By TCN News,
New Delhi: In a move to pressurize the UP government to release members of the Muslim community arrested after police-villagers clash in Moradabad district earlier this month and to stop the continuous harassment of the villagers, several Muslim organizations have planned to launch a movement if arrested people are not released before the month of Ramazan which is about to begin after few days.
“If government does not initiate to release the villagers before Ramazan, we will organize gatherings at several places in Moradabad and adjoining districts where people will break their fast with only water as a protest against the arrest and ongoing harassment and later we will submit memorandum to the district officials” said Advocate Shahnawaz Warsi, national secretary of Muslim Students Organization of India (MSO) while talking to TCN on phone.
Terrified Muslims of riot-hit village sitting to listen to Peace Party delegation
Giving information about the next step he said: “If within three days our demands are not met, we will start iftar in front of district headquarters of Moradabad until government heeds our demands.”
He said that initially the All India Ulema Mashaikh Board, All India Jam’at Raza-e-Mustafa, Raza Academy and MSO have outlined the program but the efforts to involve other local and national organizations are on.
A committee of legal experts has also been formed to intensify the efforts for the release of the villagers as soon as possible. They are meeting with police officials to solve the matter peacefully.
According to Advocate Warsi, Police not only arrested those who were protesting but also boys who are below 15 years and were coming from schools and also elderly persons who were in their homes, shops and farms.
He said that the incident was result of carelessness shown by police. “The incident could have been prevented if police had acted before the incident took ugly tern. But nothing was done by administration even several hours after the incident,” he alleged.
“Though several days have passed since the incident, fear is still prevailing in the village. Only women and children are left there and hardly any man is seen there as a large number of them have been put behind the bar and there is news that some more will be arrested” added Warsi who visited the affected village on 27th July.
The violence erupted on 6th July when police allegedly desecrated Holy Quran and misbehaved with women while conducting a raid at the house of an accused in village Asalat Nagar Bagha of Moradabad. As soon as the news of the desecration of Holy Quran spread villagers got angry. They blocked the Moradabad-Sambhal road to protest against the police immoral acts which led to clash between police and villagers. As a result people of both sides were injured and some police vehicles were torched. Then police arrested people who were present at the time of incident irrespective of their non involvement in it. Besides, policemen reached every house, broke the doors and thrashed brutally anyone who was present. Adjoining villages as Gurer, Asadpur, Lalwara, Rasoolpur, Hameer, Fatehpur Khas and Malookpur also became target of the security forces. After the unfortunate night, next morning on 7th July villagers fled from their houses. Many have not yet returned.