For many years, the neighbouring villages of Chandan Khedi and Kanwasa in Madhya Pradesh’s Malwa region were known for his or her communal harmony. Things changed, however, last year.
In Malwa, the region which incorporates MP cities like Indore, and Ujjain, a minimum of 12 incidents of communal tension are reported since September 2020 where section 153 A (promoting enmity between different different groups on grounds of faith, race, place of birth etc) of the Indian legal code was invoked. a minimum of 70 people are charged, a minimum of 70 booked, and also the National Security Act has been invoked against 18 people, said the police.
The December 29 chain of events only deepened the communal scars. That day, a fund-raising rally for the Ayodhya temple was allegedly attacked, and a few Muslims homes torched in Kanwasa. Chandan Khedi sarpanch Ashok Parasiya said he had never seen communal tension before the December violence. “Wounds may have healed and houses are being reconstructed but what about the trauma?” he asked
Saddam Patel, 35, a resident of Chandan Khedi village, whose house was burnt down within the December violence, and suffered a gunshot wound within the leg, said, “On December 29, people held a rally to gather fund for the development of Ram temple and shouted slogans against our religion. We objected so that they burnt our homes and vehicles. Neither police nor the administration supported us. Instead, they jailed people from our community in an exceedingly fake case. They also invoked NSA against four people.”
Four cases are reported this August itself within the region, with two hitting the headlines — the assault on bangle seller Taslim Ali in Indore, where he was eventually charged with molestation, and therefore the alleged raising of anti-national slogans at a Muharram procession in Ujjain, which has seen arrests when questions were raised on the authenticity of video proof. Both Hindu and Muslim organisations have hit the streets in protest over the past week over both the incidents. At least 2,600 people are booked for attending events held without permission amid the Covid protocols.
Muslim organisations allege that it’s the BJP’s “hard Hindutva” at play, with mostly Muslims being charged with NSA. Hindu organisations, however, claim the favored Front of India (PFI) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) are stoking tensions.
Hindu Jagran Manch, Malwa in-charge Dheeraj Yadav said, “The minority communities are being misguided by Muslim leaders, especially of PFI and SDPI. they’re giving a communal angle to each incident — whether it’s molestation of a minor or sedition. they’re trying to form a rift between the communities.”
PFI state president Kafeel Raza countered this with, “The authorities introduced MP Freedom of faith Act against Love Jihad that provides a message to the society that Muslim men are targeting Hindu women.”
Some political experts believe the BJP, which lost its stronghold of Malwa within the last assembly elections, is trying to win it back by following a model supported UP’s Yogi Adityanath government while some Muslim organisations are seeking to determine themselves before the local body elections.
BJP, which won 56 out of 66 seats in Malwa Nimar region in 2013 assembly elections, lost 28 seats in 2018. It salvaged its position a touch by winning six out of seven seats in 2020 by-elections, but still has only 34 seats within the region.
Political expert LS Hardenia said, “BJP-led authorities of MP is following the UP model. BJP leaders in state are attempting to win the subsequent assembly election by promoting hard Hindutva. Meanwhile, AIMIM is trying to contest local body election in MP and that’s why, its chief Asaduddin Owaisi tweeted about the Indore incident as he wanted to remain relevant by showing sympathy.”
Senior Congress leaders said the BJP is misusing power to form tension within the area. “Taslim Ali was beaten up within the afternoon and police registered the case at nighttime…There is little question that BJP leaders try to form disturbance within the society to rule… they’re misusing power to harass people of a minor community,” said JP Dhanopia, spokesperson MP Congress Committee.
The BJP, however, calls it a political conspiracy. “If we return in 2015, a sudden spurt in communal tension was reported in Malwa prior the local body elections. Again, with these polls in a very few months, some local parties are attempting to try and do the identical now,” he added.
Home minister Narottam Mishra, who has spoken of banning PFI and SDPI, said,“Congress and a few anti-national organisations are attempting to make disturbance not only in Malwa but across the state.”
enior police officials in Indore said social media is getting used as a tool to push communal tension. Indore and Ujjain police departments have issued a minimum of six warnings against spreading incorrect messages on social media within the recent past.Indore military officer of police HN Mishra said, “The number of cases is increasing as people of both communities misuse social media to circulate videos and photos with wrong captions. atiny low incident is being blown up such a lot that folks react, resulting in tension. But we’ve got been ready to control things in Indore.”
