Communal Riots-2012.pdf - Indian Social Institute

Moin Ashraf Qadri, has launched a campaign against the drug dealers and it is suspected that the drugmafia wanted to defame Sunni ulema. (Times of India 14/8/12)First 5 months of Samajwadi Party rule witness 5 communal riots (7)LUCKNOW: Even as tension prevailed in riot-hit Bareilly, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav stressed that thedistrict magistrates and senior superintendents of police will be held accountable for failure to curbcommunal clashes. The CM had made a similar statement shortly after he came to power in March 2012.But, it does not appear to have made any impact at the ground level, as the state witnessed fivecommunal clashes in first five months of the SP government. Take the example of Bareilly. Earlier, curfewwas imposed in the city on July 22 following clashes between two groups which claimed four lives. TheDM and SSP were removed on July 30. The curfew was lifted on August 7. However, riots broke again onAugust 11, when route of Janmashtami processions were changed in Baradari and Kalbari area leadingto brick batting and firing by an angry mob, which left 18 persons injured. More than 200 persons havebeen arrested so far. Like Bareilly, four people were killed at Kosi Kalan, Mathura, on June 1 afterviolence broke out between two communities outside a place of worship over the sharing of a watertanker. On June 4, the DM and SSP of the district were replaced, but situation continues to be tense inKosi Kalan. Pratapgarh has also seen two communal clashes since June. The first clash took place atAshtan village on June 23 after kidnap, rape and murder of a minor dalit girl. In retaliation, over 40 houseswere set afire by the victim's kin and their supporters. On June 26, the DM and SSP were suspended bythe government. However, on August 7, violence broke out again in the district, this time at Sanahi village,following a petty dispute between members of two communities over fare charged by a tempo driver. Aperson was killed in the clash. Though on every occasion, chief minister took action against officials, hedid not visit any of the riot-hit places. In his place, two senior ministers Azam Khan and Shivpal Yadavvisited Mathura and Bareilly respectively. Despite Akhilesh's tough talk, what is putting the rulingSamajwadi Party (SP) government in poor light is that communal clashes were negligible during Mayawatiregime in UP, which has had a history of communal flare-ups. Further, the moral of the police force is saidto be down because of Akhilesh Yadav government's decision to withdraw cases lodged against criminalsand rioters. Sample this: The government has started process to withdraw cases against 40 accused whowere booked for attacking police in Moradabad on July 6, 2011 following an alleged incident of disrespectto holy Quran. The then Moradabad SSP was also injured in the attack. "In such a scenario, no officer willput his/her life to risk and act against perpetrators," said an officer. The opposition parties describetransfers of DM and SSP as cosmetic exercise which has failed to act as a deterrent for the real culprits.After Mathura and Bareilly riots, the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) accused the SP government of favouringMuslims as a part of its appeasement policy. And, after Pratapgarh violence, the Bahujan Samaj Party(BSP) described Akhilesh Yadav government as anti-dalit. A few senior SP leaders described thegovernment actions so far as "too little too late" and "insufficient". On one hand, it will help BJP executeits communal agenda and on the other it will infuse a sense of insecurity among Muslims, thereby spoilingSP's prospects in 2014 Lok Sabha elections, they feared. They pointed out that Shahi Imam of DelhiJama Masjid Maulana Ahmed Bukhari openly criticised chief minister and his father Mulayam SinghYadav for not visiting riot hit areas. (Times of India 15/8/12)Assamese Muslims slam Ajmal for 'communalizing' violence in BTC areas (7)GUWAHATI: Assam's indigenous Muslim communities, the Gorias and the Morias, have accused All IndiaUnited Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief Badruddin Ajmal of communalizing the violence in BodolandTerritorial Council (BTC) areas, leading to mass exodus of northeast people from different states in India.The indigenous Muslim communities, under the banner of Sadou Asom Goria Moria Deshi JatiyaParishad (SAGMDJP), equally blamed Hindu, Muslim and Christian fundamentalist forces for trying towedge differences among different indigenous communities during the BTAD conflict. SAGMDJP alsodemanded the arrest of Ajmal, alleging that he took the initiative of giving the Bodo-Muslim conflictcommunal colour. "When one says that the conflict in BTAD is between Bodos and Muslims, we, asindigenous Muslims, are also dragged in. But this is not true. We are not involved in the conflict. Ajmalhas no right to dub the conflict in BTAD as a Bodo-Muslim clash. We also don't want people like L KAdvani to talk on behalf of people of Assam. It is because of these communal forces that today NE peopleare leaving other cities like Bangalore and Hyderabad out of fear," SAGMDJP president Sahiruddin AliAhmed said. Ahmed also said that the NE people are leaving their places of study or work in other statesin fear only because of the handiwork of fundamentalist forces which termed the BTAD violence as Bodo-Muslim conflict. "Even indigenous Assamese Muslims who are studying and working in cities outside thestate are having to return to Assam. Our community has suffered equally because of the communalgameplan of fundamentalist forces," SAGMDJP general secretary Hafijul Ahmed said. AIUDF has