People's Democracy

CPI(M) MP TEAM’S FINDINGS

AFTER touring the riot hit Malegaon district in Maharashtra, the two member delegation of CPI(M) M.P.’s – Hannan Mollah and Nilotpal Basu concluded that the violence was a result of a general communal buildup essentially by the Hindutva forces with an eye on the forthcoming local bodies polls. They have also found the police role highly provocative and indiscriminate.

The two M.P.’s visited Malegaon on November 6 and met the victims belonging to both communities, spoke to the police and district administration to find out what exactly happened.

With municipal and Panchayat bodies elections set to take place shortly, the Shiv Sena has been concentrating on stoking communal passions in Malegaon district. As part of this campaign the Shiv Sena conducted its notorious Maha Aarthis’s and its leader Udhav Thackeray visited Malegaon and addressed meetings. The BJP leader Janta Raja, a disciple of Shiv Sena leader Ananth Geete whose recent death in a hospital led to vandalism , was also actively involved in this effort.

The team felt that another contributing factor to the communal build up was the political rivalry between Nihal Ahmed, Janata Dal leader who was a six time MLA from this constituency and Congress leader Sheikh Rashid who defeated him in the last elections.

Nihal Ahmed played a very sectarian role and tried to cash in on the US attacks on Afghanistan.

After meeting many of the victims the CPI(M) M.P.’s asserted that the police actions were most indiscriminate and motivated. They did not follow minimum norms in their actions on October 26th. Firstly they unnecessarily objected to the distribution of an innocuous pamphlet in Urdu which had nothing communal in it and which called for boycotting American goods. When this led to an altercation with those distributing the pamphlets, the police, without any orders from higher authority, swiftly resorted to firing. 13 people were killed in this firing and all of them belonged to minority community. Even the 50 persons injured by the bullets belonged to minority community.

The M.P.’s found that majority of these people were shot above waist level which testifies to the indiscriminate shooting by the police. Mehdi Hasan Havaldar , a 17 year old trainee motor mechanic who was shot in the chest succumbed to death in front of the M.P.’s on November 6 in Faran Hospital.

Many of those who received bullet injuries were ordinary pan shop owners, motor mechanics and loom workers who were in the vicinity and had nothing to do with the altercation. Many doubts arise on this provocative action of the police especially in the light of Srikrishna Commission report which pointed to communalisation of police force in the state.

This action of the police led to restlessness in the town and attacks on Hindu properties followed. A preplanned organised rumour spread in the villages that Hindu women were being raped . This resulted in attacks on minorities in around 130 villages. Though Malegaon had a history of communal clashes it was the first time that they spread so widely to the villages.

The team also visited Nihalgaon village where eight houses of Hindu’s were set on fire and spoke to Karanbhanji Patel who said the clashes erupted after the stabbing of a youth.

One redeeming feature, however, was the spirited public initiative by school teachers, social activists, Left parties activists for restoring peace in the troubled areas. The M.P.’s addressed few meetings of the Left workers during their visit.

In a press conference held at Malegaon, the CPI(M) M.P.’s demanded that a judicial enquiry be ordered into the entire incidents and a compensation of Rs. 3 lakh for those killed and Rs 1 lakh for those injured be paid immediately. They criticized the state government for not being equal to the task in dealing with the situation.