A Riot A Day Keeps The Revolution Away

Bangalore: After a short lull, the killing of innocent, poor Muslims is back in full swing. The Yadava-Muslim clash at Phulwarisharif (Bihar) in the first week of June, 1982 has resulted in seven deaths. So much so even a notoriously communal English daily like the Hindu, was forced to come out with an agonising editorial (June 10) end to communal bloodbath. calling for an Three people were killed in the Hyderabad June 3. This reminds of what the riot on States- man of May 18, 1981 said in a frontpage story under the heading. Anatomy of Communal Violence: “In spite of all the platitudinous statements made by the rulers of the country, communal clashes have become a feature of everyday life. Between 1900-1977 & in 1979-80. there were 5,177 communal riots in the country. Bloodiest of all were the riots which took place in Ahmedabad in 1969 killing not less than 3,000 people.” This statement is not from Muslims but a Hindu press owned by Hindu capitalists. The Deccan Herald, quoting an UNI report of the “official review” says (April 20, 1982) that “there were 321 communal incidents 1971. After a declining, trend, these in sharply rose to 427 in 1980 and came down to 319 last year. The largest number 375 persons were killed in viotence 1980,” the official report says. The of in communal riots are no more confined to urban areas but spreading fast to rural areas as could be made out from the Beharsha.” riff riots. Nor is it confined to North but it is coming deep into South and affecting even States like Kerala & Tamil Nadu. noted for communal peace. West Bengal is also joining. But the Prime Minister said in Saudi Arabia recently that communal riots in India are very low compared to the population of Muslims. Does it mean that riots should take place in pro- portion to the population of Muslims.? In Karnataka, even the traditionally peaceful coastal district of South Kanara had a bout of Hindu-Muslim riot on May 20. Before this one person was killed on April 29 at Tiptur when clashes broke resulting in serious losses to poor Muslims. Bijapur had a series of clashes in April following the RSS-sponsored Hindu unity processions. The district had a very secular-minded superintendent of police, Narayan, but the Hindus blamed him and held him responsible for the riots The same official was earlier transferred from Kolar on the complaints of the Hindu communal elements that he sided with the secular forces. At Bijapur, the Indian Express report charged A R. Infant, a young and able IPS officer, saying that he was responsible for the riots. The report also said Arab money was flowing into Bijapur. If secular-minded officers known for their integrity and honesty are transferred how could the Govt. then stop communal clashes? On the issue of the Gokak report demanding sole first language status for Kannada. once again the Hindu communal elements started attacking only Muslims. At Chitradurga three persons died of police-firing (April 17) when the Gokak agitation turned into an anti-Muslim riot. There were clashes at Ramdurg (Belgaum dt.) on March 16 following the RSS-sponsored Hindu Vishwa Parisad procession. Last year, the then Minister C. M. Ibrahim’s brother, C. M. Rehman, was killed at Bhadravati on May 29, 1981. The latest Ullal incident in the suburb of Mangalore was the result of grave provocation on the part of RSS elements who are very active in this area trying to let loose the poor, backward community of fishermen against Muslims. But this time their game did not succeed. One Muslim and one Hindu were killed in this clash. Another Muslim. Ibrahim Musliar was stabbed. The Hindu communal elements seem to think that one riot a day will keep the revolution away. Because the Hindu-Muslim riots are only between poor people. Only the poor among Hindus and the poor among Muslims are affected. Meanwhile,” the All-India Muslim Majlis- e-Mushawrat, a forum of Muslim parties and organizations, has set August as the deadline for the Government to take steps to safeguard the rights and properties of the Muslims in view of frequent communal disturbances. At a press conference in New Delhi on June 8, the Mushawrat blamed certain Hindu organizations for the communal riots and involvement of local Government officials in it. If petro-doIlars can be used to build flyovers in Delhi and for the development of the country’s economy, the Muslims have every right to use this currencey for their own welfare and to highlight their problems”. it was said at the Mushawrat’s press conference. Among others who addressed press conference were Shaik Zulfiquarullah, the Mushawrat’s president and a former Union Minister during the Janata Government, and Jawed Habeeb, a former president of the Aligarh Muslim University Students’ Union, The Government must take action against anti-Muslim activities. recruit members of the minorities in ad- equate proportion in the police and if the Government failed to do so the Mushawrat would launch an agitation, Habeeb said” (Statesman. June 2). S. Shabuddin, MP, referring to the position of Muslims in India, says: “Regarding the loss of life, limb and property in communal riots, I have often demanded community-wise figures. If the losses are so evenly balanced, let the government come out with the relevant statistics. Regarding the initiative, the ‘facts are often manufactured by an administration which is communal and therefore partial and un truthful. Also what is important is not who threw the first stone in an atmosphere charged with tension and violence but what led to the build-up of the tension. There is no point recalling history. The inhuman treatment of Hindus and Sikhs in. Pakistan during the partition riots was evenly balanced by equally inhuman treatment of Muslims in India. No community as such is responsible but both harbour irresponsible and anti-social elements who play upon mutual distrust and suspicion. But today the Muslim community suffers. from deep-seated insecurity because of the organised campaign launched by Hindu Rashtravadis. There is no Mus.im equivalent of the RSS or of Patit Pawan or of Hindu Ekta. Raksha. Virat Sammelan. 1971 is a watershed for Muslim psyche but Hindu Rashtravad has gained strength there- after. As for provocation from across the border, how many communal riots have taken place in Pakistan or Bangladesh since 1971 ? And why should a ‘secular society react to the acts of a ‘theocratic society? The Muslim community is not interested in the highest positions”. Its interest lies in lower positions where it is horribly under-represented. I agree that Muslim society needs social reform. But I have no desire to follow Hamid Delwai whom the Muslim community rightly rejected. And must a socially backward community be denied its due share till it reforms itself ? The pace of transition of Indian Muslim to Muslim Indian would be faster if objectively the Muslim enjoyed greater security, suffered less discrimination and was less frequently asked to behave himself.