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Showing posts with label Meerut. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Meerut. Show all posts
January 23, 2022
September 29, 2017
India: Inter faith marriage in Meerut disrupted by Bajrang dal and organisation of the far right
The Hindu
Bajrang Dal disrupts interfaith couple’s marriage in Meerut
Mohammad Ali
Ashok Kumar
Meerut/Faridabad, September 28, 2017
Woman tells Faridabad court that she wasn’t abducted.
An interfaith couple, whose attempt to register their marriage was disrupted by Bajrang Dal workers on Wednesday, were produced before a court in Faridabad on Thursday but were let off after the woman testified that she was not abducted as alleged by her uncle.
Krishna, 21, who hails from Greater Noida, said she had gone to Meerut with Saddam, a 24-year-old labour contractor from Shamli, out of her own volition. They planned to register their marriage at a court there.
But before they could do so, Bajrang Dal workers reached the court premisesand tried to attack Saddam. The police lathicharged the Bajrang Dal activists when they turned on the policemen protecting the couple.
Superintendent of Police Man Singh, told The Hindu that the Meerut police handed over the couple to the Haryana police, who had arrived in Meerut looking for them.
According to the Faridabad police, Krishna who is second-year BA student at the K.L. Mehta Women’s College, became friends with Saddam three years ago when she was pursuing B.Tech from an institute in Greater Noida.
But the two remained in touch even when she dropped out of her engineering course midway to go and live with her uncle, who is a head constable in Delhi police.
Facilitating ‘love jihad’
After Krishna eloped with Saddam on Wednesday, her uncle reported the matter to the police and a case was registered under Section 346 (wrongful confinement) of the Indian Penal Code at the SGM Police station in Faridabad.
The coordinator of the Bajrang Dal in western Uttar Pradesh, Balraj Dungar was furious with the police for “not cooperating” with his group. He accused the police of facilitating “love jihad”.
Second such attack
“We are proud that we did not let a Muslim boy manipulate a Hindu girl into marrying him. We would never let Muslim boys marry Hindu girls,” Mr. Dungar told The Hindu.
This is the second attack of its kind on inter-religious couples. It comes four days after a similar incident occurred in Hapur in western U.P., where Sangh Parivar workers tried to assault an inter-religious married couple living together in a rented accommodation.
Police had to resort to lathi charge to disperse the mob that tried to snatch the man while they were escorting the two to safety.
The woman had called the police against the “harassment” of Hindutva groups. The police told the Hindutva activists that it was not a case of “love jihad” as the woman married out of her own will and was living with him willingly.
o o o
SEE ALSO
The Hindu
Inter-faith couple face saffron fury
Staff Reporter
Meerut, September 25, 2017 00:05 IST
Sangh Parivar activists, including those of the BJP, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the Bajrang Dal and the ABVP, tried to assault an inter-religious couple in Hapur on Saturday. They arrived outside the house in Devlok Colony where Vidya Shrivastava and Shoaib Alam lived and created a ruckus, while accusing Alam of manipulating Vidya into marriage. The mob started raising slogans.
Vidya and Alam, both residents of Sitamarhi in Bihar, fell in love but their families opposed their relationship. They got married in court early this year and were living in Hapur where Alam has been running a computer training institute. The couple called the police to rescue them from the “harassment” of the Hindutva workers.
When the police tried to take the couple out of the house, the Hindutva activists grappled with them trying to snatch Alam from their custody. The police resorted to a lathi charge.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Pawan Kumar Baliyan told The Hindu: “While Vidya’s relatives alleged that Alam had lured her and manipulated her into marriage, she told the police that they had married in court and she was living with Alam willingly.”
“Vidya’s relatives did not even file a report that she was missing or had been kidnapped,” Mr. Baliyan said.
Vijay Pal, MLA, told the media that the girl’s parents reached Hapur and contacted VHP workers, after which they had gone to “rescue” the girl. He alleged that many Hindutva workers were injured in the lathicharge, which SP Hemant Kutiyal denied.
Bajrang Dal disrupts interfaith couple’s marriage in Meerut
Mohammad Ali
Ashok Kumar
Meerut/Faridabad, September 28, 2017
Woman tells Faridabad court that she wasn’t abducted.
An interfaith couple, whose attempt to register their marriage was disrupted by Bajrang Dal workers on Wednesday, were produced before a court in Faridabad on Thursday but were let off after the woman testified that she was not abducted as alleged by her uncle.
Krishna, 21, who hails from Greater Noida, said she had gone to Meerut with Saddam, a 24-year-old labour contractor from Shamli, out of her own volition. They planned to register their marriage at a court there.
But before they could do so, Bajrang Dal workers reached the court premisesand tried to attack Saddam. The police lathicharged the Bajrang Dal activists when they turned on the policemen protecting the couple.
Superintendent of Police Man Singh, told The Hindu that the Meerut police handed over the couple to the Haryana police, who had arrived in Meerut looking for them.
According to the Faridabad police, Krishna who is second-year BA student at the K.L. Mehta Women’s College, became friends with Saddam three years ago when she was pursuing B.Tech from an institute in Greater Noida.
But the two remained in touch even when she dropped out of her engineering course midway to go and live with her uncle, who is a head constable in Delhi police.
Facilitating ‘love jihad’
After Krishna eloped with Saddam on Wednesday, her uncle reported the matter to the police and a case was registered under Section 346 (wrongful confinement) of the Indian Penal Code at the SGM Police station in Faridabad.
The coordinator of the Bajrang Dal in western Uttar Pradesh, Balraj Dungar was furious with the police for “not cooperating” with his group. He accused the police of facilitating “love jihad”.
Second such attack
“We are proud that we did not let a Muslim boy manipulate a Hindu girl into marrying him. We would never let Muslim boys marry Hindu girls,” Mr. Dungar told The Hindu.
This is the second attack of its kind on inter-religious couples. It comes four days after a similar incident occurred in Hapur in western U.P., where Sangh Parivar workers tried to assault an inter-religious married couple living together in a rented accommodation.
Police had to resort to lathi charge to disperse the mob that tried to snatch the man while they were escorting the two to safety.
The woman had called the police against the “harassment” of Hindutva groups. The police told the Hindutva activists that it was not a case of “love jihad” as the woman married out of her own will and was living with him willingly.
o o o
SEE ALSO
The Hindu
Inter-faith couple face saffron fury
Staff Reporter
Meerut, September 25, 2017 00:05 IST
Sangh Parivar activists, including those of the BJP, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the Bajrang Dal and the ABVP, tried to assault an inter-religious couple in Hapur on Saturday. They arrived outside the house in Devlok Colony where Vidya Shrivastava and Shoaib Alam lived and created a ruckus, while accusing Alam of manipulating Vidya into marriage. The mob started raising slogans.
Vidya and Alam, both residents of Sitamarhi in Bihar, fell in love but their families opposed their relationship. They got married in court early this year and were living in Hapur where Alam has been running a computer training institute. The couple called the police to rescue them from the “harassment” of the Hindutva workers.
When the police tried to take the couple out of the house, the Hindutva activists grappled with them trying to snatch Alam from their custody. The police resorted to a lathi charge.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Pawan Kumar Baliyan told The Hindu: “While Vidya’s relatives alleged that Alam had lured her and manipulated her into marriage, she told the police that they had married in court and she was living with Alam willingly.”
“Vidya’s relatives did not even file a report that she was missing or had been kidnapped,” Mr. Baliyan said.
Vijay Pal, MLA, told the media that the girl’s parents reached Hapur and contacted VHP workers, after which they had gone to “rescue” the girl. He alleged that many Hindutva workers were injured in the lathicharge, which SP Hemant Kutiyal denied.
June 22, 2017
April 21, 2017
February 03, 2016
India: Better Representation Muslims in western Uttar Pradesh, breeds radical Hindus ?
Business Standard
Mayank Mishra |
Meerut
January 9, 2016
“A perception is gaining ground among Hindus in
the region is that it is increasingly becoming very difficult to have
daughters in the family. Family members worry about their safety
whenever they venture out,” says Vikash Baliyan, an aspiring politician
who runs a weekly, Krishi Nazar, in Muzaffarnagar.
However, Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind’s Moosa Kazmi says that it is unfortunate that incidents of a Hindu woman falling in love with a Muslim are given communal colour.
But the perception persists, and has reached even villages in the region. A number of people in Jadauga village — on the outskirts of Muzaffarnagar — kept referring to such incidents, giving the impression that all is not well between the two communities.
It is due to the perception that some Hindu groups like the one headed Sharma have decided to impart physical and mental training to young boys and girls. One such training camp is being held in the premises of a retired army official Parvinder Arya in Rori village. “I have served in Kashmir and have seen the plight of Hindus there. I do not want the same thing to happen in western Uttar Pradesh,” says Arya.
Sharma claims that 20 such training camps are operational in the region and within a year, her organisation plans to cover most of the villages in the region.
At each training camp, boys and girls are getting trained with lathis, swords, bow and arrow, among others, with occasional shouts of “Jai Shri Ram” and “Jai Maha Kali”. “I want them to be physically fit and mentally strong to take on enemies once the situation arises,” says Arya, as the trainees alternate between doing push-ups and sit-ups. The training camp currently has around 60 boys and girls. The one in Rori village has been running for the last two years. And, Arya claims that the trained boys have started camps in other villages as well.
What explains the radicalisation of Hindus in the region? Recent economic and political changes in the state and the region offer some answers. Number of Muslim MLAs in Uttar Pradesh went up from 56 in 2007 to 69 in 2009. What is more, the members of the community did even better in urban local body (ULB) elections.
Analysis of ULB elections of 2012 by AK Verma of the Kanpur-based Christ Church College shows that, “In the 12 nagar nigams, though no Muslim was elected as mayor, 21.4 per cent Muslims were elected as members. In the nagar palikas, Muslims account for 31.9 per cent of the presidents and 33.86 per cent of the members. In the urban panchayats, 26.6 per cent of the presidents and 30.7 per cent of the members are Muslims.” His research shows that in two western Uttar Pradesh districts of Saharanpur and Bijnor, Muslims swept the polls.
“In a multi-cornered contest like in Uttar Pradesh, the votes of Muslims have become very significant for parties. Since the proportion of Muslims in the western part of the state is even more, they are sought after by political parties. Their growing representation in elected positions is a result of that,” argues Sudhir Panwar, Lucknow-based political scientist.
Political empowerment of the community is perhaps a result of their growing clout economically. The thriving meat export business has been helpful in this regard. Uttar Pradesh accounts for nearly half of total meat production in the country and western Uttar Pradesh has been the centre of meat export business. Buffalo meat export, which was less than $3 billion in 2011-12, is now in excess of $4 billion. Most of the slaughter houses in the state are located in the western region, and the majority of them are owned by Muslims, according to reports.
Recently released census data also give some hints of how Muslims are recovering lost grounds vis-à-vis other communities. Only 33 per cent of Muslims work against the national work participation rate of 40 per cent. However, most of all those who work are outside of agriculture. While 52 per cent of them work in industry and services, 7 per cent of them work as artisans.
More specifically about western Uttar Pradesh, two specific data show that Muslims have done well in the last few years. National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) data shows that from 2004-05 to 2011-12, the decline in the incidence of poverty among Muslims was at 2.51 per cent in rural areas and 2.8 per cent in urban areas as against the overall average of 2.06 per cent and 1.81 per cent, respectively.
The decline was much sharper in urban areas thanks to the growing demand of artisans (carpenters, masons, electricians, et cetera) in recent times. Last year’s Teamlease report had revealed that salary growth of skilled workers has been at par with young engineers. What perhaps also helps skilled workers in western Uttar Pradesh is the region’s proximity to the National Capital Region.
What is more, decline in poverty among self-employed Muslims in the the non-agriculture category has been even sharper in Uttar Pradesh, according to NSSO data.
The growing radicalisation of Hindus is perhaps a reaction to the rise in clout of Muslims.
In UP, resentment breeds radical Hindus
With a rise in the clout of Muslims in western Uttar Pradesh, Hindus feel the need to assert their identity more than ever
Chahat, 6, has very little idea about what she is doing. But she does
not hesitate for a second when asked to show her skills with a sword.
She is one of the 50 boys and girls who are regulars at an akhara-cum-training-camp in Rori village, located on the outskirts of Ghaziabad district.
Her explanation, “desh ka naam badhana hai (have to contribute to the country’s glory)” on why she is part of this group does not quite match with the statements of the organisers, though. “We are imparting mental and physical training to our children so that they are ready to take on the mentality of Islamic jihad,” observes Chetna Sharma, a Meerut-based lawyer and president of Hindu Swabhiman. She has instrumental in setting up such camps in western Uttar Pradesh.
She recounts a number of stories of what she calls “love jihad” in and around Meerut. “The strategy keeps changing but the motive of trapping innocent Hindu girls remains the same. Whether by organising pool parties or by enticing young minds through other means, there is definitely a conspiracy,” says Sharma, sitting in her house while showing pictures of some recent incidents on her laptop.
Sharma is not alone in believing that something like this is going on. There are many others who see a “wider design” whenever any incident of Hindu girl falling in love with a Muslim boy comes to light.
One such incident was reported in Shamli district last month. In the last week of December, a mahapanchayat was called in Shamli to protest against the perceived failure of the police to trace a 23-year-old Hindu woman who had gone missing with a Muslim man in his early 40s. The mahapanchayat brought the latent communal tension to the fore yet again.
Her explanation, “desh ka naam badhana hai (have to contribute to the country’s glory)” on why she is part of this group does not quite match with the statements of the organisers, though. “We are imparting mental and physical training to our children so that they are ready to take on the mentality of Islamic jihad,” observes Chetna Sharma, a Meerut-based lawyer and president of Hindu Swabhiman. She has instrumental in setting up such camps in western Uttar Pradesh.
She recounts a number of stories of what she calls “love jihad” in and around Meerut. “The strategy keeps changing but the motive of trapping innocent Hindu girls remains the same. Whether by organising pool parties or by enticing young minds through other means, there is definitely a conspiracy,” says Sharma, sitting in her house while showing pictures of some recent incidents on her laptop.
Sharma is not alone in believing that something like this is going on. There are many others who see a “wider design” whenever any incident of Hindu girl falling in love with a Muslim boy comes to light.
One such incident was reported in Shamli district last month. In the last week of December, a mahapanchayat was called in Shamli to protest against the perceived failure of the police to trace a 23-year-old Hindu woman who had gone missing with a Muslim man in his early 40s. The mahapanchayat brought the latent communal tension to the fore yet again.
However, Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind’s Moosa Kazmi says that it is unfortunate that incidents of a Hindu woman falling in love with a Muslim are given communal colour.
But the perception persists, and has reached even villages in the region. A number of people in Jadauga village — on the outskirts of Muzaffarnagar — kept referring to such incidents, giving the impression that all is not well between the two communities.
It is due to the perception that some Hindu groups like the one headed Sharma have decided to impart physical and mental training to young boys and girls. One such training camp is being held in the premises of a retired army official Parvinder Arya in Rori village. “I have served in Kashmir and have seen the plight of Hindus there. I do not want the same thing to happen in western Uttar Pradesh,” says Arya.
Sharma claims that 20 such training camps are operational in the region and within a year, her organisation plans to cover most of the villages in the region.
At each training camp, boys and girls are getting trained with lathis, swords, bow and arrow, among others, with occasional shouts of “Jai Shri Ram” and “Jai Maha Kali”. “I want them to be physically fit and mentally strong to take on enemies once the situation arises,” says Arya, as the trainees alternate between doing push-ups and sit-ups. The training camp currently has around 60 boys and girls. The one in Rori village has been running for the last two years. And, Arya claims that the trained boys have started camps in other villages as well.
What explains the radicalisation of Hindus in the region? Recent economic and political changes in the state and the region offer some answers. Number of Muslim MLAs in Uttar Pradesh went up from 56 in 2007 to 69 in 2009. What is more, the members of the community did even better in urban local body (ULB) elections.
Analysis of ULB elections of 2012 by AK Verma of the Kanpur-based Christ Church College shows that, “In the 12 nagar nigams, though no Muslim was elected as mayor, 21.4 per cent Muslims were elected as members. In the nagar palikas, Muslims account for 31.9 per cent of the presidents and 33.86 per cent of the members. In the urban panchayats, 26.6 per cent of the presidents and 30.7 per cent of the members are Muslims.” His research shows that in two western Uttar Pradesh districts of Saharanpur and Bijnor, Muslims swept the polls.
“In a multi-cornered contest like in Uttar Pradesh, the votes of Muslims have become very significant for parties. Since the proportion of Muslims in the western part of the state is even more, they are sought after by political parties. Their growing representation in elected positions is a result of that,” argues Sudhir Panwar, Lucknow-based political scientist.
Political empowerment of the community is perhaps a result of their growing clout economically. The thriving meat export business has been helpful in this regard. Uttar Pradesh accounts for nearly half of total meat production in the country and western Uttar Pradesh has been the centre of meat export business. Buffalo meat export, which was less than $3 billion in 2011-12, is now in excess of $4 billion. Most of the slaughter houses in the state are located in the western region, and the majority of them are owned by Muslims, according to reports.
Recently released census data also give some hints of how Muslims are recovering lost grounds vis-à-vis other communities. Only 33 per cent of Muslims work against the national work participation rate of 40 per cent. However, most of all those who work are outside of agriculture. While 52 per cent of them work in industry and services, 7 per cent of them work as artisans.
More specifically about western Uttar Pradesh, two specific data show that Muslims have done well in the last few years. National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) data shows that from 2004-05 to 2011-12, the decline in the incidence of poverty among Muslims was at 2.51 per cent in rural areas and 2.8 per cent in urban areas as against the overall average of 2.06 per cent and 1.81 per cent, respectively.
The decline was much sharper in urban areas thanks to the growing demand of artisans (carpenters, masons, electricians, et cetera) in recent times. Last year’s Teamlease report had revealed that salary growth of skilled workers has been at par with young engineers. What perhaps also helps skilled workers in western Uttar Pradesh is the region’s proximity to the National Capital Region.
What is more, decline in poverty among self-employed Muslims in the the non-agriculture category has been even sharper in Uttar Pradesh, according to NSSO data.
The growing radicalisation of Hindus is perhaps a reaction to the rise in clout of Muslims.
April 04, 2015
March 30, 2015
March 29, 2015
The Big Picture : Hashimpura Then, Hashimpura Now
Praveen Jain: Eyewitness Hashimpura
Photographer Praveen Jain was in the Meerut neighbourhood on May 22, 1987, hours before what has come to be known as the Hashimpura massacre. 28 years later, with a Delhi court acquitting all the 16 PAC men accused in the case, Jain goes back with the album to find the faces who stood witness.
Photographer Praveen Jain was in the Meerut neighbourhood on May 22, 1987, hours before what has come to be known as the Hashimpura massacre. 28 years later, with a Delhi court acquitting all the 16 PAC men accused in the case, Jain goes back with the album to find the faces who stood witness.
March 28, 2015
Video: The Lemmings of Hashimpura (NewsClick, Communalism Combat and Hillele TV)
In this exclusive interview conducted in collaboration with Communalism Combat and Hillele TV, we discuss the Hashimpura massacre with the policeman who filed the first FIR in the case, retired IPS officer VN Rai. Given that 42 people did not just fall down and die, how can this judgment be explained? Mr. Rai. tells us about what he saw on the night of 22nd May 1987 and the prevailing communal bias in police services. He explains how he believes that CID failed to adequately investigate and prosecute the matter. Mr Rai also addresses the issue of how steps can be taken to prevent any further incidents of this nature.
March 24, 2015
Hashimpura acquittals - implications for India’s democracy: Press release from Justice for Hashimpura Committee on 24 March 2015
Full text of the press release issued by Justice for Hashimpura Committee at its widely attended public meeting held at the Indian Social Institute in New Delhi on 24 March 2015. The meeting was opened with initial remarks by Prof. Apoorvanand and by Vrinda Grover, the widely respected human rights lawyer. Justice R. Sachhar (Former Chief justice of Delhi High court), Advocate Rebecca John, Shri W. Habibullah, Tapan Bose, Uma Chakravarty, Harsh Mander, Shabnam Hashmi, Kavita Krishnan, John Dayal, Kamal Chenoy, Usha Ramanathan expressed grave concern at the continuing state of impunity as they spoke in solidarity with the victims of Hashimpura killings. They also underlined the alarming consequences of the systematic and systemic failure of criminal justice system. They pointed out that the injustice for the Hashimpura victims was part of a growing pattern where victims of vulnerable, minority and marginalized communities such as Muslims, Christians, Dalits, Adivasis are being denied justice for the atrocities committed on them. This has serious implications for India’s democracy. The meeting concluded with a determination expressed by all to continue to seek justice and accountability for these targeted custodial killings.
[see Full text here: http://www.anhadin.net/article269.html
[photos below by Mukul Dube]
[see Full text here: http://www.anhadin.net/article269.html
[photos below by Mukul Dube]
March 23, 2015
India: Justice for Hashimpura - Survivors, Victim families, Lawyers, Leaders of Civil Society and Activists Speak (March 24, 2015, 4-7 pm, ISI, New Delhi)
March 24, 2015
4 to 7pm
Indian Social Institute
10, Lodhi Road Institutional Area
New Delhi
Survivors, Victim families,Lawyers, Leaders of Civil Society and Activists Speak
Justice Rajinder Sachar
Vrinda Grover
Tapan Bose
Uma Chakravarty
Rebecca John
John Dayal
Harsh Mander
Shabnam Hashmi
& others
Justice for Hashimpura Committee
March 21, 2015
India: 16 from provincial armed constabulary acquitted for role in Meerut massacre of 1987
16 acquitted in 1987 Hashimpura massacre case
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/16-acquitted-in-1987-hashimpura-massacre/article7018797.ece?homepage=true
A Delhi court on Saturday acquitted all the 16 accused in the Hashimpura massacre case of 1987.
The court acquitted all the accused - members of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) of Uttar Pradesh saying, “I give them the benefit of doubt due to insufficient evidence, particularly on the identification of the accused.”
The court of Additional Sessions Judge Sanjay Jindal had on February 21 reserved the pronouncement of judgment in the 27-year-old case. The PAC personnel were facing charges of allegedly abducting and killing 42 persons of a particular community.
3 of the accused dead
Charge sheets were filed against the 19 accused before the Ghaziabad chief judicial magistrate. They did not appear in court though bailable warrants were issued 23 times between 1994 and 2000. Under public pressure, 16 of the accused surrendered before the Ghaziabad court and were subsequently released on bail.
In September 2002, on the orders of the Supreme Court, the case was transferred to Delhi. Three of the 19 in the original list of accused including platoon commander Surender Pal Singh, under whose instructions the massacre was allegedly committed, are already dead.
PTI adds:
Following is the chronology of events relating to the case:
May 22, 1987: 50 Muslims picked up allegedly by Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) personnel from Hashimpura village in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.
May 1987: Victims shot and bodies thrown into canal. 42 persons declared dead.
1996: Charge sheet filed against 19 accused before Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ghaziabad by CB—CID of Uttar Pradesh police. 161 people listed as witnesses.
Sept. 2002: Case transferred to Delhi by the Supreme Court on petition by the families of victims and survivors.
July 2006: Delhi court frames charges of murder, attempt to murder, tampering with evidence and conspiracy under the IPC against 17 accused.
Jan. 22, 2015: Court reserves judgement for February 21.
Feb. 21: Court defers verdict as it was not ready.
March 21: Court acquits 16 surviving accused giving them benefit of doubt regarding their identity.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/16-acquitted-in-1987-hashimpura-massacre/article7018797.ece?homepage=true
A Delhi court on Saturday acquitted all the 16 accused in the Hashimpura massacre case of 1987.
The court acquitted all the accused - members of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) of Uttar Pradesh saying, “I give them the benefit of doubt due to insufficient evidence, particularly on the identification of the accused.”
The court of Additional Sessions Judge Sanjay Jindal had on February 21 reserved the pronouncement of judgment in the 27-year-old case. The PAC personnel were facing charges of allegedly abducting and killing 42 persons of a particular community.
3 of the accused dead
Charge sheets were filed against the 19 accused before the Ghaziabad chief judicial magistrate. They did not appear in court though bailable warrants were issued 23 times between 1994 and 2000. Under public pressure, 16 of the accused surrendered before the Ghaziabad court and were subsequently released on bail.
In September 2002, on the orders of the Supreme Court, the case was transferred to Delhi. Three of the 19 in the original list of accused including platoon commander Surender Pal Singh, under whose instructions the massacre was allegedly committed, are already dead.
PTI adds:
Following is the chronology of events relating to the case:
May 22, 1987: 50 Muslims picked up allegedly by Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) personnel from Hashimpura village in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.
May 1987: Victims shot and bodies thrown into canal. 42 persons declared dead.
1996: Charge sheet filed against 19 accused before Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ghaziabad by CB—CID of Uttar Pradesh police. 161 people listed as witnesses.
Sept. 2002: Case transferred to Delhi by the Supreme Court on petition by the families of victims and survivors.
July 2006: Delhi court frames charges of murder, attempt to murder, tampering with evidence and conspiracy under the IPC against 17 accused.
Jan. 22, 2015: Court reserves judgement for February 21.
Feb. 21: Court defers verdict as it was not ready.
March 21: Court acquits 16 surviving accused giving them benefit of doubt regarding their identity.
December 26, 2014
India: Far Right Hindu Mahasabha performs ‘Bhumi pujan’ ritauls at foundation laying for temple in Meerut for worship of Godse, the assassin of Gandhi
The Hindu
Meerut, December 25, 2014
Hindu Mahasabha performs ‘Bhumi pujan’ for Godse temple in Meerut
Mohammad Ali
Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha activists are all set to build the country's first temple for Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse in Meerut. As a first step for building the temple, the Hindutva activists performed 'bhumi pujan' on Wednesday in their local office here in Meerut.
Initially unaware of the bhumi pujan, the State administration has swung into action with the Meerut DM ordering a probe into the entire matter. The acting DM of Meerut, Navneet Singh Chahal, told The Hindu that the administration has taken a "very serious" view of the incident.
"The police officer in charge of the area has been asked to probe this and file an FIR against all those responsible for this kind of mischief which can disturb the law and order situation," Chahal told the media.
The SSP, Onkar Singh, said the Local Intelligence Unit has also been asked to probe the issue on a priority basis and submit its report.
The bhumi pujan in Meerut comes two days after the outfit bought land at Sidhauli Para village in Sitapur district to build another temple for Nathuram Godse on January 30, the day Godse shot the Mahatma to death.
White stone bust
According to a member of the central working committee of the Hindu Mahasbha Pandit, Ashok Kumar Sharma, who declared Godse a 'martyr', the temple will have a bust of Godse in white stone.
" After the bhumi pujan, we decided the details of the statue of the martyr of this nation Nathuram Godse. It would be our privilege to build the temple and honour the patriot who has popularly been witch-hunted and misunderstood by a large section of this country." Sharma told The Hindu.
Building the temple for Godse would be the first step in countering the propaganda against Nathuram Godse, he added.
The statue is expected to be completed by January 30.
Asked why the Hindu Mahasabha is building the temple for Godse, Sharma said: "Godse was a patriot and was once associated with the Hindu Mahasabha as well."
Meerut, December 25, 2014
Hindu Mahasabha performs ‘Bhumi pujan’ for Godse temple in Meerut
Mohammad Ali
Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha activists are all set to build the country's first temple for Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse in Meerut. As a first step for building the temple, the Hindutva activists performed 'bhumi pujan' on Wednesday in their local office here in Meerut.
Initially unaware of the bhumi pujan, the State administration has swung into action with the Meerut DM ordering a probe into the entire matter. The acting DM of Meerut, Navneet Singh Chahal, told The Hindu that the administration has taken a "very serious" view of the incident.
"The police officer in charge of the area has been asked to probe this and file an FIR against all those responsible for this kind of mischief which can disturb the law and order situation," Chahal told the media.
The SSP, Onkar Singh, said the Local Intelligence Unit has also been asked to probe the issue on a priority basis and submit its report.
The bhumi pujan in Meerut comes two days after the outfit bought land at Sidhauli Para village in Sitapur district to build another temple for Nathuram Godse on January 30, the day Godse shot the Mahatma to death.
White stone bust
According to a member of the central working committee of the Hindu Mahasbha Pandit, Ashok Kumar Sharma, who declared Godse a 'martyr', the temple will have a bust of Godse in white stone.
" After the bhumi pujan, we decided the details of the statue of the martyr of this nation Nathuram Godse. It would be our privilege to build the temple and honour the patriot who has popularly been witch-hunted and misunderstood by a large section of this country." Sharma told The Hindu.
Building the temple for Godse would be the first step in countering the propaganda against Nathuram Godse, he added.
The statue is expected to be completed by January 30.
Asked why the Hindu Mahasabha is building the temple for Godse, Sharma said: "Godse was a patriot and was once associated with the Hindu Mahasabha as well."
October 18, 2014
Audio recording: Real story of the Meerut Love Jehad - In the words of the 'victim'
This audio recording is a conversation with the girl, who was called a 'victim' of Love Jehad by right wing Hindutva forces. The interview took place on August 30, 2014 at her house,in Hapur with journalist Neha Dixit. It took place in the presence of her mother,T, who can be heard in the course of the interview. S, the girl, talks about how she and Kaleem were in love and wanted to get married but her parents were opposed to the match on religious grounds. Kaleem is an accused in this case and has been in jail for the last two months. She also says that she fears for her life.
We did not publish this earlier for the fear of the girl's safety, who has now been provided with police protection by the court. The name of the girl has been beeped in this clip to protect her identity.
http://youtu.be/PEXFP44dNss
read also:
Exposing Love Jehad
by Neha Dixit, October 18, 2014
http://newsclick.in/india/exposing-love-jehad
We did not publish this earlier for the fear of the girl's safety, who has now been provided with police protection by the court. The name of the girl has been beeped in this clip to protect her identity.
http://youtu.be/PEXFP44dNss
read also:
Exposing Love Jehad
by Neha Dixit, October 18, 2014
http://newsclick.in/india/exposing-love-jehad
October 16, 2014
India BJP bribe to kin of girl who alleged 'love jihad'
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/BJP-man-gave-Rs-25000-to-kin-of-girl-who-alleged-love-jihad/articleshow/44819327.cms
BJP man gave Rs 25,000 to kin of girl who alleged 'love jihad'
Ishita Bhatia,TNN | Oct 15, 2014, 04.12 AM IST
MEERUT: Two days after the 'victim' of the alleged gang rape and
forced conversion in Meerut made a dramatic U-turn and retracted her
earlier statement, the police filed a case of assault and threat to
murder against her parents on Tuesday.
The woman also alleged that Vineet Agarwal, a BJP functionary, had
offered her family Rs 25,000 on August 7, a few days after the
incident came to light, and assured them help with more money in
future.
Asked if the family had received any money from Agarwal, the girl's
father did not name anyone, but said, "Hindu outfits helped us with
money because our financial condition was weak. This matter should not
be politicized."
Agarwal said he gave the family Rs 25,000 only because he wanted to
help them as they were poor.
"When the case came to light, I went to the girl's house. Because her
family was poor, I helped them monetarily on humanitarian grounds," he
said. "My help should not be linked with politics. Had she been of any
other religion, I would have helped just the same."
United Hindu Front activists participate in a protest against the
alleged "love jihad" movement in New Delhi, on September 23, 2014.
(AFP photo)
In the official complaint accessed by TOI, the woman alleges that her
family started planning to kill her once the money from the BJP leader
stopped coming and the security cover at the house was removed.
The security cover provided to the family since August 3 was lifted on
Saturday evening. The woman approached police the following day.
Asked how her statement will change proceedings in court, MM Baig, SP
(rural), said, "A chargesheet has already been filed in the case on
August 3, and 10 people are under arrest. If the girl does not retract
her latest statement, the case will witness a U-turn."
Young girls under the banner of "India Against Love Jihad" forming a
human chain in Bhopal to protest against the so-called rising trend of
"love jihad" cases in India. (TOI file photo)
The woman's father denied her allegations and said to TOI, "She has
been living with us for the last two-and-a-half months. If we had to
kill her, why would we wait so long?"
The father claimed that Muslim groups were "putting pressure" on his
daughter to change her statement and demanded a CBI probe into the
matter.
The 22-year-old had alleged in August that she was gang-raped at a
Muzaffarnagar madrassa, where several other women were also held
captive. She had also alleged that she was forced to convert to Islam.
May 12, 2014
India 2014 Elections: Violence in Meerut
Meerut area with no history of strife erupted over almost dry well
Saturday’s clash was the first communal violence Gudri Bazaar has ever seen. Tweet This
Written by Dipankar Ghose | Meerut | May 12, 2014
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/meerut-area-with-no-history-of-strife-erupted-over-almost-dry-well-2/
Saturday’s clash was the first communal violence Gudri Bazaar has ever seen. Tweet This
Written by Dipankar Ghose | Meerut | May 12, 2014
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/meerut-area-with-no-history-of-strife-erupted-over-almost-dry-well-2/
January 29, 2014
H.K. Vyas on Role of the RSS and Jana Sangh in Communal Riots - A publication of Communist Party of India -1969
This publication examines the role of the Right wing RSS and its political arm the Jana Sangh in inciting riots in Ranchi (1967), Srinagar (1967), Meerut, Aurangabad, Karimganj and other places
http://www.sacw.net/article7442.html
http://www.sacw.net/article7442.html
September 30, 2013
India - Meerut violence: Over 3,600 booked, BJP MLA Som's supporters give call for another panchayat
The Times of India
Meerut violence: Over 3,600 booked, BJP MLA Sangeet Som's supporters give call for another panchayat
Ashish Tripathi, TNN | Sep 30, 2013, 06.57 PM IST
BJP MLA Sangeet Singh Som's wife and brothers have been booked for violating prohibitory orders and organizing panchayat in Khera village.
LUCKNOW: The Meerut police on Monday lodged cases against 3,605 people including BJP MLA Sangeet Singh Som's wife and brothers for violating prohibitory orders and organizing panchayat in Khera village under Sardhana area on Sunday, which led to clashes between villagers and police, leaving over 20 people injured.
The situation continued to remain tense as defiant supporters of the BJP MLA from Sardhana gave call of holding another panchayat on October 10 if their demand to withdraw cases against villagers and to release Som were not met by then. Som has been arrested and booked under the National Security Act on charges of inciting recent communal riots in Muzaffarnagar in which 62 people were killed and over 50,000 displaced.
He allegedly gave provocative speeches as well as shared and circulated fake CD which triggered the riots.
Inspector general of police (law and order) RK Vishwakarma told reporters that total 10 FIRs have been lodged in connection with Sunday's violence in Meerut. People have been booked for rioting, damaging government vehicles, vandalism, attempt to murder and arson. While 106 people have been named in the FIRs, over 3,500 are unidentified.
So far, 27 people have been arrested. Those booked include Son's wife Preeti, brothers Sagar and Prem as well as personal assistant Chandrashekhar, who organised the panchayat. Sagar has also been taken into custody. Heavy police force has been deployed in the village after the clash to deal with any untoward incident.
However, the action has not been able to deter Som's supporters and BJP workers. The Sunday panchayat was fo 24 villages under Sardhana assembly constituency dominated by the Thakur caste. Now, according to reports, a panchayat of 84 villages has been called on October 10 in which all castes have been invited. Large number of women will also take part in the panchayat. Som's supporters also demanded arrest of politicians of other political parties accused in the case.
Over 20 politicians have been booked for inciting Muzaffarnagar riots. BJP MLA Suresh Rana has also been booked under the NSA. BSP MLA Noor Saleem Rana was arrested but was later granted bail. However, other accused including BJP MLA Bhartendu, BSP MP Kadir Rana, BSP MLA Maulana Jameel Ahmad and former Congress minister Saeed-uz-Zaman have not been arrested so far.
When asked about BJP state president Laxmikant Bajpayi 's allegation that one Maulana Nazir, who was also booked in connection with riots, but instead of arresting him, officials recently escorted him on a state aircraft for a meeting with chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Vishwakarma said he can't reply as he is not aware of the entire matter. Regarding allegations of selective arrests and targeting of BJP leaders, he said that every accused will be arrested soon.
Earlier, during the day, Bajpayi had released copies of FIR and alleged that Maulana Nazir, who has been booked for riots was brought along with other Muslim clerics to Lucknow on a state place for a meeting with chief minister and SP president.
Regarding the call to hold another panchayat on October 10, Vishwakarma said that the decision to allow or ban the event will be taken by the Meerut district administration depending on the circumstances. "As far as I know the policy of the government is not to allow any event which can escalate tension and cause violence," he said.
When asked that violence erupted in Meerut after district officials refused to take memorandum being given by the locals, Vishwakarma said that since the panchayat was banned by the administration, the visit of officials to take memorandum would have mistaken as legitimizing the gathering.
Meerut violence: Over 3,600 booked, BJP MLA Sangeet Som's supporters give call for another panchayat
Ashish Tripathi, TNN | Sep 30, 2013, 06.57 PM IST
BJP MLA Sangeet Singh Som's wife and brothers have been booked for violating prohibitory orders and organizing panchayat in Khera village.
LUCKNOW: The Meerut police on Monday lodged cases against 3,605 people including BJP MLA Sangeet Singh Som's wife and brothers for violating prohibitory orders and organizing panchayat in Khera village under Sardhana area on Sunday, which led to clashes between villagers and police, leaving over 20 people injured.
The situation continued to remain tense as defiant supporters of the BJP MLA from Sardhana gave call of holding another panchayat on October 10 if their demand to withdraw cases against villagers and to release Som were not met by then. Som has been arrested and booked under the National Security Act on charges of inciting recent communal riots in Muzaffarnagar in which 62 people were killed and over 50,000 displaced.
He allegedly gave provocative speeches as well as shared and circulated fake CD which triggered the riots.
Inspector general of police (law and order) RK Vishwakarma told reporters that total 10 FIRs have been lodged in connection with Sunday's violence in Meerut. People have been booked for rioting, damaging government vehicles, vandalism, attempt to murder and arson. While 106 people have been named in the FIRs, over 3,500 are unidentified.
So far, 27 people have been arrested. Those booked include Son's wife Preeti, brothers Sagar and Prem as well as personal assistant Chandrashekhar, who organised the panchayat. Sagar has also been taken into custody. Heavy police force has been deployed in the village after the clash to deal with any untoward incident.
However, the action has not been able to deter Som's supporters and BJP workers. The Sunday panchayat was fo 24 villages under Sardhana assembly constituency dominated by the Thakur caste. Now, according to reports, a panchayat of 84 villages has been called on October 10 in which all castes have been invited. Large number of women will also take part in the panchayat. Som's supporters also demanded arrest of politicians of other political parties accused in the case.
Over 20 politicians have been booked for inciting Muzaffarnagar riots. BJP MLA Suresh Rana has also been booked under the NSA. BSP MLA Noor Saleem Rana was arrested but was later granted bail. However, other accused including BJP MLA Bhartendu, BSP MP Kadir Rana, BSP MLA Maulana Jameel Ahmad and former Congress minister Saeed-uz-Zaman have not been arrested so far.
When asked about BJP state president Laxmikant Bajpayi 's allegation that one Maulana Nazir, who was also booked in connection with riots, but instead of arresting him, officials recently escorted him on a state aircraft for a meeting with chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Vishwakarma said he can't reply as he is not aware of the entire matter. Regarding allegations of selective arrests and targeting of BJP leaders, he said that every accused will be arrested soon.
Earlier, during the day, Bajpayi had released copies of FIR and alleged that Maulana Nazir, who has been booked for riots was brought along with other Muslim clerics to Lucknow on a state place for a meeting with chief minister and SP president.
Regarding the call to hold another panchayat on October 10, Vishwakarma said that the decision to allow or ban the event will be taken by the Meerut district administration depending on the circumstances. "As far as I know the policy of the government is not to allow any event which can escalate tension and cause violence," he said.
When asked that violence erupted in Meerut after district officials refused to take memorandum being given by the locals, Vishwakarma said that since the panchayat was banned by the administration, the visit of officials to take memorandum would have mistaken as legitimizing the gathering.
September 29, 2013
India: Meerut clashes - Mahapanchayat in Khera village in Meerut defying ban orders
Daily News and Analysis
Meerut clashes: Mulayam Singh Yadav blames BJP, RSS; assures action
Sunday, Sep 29, 2013, 21:29 IST | Place: Lucknow | Agency: PTI
At least 20 people, including security personnel, were on Sunday injured and a number of government vehicles damaged in a clash between villagers and police over holding a Mahapanchayat in Khera village in Meerut defying ban orders.
Taking a strong note of the clash in Meerut, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Sunday alleged that BJP and RSS were trying to orchestrate riots in the state, and assured that strict action will be taken against those responsible.
The former UP chief minister said that those responsible for the clashes will not be spared even if they are part of the administration.
"Whatever happened in Meerut is unfortunate... strict action will be taken by the government against those trying to vitiate communal atmosphere of the state. Those (officer) found lax or involved in it will face strict action," Yadav said while addressing function at a college here.
At least 20 people, including security personnel, were on Sunday injured and a number of government vehicles damaged in a clash between villagers and police over holding a Mahapanchayat in Khera village in Meerut defying ban orders.
The Mahapanchayat was called by BJP MLA Sangeet Som's brother Sagar Som against slapping of NSA on the MLA in connection with the Muzaffarnagar riots.
Alleging that communal forces are "becoming aggressive again", Yadav said that they will be taken care of by the government as his party always believed in secularism and curbed nefarious designs of such forces.
"The SP government did not give permission for '84 kosi yatra' to maintain law and order and to curb communal forces, which wanted to flare up the situation. BJP and RSS are trying to orchestrate riots in the state. We will firmly deal with them," he said.
On Muzaffarnagar riots, Yadav said that SP government was trying to ensure justice to the victims. [. . .]
FULL TEXT HERE: http://www.dnaindia.com/india/1895692/report-meerut-clashes-mulayam-singh-yadav-blames-bjp-rss-assures-action
Meerut clashes: Mulayam Singh Yadav blames BJP, RSS; assures action
Sunday, Sep 29, 2013, 21:29 IST | Place: Lucknow | Agency: PTI
At least 20 people, including security personnel, were on Sunday injured and a number of government vehicles damaged in a clash between villagers and police over holding a Mahapanchayat in Khera village in Meerut defying ban orders.
Taking a strong note of the clash in Meerut, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Sunday alleged that BJP and RSS were trying to orchestrate riots in the state, and assured that strict action will be taken against those responsible.
The former UP chief minister said that those responsible for the clashes will not be spared even if they are part of the administration.
"Whatever happened in Meerut is unfortunate... strict action will be taken by the government against those trying to vitiate communal atmosphere of the state. Those (officer) found lax or involved in it will face strict action," Yadav said while addressing function at a college here.
At least 20 people, including security personnel, were on Sunday injured and a number of government vehicles damaged in a clash between villagers and police over holding a Mahapanchayat in Khera village in Meerut defying ban orders.
The Mahapanchayat was called by BJP MLA Sangeet Som's brother Sagar Som against slapping of NSA on the MLA in connection with the Muzaffarnagar riots.
Alleging that communal forces are "becoming aggressive again", Yadav said that they will be taken care of by the government as his party always believed in secularism and curbed nefarious designs of such forces.
"The SP government did not give permission for '84 kosi yatra' to maintain law and order and to curb communal forces, which wanted to flare up the situation. BJP and RSS are trying to orchestrate riots in the state. We will firmly deal with them," he said.
On Muzaffarnagar riots, Yadav said that SP government was trying to ensure justice to the victims. [. . .]
FULL TEXT HERE: http://www.dnaindia.com/india/1895692/report-meerut-clashes-mulayam-singh-yadav-blames-bjp-rss-assures-action
September 11, 2013
India: After Muzaffarnagar, Sangh's narratives of victimhood, belligerence | Gen sec Meerut division of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and UP chief of Bajrang Dal speak
From: The Hindu
Meerut/Muzaffarnagar, September 11, 2013
Updated: September 11, 2013 04:29 IST
Where Sangh spins narratives of victimhood, belligerence
[by] Prashant Jha
PTI: Members of a riot victim’s family at Kakda, near Shahpur in Muzaffarnagar on Tuesday.
VHP leader sees conspiracy to ‘expand Muslim population, using Hindu girls as machines’
‘Love Jehad’ is the new technique, says a grave-looking Chandra Mohan Sharma. But it is a ‘difficult art’, picked only after ‘madrasa-conducted training.’
“First, good-looking Muslim men are identified. They are given neutral names like Sonu and Raju.” These boys, Mr. Sharma says, are then given jeans, t-shirts, mobiles, and bikes and taught to behave. “They stand in front of schools and colleges and woo young Hindu girls. The first few times, our girls snub them.” But then, he says resignedly, they fall for it. “This jehad is about pyar se fasana – entrapment through love.”
The bespectacled joint general-secretary of the Meerut division of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), ‘which covers all of western U.P.’, he points out with a wee bit of pride, is wearing a grey safari-suit. We are sitting in a small office next to the Khatauli railway station, off the main highway, in Muzaffarnagar district late on Tuesday afternoon.
Being the protector
“Look at police records. Out of 100 girls who elope, 95 are Hindus who go with Muslim men. It is rare that Hindu boys get Muslim girls.” This, the VHP leader says conclusively, is proof of a conspiracy to ‘expand Muslim population, using Hindu girls as machines. We need to protect the honour of our daughters, bahu aur beti’.
Ignore this as meaningless rant at your own peril, for Mr. Sharma was at the “mahapanchayat” on Saturday. The protection of ‘our women’ was the common theme in many speeches, as video recordings of the event, shown to The Hindu, reveal. There is now recognition that this event added to the agitational mood, added to the insecurity, and eventually led to clashes and violence.
“On August 27, a Muslim boy teased a Hindu girl,” Mr. Sharma resumes, “and that is the root of the tensions. Tell me, which brother can accept this?” While this is now a widely accepted version of the trigger for the violence, Muslim elders in Muzaffarnagar town dispute it and insist that it was motor-cycles colliding that provoked the initial fight between young men. The fight was later given a communal color.
Playing the victim
The patriarchal narrative, which dominates conversations with Hindu extremists across towns of western U.P, is then seamlessly linked to the narrative of victimhood.
A narrow alley off the Surajkund Road in Meerut leads up to the Bharat Mata Mandir. On the first floor lives Sudarshan, VHP’s regional organisation secretary. It is early morning. A plump man, he first reads the local editions of Dainik Jagran and Amar Ujala, puts up news clippings on his Facebook page, brushes his beard with a comb after a bath, and then turns to have a conversation.
“At each instance, this government has batted for Muslims. In the first FIR, why were parents of the Hindu boys who were killed named as culprits? They were not even present. Our simple demands were unheard,” he says.
Mr. Sudarshan insinuates that when Muslims ‘first attacked’ Hindus after the panchayat, the latter had sought police protection but were rebuffed. He reels off six incidents from the neighbouring Shamli district, where he alleged that a Muslim police official was ‘partial.’ “He even said he was a Muslim first and an IPS later. The government – led by Azam Khan – patronises such people.”
Balraj Singh, Bajrang Dal’s U.P. chief, says there is a ‘deeper conspiracy.’
“Like in Kashmir, Muslims want to take over the State. They want to take over Hindu property, and Hindu women through love jehad,” he says.
With the State government asserting that Hindu extremists had circulated a fake video to depict the August 27 incident in order to inflame Hindu passions, Mr. Singh turns it around. “Muslims had circulated it because they wanted to spread panic, fear, so that like Kashmiri Pandits, we would leave our homes.”
POLITICS OF AGGRESSION
Mr. Sudarshan says that what happened after the mahapanchayat “was a Godhra.” “And what has happened after that is the reaction on the lines of post-Godhra in Gujarat. Hindus did not sit back.” The Bajrang Dal leader, who has traces of a red tika on his forehead, then says, “Victory will be ours. The Sangh’s work is to unite Hindus, to protect our temples, women, cows, Ganga, our religion.”
Reminiscent of Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s speech in Goa in 2002, soon after the Gujarat riots, where the then Prime Minister had said Muslims tend ‘not to live in coexistence with others,’ Mr. Singh said, “If out of 10 people, I have fights with eight, the problem is with me. Why is it that Muslims fight with Jats, Gujjars, Dalits, Brahmans, Thakurs, and Kuswahas? Why can’t they live in peace?”
But it is here, with the reference to castes, that the politics behind the riots slowly reveals itself.
One Sangh activist, who insisted on being anonymous, told The Hindu, “For the first time, Jats and Muslims are fighting each other. This is a great achievement. Jats have begun thinking like Hindus first. If more Hindu castes fight with Muslims, it will be better for us. BJP will benefit.” Muslims, this activist added, needed to be ‘taught a lesson, for they thought they ruled U.P. under Mulayam.’
Mr. Singh offers a candid take. ‘To save your caste, you have to save your religion first. This message has gone out. This has happened for the first time in many years.”
But while the broader Sangh Parivar is keen to project itself as the protector of Hindus in general, and Jats in particular, against Muslims, they are ambivalent about taking full credit, perhaps in a bid to escape culpability.
Mr. Sharma in Khatauli says, “It is natural that we are involved since we talk about Hindu rights. But the Sangh does not have shakhas in all villages in the district; our organisation is weak. This is a spontaneous upsurge.” Other political leaders, however, rubbish the suggestion that over a lakh could congregate for a meeting without organisational support.
Meerut/Muzaffarnagar, September 11, 2013
Updated: September 11, 2013 04:29 IST
Where Sangh spins narratives of victimhood, belligerence
[by] Prashant Jha
PTI: Members of a riot victim’s family at Kakda, near Shahpur in Muzaffarnagar on Tuesday.
VHP leader sees conspiracy to ‘expand Muslim population, using Hindu girls as machines’
‘Love Jehad’ is the new technique, says a grave-looking Chandra Mohan Sharma. But it is a ‘difficult art’, picked only after ‘madrasa-conducted training.’
“First, good-looking Muslim men are identified. They are given neutral names like Sonu and Raju.” These boys, Mr. Sharma says, are then given jeans, t-shirts, mobiles, and bikes and taught to behave. “They stand in front of schools and colleges and woo young Hindu girls. The first few times, our girls snub them.” But then, he says resignedly, they fall for it. “This jehad is about pyar se fasana – entrapment through love.”
The bespectacled joint general-secretary of the Meerut division of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), ‘which covers all of western U.P.’, he points out with a wee bit of pride, is wearing a grey safari-suit. We are sitting in a small office next to the Khatauli railway station, off the main highway, in Muzaffarnagar district late on Tuesday afternoon.
Being the protector
“Look at police records. Out of 100 girls who elope, 95 are Hindus who go with Muslim men. It is rare that Hindu boys get Muslim girls.” This, the VHP leader says conclusively, is proof of a conspiracy to ‘expand Muslim population, using Hindu girls as machines. We need to protect the honour of our daughters, bahu aur beti’.
Ignore this as meaningless rant at your own peril, for Mr. Sharma was at the “mahapanchayat” on Saturday. The protection of ‘our women’ was the common theme in many speeches, as video recordings of the event, shown to The Hindu, reveal. There is now recognition that this event added to the agitational mood, added to the insecurity, and eventually led to clashes and violence.
“On August 27, a Muslim boy teased a Hindu girl,” Mr. Sharma resumes, “and that is the root of the tensions. Tell me, which brother can accept this?” While this is now a widely accepted version of the trigger for the violence, Muslim elders in Muzaffarnagar town dispute it and insist that it was motor-cycles colliding that provoked the initial fight between young men. The fight was later given a communal color.
Playing the victim
The patriarchal narrative, which dominates conversations with Hindu extremists across towns of western U.P, is then seamlessly linked to the narrative of victimhood.
A narrow alley off the Surajkund Road in Meerut leads up to the Bharat Mata Mandir. On the first floor lives Sudarshan, VHP’s regional organisation secretary. It is early morning. A plump man, he first reads the local editions of Dainik Jagran and Amar Ujala, puts up news clippings on his Facebook page, brushes his beard with a comb after a bath, and then turns to have a conversation.
“At each instance, this government has batted for Muslims. In the first FIR, why were parents of the Hindu boys who were killed named as culprits? They were not even present. Our simple demands were unheard,” he says.
Mr. Sudarshan insinuates that when Muslims ‘first attacked’ Hindus after the panchayat, the latter had sought police protection but were rebuffed. He reels off six incidents from the neighbouring Shamli district, where he alleged that a Muslim police official was ‘partial.’ “He even said he was a Muslim first and an IPS later. The government – led by Azam Khan – patronises such people.”
Balraj Singh, Bajrang Dal’s U.P. chief, says there is a ‘deeper conspiracy.’
“Like in Kashmir, Muslims want to take over the State. They want to take over Hindu property, and Hindu women through love jehad,” he says.
With the State government asserting that Hindu extremists had circulated a fake video to depict the August 27 incident in order to inflame Hindu passions, Mr. Singh turns it around. “Muslims had circulated it because they wanted to spread panic, fear, so that like Kashmiri Pandits, we would leave our homes.”
POLITICS OF AGGRESSION
Mr. Sudarshan says that what happened after the mahapanchayat “was a Godhra.” “And what has happened after that is the reaction on the lines of post-Godhra in Gujarat. Hindus did not sit back.” The Bajrang Dal leader, who has traces of a red tika on his forehead, then says, “Victory will be ours. The Sangh’s work is to unite Hindus, to protect our temples, women, cows, Ganga, our religion.”
Reminiscent of Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s speech in Goa in 2002, soon after the Gujarat riots, where the then Prime Minister had said Muslims tend ‘not to live in coexistence with others,’ Mr. Singh said, “If out of 10 people, I have fights with eight, the problem is with me. Why is it that Muslims fight with Jats, Gujjars, Dalits, Brahmans, Thakurs, and Kuswahas? Why can’t they live in peace?”
But it is here, with the reference to castes, that the politics behind the riots slowly reveals itself.
One Sangh activist, who insisted on being anonymous, told The Hindu, “For the first time, Jats and Muslims are fighting each other. This is a great achievement. Jats have begun thinking like Hindus first. If more Hindu castes fight with Muslims, it will be better for us. BJP will benefit.” Muslims, this activist added, needed to be ‘taught a lesson, for they thought they ruled U.P. under Mulayam.’
Mr. Singh offers a candid take. ‘To save your caste, you have to save your religion first. This message has gone out. This has happened for the first time in many years.”
But while the broader Sangh Parivar is keen to project itself as the protector of Hindus in general, and Jats in particular, against Muslims, they are ambivalent about taking full credit, perhaps in a bid to escape culpability.
Mr. Sharma in Khatauli says, “It is natural that we are involved since we talk about Hindu rights. But the Sangh does not have shakhas in all villages in the district; our organisation is weak. This is a spontaneous upsurge.” Other political leaders, however, rubbish the suggestion that over a lakh could congregate for a meeting without organisational support.
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