Curfew in Larkana, Muslim mobs set fire to Hindu temple, dharmashala, shops

Karachi: A minor incident involving a Hindu tenant burning unused materials lying inside a rented house led to a major communal conflagration in Larkana of Sindh province on Sunday, with a mob setting fire to a Hindu temple and a dharmashala. Local Muslim residents alleged that pages of the Holy Quran was burnt by the youth while cleaning up his new rented room in New Leelabad. Soon groups of Muslims began to gather near the temple. They broke open the main gate of dharmashala with iron rods and after ransacking the place, set it on fire. Dr Dharampal, vice-president of district Hindu panchayat, said, 11 marble statues of gods and goddesses were desecrated and broken by the ramapaging mob inside the temple. Several of these marble statues were imported from India, he pointed out. Curfew has been imposed in the locality of Larkana town and a bandh call was given by local Muslim organisations. Police and Rangers have been deployed in the area. The youth has been taken into "protective custody" by Sindh police and blasphemy charge will be levelled against him. The desecration and arson at the Hindu temple and dharmashala took place when local Hindus were celebrating Holi. Larkana is the hometown of the Bhutto family and stronghold of Pakistan People's Party. Patron-in-chief of PPP Bilawal Bhutto has appealed to his party workers to maintain calm.Police had to fire in the air and lob teargas shells to disperse the mob that had gathered at the house of the Hindu youth demanded that he be handed over to the crowd. The main Hindu temple in Jinnah Bagh Chowk area was set on fire and the adjoining dharmashala was completely gutted. Tension gripped the Larkana's Jinnah Bagh and some other parts of the city after mob went berserk.People from the area said Holi celebrations have been called off in various localities due to law and order situation. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah directed DIG Larkana to bring the situation under control and probe the incident. A clash between protesters, mostly belonging to religious organisations, and police took place in Dera Allahyar area of Sindh's Jaffarabad district. Police resorted to aerial firing after coming under stone pelting from the protesters. Two of the protesters and one policeman was injured in the incident. Moreover, ten shops were also burnt down on Jinnah road in Jaffarabad's Osta Mohammad tehsil. Another incident was reported in Sohbatpur area where police resorted to gunfiring to disperse the protesters. Shewak Ram, in-charge of Dharamshala, said the attackers had broken open the main door of Dharamshala with heavy iron rod and set ablaze its rooms and material kept there and lodgings for visiting Hindu families. The mob also ransacked a kiosk at the main gate of Dharamshala. Larkana Deputy Commissioner Ghanwar Khan Leghari said, Police and Rangers personnel have been deployed to protect the lives and property of Hindus. Business activities in the district came to a complete halt. Groups of people held demonstrations to condemn the incident. Activists of Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz, lead by its leader Mumtaz Shaikh, took out a peace rally. Officials of the district and divisional administrations, on the directives of Bilawal-Bhutto, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and the inspector general of police, held meetings with members of the Hindu Panchayat and Ulema and leaders of different religious parties to defuse the situation. Larkana Commissioner Dr Saeed Ahmed Mangnejo, DIG Khadim Hussain Rind and Deputy Commissioner Ghanwar Khan Leghari claimed that the issue had been amicably resolved after long deliberations between religious leaders and members of the Panchayat. Abdul Ghaffar Mitha Khan, a representative of Ulema, condemned the burning of Dharamshala and damaging of statues and termed it a conspiracy to disturb peace in the district. He extended Holy greetings to the Hindu community and appealed to traders to open their businesses. Dr Dharampal, vice-chairman of the Hindu Panchayat, said the people who attacked the temple and the individual allegedly involved in desecrating pages of Holy Quran should be dealt with in accordance with the law. He called for an impartial investigation into the incident which he said was aimed at creating a gulf between Muslims and Hindus who were living in the city peacefully. MNAs Ayaz Soomro and Ramesh Lal, the commissioner, deputy commissioner, DIG and SSP praised the positive role played by religious leaders and Panchayat members and the media in resolving the issue. They assured the Ulema and Hindu leaders that the investigation would be transparent and anyone found guilty would be brought to book. They later visited the Dharamshala. Panchayat office-bearers Kalpina Devi, Dr Dharampal and others thanked the district and divisional administrations for their timely intervention and efforts made by them to prevent the situation from worsening. MNA Faryal Talpur assured the Panchayat that damaged Dharamshala would be repaired and losses would be compensated. Information Minister Sharjeel Memon said that no conspiracy to pit Muslims against minorities would be allowed to succeed. He said the places of worship of minorities would be protected, losses suffered by them would be compensated and the temple would be rebuilt by the Sindh government. He said the Constitution gave equal rights to minorities. Delinquent elements will be taken to task in accordance with the law. Dr Lal Chand Ukrani, president of PPP Sindh minorities wing, condemned the burning of the temple and termed it a conspiracy to incite religious animosity. It was an attempt to harass the Hindu community, he said, adding that punishing the entire community for the sin of an individual was regrettable. He appealed to the Hindus to remain peaceful and foil the conspiracy.