 Ram Puniyani |
The violence
in Dhule Maharashtra seems to be the new face of communal violence in India.
As per the report of a major national daily (Jan 26, 2013), the evidence with
the newspaper shows the evidence of police looting and destroying the
property.
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The video
clips in possession of the civil society groups also show one police official
exhorting the rioting mob to move on. So far even if it was there it was not
so blatantly clear. One sensed the partisan nature of police as discerned
through different inquiry commission reports, but this type of role of police
is a new and downhill chapter in the history of communal violence in India.
Communal
violence has been a major menace to our nation, from last more than a
century, and more particularly from last three decades. Rise in communal
violence can be correlated with the British policy of ‘divide and rule’. This
policy was achieved by them by introducing the communal view of history
through different books by British authorities. The communal version of
history was taken up by the Muslim and Hindu communalists to suit their
political agenda of opposing the political, social and economic changes which
aimed at Liberty Equality and Fraternity. The communal forces spread hatred
against the ‘other’ community, the result being that the communal perceptions
started being part of the ‘social common sense’, hatred for ‘other’ community
became the foundation on which the communal violence took place or was
orchestrated. This in turn strengthened the communal forces in different
areas, and increased the levels of misconception for the ‘other community’.
This parallel and opposite process went on till the tragedy of Partition,
which was the biggest act of communal politics, the outcome of British policy
of ‘divide and rule’.
During British
rule the communal violence was a communal riot. In this both Hindus
and Muslims were pitched against each other in an inhuman way, regarding;
perceiving as if they are doing something for their religion. The political
agenda of retrograde forces wore the cloak of religion. While communal forces
made merry, the innocents suffered and the police took a neutral stance. They
were trying to balance out without taking any sides while controlling these
acts of violence. This neutrality of police started changing after
Independence, when gradually the communalization of section of police force
started taking place and its overall neutrality started getting eroded by the
day, to the extent that later a section of police started helping violence in
a pro active way. And over a period of time, those who are supposed and are
duty bound to protect the innocent citizens, became partisan. Shooting the
minority community members and throwing them in canals (Meerut Malyana 1987),
or burying them in the field and growing cabbage over them (Bhagalpur 1989)
was painfully observed.
A whole ‘Riot
mechanism’ gradually came up in which the communal forces instigated, the so
called secular forces looked on or subtly helped and the police took sides
with majority community. At the same time the political leadership,
bureaucracy, and police who are supposed to protect the innocent citizens,
failed to do their assigned job and still got away without getting any
punishment. This impunity gave a signal to them all that they can carry on
with this game of marginalizing the minority community and reap the harvest
of communal politics on the electoral arena.
This ghastly
situation is taking a further turn for the worst. And now it seems the
communal forces and the communal foot soldiers are having an easy time as
sections of police force are blatantly communalized. Police not only has
become the active player in the game, police is shamelessly providing a cover
to those indulging in violence. This painful fact comes to surface in the
recent violence in Dhule, 6 January 2013, where over 40 people from the
minority were shot above knee, in abdomen chest, neck face and back, out of
which six died, three had to undergo amputation and remaining one’s are recuperating
with serious injuries. The citizen’s inquiry committee which went to Dhule
for fact finding was shocked out of its wits to find as to how the event
which required a simple intervention from the police grew into the tragic
incident. The mater was too trivial; the victim came to police chowkie to
complain and with a request to intervene. Police constables on duty,
apparently told the victim to go and settle the issue himself. The victim a
Muslim auto rickshaw driver came with few more youth, the youth from other
side also collected and stone throwing began. The clips, taken on video; show
that the police acted as a cover for the Hindu mob which charged towards the
Muslims. The police force also seemed to have begun to violate the police
manual in letter and spirit. The mandatory loud speaker announcement, use of
tear gas, lathi charge to be resorted before firing was done away with and a
straight firing was resorted to. The police training says the firing should
be to disperse the mob, begin with firing in the air and then below the knee.
In Dhulia the police thought it is a redundant exercise, so the firing was a
targeted one, above the knee, above the waist, in abdomen, chest, face, neck
and back.
The victims
who fell to the police bullet were left to be taken to hospital by friends
and relatives. Police claims they were attacked seriously, acid was thrown on
them. The civil hospital record shows that all the injuries suffered by
police were minor. Some of them were admitted to hospital wards to show that
they have been attacked seriously. No case of serious acid attack on the
police, no case of serious injury, which requires hospitalization! The mob
burns the houses; mostly those of Muslims, few Hindu households are also
burnt. Police did not entertain any FIR of the victims. Next day morning the
area is washed clean to wipe out some remaining evidence. Those wanting the
FIRs to be filed were told that since they are themselves culprits of
violence, filing FIR will go against them. A rumor was floated that combing
operation will be done in Muslim areas. The victims in Hospitals take early
discharge fearing that they will be charged as being the rioters in the
violence.
The civic
administration did not set up any relief camp for those whose houses are burnt.
Ration was distributed knowing fully-well that those whose houses are burnt
cannot cook as all cooking vessels and utensils are burnt. The political
leadership, Chief Minster and co. is apathetic and it takes them 10 days
before driving down a distance of few hours to assess the situation, to
address the woes of victims and to announce the much needed compensation. The
compensation announced is meager for reasons best known to the Chief Minster.
What trust the
victims will have in such state machinery? A feeling of utter neglect and
helplessness is prevailing amongst the victims. Some relief has been provided
by the community organizations. That does not help the matters beyond a
point.
The violence
in Dhulia comes in the backdrop of violence in Akot, Raver and other places
in the region, over a short span of time. There is an urgent need for better
relief, setting up of Police-Civic society Mohalla committee,
sensitization
of police in communal matters and to counter the misconceptions widely
prevalent about the minority community. Who will undertake all these? Can
Government think out of the box and take initiative in this direction? Who
will get justice to the victims? And will the Central Government muster
courage to bring in the Communal Violence Prevention Bill, which was
presented in National Integration council. The draft bill can be modified by
standing committee before finalizing. This bill should at least ensure that
the section of political leadership, bureaucracy and police will not be spared
for their acts of commission and omission due to which violence occurs and
keeps simmering.
The contents
of the article rest on the author.
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