Author: Asghar Ali Engineer
Publication: Economic & Political
Weekly
Date: December 1, 2001
URL: http://www.epw.org.in/showArticles.php?root=2001&leaf=12&filename=3762&filetype=html
The communal riots in Malegaon were
the most serious in Maharashtra after the post-Babri masjid killings in
the state in 1992-93. The riots have underscored once again the role of
politicians in fanning communal tensions and the failure of the police
and the administration to contain the violence in time and prevent it from
spreading.
Malegaon was shaken by a sudden
spurt of communal violence on October 26 after the Friday prayers in the
afternoon. Communal violence has often a connection, direct or indirect
with the announcement of elections. Within a couple of months elections
to the civic bodies are expected in Malegaon and other towns and parties
and contestants are worried about their vote banks. But it is the people
who have to pay the price for being governed through elected representatives.
The riots in Malegaon were quite
serious and the biggest after the Mumbai riots of 1992-93. Not that riots
had not taken place after the Mumbai riots of 1992-93, and during the Shiv
Sena-BJP rule as one commentator had suggested. Several riots had taken
place in Penn, Junnar and other places during the SS-BJP rule. But it must
be stated that the Malegaon riots overshadowed these in the post-Babri
riots in Maharashtra.
Malegaon, a taluka, is a Muslim
majority town in Nashik district. It has roughly a population of 8,00,000
of which nearly 60 per cent is Muslim. Most of these Muslims had migrated
from UP and Bihar after the 1857 revolt due to persecution by the British,
and are quite poor and illiterate. Hardly any government in Maharashtra
has done anything to improve their economic conditions. Governments have
used them for votes. A survey shows that the incidence of TB is also quite
high among the Muslims of Malegaon. Malegaon is also an important centre
of powerlooms like Bhivandi near Mumbai.
Besides elections, it is the incidents
of September 11 in New York and Washington, that were also responsible
for what happened in Malegaon. Muslims in Malegaon, like some Muslims in
other places in India and elsewhere, are quite angry with the US for its
continuous bombing of Afghanistan.
Some Muslims have expressed their
resentment against US and Britain by giving a call for boycotting American
and British goods particularly Coca Cola and Pepsi, the popular soft drinks.
Some Muslim scribes from Deoband and other places in UP also issued a call
appealing to Indians in general and Muslims in particular to boycott these
soft drinks. Many Muslim hoteliers had even stopped selling these drinks.
Some young boys in Malegaon were distributing the pamphlets appealing to
the Indians to boycott these goods after the Friday prayers.
However, these pamphlets had nothing
communal or offensive or even anything in support of terrorist attacks
on September 11 in New York. It contained only an appeal to boycott American
and British goods. The district authorities not wanting to take chances
had made police 'bandobast' outside all sensitive areas, for Malegaon is
considered as one of the most communally sensitive areas in Maharashtra.
One of the SRP constables snatched
a pamphlet from a boy who was distributing it and reprimanded him. However,
according to another version he even slapped and arrested him. It is said
that the boy refused to hand over the pamphlets to the constable. This
led to protests from the people coming out of the mosque and resulted in
skirmishes with the police. It is also said that the pamphlets in question
were being distributed in Malegaon even a week before that Friday. It was
also said that the Imam of the Jami' masjid Mufti Muhammad Ismail and advocate
Shuaib intervened and asked the people to disperse peacefully. It is obvious
that much trouble could have been avoided if the police had merely requested
for the pamphlets and not used force. It is also being pointed out that
first the police demanded the pamphlets and after it was refused force
was used. Actually it should not be the job of the police on duty to demand
the pamphlets. It could have been collected politely by a plainclothesman
from intelligence department. Instead an SRP constable seized the pamphlets
and so much violence resulted.
Protests and Counter-reactions
As there was anger already simmering
against the police and the US attack, S P Suresh Ahire reached there with
reinforcements and the local Congress MLA Sheikh Rashid also reached the
spot. People were demanding an apology from the police for snatching the
pamphlets and arresting the boy. As the crowd was getting restless the
police resorted to lathicharge with great intensity. Many people were injured
and they began to run. The crowd ran towards Muhammad Ali and Qidwai road
and there were scuffles with the police. Stone pelting began and many people
including three policemen were allegedly injured.
It is then that the police used
force and begin firing in the direction of Muhammad Ali road. The police
fired nine rounds in which seven persons were injured. Three persons died,
of which one was a 18 year-old boy who was hit in the head; another 23-year
old man was hit above his navel and a 45-year old woman Biqis Bano who
was drying clothes on the terrace was hit in the chest and died in Faran
hospital. All three were hit above the waist.
Before we proceed further some comments
about the role of the police are in order. The police, particularly those
in the lower ranks, often fire in excess against weaker sections of the
society particularly the minorities, tribals and dalits. There is the instance
of the sub inspector Kadam firing on dalits in Ghatkopar a few years ago
in which more than 10 dalits were killed. The Gundewar Commission then
had observed that the firing was in excess. We also have the Srikrishna
Commission report, which probed the role of the police so painstakingly,
and concluded that the police was guilty of deliberately killing Muslims
in many instances, during the Mumbai riots of 1992-93.
If the government does not pay attention
to intensive training and sensitising the police towards human life this
will recur in riot after riot. No such attention is being paid to this
despite so many instances of the police brutalities. IPS officers of high
integrity are few and far in between. For example in Malegaon too, an additional
director of police was sent to control the situation. As a man of great
integrity, he had controlled riots in Bhivandi during 1992-93 but this
time it was too late. By the time, he went to Malegaon damage was already
done.
The crowd became even more restless
after the firing The firing took place at about 4.05 pm on Muhammad Ali
road. From there, the crowd spread to the other side of the river Mausam
and began indulging in looting and burning shops and other properties belonging
to the majority community; sections of majority community retaliated by
burning shops and properties of Muslims. There is a Shiv Sena organisation
in Malegaon called Janta Raja which is controlled by the Anand Dighe faction
of Thane, who incited the Hindus to attack Muslims and their properties.
The Samna also wrote, as usual, provocative articles and even said that
if Muslims are in majority in Malegaon, Hindus are in majority in villages
and we will teach them a lesson.
On October 26, 2001, cases of arson
occured between 4 pm and 7 pm in Dana Bazar, Gur Bazar, Kirana Bazar, Shashtri
Chowk, Nihalnagar, Muhammad Ali road, etc. The communal elements of the
majority community openly began provoking people in a number of areas around
Malegaon like Samakser, camp and Suigaon and rumours began to spread in
all directions, as is usual in riots. In Samakser, Muslim properties were
destroyed, looted and burnt. Communal elements and anti-social elements
from both communities were openly looting and burning properties. There
were two cases of stabbing but all others (about 13 persons according to
official figures and 15 according to other sources) were killed in police
firing. Among those who died about 12 persons were Muslims and two Hindus,
one remained unidentified.
The looting and burning continued
for a few days and the situation came under control only after November
3, curfew had to be imposed for long hours from the very first day and
day curfew has been relaxed since November 7. The night curfew, however,
still continues.
It is highly regrettable that such
a major riot took place in which 15 persons were killed, more than 12 injured
in police firing and 477 persons were arrested. We have heard many painful
stories of people being killed. One Khalil member, a person who was working
for peace was called from his house on the pretext of controlling the mob
and was killed. Water pipes were broken by the miscreants and Malegaon
went without water for a few days. A rumour was also set 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 places like Rawalgaon (the famous chocolate
town), Deola and Kalwan it is Muslims who mainly suffered. In Malegaon
alone property worth more than 15 crore was destroyed and in other places
property worth more than two crore was lost. Some estimates put the losses
much higher.
Election Rivalries
It has been pointed out by some
that the riots were caused mainly by election rivalry between the present
Congress MLA and Nihal Ahmed of Janata Dal (Secular). There is no doubt
both are political rivals and Sheikh Rashid, the Congress MLA even alleged
that Nihal Ahmed had provoked the Muslims and thus the riots ensued. However,
Nihal Ahmed denies the charge. It is true that Nihal Ahmed had taken out
a procession against the bombing on Afghanistan on October 19 in which
many Muslims joined and some youth even carried placards with Osama bin
Laden's pictures. Nihal, however, maintains, he did not control the youth
who carried the placards. It had not he who invited them to join his protest
march and carry the placards.
Whatever the fact is that elections
to the municipal council is due in Malegaon, and politicians are tempted
to cater to the sentiments of their voters. Both Sheikh Rashid and Nihal
Ahmed had an eye on the coming elections and wanted to be on the right
side of their voters' sentiments. It is however, for all of us to reflect
that elections are at what cost? Should we play with the sentiments of
our people as our politicians have been doing so far? Can elections be
fought only on communal issues?
The BJP is also hotting up on the
Ayodhya issue once again since elections in UP are due. It is exploiting
the issue of terrorist attacks and by now enacting POTO is strongly justifying
it to cater to the Hindu sentiments on terrorism. The Congress-NCP government
has also failed miserably in controlling the riots in Malegaon, despite
the town being given to the army control. This itself is a serious thing
that the army had to be called out on the third day of rioting.
The charge that when the Congress
is in power, more riots take place (already small riots up to more than
40 in number have taken place in Maharashtra since the Congress-NCP government
came to power) and when BJP or Shiv Sena is in power, riots cut little
ice. Whenever the Congress is in power it is obvious that the BJP or Shiv
Sena is out to cause communal trouble to alienate Muslim voters from the
Congress, on one hand, and to consolidate their Hindu vote bank on the
other.
Thus the Congress has to be doubly
cautious while in power to maintain communal harmony. But it is often seen
that it miserably fails to maintain communal harmony as has happened in
the case of Malegaon. To prevent riots, police machinery on one hand, and
administrative machinery on the other, must be spruced up. But the Congress
government hardly plays any role and neglects this vital function to maintain
harmony. The Congress once again has proved that it is incapable of pulling
up the police force. If it has to revive itself and won over Muslims in
UP it must play very proactive role in controlling communal situation in
the state where it rules. But there are no such signs as yet and as usual
it is succumbing to communal pressures.
Though the Congress committee led
by Motilal Vohra has given a clean chit to chief minister Deshmukh, in
handling riots, it can hardly convince the victims of riots in Malegaon.
It also must be pointed out that despite such a vicious communal atmosphere
Hindus and Muslims saved each other's lives. Muslims protected four Hindu
families in Pawar Gali and Hindus protected Muslims in other areas. This
gives us hope in an otherwise politically hopeless situation in the country.
The government initially had ordered
only a magisterial inquiry but later on due to pressure from Sonia Gandhi
a judicial inquiry has been instituted. So much for the government's seriousness
about the Malegaon riots. Chhagan Bhujbal, the home minister, had also
turned down any offer of compensation for those killed and injured, saying
it would amount to rewarding the mischief makers. Bhujbal should have known
that very few miscreants are killed. It is mostly the by- standers who
pay with their lives. It is only now that the government has agreed to
give compensation though the amount remains to be fixed.
