People's Democracy

RAJASTHAN

RSS Perpetrates Communal Violence in Udaipur

A SEVERE attack was recently launched by communal forces in Sarada tehsil of Udaipur district of Rajasthan. In that area, a small population of Muslims live surrounded by a tribal habitation. There has been very cordial relations between the Muslims and the tribals of Sarada. But the BJP and RSS have been trying for some time to destroy that harmonious relationship and succeeded in organising the tribals to attacks the Muslim locality last week.

There was a quarrel between two criminal some time back. A criminal belonging to the Muslim community was attacked by a criminal from the tribal community as they had a clash of some criminal interest. Later on, the tribal criminal was kidnapped and killed by the other. It was absolutely a criminal rivalry and the police could handle it easily. But the local unit of the RSS used this incident against the Muslims. They organised a dharna of the tribal people and incited them to attack the Muslim locality. They systematically whipped up mob fury against the Muslims by taking advantage of the quarrel between two anti-socials, but the Congress government failed to take prompt action.

The RSS-led tribals attacked the Muslim locality with lethal weapons and the minority people ran away from their locality. Then these communal elements attacked the minority houses, burnt them down and looted their property. About 70 houses and shops wee burnt and looted, and property worth about one crore rupees was looted or destroyed. One victim of the riot, Sahida Khan, said that the superintendent of police (SP) was present on the spot when the arson took place and the minorities appealed to him to protect their houses, but he did not respond. A few cars and vehicles were also put on fire. The police led the minority people out of the locality, took in custody the licensed guns of some minority people, and took about 500 people from Sarada to Udaipur. They were kept in a mosque and a community hall but they were not given food and other facilities. The state’s home minister, Shanti Dharial, went to Udaipur and, when he was asked for compensation, according to Sahide Khan, he said that such things happened. In how many cases can compensation be given, he asked.

No life was lost as the people ran away, but their properties were looted and destroyed. It is unfortunate that the Congress government failed to protect the minorities and gave the RSS a free hand to organise a riot. No criminal has been arrested. The BJP has done same thing in Gujarat: to instigate tribals for anti-Muslim riots. It was thus that it wants to consolidate tribal votes.

Soon after the incident, a CPI(M) delegation visited the spot and met the victims. Later its leaders met the chief minister in Jaipur. The party demanded that there should be a judicial inquiry into the riot; the culprits must be identified and punished. All the victims, living in camps in Udaipur, should be sent back to Sarada under adequate protection and security. Their houses should be rebuilt by the government and proper compensation should be paid to the victims.

In Rajasthan, this is not the first riot; many communal incidents have occurred in the last few years. The Congress government is not taking adequate steps to protect the minorities. The BJP-RSS combine is very active in the state and engaged in rousing passions against the minorities. Fundamentalists and terrorists are combining their activities. The Hindutva forces perpetrated bomb blasts in Ajmer Sharif and it is thought that they were also involved in the Samjhauta Express attack. It is high time for the Congress government to seriously deal with the communal forces in the state.