The followers of Islam observed the festival of mourning, Muharram (on July 29). The day marks the death of Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, in the battle of Karbala. A lot has changed, from mourning crowds to people dancing in loud DJ music. Amid high-force deployment, a number of violent clashes were reported across the country.
These acts involved the pelting of stones, vandalism of public property, attacking public servants, and last-minute changes in the route of the procession. There have been a number of accidents, that should never have happened.
Nangloi (Delhi)
Islamists were carrying out a procession in Delhi’s Nangloi area. However, in the last minute, they wanted to change the route of the procession carrying Taziya. When stopped they targeted the police officials. The attackers were equipped with stones and swords.
The miscreants targeted the police officials, leaving as many as 12 injured. Following the violent action by the perpetrators, the police had to resort to lathi charges to take the situation under control.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP Outer) Harendra Singh, told media that, the clash started when a few ‘tazia’ procession organisers tried to divert their procession from the route that was decided earlier.
Following the objection to the diversion, stones were pelted at the police personnel. To control the situation and disperse the crowd, the police had to resort to a “mild lathi-charge” to control the mob, DCP Singh added.
Dadri and Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh)
Varanasi, clashes broke out between two sects of Islam, Shia’s and Sunni’s during the procession. Both sides went into furious sloganeering and stone-pelting against each other. As many as 12 vehicles were torched during the ruckus. Police vehicles were also pelted with stones. Tazias belonging to both communities were also damaged during the uproar. The incident left several people injured.
As per the reports, after the clash, the people of the Shia community sat on dharna and refused to take the Tazia to Karbala. Only after Police Commissioner Ashok Mutha Jain reached the spot with his force and spoke to the Shia members did they agree to take back their decision.
Unlike, Varanasi, what happened in Dadri (Western UP) exposes the lesser-known caste divide among Muslims. As per the reports, the Taziya procession was carried out peacefully when suddenly a scuffle broke out between people from Mewat and Dadri.
The police told the media that, Arif, Arman and others from the Fakir caste and Sohail, Anas and others from the Mewat region, from the different caste were injured in the clashes. No FIR has been registered against anyone in this case so far.
Sikar (Rajasthan)
Two youths performing stunts during the procession had a tussle, leading to clashes in and severe injury of one in Rajasthan’s Sikar district. As soon as the procession reached Salasar bus stand the scuffle broke out. During this, the youths fired sticks at each other fiercely. Police has to intervene, and one of the youths was immediately taken to the hospital, as he sustained severe head injuries.
Malda (West Bengal)
A Durga Mandir was found blocked and barricaded in Kaliachak town in Malda district of West Bengal. The development came a day before the Islamic month of Muharram.
In a tweet, Amit Thakur wrote, “This Shocking Image is From Kaliachak, Malda West Bengal Where Durga Mandir was blocked for Muharram procession. This is the condition of Hindus in West Bengal. Why No Seculars of I.N.D.I.A Talking about it.”
West Bengal BJP MLA (Nandigram) Suvendu Adhikari also did not mince any words before lambasting the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government.
“I bet no Muharram Organising Committee of that area could have demanded such a step which would offend the Sanatanis. This is purely the “Hyper activeness” of the WB Police. In Mamata Banerjee’s dictionary “Secularism” is synonymous with ‘Vote Bank Politics,” he emphasised.
He later informed that the barricades were removed from outside the Durga Mandir in Kaliachak town of Malda.
Eight were killed in the procession
Other than these clashes, as many as eight persons were killed for carrying out huge Taziya processions.
In Jharkhand’s Bokaro district, four people died and at least seven others suffered burn injuries after a Tazia touched the 11,000-volt electric line. The incident took place in Khetro village of Peterwar block.
In Bihar, a similar incident occurred without fatalities. In Banka, the Tazia came in contact with an electric wire, leaving a dozen injured. The incident took place in Abarkha village of Dhanuvsar panchayat which falls under Suiya police station.
In Rasulpura area of Dhoraji town in Rajkot district of Gujarat, two people died and more than two dozen people sustained burn injuries and electric shocks. Here, too, the Tazia touched an overhead 11,000-volt line. The Tazia was wet due to rain.
In Uttar Pradesh’s Amroha district, two persons died after the music system travelling along with a Tazia touched a high-tension wire. They were identified as Shanu, 35, and Owais 13. More than 50 people were left injured.
Courtesy – Organiser
