Irfan Engineer and Neha Dabhade[1]
The year 2023 witnessed a decrease in the number of communal riots but a sharp increase in hate speeches. According to monitoring of Centre for Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS), the number of communal riots reported in 5 newspapers stood at 32 compared to 41 communal riots reported in 2022, a dip of almost 24 %. However, the number of incidents of mob lynching increased as per the monitoring from 15 in 2022 to 21 in 2023. The salient highlights of communal violence in 2023 is the spate in the hate speeches reflecting apparent impunity enjoyed by those targeting the followers of what the Hindu nationalists describe as “foreign” religions. The ‘Sakal Hindu Samaj’, an umbrella body of right-wing organizations like Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal, Hindu Janjagruti Samiti, Sanatan Sanstha among others, was one such campaign in Maharashtra where a series of hate speeches exhorting genocide against Muslims, social and economic boycott against Muslims and accusing them of ‘land jihad’ and ‘love jihad’ without any authentic data or facts on ground. Moreover, communal violence in India in 2023 saw religious festivals, especially Ram Navami being weaponized to provoke communal riots and subsequently enabling the state to use it as a pretext to demolish properties belonging mostly to the members of Muslim community. Out of 32 communal riots, 9 communal riots were triggered off during Ram Navami processions that were organised by Hindu nationalists. The 32 communal riots claimed 15[2] (4 Hindus and 5 Muslims) lives and injured 225. At the same time, the incidents of mob lynching claimed 16 lives – all Muslims.
Centre for Study of Society and Secularism monitors communal violence annually and its findings are based on reports that appear in the Mumbai edition of five newspapers – The Hindu, The Indian Express, The Times of India, Sahafat and Inquilab. CSSS has also carried out fact finding in some of these incidents of communal riots reported in the media. Out of the 32 incidents of communal riots, 11 communal riots took place in Maharashtra. This high number of communal riots in Maharashtra coincides with the sustained “Sakal Hindu Samaj” rallies, more than 50 in the state. Other major riot took place in Nuh in Haryana which spread to the districts of Sohna, Palwal and Gurugram.
The spate in hate speeches targeting what the Hindu nationalists consider “foreign” or non-Indic religions and resorting to even abusive slogans is normalising their social hegemony and political domination, and consequently marginalising the Muslim and Christian community socially as well as politically. The religious minorities are being increasingly relegated to second-class citizens living subjugated lives, contrary to the slogan coined by the PM Narendra Modi – sabka saath, sabka vikas. The impunity enjoyed by the Hindu nationalists despite committing criminal offences related to hate speech and violence gives a message to the Muslims and Christians that they have little, or even no remedy against the violations by the Hindu right wing, and they will have to suffer their hegemony and social domination. There is no effective redressal or criminal justice system which is easily accessible to them and thus they are at the will and mercy of the Hindu majority. The Muslim and Christian community is beaten into submission by deliberately humiliating them weaponizing some Hindu religious processions. The state then targets the Muslim and Christian community by indiscriminately, arbitrarily and disproportionately arresting them and demolishing their properties. This is invisiblizing Muslim and Christian identities, culture and heritage from social space. The hate speech and violence are privatizing their religious practices within confines of private spaces. At times their religious practices are not secure even within private space as prayer meetings and churches are under attack. Character of religious spaces of Muslims are sought to be changed and reclaimed as Hindu religious places.
The hate speeches along with the communal riots has led to deepening of communal fault lines and religious polarization of social space and identities. The normalization of communal violence and debilitating communal narratives are taking deep roots in the society. This process is abundantly and visibly aided by the state with its lack of action against those who spread this hatred and narrative. An indication of this deep-rooted violence are the poignant hate crimes targeting Muslims. Some of the disturbing examples in 2023 was the shooting on the train by colonel and a school teacher in Muzzaffarnagar asking her students to slap a nine-year-old Muslim student. Cumulatively, this violence has resulted into a feeling of insecurity amongst the minorities.
This report looks at three forms of communal violence – physical, symbolic and structural. Physical form of communal violence encompasses communal riots, mob lynching and hate crimes. Communal riots is defined as “when a mob (consisting of at least 5 persons) predominantly belonging to a religious community gathers with the objective of inflicting collective punishment by way of causing physical injuries, death, sexual assault and/or causing damage to the properties of any or all members of another religious community only because they are perceived to belong to the targeted community, whether or not the targeted individuals are guilty of any wrong doing and often the individuals targeted are not responsible for any wrong doing to the knowledge of the aggressive mob, and in fact inflicts such collective punishments as they are capable of to the members of targeted religious community.”
Salient features of Communal riots in 2023:
Low intensity:
As mentioned above, the year 2023 witnessed 32 communal riots. Out of these Nuh was a major communal riot, in terms of the scale of violence, the property damaged and number of deaths. The communal riot in Nuh saw seven deaths and went on for two days in almost four districts – Nuh, Palwal, Sohna and Gurugram. The riots in Manipur were more of ethnic nature, with some communal overtones. It involved attacks on places of worship 393 Meitei shrines and temples were destroyed allegedly by Kuki militants and about 249 churches belonging to Kuki and Meitei Christians have been destroyed in Manipur. The Kukis in the Hill districts of Manipur are all Christians while most of the Meiteis in the valley is Hindus. The Meitei extremist organizations – Arambai Tengol and Meitei Leepun – mobilized the Hindu Meiteis. Both the organisations are perceived to receive patronage from the BJP leadership in the state. Apart from these two major communal riots, the rest of the communal riots were mostly sub radar and low intensity. Low intensity or sub radar riots imply restricted geographical expanse of area, duration of violence and scale or low number of casualties. However, it is worth noting that even in low intensity riots, there is substantial destruction of property belonging to Muslims.
Nature of communal riots has changed:
The nature of communal riots in 2023 continued to follow the pattern that emerged since 2014. Unlike the previous years when elaborate planning of targets and organisation of men, material and equipment to mount fatal physical attacks and inflict massive damage to property, was pre-requisite of executing a sustained major riot. This needed an institutionalized riot system. Triggering off a communal riot for Hindu nationalists since 2014 proved relatively easy – sometimes hiding behind religious processions and shouting abusive anti-minority slogans or even a purely private dispute between two or more individuals belonging to different community was all that was needed to trigger off a riot. The state apparatus’s one-sided action targeting the minority community, their life and property, and indiscriminate arrests of large number of minority community members would fulfil the objectives of the rioters from the majority community, appearing to take over the role of perpetrators. While the Hindu nationalists who triggered off the riots would nearly enjoy impunity. Permits for processions, often predictable in their potential for volatility due to the presence of arms and DJ music, are granted, as evidenced in recent years.
Theatre of Violence:
F1
Out of the 32 communal riots in 2023, 11 communal riots took place in the state of Maharashtra- amounting of 1/3 of all the communal riots. Gujarat, again in western India like Maharashtra, witnessed five communal riots. The western zone of India comprising of Maharashtra and Gujarat made for 16 communal riots out of the total 32- comprising half or 50% of the total number of cases. The Eastern India too has been on a boil as is indicated by the number of communal riots, seven in total – three in West Bengal, two in Bihar, one in Odisha and one in Jharkhand. North India which historically has been the hotbed of communal riots, witnessed six communal riots – two in Haryana, two in Uttar Pradesh, one in Rajasthan, one in Himachal Pradesh. The Southern region, central region and North East has witnessed one communal riot each. Karnataka in south India witnessed one communal riot in Shivmogga. Chhattisgarh in central India witnessed a communal riot in Biranpur village of Bemetara.
Lastly, although we consider ongoing communal violence in Manipur as one incident, it is to be noted that the violence in Manipur is ongoing for more than eight months and has displaced more than 70,000 persons.
|
Communal Riots in India in 2023: Killed & Injured |
|||||
|
Hindu: killed |
Muslim: killed |
Other Religion: killed |
Not Identified: killed |
Police: killed |
Total: killed |
|
4 |
5 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
15 |
|
Hindu: Injured |
Muslim: Injured |
Other Religion: Injured |
Police: Injured |
Not Identified: Injured |
Total: Injured |
|
1 |
2 |
0 |
64 |
158 |
225 |
All the Kukis are now living in the hills. The valley of Imphal has been “cleansed” off the Kukis. Similarly, the hills have been “cleansed” off the Meiteis. The displacement of Kukis has spilled out into other neighbouring state of Mizoram. The violence in Manipur is unprecedented and has also had an adverse impact on the inter-community relations in Manipur from the point of view of this report which deals with communal violence.
It is no coincidence that Maharashtra had such high number of communal riots. Maharashtra in the year witnessed over fifty processions (Taken place between November 2022 to March 2023) organized by “Sakal Hindu Samaj”- a group of Hindu right-wing groups. The rallies were in news for the vicious hate speeches delivered in the rallies by the leaders like T. Raja and Kajol Hindustani. The rallies with the rhetoric that Muslims are committing ‘land jihad’ and ‘love jihad’ called for violence against Muslims as well as socio-economic boycott. These rallies and the overall atmosphere of impunity and hatred they created were conducive for communal violence in Maharashtra, some of the hate speeches leading directly to the communal violence. The constant churning of communal hatred led to intense polarization of the society reflecting in the substantial number of incidents of mob lynching.
Ruling Regimes:
F2
It is interesting to note that out of the total 32 communal riots, 22 communal riots have taken place in states where BJP is ruling either by itself or part of the ruling alliances. Three communal riots took place in West Bengal ruled by the Trinamool Congress and three others took place in states ruled by Indian National Congress. This is an adverse observation which points towards either the inability of the BJP administration in preventing communal riots or its deliberate patronage in promoting communal tensions and riots.
Triggers:
F3
Religious Processions:
The trend in communal riots from the previous years continued in 2023 too where religious processions were used as a pretext for instigating communal riots. In total, out of 32 communal riots, 15 were related to a religious procession. Ram Navami in particular like previous years was used by Hindu right wing to stir communal riots. There were nine communal riots related to Ram Navami alone out of the total 32 communal riots. One riot took place on Hanuman Jayanti. Another took place during a “dindi” procession in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, one during a Kunwar yatra in Uttar Pradesh and another one during Eid Milan procession in Karnataka. Perhaps, the biggest communal riot took place in Nuh in Haryana over the Braj Mandal Jal Abhishek Yatra.
Out of the nine communal riots that took place on Ram Navami, two took place in Bihar- one in Sasaram and another in Bihar Sharif. In Nalanda district, in the town of Bihar Sharif, Ram Navami procession was organized by Bajrang Dal on 31st March. Announcements were made urging Hindus not to open their shops on that day. Approximately 50,000 persons participated in the procession though the permission granted was for 5000 only. Music was played on DJ system during the procession. The participants were brandishing of weapons, such as swords, huge sound amplifiers on big trucks were playing communally charged and provocative songs and slogans. The procession started at around 2 p.m from Shram Kalyan Maidan and had to end at Baba Maniram Akhada temple, passing through Hospital Mod, Bharao Par, Kanta Par, Gagan Diwan, Soghra College Mod — a stretch of around 4.5 km along the Main Road (also called Ranchi Road). When the procession reached the volatile area of Gagan Diwan, the slogans of the participants became provocative and there was an altercation between the participants and two Muslim men. Two Muslim men were beaten up. This triggered the riot, which saw arson of Muslim owned properties and burning of the iconic Azizia Madrassa. One 16-year-old youth, Gulshan Kumar got injured and succumbed to his injuries. Sasaram in Rohtas district also saw communal clashes on March 31 during a Ram Navami procession and the government had to shut down internet services and impose Section 144 in the city as a precautionary measure. The police arrested former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA, Jawahar Prasad for his involvement in the communal riot.
Two communal riots took place in Maharashtra- one in Sambhajinagar and other in Mumbai. In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, in the early morning of 30th March, on the day of Ram Navami, in the locality of Kiradpura, around six motorcycle borne youth from Azad nagar chowk came to Ram temple situated in Kiradpura, shouting slogans including “Jai Shri Ram”. There was an altercation between these youth and a group of youth from the Muslim community. These altercations took a violent turn and a mob was mobilized which pelted stones on the police and Ram Temple. Approximately 13 police vans were burnt by the mob. The mob dispersed after the police used tear gas and fired bullets. One Moniruddin Shaikh (45) was hit by one of the bullets and died. In the other communal riot in Maharashtra on Ram Navami, in the Malwani area of Mumbai, a fight broke out when some people at a mosque asked a procession passing by to stop playing music on the night of 30th March, which later escalated with slippers and water bottles being thrown by both sides. However, major violence was averted by the police in this incident.
In a separate incident, a communal riot erupted in Paldhi, located in Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district, approximately 400 km north of Mumbai, on April 4th. The unrest transpired after a religious procession, accompanied by DJ music, was organized in proximity to a mosque. The incident unfolded as a ‘dindi’, a religious procession traveling from Jalgaon to Vani in Nashik district, passed through Paldhi village. A dispute over the music played in front of the mosque escalated into a physical altercation, eventually leading to stone-pelting. Regrettably, the incident resulted in the looting of houses belonging to Muslims and substantial damage to their properties (Shaikh, 2023).
Three communal riots took place in West Bengal – one in Howrah, one in Hoogly and one in Uttar Dinajpur. In West Bengal, on 30th March, a Ram Navami procession was organized and taken out by VHP and Anjani Putra Sena in Howrah District of West Bengal which passed through the main GT road. The procession had huge DJ music system playing songs and the participants of the procession were carrying swords and knives. This procession was attacked near Shibpur police station when bottles and stones were hurled at the procession. Communal violence took place in Rishra locality of Hoogly District on 2nd April, 2023 when Ram Navami procession was organized by different organizations. The procession started at 3pm on 2nd April on the route that is followed for almost ten years. The starting point of procession was Prabhash Nagar and it passed through Jama Masjid and GT road. Around 5.40pm, when the procession came near Jama Masjid, it was time of Azaan. Some of the residents and devotees in the Mosque asked the procession to stop the DJ music for two minutes for the call of Azaan. The altercation started due to this request. The members from the procession attacked the mosque and adjoining shop. There was retaliation by the Muslim residents too. One person was killed while several others were injured after a clash erupted between two communities in West Bengal’s Dalkhola city during a Ram Navami procession.
Two communal riots took place in Gujarat – one in Una and another one in Vadodara on Ram Navami. Communal riot was provoked by the hate speech delivered by Kajal Shingala alias Kajal Hindustani, at a public meeting after the Ram Navami procession was organized on 2nd April, a clash broke out between two groups near the fish market in Kumbharwada area of Una. Two groups resorted to stone pelting at each other. The police were outnumbered following which more force was called in, and eventually the crowd dispersed. According to the police, 200 people, who had gathered after the meeting held by Hindustani, were involved in the clash.
In Vadodara, on 30th March, Ram Navami, “Shobha yatra” was organized by VHP and Bajrang Dal. The residents and activists allege that this yatra deviated from its pre-decided route and entered the Muslim majority area of Panjrigar Mohalla. The procession came near the Panjrigar dargah around 1.30 p.m. Since it was namaz time, very few Muslim youth were on the road. The participants from the procession shouted anti-Muslim slogans. The procession took a violent turn when the participants attacked a Muslim youth standing on the road and beat him up after some altercation took place with the members of the procession and they started pelting stones on the houses of the Muslims. The women in the houses came out and objected to this stone pelting. Some of the participants subsequently started kicking the gates of the Hazrat Kalu Shahid– Balu Shahid Dargah and throwing stones inside. In the aftermath of the communal riot, the administration demolished properties of the Muslims.
In another incident in Gujarat, on the 15th of September, in Thasra village, Kheda district, a communal clash occurred during a procession organized by devotees of Lord Shiva to mark the conclusion of the holy Shravan month. The incident left three policemen and six others injured. In response, three FIRs were filed, one of them by the Kheda district police, leading to the arrest of 11 individuals, including an independent councillor from Thasra Municipality. The violence unfolded as the procession passed through the Teen Batti neighborhood in the Syedwada area of Thasra, where a madrassa and mosque are situated. Tensions escalated when members of the Hindu and Muslim communities engaged in heated arguments, eventually turning violent. Subsequently, individuals from both communities resorted to pelting stones at each other, resulting in injuries and the subsequent legal actions.
Uttar
Pradesh:
A procession of kanwariyas was passing through Shahnoori mosque in Joginavada locality of Bareilly when stone pelting ensued between the locals and the participants of the procession on 23rd July. When the procession moved ahead around 40-50 metres from the mosque, a group of people started pelting stones at kanwariyas. After the footage was examined, it was seen that stones were hurled from both sides. A FIR was filed in this case (Indian Express, 2023).
Karnataka:
Communal riots flared up in Shivamogga during Eid Milad procession, leading to a clash where stones were hurled at the procession and the police on 1st October. The discord began earlier in the day when some Muslim youths erected a large portrait of the former ruler of the erstwhile Mysuru state, Tipu Sultan, at Ragigudda-Shanti Nagar on the city's outskirts. This action was met with objection from right-wing activists who claimed that the portrait depicted Tipu Sultan killing a warrior. As the Eid procession reached the Ragigudda area around 8 pm, a group of miscreants, initiated stone-throwing at the procession. In retaliation, some youths began pelting stones at nearby houses. The police intervened by using force to disperse the crowd. The event witnessed the participation of over 20,000 people (Indian Express , 2023).
Haryana:
Perhaps the biggest communal riot of 2023 was the communal riot in Nuh on 31st July. The trigger for the communal riot was the Braj Mandal Jal Abhishek Yatra organized by the VHP and Bajrang Dal which is organized by the same organization for the last three years. The yatra was preceded by hate speeches by Hindu right-wing leaders – Monu Manesar and Bittu Bajrangi. An altercation between some of the participants of the yatra and a group of Muslims who attacked a car believing it carried Monu Manesar triggered the riot. Some participants in the yatra attacked the properties of the Muslims. The Shiv Nalhar temple in Nuh was fired at and vehicles burnt down. After the violence in Nuh, the violence spread to Sohna, Palwal and Gurugram where mostly the Muslims were targeted. Their properties were torched. The narrative promoted by the administration was that the Muslims targeted the procession and the Shiv temple. As a reaction, Muslim properties were demolished by the administration. The administration claimed that these properties were illegal as a result of encroachment. The communal riot claimed seven lives. Most of the arrests were of Muslims.
Some commonalities are observed in the pattern of violence related to all these incidents of communal riot which is continuation from 2022. Many places didn’t have the tradition of Ram Navami Yatra and these yatras have begun in the last few years including the Braj Mandal Yatra. This narrative was especially strong in West Bengal where Ram Navami was commonly not celebrated. The places like Maharashtra and Gujarat where Ram Navami was celebrated essentially had small celebrations which were local in nature, in small numbers and religious in nature. Ironically, much against the narrative sought to be popularized, the Muslims have traditionally been welcoming the processions and offering refreshments to the members of the processions. In recent years, the Hindu right-wing organizations including the Bajrang Dal and VHP have started organizing the processions mobilizing large numbers of Hindus across caste lines. These processions are usually armed with participants carrying swords and lathis. The processions invariably violated the pre-conditions imposed upon them for giving permission, including the routes agreed upon, the number of participants and prohibition on carrying arms. The organizers of the processions like in Vadodara insist on taking the processions in Muslim majority areas and often divert the usual route of the procession to provoke and humiliate the Muslims. Once the processions enter the Muslim majority areas, the processions play loud music and participants raise derogatory slogans against the Muslims. If even one Muslim youth reacts by pelting stones, that is used as a pretext by the administration to arrest large number of Muslims arbitrarily, beat them up and demolish their properties as witnessed in Vadodara.
Social Media Posts:
The role of social media is also instrumental is fomenting communal riots. This was especially visible in the state of Maharashtra. In Akola, in May, one Karan Sahu, a leader of the radical right-wing group in Akola ‘Chhatrapati’ and who has a massive following on many social media platforms, uploaded a post on Instagram deriding the Muslim community and the prophet. The post had in no time garnered thousands of likes and his followers had soon begun sharing it on their handles too. Some media reports have attributed the incident to the recently released film “The Kerala Story”, a controversial film spreading unsubstantiated propaganda against Muslim community. Some members of the Muslim community, unhappy with the derogatory post approached the Ramdaspeth police station. At the police station, when the police allegedly refused to take note of their complaint, the crowd got agitated. This news was distorted and rumours were spread about a Muslim mob entering the Raj Rajeshwar temple. This triggered immediate response among the Hindus and an attempt was made to enter and damage the lone masjid in an adjoining lane. This led to clashes between the two communities on 15th May and the mob killed one Vilas Gaikwad, a Dalit electrician by profession who was mistaken by the mob for being a Muslim.
Following a rally organized by right-wing Hindu organizations in June, communal riot took place in Kolhapur on 7th June. The rally, initially organized to protest social media posts allegedly glorifying Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan, took a violent turn on its conclusion. Some miscreants began pelting stones at homes and businesses owned by members of the Muslim community. They also targeted Muslim-owned vehicles, leading to a need for police intervention, including the use of lathi charge to disperse the violent crowd. To restore order, the Rapid Action Force and State Reserve Police Force were deployed. Order prohibiting the assembly of five or more persons was enforced. Six individuals, including three juveniles, were detained for their involvement in circulating the controversial social media post that sparked the unrest.
In Pusesavali village in Satara district on 10th September, a mob targeted Muslim houses, shops and mosques alleging that an objectional social media post allegedly posted by a Muslim hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindu community. The residents argue that the social media account of the Muslim youth from where the post surfaced was allegedly hacked. The residents alleged the role of BJP state vice president Vikram Pawaskar and members of the Hindu right-wing organizations in inciting the violence. The region also witnessed a series of hate speeches and rallies by Hindu right-wing leaders preceding the communal riot. One Muslim youth, Nurul Hasan Shikalgar was killed in this riot. Ironically, the fact-finding committee led by CSSS found that derogatory content in the same thread was posed about Prophet Mohammad too but no action was taken about that by the police.
Rallies organized by the Hindu Right-wing organizations and Hate Speeches:
A communal clash erupted in Gujarat’s Narmada district on 29th September during the passage of a ‘Shaurya Yatra’ procession organized by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) through a minority community neighborhood in Selamba town. As the VHP’s Shaurya Yatra traversed a street where a mosque is situated, some people came out and objected to the loud music as the rally accompanied by DJ music. Soon, some others joined in and objected to the rally incidents of stone pelting occurred, accompanied by the setting ablaze of a nearby shop. Some troublemakers forcibly seized goods from local traders and ignited them. Prompt police intervention on the scene managed to disperse the mob within 45 minutes of the clash breaking out.
On 6th June, 2023, two persons were injured and five vehicles were vandalised in stone pelting near Sangamner town of Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra minutes after a rally organised by Sakal Hindu Samaj. Earlier that day a rally ‘Hindu Jan Akrosh Morcha’ was organised by Sakal Hindu Samaj in Sangamner town. The rally concluded by around 12 pm and stone pelting was reported around 12.30pm.
Other Triggers:
Rajasthan:
Communal riots broke out following the death of Iqbal Raza, 18, who was killed in a road rage “misunderstanding” in Jaipur on 30th September. Raza was allegedly struck with a “rod- like” weapon and succumbed to his injuries. A large mob of Muslims gathered to demand justice for Raza (Times of India , 2023).
Odisha:
On the 8th of April around 11 am, Biranpur village in Bemetara district of Chhattisgarh witnessed the onset of communal violence when a 14-year-old boy was reportedly assaulted by another juvenile from a different community using a sharp object. The altercation escalated as adults from both communities became involved, leading to a clash marked by stone-pelting between the two sides. Police intervention was necessary to quell the violence.
In the midst of the turmoil, Bhuneshwar Sahu, who had suffered severe injuries, was discovered in a cluster inhabited by members of a different community. Despite being rushed to a hospital, he was declared brought dead. Investigations have revealed that tensions had been simmering due to 12-13 inter-faith marriages in the village over the past couple of years, exacerbating relations between the two communities (The Hindu, 2023).
The situation took a political turn on April 18th when the VHP, Bajrang Dal, and other groups issued a call for action in connection with Bhuneshwar Sahu’s incident. The opposition BJP also extended its support to the demand. Subsequently, protesters affiliated with various outfits, including some chanting ‘Bhuneshwar ke hatyaaron ko goli maro saalon ko’ (shoot Bhuneshwar’s killers), engaged in stone-pelting, even targeting police personnel. Two Muslim men were found murdered Korwaay village, five kilometres away from Biranpur.
Gujarat:
On the 16th of June, Junagadh, Gujarat witnessed intense rioting following a notice from the municipal corporation about the impending demolition of Geban Shah Pir Dargah, which was allegedly encroaching on a public road. The situation turned violent, resulting in the death of a civilian and injuries to at least seven individuals, including five policemen. Around 10 pm, a mob of approximately 550 people gathered near the dargah, preparing to block the road. The situation escalated as the mob engaged in heavy stone-pelting. In response, law enforcement arrested 24 individuals. The mob specifically targeted three two-wheelers belonging to the police and four police vans. The violence extended to the vandalization of the Majevdi police chowki, and a state transport bus was also attacked, causing injuries to the driver and conductor. Furthermore, a two-wheeler was set ablaze during the unrest.
Haryana:
A group of women on their way to perform a puja were allegedly pelted with stones in Nuh on 17th November, injuring nine of them and causing law and order tension. Three minors - students of the madrassa - were apprehended and sent to a shelter home after being produced in a juvenile justice board. A case was filed against unknown persons under sections 323 (causing hurt) and 341 (wrongful restraint) of the IPC and provisions of the SC and ST Act at City police station.
Himachal Pradesh:
A mob took to the streets on 15th June and shouted slogans against the administration in Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district. The mob was protesting the death of Manohar Lal, a 22-year-old Dalit man was brutally murdered allegedly by Sharif Mohammad, father of the woman he was allegedly having an affair with. His body was chopped into eight pieces and hidden beneath some stones. The killing sparked a protest in the district, with a mob burning down the house of the prime accused in the case. Police suspect it to be an honour killing case and eight people were arrested in this case, including Sharif Mohammad and his daughter.
Jharkhand:
Communal tension broke out on April 8 after a Ram Navami flag was allegedly found near a temple in the Shastri Nagar area with pieces of meat in it. The next day, members of the Hindu community held protests and demanded police action against the accused within 24 hours. A temple committee meeting was held on April 9 evening when over 100 people, most of them with their faces covered, reached the spot and started throwing stones at the committee members. Later, heavy stone-throwing took place from both sides, following which over half a dozen small shops and some vehicles were set ablaze. The Jharkhand police arrested 55 people, including a local BJP leader, Abhay Singh in connection with the clashes (The Hindu, 2023). The police reached the spot with Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel and used tear gas to disperse the miscreants.
Uttar Pradesh:
On the 9th of April, in Palra village of Hastinapur town, Meerut, a tragic incident unfolded when 22-year-old Vishu Gujjar was fatally shot by assailants on motorcycles. In the aftermath of this incident, a mob took to the streets, launching an attack on several houses, a clinic, and even vandalizing a place of worship. Fearing a potential communal escalation, a substantial police force was swiftly deployed in the area. Fortunately, no injuries were reported during these events. The outburst of arson and vandalism occurred immediately after Vishu Gujjar's cremation. According to the police, the young man's murder may be linked to an ongoing rivalry between two groups in the locality. The authorities acted promptly to quell the situation and prevent further tensions from escalating in the community (Rai, 2023).
Maharashtra:
A communal riot unfolded in the Jalgaon district of Maharashtra, centring on a platform near a temple situated in Supreme Colony at Jalgaon on 9th July. The land in question is under municipal ownership. Tensions arose when individuals from one community were engaged in repairing the platform in and around the temple. Members of another community perceived this as an attempt to extend the platform, possibly encroaching on additional land, leading them to oppose the construction. The situation escalated into a confrontation, with the two groups reportedly engaging in stone-pelting. The incident attracted a gathering of more than 250 people at the location.
In another, communal riot took place when a procession was taken out in Shevgaon town around 9 pm on 14th May to mark the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. Shevgaon, which is the taluka headquarters in Ahmednagar. The preliminary cause seems some slogans chanted at the time of the procession. When the procession came to Shivaji Chowk area of Shevgaon, some slogans were exchanged in front of a mosque, which led to arguments and the situation escalated to stone pelting. Four persons – police and home guard – have been injured in stone pelting. One person, a civilian, sustained an injury in an attack with a sharp weapon (Indian Express, 2023).
In a separate incident Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar city, a bike skidding at high speed near a group of three persons triggered clashes between groups belonging to two communities on 5th April, resulting in injuries to five persons and damages to three vehicles. Heavy police deployment was seen in six “sensitive areas” of the city and the situation had calmed down. But there was palpable tension in the air as most shops in the area remained closed or operated with shutters half-down (Kulkarni, 2023).
Mob Lynching
According to the monitoring of CSSS, 21 incidents of mob lynching took place in the year 2023 as compared to 17 in 2022. This amount to 23.5% of increase in mob lynching compared to 2022. Out of the 21 incidents of mob lynching, 12 are related to suspicion around carrying meat or cow slaughter and two are related to Muslim men interacting with non-Hindu women or appearing to be friends with them in public space. 21 incidents of mob lynching have claimed 16 lives- all Muslims.
Mob lynching can be understood as:
“When a mob (consisting of at least 5 persons) assembles and beats up any individual or group of individual and / or causes damage to their property causing physical injury or death of the individuals so lynched because the lynch mob perceives the targeted individuals of some wrong doing that hurt their (the lynch mobs’) religious or cultural sentiment, whether or not their perception is factual and whether or not the wrong doing they are accused of constitutes any offence or illegality.”
Out of the 21 incidents of mob lynching, four incidents took place in the states of Maharashtra and three Haryana. While two were killed in Maharashtra, three were killed in Haryana. Three incidents took place each in Assam and Uttar Pradesh. Two took place each in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Bihar. One incident of mob lynching took place each in Delhi and Jharkhand.
Out of the 21 mob lynching cases, 16 took place in states where the BJP was ruling. Two took place in Bihar where the JDU and RJD coalition is ruling. One took place under AAP government, one under Congress government and one under Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.
It is disturbing to note that the pretext of cow slaughter or meat and interaction or friendships or relationships between Muslim men and non-Muslim women are still used unabashedly to target Muslims since the last few years. Despite of guidelines High Courts to prevent and tackle the menace of mob lynching, the state has showed little commitment towards preventing mob lynching or bringing the culprits to justice. The BJP ruled states witnessed the greatest number of mob lynching reflecting the perception of impunity by Hindu nationalist vigilantes. The menace of mob lynching is only growing as the state action is weak or even lacking and the lynchers are applauded and feted by other Hindu nationalist leaders. The lynch mob leaders who upload the videos of their deeds on social media for fame and likes, are also known to run extortion rackets from the members of the community frequently lynched. This is normalizing lynching and encouraging lay men to take law in their own hands.
The surge in mob lynching incidents, particularly those linked to allegations of cow slaughter, has troubling implications as it reinforces narratives and stereotypes portraying Muslims as involved in cow slaughter. Notably, more than 50% of the 21 reported incidents are directly connected to accusations of cow slaughter. Three persons were lynched in Assam in three separate incidents. In the first one, Darrang police arrested 14 people from Padmajhar in Assam and a neighbouring village in connection with Haque’s death. In the second case from Assam, on August 12, Hifzur Rahman was lynched by a mob in Hojai district after being accused of cattle theft. The police eight people in connection with the case. In the third case, on July 24, Saddam Hussain was lynched in Morigaon district, and after him two others were beaten up by a mob that accused them of cattle theft. Five people have been arrested in connection with the incident.
In Bihar, two persons were lynched in two incidents. One Nasim Kuraishi was brutally thrashed near Banshi Chhapra Tola at Asahani village in Saran district on the suspicion of selling beef on 7th March. He died during treatment at Ekma hospital in the night. In Bihar, on 29th June, another distressing incident unfolded when a 55-year-old disabled Muslim driver named Mohammad Zahiruddin fell victim to a mob that suspected him of carrying beef in Saran district. The tragic lynching occurred while the truck driver was transporting animal bones for medicinal purposes. The incident transpired in the Khori Pakar area of the Jalalpur police station in Saran district. The truck, en route to a bone factory in Gaura from Tajpur Basahi, encountered a breakdown on the road, compelling the driver to halt for repairs. As the driver sought assistance, some villagers approached the truck and, upon detecting the scent of meat and bones, inquired about the cargo. Suspecting the transportation of beef, they proceeded to assault him.
Haryana, especially the region of Mewat has been volatile due to the extortion network targeting Muslims under the pretext of cow slaughter. Waris Khan (22) and his friends, Nafis and Shaukeen, were fatally injured when their car collided into another vehicle as a result of a chase by cow vigilante on 28th January. The vigilante alleged that the trio had lifted a cow for slaughter and were escaping with the animal in their Santro car when they hit a van on the Tauru-Bhiwadi Road. A few hours after the accident, Khan died during treatment the other two survived with minor injuries. In another incident, Junaid, 39, and Nasir, 21 were burnt alive after being kidnapped by cow vigilantes in Bharatpur. The charred vehicle along with the bodies were recovered from Bhiwani on 16th February. Monu Manesar, a cow vigilante and Bajrang Dal functionary was booked by the Rajasthan Police in connection with the murder of Nasir and Junaid.
In Karnataka, Idrees Pasha was found dead in Sathanur village of Kanakapura taluk on 1st April, just hours after the vigilante gang intercepted and allegedly attacked the van’s three occupants. Pasha’s family alleges that Idrees was tortured by the vigilante before killing him as is evident from the wounds on his body. Sathanur police registered a murder case against vigilante leader Puneeth Kerehalli and his associates. In Maharashtra, Lukman Suleman Ansari, a resident of Bhiwandi, was allegedly transporting two cows, a bullock, and a calf from Shahpur to Padgha in Thane district on June 8 when he was attacked. A mob of around 15-20 men, some associated with the outfit Rashtriya Bajrang Dal (RBD), killed Ansari and injured his associates Pappu Atiq Paddi (36) and Aqueel Gulam Gavandi (25). In another incident in Nashik district, two men, Afan Ansari, 32, and Nasir Qureshi, 24, were allegedly transporting meat in a car to Mumbai when they were intercepted and attacked allegedly by a group of 10 to 15 cow vigilantes with steel rods and wooden sticks on 25th June. The duo, both residents of Kurla in Mumbai, received serious injuries in the attack and Mr. Ansari died during treatment. In a separate incident, on April 23 in Latur, Asif Qureshi, who was transporting cattle was apprehended by cow vigilantes. They forced him to bow before a cow, demanding an apology in the presence of two constables and three home guards. Action was initiated against the five personnel.
In a stark indication of the shrinking spaces for interfaith relationships or friendships, the Hindu right wing has been targeting Muslim men who are seen with non-Muslim women. In an incident from Karnataka, on 1st June, three Muslim boys were hanging out with their Hindu friends at Someshwar Beach in Mangaluru when they were assaulted by a few miscreants. The group, comprising three boys and three girls, was hanging out at the beach when a few people approached them. They then started questioning the three boys, following which an argument broke out. The miscreants then beat up the three Muslim youths and then fled the spot. Police have arrested four people and taken a minor into custody in the case (Raj, 2023).
In Maharashtra, in a video that surfaced on 16th August, a group of men thrashed a Muslim youth at Mumbai’s Bandra Terminus railway station for going out with a Hindu girl. The videos of the assault circulating on social media show the men dragging the youth outside the railway station and beating him up while shouting “Jai Shri Ram” and “love jihad band karo [stop love jihad]”.
Other triggers:
Suspicion of theft:
On the 26th of September, Israr Wahid, a 26-year-old, was tragically tied to a pole and fatally beaten with sticks by a group of individuals in Nand Nagri, located in northeast Delhi. The brutal incident occurred under the suspicion of theft. Wahid's family asserted that he was killed over the alleged act of taking a banana from a Ganesh Chaturthi pandal in Nand Nagri. Wahid, who worked as a daily wage labourer, resided in Sunder Nagri, approximately 500 meters from the crime scene. The Nand Nagri police station registered a case, leading to the apprehension of seven suspects, including a 17-year-old minor. According to the police, all the suspects admitted to assaulting Wahid under the assumption that he was a thief. The six identified suspects were Kamal (23), Manoj (19), Mohd Yunus (20), Kishan (19), Pappu (24), and Lucky (19) (Bhandari, 2023).
Jharkhand:
Wajid Ansari, 22, a painter from Pandri village of Chanho block, was beaten to death after he entered the house of Jeevan Oraon in the nearby Mahuatoli village on 7th April. The villagers after catching Ansari tied him to a pole and beat him, leading to his death. Two cases were registered in this regard. The first case was lodged based on the complaint from the victim’s family for murder, while the other side registered a complaint of theft (The Hindustan Times, 2023).
Haryana:
Three Muslim men were allegedly attacked in the city by different groups of youths who asked their names and objected to the clothes they were wearing. The attacks coincide with the call for a Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra in Nuh on 25th August. Nasir Hussain, a truck driver from Nuh, and his helper Ashfaq were returning home after delivering a consignment when two men in a car stopped them near Sector 65 and assaulted them for their appearance and clothes (Anand, 2023).
Madhya Pradesh:
A Muslim man was beaten up and stabbed by a group of men for some social media posts in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh in September (The Business Standard, 2023).
Uttar Pradesh:
45-year-old aluminum trader from Moradabad city, Mohd Asim Hussain, was stripped and thrashed for nearly an hour with belts in a moving train in Uttar Pradesh by his co-passengers for allegedly sexually harassing a 20-year-old woman on 12th January. A complaint is filed against him (Singh, 2023).
In a shocking incident in Uttar Pradesh, a man and his wife fell victim to a brutal attack with iron rods and sticks by their neighbours in Sitapur district on August 18th. Abbas and his wife, Kamrul Nisha, were allegedly murdered by individuals residing in the same village, Rajeypur, under the jurisdiction of Hargaon Police Station. The couple succumbed to the attack on the spot, and all the accused fled from the scene. The roots of the incident trace back to a few years prior when Abbas’s son had eloped with a girl from a neighbouring household. Subsequently, a case was registered, leading to Abbas’s son being incarcerated. Upon the recent release of Abbas’s son from jail, certain members of the girl’s family devised a plan to carry out the fatal attack on the couple (Times of India, 2023).
In Hapur district of UP, 25-year-old Muslim man, Irshad Mohammad was lynched on 24th October after his bike hit a man, who was part of a group taking part in Dussehra revelry. The incident took place on the outskirts of Luhari village. Another man, Wasim, who tried to save Mohammad, also suffered injuries. Two persons are arrested (Sharma, 2023).
Role of state:
The state’s response, involving both the police and political representatives, has been inadequate and deficient on various fronts. Despite the persisting menace of mob lynching over the past few years, the state continues to assert its lack of documentation regarding the frequency of such incidents, signalling a reluctance to acknowledge the extent of this lawlessness. This absence of official records seems to mirror the government’s unwillingness to confront and address the prevalence of mob lynching, as well as those responsible for perpetuating such acts. The state’s failure to take decisive action has empowered vigilantes to target innocent citizens without fear of repercussions.
Hate Crimes:
During the monitoring of communal violence in these recent years, CSSS has come across incidents which are communal in nature and amount to violence but can’t be classified into the definition of communal riot or mob lynching. However, these incidents of violence are vicious and significant to note here since they reflect the deep-rooted communal hatred which is motivating individuals to undertake hate crimes. Hate crime can be defined as, “any criminal offence committed by less than five individuals and is motivated by hostility or prejudice based on the victim’s religion or perceived religion. Hate crimes include amongst other things, physical assault, murder, arson, vandalism of property – public or private and of place of worship, verbal abuse or slur, incitement to hatred, creating an obstacle for the victim to observe his/her religious beliefs or threats to carry out the same.
In 2023, India witnessed a slew of such hate crimes which really mirrors the hatred and polarization the state has allowed to take roots in the minds of the individuals and the societal acceptance of the same.
Vandalism of places of worship:
Eighteen crosses and tombstones were vandalised on 8th January, in the cemetery of Mahim's St Michael's church in Mumbai, famous for its multi-lingual Wednesday Novena prayer that draws people of all faiths. One of the oldest churches in the city, Mahim church, as it is called, originally dates back to 1534. The police have arrested one 22-year-old man, Dawood Ansari. The crime occurred shortly after daybreak. It is alleged that Ansari entered the cemetery by climbing its wall. He was carrying a marble-like object in his hand and vandalised the crosses with it (Indian Express , 2023).
An under-construction mosque, located near the Balkhandi Naka area in the Banda district of Uttar Pradesh was vandalised by members of right-wing organisations – Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) – on 15th February. The Hindutva mob claimed that a second floor that was being constructed in the mosque was illegal. They threw away mosque belongings on the road resulting in a huge traffic jam. VHP district president Chandramohan Bedi alleged that the administration had given a nod for a renovation of the mosque (The Siasat Daily, 2023).
A group of miscreants vandalised the historical dargah and dome of a mosque Baba Bajrudin Shah in Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh district late on 8th August. The incident happened at the historical dargah and mosque located in Chharra area (Khan, 2023).
Members of a rightwing group called Devbhoomi Raksha Abhiyaan demolished two mazars (tomb shrines) in Rishikesh town and broadcast their act live on social media in last week of August. In the videos members of the right wing group chanted ‘Jai Shree Ram’ before hammering the walls of a mazar erected in the backyard of a Hindu man. They deployed construction machinery to demolish the structure, and issued threats that they would raze down more religious structures of the Muslim community. The police filed a suo moto complaint against unknown persons for promoting enmity between communities and hurting religious sentiments as the video of the demolition had gone viral on social media. Darshan Bharti, founder of Devbhoomi Raksha Abhiyaan, who has claimed responsibility for the incident, has threatened that the organisation has identified 25 more mazars built inside or on lands owned by Hindus, and that his associates would demolish all of them in the days to come (Mishra, 2023).
Others:
A woman in Benguluru targeted a Muslim bus conductor in Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) bus for wearing a skullcap and compelled him to take it off. The one-and-a-half-minute clip shot circulated on 12th July, by the unidentified woman shows her asking the conductor whether he can wear a skullcap when in uniform as a conductor. The conductor answers that he could probably wear it. The woman insists the conductor must remove his green cap and the conductor is seen taking it off (Indian Express, 2023)
Tripta Tyagi, a teacher from Neha Public School in Muzzafarnagar in UP, in August, was seen in a video instructing children in her classroom to hit a Muslim student, one by one, referred to his Muslim faith, and talked pejoratively about “Mohammedan children”. She did so since the child had got multiplication tables wrong. The Muslim child is seen crying in the video that went viral while different students come forward to slap him. At one point in the video, the teacher scolded a student for not hitting him hard enough. There has been pressure on the victim’s family to compromise and not take charges against the teacher forward (Rashid, 2023).
Manjula Devi, who has been working at the Urdu Government Higher Primary School located at Tipu Nagar in Shivamogga, asked students to “go to Pakistan”, while scolding them for making noise in the classroom on 30th August. The children conveyed the same to their parents. After complaints were raised, the School transferred the teacher to a school Hosamane Tanda in Hassan taluk. Besides that, the Department of School Education has ordered a departmental inquiry against her (The Hindu, 2023).
RPF constable Chetan Singh Chaudhary shot dead his team leader, assistant sub-inspector Tikaram Meena and three Muslim passengers in Jaipur Mumbai Central Superfast Express on July 31. He was seen by eyewitnesses firing from his rifle on the three Muslim passengers in coaches B5, S6 and the pantry – Kadarbhai Bhanpurwala, 62, Saifuddin Sayed, 43, and Azgar Abbas Ali Shaikh, 48. GRP filed a charge sheet in this case. (Sood, 2023).
In Karnataka, Mohammed Jahir, after finishing his work at a catering unit in Mangaluru, boarded a KSRTC bus from Mangaluru bound for Chikkamagaluru. He travelled by sitting next to a Christian girl, who is from the same area. The accused Nitesh was travelling in the same bus and assaulted Jahir along with his other accomplices. The Dakshina Kannada police have arrested four persons on the charge of assaulting a Jahir.
In another incident in Nuh on 20th August, Mohammad Monis, a resident of Meerut, was attacked by two youths near a liquor store in Sector 14 (Anand, 2023). In a deeply disturbing incident in Gangavati town of Koppal district of Gujarat, a 65-year-old Muslim man named Husensab was subjected to torture by an unidentified duo. The victim filed a First Information Report (FIR) regarding the incident on November 30. According to the FIR, on the night of November 25, after returning to Gangavati from Hosapete, Husensab was waiting for an autorickshaw after having a cup of tea. At that moment, two individuals on a motorcycle approached him, inquiring about his destination and offering him a ride. However, once on the move, the duo began physically assaulting Husensab and subjected him to verbal abuse. Despite complying with their demand to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram,’ the attackers persisted in their assault. The assailants went further, breaking a beer bottle and attempting to cut Husensab’s beard with a shard of glass. When their initial attempts failed, one of them resorted to using a matchbox to set fire to his beard. Fortunately, Husensab was rescued when a few shepherds, alerted by his cries, came to his aid. The victim subsequently lodged a complaint, initiating an investigation into the distressing incident (Upadhye, 2023).
Conclusion:
In this part of the communal violence report of 2023, the authors dwelt into the aspect of physical violence. In the following parts, the authors will dwell into symbolic and structural violence to comprehend communal violence in India.
To be continued…
