By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: A report by People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has held growing influence of BJP and right wing Hindutva groups over police and administration; and nexus between police , politicians and criminals as the ‘chief factors’ contributing to the recent communal tension in Vadodara.
The PUCL report titled “Fuelling enmities, continuing impunity: Fact-finding into the violence in Vadodara, September 2014” also noted the ascendance of powerful builder lobbies and the related issues around land and attempts to displace people from poor bastis as another main factor that led to the communal riot during Navratir festivals.
Tuition Class ransacked by mob for uploading controversial morphed Photograph on 25th
Disturbed Areas Act was imposed in sensitive areas of Vadodara. As per this act people cannot sell their property in those areas to person from other community without the permission of the Deputy Collector. The notification was ending on 30 September 2014. It is said that to get extension in the implementation of this act was also one of the reason for Vadodara riots. The notification was extended up to 2019 on 30th September 2014.
Communal violence once again engulfed the city of Vadodara from 25 September to 30 September 2014. The city, hardly new to communal unrest, witnessed what was surely its most “schizophrenic moment,” as the walled or old city neighborhoods were engulfed by violence, while the rest of the city continued dancing unfazed to the tunes of garba in the Navratri season. The immediate trigger for the recent round of violence in Vadodara was controversial and provocative images being uploaded on social media messaging platforms like, Whatsapp and Facebook on 25 September 2014.
Kulsumbibi aged 50 years bitten by police in her home at 2.15am who did not complaint up to 3 days due to fear and did go to even hospital for 3 days.
But as crime data shows this was in no way a sudden eruption of communal tension in the city. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data there were 151 incidents of riots during the year 2013 in Vadodara where the rate is 5.1 (number of riot per 1, 00,000 populations), is more than Ahmedabad, Surat and Rajkot. All these incidents include clashes of all kinds in which more than 4 people are involved.
‘Repeat of 2002’:
As per the complaint received by human rights activists, the minority community is suffering from an added violence i.e. brutal violence by police. Many a time plainclothes police also known as D staff whose movements are not recorded officially, have entered the Muslim dominated neighborhoods after midnight and arrested young boys indiscriminately. There are reports of police abusing verbally and physically assaulting women in very similar pattern as witnessed during the 2002 riots.
Broken doors of Ashianabano’s Home
“Not only this incident but also growing incidents of communal violence and the apathetic role of police and administration is evident in the case of a communal clash in Ahmedabad in which one youth died on Eid ul Zuha eve and other parts of Gujarat,” the PUCL report noted.
The growing influence of right wing Hindu groups who have taken to aggressive posturing, influencing and infiltrating police and administration ranks are actively creating an environment that is detrimental to communal harmony and peace, it added.
Ashianabano’s injury after 5 days.
Related:
Uneasy calm in Vadodara after days of communal riots, 140 arrested, locals accuse police of bias
Some example of unprovocated violence by police on vehicles.
