<< Prev Page    |    1    |    2    |    3    |    4    |    5    |    6    |    7    |    8    |    9    |    10    |    Next Page >> 4 Government policy spurred riots (such as anti-Urdu riots, anti-Mandal, etc.) Government Acquisition Among other reasons behind the 1986 Mysore riots, one important one was the ill-feeling between Muslim and Hindu communities over acquisition for the Devaraj Urs road built few years before the riots. The Hindus were sore that two mausoleums were not removed by the authorities though a couple of temples were raised to the ground. The Muslims had a grouse that they were discriminated against when unauthorized structures were demolished. Settling Private Scores One of the main reasons leading up to the 1986 Mysore riots in Gandhinagar slum was the property dynamics in the affected areas. However, in some areas local grudges also to have surfaced to the detriment of communities. Two issues can be looked at here: 1. Using the communal riots to settle private scores, 2. Private scores culminating into communal riots. Using communal riots to settle private scores Opportunity was taken of communal riots to settle private scores, as this was found to be a convenient way by some people. This was particularly seen in Dharwad. The CFD-K/PUCL-K team which prepared a report at Dharwad of the communal riots that took place in 1992, was of the view that many of the assaults that took place were in the nature of settling private scores, and were not strictly communal. They felt that the stabbing of Arvind B Kalavadi, aged 22 was the outcome of private vendetta and had little to do with the riots. Private scores culminating into communal riots Many times, disputes which start of as personal rows have been turned into a communal riot of a rather gruesome nature. In Belgaum, in April 1992, a private money dispute leading to the stabbing of a youth, sparked of riots, as people belonging to the victim’s community started indiscriminately attacking and stabbing those belonging to the other community, causing a retaliatory response. The situation worsened with the explosion of a bomb at a house, situated in an area, mainly inhabited by the minority community. It is unclear whether the bomb was thrown into the house, or if it went of while being stored inside. Three persons were killed and about 12 injured, showing the seriousness of the situation caused by a private row. Again, in April 1995, riots were sparked of in Belgaum killing 12 people, due to the rivalry between two groups of Gokal Mill Workers, one led by former legislator Karininga and the other by Mr. Jarakiholi. The gang’s fury in the group clashes at Kurtakoti and Antur-Bentur villages in Dharwad, in May 1997 where Congress workers axed to death three Janata Dal supporters was said to have a history as the Congress supporters were craving for the blood of those who had allegedly killed an earlier Congress leader, three years ago. The three dead persons were said to have patronized the leader’s killers. A row over SSLC examination papers caused riots in Kothali, a village near Chikodi In March 1998. Riots were sparked of, causing great harm to property, when a group of youth, belonging to the Scheduled Caste, occupied the premise of a teacher, near the examination Centre, to prepare copies of answers for allegedly supplying them to their friends in the examination hall. The teacher objected to this, and asked the youth to vacate the place. The youth then brought his supporters and attacked the teacher’s house triggering of communal clashes in the village. One person was shot dead by an irate mob at Virajpet town in Kodagu district on December 8, 1997, in protest against the murder of two local youths by two persons belonging to a particular community the previous day. The mob which had gathered near the police station, demanding that the two accused be produced before them, and before police conceded to their demands, they became restless and set the police van on fire. Later they set the fire tender on fire and indulged in heavy stone-throwing. The police opened fire, also using teargas shells. Additional forces had also been requisitioned from Mysore and Mandya. Build-up to riots – both historical and immediate Historical There are places in Karnataka which have a long history of feuds and problems, both communally and otherwise, which have been exploited by political parties in order to satisfy their needs. For instance, Hubli has a history of feuds between the Sahasrarjun Kshatriyan Samaj (Pattegars) and the Muslims. The former are accused of engaging themselves in illicit distillation and smuggling. This traditional rivalry has been exploited by the BJP for its own political gain. The Idgah Maidan has also been a continuing cause for communal riots in the past. From 1992, it has been an issue of dispute, which has led to an increased number of riots in the city. (mentioned above in disputed spaces). Immediate Some of the riots that took place were seen as a pre-meditated conspiracy, and not just a sudden turn of events leading to the break out of riots. Dharwad, for instance, where there was an RSS/VHP outfit training young men, the riots that took place after the Babri Masjid demolition was seen to be a conspiracy. The village had known complete harmony till the RSS/VHP outfit started in the village. According to the Muslims, the spark which is said to have instigated the riots, the alleged stoning of the temple had been decided earlier. (A week before the attack on the temple, a Muslim businessman had learnt from his Hindu servant about a rumour floating around among Hindus about the attack on the temple, and the servant was told not to go to his master’s house) The build-up to the riots caused in 2001 in Hubli after the birthday celebrations of the VHP Chief, Ashok Singhal is notable here. Hubli has been a riots-prone town from 1972 concerning the Idgah Maidan in particular. In these circumstances, Ashok Singhal’s decision to celebrate his birthday in Hubli was bound to cause disturbances. Davangere district authorities denied the permission to celebrate his birthday there. From September 12th onwards, the VHP and the Bajrang Dal Cadres started protesting against Muslim and other communities. On 1st September, while the Ganesh festival procession was passing through the Idgah, there was an attack on the Idgah. On the night of September 14th, the Bajrang Dal people publicly set fire to the Bible and the Quran. The same evening, at the Railway platform, they removed the Parda of a Muslim girl and forcefully put Kumkum on her forehead. The actual birthday celebrations on 15th September brought in a confluence of communal events. The rally which was taken out, passed through the Idgah Maidan and proceeded towards the Nehru Stadium. The speeches of the people involved in the celebration contained anti-Pakistan and anti-Muslim slogans. It was even said that if Muslims wanted to stay safe in India, they should wear a tika on their forehead. There was also a report that the Hindutva forces were making plans for burning the special bus for Muslim women. A series of riots and violence took place in the following days. The Hindu Sikh riots that took place at Bidar in September 1988 left at least 6 Sikh students dead, about 100 injured and loss of property worth nearly Rs 62 lakhs. Trouble started on the night of September 14, when a few Sikh students in Gandhinagar were asked to pay subscription for the Ganesh Chathurti celebrations that were to take place the next day. The students refused to pay as they claimed that they had paid up before. This led to a scuffle where the Sikh students got beaten up. They later returned to the spot in a larger number and damaged a few vehicles and shops belonging to the Hindus. In retaliation, late at night a group of Hindu young men struck at the houses where the Sikh students were staying and burnt their scooters. During the night, a plot was apparently hatched where it is believed that the future course of attack was decided upon. The planned nature of the attacks- use of petrol, selective assaults on Sikhs, burning of the houses of Muslim landlords and sparing those owned by the Hindus- indicates the well thought out strategy that was shaped at the meeting on 14th night. From the next morning, a regular onslaught began- not only on the Sikh students who were involved the previous night, but also against houses and shops owned by Sikhs in other parts of the town. An inadequate police force, tried to keep the two contending groups at bay, but with no success. Six people died and 42 were injured, all of whom were Sikhs. All the 85 houses that were attacked were occupied by Sikhs, though in some cases the owners were Muslims. Property worth more than Rs 1 Crore was destroyed. These riots have a background of economic competition, which played a part in bringing events closer to the unfolding denouement. The first was the rivalry over obtaining sanction for a capitation fee-based medical college in Bidar. There were several contestants, the strongest being Joga Singh, (the head of the Guru Nanak Jheera Prahbandhak Committee and Guru Nanak Jheera Sahib Educational Foundation which set up educational institutions). A ‘Citizen’s Committee’ was formed by the rival educational societies which were in the running for the medical college with the contender being Kashinath Belure, who had the backing of the State BJP secretary. The second factor, one that was used to give a communal twist to what was essentially business rivalry, was the repercussion of the post-Operation Bluestar Punjab situation, the growth of terrorism in Punjab and the deteriorating attitudes to Sikhs as a minority community outside Punjab. The local communal leaders lost no opportunity to cash in on what was being reported almost daily in the media about Punjab, and they spread the impression that it was only Hindus who were being killed there. A direct and deliberate communal appeal was made that all Sikhs were potential terrorists; that Bidar was in danger of becoming the next Amritsar so as to make the medical college demand a mass issue. Thus the ground was further prepared for a chance altercation between members of two communities to set off a raging fire. Power struggle between two communities In the 1993 riots in Bhatkal, for at least 2 months prior to the 9 months long communal simmering from April, there was a power struggle between the leaders of the two communities, who seemed determined to prove that the town was controlled by their own community. This conflict disturbed the town which until now prided itself on its history of communal harmony. Foreign Hand It has been stated time and again that the real reason behind the 1993 riots in Bhatkal were the ISI (of Pakistan). Property issues One of the main reasons leading up to the 1986 Mysore riots was the property dynamics in the affected areas. In Gandhinagar, there had been a running war between tenants (Muslims) and landlords (Hindu) with many landlords waiting for an opportunity to ease out their tenants either for non-payment of rents or the refusal to pay higher rents. In some areas local grudges also to have surfaced to the detriment of communities.    << Prev Page    |    1    |    2    |    3    |    4    |    5    |    6    |    7    |    8    |    9    |    10    |    Next Page >>