Muzaffarnagar: How UP govt made blunders, failed to gauge communal tension

Lucknow: In a belt famous for communal harmony among the Jat Hindu farmers and Muslims for centuries, the Samajwadi Party government completely failed to gauge the communal tension that was simmering for the last one and a half months after the killings of three youths following a minor eve-teasing incident. The entire Muzaffarnagar-Shamli-Baghpat-Meerut belt is dominated by supporters of late Chaudhary Charan Singh, an avowed advocate of Jat-Muslim harmony. Chaudhary Mahendra Singh Tikait was another great Jat leader of this area who never allowed political parties of the likes of SP and BJP to hijack his pro-farmers movement in his lifetime, but with his death, his successors who took over were not similarly tolerant. By preventing Charan Singh's son Ajit Singh from entering Muzaffarnagar today, the state government has committed another blunder. Only leaders of the like of Ajit Singh could have brought back communal harmony in the strife-torn villages and towns of this sugarcane belt. Tension began on August 2 (nearly a month and a half ago), when three youths were killed in revenge killings after an eve-teasing incident in Kawal village of Jaansath area. Had the local officials shown alacrity, even these three deaths could have been prevented. The state administration failed to understand that the murders could have communal implications. Had it taken strong steps and nipped the mischief in the bud, the deaths of more than a score of innocent people could have been prevented. Akhilesh Yadav's government does one thing very fast. It immediately orders transfers. On August 28, it transferred the DM and SSP of Muzaffarnagar and the new officials, who were appointed, took time to understand the situation.For the next two days, the local administration did not take any action against the fire-spewing leaders of both communities, and the situation was allowed to deteriorate. These rabble rousers openly organised meetings and made wild charges against the other community. On September 2, violence spread to Shamli and one person was killed. The local administration did not take any step. It was yet to understand that the situation had further worsened. On September 3, a fake video of the eve-teasing was posted on Facebook alongwith objectionable comments. The local police merely registered a case, but did not arrest anybody, nor did the local administration try to explain to both communities that mischief makers were trying to spoil the atmoshphere. On September 4, the local administration called a meeting of leaders of both communities, but the leaders did not attend. The next day, the BJP gave a call for a bandh, during which violence took place, and yet, the local administration did nothing. A "bahu-beti bachao" (save your girls and daughters-in-law) mahapanchayat was organised on September 7 (Saturday) at Mandaur village near Sikheda. By then, the state DGP and senior officials had reached Muzaffarnagar, but none of them neither tried to stop the mahapanchayat nor issued an appeal at the meeting. People began assembling at the mahapanchayat from Saturday morning. Many of them were carrying guns and other weapons. Provocative speeches were made at the mahapanchayat. A section of people attacked some of those going to the mahapanchayat. While returning from the mahapanchayat, the mob lynched a youth belonging to the other community. As news spread about the lynching, violence spread right up inside the town of Muzaffarnagar. The state police was in a totally helpless situation, and army was then called in. The question now arises: how could a state government which had refused permission to the VHP to organise the 84 kosi parikrama yatra and foiled it by deploying a huge number of policemen, give permission to the organisers of the bahu-beti bachao mahapanchayat? Particularly, at a time when everybody knew that tension was simmering, whereas Ayodhya and Faizabad were converted into huge cantonments?