Indian army vehicles patrol on a deserted road during a curfew in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday. PHOTO: REUTERS
The Uttar Pradesh authorities have issued ‘shoot-atsight’ orders in a desperate attempt to restore peace in the volatile town, where thousands of police and anti-riot personnel have been deployed.
Media reports cited Muzaffarnagar administration officials as saying that 21 people have been killed in the clashes since Saturday. However locals claimed the death toll was much higher, especially in the rural areas of the town.
Tensions gripped Muzaffarnagar – where both Hindu and Muslim families wield considerable wealth and influence – after some men from one community were accused of eve-teasing a woman belonging to the other community. Three youths were subsequently killed over the incident on August 27, triggering clashes between the Hindu and Muslim communities.
The latest round of violence began after some right-wing politicians delivered inflammatory speeches at a ‘panchayat’ on Saturday. At least 11 people, including a television reporter and cameraman, were killed in the subsequent clashes.
Worried that intercepting either parties would exacerbate the situation, the local police chose not to intervene. However, this only emboldened the rioters, as the violence threatened to spill over to the adjoining areas.
Talking to The Express Tribune, official sources in Delhi said the Centre has directed the state administration to take all necessary steps to ensure the communal tension does not spread to other areas of the state.
“If necessary, the state administration has been asked to take steps like preventive arrests to ensure trouble-making elements are unable to disturb peace,” an official said. Authorities, meanwhile, are trying to identify the individuals who had incited people to violence at the panchayat, he added.
According to The Hindu, earlier in the day, eight Indian army formations staged a flag march in volatile areas of the district to prevent the further flaring up of violence.
Condemning the violence in Muzaffarnagar, Muslim clerics cautioned the people against ‘political conspiracies’ aimed at creating divisions along religious lines and appealed for peace and harmony in the state.
“The Muzaffarnagar violence in condemnable... For the past few days, there have been attempts to create tension in western UP... The violence there is the result of a political game, which should be exposed,” said All India Muslim Personal Law Board member Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahli.
All India Shia Personal Board spokesman Maulana Yasoob Abbas too alleged that some ‘forces’ were trying divide religious groups for political gains.
COMMENTS (42)
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ET allow me to respond to someone who has addressed me. @ Anand: Thank you for finally acknowledging that Gujarat riots were state orchestrated. Now please inform the rest of the Indian commentators here especially Gp65. Contrary to what you think I'm not a right-winger or don't hate Indians despite the fact that commentators from your side are extremely hate filled towards Pakistanis. By the way what are your views on the enlightened thoughts of Jagnathan and mac?
@Talha Rizvi
One more thing. Did you check the links I provided?
ET please allow. I am answering to a post directly addressed to me.
@Talha Rizvi
“You’re mentality is known as BLAMING THE VICTIM.”
No, I am not blaming the victim. Actually you could have accused me of doing much worse than what you would like i.e. I am speaking against people playing the victim and claiming victimhood. Who do you think is a victim? To me every one who died is a victim, regardless of his religious affiliation. Do you agree? And if you do then how can you accuse me of blaming the victim? You do it because in your opinion only one side is victim. Let me make my stand clear. I am against tit for tat violent mechanism of sorting out disputes involving individuals/groups. But I will stop short of lecturing people on such issues, because I have no right to do so. But I have every right to ask my govt. to deal each such issue impartially and efficiently. I gave a hint of one example out of restraint. There are more to it than what is currently in circulation. People blame the tree when it becomes too big to block the sun while forgetting that small seed that gave birth to it. The truth is more than the two opposing communities it is the UP govt. who is the real culprit. An example in context is the Gujarata 2002, when the State Govt sided with Hindu communal forces; in the present instant the UP Govt. is protecting Muslim communalists keeping an eye on the Muslim votes in coming election in 2014. In short, there would have been no riot if there were ‘no Shahnwaz‘, ‘no murder of the garbage collector’, ‘no rape of the Dalit woman’. One is ok, maybe two; but three were too many for those at the receiving end. I am not justifying anything, merely having a peep inside the pit of this madness.
ET mods allow me to respond to a hater who has directly accused my character. Allow a balanced debate if you believe in free speech. @ Brute force: Do you have a conscience? This is because a person who advocates ill towards a particular religion or country with such intensity can be easily assumed to be lacking one. Before I give my personal details to a complete stranger who unlike me doesn't even use his real name to spread his brand of biased thoughts please inform me what are you doing on a Pakistani newspaper's website?
ET, Please allow this..
@Talha Rizvi:
"would remain mute in case the victims were Hindus?"
Do you have a Pakistani Passport, Talha? If you do, then you have personally discriminated against Ahmadis, by signing a document.. well, you know..
So, a person who can discriminate against one minority can easily be assumed to remain muted, at the least, in discrimination of another. Isn't it?
Before you start commenting, please inform us if you have a Pakistani passport or not.
I admit. India is a 'sham' democracy.
Et mods I've asked you to allow me to respond to someone who has directly addressed me Please allow this comment in the name of freedom of speech. @ Brute force: Your comment is extremely distasteful. By the way what gave you the impression that I support the killing of shias or would remain mute in case the victims were Hindus? Your comment is sheer mudslinging and it seems that you're unused to giving a direct answer to my Queries. @ Alann: You're right you're condoning these murders but would have gone overboard if such an incident had taken place in Pakistan. @ Anand: You're mentality is known as BLAMING THE VICTIM. Google it and please don't justify this heinous act.
As long as Hindus are discriminated against by Congress, SP and such parties and the minority appeasement policies continue, such incidents will continue. Hindus make no apologies for retaliating against anything we perceive as a threat to us. Hindus will also react to acts that we perceive as giving Muslims any advantage over us. The days when the Congress, SP and Muslim leaders assumed that Hindus are docile and would roll over are gone. We do fight back and we fight ruthlessly if you did not notice.
@Maula Jatt @Talha Rizvi
Comment by all means, that's why we are here. But at least look at the facts, and see who, how and why it all started. The following 3 links might be usefull.
http://www.tehelka.com/what-led-to-the-muzaffarnagar-communal-riots/
http://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/timeline-of-muzaffarnagar-riots-eve-teasing-incident-led-to-mur-27571.html
http://www.mid-day.com/news/2013/aug/280813-three-killed-in-up-after-girls-harassment.htm
No sane person would support communal violence. But the responsibility of maintaining communal harmony rests on the members of all communities, minorities included. It can't be the responsibility of the majority alone, particularly when there is ample provocation from the minority emboldened by inaction and blatantly partial attitude of the State Govt.of UP.
@Anand: I am appalled at how some people are justifiying the killing of so many innocent people! While eve teasing is itself Loathsome, slaugthering communities for an individual act is Inexcusable.. Girls get harrassed every day in shinning India, but it does trigger communal violance. By your twisted logic as long as harrasment is from the members of the same community, its ok. If it not, you will justify it?
@Talha Rizvi: "Shame on you for justifying the murder of innocents."
I'm in no way justifying the murders. All I'm saying is this incident would not have occurred in the first place if girls had not been harassed, and if the police had decided to act swiftly by catching the miscreants quickly before it could turn into a major communal fight that cost 28 lives.
@Talha Rizvi:
Please tell me how do you know the 21 who have died are Muslims? For all we know the 21 who have died could be Hindus..
This is a Muslim dominated area and I don't see any reason why the casualty would be Muslims.
If it were Hindus your reaction would be much muted wouldn't it. Just like when Shias are dragged out of buses and shot in Pakistan.
@Vakil: The people of Quebec are happy in Canada. Unlike your version of democracy, we held a referendum in 1995. Majority (although very very slight) stated they were happy in Canada. We dare you to do the same in the many parts of India where an over-whelming majority want independence. Metis and other First Nation people (you call them 'Eskimo?') do not want independence. They wanted more rights and the Canadian government has given them to them. Do you really want people to believe that Canada terrorizes its citizens and is a sham democracy? Unlike India, we don't maintain our armed forces in cities (650 000 + in occupied Kashmir). Indian forces have mass murdered people in many parts of India and rape is considered a tool to subjugate and humiliate people. Our human right records are something that is celebrated all over the world. We don't have regular genocides where the majority picks out and kills people of minority sects and rape their women.
It's amazing that no one here wants to know of how, why and by whom it all started. Hint: If there were no Shahnawaz from the village of Kawla in UP, there would have been no riot. It's that simple. Don't be lazy, search the net.
@Alann: Shame on you for justifying the murder of innocents. @mac: Do you own India because calling for expulsion of any people falls in category of Hate speech. Go spread your venom elsewhere. @ Brute force: You are right. The pattern is that Indians will always defend attacks on muslims yet keep harping on the virtues of their country. @ Ajit sharma; Had the issue started with harassment of Muslim girls you would be calling muslims Backward, Terrorists etc. Learn your own faults before criticizing others. @ Babu: Your moronic statement gives no credence whatsoever to this discussion thread.
@ex-Indian ,Asad@NYC
India will be always Secular Democratic India Just Not For Muslims . All Non-Muslims will Live Peacefully . It's Secular For Hindus , Sikh , Christens , Buddhist etc. Non-Muslims
@BruteForce: @mac: @Arijit Sharma: @Alann:
What happened to 'SECULAR & DEMOCRATIC' India?
@mac: In order to achieve lasting peace, I suggest the following:
1) Kashmir needs to be given to Pakistan where it belongs (they look like Pakistanis and every Indian knows they are closer to the Pakistani culture and the Indian army is terrorizing them).
2) Extreme North-East needs to be given to China (they are closer to Chinese culture - they look like southern Chinese. People from Sikkim are no where close to an average 'Indian' looking).
3) Khalistan needs to become independent. The majority want it. India claims to be a democratic nation and they should respect the say of the people.
4) Southern 4 states (Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka) need to be united with Sri-Lanka and a separate country called Dravida-Nadu needs to be established. (culturally, that country would be viable and compatible).
5) East and West Bengal need to be united into an independent country - Bengal (it existed for hundreds of years!).
6) Portugese control should be restored to Goa. It was forcefully annexed by the Indian army (just like so many other places in India).
Note:- I am not a Pakistani. I am a happily settled Goan in Canada and am deeply concerned about my country - Goa (under Portugal).
The bottom line is that Jinnah has been proven right through these decades, again and again. At the same time, his vision should not be faulted for the current conduct of our people.
You feel that your ancestors did a right job by migrating to Pakistan or asking for a separate country by seeing the incidents on other side of the border and we feel that our ancestors did a right job by not migrating to Pakistan by seeing the incidents happening over there......It might be good from your side, but not mine.......Myself being hailing from Kerala, the southern state of India never had any kind of these incidents. I don't know why, may be because the people here are more literate and educated than the Northern Indian states.......May be, I am not sure......
@Zain India has 40% of world’s child brides, survey finds. Forty-six per cent of women (between the ages of 18 and 29) in India were married before the age of 18, according to the National Family Health Survey-3
According to a report 70% Pakistanis marry their first cousins.
It's clear here...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013Muzaffarnagarriots
@mac: OK then first thing India should do call itself a hindu state. Why hide behind secularism?
Two nation Theory is Right Muslims Should Be deported from Indian and Importing Non-Muslims from Pakistan
Hindus getting killed even in Majority it Shows Intolerant Nature of Muslims all over world , Recent News In Philippines Muslim Terrorist attacked Major City.
@usman: What about SP and congress?
@BruteForce: Are you saying the Indian army and Hindu extremists are behind this as they were in Godhra? Isn't it obvious. Most of the victims seem to be Muslims again.
Two nation theory will always remain relevant as far as sub-continent is concerned. Here is one of many examples
@Alann: India has 40% of world’s child brides, survey finds. Forty-six per cent of women (between the ages of 18 and 29) in India were married before the age of 18, according to the National Family Health Survey-3. It is estimated that there are 23 million child brides in the country, around 40% of child brides globally. Global human rights NGO Breakthrough, working in districts of Hazaribagh and Gaya (in Bihar) and Ranchi in Jharkhand found that over 60% of women between the ages of 20-24 were married before 18. TIMES OF INDIA SEPTEMBER 09, 2013
Stop killing innocent Muslims of India!!!
The area in question is Muslim Majority. So was Godhra. See a pattern?
Riots following the pattern of Gujarat Riots Where similarly matters are escalated to win souls and minds of people on communal lines. BJP and Modi wants to win UP and only possible if people are divided on communal lines
I condemn this news article. This is all misinformation!
@tsk tsk tsk Possibly because ET staff are civilized and are not inciting hatred ? Perhaps for the same reason they report "sectarian strife" in Pakistan instead of reporting Sunnis and Shias are killing each other all over Pakistan?
Communal violence? It's a Hindu-Muslim violence in secular India. Tribune: Why do you always put in positive spin on such news coming from India?
Trouble started with the harassment of Hindu girls.
So, the Election preparations have already started in most populous (and one of the most poorest & illiterate) state of India. A golden opportunity for the self styled 'saviors' of Hindus and Muslims to swing into action even as most population rots in slums and dies of hunger & malnutrition.
Stop passing comments and harassing (in this case, Hindu) girls and such incidents will not happen. Is it that hard? The situation escalated rapidly over a few days' time in the still "backward" under-developed state of Uttar Pradesh. If the police had taken the necessary action instead of hoping the situation will die down, these deaths by some fanatics from both communities could've been prevented.
Very unfortunate. Hope peace is restored at the earliest.
The Patriots will now start with all sorts of arguments. The bottom line is that Jinnah has been proven right through these decades, again and again. At the same time, his vision should not be faulted for the current conduct of our people.