Ram Puniyani
The foundation of this violence
is in the myths and stereotypes prevalent about the minorities in particular.
‘Social common sense’ prevalent in the society, including that of those who are
in charge of controlling the riots is practically the same. This social common
sense sees Muslims as criminals, terrorists, anti-nationals and violent people.
Earlier, in communal violence two religious communities used to be pitted
against each other but lately the minorities are the targeted communities. This
‘social common sense’ perceive the Christians as those who are converting by
force, fraud or allurement. The religion wise break up of percentage violence
victims is very painful observation, the percentage of Muslims amongst riot
victims is close to 90% (their population as per the census of 2001 is 13.4%)
The type of attitude taken by police is by and large stereotypical and regards
them as the trouble makers and police believes that they can bring these
Muslims to heels through bullets and batons.
Courtesy: Indian Express |
The recent riot in Mumbai 12th August, 2012, does not fit into any of the prevalent notions of riot so far. It is a total contrast to all this and at times also shows the ray of hope about the possibility of positive forces being awakened to quell the violence. The 12th August event was a huge melee of Muslims brought into Azad Maidan of Mumbai by
The real trouble, highly
condemnable, began not due to this crowd, but due to other 500-1000 armed
Muslims, who started attacking police personnel, molesting women police officers
and attacking the OB vans of the news
channels. This was provoked due to speakers at the rally aggressively putting
forward that media is not showing the news of Assam
and Myanmar .
Also police was targeted as the Muslim community does have the experience of
police having gross anti minority stance. This is so far as the violence
conformed to the usual pattern. The things which happened later were a total
departure from the past riots. Let’s note that the attack of section of Muslims
was not directed against the Hindu community as such. They were targeting media
and police.
In the first contrast to the
usual pattern, the police commissioner, Arup Patnaik, who had seen the 92-93
violence, had different ideas and in the major departure from the attitude of
police. Patnaik asked police to exercise restraint. So far the attitude in such
situation is a reckless firing, above the waist, to instil a fear factor to
control the violence. Patnaik not only asked the police to exercise restraint,
he went up to the stage with great courage and conviction and appealed to the
crowd to maintain peace, else it may be the repeat of 92-93 carnage. The crowd
assembled in the maidan quietly left from the other end of the ground. While
the section of Muslims who had come prepared for doing violence, were brought
under control with a minimum of bloodshed, 2 dead, over 50 injured. No words
can adequately praise the leadership of Mr Patnaik and the restraint shown by
the police personnel, despite provocations of the worst order. In this violence
police has been the major victim of violence. On the top of this the usual
reckless arrests of Muslims in the wake of such a violence has been a bit muted
as the instructions seem to be that only those youth-Muslims should be arrested
who are seen doing violence in the videos taken at the occasion. This one good
use of modern technology is very welcome. One knows that not only in the
communal violence but also in the acts of terror, done by which so ever group,
it has been the Muslim youth who are arrested in large numbers.
The only hope this time around is
that the police should be discriminatory enough to arrest only the guilty. The
other heartening feature of the episode was the role of Mohalla committees,
which has not been duly highlighted. The Mohall committee, which were
conceptualized by one brave police officer, Suresh Khopde at the time of
Bhivandi riots in 1983, have come to stay and are building the bridges amongst
the religious communities. During this episode they came forward and did their
peace making work with appreciable outcome. It is probably the first time,
which showed that if the state-police and social groups are vigilant and aim to
control the riot, it can be done, and that too within half an hour. This
despite the fact that the underlying bitterness of the memories of 92-93 when
the police acted recklessly, and the guilty of 92-93 were not punished in
contrast to the accused of 93 March bomb blasts who were punished, and rightly
so. This despite the fact the mob which had congregated at Azad Maidan was huge
and had been provoked by the section of Urdu, media, the morphed images being
circulated and the provocative speeches which should not have been.
It is in this context that the
need for communal violence Bill becomes all the more urgent, to ensure that
police does it job properly, the state leadership acts without prejudices with
the sole aim of controlling the violence.
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