2015 has begun with a re-run of the Muzaffarnagar communal violence, this time in Muzaffarpur of Bihar. The violence claimed the lives of five people and arson destroyed the entire Muslim hamlet in Azizpur village of Muzaffarpur.
As the BJP and the Sangh Parivar strive to gain ground in Bihar, they are on the lookout for every possible incident that they can use as fodder for their campaign of hatred and violence towards minorities.
A CPI(ML) team visited the area on January 19th, the day after the violence. A summary of the team’s findings and observations follows. The CPI(ML) fact-finding team consisted of CPI(ML) politburo member comrade Dhirendra Jha, AIPWA general secretary Meena Tiwari, Iftikhar Alam of the Insaaf Manch, Aftab Alam, Suraj, Prof. Arvind De and Prabhat Bharadwaj.
The pretext for the communal violence is the abduction and mysterious death, possibly ‘honour killing’ of a young Hindu schoolboy who was in love with a Muslim girl who was a schoolmate. Five people have been killed in the communal frenzy, more than thirty homes had been completely burned down, and all Muslim homes were looted. The village is now practically deserted; only a few elderly people have been left behind. Women and children have taken refuge in neighbouring villages. An atmosphere of fear prevails in the entire area. Property worth crores has been looted or destroyed in the arson. There are also apprehensions that several people in the village are missing. However, many Hindu families in the village risked their own lives and the safety of their families in order to provide protection to the Muslims of the village. This indeed highlights Bihar’s syncretic culture and the strong communal harmony that prevails.
The Pretext
Azizpur village (Saraiya thana), under the Paru Assembly constituency, is now represented by a BJP MLA. A girl from the Muslim community in the village fell in love with a neighbor, Bhartendu Sahni, studying in the same school. On 9th January, Sahni was abducted, and the police were informed. Bhartendu’s family accused the girl’s family of abducting him. The girl’s family denied the accusation. On 11th January, an FIR was registered at Saraiya thana, but the police and the administration remained totally inactive, taking advantage of which communal forces spread the poison of communal hatred in the entire area.
All sorts of rumours (that the boy was taken to the local masjid and his head cut off) were spread, the area became tense, but the administration remained silent.
On 18th January, Sahni’s body was found in a pit in a wheat field barely 200 m from the girl’s home. Many people, including those from neighbouring villages, gathered in crowds to see the body. The police were informed about this. At the time they were present with their forces 1km from the village but they did not think it fit to come to the village and the place of the incident. An organized mob then went to work and attacked the Muslim hamlet.
Who killed Bhartendu Sahni? It could be that this was in fact an ‘honour’ killing, by the girl’s family. This could, if so, have been prevented by the police and administration had they acted on time to rescue the boy.
But what is important to note is that the mob violence that followed was by no means spontaneous. If the girl’s family was guilty of the killing, why was the entire Muslim hamlet targeted?
The death demands a thorough and impartial probe. The question does arise: if the girl’s family killed Bhartendu, why did they leave the body in a shallow pit so close to their own home? Why was there no effort to put the body far away, so as not to arouse suspicion? The possibility that some others killed Bhartendu and planted the body near the girl’s home so as to create a pretext for communal frenzy, cannot be ruled out.
The Violence
According to eyewitnesses, a mob of around 500 people, attacked the Muslim homes and set fire to property, trees, and cattle. Five people were killed. The imam of the masjid, Moulana Rizvi, as well as Mohammad Feroz were seriously injured. Property worth crores was looted. Villagers fled to neighbouring villages. Weapons such as hammers and spades were used on a large scale.
Several Muslim families were sheltered by Hindu families in their homes, putting their own lives at risk. Ironically, a Hindu widow who sheltered several Muslims in her home, is now having to take refuse in the home of a Muslim neighbour, since she is being threatened with reprisals by communal goons.
Role of the Elected Representatives and Administration
As the communal conflagration consumed the village, the local BJP MLA as well as the DSP, the SHO and other police personnel watched. They however allowed the violence to continue and the village to burn. The police and the BJP MLA entered the village only after the frenzied mob had dispersed after the violence and arson.
Demands
The CPI(ML) has demanded the immediate suspension of the DSP and police station in-charge, who are responsible for the incident, and has demanded an enquiry against the SP and the DM of the area. Moreover, the local administration must not just ensure the safety of the residents of the village, but should also provide compensation for the loss of life and property. Bhartendu Sahni’s family should also be provided compensation, and his killers should be identified and punished. CPI(ML) has demanded a time-bound judicial enquiry to look into all aspects of the incident, which will submit its report within three months. This enquiry should also cover the role of the Paru BJP MLA Ashok Singh. CPI(ML) has also demanded that the Bihar government apologise to the people of Bihar for its inability to prevent this incident.
Box matter
Communal Violence on Christians in Jehanabad
On 11 January, a group of BJP activists had entered a Protestant church in Jehanabad during a routine prayer meeting. They abused those present, looted the church and the organisers of the meeting, vandalized the premises, and broke chairs, mikes and other property in the church.
A CPI(ML) team which investigated the whole incident, also came to know that the DM and SP of the area refused to take any action during the assault – even though the Christians in the church kept calling them for help. The police arrived only much later, and even then refused to arrest or any action against those who had perpetrated the violence. In fact, the BJP and Bajrang Dal activists abducted two of those present in the church, falsely accused them of conducting ‘conversions’ under ‘coercion’ and handed them over to the Police after beating them up.
On 12 January 2015, CPI(ML) held protests all over Jehanabad town against the communal assaults launched by BJP and Bajrang Dal activists on a prayer meeting in a church in Madhavnagar in Jehanabad.
The protest was led by CPI(ML) central committee member comrade Ramjatan Sharma, district secretary Sriniwas Sharma and others.