Khaleequr Rahman: Moradabad Calm but Tensed

Khaleequr Rahman: Moradabad Calm but Tensed: "The incident of desecration of Holy Quran led to the uneasy clam with tension palpable in the air prevailed in the villages of Moradabad a..."

Moradabad Calm but Tensed

The incident of desecration of Holy Quran led to the uneasy clam with tension palpable in the air prevailed in the villages of Moradabad affected with violence. People mainly the women and children from the villages have fled from their houses. Only the voices of boots of paramilitary forces and PAC break the silence in these villages. The cattles of the poor villagers have been left to fend for themselves with their owners leaving them at the mercy of God.

On hearing the news of the incident the cricketer turned politician Mohammed Azharuddin, an M.P. from Moradabad rushed to Moradabad from Delhi but was not allowed to enter the Moradabad and was detained in the circuit house under arrest. On the contrary, on the second day of the violence in Moradabad, state minister Haji Akbar Hussain and MP Shafeequr Rehman Barq was allowed to visit the district hospital where the injured have been admitted. As it happens after most of the riots where Muslims are at the receiving end, the minister blamed the opposition for the flaring up of the tension leading to a free for all situation in the area. "I and Barq saheb had words with district administration after the incident and the officials had agreed that they will register a case in Asalat Nagar Bagha village incident. A written complaint by the victim whose girl was allegedly teased was also taken by the officials but some opposition spoiled the whole atmosphere," he told local media on Thursday. As per him, provocative speeches were delivered with an appeal to come out on road. "The hoardings highlighting government's achievements became the first target which shows that the issue has been politically motivated," he claimed. Mr.Akber is considered as a sarkari musalmaan and it is quite unfortunate that when incidents like desecration of Holy Quran has happened, all the muslim leaders should have risen above their political affiliations and in one voice should have condemned the entire incident rather than pleasing their political bosses. It is a shameful act on part of both Haji Akber Hussain and Sambhal MP Shafeequr Rahman Barq that such an important incident has been taken so lightly by these two sarkari gentlemen. When they had gone there after the second day of the incident, they should have invited the Moradabad MP Azharuddin.

However, Akbar's appeal that people should show restraint and not believe the rumours spread by the opposition leaders is not going down well with the local residents. "We can tolerate anything but not the desecration of Holy Quran," said a villager on not being named.

The topographical description of the area is that the affected village Asalat Nagar Bagha is surrounded by several villages situated on Moradabad-Sambhal road. These villages have a sizeable population of Muslims with most of them engaged in transport business. Some of them serve as driver, cleaner on trucks while the well-offs own trucks. Even the trucks which are owned by Hindus are driven by Muslim drivers and they park their vehicle in their villages. On any normal day, close of 5000-6000 trucks some big enough having 16 tyres ply from these villages. The biggest village in this area is Dingarpur which is the biggest in the whole Kundarki area. The area comes under Mainather police station. On Thursday, this village also remained aloof with the routine rattling noice of truck absent from the air. Bustling with activity at all times, the village depicted a picture befitting an abandoned locality. Under the Maya’s raj, the UP specially the muslim dominated areas have turned into the police ruled areas where the people are harassed and tortured daily by the police on some pretext or the other. I get atleast five to six calls a day from Moradabad’s different areas from the poor people complaining against the police’s high handedness. I have spoken many a times with the DIG and the concerned Thanas. The people who have worked for the congress party during 2009 elections are being specifically targeted by the local BSP MLA’s and with their revengeful attitude making the police as a tool to harass and torture them by  implicating them in false cases.  Locals narrate the incident that on Wednesday no one has imagined that the situation can flare up to such an extent. Police had actually conducted a raid on an accused's house in village Asalat Nagar Bagha.

Incident of vandalism, misbehaviour with women folks and above all desecration of Holy Quran was reported during the police raid. As a protest, the villagers came out from their houses and blocked the Moradabad-Sambhal road. Soon a police-villagers (Muslims) clash began. Mainather Kotwali was the first target in which the jeep of SHO was torched. The next target was Deengarpur Kotwali, a PAC truck was consigned to flames. DIG Ashok Kumar was injured while police ran for cover.

The second round began when the police force of whole Moradabad division was summoned. They all descended on these villages. The aftermath was same as it happens after police-public violence. PAC took the command and policemen reached every house, broke the doors and thrashed brutally anyone who was present. Adjoining villages as Gurer, Asadpur, Lalwara, Rasoolpur, Hameer, Fatehpur Khas and Malookpur also became target of the security forces. After the unfortunate night, next morning on Thursday villagers fled from their houses. Even the adjoining villages which are at some distance remained silent and no one came out on the road.

On Thursday the aftershock of Moradabad was felt in adjoining areas as Sambhal. Muslims took out a protest march in Sambhal and there was complete bandh in Sambhal and Saraitareen which is another Muslim dominated locality. The call for bandh was given by Shaher Imam Mufti Zameer Hussain aka Maulana Naushe. A protest march was taken out from Nakhasa crossing which passed through the city. Fear, tension and anger was evident in the protestors and they demanded action against the guilty.

As per the government's reaction from state capital Lucknow senior police officials including special DG Brijlal took stock of the situation. An IPS officer Neelesh Kumar has been specially dispatched to Moradabad to manage the situation. Video recording from media have been sought and police is identifying the elements who instigated the violence. On the ground level, there is hardly any one left in the villages representing a mass exodus situation. Those who are left behind are more worried about saving their life than daily necessities as milk, bread etc. This is Maya Jaal.

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