Blame game ensues after communal riot in the run up to the Bihar assembly elections later in 2015
By Mudassir Rizwan, TwoCircles.net,
Muzaffarpur/Patna: Even as several NGOs and local people are coming forward to support Azizpur villagers – stitching their lives together after communal riots 15 days ago – the incident has come as a ready handle for all the political parties.
Bihar assembly elections are at least 10 months away but the riots in Muzaffarpur district has meant that blame game has ensued in its aftermath. It started with political one-upmanship when the village saw a bevy of political leaders visiting the victims and survivors.
If Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi went there, RJD president Lalu Prasad didn’t leave it to others from his party and went himself. Not to be left behind, former Chief Minister and senior JD (U) leader Nitish Kumar went there only to claim “conspiracy” behind the Sunday arson.
“There appears to be a well-thought out big conspiracy behind the Azizpur incident, which we would enquire and inform the people,” Kumar told reporters after meeting victims of Azizpur. But he did not name anybody.
Nitish Kumar, former CM of Bihar
At least 14 people have been arrested in connection with the clashes between two communities that saw four people burnt to death and about 56-odd houses torched. The incident took place on Sunday, January 18 in the minority community dominated Azizpur Bahilwara village. The trigger was recovery of the body of Bhartendu Sahni, 20, (from Mallah, fisherman community) allegedly abducted and killed for his love affair. He had been missing for 10 days before it. An FIR was registered Monday, January 19 against 12 named and 2,000 unidentified people, who were part of the mob that attacked the villagers.
Kumar also visited the home of Bhartendu, whose death sparked the violence in the village. During his visit to the villages and affected areas, he spoke to the chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh, police chief P K Thakur and Muzaffarpur administration besides JD (U) workers of both communities.
Lalu Prasad Yadav along with Raghuvansh Prasad Singh in Muzaffarpur village after communal riot
The BJP squarely blamed the state government for the communal riots and demanded Rs 10 lakh compensation to the families of the victims. “We also demand a judicial inquiry into the cause of riots as well as into police inaction that led to escalation of the situation,” former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi said.
Meanwhile, several NGO’s and local people have poured help for Azizpur village people – money, clothes, utensils and other things of daily usage.
Relief from Edara -e- Sharia Bihar, Jharkhand & Orissa
A 20-member team of BPCC Minority visited Azizpur village on January 23 under chairman Minnat Rahmani’s leadership. They met family members of all those who were affected in the communal clash. The main point out of discussion that came out was “police and how they came so many hours late?”
“The villagers told us, the attackers came in thousands with arms, lathis and bamboos. It clearly means that everything was planned. First they threw out families, looted and then they torched their houses. This went on for at least four hours. Where were the police all this while? We want an enquiry in this regard,” Rahmani said.
Minnat Rahmani along with minority team
“The government must inquiry call records of local police, Bhartendu’s family and of those suspected by police as soon as possible, so we can know the truth if this was because of the boy’s murder or it was a result of ‘Bhagwa maoist kand’,” he claimed.
He further demanded the state government to increase compensation amount for the families of the dead to Rs 20 lakh each and Rs 15 lakh to each of those who lost everything after their houses were burnt.
Later, Imarat Sharia relief team too visited Azizpur. Mufti Sanaul Hoda Qasmi of Imarat Shariah said: “We brought blankets, saris, utensils set for free distribution here. We have also decided two things: one, help those families who lost everything during root and riot and now need help for getting their daughters married. Second, help women, who lost their husbands in riot by providing monthly help from Imarat Sharia.”
Relief from Imarat Shariah, Phulwari Sharif, Patna
Nazim Imarat Sharia Maulana Anisur Rahman Qasmi has agreed to help these needy, he said, adding, “We have decided to give all possible help. There are 76 families in the list we made. We are offering immediate help of Rs 1000 per head and local people also helping from Muzaffarpur and other places.”
“I also met with Kamal Sahni, father of Bhartendu, who was murdered. He is in lot of pain due to his son’s death. He also said he was sad for Shamim, Altaf and others who died during the clash. Sahni wondered why for a village which had no Hindu-Muslim problem, they faced communal problem,” Qasmi added.
Rioters rampaged across village, looting, indulging in arson and generally destroying whatever came their way. Unheard of in a communal clash, this time round, they pulled out or destroyed even tube wells.
Tanveer Hasan (RJD) and Mufti Sanaul Hoda Qasmi of Imarat Shariah
Qasmi further said the boy went missing on January 9 and a complaint regarding it was lodged on January 11. “Had the police taken any action then itself, if they had done something, this tragic incident could have been avoided. Police is responsible for all this. People were spreading that it was Imam of the local mosque who was involved in the boy’s kidnapping, moreover, boy’s body was found near the mosque. But that is not true. All this happened because of gross misunderstanding about it,” Qasmi added.
Anwarul Hoda, secretary PR of Jamiat Ulema Hind (Bihar) appealed the state government to make special fast track court inquiry and give justice to the victims. Jamiat Bihar also demanded arrest of the mastermind and also alleged “weakness of local police” as a possible reason for the untoward incident. Jamiat also demanded that government should help rebuild all the houses burnt down by the mob.
Fifteen days after the communal cyclone is over and situation returned to almost normalcy, on the one hand, villagers are rebuilding their lives with the help of NGOs and socio-religious organizations, and on the other hand, the administration and the police are setting their house in order.
As per a report Muzaffarpur senior superintendent of police Ranjit Kumar Mishra has suspended five police officials, including the Saraiya police station chief. Chief Minister Manjhi too has already issued a directive for the immediate arrest and speedy trial of culprits involved in the incident and disciplinary action against errant police officials.
People in Muzaffarpur and also in other parts live with fingers crossed. The blame game and political one-upmanship has just begun. Assembly elections are far away.
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Untold stories from Muzaffarpur