The Hindu, February 20, 2013
by Teesta Setalvad
In the recent incidents at Dhule and Thangadh, the communal bias of the police was caught on camera and is there for anyone who cares to see
Images of the Delhi police lobbing tear gas shells at and using water canons on protesters at India Gate on a Sunday, December 23, 2012, who were agitating against the gang rape of a young girl are embedded in the nation’s psyche, courtesy of our omnipresent, 24x7 news networks, images sharpened further by the ever-prescient discussions on the 9 p.m. Newshour.
Not 14 days later, also on a Sunday, about a thousand kilometres away, in faraway north Maharashtra, the town of Dhule saw a distinctly more brutal police action; the rapid firing of SLR bullets to kill six young Muslims. It was a case of being caught at the wrong place at the wrong time.
They paid heavily with their young lives. In a similarly brutal and uncalled for police action at Thangadh in Surendranagar district, not far from Ahmedabad, four Gujarat officers using AK-47s had shot dead three Dalits, including a 17-year-old, on the night of September 22-23, 2012.
The tragedies, at Thangadh and Dhule, that had cost these precious lives, were however reduced to media sideshows, though the print editions of English language national dailies did spotlight some issues. The police, in Dhule, were caught on mobile phone videos in shameful acts. Yet, despite the availability of such sensationally thrilling clips, the normally avaricious and greedy eye of the television camera looked away. The shots slipped into late afternoon or midnight bulletins, cleverly bypassing the noisy news hour.
One of the Dhule clips shows a constable taking a self-loading rifle from his senior officer and aiming to shoot high above the waist. Bullet marks have been found in the market place and gullies of Macchipura a kilometre deep into the Muslim area, away from any groups that had gathered. Three such shots fired in quick succession got Imran Ali in his collarbone, eventually leading to his death. Of the 23 other young Muslim men who were critical, one had a bullet fired into his cheek, narrowly missing his eye, another rupturing a liver. Another clip shows a policeman ignoring calls for protection. Yet another shows policemen in uniform looting Muslim establishments that were being destroyed and burnt by some rioters.
In Thangadh, the four policemen later absconded.
Stephen Lawrence case
The murder, in 1993, of a black youth Stephen Lawrence, in the United Kingdom, and the publication, in 1999, of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry report led to the critical acknowledgement that hate crimes are committed even by men in uniform and that such deeds demand institutional sensitisation and correction. What emerged was a Hate Crimes Manual that warned what constituted such practice.
Since the late 1980s, when evidence of deviant conduct by men in uniform surfaced from several bouts of targeted violence countrywide (Nellie, Assam, 1983 — 3,000 Muslims massacred; Delhi, 1984 — over 3,000 Sikhs systematically killed; Hashimpura, Uttar Pradesh, 1987 — 51 Muslims shot dead by the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC); Bhagalpur, Bihar, 1989 — a massacre that left thousands dead and evidence buried below a hastily planted cauliflower field; Mumbai, 1992-1993 — over 1,200 dead; Kandhamal, Odisha, 2008 — nearly 100 Christians and Gujarat, 2002 — over 2,000 Muslims massacred), courts and judicial commissions have strongly indicted India’s police for harbouring a distinct anti-minority bias, committing crimes through a manifestation of this hatred and not being punished for it.
Studying police neutrality
In 1995, I had interviewed a senior IPS officer, V.N. Rai, who taken a year’s sabbatical to complete a research study, “Combating communal conflicts: Perception of police neutrality during Hindu-Muslim riots in India.” This interview was published in over 30 Indian publications. Among other things, Rai’s interviews with hundreds of riot victims from across the country (as part of his study) produced the startling finding that in all riot situations, Hindus consider policemen as their friends while, almost without exception, the minorities — Muslims and Sikhs — experience them as their enemy. This piece of work ought to have initiated the kind of self-reflection that the Stephen Lawrence murder had led the British police to. Instead, Rai’s study was ignored by the Indian police establishment. He had to find a private publisher to publish it as a book. What it did do however was lead to the issue being flagged by senior stalwarts. The founder and former chief of the Border Security Force (BSF), K.F. Rustomjee, and DIG Padma Rosha were quick to lend their voice to this issue of crucial concern, stressing that unless the Indian police confronted the issue of deep, communal (and caste) bias, they were sowing the seeds of bitter alienation. If Rai had conducted this study today, perceptions among the minorities would reflect alienation several degrees worse.
My interview covered several sensitive areas. I asked Rai specifically about the police’s criminal dereliction of duty on December 6, 1992, when the Babri Masjid was demolished as 3,000-4,000 men in uniform watched. His reply was a chilling recall of another fateful Sunday 21 years ago: “The video cassette recording by the Intelligence Bureau clearly documents that not more than 3,000-4,000 ‘kar sevaks’ were within close proximity of the mosque. In such a scenario, could no effective action have been taken? The reason why no action was taken lies elsewhere. The same cassette shows policemen rejoicing, with their hands held high in victory, when the Babri Masjid was destroyed. The district magistrate and other officials were dancing with delight. That is why the ‘kar sevaks’ could not be stopped. There was no desire to do so.” None of these offenders were punished.
Pitching strongly for the application of the principle of command responsibility when large-scale violence results following the failure to prevent or contain communal violence, Rai narrated the quotation “There are no bad soldiers, only bad generals.” So, leadership not only makes a substantial difference, it is the most vital, the most decisive factor in the functioning of a force whether we are talking of the police, the paramilitary or the army.
An officer to the rescue
Two decades after much soul-searching — that followed the cataclysmic events before and after the demolition of a 400-year-old mosque at Ayodhya — we are still only debating (and the establishment resisting) the chain of command responsibility being applied to men in uniform when it comes to serious offences, including sexual violence. Worse, there is a shrill resistance to enact legislative protection against the systematic outbreak of communal and targeted violence through a law that will penalise policemen who fail to preserve the peace.
Rai, in 1987, was the man who filed the First Information Report of the crimes committed by the PAC at Hashimpura. Fifteen years later, in 2002, in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district, it was SP Rahul Sharma who charged ahead, firing to disperse a murderous Hindu mob when his men refused to act to prevent them attacking a madrassa. His prompt action saved the lives of 400 Muslim children. Today, he is at the receiving end of blows from a vindictive State government, facing every day harassment, charge sheets and worse.
Rai or Sharma are unlikely heroes for Republic Day bravery medals nor are they the likely face or voice of discussions on television channels. Their raw deeds and searching reflection spotlight a raw nerve, a deep-rooted prejudice that India at 65+ unfortunately lives quite comfortably with.
(Teesta Setalvad is co-editor, Communalism Combat, and secretary, Citizens for Justice and Peace.)
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Showing posts with label Dhule. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dhule. Show all posts
February 21, 2013
February 07, 2013
February 02, 2013
Attack by Hindutva Goons on Dalit College Teacher in Dhule, Maharashtra - Statement by JTSA
Jamia Teachers’ Solidarity Association
Footsteps of Fascism: Hindutva Goons attack Dalit College Teacher in Dhule
Following swiftly on the heels of communal violence in Dhule in which six members of the minority community were killed, comes the news of physical assault on Prof. Pramod Bhumbe, a Dalit teacher at the BR Ambedkar Samaj Karya Mahavidyalay. Friends in Dhule and Jalgaon inform us that Prof. Bhumbe while teaching his students about Indian social reforms movement, discussed certain episodes from the Hindu epic Ramayana. This was videographed by a student on his cell phone and the video clip later circulated and handed over to VHP and Bajrang Dal goons. The clip was quickly construed as proof of Prof. Bhumbe’s insult to Hinduism.
Teaching social reform movements without reference to the stinging critique of caste oppression and its implication in religious sanction is difficult anywhere. In Maharashtra, however, it is impossible. The legacy of Jyotiba and Savitri Phule, and Ambedkar is a living, thriving one. It survives in the fiery songs of Sambhaji Bhagat; in the hundreds of book festivals and cultural groups that can be found in the smallest towns and hamlets of the state. It is this culture of resistance, which often takes the form of sarcasm, and even ridicule of the superstitions of caste religion and its assorted institutions that Hindutva resents so much.
While Muslims are always cast as the other, radical Dalit critique cannot be domesticated and absorbed into the Hindutva identity. The two incidents—of communal violence and the attack on Prof. Bhumbe – are not unrelated. They reflect the growing confidence of the Hindutva forces and the state support they enjoy, even under the rule of their political opponents. Neither the SP not the DM of Dhule have been suspended by the state government despite the clear indictment of the administration in the January anti-minority violence by civil society investigations. Can an administration, which was hand in glove with the storm troopers of VHP and Bajrang Dal in January, be expected to seriously pursue the case against Prof. Bhumbe’s attackers? We appeal to all progressive and democratic groups in Maharashtra to ensure the security and safety of Prof Bhumbe, as the police which led the mobs against a vulnerable minority can hardly be entrusted to do so.
Moreover, as fellow teachers, we expect the classroom to be a space of developing and nurturing social critique—precisely what Prof. Bhumbe was doing. We stand in solidarity with him and condemn the right wing vigilantism.
Sd/-
Manisha Sethi, Adil Mehdi, Ahmed Sohaib, Tanweer Fazal, Arshad Alam, Farah Farooqi, Azra Razack, Anwar Alam, Ghazi Shahnawaz, Ambarien al Qadar, Adnan Farooqi, Sucharita Sengupta, Manoj Jena, MS Bhatt and Nabanipa Bhattacharya.
Also endorsed by
Teesta Setalvad, Shabnam Hashmi, Peggy Mohan and Githa Hariharan
Footsteps of Fascism: Hindutva Goons attack Dalit College Teacher in Dhule
Following swiftly on the heels of communal violence in Dhule in which six members of the minority community were killed, comes the news of physical assault on Prof. Pramod Bhumbe, a Dalit teacher at the BR Ambedkar Samaj Karya Mahavidyalay. Friends in Dhule and Jalgaon inform us that Prof. Bhumbe while teaching his students about Indian social reforms movement, discussed certain episodes from the Hindu epic Ramayana. This was videographed by a student on his cell phone and the video clip later circulated and handed over to VHP and Bajrang Dal goons. The clip was quickly construed as proof of Prof. Bhumbe’s insult to Hinduism.
Teaching social reform movements without reference to the stinging critique of caste oppression and its implication in religious sanction is difficult anywhere. In Maharashtra, however, it is impossible. The legacy of Jyotiba and Savitri Phule, and Ambedkar is a living, thriving one. It survives in the fiery songs of Sambhaji Bhagat; in the hundreds of book festivals and cultural groups that can be found in the smallest towns and hamlets of the state. It is this culture of resistance, which often takes the form of sarcasm, and even ridicule of the superstitions of caste religion and its assorted institutions that Hindutva resents so much.
While Muslims are always cast as the other, radical Dalit critique cannot be domesticated and absorbed into the Hindutva identity. The two incidents—of communal violence and the attack on Prof. Bhumbe – are not unrelated. They reflect the growing confidence of the Hindutva forces and the state support they enjoy, even under the rule of their political opponents. Neither the SP not the DM of Dhule have been suspended by the state government despite the clear indictment of the administration in the January anti-minority violence by civil society investigations. Can an administration, which was hand in glove with the storm troopers of VHP and Bajrang Dal in January, be expected to seriously pursue the case against Prof. Bhumbe’s attackers? We appeal to all progressive and democratic groups in Maharashtra to ensure the security and safety of Prof Bhumbe, as the police which led the mobs against a vulnerable minority can hardly be entrusted to do so.
Moreover, as fellow teachers, we expect the classroom to be a space of developing and nurturing social critique—precisely what Prof. Bhumbe was doing. We stand in solidarity with him and condemn the right wing vigilantism.
Sd/-
Manisha Sethi, Adil Mehdi, Ahmed Sohaib, Tanweer Fazal, Arshad Alam, Farah Farooqi, Azra Razack, Anwar Alam, Ghazi Shahnawaz, Ambarien al Qadar, Adnan Farooqi, Sucharita Sengupta, Manoj Jena, MS Bhatt and Nabanipa Bhattacharya.
Also endorsed by
Teesta Setalvad, Shabnam Hashmi, Peggy Mohan and Githa Hariharan
January 31, 2013
Police Misconduct in Dhule Communal Clash - Editorial in Indian Express
From: http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/1066936/
Dhule imperative
The Indian Express Posted online: Thu Jan 31 2013
With fresh evidence exposing
the excessive tactics adopted by the local police in an incident earlier
this month in the Maharashtrian town of Dhule, the state government
needs to demonstrate its capacity to come to grips with the aftermath.
On January 6, there occurred a spat over the settlement of a bill at a
roadside eatery, which in no time took on the dimensions of a communal
clash, leaving six persons, all of them Muslim, dead in police firing.
That what appeared to be a rather unremarkable argument could claim such
a toll is alarming enough and draws attention to the dangers of not
addressing communal faultlines of the sort that appear to have defined
Dhule, especially after riots in 2008. However, the stark picture that
has now emerged — through video footage accessed by this paper —
indicates much more than just incompetence in dealing with an
altercation. It calls into question the police’s conduct.
The footage shows police personnel going on a rampage to destroy
private property and loot shops, and yet more chillingly, to defy the
manual and shoot above the waist at persons in the crowd. With this
sharpening picture of the police allegedly abdicating the basic rules of
professional and impartial conduct, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan
does not have the luxury of allowing the rhythms of routine inquiries to
run their course before seizing the situation. He needs to urgently act
on the emerging evidence of deliberate police aggression. In fact, the
record suggests that a fair stock-taking will, of necessity, have to be
anchored from outside the town. Reportedly, a chargesheet filed in the
2008 riots by the Dhule police had claimed as an established fact that
Muslims were the masterminds behind all terrorist activities across
India. It would be irresponsible to cast a communal colour on the police
action without a thorough scrutiny — but when the identity of those
felled in police action, in the street version of events, is not seen to
be entirely incidental, there lie the makings of an administrative
crisis that could spiral out of control.
Dhule town is strategically located on the cusp of two national highways, and its location facilitates the hinterland’s access to wider markets. Muslims make up a quarter of the population. And in the textile industry it has historically thrived on, Dhule speaks of an older inclusiveness, having provided a base for north Indians fleeing the upheaval after the 1857 uprising. The dangers obvious in such a town being torn apart by the suspicion of police mal-intent can only be addressed by reassurance through swift government action.
Dhule town is strategically located on the cusp of two national highways, and its location facilitates the hinterland’s access to wider markets. Muslims make up a quarter of the population. And in the textile industry it has historically thrived on, Dhule speaks of an older inclusiveness, having provided a base for north Indians fleeing the upheaval after the 1857 uprising. The dangers obvious in such a town being torn apart by the suspicion of police mal-intent can only be addressed by reassurance through swift government action.
January 28, 2013
Dhule Victims And Anhad Files A PIL in Supreme Court Demanding SIT and Compensation
PRESS RELEASE
28 January 2013
A Writ Petition (PIL), under Article 32 of the Constitution of India was filed today by Mohammad G. Naseer, who is the father of the deceased Asim Ahmad aged 24 years, Asif Ali who is the elder brother of deceased Imran Ali aged 23 years and Anhad which reputed NGO working on issues relating to secularism and communal violence. This petition was filed in respect of the communal attack on Muslims at Dhule, Maharashtra on 6.1.2013 in which the police themselves participated in smashing the vehicles of the Muslim community, in setting fire to their shops and houses and in firing in such a manner that 6 persons were killed and 42 injured, all from the Muslim community. 35 houses were burnt to the ground and many shops were also burnt. After that the police registered FIRs against the Muslim community and it is only much later when the minority community raised a protest that complaints are being accepted by the police, but no FIR is being registered behalf of the Muslim community till date.
The PIL is seeking a direction from this Court for the establishment of an SIT investigate this incident in respect of the facts set out in the petition and prosecute the criminal offenders including police personnel and government officials in accordance with law and to pass an order directing the respondent to immediately pay Rs.25 lakhs to the next of the kin of the deceased, Rs. 15 lakhs to those disabled, Rs. 10 Lakhs to those injured with Police Bullets and suitable compensation to those whose houses, shops were burnt, looted and destroyed.
In support of the PIL, petitioner has annexed a citizen’s fact finding report which was released in January 2013. The fact finding committee consisted of Shabnam Hashmi from Anhad one of the Petitioner organization, Prof. Ram Punyani of the All India Secular Forum, Prof. Apoorvanand of Delhi University, Advocate Nihalsing B. Rathore and others. All of them are eminent names from the social fraternity. This report was prepared after the fact finding committee visited the area and met social, religious and political activists, government officials, the District Magistrate, the victims including the families of the deceased and injured, and people from different walks of life. The Committee members also visited the hospital and saw the records and visited the areas where the houses were burnt.
A minor skirmish which could easily have been handled by the police had they been sensitive escalated into a full-fledged attack on the minority community. The testimonies reveal that not only did the police not intervene but they told the people to settle scores directly and actively instigated the attacks on the minority community.
Then without making a preliminary effort to disperse the crowd using the public address system or tear gas or by resorting to a lathi charge, the police resorted to indiscriminate firing that lasted for more than 2 hours. This firing was resorted to not to disperse the mob but rather to cause fatal injury to members of the minority community. The actions of the police show that they were elements within the force who acted in a communal manner. This is evident from the video clipping showing policemen using their lathis to damage the scooters and other properties of the Muslim community and showing policemen throwing stones at the minority community and standing by watching members of the majority community throwing stones. Video footage showing policemen setting fire to the houses of the minority community and above mentioned incidents have been submitted to the Supreme Court.
For queries talk to: Tariq Adeeb- 93106 77131 / shabnam hashmi-9811807558
28 January 2013
A Writ Petition (PIL), under Article 32 of the Constitution of India was filed today by Mohammad G. Naseer, who is the father of the deceased Asim Ahmad aged 24 years, Asif Ali who is the elder brother of deceased Imran Ali aged 23 years and Anhad which reputed NGO working on issues relating to secularism and communal violence. This petition was filed in respect of the communal attack on Muslims at Dhule, Maharashtra on 6.1.2013 in which the police themselves participated in smashing the vehicles of the Muslim community, in setting fire to their shops and houses and in firing in such a manner that 6 persons were killed and 42 injured, all from the Muslim community. 35 houses were burnt to the ground and many shops were also burnt. After that the police registered FIRs against the Muslim community and it is only much later when the minority community raised a protest that complaints are being accepted by the police, but no FIR is being registered behalf of the Muslim community till date.
The PIL is seeking a direction from this Court for the establishment of an SIT investigate this incident in respect of the facts set out in the petition and prosecute the criminal offenders including police personnel and government officials in accordance with law and to pass an order directing the respondent to immediately pay Rs.25 lakhs to the next of the kin of the deceased, Rs. 15 lakhs to those disabled, Rs. 10 Lakhs to those injured with Police Bullets and suitable compensation to those whose houses, shops were burnt, looted and destroyed.
In support of the PIL, petitioner has annexed a citizen’s fact finding report which was released in January 2013. The fact finding committee consisted of Shabnam Hashmi from Anhad one of the Petitioner organization, Prof. Ram Punyani of the All India Secular Forum, Prof. Apoorvanand of Delhi University, Advocate Nihalsing B. Rathore and others. All of them are eminent names from the social fraternity. This report was prepared after the fact finding committee visited the area and met social, religious and political activists, government officials, the District Magistrate, the victims including the families of the deceased and injured, and people from different walks of life. The Committee members also visited the hospital and saw the records and visited the areas where the houses were burnt.
A minor skirmish which could easily have been handled by the police had they been sensitive escalated into a full-fledged attack on the minority community. The testimonies reveal that not only did the police not intervene but they told the people to settle scores directly and actively instigated the attacks on the minority community.
Then without making a preliminary effort to disperse the crowd using the public address system or tear gas or by resorting to a lathi charge, the police resorted to indiscriminate firing that lasted for more than 2 hours. This firing was resorted to not to disperse the mob but rather to cause fatal injury to members of the minority community. The actions of the police show that they were elements within the force who acted in a communal manner. This is evident from the video clipping showing policemen using their lathis to damage the scooters and other properties of the Muslim community and showing policemen throwing stones at the minority community and standing by watching members of the majority community throwing stones. Video footage showing policemen setting fire to the houses of the minority community and above mentioned incidents have been submitted to the Supreme Court.
For queries talk to: Tariq Adeeb- 93106 77131 / shabnam hashmi-9811807558
Dhule Update - Media Release (28 January 2013)
DHULE UPDATE - MEDIA RELEASE
____________________________
Anhad team ( Shabnam Hashmi, Arun Kumar Tiwari) visited Dhule again on January 27 to take stock of the developments and to see if there was any progress vis-a vis the compensation and rehabilitation.
Despite our taking up the issue with the collector on our earlier visit to Dhule on January 13-14, 2013 no arrangement has been made to run a relief camp. The 35 odd families ,whose houses were totally destroyed by mob attack and one of the houses set on fire even by the police( the footage of which was released at our Mumbai press conference) , continue to live without any support. Administration has not bothered to provide any immediate shelter. The families are dependent on the well wishers and relatives. Children's education has discontinued as they have no school bags, books, notebooks, in one family a young student who is doing BCA has been left in the lurch as the family has no money left, even the fee kept in the almirah was burnt.
We were also shocked to get a partial copy of the official circular which clearly says that no compensation will be given to family of the dead or injured till the enquiry is over. ( copy of one page attached)
On one hand publicly CM under tremendous pressure from the civil society announced the compensation but the victims and their families will not get any of this for years to come. We were also shocked to hear that CM did not visit any of the areas or homes of the victims, he remained in the Circuit house.
Despite the footage released to media which clearly shows the deep contempt of the police against the Muslims and the fact that all six dead in police firing are Muslims and all 40 odd persons injured in police firing are Muslims, the police has filed its own version of the incident where it has made up stories of the incident contrary to the reality. the police in effort to hide its role of killing, attacking and targeting one community is refusing to file any FIRs on behalf of the victims. After a lot of pressure it has taken only complaints and written replies to the victimes saying that ' in this case enquiry is going on'
With CM refusing to transfer the Collector, SP, DYSP we do not see any hope of a fare enquiry.
It is very clear from the situation that Muslim victims and their families have been abandoned by the state to fend for themselves and the police has been given a free hand to turn the victims into the accused as we have seen earlier in Gujarat and many other states. We see a sinister design and connivance of police and the state to further marginalize the economically and socially backward minority community.
Reiterating our demand for the transfer the Collector, SP, DYSP , we appeal to the media not to abandon the case till justice is given to the mothers who have lost their sons and all other victims.
Shabnam Hashm
Arun Kumar Tiwari
January 28, 2013
January 26, 2013
India: Dhule video unmasks rioters in police uniform
From Indian Express
Dhule video unmasks rioters in uniform
ZEESHAN SHAIKH : Sat Jan 26 2013, 01:59 hrs
FP
Police in the northern Maharashtra town of Dhule destroyed private property and looted shops earlier this month after violence broke out following a tiff over payment of a hotel bill.
About a dozen video clips available with The Indian Express, each running into a few minutes, show the police breaking open a stall, pulling down a pandal meant for hawkers, smashing water drums and pounding two-wheelers parked along the street on January 6.
Reached for his comment, Director General of Police Sanjeev Dayal said the police had received the same video footage and had initiated action. "Police constable Sumit Namdeo Thakur and police constable Pramod Shivaji Ishi, both posted at Dhule city police station, have been placed under suspension from January 18," he said.
One two-minute clip shows a group of policemen breaking open a small stall in the Machhi Bazaar area. Accompanied by people in civilian clothes, some policemen are seen taking out goods from the stall. A policeman also stuffs his khaki trousers with some of the looted items.
The clip also shows policemen trying to pull down a pandal under which hawkers do business. They are, however, not successful in bringing it down.
In another clip, policemen are seen pounding motorcycles and bicycles parked outside houses in Machhi Bazaar. They are also seen overturning and destroying water drums that residents keep, given erratic water supply in the region.
"The police action was deliberate. They brazenly looted and tried to destroy shops. What is surprising is that a cameraman of a local channel was also part of the police mob which broke open the shop," alleged a shop-owner whose shop was destroyed.
The Indian Express could not verify if the policemen were accompanied by civilians or their own men in plain clothes.
Dayal said action would also be taken against those who are in charge of the police teams for failure to control the men. "In the case of the new clip (the stall being ransacked), criminal action will be applied," he said.
Ahmed Javed, additional DGP (law & order), has submitted a report to the government. The report includes the failings of the police and the remedial measures to be taken. The state has also ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident.
"We have requested people with any video clips of the rioting or the police action that can throw any light on the incident to come forward and share it with us," Javed said.
Violence broke out in Dhule on January 6 after a small tiff over a payment of a hotel bill. It turned into a major riot and six people, all of them Muslims, were killed when the police opened fire on the mob. The police claimed firing was necessary since their men were being selectively targeted.
But some local residents claim the police targeted and assaulted Muslim youth during the riot which lasted over five hours.
— With inputs from Sagnik Chowdhury
Dhule video unmasks rioters in uniform
ZEESHAN SHAIKH : Sat Jan 26 2013, 01:59 hrs
FP
Police in the northern Maharashtra town of Dhule destroyed private property and looted shops earlier this month after violence broke out following a tiff over payment of a hotel bill.
About a dozen video clips available with The Indian Express, each running into a few minutes, show the police breaking open a stall, pulling down a pandal meant for hawkers, smashing water drums and pounding two-wheelers parked along the street on January 6.
Reached for his comment, Director General of Police Sanjeev Dayal said the police had received the same video footage and had initiated action. "Police constable Sumit Namdeo Thakur and police constable Pramod Shivaji Ishi, both posted at Dhule city police station, have been placed under suspension from January 18," he said.
One two-minute clip shows a group of policemen breaking open a small stall in the Machhi Bazaar area. Accompanied by people in civilian clothes, some policemen are seen taking out goods from the stall. A policeman also stuffs his khaki trousers with some of the looted items.
The clip also shows policemen trying to pull down a pandal under which hawkers do business. They are, however, not successful in bringing it down.
In another clip, policemen are seen pounding motorcycles and bicycles parked outside houses in Machhi Bazaar. They are also seen overturning and destroying water drums that residents keep, given erratic water supply in the region.
"The police action was deliberate. They brazenly looted and tried to destroy shops. What is surprising is that a cameraman of a local channel was also part of the police mob which broke open the shop," alleged a shop-owner whose shop was destroyed.
The Indian Express could not verify if the policemen were accompanied by civilians or their own men in plain clothes.
Dayal said action would also be taken against those who are in charge of the police teams for failure to control the men. "In the case of the new clip (the stall being ransacked), criminal action will be applied," he said.
Ahmed Javed, additional DGP (law & order), has submitted a report to the government. The report includes the failings of the police and the remedial measures to be taken. The state has also ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident.
"We have requested people with any video clips of the rioting or the police action that can throw any light on the incident to come forward and share it with us," Javed said.
Violence broke out in Dhule on January 6 after a small tiff over a payment of a hotel bill. It turned into a major riot and six people, all of them Muslims, were killed when the police opened fire on the mob. The police claimed firing was necessary since their men were being selectively targeted.
But some local residents claim the police targeted and assaulted Muslim youth during the riot which lasted over five hours.
— With inputs from Sagnik Chowdhury
January 18, 2013
Independent Fact Finding report on on Dhule Riots in Maharashtra (2013)
Dhule has been in news for past 10 days. It has been reported in the media that, a small altercation in Dhule led to an event leading to violence between Hindus and Muslims. As such death of 6 innocent youth and injuries to several more and massive loss of properties, burning of houses has taken place. The worst part of the episode is that all this has taken place with police force being very much around. Contrary to official reports, the people in the area stated that the behavior of police was very biased against the Muslim minorities. All the youth who died were Muslims. Most of the houses which were burnt belonged to the Muslims.
In the light of the disturbing reports and communications from the local activists we decided that a citizen fact finding committee should visit the Dhule, to investigate and present the facts objectively. The citizens Fact Finding Committee consisting, of Shabnam Hashmi - social activist , ANHAD Delhi, Prof Ram Puniyani of All India Secular Forum, Prof Apoorvanand of Delhi University, Adv Nihalsing B Rathod- Human Rights Law Network, Manan Trivedi, Dev Desai, Tanvi Soni, Arma from ANHAD, Gujarat and Azhar from Jalgaon, visited Dhule on 13th and 14th January 2013. The Committee met several social, religious and political activists, government officials including the district magistrate, victims, families of the deceased and injured, and the people from different walks of life. It also visited the spot of the incident; the affected areas and the Hospitals on 14th January 2013. The committee procured the recordings of the violence which had taken place in the city. This report is based on the testimonies of these people, the records from the hospitals and its own observation in the area where houses have been burnt.
Changing character of Communal Violence: Civil Society’s Fact Finding Report on Dhule Riots
Released in Delhi on 18 January 2013 (Formatted PDF Version)
In the light of the disturbing reports and communications from the local activists we decided that a citizen fact finding committee should visit the Dhule, to investigate and present the facts objectively. The citizens Fact Finding Committee consisting, of Shabnam Hashmi - social activist , ANHAD Delhi, Prof Ram Puniyani of All India Secular Forum, Prof Apoorvanand of Delhi University, Adv Nihalsing B Rathod- Human Rights Law Network, Manan Trivedi, Dev Desai, Tanvi Soni, Arma from ANHAD, Gujarat and Azhar from Jalgaon, visited Dhule on 13th and 14th January 2013. The Committee met several social, religious and political activists, government officials including the district magistrate, victims, families of the deceased and injured, and the people from different walks of life. It also visited the spot of the incident; the affected areas and the Hospitals on 14th January 2013. The committee procured the recordings of the violence which had taken place in the city. This report is based on the testimonies of these people, the records from the hospitals and its own observation in the area where houses have been burnt.
Changing character of Communal Violence: Civil Society’s Fact Finding Report on Dhule Riots
Released in Delhi on 18 January 2013 (Formatted PDF Version)
January 17, 2013
Press Conference: release of report on Dhule Riots and the Role of Police (18 January 2012, New Delhi)
Press Conference: release of report on Dhule Riots and the Role of Police
Date: 18 January 2012
Venue: Press Club of India, New Delhi
Time: 3.30 pm
Relatives of boys killed in police firing will be present
Anhad had sent a Citizen’s Fact Finding Committee to Dhule to investigate into the January 6, 2013 Dhule riots.
Citizen’s Fact Finding Committee comprised of Shabnam Hashmi, Dr Ram Puniyani, Prof Apoorvanand
Date: 18 January 2012
Venue: Press Club of India, New Delhi
Time: 3.30 pm
Relatives of boys killed in police firing will be present
Anhad had sent a Citizen’s Fact Finding Committee to Dhule to investigate into the January 6, 2013 Dhule riots.
Citizen’s Fact Finding Committee comprised of Shabnam Hashmi, Dr Ram Puniyani, Prof Apoorvanand
January 14, 2013
Upcoming press conference: Citizen's Fact Finding Committee to Dhule -release of interim report (15 Jan 2012, Bombay)
Anhad had sent a Citizen's Fact Finding Committee to Dhule to investigate into the January 6, 2013 Dhule riots.
Citizen's Fact Finding Committee comprising of Shabnam Hashmi, Dr Ram Puniyani, Prof Apoorvanand will address the media and release the interim report on Dhule Riots and the Role of Police on 15/1/13 at 3:15 pm at Marathi Patra kar Sangh, CST. [Mumbai] Mahesh bhatt is also likely to join the PC.
Citizen's Fact Finding Committee comprising of Shabnam Hashmi, Dr Ram Puniyani, Prof Apoorvanand will address the media and release the interim report on Dhule Riots and the Role of Police on 15/1/13 at 3:15 pm at Marathi Patra kar Sangh, CST. [Mumbai] Mahesh bhatt is also likely to join the PC.
October 22, 2008
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