Promoters of social justice are shocked to note that compared with 2023, there was 84 per cent rise in communal riots during 2024. There were 59 reported riots caused by clashes among the Hindus, Muslims and other religions. 49 of these riots took place in the States ruled by the BJP. Many more communal riots might have escaped the attention of the print and electronic media. The reports available are terribly disturbing.
Blood curdling data of riots
Communal violence erupted in the very first month of 2024. During a ritual at Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, (U.P.), there were innumerable clashes between two religious sects. At Shajapur in Madhya Pradesh clashes between Hindus and Muslims resulted in severe injuries to people. Besides, public property were damaged. Riots continued in the following months.
At Bhojpur in Gujarat, there was stone pelting during a Ram Mandir rally. At Howrah in West Bengal, provocative slogans by two religious groups attacking each other during a procession led to violent clashes. At Nagpur in Maharashtra, shops owned by Muslims were targeted and attacked. Vehicles were burned in a vendetta spree. At Haldwani in Uttarakhand, a Muslim educational institution was demolished in a clash. Six people were killed. Five of them were Muslims. Following this riot, several homes owned by Muslims were demolished. Minorities were selectively targeted and attacked.
Clashes during religious processions:
At Bhagalpur, Sitamarhi and Darbangha in Bihar,during a Saraswathi Pooja procession communal clash erupted killing a few and injuring fifty persons severely. A number of vehicles were set on fire. This was in March, 2024.
During Ganesh Chaturthi processions in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, the processions of the Hindus in Muslim dominated areas led to violent clashes and blood shed. This riot was in April 2024.
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In June, 2024, on the day of Bakrid, there were communal riots in Telangana and Odisha, in the city of Medak and Balasore respectively. Protest against animal sacrifice triggered clashes, property loss and arrests. On 19th August, 2024, during a Muharram procession at Bareilly in U.P., a Hindu youth was killed in a communal riot. To avenge this, eleven houses of Muslims were demolished. The accused escaped punishment. On 5th September, 2024, at Mira Road in Maharashtra, communal violence erupted following the celebration of Ram Mandir consecration. The minority communities were targeted and attacked. Fifteen properties owned by Muslims were demolished. There were many such riots in the other four months of 2024. Some of the leading newspapers stopped publishing the data of riots regularly, owing to the pressure probably by some toxic forces.
The bottom of the entire mess:
All these communal riots expose the fracture of socio-political landscape of the country. According to human rights activists, these riots are the signs of a growing trend of Polarisation, impunity and state complicity – division of two opposite groups (Polarisation), the accused left unpunished (impunity), and partnership of unruly mob in wrong-doing (complicity).
Communal violence was at its peak during April and May 2024, when state elections were held in Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand. Electoral gains were the objective of the miscreants behind numerous riots in these States. The Union Government was a silent spectator when Muslim communities were targeted and attacked. Bull dozers were used as a tool of punishment when the media criticised the Government. There were incidents of mob lynching when the religious minorities were attacked. Nine out of eleven victims were Muslims.
Communal riots in the past were more in Northern States such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar; but in 2024, there was a steep rise in such riots in Western and Eastern States, especially in Maharashtra, West Bengal and Telangana. Provocative reports, fake news, and hate speeches on social media platforms such as WhatsApp, X and Facebook played a major role in inciting widespread communal violence. AI backed videos too provoked restive fanatics. Police forces were also generally inactive onlookers. There were many other undesirable factors at the bottom of the entire mess.
Unpalatable facts behind riots
Under the guise of anti-conversion laws Christian communities and the Scheduled classes were also attacked by communal fanatics. There were reports of churches ruined in clashes. Biased reports and misinformation were also behind many of the riots. Muslim shopkeepers badly affected by riots could not get any compensation from the Government. The economic consequences of communal violence in 2024 were indeed horrible.
Adding fuel to fire, there were attacks on interfaith couples and “Love Jihad” too. There were eighteen cases related to these causes. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal and a few Hindu Nationalist Organisations were aggressively involved in most of the communal clashes, strengthened by political backing. The opposition parties failed to offer stiff resistance. The fear of electoral backlash made them watch everything silently.
When the property of the accused were being demolished by bulldozers, the Supreme Court pronounced stay on it. Muslim religious structures were demolished in Gujarat and Maharashtra, mainly caused by clashes in religious processions. Suspicion of cattle slaughter also led to several riots and killing. Cow-vigilante ignited brutal assaults in many cities. In brief, religious polarisation is alarming in society. There is a dire need of remedial measures in order to curb communal violence in the country.
Courtesy: ‘The Times of India’
(It is notable that Tamil Nadu is the only State which remains peaceful devoid of any religious clash)
