Issues

The First Fall-Out of Advani Yatra


The incident of April 5, 2006, in Aligarh at Dahi-Wali Gali, over the manner in which Hindu Puja celebrations were being organised at a disputed site, especially the use of loudspeakers, could be easily treated as no more than a brawl. Even if the administration had not anticipated trouble over the issue, the modalities of celebrations could have been amicably settled, if the administration had been alert, efficient and impartial.


The events of the next day indicate that the Hindu residents of the locality were instigated by political-social groups, who are engaged in the current Hindu mobilisation over ‘minority appeasement’—like the promise of restoration of minority character of the AMU—not to take Muslim assertiveness lying down (whose local manifestation was provided by aggressive postures of some Muslims).


[It needs to be recalled that about October 1978 Aligarh riots, Paul R. Brass has noted that “the killing of Bhure Lal provided the pretext though the build-up to the riot had been a several-months-long political campaign over the continuing issues of the status of the A.M.U”.]


Confirmation of the assumption of relation of the incidents of 5-6 April to the larger issue of anti-minorityism is provided by the BJP spokesperson who characterised the violence as the result of appeasement policies of the Central and U.P Governments (Hindustan Times, April 8)


It appears that like what N.C Saxena had reported after his inquiry into 1982 Meerut (Feroz Building) PAC massacre of Muslims that “the district administration perceived threat to public peace only from Muslims, the order from the senior officers in the district to the police could be summarized in one phrase: Muslims must be taught a lesson— the PAC and the Police faithfully implemented this policy,” the firing by the PAC under written orders of the Aligarh S.P (city) at a Muslim crowd which had caused no serious injury to any citizen or official has no other explanation. The manner of firing was targeted, which caused death of four young Muslim boys (aged between 21 and 30) and serious injuries to about 15 others.


The PAC had started such targeted killings of Muslims during 1978 riots, when, according to the PUCL (Delhi) report, those killed by PAC bullet were either in their houses or in a mosque. The Report of the PUCL team led by Justice V.M Tarkunde, Justice Sachar, Dr. R.M Pal on 1990 riots in Aligarh, made the observation that “at many places, PAC fired at Muslims, when neither they (the PAC) nor the Hindus were attacked. The PAC acted as a highly communalized force”.


In a joint statement signed by this writer along with representatives of other organisations in Aligarh including the District Samajwadi Party President, we have characterised the firing as totally unjustified and unwarranted by the situation and have demanded impartial inquiry to fix responsibility for failure of the administration and for using unlawful force. We have welcomed the prompt announcement of payment of compensation to victims and suspension and transfer of officials.


There is a need for all human rights groups active in this area to see to it that the officials responsible for unlawful firing are brought to justice. There is a need for a joint intervention of the NHRC and NCM.


The Aligarh PAC massacre must be treated as a first fall-out of the Advani-Rajnath Singh Yatra. There is therefore a need for peace activists to get alerted. Lok Ekta- Sadbhav committees need to become active, focusing attention on resolution of local ethno-religious disputes and keeping an eye on the media, political parties and the district officials and the police.


The Aligarh riots of April 5-6, 2006 send the following message:

(a) Decades old case of conflicting claims of mandir-masjid still lying in the law-court is a permanent source of communal tension. The law-courts should dispose off civil suits regarding communally sensitive disputes expeditiously, as had been advised by the Allahabad High Court about this dispute in 1954. However the option of community leaders settling such disputes by mutual accommodation should be adopted to secure durable peace.


(b) There is a need for an empowered statutory commission for conflict resolution and management, in liaison with civil society organisations, at all levels to settle inter-group disputes including ethno-religious issues causing Hindu-Muslim conflict for over two centuries.


(c) The new police act, which is on the anvil, should provide for non-lethal methods of controlling unarmed mobs; use of fire-power to be made only when there is imminent grave threat to life (and not property), as required by the U.N Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Fire arms by Law-Enforcement Officials, 1990.


(d) Inculcation of secular human rights attitudes in the police and personnel of other law-enforcement agencies and eradication of communal biases.


(e) Making these agencies socially diverse at all levels with adequate minority representation.


(f) Treating Muslims and Christians as normal Indian citizens, which requires de-stereotyping them and their non-demonisation.


It needs to be noted that secularisation and social diversification of the police and paramilitary forces has been recommended by the National Integration Council as well as by the National Police Commission (Report VI, 1981), endorsed by the 1997 Home Ministry’s Guidelines For Communal Harmony. The last in this chain has been the “National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution” which has recommended, special recruitment of under-represented minorities in police and paramilitary forces.


(The writer can be reached at:Syeda Manzil, Muzammil Compound 4/ 1703, Dodhpur, Aligarh 202001,Tel: 0571-3298957, Mob. 9411415100 E-mail: iqbalansari2001@hot-mail.com)

The factual reality is that it is not a Hindu-Muslim riot, but killing and maiming of Muslims by police under a conspiracy.


Despite the so-called secular government in Uttar Pradesh, it seems that the state is still being controlled by the communal elements in the police and administration. The recent killing of eight Muslim youngsters from point blank by the notorious Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) in Aligarh has once again revived memories of Meerut’s Malyana incidents.


The incident provides one more testimony as to how the P.A.C, police and administration with prejudiced mentality reacts to a communally oriented issue. The tussle started in the sensitive Dahi Wali Gali, where a ‘piao’ (water tank) was existing near a mosque. A new Mata Mandir was created beside ‘piao’ which has become a flash point between members of two communities of the locality. It seems every agreement is broken by mandir pujaris every year and they want to create their influence, causing insecurity among the small population of Muslims in the locality. According to local Muslims, the whole scenario is backed and financed by the local saffron brigade under the leadership of K.K Nawaman. For the present violence, the onus lies squarely on the Aligarh district administration especially the S.P. City, S.K.Verma and the C.O, N.P.Singh, both already suspended.


The then D.M and S.S.P, did not realise the gravity of the situation and no timely measure was taken to nip the crisis. But it is evident that some elements in the local police establishment are responsible for this one- sided Muslim killing.


The factual reality is that it is not a Hindu-Muslim riot, but killing and maiming of Muslims by police under a conspiracy led by N.P. Singh and S.K. Verma to teach Muslims a lesson. All victims having gun shots of police firing above the waist, proves that they were shot by police with the intention of killing.


“The state administration took no preventive steps when signs of tension erupted a day before Ramnavami in Aligarh and remained passive during the tense procession on the festival day”, stated the inquiry report.


“Though officers of police and civil administration have been suspended, these officers should be booked under section 302, 307, 120B, 147, 149, 150 and 188 of the Indian Penal Code and arrested immediately,” demands the Aligarh based Parcham Party of India


Meanwhile, the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) has demanded a judicial probe into the Aligarh violence after an inquiry by it found that the local administration did not take preventive steps despite clear signs of religious tension a day before the Ramnavami rioting. The one-man NCM probe into the violence had also found that all the injured 20 people, all Muslims, had suffered above-waist gunshot wounds from police firing.


The report, sent to Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh along with a recommendation for a judicial probe by a sitting High Court judge into the rioting, also named a local Sangh Parivar leader, who, it alleged, had provoked an angry reaction by leading a slogan-shouting procession to a disputed water tank. “The state administration took no preventive steps when signs of tension erupted a day before Ramnavami in Aligarh and remained passive during the tense procession on the festival day”, stated the inquiry report.


(The writer can be reached at andalib2001@yahoo.com)