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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. 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.
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