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 Focus:
Communal riots
Riot After Riot
Compiled by Zafarul-Islam Khan
The
Milli Gazette Online
3
November 2005
A spate of communal riots has erupted all over India during the last few weeks though focus has been on Mau. Both communal and 'secular' elements are out to consolidate their
respective votebanks - secularists to secure their Muslim voters as protectors of minorities and the communalists to polarise the Hindu voters. Both are trying hard to unseat Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh and call early elections. A biased governor in Lucknow Raj Bhawan is all they need. He has just defied the state government and visited Mau meeting only the perpetrators of the riots. Here are some reports about the recent outbreaks:
Communal riots in Mau
Mau: Mau (or Mau Nath Bhanjan), a town in eastern UP famous for saree industry, witnessed violent communal riots immediately after Dussehra. On 13 October tension prevailed in the city in the evening when at the time of Iftar a group of Muslims objected to the use of loudspeakers on the occasion of Bharat Milap. Sensing trouble, district authorities and also Ram Lila Committee postponed the Bharat Milap function. However, tension prevailed in the city. On 14th October when the atmosphere was already tense, violent riots erupted over a minor incident and on the first day itself three persons were killed, many injured and properties and handlooms were looted and burnt.
There was no let-up and riots, arson, murder continued for at least four days. Rapid Action Force (RAF), notorious PAC and police personnel patrolled the city and shoot-at-site order was issued. Inspite of this, cases of setting shops, looms and houses on fire continued in outlying places. Finding laxity on the part of police, Azamgarh Police Commissioner suspended 5 top officers including DIG, DM and SP of Mau. BJP leaders Kalyan Singh, BJP president of UP unit, Kesari Nath Tirpathi, Gorakhpur MP, Yogi Aditya Narayan and Lalji Tondon, Opposition leader in UP Assembly, who were proceeding to Mau were prevented from entering the town. Salman Khurshid, Congress leader was also not allowed to enter the city.
Mukhtar Ansari, independent MLA and a supporter of Mulayam Singh government, was seen making rounds of the city in his jeep along with his supporters during curfew hours but police did not muster the guts to arrest him. According to a police officer, 36 criminal cases have been registered against Ansari, including conviction under TADA. Police has registered FIRs against him and BJP MLC, Ramji Singh, Hindu Yuva Vahni’s Ajit Singh Chandail along with more than a hundred others for inciting riots, murder, arson etc. Mukhtar Ansari was asked to leave the city but he flatly refused and went underground until he surrendered to the police on 25 October.
As Mau was limping back to normalcy after four days of riots and tense situation, news of inciting riots were coming from neighbouring cities of Bahraich, Ghazipur, Balia etc.
Mulayam Singh Yadav described the riots as a blot on his two-years administration. He admitted that riots could not be controlled during the first two days. Suspension of five or six top civil and police authorities improved the situation. He announced an interim compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the family members of the those killed and Rs 25000 to the injured.
In all 9 persons (more, according to other sources) were killed, more than 50 injured and more than 250 were arrested in Mau. BJP and Bahujan Samaj Party demanded deployment of army, and judicial enquiry but Mulayam Singh refused both. Since judicial enquiry will take a long time, he said, he ordered enquiry by a committee of three members led by Ms Neera Yadav, chairperson of State Revenue Board.
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See also in this section:
Focus:
Communal riots
:: Riot After Riot
:: Mau riot: ‘total administration failure'
:: Politicians exploit Mau riots
:: Communal riots in India or Conspiracy
:: Communal clashes in Partawal
:: Communal riots in Bahraich
:: Communal tension in Laour
:: Bhagwa flag in Eidgah creates tension
:: Communal riots in Assam
:: Communal
Clash in Agra
:: Tension in Karnataka village
:: Communal clash in Delhi locality
:: Is 'Riot Free India' a possibility?
:: Communal Riot in Mau: A Report
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