MIRAJ RIOTS Shiv Pratisthan behind Creating a Communal Divide

The Shiv Sena erected a large Arch Gate in Shrikant Square as part of the Ganesh celebration on August 21, 2009. Some Muslims too had contributed towards construction of the Arch. The city was peaceful till September 1 night, when Shiv Sena installed a cut-out of ‘Afzal Khan being killed by Shivaji Maharaj’. The police had shown resistance to the idea of the Shiv Sena using the scene of Afzal Khan’s killing at Shrikant square.

One day before the Ganesh idol immersion, that is on September 2, Shiv Sena started gathering near the Arch with saffron flags and shouting slogans. Some Muslims youth too collected at the venue at around 12 noon.  There Hindus came face to face with the Muslims.

On learning about the situation, District Police chief Mr. Krishna Prakash rushed to the spot with the available police force. He appealed to all to leave the place. Muslim youth welcomed his speech. However they kept on shouting slogans and waving flags. Muslim MLA Hafiz Dhatture tried to persuade them to leave the spot, but Muslims hooted him out. One Muslim youth climbed the SP’s vehicle waving the flag.

Just then a stone came flying from the group near Shiv Sena’s Ladies Wing chief, Mrs. Sunita More. Stone pelting continued from both sides. Muslim youth damaged the pandal erected for the ‘Welcome Screen’ and allegedly damaged a few idols. The Police resorted to lathi charge and used tear gas shells to disperse the Muslim youth and the Hindu crowd. The dispersing Hindu mobs started attacking Mosques and Muslim properties on their way. Around eight Muslim shops in Miraj were broken open; goods either looted or burnt in middle of the road.

Muslims stayed away, while their properties were being attacked except one Muslim youth Javed Golandaz, who single-handedly fought the mob that was attacking the mosque on Qila Road. He sustained several injuries. When no one was coming to his help, his mother supported him and both succeeded in thwarting a major disaster.

Then the Police removed the Afzal Khan killing scene at around 5.15 P.M. Mayor Mainuddin Bagwan and MLA Sudhir Khade visited the place after the removal of the scene of Afzal Khan’s killing.

Mr Krishna Prakash, known for his strong actions against the bootleggers, came down heavily against the rioters and quickly summoned reserve police forces from nearby places. Curfew was immediately clamped and the situation was brought under control immediately. Mr Krishna Prakash’s swift action saved Miraj from further madness. Some Ganesh Mandals refused to immerse the Ganesh idols. Then the Police took the Ganesh idols away in their vehicle for immersion.

Meanwhile a video professional group was recording all these events.  These videos were uploaded on internet through Youtube on September 3. VCDs of these videos were made and distributed in large quantities in and around Sangli and Kolhapur. MMS images were circulated on mobiles. Whoever saw the video got provoked and started attacking Mosques and Muslim properties on September 4 and 5 in various villages of Sangli and Kolhapur districts.

JIH DELEGATION MEETS HOME MINISTER

Jamaat e Islami, Hind, Maharashtra immediately issued a press release condemning the senseless actions of the Muslim youth and the alleged desecration of the idols. It urged the administration to take action against the culprits. It appealed to all citizens to maintain peace and not to get provoked by rumours.

It formed a Muslim delegation and met the State Home Minister Mr Jayant Patil and said the administration should put back the picture depicting the scene of slaying of Afzal Khan on the arch at Shrikant Chowk. It also urged the administration to take action against those who were waving flags on the top of the vehicle of the Police Superintendent, and against those who damaged Ganesha idols. However the minister refused to accept the solution and kept on delaying resulting in the spread of riots to other areas.

RIOTS SPREAD TO VILLAGES

As a result of riots in Miraj, Hindus started attacking Mosques, Idgaahs, Dargahs and Muslim shops. The mob pelted stones and damaged mosques at Manjarde, Sawarde, Visapur, Manerajuri, Kumthe, Jarandi and Alsand. Thereafter, saffron flags were hoisted on mosques. At Yelavi, a mosque was damaged by throwing burning swabs / torches. At Arag and Bedag also, saffron flags have been already hoisted. The enraged mob damaged a mosque at Agalgaon in Kawathemahakal Taluka. A dargah was damaged at Budhgaon and Erandoli in Miraj taluka whereas a mosque and a madrasa were damaged at Bedag. There was an attack on a mosque at Kawalapur and incidents of arson were reported. Saffron flags were hoisted on more than 10 mosques. Here Dr Baburao Guraw, a socialist, played a very active role in cooling down the tempers and maintaining peace around Tasgaon. In several villages Muslims were boycotted and warned against praying in the mosques and sporting beard, and that they would not be allowed to do business and should not contact anyone for help. Some Muslim families have shifted to safer places, while others are living in fear.

STONES PELTED AT MOSQUES IN KOLHAPUR DISTRICT

The miscreants pelted stones and damaged four mosques in Hupri and another mosque at Talangade Phata on September 2. The food cooked for breaking the Ramadhan fast was also wasted. A mosque at Manenagar was damaged to a large extent. The fence, water tank, new tin sheets, tiles, doors were broken. Nurani mosque at Chandinagar in Hupri, Imam mosque at Manenagar and Fatima mosque at Valavekarnagar faced stone-pelting. On September 4, stones were pelted at a mosque at Ingali, Rendal. A saffron flag was hoisted at a mosque in Chinchwad. The enraged mob damaged the mosque and hoisted a saffron flag. Unknown persons damaged mosques at Jaisingpur and Murgud in Kagal taluka.

Some miscreants stoned at a mosque in Unchgaon area late at night. Another mosque in Mhakave village, Taluka Kagal was damaged. All Muslim businessmen were forced to flee from market in Murgud village. Bandh was followed in Hatakanangale, Pethvadgaon, Shahuwadi, Panhala and Kagal taluka. Mosques were stoned in Kodoli, Chikhali, Varanage, Unchgaon and Gorambe villages. Some shops and vehicles of Police were also damaged. At some places in Hatakanangale, Korachi and Tardal, damages of properties and firing of tyres took place. Five houses damaged at Pattankodoli. The frenzied mob attacked a mosque in Mhakave. Another mosque fired in Gorambe.

ICHALKARANJI (KOLHAPUR)

There was a strong echo of the Miraj riots reverberating in this town. After two days ‘Bandh’, Ichalkaranji witnessed ‘Bandh’ even on the third day. There were incidents of attacks with swords, stone-pelting, arson, etc. all over the town. The District Police Chief and District Collector came to the town to bring the situation under control. At many places, stones were pelted at the Police. In Jawaharnagar area, a huge mob marched towards the mosque and heavy stone-pelting occurred. Tear-gas shells were opened to bring the situation under control. A two-wheeler and a Maruti car were set on fire. Even at Langotemala, heavy stone-pelting was done at a mosque. Later, in the evening, Hindus and Muslims came face to face. Attempts were made to block the main road with burning tyres. Shops were being broken. There were incidents of violence at many places in the town and the police machinery was proving to be inadequate.

A mill worker named Mungale, found dead in the morning, must have been a victim of police beating. There was severe tension in Jawaharnagar, Limbu Chowk, Tandemala and Dattanagar areas. The enraged mob set on fire a grocery shop and a pharmacy. The Police arrested 95 persons.

Everywhere Shiv Sena miscreants collected in large numbers, surrounded the place from all sides and damaged Masajids and Muslim properties on the lines of Gujarat pattern. Flesh of swine was thrown in several mosques to provoke riots. Saffron flags were hoisted in Idgahs. Muslim shops were systematically looted and set on fire. Muslims were caught unawares at most places as they could not defend their properties since Hindu-Muslim relations had been extremely cordial through the century.

MIRAJ

The pending immersion of Ganesha idols was done on September 10 between 10.00 a.m. and 3.00 p.m. On the routes of immersion, the picture depicting the slaying of Afzal Khan was displayed. The above decision was announced on behalf of the administration after a meeting of members of Ganesha Committees with the State Home Minister. It was decided in a meeting held with the Chief Minister and leaders of all parties to reach an amicable solution regarding the arch. A meeting was held between the Home Minister Jayant Patil, Guardian Minister Dr. Patangrao Kadam, Minister for women and children’s welfare, Madan Patil and the members of the Ganesha Committees at the school for handicapped children. As decided in the meeting, curfew was relaxed between 10.00 a.m. and 3.00 p.m.

OUR FINDINGS

The entire region has enjoyed extremely cordial relations among followers of various religions. The saffron brigade has never been able to get a foothold in the region. Mr Sambhaji Bhide, a staunch RSS activist, floated a front organisation ‘Shiv Pratisthan’ that has been attempting to create a communal divide between Hindus and Muslims. This time they succeeded in provoking the Muslim youth by displaying a large cut-out of Shivaji Maharaj slaying Afzal Khan, videographing the madness carried out by Muslim youth, spreading the videos of the events to remote villages, inciting common people towards violence, death and destruction.

The RSS lobby was very pleased by the actions of the miscreants and openly praised them in their media. They felt their twin intensions of instilling fear in the Muslims by destroying their livelihoods and secondly provoking common Hindus towards fighting their Muslim neighbours. Politicians too played a dirty role in fanning the riots by their acts of commission and omissions with the aim of securing their vote banks. The local Marathi paper Pudhari played an important role in spreading the riots by publishing pictures of the Muslim youths damaging pandals and idols. They did not give space to the press statement issued by the Jamaat condemning the madness of the youth.

The common man was the worst sufferer in the whole episode. Because of the long curfew hours patients could not be moved to hospitals. Relatives could not take away dead bodies of their near ones. Livelihood of daily wage earners was affected and unrelated people had to taste the police lathi.

A silver lining to the whole incident is that the Hindu brethren are realising their folly and now providing protection for their Muslim natives. They are collecting funds and reconstructing the damaged mosques. A group of concerned eminent citizens has formed an association to strive for building confidence among the various communities.

RELIEF WORK BY JAMAAT

A delegation of Social Services Wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Maharashtra surveyed the riot affected areas from September 14 to 19. The delegation toured practically all the riot-affected villages of Miraj and Kolhapur districts.

Findings of the survey are as follows :

Small business owners selling bakery items, chicken shops were the worst affected. These affected people were counselled not to lose courage, have faith in Allah and restart their businesses. An immediate relief from Rs 5000 /- to Rs 10,000/- was provided to small business owners to restart their shops. Some of the damaged mosques were repaired.

Relief work is stalled on account of ‘Code of Conduct’ invoked due to the ensuing Vidhan Sabha elections. After the elections relief work will restarted.

The Jamaat has initiated legal procedure to seek compensation for the losses suffered by the victims and plans to reconstruct the demolished mosques and properties. Jamaat-e- Islami Hind, Maharashtra has appealed to all well wishers to contribute towards rehabilitation of the victims. Mr Abdur Rauf , Secretary Social Services Wing, Jamaat-e- Islami Hind, Maharashtra, Cell No. 09420347083, may be contacted for further details.