt in the villages of Sripala, Rebingia, Nuapadar and Kasinapadar in Kandhmal district. Some 10 houses were set ablaze in these villages. During these incidents several people fled to jungles or to other villages.

It would be interesting to mention here that former chief Justice of India Justice V.N.Khare on 19th January called for setting up of an autonomous body to deal with communal riots cases stating that it is the state’s rajdharma (duty) to protect the minorities, Justice Khare said that communal riots should not be treated merely as a law and order problem. He said that such “riots are a serious problem” and a serious view of the matter should be taken. Justice Khare also demanded that a special law be enacted to promote. He also observed “Where is the right to life if minorities are victimized and those who victimize are not persecuted and instead go scot –free”?

But who would listen to this voice of sanity and year after year minorities suffer in these riots and rioters indeed go scot-free. The UPA Government could not even enact the Communal Riots Bill for which it had given solemn promise. It is still gathering dust and now there will be hardly any Parliament session to take it up before next elections take pl ace and the Bill will naturally expire. So much for secular government. Its priorities are hardly to seriously prevent communal violence.

Riots regularly breakout on the occasion of certain religious festivals, specially Holi. On March 23rd rioting broke out in Chittorgarh and Tonk, both in Rajasthan in which several people were injured and, 12 shops were burnt and vehicles burnt. About 30 people were arrested. Jamshedpur in Jharkand also witnessed minor communal violence on the day of Holi. One person was injured. It was result of eve teasing by members of one community whereas woman belonged to another community.

On 4th April Jalna in Marathwada witnessed communal rioting when some Hindutvadis began to sing songs about constructing Ram Mandir in Ayodhya after noon prayers outside a mosque. Eight persons were injured including a police inspector. Three persons were critically injured. Though some people brokered peace but at night again people belonging to Bajrang Dal attacked a Muslim Mohalla and trouble erupted. After Jalna Jalgaon also witnessed outbreak of communal violence in which 4 persons were injured and 21 were arrested. This too was result of dispute between youth of two communities.

Baroda in Gujarat is another extremely communally sensitive place where of and on riots break out between Hindus and Muslims every year. This time again Baroda witnessed communal violence on 10th April. Five were injured and 4 cars were set ablaze and 25 persons were arrested.

Kerala is normally a peaceful state and except on certain rare occasions no communal violence is witnessed. After 15 April four communal murders were reported in Kasargod, a Kerala district bordering Karnataka. The spate of murders took place after some people belonging to BJP supporters got down from a car to urinate near a bus stand from where a mosque is not far off. When someone objected crowds gathered and violence erupted. People shut their shops after series of murders were reported though there was no call for hartal (strike).

On 18th April there violence erupted in Bhirari village when some people tried to set two Muslim families on fire. Again trouble began when some members of Bajrang Dal began to sing “mandir wahin banaenge” (we will construct temple at that place only). When some Muslims offering prayer at the time objected, trouble began. One hotel and 4 Muslim shops were set ablaze in addition to several two wheelers. Several people were seen coming from other villages raising the slogan “Jai Shri Ram”. Subsequently violence spread to other nearby places like Rawer and Chopra also.

In Chopra police resorted to firing in which 2 persons died. Here too the eruption of violence was result of singing Qasam Ram ki khate hain, Mandir wahin banaenge (We take vow in the name of Ram that we will construct temple there only). Chopra witnessed communal violence for the first time. 32 persons were arrested. It is also said that violence was result of money matter between a Hindu and a Muslim.

On 13th June for no reason it seems, some people began stoning Muslims coming out of a mosque after Friday prayer. Police dispersed the mob and yet again they gathered and set fire to 6 motor cycles and few autorickshaws. Police resorted to firing in the air. Some eye witnesses said that a dalit boy was hit by a motor cyclist and that became the cause of rioting.

On 28th June Jabalpur saw communal violence on the question of land near a Jama Masjid in which 35 persons were injured and curfew had to be clamped. Police also resorted to lathi charge and police force had to be increased in view of communal tension.

Indore in M.P. has emerged as another communally sensitive city under the BJP regime. Indore was known for communal harmony but since BJP came to power in M.P. VHP and Bajrang Dal have become much stronger and of and on attack Muslims and Christians. When Amarnath issue in Kashmir erupted the Bajrang Dal and VHP along with BJP tried to enforce Bandh and began enforcing it in Muslim dominated areas and violence erupted. Four persons were killed on 3rd July and 20 persons were injured. Curfew had to be imposed in several police station areas.

Police was seen openly siding with Hindutva organizations Many social activists pointed this out. A delegation of national Minorities Commission also visited Indore and said in its report that riots were pre-planned. Several NGO representatives came for investigation. On 4th July again trouble erupted in new areas and three more people were killed. Thus in all 7 people died on 3rd and 4th July communal violence. In all 200 persons have been arrested which includes 3 policemen who participated in communal violence.

On July 6 in Govandi area of Eastern suburbs of Mumbai a small incident of urinating assumed serious proportions as the boy urinating belonged to another community and those playing cricket nearby belonged to another community. 15 persons were injured in these clashes and there was rioting for almost three hours. According to the police Hindu and Muslim boys were playing cricket and fight broke out between them. In all 12 persons were arrested from both sides.

On 27th July Digras and Pusad in Vidarbh region of Maharashtra came under the spell of horrible communal violence apparently due to incident of insulting Holy Qur’an. However, police maintained there was no such incident. As usual Bajrang Dal, VHP and BJP supporters took out a morcha which turned violent and rioting broke out. Here two persons were killed in police firing.

It must be said that police role was extremely partisan and the SP of the region was heard saying I have taught lesson to these Muslims and they will not be able to raise their head for next 10 years. These words were uttered before our investigator (convener of All India Secular Forum, Maharashtra unit) Suresh Khairnar. According to him police entered Muslim houses and destroyed everything they could lay their hands on. Later on many Muslim activists from Digras corroborated this account.

Muslims of the area were terrified and all this happened in the state ruled by Congress and Nationalist Congress, not by BJP. There is no doubt that police has been greatly communalized over the years and no steps are being taken to improve police functioning. Delegation of Muslims from Digras met Home Minister R.R.Patil and the then Chief Minister V.N.Deshmukh and showed video clippings of ‘police action’ in Digras but no action was taken against the guilty policemen. The SP was not even transferred, let alone be suspended. The Chief Minister visited Nagpur but did not go to Digras though it was just about 100 kms from there.

On August 14 six persons were killed in Tenkasi town of South Tamil Nadu when a group attacked them in “retaliation” for the murder of a local Hindu outfit leader last December, the police said. Five persons were seriously injured in Trinulveli district. Though the police maintained it was merely retaliatory action the fact the Hindu leader murdered last December was Hindu Munnani leader, it couldn’t be non-communal action, police made it out to be. However district collector G.Prakash cited religious ideologies behind the clash.

(Part II)

Tamil Nadu too, like Kerala was communally peaceful until late eighties but Hindu Munnani, a VHP outfit communalized parts of the state in late eighties and Hindu Munnani along with RSS became very active there. RSS has by now successfully spread its tentacles in Kerala and Tamil Nadu and since then these two states have also experienced communal violence.

Orissa which had witnessed communal violence in Kandhmal district right in the beginning of the year came under intensified communal violence after the death of Laxmananda Saraswati, a VHP activist who was busy converting tribals and dalits to Hinduism. Four others were also killed with him. It is still a great mystry as to who killed him and 4 others. The naxalites claimed they killed them and a Naxal leader, hiding his face, spoke on a T.V. Channel and said we have killed Laxamananda Sarasvat.

The VHP, disbelieving Naxal claim went on killing spree in the last week of August and news became to pour in from Kandhmal and Phoolpur districts of killing of Christians. Even Pastors had to run away into woods to escape the wrath of VHP marauders. More than 40 persons were killed in violence spread over three months. A nun was raped just a stone’s throw from the police station. The police became a mute spectator and took no action against VHP killers.

Never in last 60 years of India’s independence such communal fury was witnessed against Christians. It is important to note that BJP is the part of ruling alliance in Orrisa and hence even Chief Minister Navin Patnaik found himself helpless to take any effective action. The Central Government provided Rapid Action Force in adequate numbers and even then communal fury could not be controlled as there was no effective cooperation by the local police.

BJP is determined to widen its political base in Orrisa and as in other states, it does so by targeting minorities. Today it is junior partner with BJD of Navin Patnaik but it is struggling to emerge as a major force in Orrisa in future. Those who are in know of the BJP politics know very well how it expanded its political base in Gujarat by repeatedly organizing communal carnage in Gujarat from 1969 onwards and finally succeeded in thoroughly communalize Gujarat and come to power there with thumping majority. It seems to have similar plans in Orrisa. Unfortunately Navin Patnaik has given opportunity to BJP to do so in Orrisa.

The Orissa communal violence assumed such proportions that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described it a national shame. The Central Government even threatened to move if the State Government does not take effective steps to stop riots. Yet, riots continued and many Christians even converted to Hinduism to save their life. According to The Indian Express report dated 31 August “After days of violence, Kandhmal continues to be battle ground of conversions. In last two days, reportedly over a hundred Christians have been converted to Hinduism.”, said Satyabarat Sahoo, Revenue Divisional Commissioner of the area. Similarly Sajan K.George, national president of the Global Council of the Indian Christians said at Bhubaneshwar, “We have proof that Christians are being forcibly converted to Hinduism in Kandhmal. We have brought to the notice of the authorities.. the police and the state government are not doing anything to protect them. According to our estimates, 50 Christians died in the recent violence..”

On September 8 Azamgarh in U.P. witnessed communal violence in which 2 persons were killed. This happened when BJP M.P. and Hindu extremist leader Aditya Nath Yogi’s rally was passing through Muslim dominated area and provocative slogans regarding Ram temple were being raised. 5 Vehicles were set afire and several people were injured. The Yogi who heads Hindu Yuva Vahini (The Hindu Youth Organization) threatened to burn entire Azamgarh. The rally being taken out by Adityanath was called ‘anti-terrorist Hindu Awareness Rally’. The riot started after some people threw stones at the rally when highly provocative slogans were raised.

On September 9 communal confrontation took place in Agra between Hindus and Muslims when a woman was injured by a motorcyclist. Two groups threw stones at each other and two shops were set afire. A house belonging to Muslims was also burnt down. One Siraj Qureshi noticed it and brought inmates out safely otherwise a major incident would have taken place.

Also on 10th September communal clashes broke out in Gonda, U.P., Bundi, Rajasthan. In Gonda VHP gave call for Bandh in protest against attack on the rally of Adityanath Yogi and Hindus and Muslims fought. VHP activists attacked many Muslim houses and beat up many Muslims. In case of Bundi, in Talera town 12 persons were injured when some dispute between children took communal turn.

On 14th September and following days number of Christian churches came under attack by Bajrang Dal activists in places like Mangalore, Bangalore and several other places. In Karnataka BJP is in power and police dare not take any action against VHP and Bajrang Dal activists. These attacks also continued for several days.

On September 15 Baroda in Gujarat again saw communal violence erupt on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi in which one person was killed as police opened fire. As usual Ganesh procession became the cause of violence. Three shops below a mosque were burnt down. One Rajesh Pawar was arrested by the police for not obeying its orders to wind up procession in time. Similarly three shops below a mandir was also burnt down by the rioters.

Thane near Mumbai erupted on 1st October on the question of installing a gate for Ganesh mandap in the Rabodi area of Thane. One person was killed and 65 injured of which 39 were policemen. Property worth lakhs of rupees were destroyed. DCP Sahebrao Patil was suspended for failing to control the situation by Home Minister R.R.Patil of Maharashtra. Police fired 80 rounds to control rampaging mobs in which one Mohsin Khan (25) was killed. There was widespread destruction of properties and Muslims suffered much more comparatively.

Dhule in Marashtra went up in flames on 5th October. It all started when the VHP put up anti-terrorist posters which were highly provocative with anti-Muslim slant. Some Muslim Youth allegedly tore off some posters and it sparked trouble. It was also very major communal riot though human lives lost were comparatively few i.e. 9 people died and 70 persons injured but more than 230 houses were set on fire. Most of the houses belonging to Muslims were blasted with gas cylinders. The police as usual either remained mere spectators or helped rioters. The maximum economic losses were suffered by Bohra businessmen who are mostly businessmen. There shops were looted and goods carted away allegedly right under the eyes of policemen. One Bohra businessman alone suffered loss of more than a crore (ten million rupees). The then Home Minister R.R.Patil visited Dhulia but did not visit Muslim areas which had suffered major losses. Several Muslim families were completely ruined. Whereas they lost properties and houses worth lakhs of rupees compensation given to them was ridiculous seven and half thousand.

Assam though faced with terrorist problem at the hands of ULFA was free of communal violence except terrible riots in Neili district in 1983 when 4000 Bengali Muslims were killed. On October 9 however, some districts in Assam went up in flames 100 persons were reported to be dead. It was between Bodos and Muslims. The Sangh Parivar has made deep inroads into these districts and is trying to capture North East also and its pet project is to communalise the region to create its base.

According to official sources 47 people were killed but non-official sources maintain it has exceeded 100. though it is said the rioting spark came through some misunderstanding between Bodos and Muslims when reportedly a Bodo on security duty was killed in a Muslim village while on night watch but in fact it was a well planned riot. A green flag hoisting from a mosque was described as Pakistani flag and it was maintained that Assamese Muslims are pro-Pakistan. This was obviously BJP planted stories to spark off trouble. Like in Gujarat in 2002 a pregnant woman was killed during the riots. More than one and half lakh people had to take refuge in refugee camps. In refugee camps also there was constant fear that miscreants might set them to fire. There were no policemen around and hence this fear. Since most of he Assamese Muslims wear lungi and sport beard and cap, they are dubbed as Bangla Deshis and attacked. Before the riot skirmishes were going on between Muslims and Bodos.

Burhanpur in M.P. was affected by communal flare up on 10th October in which 10 persons died of which 3 died in police firing. Rioting started on Friday after noon prayer near Jama Masjid when provocative slogans were raised. About 18 shops and 15 houses were burnt by the miscreants.

On 12th October Adilabad in Andhra Pradesh witnessed communal violence in which 6 persons in a house were burnt alive which included 3 children. Communal violence broke out in Bhensa town also which is in Adilabad district. CPM accused RSS and its front organizations for Bhensa and Adilabad riots. Even Christians were attacked in Bhainsa town by RSS activists.

Latur in Mahrashtra witnessed communal violence on 29th December resulting in death of 2 persons in Pangaon of Latur district. Several Muslims fled from Pangaon and took refuge in nearby villages.

This is brief account of riots that took place in India during unfortunate year of 2008. It proved to be worse than 2007. It is unfortunate and shameful that so many riots take place every year in our country and hundreds loose their lives. Neither government is serious about checkmating these riots nor we have strong secular institutions in our country. Our whole polity has been communalized and communal parties, along with secular parties are responsible for these riots. All our institutions have been affected by communal outlook. Police and administration has been deeply affected. RSS infiltration has taken place in all our institutions.

Let us hope 2009 proves little better.

Communal Riots Report 2007

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January 18, 2008     ‘ alt=comment>

By Asghar Ali Engineer

Every year we monitor communal riots in India. Here is the account of riots, which took place in 2007, which we could monitor through various sources. The first minor riot took place in Bandi district, near Jaipur in Rajasthan on 18th January. Five persons were injured and 7 shops were set to fire when riot broke out when persons belonging to Muslims entered a Gym about which there was controversy and fight broke out between persons belonging to two communities. Of the five persons injured one was a policeman and seven shops burnt resulted in huge economic loss. Police brought the rioting under control and curfew was imposed.

Indore in M.P. has become another sensitive area where communal violence breaks out of and on 21st January clashes broke out between workers of BJP and minority community and this trouble began after some people belonging to minority community showed swords to a BJP office bearer. Several people were injured in Mukripura where rioting broke out and a motorcycle was set afire. Police officer Anshuman Yadav said that situation was brought under control and police had to use teargas shells to disperse mob. There was tension in the whole city.

Bangalore saw outbreak of communal violence on 21st January two days after Muslims had demonstrated on Friday against hanging of Saddam Husain in Iraq. Police fired and in Shivajinagar area one person died and three were injured. In fact before this rally there was communal tension and there was incident of stoning in which 50 persons were injured. Then the Hindu Virat Mahasabha took out Shobha Yatra on the occasion of 100th birth centenary of Guru Golwalkar and the yatris set several places on fire. The police fired in which one man was killed and a police constable was stabbed. Other four police officials were also injured. About 20 civilians were also injured. The violent mob set five buses and several cars to fire. Many shops belonging to Muslims were also set ablaze.

Next it was turn of Gorakhpur, U.P. where on the occasion of Muharram on 27th January (on 7th Muharram procession) there was stoning from some houses in Khotipura area. About a dozen persons were injured in stoning from both sides. The violent mob set fire to one Mazar (shrine) and one car. Curfew was imposed in three areas. Communal tension erupted after one person Agarhari was killed in firing by some unknown person.

However, Gorakhpur continued to burn for couple of days more. Violence again broke out on 29th January when the BJP M.P. Yogi Adityanath was arrested for provoking violence. The demonstrators set ablaze three jeeps and several commercial establishments. The Government of U.P. suspended District Magistrate and S.P. for failing to control communal violence. One person had died and several injured in communal violence and so curfew was imposed in three areas. In fact violence continued as Adityanath is known for provoking communal violence. The Central Government had to think of sending central forces to control violence. Sriprakash Jaiswal, Minister of State for Home in the Centre said this after touring riot affected areas of Gorakhpur.

Next communal incident broke out in Beawar town of Rajgarh district, M.P. On 1st February fight broke out between two communities when some posters about a programme were torn and this became cause of violence. There was intense fighting between members of two communities. Several shops and cars were set to fire. Then curfew was imposed and orders were issued to fire on any one violating curfew. The administration also imposed ban on all politicians from entering the area. About 40 persons were arrested for indulging in violence.

Indore again witnessed communal violence on 12th February. The violence broke out when it was rumoured that a Muslim youth beat a Hindu girl. Soon crowds gathered and violent incidents began. Several vehicles were burnt and ten persons were injured. Violence was so intense that police had to fire in the air and curfew was imposed in three police station areas.

There were minor clashes in Jaipur on 16th February in Lodon ki Gali in Jaipur city of Rajasthan when a Muslim threw chicken waste in a gutter and the Hindus raised hue and cry and stoning started in which ten persons were injured. Police arrested ten persons. Police also arranged a meeting of the elders of the two communities for peace, which had salutary effect.

Another incident of communal violence occurred in Aliganj area of Sultanpur when some boys of majority community indulged in eve teasing and used unbecoming language against some girls going to a photo studio. When this news spread in no time people from both the communities gathered and began stoning each other. Many persons were injured of which two persons, one Hindu and one Muslim were critical and several vehicles were set ablaze. Some firing also took place from both sides.

Darbhanga in Bihar witnessed communal violence due to desecration of one grave belonging to Muslim community. 12 persons were injured. Similarly communal violence broke out in Chittorgarh District at Begin Tehsil on 18th March because some processionists threw gulal on a mosque. Police arrested 70 persons. Thus violence was controlled.

Poonch in Jammu part of J&K witnessed communal violence when 1000 strong group of Muslims occupied a plot of land belonging to a BJP leader and constructed a mosque. The incident occurred on 24th March. The police intervened and stopped construction of mosque. Next day people again began to construct mosque and then riots broke out injuring 20 people when police stopped them and demolished the incomplete structure. Over 25 people many of them policemen were injured in pitched battles between police and rioters. As tension mounted police imposed curfew and sealed off all approach roads and shut down the local telephone exchange. As violence continued army was called in and construction of mosque was stopped.

On 28th March there was trouble in Lalgaon, 40 kms from Jamnagar, in Gujarat when a girl participant in a Ramnaumi procession was teased. The processionists were provoked and stoning started. The mob set fire to the house and shop of the teaser. The police had to lathicharge the mob. The police then arrested the youth who had teased the girl and police bandobast was made in the town.

Madhya Pradesh (M.P.) has become highly communal violence prone since BJP has come to power there. On April 1 again there was communal violence in Narsinghgadh town of Rajgarh district when two processions Hanuman Jayanti and Miladun Nabi procession were being taken out. The processionists of Hanuman Jayanti stopped near a mosque and began shouting anti-Muslim slogans, a police official said. It was also reported that one person died but it could not be ascertained whether it was riot related death. To control the situation five additional companies of SAF, RAF and STF were rushed to Narshinghgadh. Police also had to fire and use teargas shells to disperse unruly mobs of the two communities.

Later three bodies were discovered killed in communal violence. More than 100 persons were arrested and illegal weapons seized in raids. Two bodies were discovered in a pond and one person died as a teargas shell hit him. The analysts said that these riots are clear sign of BJP’s poll preparations. The party, it is said, is out to repeat Gujarat experiment.

On 12th April Umarkhed, in Nander district, Maharashtra witnessed communal violence. A Muslim youth Zamir was murdered by some unknown persons and when his funeral procession was being taken out some people in the procession burnt a travel bus. Then a Shiv Sena leader summoned Shiv Sainiks and Bajrang Dal activists and began looting and burning hundreds of shops. Police arrested many miscreants looting and burning shops. Some Muslim youth also then retaliated and both sides suffered losses worth lakhs of rupees. To control the situation additional police forces were summoned.

Shahjahanpur, M.P. witnessed communal violence on 13th May in which six persons were injured including three women. It was told by police authorities that violence broke out when two buses carrying marriage parties belonging to two communities clashed on the question of giving way to the bus. Police reached on the spot and separated two fighting groups.

Ahmedabad the communally most sensitive city saw minor clashes between Hindus and Muslims on 14th June when a truck carrying mutton was stoned by miscreants. Soon members of both the communities began stoning each other in which 18 persons were injured. However, police intervened and controlled situation.

On August 14 Tenkasi town known for fireworks manufacturing witnessed communal violence in which six persons were killed. The violence broke out on the question of constructing mosque opposite a temple. There was old enmity between two groups. A year before Hindu Munnani leader Kumar Pandian was stabbed to death allegedly by members of Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam. Munnani activists retaliated by stabbing TMMK leader Sait Khan who survived. Thus situation was simmering and clashes occurred in the market place and six persons were killed.

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 ten 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?

Communal Riots 2006

By Asghar Ali Engineer

05 January, 2007

This is as usual our annual survey of communal riots and events during 2006. This was comparatively an year with few riots. In fact post-Gujarat India has witnessed fewer riots. Gujarat was indeed another watershed like the one after post-Babri riots. It has been witnessed that after some major riot, subsequent years witness smaller and fewer riots. Mumbai riots after demolition of Babri Masjid by Sangh Parivar fanatics were also very intense and widespread in 1992-93 in which more than one thousand persons perished. After Mumbai riots there was no major riot with the exception of Coimbatore riots (in which 40 persons were killed) until Gujarat happened.

Gujarat was really earthshaking both in its intensity and in its brutality and direct involvement of state machinery. In fact nothing like Gujarat had happened in post-independence period. Gujarat happened in 2002 and since Gujarat no major riot like it has happened. Such major riots perhaps make even communal forces make so nervous by exposure of media that it takes quite sometime for them to gather courage for next major communal riot. Also, after riots like the ones in Gujarat, 2002, it becomes difficult for communal forces to get people’s support for another one for quite some time. It is also important to note that the next major riot does not usually occur at the same place. For example, after Mumbai riot of 1992-93 next major riot took place in Gujarat, not in Mumbai. Similarly earlier during eighties many major riots took place but subsequent riot never occurred at the same place.

So after Gujarat there has been no major riot so far. During 2006 several small riots took place in different places. The first riot occurred at Baroda on 17th January. Two groups of Hindus and Muslims clashed on some petty matter in which two persons were injured. The police and Rapid Action Force came into action and prevented further trouble. Three persons were arrested.

On 3rd February there were clashes between those going for Friday prayers in Kamalmaula Masjid and Bhojshala temple for worship in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh. The Hindu Jagran Manch, a Sangh Parivar unit has been claiming that Kamalmaula Masjid is a Hindu temple and Dhar has become communally highly sensitive place and clashes occur here frequently. More than 300 Muslims were prevented from entering the sque to pray and police had to resort to lathicharge and fire teargas shells and impose curfew. Muslims had to pray in a temporary structure outside. Later on curfew was relaxed and Hindus were allowed to perform puja.

Very surprisingly clashes between Muslims and Buddhists occurred in Leh in J&K on 10th February. The mob set ablaze a house at Horay Gonpa in protest against the alleged desecration of Qur’an. 31 persons were arrested in clashes between Muslims and Buddhists. The Qur’an was allegedly kept inside the mosque in Bodh Kharboo in Kargil. Curfew had to be imposed which continued for few days and Army had to stage flag march. Leh, in a sense, is communally sensitive as earlier too clashes had occurred between Muslims and Buddhists.

There were clashes in Muzaffarnagar, U.P. between communities on 17th February during demonstrations against cartoons of the Prophet of Islam. Six persons were injured. The sentiments were inflamed as U.P.’s minister of Haj Haji Muhammad Yaqoob announced reward of 51 crores of rupees for anyone who brings the head of the cartoonist. PAC was posted to control the situation. In Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh also clashes occurred between Muslims and Hindus in which one shop was set on fire and 5 persons were injured on same day i.e. on 11th February in Char Minar and other areas. Hyderabad witnessed similar disturbances again on 24th February when a religious place was desecrated in Karwan locality. The faces of lions installed outside the religious place were found broken. Immediately large number of people collected and began stoning the houses of other community. Police had to resort to lathicharge to disperse the mob.

On 3rd March Lucknow which is not so communally sensitive witnessed communal clashes between Hindus and Muslims in which 4 persons were killed while Muslims were staging demonstrations against Prophet’s cartoons after Friday prayers in Aminabad, Qaiserganj, Latoosh Road when Muslims forced shopkeepers to down their shutters. However, according to Muslim source disturbances started when Khatiks (Hindu slaughterers) stoned Muslims protesting against Prophet’s cartoons. Then firing started from both sides in which 4 persons were killed. Majority of those injured were Muslims. In retaliation Muslims stoned many vehicles and damaged them and set fore to effigies of Bush.

Goa also witnessed communal violence on 4th March when Muslims took out protest march against demolition of a structure used for prayer by the minority community. To save the minority community, police claimed, they were evacuated. The Congress blamed the Hindu fundamentalists for disturbances. The Hindus stoned the Protest march. Then the mob ransacked several establishments and torched vehicles. Police fired in the air when someone attacked inspector Gaad and snatched his revolver. Two persons were injured in the firing. About 100 persons were arrested.

Bangalore saw communal violence on 10th March when dispute started between members of two communities in a Muslim majority area of city on the question of barking of dog. The argument between youths of two communities and 9 persons were injured when stoning started and one person was seriously injured in stabbing. The police brought the situation under control.

On March 26 Baroda witnessed communal violence once again in Fatehpura area. More than 100 persons gathered and stoned in which 6 persons were injured. The dispute between the two communities arose on small matter and soon engulfed the area in violence. Of the injured four were seriously injured and had to be hospitalised.

Aligarh flared up on the eve of Navratri on April 6 and four persons were killed. The two communities indulged in stoning and firing. It was alleged that Muslims removed the decorative lighting of a temple and violence flared up. Then the clash occurred with Muslims in Sabzi Mandi and Daiwali Gali. In fact, some alleged that when a piyao (structure for drinking water) was sought to be used as temple and was decorated with lights on the occasion of Navratri, the dispute started and took violent form. Besides 4 persons who died, 13 were injured of which 6 were in critical condition. Curfew had to be imposed in the area of five police stations.

On April 11, on the occasion of Prophet’s birth day Khandwa was engulfed in communal violence and in Pali in Rajasthan was also affected on this occasion. Twelve persons were injured in stoning in Khandwa. In both the places indefinite curfew was imposed. The police sources in Khandwa said that dispute started when some Muslims removed a Raavi Pandal in Jalebi chowk. In Pali, 10 persons were injured when a procession of Mahavir Jayanti was stoned. Some Muslims objected to procession being taken from Pinjara Mohalla and trouble started.

Thana experienced communal disturbances on 24th April. It is reported that one Muslim was unloading wood from a truck when two Hindu youth objected. However, matter was apparently settled but at night around 10 p.m. some Hindu youth came with swords and attacked Muslim houses. But Bajrang Dal group leader Prakash Ramkumar Yadav claimed that clashes started when he and his father were attacked and injured. But Mahmood Dalvi said he received a phone call from the area and when he reached there Ramprakash Yadav, along with 150 others were attacking Muslim houses. They were saying that we will make this area Gujarat. It was also alleged that when Muslim houses were being attacked the local MLA Eknath Sinde and policemen were silent spectators. Muslims alleged that police was arresting us instead of mischief mongers and attackers. Muslims felt terrorised by Bajrang Dal activists and lack of police support.

On April 25 one person was killed in Bhivandi, a Shiv Sainik, on the question of playing cricket. Four others were injured. It all started with a cricket ball hitting a Hindu woman and Muslim boys refusing to stop playing cricket. They forcibly stopped and slapped the boys. The boys threatened to return and settle score. They, some 30 in all returned with sticks, chains and stumps and attacked Mohan. Mohan later succumbed to his injuries. Police arrested six boys and was looking for 20 others.

Baroda, communally highly inflammable place since early eighties, once again was in flames on May 1st when a three hundred year old dargah of Chishti Rashiduddin was demolished by Vadodara Municipal Corporation which sparked riots in which 4 persons were killed and more than 12 were injured in police firing. Two of the dead had bullet injuries while other two were stabbed. It was demolished as an ‘illegal structure’. How can a three hundred year old dargah be declared as illegal?

Initially there was argument between residents of the locality but matter worsened when police intervened leading to riots which soon spread in different parts of the city. The police failed to disperse the mob by lathicharge and resorted to firing. Later on one Muslim was burnt alive along with his car and when people phoned control room police allegedly said ‘Go to Pakistan’. According to one estimate in all 6 persons died.

On intervention by Kamaluddin Bawa, it was agreed by Muslims that a portion of Mazar could be sliced of for road widening but when Muslims discovered that VMC plans to demolish entire Mazar they protested. The corporators most of whom were from BJP also maintained that when they could demolish temples why can’t VMC demolish dargah. But they forgot that temples were unauthorised and of recent origin whereas dargah was three hundred years old and could not be called ‘illegal’. Anyway it resulted in serious communal violence resulting in death of six persons. On 18th May dead bodies of two children were found in decomposed state in the dicky of a car belonging to a VHP leader. How heinous crimes these communal fanatics can commit!

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 JP 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, Blandshahar 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.

India: Communal Riots 2005

communalism.blogspot.com

January 19, 2006

COMMUNAL RIOTS – 2005

by Asghar Ali Engineer

(Secular Perspective Jan.16 to Feb.15, 2006)

Like 2004 the year 2005 was also comparatively less violent as far as communal riots are concerned. In fact it is Gujarat, which takes the cake. Perhaps for years to come nothing like Gujarat carnage is likely to take place. Communal carnage of the kind, which took place in Gujarat is not possible without active support of the state machinery. But that does not mean communal violence does not take place at all. It does.

One can put communal violence under two categories: 1) Communal violence which is carefully planned and executed with political or state support or at least with subtle state connivance. Such violence results in great losses of lives as well as properties. It goes on for a long period of time and is deliberately not controlled unless the stated goal is achieved. Anti-Sikh riots of 1984, Bhagalpur riots of 1989, Mumbai riots of 1992-93 and Gujarat riots of 2002 are its obvious examples.

2) Those riots which spontaneously break out on minor causes like dispute on land or money matters between two individuals or groups, knocking out somebody accidentally by car or scooter or construction of mosque or temple etc. Since these are unplanned and spontaneous clashes can be easily controlled, given little determination on the part of police. And in such riots few lives are lost or not much damage is done to properties.

The second category of riots takes place as a result of constant communal propaganda. It is important to note that absence of communal violence does not mean absence of communal propaganda. Communal propaganda goes on riots or no riots. Thus communal forces keep on poisoning the minds of people and keep on promoting animosity between the communities. And so skirmishes continue.

Communal Riots in 2005

It began with Vadodra, Gujarat on 4th February. Gujarat is highly communalised state today in India, thanks to BJP rule and Narendra Modi’s open hostility to Muslims. Trouble began when people in a marriage procession, accompanied by DJ and high power music system, allegedly beat up an auto-rickshaw driver passing on the same rout when he complained of traffic jam. The driver belonged to the minority community, ran away after being beaten up. Soon thereafter a mob came and pelted in stones. A posse of policemen rushed and lobbed four tear gas shells. About a dozen people including a policeman were injured. Four persons were arrested and police also seized the music system.

The rioting in Vadodra was followed by one in Jaunpur village Khetasarai on 4th February. Here it was result of dispute about a cemetery land. In this one woman was killed and 23 persons were injured. Communal tension mounted in the area subsequent to this incident. Violence erupted when some people hoisted saffron flag on the cemetery land when settlement process was on. Then people of one community set fire to two houses of another community. And in response to that people of another community set fire to one shop. Then PAC reinforcements were brought. The people of two communities gathered in large numbers and raised slogans against each other. The police arrested 23 persons from both the communities.

On 8th February communal violence broke out in Rajnandgaon of Chattisgarh. This was result of two girls having fled from their houses and two groups fought on that. Then firing began and then first 144 was clamped and then curfew in the area. There was no news, however, of any death.

Then it was turn of Azamgarh district on 9th February when dispute on distribution of kerosene in Diwali Khalsa village in which 12 persons were injured. Some people belonging to another community tried to enter the queue out of turn and situation went out of control. The police rushed to the spot and controlled the situation.

Again a village in Vadodra district witnessed communal clashes on 11th February when two cyclists belonging to different communities fought. Fifteen persons were injured including a leader of VHP. Many houses were also damaged. The police was keeping a vigil to keep control over the situation.

Next we see communal rioting in Nagazmangala town of Mandya district in Karnataka when an idol was taken from the temple and thrown on the road. However, no one knows who was the culprit. After the rouble broke out rioters, Hindus as well as Muslims went on a rampage in the town. It is said properties worth crores of rupees were destroyed. The police lobbed teargas shells and fired five rounds in the air.

Agra witnessed riots on 13th February in Tajganj near Tajmahal when someone from one community teased a girl from another community. Many houses were set afire after this incident and stoning on large scale started. The police maintained that since police inspector of Tajganj police station had gone out the rioting took such fierce form. He said there was incidence of firing also between two communities. Many illegal arms were found in the area.

Next it was Sanbhalnagar of Moradabad that communal violence erupted on the occasion of Moharram on 19th February. These are communally highly sensitive areas. Rioters resorted to firing in Sanbhalgarh. The police arrested 100 persons from both the communities.

On the same day Lucknow witnessed rioting between Shias and Sunnis in which 3 persons lost their lives and 40 were injured in the old city. Government announced compensation of Rs. 5 lakhs for every person died. 10 shops were looted. The trouble started with Muslims of one sect threw stones on Tazia procession of another sect. Many shops were set on fire. The Shia and Sunni leaders have appealed for peace. Later on 22nd February Banaras also saw sectarian violence between Shias and Sunnis in which 24 persons were injured and when dispute started on Tazia procession due to falling of tree on the way. The curfew was imposed which continued even on the third day of incidents.

Dhar in M.P. also witnessed communal disturbances on 22nd February after an explosion and curfew was clamped. Curfew was clamped after stone throwing and setting fire to properties. Ten persons were injured including policemen. An auto rickshaw was set on fire near the bus stand.

Bhilwada, thanks to activities of Bajrang Dal and VHP, has become extremely sensitive town. On 13th March town became very tense after murder of a Bajrang Dal man. For three days curfew remained in force. In Naseerabad in Ajmer District experienced communal tension when a religious leader was injured in Chaprasi Mohallah.

In Mandal, in Bhilwada district more violence erupted on 8th April when some miscreants hoisted saffron flag on a mosque. Muslims were agitated and they filed FIR and the police promised to act against the culprits. Muslims then took out a silent procession and submitted a memorandum. Then in the evening a procession of Charbhujanath was taken out and it stopped near Lakhara chowk and lot of gulal (a coloured powder) was thrown around and at that time some stones were thrown by unknown people. No one knows who threw stones. All those who live around this chowk are Hindus and stones mainly came from the roofs of Hindu houses. It could be the conspiracy of those who were involved in hoisting saffron flag on mosque in the morning.

Immediately after this situation went out of control and 11 Muslim shops and two houses were burnt to ashes and two mazars (mausoleums) were uprooted and Madina Masjid was damaged and one motor cycle was set on fire. Then curfew was imposed at 7-30 p.m. but before it a person called Kanhaiyya Das, who was among the rioters was killed in police firing. The miscreants put his dead body outside a temple and spread rumor that some Muslims entered the temple and killed him.

The police who knew better registered an FIR under pressure from BJP, VHP and even some Congress politicians and it arrested 25 Muslims and beat them up mercilessly. In search operation for illicit arms in Muslim houses many women were also beaten up. Thus Muslims had to suffer financially and physically. In Mandal there were cordial relations between Hindus and Muslims but BJP-VHP combine do not like Hindu-Muslim unity.

Then in Kareda Tehsil suddenly one found flags on Hindu temples with 786 Muslim sacred symbol) inscribed on them and some animal bones. One can well understand who must have done it. Kareda markets remained closed for 72 hours. The Sangh Parivar fixed the responsibility of this on a sufi saint of Kareda Sailani Baba and described his centre as centre of Pak agents and smugglers and demanded his removal from there and threatened that if administration did not act then it will be converted into Gujarat. Communal tension continued there for many days.

Sailani Baba who has Hindu and Muslim disciples was subjected to thorough search but nothing incriminating was found there. And one who had desecrated the temples was nothing but a Shiv Sena activist Ramratan Jhanvar. The whole conspiracy was exposed and Hindus were stunned by such blatant act.

Holi is another occasion when communal skirmishes invariably take place in some communally sensitive areas. Three persons were killed and several others injured. In Balrampur U.P. people in Subhashnagar and Gandhinagar clashed and set fire to several shops. When the procession was passing through a religious place stoning began and clashes started. The police imposed curfew. Police has filed FIR against 52 persons and have arrested 35 so far.

In Rajasthan curfew had to be imposed in Sojat town in the Pali district on 27th March following clashes between two communities during a dance procession on the occasion of Holi. A dozen persons were injured in the clash. According to the police sources, the incident occurred on Saturday evening as a traditional Holi dance procession passed through a Muslim locality and suddenly both side started pelting stones at each other. Angry processionists went on rampage and shops in the area were set on fire. Seventeen persons were injured and 20 shops were set ablaze.

On 27th March Faizabad in U.P. too experienced communal disturbances when members of two communities clashed on the question of throwing colour by Holi revellers. Members of both communities fired on each other. Four persons were injured seriously and 12 shops were set ablaze. It is reported that during Holi revelries about 6 persons died in different parts of U.P. and 50 persons injured. Police said that in Ferozpur one person was shot dead and one died of fire burns. In Fatehgarh, Farrukhabad one person was shot dead.

On 31st March on the occasion of Rangpanchmi communal disturbances broke out in Sarangpur in Rajgadh district in Rajasthan. In these disturbances several people were injured in stone throwing and police has arrested 50 persons in this connection.

Bhilwara, Rajasthan, which has emerged as most sensitive town again witnessed communal clashes on 8th April when communal rioting took place in Mandal town of Bhilwada district. Muslims from villages in the district began to flee for safety. Trouble began when a saffron flag was hoisted on a mosque in Mandal on 8th April and violence broke out when a religious procession was in progress. In Karjalia village of Bhilwada district Muslims faced total boycott and they began to migrate from there when a RSS activist was murdered on March 1. Hindu activists fanned out in the area and called for a social boycott of Muslims. Some 19 families from the village migrated to other places. No one talks to Muslims and if someone does he has to pay a fine of Rs. 11,000. No Hindu shop sells them anything. Bhilwara has become Gujarat within Rajastan.

In these disturbances 10 persons were injured, 6 shops were set afire and three religious places were burnt down. Kanahiyalal Beragi was killed in police firing but police is trying to shift blame on someone else saying he was killed in firing from unlicensed weapon. Beragi’s family maintains that he was killed in police firing and unless police officer is arrested they will not perform last rites of Beragi.

On 19th April people of to communities clashed in Morshi Taluka of Amravati district in Maharashra in which one person was killed and two were injured. This was result of fight between two youths of two communities on a shop. According to collector of Amravati district many shops were set ablaze and looted. Two Autorickshaws and two motor cycles were also burnt down.

On 7th May a Hindu a 50-60 strong mob presumably belonging to Sangh Parivar attacked with lathis on Muslims who had gathered in Kamba in Bhivandi gathered there to pray at Jannatshahwale Baba’s mausoleum. Most of the Muslims were injured. They also upturned a rickshaw and beat up two motorcyclists. They claimed it is Samadhi of Nonathbaba and not Jannatshah Baba’s mausoleum. The dargah has 100 acre property and Sangh Parivar wants to grab the land.

Next Surat came under spell of communal violence on 16th May. Disturbances started after a minor collision between a Muslim Scooterist and a Hindu Kahar Autorickshawwala. Nadeem alias Kaliyo, the Scooterist was injured and shifted to civil hospital and his people came demanding compensation from Autorickshaw owner. An argument began and stoning and acid bulbs were thrown along with soda water bottles. Several people were injured. 27 persons were arrested in this connection. The mob also set fire to one rickshaw and two cycles. Rumours that Dhansukh Kahar was kidnapped and killed began doing rounds until he was found sleeping near the Tapti bank.

Dhar in M.P., another communally sensitive town came under bout of communal violence after some dispute between persons of two communities in which two persons died and 11 were injured. One Raju Bherivi was killed in these skirmishes. Then a Hindu mob armed with swords and other weapons went and killed one Muslim named Allah Noor. It was result of fight between children of two families, which assumed such grave proportions. Curfew had to be imposed on the town.

Badoda (Vadodra) witnessed another bout of communal violence in Mughalwada and this happened, according to the police, due to gamblers. It is gamblers who were interested in provoking violence to earn money. One gambler has been arrested in this connection. Police had to do lathicharge, had to throw teargas shells and open 8 rounds of fire in the air. In this firing one person i.e. Mohammad Saeed was killed. According to the police apart from gamblers, some politicians and media people also might have been involved.

Major Riot in Mau (U.P.)

Mau, in U.P., again a highly sensitive town and went up in flame in October on the occasion of Dasehra. Mau has significant population of Muslim weavers. It is primarily a weavers’ town. Unofficial figures of casualties after proper investigation stand at 14 dead in all and properties worth crores of rupees were reduced to ashes. Many shops were looted. Hospitals, schools and other properties belonging to minority community were totally destroyed.

The dispute started on the question of loudspeaker. Taravih prayers were going on in the mosque nearby due to month of Ramzan and in nearby Dasehra maidan loudspeaker was being used for songs. Some Muslims requested to stop it and Hindus, including one BJP leader agreed to it. But next day some activists of Hindu Yuva Vahini led by Yogi Aditya Nath objected and started playing loudspeaker again and some Muslim youth snatched the equipment. A Hindu Yuva Vahini leader fired and several Muslims were injured. This incited some Muslims to attack Hindus and loot their shops.

But next day the Hindu miscreants took over and killed, looted and set fore to Muslim properties and police looked on. A high police officer from Lucknow told me that it appears that Mulayam Singh government deliberately allowed this mayhem and pillage to balance what happened to Hindus on the first day to ward off BJP criticism. However, whatever the truth fact remains that Muslims suffered great loss of properties although casualties seem to be equal in both the communities.

The role of the media, particularly Hindi media, as usual, was far from satisfactory. It published inflammatory headlines about massacre of Hindus. One T.V. Channel also seems to have doctored a video about the independent M.L.A. Mukhtar Ansari as if he was provoking riots in presence of police bodyguards. The video clip showed only his gestures but there was no sound. All this shows media remains a part of the problem rather than part of solution. Unfortunately administration never takes any action against the media for spreading rumours and hatred.

While disturbances were going on in Mau, Agra once again witnessed communal skirmishes on 23rd October as a result of a small incident in which one woman was accused of theft in a cloth shop and the servant of the shop searched her bag under suspicion. This small incident led to communal clashes when other shopkeepers also joined in. Many anti-social elements suddenly appeared with firearms and began looting shops. Hundreds of people went up on their roofs and began stoning from there. This area around Jami Masjid in Agra is communally very sensitive.

On 20th December communal clashes took place between Hindus and Muslims in Vasundari village under Titwala police station. The clashes started on the question of digging earth. While some Muslims were digging earth, some Hindus attacked them with lathis, iron rods and pickaxes. Seven persons were injured. The injured were admitted to Sion Hospital, Mumbai. One Rohidas Pandurang Jadhav succumbed to his injuries and this led to further tension in the village. On hearing of Jadhav’s death many Muslim women fled from the village as many Muslim men had already been arrested. There was ongoing dispute between Zamir Nazir Pawle and Ganesh Haribhav Jadhav about digging the earth for brick kiln. His brick kiln was also destroyed.

Thus it will be seen that except for Mau riots in October 2005 all other riots were minor and result of small incidents here and there. Such violence is also result of constant hate propaganda by communal forces and regrettably governments of various states do not take any action against hate propaganda. And this propaganda helps communalists for planning major communal violence whenever needed as in Mau this year. It is only vigilance by the people and committed members of civil society that major clashes can be prevented.

Communal Riots 2004

www.indianmuslims.info

January 1-15, 2005

by Asghar Ali Engineer

Like the year 2003, 2004 also did not witness any major riot. In fact the Gujarat carnage of 2002 was so traumatic that it may take sometime for the country to see communal violence on such scale. It is well known fact that major communal riot cannot take place without planning and organised efforts. The Gujarat carnage would not have been possible without BJPs and Gujarat Government’s involvement. Of course it cost the BJP dearly and one of the reasons of loosing the Lok Sabha elections in 2004 was the Gujarat carnage as admitted by no less a person than A.B.Vajpayee, the BJP Prime Minster. Thus for the time being the BJP dare not involve in organising rioting on such major scale.

It is for this reason that both in 2003 and 2004 we do not find any major sustained communal violence except for riots in which couple of lives were lost. It is interesting to note that for last few years Western zone of the country i.e. Gujarat and Maharashtra have mostly witnessed communal violence. Gujarat still remains communally sensitive and without major de-communalising campaigns (and there is no such possibility as long as the BJP is in power in Gujarat) Gujarat will remain communally highly sensitive. Maharashtra too is quite communally sensitive next to Gujarat. Though there is Congress-NCP secular alliance in Maharashtra, there are no serious efforts to ideologically fight the Shiv Sena-BJP combine. Shiv Sena-BJP though it failed to come to power in the last state assembly election, it continues to wield ideological influence.

Thus the first communal clash in 2004 took place in Vadodra, Gujarat. Due to a cycle mishap the two groups belonging to Hindu and Muslim community clashed with each other and started pelting stones at each other on 6th January in Sajaynagar, Tsiwadi. According to the Police Commissioner Sudhir Kumar Sinha when the SRP personnel tried to control the mob, it was attacked. The SRP Jawan then fired two rounds in the air. SRP Jawans were injured in the stone throwing.

Then on 8th January 7 persons were injured in two of them seriously, in a group clash at Jalgaon-Jamod Tehsil in Buldana district of Maharashtra. A minor incident involving a cyclist and a truck driver escalated into a major clash between Hindus and Muslims. Senior police and revenue officials rushed to the spot and controlled the situation.

In M.P. state elections had taken place in December 2003 and the BJP had won. The BJP is trying to Hinduise tribals in Jhabua and other tribal belts of M.P. in order to win their political support. It had campaigned in a major way in Jhabua district, which is adjacent to Gujarat state. Thus Jhabua became communally quite sensitive. Thus communal clashes took place in Jhabua district between Bheels and Christians on 17th January. Actually Bhils attacked Christian Missionaries and killed one person.

Communal tension was on the rise for last few months, following the decision of the RSS-VHP cadres to prevent religious conversions by Christian missionaries. Backers of the latter, belonging to the ferocious Bhil tribe, struck back on Friday night with bows and arrows in the Alirajpur area killing one person (unofficially three), injuring over a dozen, and setting a few vehicles and buildings ablaze. It was alleged that the most serious incident had occurred when a religious procession of Sadhvis attached to a Hindu Saint Asaram Bapu at Amkhunt village was attacked and the women manhandled. The Sadhvis were distributing religious literature when the surprise attack occurred.

Earlier a 9-year-old girl was raped and murdered and her body found in a toilet inside a missionary school it had raised communal temperature as some Christians were suspected to have done that. But it was a false rumour and Chief Minister Uma Bharti herself confirmed that the culprit arrested had no connection with the church. It seems the religious literature being distributed was not innocuous and likely to have provoked some Christians. Chief Minister assured that the Christian missionaries working in the area would receive full protection.

It was again Godhra in Gujarat that a communal incident took place on 18th February in which six persons were injured, including a police sub-inspector and two constables when members of minority community and the police clashed in this sensitive town. The flare-up comes barely 10 days before the Sabarmati Express incident two years ago. It all started during police operation to arrest Salim Paanwala, one of the main accused in the Sabarmati train carnage from Umar Masjid in Saat Pul area. The locals alleged that the cops misbehaved with them, beating them up and ransacking their houses. One Amin Guri sustained serious injuries and was shifted to SSG Hospital in Vadodra for treatment. Two other civilians injured in the incident were identified as Rafiq and Yaqub. According to the SP. Police more than 35 persons were arrested. Though situation was under control, additional forces were deployed to maintain law and order. Paanwala was absconding and on being tipped police came to arrest him and this incident took place. Among those beaten up by the police was Husaina Farooq Jiteli, a six-month pregnant woman. She told the cops hit me on the abdomen when I resisted my husband’s arrest. The house of Kasimbibi adjoining the mosque was ransacked. « My two sons had just returned from the mosque when the police broke open the door and began beating up them », she said.

Ujjain in M.P. witnessed communal incidents on 22nd February as M.P. under BJP rule has become more communally sensitive. The state under the BJP was experiencing more and more communal incidents. On 22 February two groups clashed on the question of removing illegal shops in front of a mosque after which 7 areas came under curfew. These shops were being removed for facilitating Mahakumbh Mela. In these clashes 10 persons including I.G. police Sarabjit Singh were injured. The police used lathicharge, tear gas shells and water cannon to control the clashing groups. More than 57 persons were arrested. About 200 Muslims who had taken refuge inside the mosque were transported to safe places.

Vadodra in Gujarat again witnessed communal violence on 27th February in which three persons were killed and 13 others were injured. The violence erupted after the Tazia procession was stoned in Bavamanpura area. One person was beaten to death. Paresh Pushwani when he was travelling on scooter was attacked by a mob of 200 persons. He succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. One another person was hit by the police bullet and one person was stabbed to death. Thirteen persons injured included four police personnel in stone pelting. Nagin Parmar and Chotalal Borsi were attacked by sharp weapons by a mob in Paginate area of which Borsi succumbed to his injuries. On 29th February one person was stabbed to death again in Panigate area. But police refused to accept it as a communal incident and ascribed it to personal quarrel.

On the eve of Moharram small incidents took place in several towns on 2nd March in India. Moradabad in U.P. witnessed stone throwing, one person was stabbed in Baroda, Gujarat, ships were closed in Ajmer in Rajasthan. In Pratapgarh one laundry was set on fire. In Barida Muslims decided not to take out Tazia procession to maintain peace in the city. Baroda again witnessed violence on 4th March when one more person was stabbed in Yaqutpura area. There were incidents of stone throwing between two communities in Yaqutpura, Fatehpura and other areas. More than 5 persons were injured including two policemen. Police resorted to firing in the air to disperse the mob.

After Moharram Holi festival on 7th March became an occasion for communal clashes in Darvha town of Yeotmal district in Maharashtra. Curfew had to be imposed after 16 persons were injured. Violence broke out when coloured powder fell incidentally on the mosque. And 24 persons were injured when clashes broke out in Sikandrabad locality of Allahabad in U.P. when minority community members objected to Holi revellers passing through a particular lane. Two groups pelted stones at each other damaging many shops and vehicles in the area.

Ahmadnagar in Maharashtra experienced communal violence on 7th March when a Shiv Sena MLA was arrested for provoking violence on 3rd March. Ahmadnagar had witnessed communal violence on 10th of Moharram (3rd March) and next day i.e. on 4th March Chitre Road, Sarjepura, Tillikot, Milindnagar and Delegate areas Muslim shops were attacked, burnt and looted. The violence continued for more than five days. Though Muslims were main victims the police arrested many Muslim youths. Muslims were greatly upset due to alleged partial role of the police.

Bhavnagar in Gujarat came under pall of communal violence after one person was stabbed on 4th March at midnight. More than six persons were injured including a woman in these communal clashes. This happened when one group tried to stop another group from taking out religious procession. The police also recovered body of a 9 year old child with injuries on its body but it was not clear whether he was killed in communal incident.

One person was killed in Chirli village of Gwalior in M.P. on 7th March on the occasion of Holi and 23 were injured of whom many were critical. The clashes between Hindus and Muslims started when Holi revellers threw colour on some Muslims. Knives and other weapons were freely used during the clashes.

Baroda was under spell of communal violence yet again on 4th May when 5 persons were injured in walled city when the two groups clashed with each other. The police was forced to lathicharge, then used teargas shells and then fired in the air when a mob attacked a house. The mob damaged two vehicles in Chabuksawar Mohalla and Pancholi area. Two persons were arrested for resorting to violence. Two injured youth were taken to hospital of which one was in critical condition. His name was Shahnawaz Qureshi. The police fired two rounds but no one was injured. The clashes broke out after two persons quarrelled on the question of parking their vehicles.

Next communal disturbances took place at Chita Camp, Trombay in Eastern suburbs of Mumbai on 7th May. Police sources said that trouble began following an altercation between members of the minority community and devotees of who were participating in a procession taken out from Mariamma temple in Cheetah Camp. Some members of the minority community objected to the procession being carried out late in the night in front of the mosque. They objected to the playing of drums. Some one threw stones on the procession and devotees retaliated. Temples and mosques are situated closed to each other. Next day there was stoning at the time of Friday prayers. The police lathi charged and brought the situation under control at midnight. Eighteen persons including several policemen were injured.

Next rioting broke out again in Gujarat in Savarkundla Town of Amreli district on 14th May. A police head constable Abdul Sattar Baloch stabbed one Sukhabhai from the Koli community. He later succumbed to his injuries and people returning from his funeral procession began to stone Muslim houses and set a truck ablaze. Curfew was imposed. Sukhabhai was stabbed during cricket match. He died one week after that. The communal disturbances broke out after his death.

On 15th May communal riots occurred in Gomtipur Ahmedabad. Eight persons were injured and more than 16 persons were arrested. The members of two communities clashed on the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti. Two shops were also set ablaze by the rioters.

Meerut, a communally sensitive city in U.P. witnessed communal flare up on June 19 in which two persons were killed. The communal flare up took place after one Babi Gujar was killed on 18th June and people returning from his funeral began to stone near an Eidgah. Communal violence intensified thereafter and one person was stabbed and one was killed by firing. Curfew was imposed in the Sardhana area of Meerut where disturbances broke out. The police sources said three persons were killed. Many were arrested. Curfew continued next day also and in all 48 persons were arrested.

Next Sanghavli village in Muzaffarnagar district in U.P. came under spell of communal violence on 21 July in which one woman was killed and 20 persons were injured. One Dalit girl two and half years old Shivani was knocked down by a car belonging to a Muslim. Thereupon Dalits attacked the Muslim locality and began to fire. The police on receiving information rushed to the scene and took injured to the district hospital where one woman Raghuviri succumbed to her injuries.

Gujarat continues to take cake in communal violence. Verawal in Gujarat witnessed communal frenzy on 26th July in which 2 persons were killed and 8 were injured. The violence between the two communities broke out on the question of eve teasing. A young Hussain Zair was killed in Taj Society when police opened fire to disperse rampaging mobs that resorted to heavy stone pelting and setting ablaze nearly 40 shops and as many vehicles, police said. Another person was stabbed to death in Jalaramnagar area and was brought dead to civil Hospital. The person could not be identified. Curfew was imposed but rioting was going on in some areas. The girl who was teased belonged to Kharva community and teaser was a Muslim boy.

Belgaum on border area of Karnataka and Maharashra witnessed communal clashes between the two communities in which about 50 persons including 20 women were injured in Durbar Gulli of the town. The injured had to be hospitalised. The Belgam Devathal had organised puja in all the city temples to mark the last Tuesday of Adhik mass. A large number of people thronged the temples. Some devotees began to throw turmeric powder at a temple in Durbara Gali as members of minority community were coming out after offering prayers from a mosque. Some people objected to turmeric powder being thrown and scuffles started. After the ritual persons from both the communities started pelting stones. Both the communities blamed the police for inaction. A year before also violence had broken out during the same ritual.

On 16th August Akola came to experience communal violence in which one person was killed and one was severely injured. During the celebration of independence day there was some quarrel between two groups and violence broke out. The person who died was identified as Rau. Six persons were arrested. This led to communal tension in the area.

On 15th August violence broke out in Petla in Anand district of Gujarat on the question of parking an Autorickshaw between two communities. The police had to resort to firing in which one person was injured and curfew had to be imposed. Many shops were set ablaze. To keep the situation under control additional police force was rushed to Anand.

On 7th August there were serious clashes between Hindus and Muslims in Akot of Akola district in Maharashtra in which 3 persons were injured. It started with a man being wounded by a scooter of another community. Stone throwing started after arguments between them. One car was also damaged. The police reached the spot swiftly and cooled the tempers with the help of social workers. Akot is a communal sensitive area so security was immediately beefed up.

Then on 29th August in Dekhar Gaon of Anjha Taluka in Mehsana district of Gujarat witnessed clashes between two communities in which more than 15 persons were injured of which two persons were in critical condition. The police reached the spot on time and brought the situation under control. According to the police a son of a retired police officer had gone to the village for Puja and clashed with persons of minority community and others got involved from both communities.

Jalna and Purna in Marathwada district of Parbhani in Maharashtra witnessed bomb blasts near a mosque after the Friday prayer on 27th August in which 23 persons praying in the mosque were seriously injured. The persons who threw bombs came on motorcycles and their faces were masked. Their identity could not be established immediately. Since it was on the eve of state elections it was suspected that communal forces tried to ignite communal violence to polarise Hindus and Muslims. The department declared security alert throughout the State in view of these bomb attacks. Mr. Sharad Pawar, the NCP chief also warned in a press conference in Marathwada that communal mischief will not be tolerated. This bomb incident created an acute sense of insecurity among Muslims.

In Khantalao, Bhandara Maharashtra communal violence broke out on 11 September on the question of land ownership and 20 persons were injured. Many shops were set ablaze. More than 60 persons were arrested. The trouble broke out when Siv Sena and Bajrang Dal people gave a call for bandh to protest against a plot of land near a temple having been wrongfully occupied. The Shivsainiks soon became violent and began to attack minority community in which 20 persons were attacked. More than 35 places were set to fire. Curfew was clamped to control the situation.

Muradabad in U.P. another communally sensitive place, saw communal disturbances on 15 September in which one person died. The problem began with dispute about the construction of a wall in the courtyard of a mosque. Stoning and firing took place between Hindus and Muslims and one person was killed and 18 persons were injured including two policemen. The members of two communities fought despite the presence of the police personnel.

Baroda again came under communal spell on 19th September in which six persons were injured when Ganesh Chaturthi procession was being taken out in the Panigate area which is hyper sensitive and witnesses communal violence repeatedly. The procession was passing through Dudhwala Mohalla of Panigate area.

Badohi in U.P. known for carpet weaving experienced communal violence on 24th October when idols of Goddess Durga were being taken out. It took violent turn when some slogans were raised during the procession of idols. The mob set afire several shops including an electronic shop on Chauri and Gyanpur Roads. About 24 persons were injured. Rapid Action Force and additional police forces had to be deployed to control the situation. The mob also damaged buses and obstructed movement of trains on Bhadohi-Varanasi-Janghai route. 10 persons were arrested for rioting and violence.

In Padrona Qasba of Kushinagar, U.P. disturbances broke out on the question of hoisting a flag near the idol of Durga in which 25 persons were injured and 38 persons were arrested according to the police.

Bhopal in M.P. saw communal clashes in the Shahjahanabad Policethana area on 26th October in which one person died and one was critically injured. Curfew was clamped and judicial inquiry ordered. Deceased was identified as Jaiprakash. Two children quarrelled and their elders intervened leading to communal clash.

Zakaria Buder area in Mumbai witnessed communal violence on 1st November near Cottongreen station in which seven persons were injured. Trouble broke out when a fruit vendor Habibullah was beaten up by some youth from Ambewadi Chawl because of previous enmity. Habibullah’s friends intervened and two groups started pelting stones and threw bottles.

Silcher town in Assam also was rocked by communal violence on November 7 in which 50 shops belonging to minority community were burnt and looted and they sustained loss amounting to crores of rupees. It all started when police refused to give permission to take out a funeral procession of an employee who was murdered through minority locality. The mob went on rampage and curfew had to be imposed.

All the riots we have described above started with small incident which are quite common place but did not assume serious proportion and could be controlled easily as there was no intention by any communal party to exploit these incidents for engineering communal violence for political purposes. No major communal riot can take place without previous planning and providing infrastructure for the same. Any of these incidents could have assumed serious proportions if any communal party had intended to exploit it for their interests.

The major riots also start with small triggering incidents. In that case police is also under pressure not to act and let the violence spread. In post-Gujarat situation, the communal forces did not want to engineer any major riot and hence both in 2003 and 2004 we see only small communal incidents but no major and widespread communal violence. In all these instances the police could effectively control communal violence as they could act independently without any political pressure. If the police is under strict instruction not to allow communal incidents and politicians do not interfere no riot can continue beyond few hours. Widespread communal violence takes place not only by the connivance of unscrupulous politicians but by their complete involvement.

Communal Riots 2003

By Asghar Ali Engineer

Centre For Study Of Society And Secularism
03 January, 2003

Communal riots have become the fate of this country thanks to our politicians and their selfish interests. And ironically most of the riots are engineered by those politicians who claim to be most patriotic. Their patriotism is designed to win power by propagating hate politics against minority communities. The year 2003 too, like previous years, saw its own quota of communal violence.

The communal violence began in Gujarat in the New Year. Gujarat, ruled by Narendra Modi, a hard core RSS man who was responsible for Gujarat carnage of 2002. Gujarat witnessed series of communal clashes on 2nd January 2003. Most of these incidents occurred in Central Gujarat, the region from where the BJP won maximum number of seats. And no wonder most of the victims were from minority community. The police officials admit that stray cases of communal violence have not stopped since the Gujarat carnage. After the election results, more than dozen cases of violence, including murders, stone pelting and arson, occurred in 10 different places, most of them in Central Gujarat.

On 2nd January Darbhanga, Bihar witnessed communal riot in Lalbagh area in which 8 persons were injured including two policemen and police had to impose curfew. And on 2nd January communal violence took place in Ahmad Nagar, Maharashtra, in which 5 persons were injured including one 70 year old woman. The violence broke out on the question of burial ground land (qabrastan). Police bandobast was tightened after these clashes between the two communities.

The hate propagandists have created such polarisation between Hindus and Muslims that any small incident like scooterists knocking down member of another community or cricket game involving two communities results in communal clashes. In Vidarbha towns of Akot and Risod cricket resulted in communal clashes on 9th January in which 1 person was stabbed and six injured and in Risod 150 shops were gutted resulting in loss of crores of rupees. Risod is a sleepy town in Washim district. Both the towns are in communally sensitive district and have mixed population. In Akot a trader called Sadarani was grievously stabbed during the game.

It was again a Gujarat that communal violence broke out on 15th January on the occasion of Uttarayan festival in several towns like Ahmedabad, Godhra and Navsari. At least 15 persons were injured in these clashes. Stone throwing and mob clashes took place in Dariyaganj and Gomtipura areas which are communally most sensitive in Ahmedabad.

On 14th January violence erupted in Ganjbasoda town in Vidisha district of M.P. due to alleged case of cow slaughter. Cow slaughter is another issue on which violence erupts time and again. On hearing about cow slaughter the mob went on rampage setting 60 shops belonging to Muslims were set on fire. Members of Bajrang Dal are alleged to be behind these communal disturbances. These Bajrang Dals were encouraged by the success of BJP in Gujarat. Some houses and vehicles were also set on fire. 22 persons were arrested. All this happened even though the culprit and his family members were arrested. Night curfew and section 144 were imposed and situation was stated to be under control.

There was communal riot in Mungir town in Bihar on 16th January in which two persons including an Imam of the mosque were killed. The violence erupted after one Umakant Yadav was killed. Umakant was killed by some goondas belonging to minority community. This news spread like wild fire in the city and members of both the communities came out on the streets with dangerous weapons. They fought against each other and apart from the Imam another person Muhammad Shamu also was killed and two more persons were injured in firing. Laloo Prasad Yadav, President of RJD said in a statement that these clashes in Mongir is result of clashes between criminal elements. Six persons were arrested and FIR was filed against twenty persons.

On 22nd January a dispute between doctor and patient took full-fledged communal eruption in Warud in Amravati District of Maharashtra. Asif Pathan whose wife got blinded due to wrong treatment by an Ayurvedic doctor attacked him. Pathan was then beaten up by two Bajrang Dal activists who were protecting the doctor in anticipation of attack. Though Aisfkhan surrendered himself to the police 3,000 strong mob protested the attack and some Bajrang Dals started attacking properties belonging to Muslims. Police brought the situation under control and some Bajrang Dals were arrested. Dr. Lokhande was also a VHP activist and it is alleged that he was receiving threats from SIMI activists.

Bhivandi is another communally sensitive town where communal situation worsened two days before Bakri Eid on February 9 when some Bajrang Dals attacked cows being brought by Muslims. The police took 9 cows in custody and police-Muslim clashes flared up in which 34 persons were injured including 26 policemen. The Rapid Action Force was immediately brought to control the situation. The communal cauldron in Bhivandi was first stirred by Bajrang Dals and incitement by some Muslims leaders added to the gravity of the situation.

For Gujarat communal violence has become so common that if it does not take place it becomes a news. Communal violence took place in Mehsana district on the occasion of Bakri Eid on 12th February in which at least eight persons including a police constable received stab and sword injuries in Takodi village of Mehsana district. It all started with some Muslims allegedly bringing calves for slaughter. When the police tried to stop they were greeted by volley of stones. It is interesting to note that some sources said that the real cause of trouble was Panchayat election in which a Hindu was elected Sarpanch with the help of some Muslims and the other group of Muslims opposing the Hindu Sarpanch did not allow these Muslims to enter the mosque.

On 19th February there was trouble in Dhar, M.P. when some Bajrang Dal members tried to enter the Kamalmoula mosque forcibly. When the police did not allow them there was call for bandh and violence erupted. There were incidents of violence and some one threw petrol bomb on police and police fired back in which two persons were injured. Another police station was gheraoed and some motor vehicles were set afire. One police van was also set on fire. The RPF was brought in. Fifteen policemen were also injured. A BJP MLA alleged that two persons died in police firing. However, police denied any person was killed in firing. It maintained no one was even injured. Thirty- five persons were arrested in the whole district and more than 25 persons were injured during the disturbances which included 15 policemen.

On 26th February clashes broke out between Hindus and Muslims in Banglore while a Hindu religious procession was passing from near a mosque. There was stone throwing from both sides in Vedika and Ashok Nagar areas. Many shops and vehicles were damaged and when police tried to intervene its vehicles were also damaged. The mob set fire to one wine shop also. Many people were injured including 12 policemen.

Again on 1st March one riot erupted in Banglore D.J. Halli area after the India-Pakistan cricket match. Some 500 persons entered the area shouting slogans and stone pelting started. The police resorted to lathi charge and fired in the air to disperse the mob. More than 8 persons including four policemen were injured.

Ahmedabad and Baroda also witnessed communal clashes on 2nd March after Indo-Pak cricket match. The police fired in which one Muslim youth was killed in Shahpur area. More than 12 persons were injured including one Assistant police commissioner. Same day stray incidents were also reported from Baroda and a group of Hindus celebrating India?s victory over Pakistan clashed with group of Muslims also celebrating India?s victory.

During Moharram procession in Bareilly on 7th March communal violence broke out in which 4 persons were seriously injured one of which died subsequently. The police arrested 163 persons.

Near Bahraich in Saravasti district in U.P. village Barga-bargi dispute broke out on hunting wild bore and people of one community attacked people of another community in which 30 houses were set afire and two children were burnt alive. Twelve persons were injured. Many persons fled from their houses out of fear.

On 18th March Hindus and Muslims clashed in Indore, an important trading city of M.P. when a Muslim fired on a Hindu in a state of inebriation. The mob then set fire to vehicles and two houses. However, the police brought situation under control.

The next round of communal flare up was reported from Gorakhpur in U.P. on 20th March a highly sensitive town where Gorakhnath temple is situated and Mahant Adityanath of BJP contests election from there. Adityanath is known for his militancy and extremism. He is a BJP M.P. from this area. The clashes took place on the occasion of Holi when a procession of Holi revellers led by Mahant Aditynath was going through Zafra locality. An argument broke out with some members of minority community and the Holi revellers in a fit of anger broke down the wall of Kerbala. The two groups began to throw brickbats at each other and some people started firing. The Imam of Ghazi Rauza mosque was hit in the cross -fire and died. More than a dozen scooters and vehicles were burnt and shops looted. Two more persons were killed and thus in all three persons died during the disturbances. Mayawati, the then Chief Minister removed Director General of Police for his failure to control communal violence.

Next communal riot was reported from industrial town of Rajgangpur 400 km. from Bhubneshwar in Orissa on 11th April. Two persons were killed in the clashes. Violence erupted when procession of Lord Hanuman was being taken on the occasion of Ramnavmi. Some unidentified persons pelted stones on the procession and hell broke loose. The district administration had made strict police arrangements but it could not prevent communal violence. When the situation was getting out of control the police fired killing two persons. The deceased were identified as Manik Kumar Sahu (28) and J.J.Nag. Additional forces were rushed to control the situation.

On 16th April Panki Block of Palamu in Jharkhand State saw communal clashes between the two communities in which one person died. Some people burned the flag of a religious place. Then the persons belonging to other community started stoning from shops and from a religious place. Then others also retaliated and next day a dead body was found from a nearby well but it is not certainly known who killed him.

Gulbahar Pathan was killed in Baroda, Gujarat and his body with severed head was found with deep wounds and violence broke out on 1st May between Hindus and Muslims. Similarly on 10th May violence was reported from Bhavnagar, Gujarat clashes broke out on minor road accident and situation got out of control and one person was killed and seven others ? policemen and journalists were injured. The clashes erupted in Ranika area of Bhavnagar. The person was killed in police firing.

Though Kerala is comparatively free from communal clashes but for last two years there have been clashes between Muslims and RSS activists. In January 2002 also some 5 persons were killed when the Hindus attacked Muslim fishermen. The Muslims retaliated this time and on May 2, 7 persons were killed in Marad beach area under Beypore police station in Kerala. Last year RSS had killed Muslims and this year brother of one of the deceased took revenge by killing seven persons. The Muslims had used a nearby mosque for hiding weapons and so the mosque was taken over by the Government. The Muslims fled from the village in fear and Sangh Parivar was not allowing them to return. They could return only after few months when the chief minister intervened.

Hyderabad witnessed communal violence in Melapalli and Nampalli areas on 6th June. The clashes went on whole night and next day too stone pelting and incidents of setting fire continued. About 10 motor vehicles were set afire. One person had died in clashes on 5th June night and this further provoked violence.

Jamner of Jalgaon district in Maharashtra experienced communal clashes on 18th June when brother of Ramesh Mali who was killed last year on the same day attacked one Muinuddin Sheikh and seriously injured him. Last year on 18th June 5 persons were killed in communal riots. However, the police and local political leaders intervened and controlled the situation.

Normally Jammu and Kashmir has been free from communal violence despite repeated attempts by militants to cause communal violence. However, a small communal incident occurred on 1st July between Hindus and Muslims and shops were burnt and looted in Jammu. The trouble started when 150 Hindus who had fled from Kullar area due to threats from militants were sitting on dharna. They started pelting stones on the shops belonging to Muslims as they objected to blocking the road. The authorities rushed to the trouble spot. Sub-divisional magistrate of Kishtwar was roughed up by the demonstrators. Four shops and three small structures were set ablaze. Police fired to disperse the mob. Four civilians and seven policemen were injured.

Twenty four shops were burnt and three persons were injured in Mehkar town of Buldhana district in Maharashtra when quarrel over money matter between two youths of different communities took place. Soon it developed in serious communal clashes. The police fired injuring three persons. An indefinite curfew was imposed. The police authorities said 20 others including 13 police persons were injured. The police rounded up 47 persons in all.

Baroda and Junagadh saw communal clashes on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi in which one woman was killed and 10 people were injured on 1st September. Godhra also witnessed violence on 5th September when Ganesh idols were being taken for immersion. In these clashes 25 persons were injured including one DSP. The procession was stoned when passing through minority area and many shops were set ablaze. The immediate provocation came from objectionable slogans written on walls of masjid. The role of BJP MLA came to be criticised by both communities. His supporters in the procession shouted derogatory slogans.

There was serious communal trouble in Kodinar town of Junagarh district in Gujarat. The VHP and Bajrang Dal people looted and burnt 26 shops belonging to Muslims. The police arrested 53 persons, which included one Bajrang Dal leader. The police seized one car, one tractor, swords, gas cutter, tins of kerosene and gas cylinders from the rioters. According to the police there was short circuit in one Hindu shop and it was burnt. But the VHP and Bajrang Dal leaders without verifying set rumour afloat that Muslims have burnt the shop. The VHP organised bandh in protest against the arrest of 53 persons.

About hundred families from tribal dominated villages of Jhalawar district after Bajrang Dal activists destroyed a mosque with bombs and subjected Muslims to series of attacks over three consecutive days from 22-25 September. Police have arrested 30 people in this connection but the RSS Iklera Tehsil Karyawahak Kanwarlal Meena and his accomplice Devi Lal who masterminded the operation were absconding.

Bihar experiences not much communal violence thanks to Laloo Prasad?s efforts. But that does not mean there is no communalism and RSS is sleeping. RSS-VHP are quite active spreading communal feelings. In Ara, Bihar, communal violence broke out on 5th October on the occasion of Durga Puja. The RSS controls some puja samitis. According to eye -witnesses there was a garbage dump near the pooja pandal and people used it as open urinal also. On that day a Muslim youth was urinating. The youth was criminal minded. Members of pooja samiti tried to stop him and there was argument. The RSS gave it a communal colour. Some RSS youth went round on motor cycles spreading the rumour that the Muslim youth not only urinated on the Durga idol but broke the kalash also. Some miscreants gathered and started burning and looting Muslim shops. When the situation became out of control the police opened fire killing two Hindu youths. Some 70 shops were burnt and 48 cars set ablaze. It is obvious that it was conspiracy by the RSS to spread communal violence in Bihar and try to seize power from Laloo Prasad Yadav. Laloo knows this well and he not only took immediate step to curb the violence but also denounced it as RSS conspiracy.

On 13th October Agra in U.P. was involved in communal vortex when U.P. minister of state for science and technology visited Agra. There were widespread clashes between two communities and curfew had to be imposed in two police circles of Agra. The main reason was that Chowdhury Bashir had defected from BSP and joined the Samajwadi Party of Mulayamsingh Yadav. The Jatavs who are supporters of BSP protested against Bashir and it took communal turn. Fire arms and petrol bombs were pelted back and forth and several houses and vehicles were set on fire. Arson and looting continued till late in the night. The mob tried to forcibly enter the house in which Basheer had taken refuge and tried to set it on fire. The timely arrival of the police, however, saved Bashir?s life.

Agra again erupted on 2nd day despite heavy police bandobast and violence spread in the city in which one person was killed. He was beaten to death. The U.P. Government transferred district collector and SSP for their failure to control communal violence. At least at seven places houses and shops were set ablaze. Two godowns of leather were also set afire. Agra is main centre of leather goods.

On October 15 Kurla, an eastern suburb of Mumbai went up in flames when a Muslim girl was teased by some Hindu youth at night between 10.30 and 11 p.m. There was argument between members of two communities and then violence began. Kurla has large Muslim population and is highly communally sensitive. Police was rushed and Jt. Commissioner of Police Javed Ahmed also visited the area. Tough temporarily situation calmed down but erupted next morning again. Some miscreants pelted stones at Jama Masjid on New Mill road. In retaliation petrol bombs and soda water bottles were thrown at Hanuman Mandir. Several persons were injured grievously. State Reserve police, Rapid Action Force and Riot Police were rushed.

Aligarh, a communally quite sensitive area in Uttar Pradesh, saw communal strife again on 1st November when an Arthi (dead body of a Hindu) was passing through the passage lying through a Muslim cemetery. The Muslims tried to stop the passage of the body and dispute broke out and both sides started firing on each other. Several people were injured. They also indulged in arson and heavy brickbatting. Two scooters and some road – side kiosks were burnt. Police resorted to heavy lathi charge and fired rubber bullets to disperse the clashing groups. The administration had to employ para-military forces like PAC and RPF. Curfew had to be clamped in Delhi Gate, Kotwali and Sasni Gate police station areas.

Gujarat cauldron continues to boil since the post-Godhra carnage and communal incidents keep on taking place every few days. Communal violence revisited on 2nd November leaving three persons dead and 45 injured. This time it occurred in Viramgam, 65 kms. from Ahmedabad. There was heavy stone pelting, arson and firing. One person was killed when police fired 15 rounds and two persons fell to bullets from private arms. Trouble broke out when a cricket ball landed in the nearby temple. This was enough provocation for communal violence. Marauding began and at least 30 shops were looted and burnt. Curfew was imposed at 12.40 p.m. In all twenty five persons were arrested including the BJP councillor Puroshottambhai Vasrambhai Jadav who fired from his gun killing one person. His gun was also seized. Those killed were identified as Zakir Allah Rakkha Multani (30), Zakir Yousuf Multani (35) and Sharif Shafibhai (25).

Ahmedabad once again erupted on November 9 when rumours spread that a person of minority community was stabbed in Juhapura area. Communal violence spread in Kalupur area in which two persons lost their lives. One was burnt to death and another was stoned to death. Besides this 5 persons were stabbed. Police had to lob several tear gas shells and have imposed strict ban on persons pouring out on streets.

In Hyderabad Talaguda area violence erupted between Hindus and Muslims on the question of constructing a wall for a place of worship. Police resorted to firing and 5 persons were injured in firing. However, the police frustrated the attempt to attack the houses of one community.

On 17th November violence broke out in Vai in Satara district of Maharashtra. Vai is a sacred town for Hindus. The violence broke out when some members of Pratabgadh Utsav Samiti forcibly tried to stop a truck taking some cattle. More than 500 persons collected near a place of worship and stone pelting and arson began. The Hindutvawadis spread rumour in the town which intensified violence. Varsha Deshpande of Yuva Kranti Dal who toured the area along with the police said how these Hindutvawadis discovered any cows. The fact is, she said, there was a dead calf of she buffalo, which was skinned by some dalits. The mob set one tempo, two jeeps, a motor cycle and several cycles ablaze. Members of minority community were feeling highly insecure.

On 21st November violence broke out in Parbhani in Marathwada area when a bomb exploded near Jama Masjid after last Juma prayer of Ramadan in which 35 Muslims were injured and curfew was imposed in Parbhani district. According to the police two motorcycle riders threw the bomb when prayers was going on in Rahmatnagar mosque. The explosion took place at 1.50 p.m. After the bomb explosion two shops were set ablaze in Gujri Sarafa and Shivajinagar areas. It is said that Shiv Sena-BJP workers are involved in the explosion.

Hyderabad again erupted on 4th December and surprisingly this time it was between Sikhs and Muslims. It is alleged that some Muslim youth damaged a gurdwara in Kishanbagh area. One person was killed and four were injured in stabbing incidents. When news about attack on gurdwara spread Sikhs collected near it and began to attack Muslims. Muslims also retaliated and some Sikhs were injured.

Hyderabad again witnessed communal violence on 6th December when Muslims were mourning on demolition of Babri Masjid on that day in 1992 and Hindus were celebrating Shaurya Divas (day of courage). Police resorted to firing in Sultan Shahi and Gowlipura areas late in the night to stop mobs resorting to looting and arson targeting the opposite community. Three persons died due to bullet injuries and two died in stabbing incidents thus taking the toll to five dead.

The victims alleged that role of police worsened the situation. Chief minister Chandrababu Naidu visited the victims who complained to him. He ordered strict action against guilty police officers. An indefinite curfew had to be clamped in eight police station areas in the walled city and 21 plattons of paramilitary forces had to be deployed.

Thus the year 2003 also witnessed number of communal riots throughout India in which several lives were lost and hundreds were injured and properties worth crores of rupees were damaged. Most of the major states both in north and south were affected by communal violence. It is in smaller states with small Muslim population like Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh etc., which did not witness incidents of violence. Assam and other North Eastern states generally experience ethnic violence but not so much communal violence. This year there were hardly any incidents of communal violence in this zone. Also, West Bengal was free of major communal incidents. Since the left Front Government has taken over West Bengal has been free of communal violence, though not of communalism. Bihar too, since Laloo Prasad Yadav has been in command has not seen major riots. Thus it is clear that if governments are determined to curb communal violence it can be effectively checked.

Communal Riots – 2002

http://www.sacw.net

by Asghar Ali Engineer

[ 17 January 2003]

India could not free itself of curse of communalism even more than fifty years after independence. If anything it has been getting worse year after year. There has been not a single year in post-independence period, which has been free of communal violence though number of incidents may vary. The year 2002 has been one of the worst years in this matter right from the beginning as the Gujarat carnage began in the very beginning of the year. We will come to this carnage little later.

In the year 2002 the first reported riot took place in Kozhikode (Calicut), Kerala on 3rd January. In the clashes between two communities (Hindus and Muslims) five persons were killed. The clashes occurred on the question of eve teasing. The whole region came in the grip of violence. More than twenty persons were injured including five women. Properties worth lakhs of rupees were destroyed. A heavy police bandobast was made to bring the situation under control. Kerala is generally thought to be free of communal violence. But occasionally it also experiences such frenzy and bout of communal violence. However, it is generally brought under control as the Kerala government usually does not allow things to go out of had.

Gujarat was next to come under intense bout of communal carnage. It was of the kind, which India had never experienced accept at the time of partition. The communal carnage in Gujarat shook whole world. It was difficult to believe such intense communal frenzy could be incited by the BJP for its political gains. More than 2000 people were killed most cruelly in this carnage according to very reliable sources though the Government admits only about 1000 dead.

The communal carnage began with burning of coach S-6 of the Sabarmati Express coming from Ayodhya and bringing kar sevaks. Godhra is communally highly sensitive and yet the Narendra Modi government took no steps to prevent such incidents. The kar sevaks, as usual, deliberately or otherwise, provoked Muslim vendors on Godhra station including dragging a Muslim girl towards the coach. There was no police on the station despite intelligence reports warning against communal violence.

It is alleged that a mob of 1500 persons (mostly Ghanchi) Muslims collected and set fire to coach S-6. But it still a mystery as to who set fire to the coach. The forensic report says that the fire was lit from inside the coach, not from outside and t required at least 60 litres of inflammable substance like petrol to do the job. The Concerned Citizens Tribunal comprising retired Supreme Court Judges and other eminent S-6. Nothing can be said with certainty. This happened on the morning of February 27 and hell broke loose all over Gujarat on 28th February.

The VHP, the Bajrang Dal and BJP gave a call for bandh (Gujarat-wide strike) on 28th February and violent incidents started from the morning of 28th February, particularly in Ahmedabad. And before the sun set on 28th February more than 100 persons were killed in Ahmedabad alone. Most ghastly incidents took place in a place called Naroda Patia where more than 80 persons were burnt alive including women and children and number of women were raped in full gaze of public. The other ghastly incident took place in Gulbarg Society, Chamanpura where about 40 persons were burnt alive including the ex-M.P. of Congress Ahsan Jafri.

What is worse the Chief Mister Narendra Modi justified such frenzy and described it as reaction to action in Godhra. And all this happened with full complicity of the police and bureaucracy. The honest officers who did not allow carnage in their areas were instantly transferred by the Modi Government.

Some ministers who led the mobs have been named in FIRs. Many mosques and mausoleums were demolished and ground was leveled. Some accounts maintain about 700 such religious structures were brought down or severely damaged. Ahmedabad, Baroda, Mehsana and Panchmahal districts were the worst affected districts covering entire north and central Gujarat. There have been various estimates of the properties destroyed but generally it is maintained properties worth more than 10,000 crores were looted or burnt. The business lost due to closures and migration of labour is several times this figure. Hundreds of Muslim families were totally uprooted. The carnage continued for more than five months.

We have written a great deal on this already and much has come to light in various investigative reports, National Human Rights Commission report and other reports. It is record that more than 30 such reports were prepared by various committees, a record for any riot so far. It was a one sided carnage and not a riot in usual sense. Suffice it may to say that it will go down I history as the worst communal carnage in history of India.

The next riot took place in Kaithal, Haryana. Though the cause of the violence on disturbances on 28th February is not clear but it seems to be related to Gujarat incidents. According to The Hindustan Times report Shiv Sena, VHP and Bajrang Dal mobs pulled down a mosque and caused extensive damage to two others. They damaged at least four mazars (mausoleums) and enforced a complete bandh. Prohibitory orders were later clamped down on the town.

According to HR correspondent ìthe administration acted only after the damage had been done.î According to him a mob started out in the morning, brandishing unseathed swords, iron rods, sticks and other weapons and forced shopkeepers to pull down their shutters. When they reached a mosque near a school, they barged into the building and started pulling it down. They climbed the dome and pulled it down while people watched the whole operation. The police made only feeble attempts to stop it. The mob later demolished the mausoleum of Pir Nurani Badshah and three other mazars were extensively damaged which are visited mostly by Hindus.

A mosque near Ambedkar chowk was damaged by rampaging mob and pulling down portions of another mosque and a house belonging to a cleric behind the mosque was set afire. This extensive damage was done to several mosques and others were demolished. All this was naturally shadowed by the developments in Gujarat.

During the Maharashtra bandh call given by the Shiv Sena, VHP and BJP on 1st March to protest the setting ablaze of coach of the Sabarmati Express on 27th February in Godhra a violent mob went on rampage in Murbad 80 kilometer from Mumbai. Fortunately Murbad was the only town affected during the call for bandh by the Sangh Parivar.

During the bandh in Murbad the Bajrang Dal morcha began looting and burning Muslims shops. According to the report released by the Maharashtra Minorities Commission Inspector Vijay Jagtap, the officer in charge in tehsil town of Murbad went down on his knees to plead with the mob to spare the madrasa. However the mob of Bajrang Dalis was determined to attack madrasa and shops nearby. It burnt down six shops in the market.

It also looted the houses of two prosperous grain merchants and set fire to a jeep belonging to a transporter. The bandh was total and all shops were closed. The mob was also determined to attack the families of some of the well to do Muslim shopkeepers. But they fled minutes before the attack and saved themselves. According to the SP. Police Thane rural Inspector Jagtap was outnumbered by the Bajrang Dal mob. He had just four constables with him. Murbad has no history of communal riots but now Shiv Sainiks and Bajrang Dal and VHP are becoming aggressive in all places and disturbing communal peace at any available opportunity.

The Police claimed that it fired 13 rounds in the air but the Minorities Commission said that it did not come across anyone who could corroborate the police claim. The Police claimed that they had arrested 32 people including the local Bajrang Dal leaders and charged them with attempted murder, arson and loot. The Muslims are a microscopic minority in Morbad and are afraid of giving any details of damage to the madrasa and are praising the role of the police, according to the Minorities Commission.

On 17th March communal incidents took place in Loharu in Bhivani district of Haryana. Loharu was once under a Muslim ruler and was know as Nawwaab of Loharu. There is thus Muslim population in this town. A mob of three hundred incited by the rumour of cow slaughter attacked two mosques and at least 15 shops and houses belonging to the minority community. The police had to fire in the air when the mob could not be controlled by can charge.

When the people belonging to the majority community heard that a cow has been taken for slaughter in one of the mosques, it set out to attack and set fire to this mosque and shops near the mosque were also not spared. According to a UNI report quoting the police sources said that a mob of 300 Shiv Sainiks set fire to another mosque near the railway station and set fire to many shops in Purana Bazar. And in this area all 15-20 shops and houses belonging to minority were burnt down. The palace of Nawwab of Loharu was also surrounded by a mob but additional reinforcements were requisitioned from other places and the palace was saved from being damaged.

Next incidents of communal violence took place in three places in Rajasthan in which three persons were killed on 25th March on the occasion of Muharram. The immediate provocation was the holding of poornahuti yagnas (a Hindu religious ritual) and kirtans for the Ram mandir at various temples on the route of tazia processions.

Curfew had to be clamped in the town of Gangapur, 80 kms from Sawai Madhopur, in central Rajasthan where 3 people were killed and 15 injured in police firing. According to the police violence broke out when activists of the VHP, BJP and Bajrang Dal collected at an ancient Hanumanji mandir for a yagna and kirtan. The police asked them not to gather but they defied police orders and began to shout provocative slogans when the tazia procession came closer to the temple. The police was compelled to open fire when tear-gassing and can charge had no effect.

The Gangapur city has 25% Muslim population and earlier was considered to be the stronghold of SIMI (Students Islamic Movement of India) in Rajasthan. It has always been prone to minor communal irritations although this is the first time that violence has erupted on such a large scale. In different parts of Southern Rajasthan where the Sangh Parivar has strong presence communal tension was simmering. But the situation was kept under control.

Gujarat was still simmering on the occasion of Holi in the last week of March. A Home Ministry official said on the eve of Holi that there was tension in Anand, Vadodra and Ahmedabad and the army had been called in again to stage flag march to instill a sense of security. He also said that stray incidents of communal violence had also taken place in Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

On the occasion of Holi on 30th March four persons were killed in communal violence in Akola. Of these four three were killed in police firing and 15 others were injured. The provocation was reportedly due to throwing of colour on a mosque in the old city area on Friday by some miscreants, Pankaj Gupta, Inspector General of Police, said. The police intervention arrested the situation from getting worse. Two persons were arrested for colour throwing. Incidents of stabbing and stone throwing again took place on Saturday after namaz when the police was making some arrests. However, according to Minority Commission Chairman of Maharashtra seven persons were killed in Akola disturbances and he has blamed the police for mishandling the situation.

In Haveri, Karnataka also the police had to open fire on the day of Holi to disperse two clashing groups, which were on the rampage and set fire to a few shops during the Holi revelries in Rattihalli, near Haveri. The disturbances started when some people belonging to minority group objected to the Holi procession which the other group ignored and went ahead with their programme.

On 5th April 3 there were bomb explosions outside three mosques in Hugli district, near Kolkata. Eight persons were injured in these explosions after the Friday prayers. When the police reached Chndr Nagor area of Sikon Bagan, the miscreants attacked the police with stones and ran away. There was hand grenade with one of the miscreant, which exploded and he was critically injured. Paramilitary forces and Rapid Action Force was called in to control the situation. In these disturbances one person died and 7 were injured and 30 persons were arrested.

Bahraich town in U.P. witnessed communal flare up on 1st April when some temples were desecrated and in retaliation a mausoleum was desecrated. The Purana Bazar locality of Nanpara area was gripped with communal tension as a result of the desecration. One person was arrested and security was tightened.

On April 10 Kalyan some 80 kms from Mumbai flared up resulting in loss of three lives. This was result of an old feud between two persons belonging to two different communities. Soon it resulted in mob violence, arson and loot. Curfew was imposed on the area. The clashes turned into communal one as the Shiv Sena claimed that of those dead, one is a Shiv Sainik. The police resorted to firing 10 rounds as the mob attacked the police van. The incidents started when a horse-carriage owner Salim Sheikh stabbed Ashok Walunj and Walunj stabbed Sheikh. Walunj died. Sheikh was also critically injured.

Walunjís mother died of shock and Sheikhís wife Naseem also died of wound. On hearing this a mob of 400 persons gathered leading to arson and loot. Fifteen houses, including a shop belonging to a Shiv Sainik, were burnt. Rohidaswada where the incidents took place has often witnessed communal tension.

On 20th April, communal clashes started after murder of a student who was allegedly killed by some people belonging to minority community. Security was tightened and Rapid Action Force was also deployed. Curfew was imposed after explosion of bomb near a police van. According to the police there was bomb explosion at one more place. Five persons of minority community were arrested. After the incidents in Mahow there were communal disturbances in two more villages in the vicinity. In Ashapur Gaon a person from minority community was shot dead and in Choradia too, one person from minority community was shot dead.

On 13th April two persons were killed in Nandurbar in Maharashtra one of whom was killed in police firing. Six were injured in the firing. One who was killed in police firing was Yogesh Rathore. Nandurbar is a tribal dominated town bordering Gujarat where communal violence continued since February. Trouble began in Kali Masjid locality when two groups clashed on game of cards. It soon turned into large-scale clashes next day. People threw stones and attacked each other. Deputy Superintendent of Police was also injured during these clashes. Seven houses were burnt in the town. Two journalists were also injured.

On 13th May in Saharanpur in U.P there were two bomb explosions outside a mosque, which resulted in communal tension. One more bomb was found in a shoe. There was a chit with it on which ëArya Senaí was written. It happened in Khan Alampura locality. On 14th May there were clashes between Hindus and Muslims in Badaun in U.P. on account of personal feud in a marriage. There was private firing and stone throwing in which 12 persons were badly injured. The clashes lasted for nearly three hours when police controlled them. The mob began setting fire to various properties. Sixty persons were arrested by the police.

On Ist June there were communal clashes in Tilaknagar area of Bangalore. The clashes started when some one took objection for taking out procession in front of a mosque. There was firing by the police to disperse the mob. One person was stabbed and thirteen persons were injured. Sixty persons were arrested by the police. The mob was indulging in stone throwing and setting fire to properties.

On 19th June three persons died in Jamner taluka of Jalgaon district two of whom died in police firing. One five -month old baby died of suffocation when its mother held it tight to her bosom to save the child. Of the three persons one died in police firing and two were burnt alive and one stabbed to death. 40 persons were injured. There was tension in the town since 7th June when a dead animal was thrown outside mosque. To start the riot one Ratnakar Padmakar Joshi stole the silver eyes of Hanuman idol on 15th June. He was arrested by the police and silver eyes were recovered from him. Subsequently the toll in Jamner rose to five and 22 were injured.

The one who died in police firing was Yusuf Khan Aziz Khan Pathan (32). Two others, Ramesh Mali (55) and an unidentified driver of a tempo were burnt alive while Shaikh Gulab Sheikh Aziz (24) was stabbed to death.

Subsequently the disturbances started in Jalgaon and Bhusaval too on 20th June. The Hindutvawadis declared bandh in the district and properties were set on fire. A driver Haji Riyaz Ahmed was burnt alive and many trucks and tempos were burnt in Jalgaon area. More than 100 persons were arrested. One Anis Ahmed was seriously wounded when attacked with sharp weapons. His intestines came out but he survived. One Rukhsanabi and her husband Abdul Aziz were also seriously wounded on the bandh day in Jamner. Some Hindus saved the lives of Muslims in Shashtrinagar.

In Pune there was an attempt to provoke communal riot on 31 July by throwing eggs wrapped in paper on three Ganesh temples. There erupted violence after discovery of these eggs in these temples. The police resorted to lathi charge to disperse the crowd. The security was tightened and three companies of state reserve police force was brought and 4 companies of strike force was also put in charge. These eggs were thrown near Ganesh temples in the darkness of night. As soon as this news spread people collected and began raising slogans. They divided themselves in three groups and forced people to close their shops. One group consisting of 400 persons proceeded towards a mosque despite the police attempt to dissuade them. They began stoning the Muslims coming out of mosque after prayer and Muslims also began throwing stones. Police resorted to cane charge and dispersed the crowd. The police said that Muslims showed lot of patience and this helped. However, the BJP convenor Khardekar gave call for bandh and this increased the tension. I is suspected that a Hindu Mahasabha ember is responsible for throwing the eggs.

On 21 September there erupted communal violence in Veejapur taluka of Aurangabad in Maharashtra on the occasion of Ganesh chaturthi. There was incident of stone throwing on the procession. The mob then set fire to 34 shops, 3 auto rickshaws, 4 motor cycles and one tempo were burnt. Police used tear gas and fired two rounds to disperse the mob. 21 persons were arrested. Six persons were injured. According to the police properties worth 50 thousand were destroyed.

Sholapur in Maharashtra erupted on 11th October in which about 9 persons were killed in all. The riots erupted when some Muslim organisation led by Muslim Vikas Parishad, relatively unknown organisation founded by a former journalist turned leader gave a call for observing bandh as Christian Baptist priest Jerry Falwell in America had called the Prophet of Islam as ëterroristí. The Muslim youth belonging to this organisation tried to force some Hindus to close their shops. The protesters went in procession after prayers on Friday afternoon and threw stones on a Navratri Pandal. Hindus reciprocated and riots broke out. More than 115 persons were injured and police arrested over 500 persons. Subsequently Muslims suffered heavy damages and large number of shops belonging to them were burnt down. Of all the dead five died in police firing and rest in cases of stabbings. The communal incidents went on for two days.

The Muslims suffered heavy damages in these riots. The Muslim leaders alleged that it was an attempt to ruin Muslims economically in Sholapur. A large number of Muslim shops in different areas were looted and then burnt down. They have lost more than 10 crores worth goods and properties.

Yet another communal incident took place in Badlapur in Thane district when some Hindu youth teased a college going Muslim girl on 20th October. There was private firing and five persons were injured. The police reached an hour later to this far-flung place and fired in the air to disperse the mob. The tension was brewing between the youth of two communities for more than a week. The mob set fire to a sawmill, a rice mill, several shops and some houses. 40 shops belonging to Muslims were set on fire, according to some sources. Over forty persons were arrested including two BJP corporators and one Muslim leader.

In Gujarat several places like Mehsana and Baroda witnessed communal frenzy again during and after recent elections in Gujarat. Most of the clashes took place during processions of victorious candidates in election.

On the last day of the year i.e. on 31st December too Gujarat witnessed rioting in Dahor. The communal disturbances started with some Muslims allegedly teasing an Adivasi girl. Both the groups Adivasis and Muslims clashed in which three persons were seriously injured. The police imposed curfew and 30 persons were arrested. Two shops were also set afire. The two groups fought with swords, lathis and other weapons.

Thus the year 2002 witnessed riots throughout India and particularly in Gujarat. As pointed out above Gujarat carnage shook the whole country and created a dubious record of brutal killing of Muslims with state complicity. This year will be remembered for this carnage for years to come.

Communal Riots 2001

www.indianmuslims.info

COMMUNAL RIOTS – 2001
January 1-15, 2002
by Asghar Ali Engineer

The year 2001 also, like previous years witnessed several communal riots throughout India of which some were minor and some major. The riot broke out in Kolahpur on 31st December 2000, the last day of last year and continued in January 2001. A territorial Army Jawan Abhijt Suryawanshi was killed in Jammu and Kashmir in a suicide bomb explosion. He hailed from Kolahpur Maharashtra. His body was flown to Kolahpur. Shiv Sena gave a call for bandh but some people of minority did not close their shops and stoning began on their shops. The crowd was 10,000 strong pelting stones. The crowd was also protesting against the ‘pro-Muslim’ statement given by the Minister of State for Textiles Prakash Awde in Icchalkaranji a day ago.

The situation became tense in Kolahpur and Shiv Sena’s call for bandh aggravated it. The administration, however, persuaded the Sena to withdraw its call for bandh but many Shiv Seniks did not like it and indulged in heavy stone throwing. Sudden burst of stone pelting sent a wave of panic across the main market and shops and business establishments downed their shutters. However, though there was tension and stone pelting incidents there was fortunately no loss of life.

Similarly there was communal violence in Ranchi, Bihar on 30th December which too spilled over to the month of January 2001. On 29th December which happened to be an Eid day (Ramzan Eid) police fired and three Muslim youth were killed. Though it was not clear why police had to resort to firing but it resulted in killing three Muslim youth. It led to unrest among the Muslims and Minority Front and other Muslim organisations gave call for Ranchi Bandh on 30th December. The demonstrators set fire to two police chowkies and also RAF vehicles were heavily damaged. Many Muslims came out on roads after the Friday prayers and indulged in violence. The administration then imposed curfew at 3 P.M. The army also had to do flag march to restore normalcy. Chief Minister of Jharkhand Babulal Mirandi ordered an inquiry into the police firing. The violence, however, continued on 1st January also.

The death of Deputy Superintendent of police who was injured in brick batting and subsequently had ordered firing on the incited mob in which three Muslim youth were killed, died on 1st January 2001 which again gave rise to fresh bout of violence on 1st January 2001 in Ranchi. The death of Mr. Jha was deemed ominous as the police had threatened to paralyse the state police administration. However, nothing untoward happened as the situation was controlled.

Next Kishtwar in Jammu witnessed communal violence on 2nd January after Jama Masjid was gutted apparently by short circuit. The people in the town turned violent after entire Masjid complex including the library and madrasa were reduced to ashes. The mob turned violent after police lathicharge to disperse swelling mob. The mob manhandled the SDM and AP. The office of SDM was set ablaze. The administration had to impose curfew on Kishtwar.

Ahmednagar in Mahararashtra witnessed communal incidents after two dead animals were thrown into a mosque on 5th January. The mob collected on hearing the news and stoned the passing vehicles. The authorities took no chances and deployed 300 Jawans of state reserved police to control the situation. All shops downed their shutters in several localities. The police was alerted in the region. Mr. Gopinath Munde of the BJP alleged that ISI and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba were involved in the incident.

On 6th January communal incidents occurred at a very unlikely pace – Goa where BJP Government was caught unawares. The BJP’s one time electoral ally, the Shiv Sena stoked communal fire in the north Goa town of Mapusa in a dispute over a make-shift prayer hall set up for Ramazan. The Muslims accused the Sena of damaging the religious book. The Sena also lodged a Shivaji statue with saffron flags in the area. However, communal tension did not erupt in major violence.

On 29th January Nasik witnessed communal flare up after demolition of a part of the mosque. The violent mob, on hearing of demolition of part of the mosque indulged in stone throwing. Noorani Masjid’s ablution house and imam’s residence were not the plan approved by the Municipal Corporation and hence were demolished and this led to violet incidents. Fifty persons were injured in stone throwing incidents, which included two police constables and three fire brigade workers. The police authorities took immediate steps and increased police bandobast. Some Muslims from Nasik told a delegation of Raza Academy that we have no quarrel with our Hindu brethren but we have complaint about the police brutalities. Muslims are afraid of coming out of their houses. The police also had to impose curfew when a peace march was stoned on 1st February in Kazipura locality. The curfew had to be re-imposed in riot affected Bhadrakali. Shops, establishments and schools remained closed for the day fearing violence. The police arrested 96 persons. The number of persons injured after these incidents reached 75. The police had fired nine rounds to control the mob.

The police re-arrested many Muslims in the riot affected Bhadrakali area after they were released on bail. These Muslims were re-arrested on 8th February. They were re-arrested on rioting charges. This led to unrest among the Muslims and some lawyers appealed to the judge to direct the police to arrest on all charges at one go.

On March 5 communal violence broke out at Moradabad in U.P. which claimed two lives on the occasion of Iduz Zuha (Bakar Id). A Hindu neighbour opened fire on Muslims performing ritual of animal sacrifice on the occasion of Id in Sambhal town in Moradabad district killing two persons. In the ensuing violence many houses were set ablaze, which sent communal tension soaring up. Eighteen families were rendered home-less as houses were set afire. The police arrested five persons on charges of murder. Those who hit by firing were bystanders and onlookers. Those whose houses were looted and set afire complained that everything including jewellery was destroyed and that the PAC Jawans did not act and remained mute observers.

The burning of the Qur’an on 9th March in Delhi led to widespread communal incidents in various parts of the country. In Aurangabad the police were forced to open fire in air and lob tear gas shells after 13 persons were injured in stone pelting. The mob also tried to set fire to a police van. Similar incidents were also reported from Nander and Parbhani in Marathwada. Hyderabad also witnessed stone throwing from Mecca Masjid in Charminar area at passers by. Four persons were injured including one photo journalist. Mumbai also was tense, some stray incidents took place.

Pune city was also affected by communal violence. Incidents of arson and burning of buses occurred after a group of people that had gathered for namaz at Mecca Masjid in Gani Peth in Pune turned violent Stone throwing began and all shops in the area were closed. Gani Peth and Ghodpade Peth areas were badly affected. More than 78 people had been arrested. The mob looted a bakery and ransacked a medical shop in Gani Peth and Lohiyanagar. The rioters also burnt an autorickshaw and a moped. Number of other localities like Swami Vivekanand Society, PC Staff Colony and Ghafur Takiya were also affected. It should be remembered that Pune is comparatively a peaceful town.

‘Holi’ usually witnesses many communal incidents. On 10th March 8 persons were killed and 6 others injured in the Shambhu village of Nalanda district, Bihar when two groups clashed with each other. The clashes occurred between the two groups on the question of singing Holi songs. The Police Superintendent Shri Geeteshwar Pande reached the spot and brought situation under control.

Kanpur is a very communally sensitive area. It comes under communal spell repeatedly. In March after the Qur’an burning incident in Delhi SIMI (Student Islamic Movement of India) took out a protest march and put up objectionable posters in the city. The procession was fired upon by the AC killing more than 12 persons, all young Muslim boys. Several shops were set afire in Beconganj. It is reported by the eye-witnesses that the PAC was itself part of looting shops. A religious place and 12 shops were set ablaze. It is said that properties worth several lakhs were damaged. The role of PAC was so notorious that it had to be withdrawn from several Muslim areas for its involvement in violence. An additional District Magistrate (Finance) was also killed. He was killed in very suspicious circumstances. It is alleged by Muslims that the PAC killed him because he refused to order firing on the procession. The police, however, alleged that he was killed by a bullet fired from near the mosque. The issue remains contentious as no hard evidence either way is available. Only a thorough judicial inquiry will reveal the truth.

It is true that the SIMI had a hand in taking out procession in protest against burning of the Qur’an in Delhi and for putting up objectionable posters in the city, the role of PAC was highly communal. The Muslims suffered heavily. According to The Times of India report, dated 28 March, 2001 « Muslims undoubtedly suffered. Be it chemist shop owner Liyaqat Ali of Warsi Market cloth merchants like Atiq Ahmed, Mohd. Arif, Rais Ahmed, Haroon Ahmed or Farhan Ahmed, all testify that their business establishments were looted by PAC Jawans in broad day light. The PAC behaves like the Hindu chauvinist force and on one does anything about it.

The SIMI has over the years spread communal poison among the unemployed Muslim youth. Its posters were also highly provocative. There was no need for such procession and poster campaign. Innocent Muslims had to pay heavy price for the provocation by SIMI. All sensible Muslims condemned the provocative postures of SIMI. The BJP Government of U.P. did not take any action against the PAC Jawans for its indiscriminate firing on the procession and for looting Muslim shops and terrorising them. In all U.P. riots the PAC plays such ant-Muslim role. But riot after riot it is posted the moment riots break out in U.P. After Kanpur riot some prominent Muslims demanded a composite police force to tackle the riots. But it is an old demand. The rioting in Kanpur, looting and murder was so intense that the Times of India headline in its 24th March issue says, « Gutted streets in Kanpur resemble a ‘Shamsan’ (where dead bodies are cremated).

A joint women’s delegation (All India Democratic Women’s Association) also squarely blamed the police which abetted Kanpur riots (See Times of India, 24th March, 2001). The BJP’s claim that under its rule no communal riots take place is completely exposed by Kanpur and several other riots, which have taken place under the BJP rule. Also, U.P. has witnessed maximum number of riots after independence. According to one report some 7464 riots and communal skirmishes take place in U.P. every year, which amounts to about 622 communal incidents per month.

Moharram is another occasion when communal violence breaks out in several places. On 6th April Ajmer which is centre of Sufi saint Hazrat Moinuddin Chishti witnessed curfew after dispute over the route of taziyah in Nasirabad in Ajmer district. Communal violence broke out and army had to be called in. There were incidents of arson, looting and stoning. When the police could not control the situation, curfew was imposed. In Ajmer on hearing that some miscreants have broken the outer boundary of a temple, a burning tyre was thrown onto taziya procession. But the police controlled the situation.

On 16th April Beawar town in Rajasthan came under spell of communal violence. The police had to impose curfew. More than two dozen people were injured during these disturbances. The disturbances broke out, according to the district collector when VHP and BJP procession was stoned and bottles of acid were thrown to it by some miscreants. The situation became explosive after stoning. The procession was taken out to demand arrest of those people who were involved in construction of a religious place in a village nearby.

On 8th April two groups of people Hindus and Muslims clashed with each other during Muharram procession in Kopargaon, Maharashtra and the police had to open fire in the air to disperse violent groups. More than 8 persons were hurt in these clashes. A police inspector was also injured during the clashes.

Ahmad Nagar is another communally sensitive centre in Maharashtra. On 12th April a Ganesh idol was found damaged and disturbances broke out. On learning of this a religious place belonging to Muslims was seriously damaged. The BJP-Shiv Sena workers collected outside the religious place and started doing maha arti. Several places in town came under spell of violence. According to the police about 12 youth were arrested for damaging the Ganesh idol.

Banswada in Rajasthan, though not communally sensitive, also witnessed communal clashes. Rajasthan these days has become a stronghold of communal forces. The VHP is openly distributing trishuls to Hindus and this trishul has a shape of knife which can be used for stabbing. Thousands of such trishuls have already been distributed by the VHP volunteers.

In Banswada communal violence erupted on hearing that three persons were killed in a road accident who belonged to the other community. This was enough to ignite the situation and the police had to impose curfew on 20th May which continued up to 24th May when it was lifted and there were no untoward incidents. Bhilwada in Rajasthan has also become very sensitive.

Next Chamrajnagar in Mysore district in Karnataka erupted with communal violence after murder of a youth belonging to minority community on 2nd June. Arson and looting began on a large scale. The situation became so serious that the police had to impose curfew. Twelve persons were taken in custody for inquiries.

Lucknow too has found its place now on the map of communal violence during BJP regime. Earlier it was mainly known for its Shia-Sunni clashes. On 5th June trouble erupted near Tilewali Masjid when the police constable accosted a Muslim girl and asked her to accompany him to police station. This led to unrest among the Muslims who had gathered to witness illumination on the occasion of Shab-e-Barat festival. Muslims protested and violence began. The Muslim youth alleged that the constable was misbehaving with the girl whereas the constable maintained that the girl was making obscene gestures.

Many people came out of the mosque and began pelting stones and burnt down the police Chowkie. Some policemen were thrashed. The police opened fire and one young boy Naeem was hit and died on the spot. The police could not control the situation, as there was no adequate force. Most of the police were posted in another locality where madh-esahabah (Sunni Muslim) procession was being taken out. The mob therefore became very aggressive and inflicted lot of damage on properties. Number of autorickshaws were burnt down. Another person who was also hit by the police bullet died next day in the hospital and number of those died rose to two in Lucknow disturbances.
On 5th June night Jamner in Jalgaon district in Maharashtra became hub of communal violence after an incident of eve teasing in Anand Mela in that town. This was only a triggering event. Many communalists taking advantage of this came out with swords in hands and began looting and burning properties. In all 17 properties were gutted fourteen of which belonged to the Muslims and three to Hindus. In this town the MLA and sarpanch both belong to the BJP. The Muslims of Jamner maintained that it was not really a riot between Hindus and Muslims but an attempt by the communalists to terrify Muslims of the town. The population of Muslims in this town of 65 thousand is thirty thousand. It is quite substantial population. Unfortunately those responsible for looting and arson fled the town and had not been arrested even many days after the incidents.

Another town in Maharashtra, Sangamner experienced communal violence. It seems this year Maharashtra saw many communal incidents, more than forty and the opposition members attacked the government for this in the assembly. Sangamner witnessed communal violence on account of the film Ghadar. This film became quite controversial and some Muslims felt that it should be banned. The two groups of people of Sangamner clashed and one person died. In fact it was not film Ghadar which was being shown but another film Lagan during which trailor of the film Ghadar was shown leading to these clashes. This happened on 9th July. After coming out of the theatre the two groups clashed and indulged in stone pelting injuring many people. Irfan Tamboli was seriously injured and died two days later. The Government posted CRPF Company in the area to control the situation.

On 23rd July a gang of miscreants attacked houses of minority community in Saraswa Gor village in Moradabad district in U.P. and killed 6 persons including a two year old girl Shabina. No one was arrested and the whole incident is shrouded in mystery. The Police said the motive could be robbery. This mayhem continued for two and half hours in the village and people were done to death by iron rods. Because of this beating one Anwar Khan, his wife and two-year-old daughter died on the spot.

A deputation of Jamiat-ul-Ulama visited the village and refuted the police theory that the motive could be robbery on the grounds that those killed were very poor and hardly anything in their house worth robbing. It clearly seems to be a communal incident to terrify Muslims. , Maulana Asad Madnai also demanded that the concerned policemen of the Thana should be suspended for neglect of duty. The opposition members also raised the matter in Parliament and demanded thorough inquiry. The parliament session was disrupted.

Muzaffarnagar in U.P. witnessed tension, looting and arson on 5th August when some highly objectionable pamphlets were thrown on a Mosque. This led to clashes between Hindus and Muslims and many people were injured. The Police had to impose curfew in the town in view of the seriousness of the situation. In Meenakshi Chowk when members of two communities came face to face the police had to fire in the air. Stoning continued for some time and properties were set to fire. The matter was so serious that it led to disturbances in Parliament during question hour next day when the members of Samajwadi Party raised the matter in Parliament.

Karjagwant in Malegaon district in Maharashtra on 7th August, Raebareli in U.P. on 3rd August, in Mumbra near Mumbai on 28th August there were communal incidents in which there were instances of stoning and minor violence leading to curfew to avert major incidents.

On 12th August in Amravati, near Nagpur in Maharashtra the Shiv Seniks attacked some Muslims who were taking oxen for slaughter leading to clashes in which two persons were killed and 30 persons were wounded seriously. The police arrested 70 persons in this connection. The Bajrang Dal activists were keeping watch near the slaughter-house and preventing the Muslim butchers from taking their animals for slaughter, often attacking them. Because of this, tension was prevailing in the town between Shiv Sainiks, Bajrang Dal people and Muslim butchers which led to eruption of violence on 12th August resulting in two deaths and injuries to several persons.

Ahmedabad witnessed communal incidents on 24 and 25th August. Hawkers belonging to minority community were beaten up in Maninagar area. And since the police took no action a bandh call was given by a minority organisation which resulted in forcible closure of shops and stone throwing in which 10 people were injured including 4 policemen. Stone throwing incidents took place in Mirzapur, Kalupur, Garden Chowk and Panchkui areas. Then on 25th August violence broke out in Daryapur area of Ahmedabad and the police had to impose indefinite curfew. The police also opened fire in which one person was killed. The police fired six rounds. The police arrested 4 Bajrang Dal people for inciting violence in Ahmedabad after one more Muslim succumbed to injuries thus pushing death toll to two.

There were communal skirmishes in Bhadgaon in Jalgaon district in Mahrashtra on 5th September when Hanuman idol was found polluted with excreta. This desecration of Idol was discovered at 4 P.M. and it spread like wildfire in the town leading to soaring up of communal tension. A mob began attacking and looting nearby shops and a religious place was desecrated. Some kerosene tankers were also upturned. The police had a tough time controlling the situation.

On 26th October Malegaon in Maharashtra witnessing major communal rioting in which 13 persons were killed, several injured and properties worth more than 15 crores damaged. A Muslim youth distributing pamphlets outside a mosque calling for boycott of American goods was arrested and taken to waiting police van. This angered Muslims coming out of the mosque after Friday prayers and then disturbances began. The mobs from both sides began attacking, looting and setting fire to properties. The police opened fire resulting in death of three persons on spot. Two persons were killed in stabbing and more succumbed to their injuries later.

The disturbances spread to many villages nearby and members of Shiv Sena attacked Muslims in these villages where they were in small minority. Their properties were looted or destroyed. The riots went on for about a week in these villages. Curfew had to be imposed in Malegaon town for several days and was lifted gradually. Kanpur riot of March and Malegaon riot of October-November were two very major riots in the year 2001 and both these riots shook the country.

Though these riots taking place in Post-Babri demolition period are not as horrendous as those taking place in Eighties, they are still a shame for the secular India. In eighties of twentieth century the average number of deaths used to be more than 250 to 300 in these riots, after demolition of Babri Masjid average death has been around 25-30. But this provides hardly any relief. One should see that no riots take place. The West Bengal CPM Government has succeeded in maintaining communal peace. It should become a role model for other states as well. For almost all riots politicians are responsible. It is only in people-oriented politics that riots can be eliminated, not in power-oriented politics.

Communal Riots 2000

www.indianmuslims.info

COMMUNAL RIOTS – 2000
January 1-15, 2001
by Asghar Ali Engineer

The year 2000 also witnessed number of communal riots like other years. Unfortunately there has been no year free of communal violence despite the BJP’s assurances of ‘riot-free’ India. However, the post-Babri demolition trend of riots on smaller scale continued this year also. In most of the riots only a few human lives were lost. The riots during eighties were most devastating, each riot involving loss of more than 100 lives.

The account for the year 2000 was opened in Azamgarh, U.P. on 27th January when trouble broke out in Shibli College. The mischief began with singing of « Vande Matram » by the All India Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) students which is a student front of BJP. Other students refused to sing and the controversy took dangerous turn when many people were injured and many shops were looted and burnt. Later on two persons were stabbed in Mubarakpur in Azamgarh district. In these disturbances more than 180 persons were arrested. The senior superintendent of police, Azamgarh was transferred. Six companies of para-military forces were deployed to contain the situation.

Ahmedabad is a perennial trouble spot and has become communally a supersensitive area. Even before the BJP government came to power Ahmedabad was quite sensitive and had witnessed many major communal clashes. In fact one of the reasons of the fast growth of BJP in Gujarat has been repeated communal violence. After the BJP captured power in Gujarat the VHP and the Bajrang Dal have become very bold and often indulges in vandalism against minorities and the police remains mute witness. Now it is the VHP which decides whether minorities should stay in a particular area or not. Often it does not even allow Muslims to set up shops in majority dominated areas. Many of us think that we should encourage people to live in cosmopolitan areas to increase interaction between various religious communities but the Sangh Parivar bigots are preventing minorities from settling in Hindu dominated areas.

Thus in Ahmedabad a mob of 40-50 people attacked the newly constructed five story building in Vishwakunj Society near National Institute of Design in Paldi area in Ahmedabad on February 5, 2000 causing damage to property worth 20 lakh of rupees. A car parked nearby was also set on fire. The mob was shouting ‘Jai Shri Ram’. They also threatened the care-taker of the building with dire consequences if he revealed their names to the police. The building was owned by one Wasim Kothiwala. A police officer said that ‘a group of Hindus have attacked the building and ransacked it as it is owned by a Muslim and this area is thickly populated by the Hindus. »

The violent attack on Muslim families in Paldi once again stirred the communal passions in Ahmedabad. The city police was groping in the dark about this mindless vandalism. The Deputy Commissioner of Police Shri T.S.Bisht said, « These vandals are from the same locality and they attacked the families as they do not want these Muslim families in their neighbourhood. »

Next, Tonk in Rajasthan witnessed communal frenzy on 20th February when two groups of students clashed with each other. One student was killed. Curfew was clamped on town. More than 8 persons were arrested in this connection. It all began with some quarrel between students of two communities – Hindus and Muslims. Thereafter students belonging to one community attacked the students belonging to another community. One student Nasir was severely beaten up who succumbed to his injuries later. Communal tension spread between the two communities as a result of these incidents. Curfew was clamped in Tonk from 5 A.M. These students also tried to destroy the places of worship. About 40 persons were arrested in this connection.

Next in row was Nanded, Maharashtra where Hindus and Muslims clashed over a piece of land on 2nd March, 2000. The trouble erupted when a shop owner belonging to a minority community tried to raise a permanent structure. Twelve shops were gutted seemingly by short-circuiting in one of the shops. It was difficult to say whether it was short-circuiting or a case of setting fire. The piece of disputed land was claimed by Dhangar Samaj and they proposed to build a temple there. A number of communal incidents were caused by property disputes and it could be said that vested interests used religion as a cover for their purposes. Because of this, entire communities got involved in what could be called private property disputes.

The other major cause for communal clashes are Hindu and Muslim festivals. In some or the other place communal trouble erupts on Holi, Ganesh or Durga procession or Tazia procession in Muharram. Thus on the occasion of Holi on 19th March more than five lives were lost in various places in the country. In Farrukhabad district of U.P. alone 2 persons were killed including one woman when people of two communities clashed over the question of throwing colour. In Calcutta three persons died when the police opened fire on the mob consisting of Hindus and Muslims. Of those died one was killed in Howrah area in the police firing. According to the police, one group of people completely drunk was trying to throw colour on unwilling people of another community. When the police tried to prevent it from doing so it began pelting stones on the police. Another incident took place in Hugli district in which one person died and several were injured. The third incident took place in the suburbs of Calcutta when twenty four year old youth was killed as he objected to being smeared with colour.

In Ghaziabad U.P. there was communal tension as the district administration did not permit bonfire of Holi. The Hindus refused to celebrate Holi in protest. The land where Holi bonfire was, was a disputed piece of land between Hindus and Muslims. The Allahabad High Court had permitted Muslims to offer Eid prayers there but had not given any instruction about Holi bonfire. The police had to make strong arrangements to guard the place in view of communal tension in the town.

On the occasion of Holi in Madhupur village of Behraich district 12 persons were badly injured when Hindus and Muslims clashed. The clashes began when some drunkards tried to throw colour on Muslims and they protested. Fifteen persons were arrested in this connection.

After Holi it was turn of Muharram in April 2000. The Muslims took out Tazia processions on 10th day of Muharram to mourn the martyrdom of Husain, the grand son of the Holy Prophet. In Sasaram, Bihar two groups of Muslims clashed over taking out Tazias. The matter went to such an extent that the police had to fire in the air to disperse the clashing mobs. In these clashes about two dozen persons including a police constable were injured. The two groups attacked each other with lethal and fatal weapons.

Varanasi, another communally sensitive area, witnessed eruption of violence on 19th April. Curfew had to be clamped in Varanasi following communal clashes that left one person dead and two others, including a policeman, injured. Two more persons were injured when fresh bout of violence erupted when miscreants hurled bombs in the curfew bound Telabagh area under Chetganj police station. Indefinite curfew had to be clamped on 19th April under Chetganj, Luxa, Dashmasumer Ghat, Chowk and Bhelupura police stations after clashes.

On 19th April evening, a young man was attacked by a group of unidentified people as he was passing through a Muslim neighbourhood. Following that, members of the two communities clashed in the area leading to the fatal stabbing of a 22 year old man, Vinod Kumar Jain, who was merely passing through the neighbourhood on his two wheeler. This led to violence spilling into other neighbourhoods. Situation became very tense and intensive patrolling had to be done and all schools and colleges were closed for two days and examinations postponed in centres falling under curfew bound areas. One more person was arrested in connection with the stabbing incident and number of arrested in various incidents in Varansi reached 61.

Madhepura, Ahmedabad witnessed communal violence on 21 May when two persons were suddenly stabbed while buying vegetables. Hearing this, rival mobs of two hundred each gathered on both sides and began pelting stones. Arson and looting spread to Dudheshwar Cross Roads. A grain shop and a scooter were set on fire and two other shops and a handcart were destroyed. To disperse the mob police threw 15 tear gas shells. A police sub-inspector was also hurt near the chin. The police said it was looking for one Hindu Vishwa Parishad man who had been arrested earlier for his involvement in similar riots in Madhepura a year back.

Next communal violence erupted in Kopergaon, Ahmednagar district in Maharashtra. It was on 25th May 2000 the communal tension on the question of eve teasing near a dargah and a temple became palpable. Then some persons began to demand that the dargah be removed from there or the Hindus will install an idol near Idgah. It was after this that some elements belonging to Shiv Sena-BJP who began to set fire to Muslim shops. Three bangle shops, two waste material shops, two spare parts shops, one pan shop, one repair garage and one truck, all belonging to Muslims were set on fire. The police, Muslims in Kopergaon alleged, did not help them. It remained mute spectators. It was after 9 P.M. that SRP reached the spot and controlled the situation and enforced Article 144. About 7 persons were arrested but released in the morning.

On 24th June 2000 police post of Yamunapushta, Delhi came under attack as the police arrested one Ishaque and Shah Alam, Bangla Deshis as suspects in a bomb blast. However, people around the place maintained that Ishaque was working during the day and teaching children in the madrasa at night. Then rumour spread that the police had desecrated the Holy Qur’an. The Muslims of the area surrounded the police post and began pelting stones. Even lathi charge and tear gas shells did not bring the situation under control. The mob set fire to a motor vehicle of police parked nearby and ransacked the police post destroying all the records. The police then resorted to firing in which one person Ganga Ram was injured and another person Mujahid 18 was killed. The policemen who were trapped inside escaped death narrowly as the mob thought they were dead and left the place. Two constables coming to the post were also surrounded and beaten up as they were carrying tear gas lobs.

Guntur came under curfew on following a bomb explosion in a mosque on 26th June 2000. According to the police, curfew was clamped on Monday morning in Kothapet, Lalapet and parts of old city areas, while rest of the town continued under prohibitory order under section 144. No reports of violence were received after the curfew was imposed and no arrests were made in connection with the incident. An all party procession was taken out in Mangalagiri town in protest against the explosion in the mosque. Some shops also downed shutters to register their protest.

The Andhra Pradesh government announced a reward of Rs.25 lakhs to anybody providing information about the persons responsible for the attacks on religious institutions in the state. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu who visited the blast site made this announcement after a meeting with religious leaders. He also announced that police protection will be provided at all religious places belonging to minorities. An additional police force including two companies of the RAF were deployed to maintain peace in the area.

However, violence did break out in Guntur next day. The Guntur police arrested 30 persons in connection with the torching of buses and attack on APSRTC bus station after the bomb blast in the Markaz Mosque. Some trains were also detained at the Rapatla railway station. A massive procession of about 800 people was also taken out at Tenali.

In Malpura area of Tonk district communal violence broke out on 10th July, 2000 after killing of Kailash Mali who was an accused in the post Babri Demolition riots of December 1992. Apparently it was a revenge killing as Kailash Mali was involved in several cases. However, communal disturbances started after his killing which claimed six lives in Malpura.. After the death of Mali a jeep was discovered according to Gulabsingh Shaktawat, Home Minister of Rajasthan with 4 dead bodies in it. These bodies carried the signs of attacks with sharp weapons. Curfew was clamped in the area and two companies of Armed Constabulary were deployed.

Fresh disturbances broke out in Tonk district on July 12 in which one woman was killed. Indefinite curfew had to be imposed on Tonk district. According to the police a woman was killed and three children injured at a village on the Toda Raisingh Road in Malpura town where communal clashes had claimed 10 lives till Tuesday. The curfew continued for the third day at Malpura and for the second day at the district headquarters, Tonk. Three companies of Rapid Action Force had to be rushed from Delhi for maintaining law and order.

In Ahmedabad particularly in the old city area like Kalupur, Dariapur, Jamalpur communal situation is always extremely fragile. On ordinary incidents Hindus and Muslims start fighting with each other. On July 14 2000, for example, situation became very tense with the rumour of one Muslim youth teasing a Hindu girl. Mobs of more than 500 gathered on both sides and began pelting stones at each other. The police arrested 26 persons and detained 200. At about 8-30 P.M. heavy stone pelting and clashes took place near Nagina Park and Wadilkam area. Officials of Dariapur police rushed to the spot with the SRP jawans, even as a mob of 1000 residents pelted stones on the police officials. The police resorted to tear gas shelling and firing in the air to disperse the mob. However, no one was injured in the firing.

However, worse was yet to come on communal front in whole of Gujarat when the VHP gave a call for Gujarat Bandh after killing of about 100 pilgrims in Kashmir allegedly by the extremists. The VHP went on rampage in Gujarat and destroyed properties worth lakhs besides places of worship and dargahs. Many secular activists and NGOs from Gujarat prepared a comprehensive report running over 44 pages titled Saffron On the Rampage- Gujarat’s Muslims pay for Lashkar’s Deeds.

According to the Report, « In Ahmedabad, Surat, Sabarkantha (Lambadiya, Khed Brahma and Modasa villages) and Pahlanpur and Rajkot, Muslim business establishments – power looms, granaries, printing presses, shops and godowns – were cold-bloodedly targeted by indigenous terrorist squads led by elected representatives belonging to Bhartiya Janata Party, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal. In Surat alone, a senior correspondent of the Financial Express has estimated the total damage by the selective destruction through full fledged arson of only Muslim-owned power looms …at Rs.10 crores totally. In Modasa Village of Sabarkantha district, of the 63 business establishments charred to nothingness, 51 belonged to Muslims, 12 to Hindus totalling to a loss of not less than Rs. 1.5 crores. »

The report further says, « If Gujarat is Hindutva’s laboratory, as the proud proponents of this political ideology have so often declared, what took place in Gujarat on the day of the Bandh on August 3, and for a week thereafter, should be viewed as one more test case of Hindutva in action. »

The report continues, « Despite the fact that many sections closed down businesses and shops on that day fateful day, in support of the outrage against the Amarnath yatris, for the squads of Hindu Rashtra, this was just not enough. Publicly, office bearers of the VHP and BD, and in many cases helped by selected representatives of the BJP, bayed for more blood in revenge for the Amarnath yatris, and got it with the help of the government and the police: destruction worth crores and all the form of property and businesses owned by Muslims in the state. »

It is not possible in this report to give all the details of what happened in various places in Gujarat on the fateful day of strike (3rd August). However, it is enough to say that it was display of naked fascism by the Hindutva forces who would never tire to claim that Hindus were much more tolerant and the BJP, as pointed out earlier, would bring ‘riot-free India’ in its manifesto. A Dargah was also burnt. According to Deepak Trivedi of Asian Age, « The VHP’s bandh call officially endorsed by the BJP in Gujarat, took a violent turn when VHP and Bajrang Dal activists carrying saffron flags moved around in different parts of the state forcing people to close shops. Brandishing trishuls and mashaals the activists shouted anti-Pakistan and anti-Muslim slogans and attacked people and establishments belonging to minority communities. »

According to Trivedi, in Ahmedabad a dargah was razed to the ground opposite the Amdapur police chowky in Nafroda area. The police was a mute witness to the miscreants storming the dargah, breaking the roof and destroying it completely before setting it on fire. No arrests had been made in this case. In another case of vandalism, St.Xaviers School in Meghraj taluka of Sanbarkantha district was attacked by VHP and Bajrang Dal activists. Father Peter was injured in the attack. According to Father Cedric Prakash, the school remained closed in support of the bandh but the miscreants rushed inside the school promises, where over 380 tribal boys and girls were lodged in hostels.

In Surat bandh took violent turn in which several stabbing cases took place and left a student dead. Violence broke out in Surat in the afternoon when the VHP activists tried to force closure of shops. A number of shops were looted and burnt.

Mathura in U.P. witnessed outbreak of communal violence on August 15, 2000. The police resorted to firing in which two persons were killed and 15 others were injured following clashes between Hindus and Muslims. The dead were identified as Kale (12) and Mushtaq (22). The violence took place in front of Govindnagar police station near Krishna Janambhoomi site. The violence was sparked off by a dispute over a plot of land. When Hindus started constructing a wall on a plot of land Muslims objected to it saying that plot was being used as a cemetery under the supervision of the Wakf Board, a claim rebutted by the majority community. The members of the two communities threw crude bombs besides acid-filled bottles at each other. Finally the police had to resort to firing killing two persons.

Nanded in Maharashtra again witnessed violence on 13th September 2000. Four persons were stabbed to death in a fresh outbreak of communal violence and the authorities clamped a dusk to dawn curfew. The four villagers who had come to city were stabbed. About 25 persons were arrested in connection with stabbing incident in the Itwara area of Nanded. The disturbances started apparently when some miscreants threw stones on Ganesh procession from one of the bye-lanes in Itwara area. The news spread like wild fire and large scale riots broke out. When, according to the police, lathi charge proved ineffective it resorted to firing injuring four persons. One of the injured was in critical condition.

The next town to witness communal violence was Biharsharif, a town communally sensitive and which had witnessed communal catastrophe in 1981 in which more than 400 persons had lost their lives. This time it happened on the question of installing a Durga idol on a disputed piece of land on October 9, 2000. Violence broke out and the police opened fire in which one woman Bachia Devi was killed and three others were injured. The police opened fire at several places to quell the mobs in which four persons were injured. Three columns of army and Rapid Action Force and Bihar Military Police had to be employed to quell the disturbances.

Tension had gripped the town on 8th October when thousands of kar sevaks had started building a temple on the disputed site where they had earlier installed an idol of goddess Durga on October 4th. The idol was removed by the authorities later. Enraged by the removal of idol and partial demolition of the construction the frenzied mobs started vandalising private and public properties leading to imposition of curfew. According to eyewitness reports, the members of a community came out defying curfew regulations, blocked streets with burning tyres and wooden logs. The number of arrests went up to 145 following night-long raids in connection with the incidents of arson when shops belonging to the minority community and government officials were attacked. The marble idol of goddess Durga was removed to the police lines and the police authorities asked the organisers either to install it at a private place of their choice or at a place earmarked by the authorities to defuse tension.

Azamgarh in U.P. has become sensitive not only from the point of view of Hindu-Muslim conflict but also from the viewpoint of Shia-Sunni mutual problems. On 6th November violence between Shias and Sunnis broke out with great fury in Mubarakpur in Azamgarh district. The police authorities described it as « well planned sectarian clashes ». The death toll mounted to 11 and three out of those injured were quite critical. Even after few days after the clashes the situation in Mubarakpur was highly tense. Six companies of PAC and two companies of RAF had to be deployed to maintain peace. Many people thought that the sectarian violence in Mubarakpur was a result of murder of the Shia leader Agha Syed Mahdi in Srinagar. But this could not be confirmed. Even days after the clashes the town was simmering with tension.

Communal violence also broke out in number of places after Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee gave a statement that the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya was an expression of ‘national sentiments’. Some Hindutvawadis took cue from P.M.’s statement and went on rampage in several places like Rae Bareli and Moradabad in U.P. and Nawsari in Gujarat. Nawasari has been very peaceful town and even during communal frenzy in nearby Surat in 1992-1993 it had remained peaceful. It witnessed communal violence almost for the first time.

In Nawsari in South Gujrat communal disturbances broke out on 3rd December in which 14 persons were seriously injured. Indefinite curfew had to be imposed in the town police station area. First disturbances broke out in Alipur area where two communities clashed on the question of cow protection. About 15 shops and hawkers stalls were set ablaze. The police had to fire 15 rounds in air to disperse the mob. There was once case of stabbing also.

In Moradabad the violence broke out on 9th December when a boundary wall of a place of worship was demolished in Galshahid area at the instance of some local politicians. The police had to lathicharge in more than 12 places as the disturbances spread to different areas. About 20 persons were held but no one sustained serious injury.

A Muslim, 45-year-old was beheaded inside the mosque in Trinulveli district in southern Tamil Nadu. Communal tension spread in neighbouring districts also after the gruesome incident. The two unidentified assailants who killed the Muslim made good their escape. However, the police authorities maintained that the situation was under control and police pickets had been put in all sensitive areas. According to the police sources two persons scaled the mosque’s wall around 11 p.m.Saturday night and singled out for attack Abdul Rasheed among the three men preparing gruel for Ramzan prayers. Six other persons were sleeping inside the mosque. First a petrol bomb was thrown and thereafter they attacked Rasheed with knives.

These were communal incidents and riots, which took place in the year 2000. On the eve of the new year of 2001. Communal situation as such is quite worrisome. Communal propaganda has intensified and major communal riot can take place anytime and anywhere the communal forces want. Unfortunately countervailing forces are not very active. The communal forces have totally free hand and more often than not go unchallenged.

Asghar Ali Engineer

Asghar Ali Engineer is a Indian Muslim and a Islamic scholar, reformist-writer and activist. Internationally he is known for his work on liberation theology in Islam, the leader of the Progressive Dawoodi Bohra movement, and his work on (and action against) communalism and communal and ethnic violence in India and South East Asia. He is an advocate of a culture of peace, non-violence and communal harmony, and has lectured all over world. He is presently head of ‘Institute of Islamic Studies’ and ‘Centre for Study of Society and Secularism’, both of which he founded in 1980 and 1993 respectively..

~ par Alain Bertho sur 6 octobre 2009.

Publié dans दंगा, émeutes, riots