COMMUNAL VIOLENCE
Mohurram Riots, Calcutta, May 1996
The Sunday Report by Arindam Sarkar
On the evening of 30 May, the tension was palpable. Two people had been killed and several others injured in encounters between the police and the locals of the port area of the city. The colorful taziyas of Muharram - which had been celebrated the previous day stood still on the deserted roads of Khidderpore, Ekbalpore and the Garden Reach area where every shop had downed its shutter and life had come to a virtual standstill. The few who were walking the streets of this predominantly Muslim belt were doing so with their hands held high above their heads. A round-the-clock vigil was being maintained by Calcutta Police and the Rapid Action Force (RAF) positioned in this sensitive zone.
The situation had deteriorated so much by then that the Left Front Government had imposed Section 144 in the disturbed areas. The army was called in and curfew imposed.
Trouble began on 29 May, when the Muharram processionists of the number eight Akhara moving along Bhukailash Road found it blocked by the inhabitants of dompatti a Hindu dominated belt and the cops. The processionists were asked to make a detour as they apparently, did not have the permission to use that particular stretch of road.
The heated argument that followed, soon took an ugly turn as clashes broke out between the domes and the Muharram revelers. Says Mohammad Ifran Khan, the Khalifa of number seven Akhara, "The problem started only after the officer-in-charge of the Ekbalpore Police Station refused the Khalifa of number eight Akhara, Raju Salim, permission to move the Muharram procession through dompatti. But things wouldn't have gone out of hand if the doms had not reacted so violently. They started attacking us from the rooftops, hurling missiles and brickbats."
In the ensuing chaos, the taziya and Imambara of the number eight Akhara were destroyed by the doms. Police reinforcements were rushed in and several senior police officers visited the spot to negotiate with religious leaders and the processionists. But things did not improve.
Things took a violent turn again on 30 May. As news of the skirmish spread and it became known that a taziya had been stopped and damaged by the doms, locals in the port area set up roadblocks and then went on the rampage. Several passing vehicles were attacked and later in the afternoon, the mob targeted the Ekbalpore Police Station. The police then resorted to firing.
Even as senior police officials negotiated. policemen from the Alipore Bodyguard Lines went on the offensive. Several innocent passers-by, journalists and photographers were roughed up and some articles of worship and a few taziyas were also damaged.
"The high-handedness of the local police and the actions of the doms have been largely responsible for the present impasse," said deputy commissioner of police (Port) Raj Kanoria on the evening of the 30th. But the Muslims in the area were adamant that the matter could not be resolved unless the following demands were accepted by the state administration.
The eight doms accused of triggering trouble be punished.
The road along dompatti be opened to allow the movement of taziyas.
Local Muslims taken into custody be released.
No political interference in the matter be allowed.
Fresh violence broke out on 31 May. Tension gripped the disturbed area as one person was killed in police firing while two others succumbed to their injuries sustained the previous day.
This is not the first time that clashes have broken out between the local Muslims and the doms of the area. Only a couple of months back, there was a dispute over the right to use a water tap off Bhukailash Road. Despite this undercurrent of tension, the state administration chose not to take any special precautions before Muharram... If the undercurrent of tension between the two communities remains, there is no saying what the future has in store for the port area in Calcutta.
(Source: The Sunday, Calcutta)
The Hindustan Times
Report by Maloy Krishna Dhar
Calcutta was benumbed by a prolonged bout of communal riots claiming five lives on and after the days of the Tazia procession; heralding the tenth day of the month of Moharram.
These riots when analyzed, burst the bubbles of the "communal-hatred theory".
Till last year, the Muslims of Hussain Shah, Bhukailash Mayurbhanj Road localities used to take out small Tazias, not recognised as regular akharas. This year, certain elements known to be close to the local INC, MLA, Ram Pyare Ram had applied to the local police and even filed an affidavit, requesting permission to take out a Tazia procession and the requested route included the tension-prone Dompada. The police, it is alleged, did not bother to call a coordination meeting of the concerned parties; a customary ritual... Perhaps that's what brought about the trouble.
On the given day, when the processionists tried to proceed towards Dompada, it is alleged, the police led by Officer-in-Charge Shashanka De and SI Deboshree Chatterjee stopped them. From that point, the events were" hijacked by persons with criminal background and those close to a LF minister. In the ensuing clashes and lingering troubles, five people lost their lives.
Political rivalry between the INC on the one hand and FB and CPM on the other, have resulted in many. feuds in the past. The LF has dominated this Muslim pocket for a long time. In 1991 elections, the FB minister had defeated his nearest INC rival by a margin of 1,351 votes. In 1996 elections, the minister, sensing a rout had shifted to another constituency, but ensured a ticket for his son; who was defeated by the INC candidate Ram Pyare Ram by 31,972 votes. The emergence of Ram as a champion of the Muslims, acted as the proverbial last straw. Rivalry between two upcountry leaders, Ram from Azamgarh and the minister from Gaya, have polarized the non-Bengali labour population on ideological lines. The
CPM was also not a silent spectator. They wanted this FB citadel to fall into their lap. The minister could hardly digest the humiliating electoral defeat of his son. The heretic voters deserved punishment.
Another important factor, which got drowned in the din was the role played by the land mafia, builders and bootleggers. The Officer-in-Charge had earned the appreciation of the local people for stopping several illegal constructions and putting behind bars notorious bootleggers. These mafia lords had been demanding the transfer of Shashanka De even before the Assembly polls.
The continuation of the riots for several days in a pocket next to the Writers Building, speaks volumes about police, administrative and political failures. The Calcutta Police has a laid down drill for tackling such communal incidents. On ground, during the clashes they were ineffective and RAF and Army were called.
The police had shamefully attacked Muslim houses in Sudhir Bose Road. These allegations against a section of police personnel require proper investigation.
Buddhadev Bhattacharya has admitted failure of his police force, but failed to mention failures and acts of commission and omission of the political forces. His personal track record in handling delicate communal situations is rather dusty. Soon after the demolition of the Babari Masjid, Calcutta had exploded in a; communal orgy. Bhattacharya, then also in charge of law and order, dithered inordinately, allowing destruction of lives and properties. Calcutta had become as sore as Surat, Kanpur and Bombay. An analysis clearly indicates that though the Calcutta riots were triggered off by the symbolical Tazia incident, the real causes were different, and can be traced to the doors of the politicians and mafia.
(Source: The Hindustan Times, 9 June, 1996)
Religion binds but also divides people bitterly. We have seen this from the Pakistani experience. All this talk of Islamic fraternity is pointless.
-Abdul Jabbar Khan, Jt. Secretary, Stranded Pakistani General Repatriation Committee in Bangladesh
The RSS Version in the Organiser
The police had granted permission for 13 tazia processions and also fixed their routes. But on May 29, by the police, was taken out and its organisers insisted on the Moharram day, a new tazia procession, not approved going through the Dom Patti, a bustee of Hindu doms their demand for passage on the grounds that the between two Muslim-dominated belts... They persisted in normal route via Hussain Shah Road was too long to join the main procession at Ekbalpore railway crossing. The real intention behind the demand was to teach a lesson procession after the formation of the BJP Government at to the Dom Patti Hindus who had taken out a victory the Centre.
It led to friction. Stones and bombs appeared from nowhere. As a result, many people were injured. Senior police officers tried to persuade the processionists to change their route. But the processionists were adamant. on the morning of May 30, the police categorically declared that the tazia procession would not be allowed to go through the Dom Patti area. Hearing this announcement the Muslim mob was infuriated and attacked the police. Muslims came out on the streets and started damaging public vehicles and looting the people. They blocked the Garden Reach, Matiaburj and Diamond Harbor Roads.
In the afternoon an armed mob of over 2000 attacked the Ekbalpore Police Station with bombs, swords, stones and soda water bottles. They damaged the vehicles at the police station. The armed mob also attacked the Rapid Action Force. The police fired 100 rounds in self- protection which unfortunately claimed lives and injured 30, some of whom are reported to be serious.
Angered by the attack about 150 policemen in plain clothes but wearing helmets started attacking the people and public vehicles.
The policemen attacked even press-persons and lensmen. It had to be the Army to push back the policemen-turned-criminals to the barracks in the evening.
There is a common belief in the area that the whole episode was organized by Shams to take revenge for the defeat (of his son in the last Assembly election).
(Source: The Organizer, 16 June, 1996)
Nehru on Kashmir 7 August, 1951
We do not wish to win the people against their will with the help of armed forces; and if the people of Kashmir wish to part company with us, they may go their way and we should go ours. We want no forced marriages, no forced unions.
Shahabuddin's Correspondence with West Bengal Minister of Police
I-Shahabuddin's Letter of 5 June, 1996.
On detailed enquiry, I have come to the conclusion that the violent disturbances in a part of Calcutta on 10 Muharram corresponding to 29th May, 1996 owe their origin to police complacency. The police did not give due and prompt consideration to the written request for the passage of the Muharram procession which it had received in time. Neither did it a positive or a negative response. The appropriate thing, in case there was any objection by any section of the residents on the route requested, it was for the police to sort it out through negotiations ahead of time. That was a blatant failure on the part of the local police.
Secondly, subsequent to the police firing in which five persons lost their life. Muslim youths pelted stones at the Ekbalpore Thana. The over-reactions by the police who came out of the nearby barracks and ravaged an entire 'basti' reflects a communal attitude which should not be permissible under your Government.
I feel that the entire episode needs to be inquired into by a sitting or a retired Judge of the High Court so that the ground-rules for fixing the routes and timing of the traditional religious processions of any religious group should be well laid out to avoid any sucn confrontation among different sections of the people and between the police and the people and consequent loss of life and property in the future.
II - Reply of Minister of Police,
Government of West Bengal, 24 June, 1996
I am in receipt of your letter dated 5 June, 1996. A reading of your letter unfortunately indicates that you have not been posted with the correct facts, although these have been widely reported in some sections of the 2. media. This entire incident was also discussed threadbare on the floor of the State Assembly, recently.
Our Government has a glowing tradition and a record of communal harmony which is worthy of emulation. The comments made in the last paragraph of your letter do not make any sense as the procedures and traditions for processions by religious groups are clearly defined in our State and there are no discordant notes in this regard.
The police had quite rightly refused passage of the Muharram procession as they had sought to deviate from the traditional route. In accordance with our policy with regard to religious processions, I am inclined to observe that the police acted most appropriately.
While negotiations had continued for almost 18 hours, a mob suddenly mounted a premeditated and murderous attack on the Ekbalpur P.S., armed with bombs and deadly weapons. Any Government has to stand firm in the face of such attempts to disrupt the Rule of Law. It is always painful where there is loss of life, but the police had no other option but to act as they did.
In a separate incident elsewhere some policemen did react to a violent attack on their barracks, but there was no premeditation by them. It is a travesty of the truth to say that the police came out of their barracks and ravaged the entire 'basti". Distortion of facts does not help matters.
The aspersions which you seek to cast on the State Police, is, to my mind, totally unfair and unwarranted and there is also absolutely no need to institute a Judicial Inquiry.
III-Shahabuddin's Reply to West Bengal
Minister of Police, 3 July, 1996
I thank you for your letter of 24 June, 1996 regarding the recent riots in Calcutta.
I have not questioned the glowing traditions of your Government. I have always cited West Bengal as relatively a heaven of communal peace. That is why the recent incident comes as a shock. However, I can see no reason why your government should refuse to hold at judicial inquiry. I hold that whenever human life is lost. which as Buddha said. Cannot be restored, in any social conflict or in any confrontation between the people and the government, the event must be looked in depth.
In your letter, you have not cared to reply to the question of facts I had mentioned:
1. Whether the organisers had asked for permission for passage of Akhara in advance in writing without any response from the police authorities.
2. Whether one Akhara was allowed on 7 Muharram without any resistance by the people of the locality or the police.
You have also tried to justify police action on both occasions, as a typical police minister. There are conflicting versions, you so admit the police reaction but you do not mention the quantum of damage in life, limb and property as a result of this reaction.
Unfortunately the impression your letter creates is one of lack of sensitivity and transparency.
As a friend and well-wisher, I am again urge you to institute an inquiry into both the incidents and to take action both against the anti-social elements and the members of the police force which were involved and brought a bad name to your state and government.
