By TCN News
Lucknow: In the wake of the terrible communal violence in Muzaffarnagar and the resultant polarisation not only in Western Uttar Pradesh but in many parts of North India, the CPI(M) State Committee decided to hold a series of Conventions for Communal Harmony in as many districts as possible. Conventions have been organised in Khanpur, Bulandshahr (7th December), Muzaffarnagar (8th December) and Jalalabad, Bijnor (9th December).
More than 500 people attended the convention in Bulandshahr which was presided over by Comrade Chand, Chairman, Khanpur. The Convention was addressed by Com. Surinder Singh (CITU), Com. DP Singh (Member, State Sectt., CPIM) and Com. Subhashini Ali. In Muzaffarnagar, more than 200 people attended the convention which was inaugurated by Jagmati Sangwan, General Secretary AIDWA. She spoke about the condition of women in rural Haryana and Western UP which are characterized by a very adverse sex ratio, seclusion and violence encouraged and perpetrated by extremely patriarchal, casteist and communal social structures like Khap Panchayats. She condemned the efforts of the Hindutva forces in communalising the issue of violence against women and the constant harassment that young women and girls have to face and said that this is actually depriving women of both communities of their rights and making them more vulnerable to violence. Veteran communist leaders, Haji Iqbal and Shri Dhir Singh Shastri jointly presided while the Dsst. Secy. of the CPIM, Shyam Veer Rathi conducted the proceedings. Mehboob Khan and Ajmalur Rahman who are prominent organisers of the camps for displaced Muslim families spoke of the sufferings of the homeless and the extremely unsympathetic attitude of the State Govt. and the administration which is more interested in driving people away from the camps than in taking care of their minimum requirements. Shri Amreesh Kumar, an active proponent of secular causes from Hardwar attended the Convention with his supporters and also spoke. DP Singh and Subhashini Ali also addressed the Convention.
In Jalalabad, Bijnor more than 400 people attended the Convention which was addressed by Com. Rampal Singh, Dsst. Secy. CPIM, DP Singh and Subhashini Ali. In all the Conventions, DP Singh and Subhashini Ali spoke of the machinations by the Hindutva forces that have been concentrating in Western UP for the last six months and have been deliberately whipping up tension and clashes over minor incidents involving members of the two communities. This has been done keeping the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in mind. The BJP decision to project Narendra Modi as its Prime Ministerial candidate and to send Amit Shah to oversee its election preparations and campaign in the state have given a tremendous impetus to this campaign of communal polarisation. The highly emotive issue of Muslim boys either befriending or harassing Hindu girls has been used to inflame passions in a very effective and extremely ugly way. Most unfortunately, the State Govt. has completely failed to deal with the situation. Some minority leaders also behaved in an irresponsible manner and this administrative failure and political opportunism was exploited to the hilt by the Hindutva forces which succeeded in provoking the terrible attacks on Muslim homes and families on the 8th September. The need of the hour was to ensure that these events were not repeated. It was now necessary to reach out to people in towns and villlages – the vast majority of which had remained completely peaceful in spite of provocations and incitement by the Hindutva forces – and restore unity and amity. The violence had taken a terrible toll not only of those rendered homeless and those who had seen their family members brutally killed and assaulted, but of ordinary working and trades people. The peasantry, specially cane growers, had been the worst sufferers. The struggles of the cane growers of Muzaffarnagar which were the outcome of the unity of Hindu and Muslim peasants benefitted their fellow cane growers all over the State. Today, the communal divide had rendered them ineffective and all over the State cane-growers are being denied fair prices and clearance of their dues. Some of them have been forced to commit suicide.
Encouraged by the response from the three conventions, CPIM will continue in its efforts to build solidarity between communities.