[sacw] SACW #1 (22 Nov. 01)

[Harsh Kapoor]

South Asia Citizens Wire | Dispatch #1
22 November 2001
http://www.mnet.fr/aiindex

------------------------------------------

#1.Bangladesh: No action yet against perpetrators of Bhola outrage=20
Harrowing tales of depravity
(A Daily Star investigation)
#2. Resolution Passed on the Situation in Afghanistan by The Pakistan=20
International Forum at its last meeting on 17 November 2001 in London.
#3. India: Malegaon Riots - A New Era of Violence? (Dr. Asghar Ali Enginee=
r)

________________________

#1.

-----Original Message-----
From: Prof. Asim Dutta-Roy [<mailto:akdr@h...>mailto:akdr@h...=
m]
Sent: Friday, November 09, 2001 4:29 PM
Subject: [HelpAsia] 100 Hindu Women/girls (age between 8 and 70yrs)
raped in Bangladesh

Dear All,
The following horrific news is published in today's edition of The Daily
Star, (www.banglnews.com) a Bangladeshi Newspaper on the systamatic
torture/ Rape of Minority Hindus in Bangladesh.
Regards
Dr. Asim Dutta-Roy
Professor of Medicine
University of Oslo
Norway

No action yet against perpetrators of Bhola outrage Harrowing tales=20
of depravity
Star investigation
Star Roving Team

(The first of a series of investigative reports by Star Roving Team)

A senior high school teacher from Lalmohon in Bhola district=20
approached The Daily Star office in Dhaka last week. The teacher,=20
whose name is withheld for his safety, had fled his home in the face=20
of atrocities unleashed by a group of people claiming to be ruling=20
party men in his village. He had a series of stories to tell.

He narrated how Hindu women, numbering in hundreds, whose ages=20
ranged between eight and 70, were raped on the night of October 2 in=20
a village called Annada Prashad, also known as GM Bazaar (Guno Moni=20
Bazaar), under Lord Hardinge Union of Lalmohon police station in=20
Bhola district. He also said how nearly all the Hindu houses in=20
Annada Prashad were systematically looted.

Many Hindus had fled the area and the ones, who had nowhere to go,=20
were forced to pay protection money and lived in extreme fear. The=20
Daily Star decided to investigate this harrowing story and=20
immediately dispatched a team of staff correspondents to the region.

The Star team left by a motor vessel to Lalmohon, equipped with two=20
motorbikes. On the six-day trip from Dhaka the team reached Lalmohon=20
on October 31. It then proceeded to Annada Prashad. Then to Char=20
Fasson. From there it crossed the Meghna to reach Char Kukri Mukri.=20
Then it returned to Gazaria in Lalmohon. It then went to Bhola=20
district town before coming to Barisal the next day. From Barisal it=20
returned to Dhaka on a motor vessel.

Heavy overnight rain had turned the roads muddy and slippery.=20
Overcast sky still sent intermittent drizzles. Police officials at=20
Lalmohon kept busy, for the Minister for Jute, the just re-elected MP=20
from the area, Major (retd) Hafizuddin, Bir Bikram, would visit his=20
constituency for the first time since the October 1 general election.=20
Officer-in-Charge of the police station Mohammad Tofazzal Hossain=20
said he took over only two days before the election.

It is a remote area about 30 kilometres away from the nearest town,=20
said Hossain when asked about Annada Prashad, "We heard about some=20
incidents there but except in one case of rape of a eight-year old=20
girl, we received no complaint whatsoever. We have set up a police=20
post there."

"We have arrested Ibrahim Khalil Selim, son of Yasin Master, one of=20
the six accused in Rita Rani rape incident," Lalmohon's police chief=20
said.

"Opportunists seeking vengeance unleashed terror on the minority=20
community there just after the election, but believe me, nobody=20
lodged any other formal complaint," Hossain repeated.

The potholed road to Annada Prashad through Kartar Hat, Roy Chand=20
and Lord Hardinge (named after the then Viceroy of India), ended at=20
a small locality called Kashmir. From here, a muddy earthen road=20
wound its way to Annada Prashad, about seven kilometres to the north.

At exactly 10:30am on October 31, the Daily Star team of four=20
arrived at GM Bazaar on two motorbikes. Annada Prashad looked=20
pristine, surrounded by lush green paddy fields half submerged by=20
floodwater. Clusters of houses stood amid paddy fields and bamboo=20
groves.

The air smelt sweet of earth and rotting straw. The small bazaar,=20
consisting of about 20 separate shops, was almost deserted. But soon=20
a group of curious onlookers gathered at the site where we stood.=20
Some men sat on wooden benches near by and whispered to one another,=20
occasionally pointing their forefingers at us. Tension was visible=20
in their faces.

A former chairman of the Union and a businessman, Abdul Kader said=20
that the village had about 2,200 Hindu voters and many of them had=20
left for unknown places over the last one month since the election.

Kader himself fell victim to atrocities with his house and business=20
ransacked and destroyed about a month ago. Refusing to flee, Kader=20
clung to his business and partially rebuilt his house keeping silent=20
about everything that happened around him. Kader was a rare=20
non-Hindu victim of the area. He was an Awami League activist.

At a Hindu house near the Bazaar, the first stories of rape, assault=20
and looting started to emerge. The female members of the house=20
begged for anonymity and burst into tears.

The terrified inmates said they had just paid Tk 10,000 in=20
protection money to remain in their own house, where they had lived=20
for generations. They told the Daily Star team how the perpetrators=20
looted literally everything they found, including lungi, gamchha,=20
quilts, saris, cooking utensils, plates, pitchers, rice in stock,=20
pigeons, chickens, cows, goats, ornaments and cash. When the attacks=20
happened, they-men, women and children-hid in nearby paddy fields=20
infested with large water leeches.

The story began at around 3:30 in the morning of October 2. Within=20
hours of the election, while the results were still being aired,=20
several Hindu houses in the southern side of the village came under=20
attack.

Gangs of miscreants moved onto the northern side and looted=20
valuables from Hindu houses. As the day moved on and the results of=20
the election became clear, the intensity of the attacks increased. By=20
noon the Hindu community of Annada Prashad became extremely fearful.=20
Women and children left their homes and started to look for refuge.

They all narrated how up to 150 armed perpetrators swooped on the=20
isolated Bentor Bari at around 10:30pm, where more than 100 women=20
and children took refuge during the day. They had mistakenly assumed=20
that the isolation of Bentor Bari and its difficult accessibility=20
would save them from the attackers. "In fact the situation started=20
to change at around 12 noon of the election day, when armed men=20
entered the Ranoda Proshad voting centre and took over charge," said=20
a woman. She added that within the four-kilometre radius of the=20
village, every Hindu house was raided and looted on October 2 and=20
many incidents of rape, torture took place.

They said known faces of the area such as Shahabuddin, Mizan, Farid,=20
Faizullah, Yasin Master and his sons Selim (arrested on charges of=20
raping eight-year old Rita Rani) and Belal, Saiful, Zakir the=20
rickshaw-puller, Abu, Dulal, Mosharraf, Shaheen and Tofael were=20
leading the attacks. More than a hundred strangers from Lalmohon and=20
nearby villages also joined the attackers on the day. The women cited=20
names of others, their relatives and friends who were raped.

The Daily Star correspondents talked to over 100 women at different=20
places of the village who, in their narration of what had happened,=20
were strikingly and frighteningly similar. Most said the attackers=20
had forcibly taken away their nakful (nose rings). They symbolised=20
losing their nakful with rape and assault on them. For instance,=20
whenever this correspondent asked an individual how many men=20
attacked her, she would burst into tears and cite a number and say,=20
two or three or four men took her nakful away.

Not all women however were narrating rape with euphemisms. Landless=20
M R Das (not her real name), about 38 and a widow with three=20
children, said with tears flowing down her cheeks that eleven men=20
gang raped her first in her house within a week after the caretaker=20
government took office. Fearing attack, MR had already sent her two=20
daughters to her parent's house in Dhaka.

On the night of October 2, a gang of men broke into her house and=20
raped her, while her son cried. "I begged for a respite, I told them=20
I needed to drink water but they went on and on. My son cried for=20
help but who would help, everybody was running away," said MR,=20
almost hysterical and crying.

While the women talked to the Daily Star correspondents, children=20
were sent out to keep vigil. A loudspeaker mounted on a rickshaw=20
moved slowly on the earthen road nearby and announced the arrival of=20
Hafizuddin, the MP, at Lord Hardinge. The announcer urged the Hindu=20
community in particular to join Hafizuddin in the meeting for=20
discussion.

About half a kilometre in the north, 75-year-old Luxmi Kanta Das and=20
his wife Radha Rani about 40, said when the attackers came, all=20
their neighbours started to run.

Some women ran in the paddy fields, some hid inside the betel leaf=20
shed and some were caught by the attackers and robbed of their=20
nakful, Radha Rani said defying her husband Luxmi Kanta's plea not to=20
talk. Radha Rani said, after the attackers caught her they tried to=20
strip her near the village pond. But she grabbed a large stick and=20
defended her. She said she was nonetheless overpowered and robbed of=20
her nakful.

Radha Rani's 13-year-old daughter-in-law, Tripti Rani came forward=20
to tell what had happened to her. Shy and still childish and=20
completely unaware of her status of a housewife, living with in-laws,=20
Tripti Rani tearfully said she was caught by five men in the betel=20
leaf shed and robbed of her nakful.

Josna Rani, Priti Rani, Lipi Bala, Thaku Rani, Dhaleswari and many=20
others narrated in deep sorrow and unrelenting tears how they had=20
lost their nakful and everything they possessed. Many said during the=20
attacks the perpetrators accused them of voting for the Awami=20
League. Those who survived the onslaught said for hours they lay in=20
the paddy fields bitten by dozens of leeches, too weak to move.

As more men and women arrived at Luxmi Kanta's house to tell their=20
stories, suddenly everyone went mum and looked terrified. Hardly ten=20
feet away stood a young man in lungi who stared at the crowd. The=20
crowd of men and women whispered that the man in lungi was none=20
other than Belal, wanted on charges of raping Rita Rani, looting,=20
physical assault, masterminding the attacks on innocent villagers and=20
so on. Soon, the notorious criminal slowly walked off the scene=20
without saying a word.

Bentor Bari, about 1.5 kilometres southward from Luxmi Kanta's house=20
was extremely difficult to reach. From the main earthen road of the=20
village, there is no road leading to this cluster of houses, situated=20
in the middle of paddy fields about a kilometre to the south. One=20
has to wade through waist-deep water rich in fish and large water=20
leeches.

For the inmates of Bentor Bari and more than 100 who took refuge=20
there, the night of October 2 represents a nightmare that they could=20
never probably forget. Amalendu Das a grocer from Bentor Bari=20
explained why so many people took refuge in their house on the day.=20
During disturbances in 1991 over Babri Mosque, all houses belonging=20
to rich Hindus were looted and torched, they did not touch Bentor=20
Bari because the people living here are very, very poor and the=20
house is so isolated, Amalendu said.

Following overnight attacks on all the Hindu houses in Annada=20
Prashad, many families started to wade through the water towards=20
Bentor Bari at around 2:00pm. The perpetrators simply watched from=20
far throughout the day as the desperate Hindus took refuge inside=20
the cluster of about 15 dwellings.

Promod Chandra Das of Bentor Bari said that he and his neighbours=20
had already sent most of their family members elsewhere on October=20
2. As soon as the refugees started to arrive, about eight of their=20
friends formed a vigil group.

"At around 10:30pm we suddenly saw that about 150 people were wading=20
toward Bentor Bari from the northern side. We shouted at them asking=20
about their identity but they kept silent. When they came near the=20
house, we realised we were helplessly outnumbered, we asked the=20
women to run for cover and then we started to run away through the=20
paddy fields," Promod said.

The following few hours of the night represented savagery for=20
children and women, trying to flee. A group of perpetrators=20
concentrated on looting, another chased the children and women in the=20
paddy fields caught and dragged them on to the land and gang raped=20
them.

Women showed wounds of beating and assault on their bodies,=20
including spots of leech bites. In the Bentor Bari, rape was=20
indiscriminate during the night that included eight-year-old Rita=20
Rani and 70-year-old Paru Bala.

"You know the policemen who are now camping at the Vaskor Bari are=20
friends of the attackers, they were invited by the rapists and we=20
often find them together having friendly talks," said a woman.

At Vaskor Bari about 500 metres away from Bentor Bari, scores of=20
women waited to tell similar stories of torture, rape and looting.=20
Some of the women came closer to whisper the message of police's=20
friendship with the criminals.

Havildar Yusuf and his nine constables were sleeping inside the=20
temporary house, now turned police camp at around 3:30pm. The house=20
had an earthen idol of goddess Luxmi as it was the day of the Luxmi=20
puja. But there was nobody else to observe the puja. Yusuf denied=20
that he had anything to do with the criminals but said he had heard=20
about the atrocities on Hindus in the area.

He said the police post was set up on October 5 and none of the=20
victims lodged any complaint with the police. When asked how Belal=20
and four others, wanted in Rita Rani rape case, were roaming freely=20
in the area, the Havildar replied he did not receive any directive=20
from the higher authorities to arrest anyone.

Mohammad Faruk Hossain, a constable, said he had heard that over 200=20
women were raped in the village after the election.

At around 4:00pm, about 200 men gathered at GM Bazaar. Muslims and=20
Hindu men were on their way to Lord Hardinge to hear the new MP.=20
Some Muslim men expressed their frustration and said the=20
administration did nothing to arrest the criminals, who now think=20
that they got away with the barbaric crimes.

"Let me tell you," said a Muslim villager, "The same thing will=20
happen here as soon as the police go away. The criminals are just=20
waiting."

He added that every Hindu family living in the village is subjected=20
to paying protection money.

At Lord Hardinge, about an hour later, the new MP was seen arriving,=20
escorted by at least 50 motor bikes ridden by tough youths.

In Bhola, next day, the Deputy Commissioner Kabir Mohammad Ashraf=20
Uddin said that action could not be taken because there was nobody=20
complaining about the alleged atrocities.

"In Chowmohini Bazaar, the other day for instance, 106 shops were=20
torched by miscreants but when we arrived, there was not a single=20
person who would come forward to say what had happened or formally=20
lodge a complaint," Ashraf Uddin said.

"The attacks on the Hindu community is not communal but purely=20
political," Ashraf Uddin added. "I shall again talk to the Police=20
Super and if necessary we shall visit the are a again."

______

#2.

RESOLUTION PASSED ON THE SITUATION IN AFGHANISTAN BY THE PAKISTAN=20
INTERNATIONAL FORUM AT ITS LAST MEETING ON 17 NOVEMBER 2001 IN LONDON.

While we condemn the September 11 bombing of the Pentagon and World=20
Trade Centre in the USA as unconscionable acts of terror against=20
innocent civilians, we are equally united in condemning the senseless=20
bombing of innocent civilians in Afghanistan by the allied forces of=20
the USA and UK. We would urge the allies to seek an end to the new=20
regime of reprisals against civilians in post-Taliban Afghanistan. As=20
all independent agencies report this bloodbath is being perpetrated=20
by the armed proxies of the US and the UK in the form of the Northern=20
Alliance. This group of warlords has been known to wreak the worst=20
havoc on Kabul the city has ever known in its power struggle in the=20
period from 1992-6 when they had control of the city. We support=20
human rights groups like Amnesty International and the HRCP[ Human=20
Rights Commission of Pakistan] in urging the international community=20
to seek a diplomatic solution to the problem of international=20
terrorism, including the acts of terror waged by Osama Bin Laden and=20
his group of extremist militants.=20

As a short-term strategy to stabilize the region after the fall of=20
the Taliban, we would urge the United Nations to perform the role of=20
a neutral international body committed to the norms of justice, law=20
and international human rights. An active UN presence is strongly=20
required to remove the bloody tribal politics being played out in the=20
region in terms of favourites and proxies being imposed on the people=20
of Afghanistan. The Northern Alliance must be asked to accommodate=20
the feelings of all ethnic identities and not unleash a reign of=20
terror on the civilian population of Afghanistan.=20=20

To alleviate the suffering of millions of displaced people and war=20
refugees on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan, de-militarised=20
areas should be created near the border inside Afghanistan where this=20
human wave of malnourished and homeless people can be accommodated in=20
tented villages. These no -war zones should be declared UN protected=20
areas where no soldiers or militants from either side of the conflict=20
are allowed entry by an international peace-keeping force. Aid=20
agencies should then be allowed free access to work in these buffer=20
regions. A massive humanitarian effort to avert a crisis of epic=20
proportions should be attempted before the onset of the second phase=20
of a crippling winter. If immediate relief is not provided, it is=20
estimated that over 1 million people will die of starvation in=20
Afghanistan this winter.=20=20

As part of a longer-term strategy to bring sustainable peace to=20
Afghanistan, a transition authority be instituted by the UN. This=20
body should be equipped with enough financial and military equipment=20
to oversee a consultative electoral process put in place in=20
Afghanistan, whether it is a Loya Jirga or alternative polling=20
mechanism. Universal sufferage should be the long-term goal for any=20
independent, sovereign government of Afghanistan, particularly one=20
that includes the voices of half its population, the unseen women of=20
this ravaged country. Women's groups like the RAWA, the Afghan=20
Women's Council and Women's Alliance for Peace and Human Rights in=20
Afghanistan have already asked for a share in the new consultative=20
council or Loya Jirga of the new dispensation.They must not be=20
ignored at this most critical stage of renewed state formation.

Last but not least, the PIF also condemns the sectarian division of=20
Pakistani society that is sought by armed extremist religious sects.=20
The massacre of innocent citizens in Bahawalpur as a direct result of=20
their religious identity is also denounced as heinous and=20
unequivocally condemnable. The PIF seeks with other groups in civil=20
society for an international national call to solidarity with all=20
religious minorities in Pakistan and condemns any acts of violence or=20
discrimination against them. Concern for the fundamentalist=20
militarisation for Pakistani society is also high as members of the=20
fleeing Taliban regime seek refuge in established redoubts in=20
Pakistan. To this end, all efforts to de-radicalise and de-weaponise=20
militant religious groups in Pakistan must be supported.

The PIF is a secular inclusionary society instituted for the=20
non-political pursuit of its objectives. Its mission is to provide an=20
independent forum for liberal discourse on issues related to the=20
politics, economics, history and culture of Pakistan. Its broad aims=20
include the creation of public space for a dialogue on policy-making=20
that relates to Pakistan , in both its foreign and domestic=20
dimensions. All moderate forms of participation or contributions are=20
encouraged irrespective of political affiliation, race, religion,=20
ethnicity, gender or domicile.

______

#3.

MALEGAON RIOTS - A New Era of Violence?

Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer

Secular Perspective November 16- 30, 2001

The Malegaon was shaken with sudden spurt of communal violence on=20
26th October after the Friday prayer in the after noon. Communal=20
violence often has connection, direct or indirect with announcement=20
of elections. Within a couple of months elections to Municipal=20
Council (to be soon declared municipal corporation) are expected in=20
Malegaon and other towns and parties and contestants are worried=20
about their vote banks. The people have to pay price for being=20
governed through elected representatives.

The riots in Malegaon are quite serious and biggest after the Mumbai=20
riots of 1992-93. It is not that riots had not taken place after the=20
Mumbai riots of 1992-93 during the Shiv Sena-BJP rule as one=20
commentator had suggested. Several riots had taken place in Penn,=20
Junnar and other places during the SS-BJP rule. But it must be stated=20
that the Malegaon riots would take the cake in the post-Babri riots=20
in Maharashtra.

Malegaon, a taluka, is a Muslim majority town in the Nasik district.=20
It has roughly a population of 800,000 of which nearly sixty percent=20
is Muslim. These Muslims, most of them, had migrated from U.P and=20
Bihar after the mutiny in 1857 due to persecution by the British, are=20
quite poor and illiterate. Hardly any government in Maharashtra did=20
anything to improve their economic conditions. Government after=20
government used them for votes. A survey shows that the incidence of=20
T.B. is also quite high among the Muslims of Malegaon. Malegaon, it=20
must be noted, is an important centre of power looms like Bhivandi=20
near Mumbai.

Besides elections which will be soon announced the incidents of 11th=20
September in New York and Washington, were also responsible for what=20
happened in Malegaon. Muslims in Malegaon, like the Muslims in many=20
other places in India, are quite angry with the USA for its=20
continuous carpet bombing in Afghanistan in retaliation to the=20
terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York and Pentagon=20
in Washington.

These Muslims are expressing their resentment against the USA and=20
the Britain which has joined the USA in punishing raids by giving a=20
call for boycotting the American and the British goods particularly=20
the Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola, the popular soft drinks. Some Muslim=20
scribes from Deoband and other places in U.P. had given a call=20
appealing the Indians in general and Muslims in particular to boycott=20
these soft drinks. Many Muslim hoteliers had even stopped selling=20
these drinks. Some young boys in Malegaon were distributing the=20
pamphlets appealing the Indians to boycott these goods and they went=20
to distribute these pamphlets after the Friday prayers.
However, these pamphlets had nothing communal or offensive or even a=20
thing in support of terrorist attacks on 11th September in New York.=20
It contained only an appeal to boycott American and British goods.=20
The district authorities had made police bandobast outside all=20
sensitive areas. Malegaon is considered as one of the most communally=20
sensitive areas in Maharashtra. So the authorities wanted to take no=20
chances and the police bandobast was tightened.

One of the constables of the SRP (the state reserved police)=20
snatched a pamphlet from the boy who was distributing it and=20
reprimanded him. According to another version he even slapped him and=20
arrested him. It is said that the boy refused to hand over the=20
pamphlets to the constable. This led to protest from the people=20
coming out of the mosque and resulted in skirmishes with the police.=20
It is also said that the pamphlet in question was being distributed=20
in Malegaon for the last one week before that Friday. It is also said=20
that the Imam of the Jami` Masjid Mufti Muhammad Ismail and one=20
advocate Shuaib intervened and asked people to disperse peacefully.=20
It is obvious that much trouble could have been avoided if the police=20
had requested for the pamphlet and had not used the force. It is also=20
pointed out that first the police demanded the pamphlet and it was=20
refused and then force was used. Actually it should not be the job of=20
police on duty to demand for the pamphlet. It could have been=20
collected politely by a plainclothesman from intelligence department.=20
Instead an SRP constable seized the pamphlet and so much violence=20
resulted.

But there was anger against the police and also against the USA's=20
attack S.P, Suresh Ahire reached there with reinforcements and the=20
local Congress MLA Sheikh Rashid also reached the spot. People were=20
demanding apology from the police for snatching the pamphlets and=20
arresting the boy. As the crowd was getting restless the police=20
resorted to lathi charge with great intensity. Many people were=20
injured and they began to run from there. The crowd ran towards=20
Muhammad Ali and Qidwai Road and had scuffle with the police. Stone=20
pelting began and many people including three policemen, it is said,=20
were injured.

It is then that the police used force and begin firing in the=20
direction of Muhammad Ali Road. The police fired 9 rounds in which 7=20
persons were injured. Three persons died of which one was a boy of 18=20
years, who was hit in the head, the other was a 23 years old man who=20
was hit above his navel and third was a woman Biqis Bano 45 year old=20
who was drying clothes on the terrace was hit in the chest and died=20
in Faran hospital. It will be seen that all three were hit above the=20
waist and none was fired upon below the waist.

Before we proceed further some comments about the role of the police=20
will be in order. The police, particularly those at the lower ranks,=20
often fire in excess against weaker sections of the society=20
particularly the minorities, tribals and dalits. They hardly have=20
respect for human rights or even for others life. When they fire on=20
these sections they often fie to kill them. The way the sub inspector=20
Kadam had fired on dalits in Ghatkopar a few years ago in which more=20
than 10 dalits were killed is another proof of this. The Gundewar=20
Commission had also observed that the firing was in excess. And we do=20
have the Srikrishna Commission Report, which probed role of the=20
police so painstakingly, police station by police station and=20
concluded that the police was guilty of deliberately killing Muslims=20
in many instances.

If the government does not pay attention to intensive training and=20
sensitising the police towards human life this will keep on repeating=20
in riot after riot as it has been happening in the past. No such=20
attention is being given despite so many instances of the police=20
brutalities. It is true we have many IPS officers of high integrity=20
but they are few and far in between. For example in Malegaon too Mr.=20
Bali, an Additional Director of the Police was sent to control the=20
situation. He is man of great integrity and had controlled riots in=20
Bhivandi during 1992-93 but it was too late. By the time Bali went to=20
Malegaon damage was already done.

The crowd became even more restless after the firing and more than=20
seven persons having been hit above the waist the crowd became even=20
more restless. The firing took place at about five minutes past four=20
O'clock on Muhammad Ali Road. The crowd from there spread to the=20
other side of the river Mausam and began indulging in looting and=20
burning shops and other properties belonging to the majority=20
community, and the sections of majority community retaliated by=20
burning shops and properties of Muslims. There is a Shiv Sena=20
organisation in Malegaon called Janta Raja which is controlled by the=20
Anand Dighe faction of Thane. They incited the Hindus to attack=20
Muslims and their properties. The Samna also wrote, as usual,=20
provocative articles and even said that if Muslims are in majority in=20
Malegaon we are in majority in villages and we will teach them a=20
lesson.

On 26th October 2001 lot of cases of arson took place between 4 and=20
7 P.M. in Dana Bazar, in Gur Bazar, Kirana Bazar, Shashtri Chowk,=20
Nihalnagar, Muhammad Ali Road etc. The majority community communal=20
elements openly began provoking people in number of areas around=20
Malegaon like Samakser and camp and Suigaon and rumours began to=20
spread in all directions as happens in most of the riots. In Samakser=20
Muslim properties were destroyed, looted and burnt. Now communal=20
elements and anti-social elements from both the communities were=20
openly looting and burning properties. There were two cases of=20
stabbing but all others (about 13 persons according to the official=20
figures and 15 according to other sources) were killed in the police=20
firing. About 12 persons were Muslims among those who died and two=20
Hindus and one was unidentified.
The looting and burning continued for few days and the situation=20
came under control only after 3rd November. Curfew had to be imposed=20
for long hours from the very first day and day-curfew has been=20
relaxed only on 7th November. The night curfew, however, still=20
continues.

It is highly regrettable that such a major riot took place in which=20
15 persons were killed, more than 12 were injured in police firing=20
and 477 persons were arrested. We heard many painful stories of=20
killing of people. One Khalil Member, a person who was working for=20
peace was called from his house on the pretext of controlling the mob=20
and was killed. Water pipes were broken by the miscreants and=20
Malegaon went without water for few days. A rumour was also set=20
afloat that milk has been poisoned and many had to go without milk.

In villages and nearby areas it is mainly Muslims who suffered. In=20
places like Rawalgaon (the famous chocolate town, Deola and Kalwan it=20
is Muslims who mainly suffered. In Malegaon alone the properties=20
worth more than 15 crores were destroyed and in these other places=20
properties worth more than two crores were lost. Some estimates put=20
the losses much higher.
It is also pointed out by some that the riots were caused mainly by=20
election rivalry between the present Congress MLA and Nihal Ahmed of=20
Janata Dal (Secular). There is no doubt both are political rivals and=20
Sheikh Rashid, the Congress MLA even alleged that Nihal Ahmed had=20
provoked the Muslims and riots ensued. However, Nihal Ahmed denies=20
the charge. It is true that Nihal Ahmed had taken out a procession=20
against the Afghanistan war on 19th October (i.e. previous Friday) in=20
which many Muslims joined and some youth even carried the placards=20
with Usma bin Laden's pictures. Nihal, however, maintains, he did not=20
control the youth who carried the placards. It was not he who invited=20
them to join and carry the placards.

Whatever, the fact is that elections of Municipal council is due in=20
Malegaon probably in December and politicians are tempted to cater to=20
the sentiments of their voters. Both Sheikh Rashid and Nihal Ahmed=20
had an eye on the coming elections and wanted to be on the right side=20
of their voters' sentiments. It is however, for all of us to reflect=20
that elections at what cost? Should we play with the sentiments of=20
our people as our politicians have been doing so far? Can elections=20
be fought only on communal issues?

The BJP is also hotting up Ayodhya issue once again since elections=20
in U.P. are due. It is exploiting the issue of terrorist attacks and=20
is enacting POTO and strongly justifying it again to cater to the=20
Hindu sentiments on terrorism. The Congress-NCP Government also=20
failed miserably in controlling the riots in Malegaon and around=20
despite the town being given to the army control. This itself is a=20
serious thing that the army had to be called out on the third day of=20
rioting.

The charge that when the Congress is in power more riots take place=20
(already small riots up to more than 40 have taken place in=20
Maharashtra since the Congress-NCP Government came to power) and when=20
BJP or Shiv Sena is in power riots are far and few in between.=20
Whenever the Congress is in power it is obvious that the BJP or Shiv=20
Sena are out to cause communal trouble to alienate Muslim voters from=20
the Congress, on one hand, and to consolidate their Hindu vote bank,=20
on the other.

Thus the Congress has to be doubly cautious while in power to=20
maintain communal harmony. But it is often seen that it miserably=20
fails to maintain communal harmony as it happened in the case of=20
Malegaon. To prevent riots police machinery on one hand, and the=20
administrative machinery, on the other hand, must be spruced up. But=20
the Congress government hardly plays any role and neglects very vital=20
function to maintain harmony. The Congress once again has proved that=20
it is incapable of pulling up the police force. If it has to revive=20
itself and won over Muslims in U.P. it must play very proactive role=20
in controlling communal situation where it rules. But there are no=20
such signs and as usual it is succumbing to communal pressures.

Though the Congress Committee led by Motilal Vohra has given clean=20
chit to the Chief Minister Mr. Deshmukh, in handling riots, it can=20
hardly convince the victims of riots in Malegaon. It also must be=20
pointed out that despite such vicious communal atmosphere, Hindus and=20
Muslims saved each others lives. The Muslims protected four Hindu=20
families in Pawar Gali and Hindus protected Muslims in other areas.=20
This gives us hope in otherwise politically hopeless situation in the=20
country.

The Government initially had ordered only Magisterial inquiry but=20
later on due to pressure from Mrs. Sonia Gandhi a judicial inquiry=20
has been instituted. So much for the Government's seriousness about=20
Malegaon riots. Mr.Bhujbal, the Home Minister, had also turned down=20
compensation for those killed and injured saying it will amount to=20
rewarding the mischief makers. Mr. Bhujbal should have known that=20
very few miscreants are killed. It is mostly bye-standers who pay=20
with their lives. A woman who was drying clothes on the terrace was=20
killed. How can she be a miscreant? The Government has now announced=20
to give compensation though amount has not been fixed.

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

Centre for Study of Society and Secularism
Mumbai:- 400 055.[India]
e-mail:- <mailto:csss@v...>csss@v...

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