भीड़ बाहर से आयी और पुलिस अगर चाहती तो ये सब रुक जाता, पर सबसे बड़ी भूमिका पुलिस की ही रही हिंसा मे- फ़ैक्ट फिंडिंग रिपोर्ट

दिल्ली: दिल्ली सांप्रदायिक हिंसा (Delhi Riots) कई मजदूर संगठनों के कार्यकर्ताओं ने दिनांक 27, 28 व 29 फरवरी को हिंसाग्रस्त इलाकों में पहुंचकर प्रभावित लोगों का दर्द बांटने, जरूरी इमदाद बांटने और हिंसा का जायजा लेने का प्रयास किया। इनके अनुभव को हम यहां साझा कर रहे हैं।

दंगा ग्रस्त दिल्ली के जाफराबाद, चांदबाग, खजूरीखास व यमुनाविहार में घूमने तथा वहां के साथियों से बात करने के बाद हम इस निष्कर्ष पर पहुंचे कि यहां दंगा नहीं हुआ। जो हुआ वह पुलिस के सहयोग से संगठित संघी गुंडा गिरोह का हमला था। हमलावर बाहर के थे। सीएए, एनआरसी और एनपीआर विरोधी आन्दोलन ने जनता को काफी सचेत और अनुशासित किया है। सभी मुस्लिम बहुल इलाके में रहने वाले हिन्दू परिवार निडरता और भरोसे से रह रहे हैं, इनका किसी तरह का कोई नुकसान न हो इसके लिये दिन-रात पहरा दिया गया। मुस्लिम महिलाओं ने मानव श्रृंखला बनाकर एक मंदिर को बचाया। हिन्दू इलाके में भी इसी तरह की घटना सुनने को मिली। मुस्लिम समुदाय की तरफ से केवल रक्षात्मक बचाव किया गया। 2002 के गुजरात दंगों और 2020 के दिल्ली दंगों में अंतर कोई था तो वह था कि पुलिस और संघी गुंडे एक हो चुके थे और निर्लज्जता की सारी हदें पार कर गये थे। यहां तक कि ड्रेसें भी एक-दूसरे की पहन रहे थे और वर्दी भी दंगाई थी।

शिव विहार मोहल्ले में मुस्लिम समुदाय के घर जला दिए गये लेकिन हिन्दू पड़ोसियों ने उन्हें जान पर खेलकर छिपाया और सुरक्षित निकालने में मदद दी। मुस्लिम मोहल्लों में एक भी हिंदू और मंदिरों को आंच नहीं आई।

खजूरीखास में मुसलमानों की दुकानें जलाई गईं पर बगल की हिन्दू दुकान छोड़कर। इस सांप्रदायिक हिंसा के सम्बन्ध में यह कहा जा सकता है कि जितने हिंदू मरेंगे उतना बीजेपी को फायदा होगा क्योंकि उससे हिंदू डरकर बीजेपी को वोट देंगे। आईबी अधिकारी अंकित शर्मा का कत्ल सरकार के इशारे पर हिंदुत्व के गुंड़ों द्वारा ‘जय श्री राम’ के नारे लगाते हुए किया गया। ताहिर खान को सरकार मुसलमान होने के नाते बदनाम कर मुसलमानों के खिलाफ नफरत भड़काने के लिए साजिशन पूरा षड््यंत्र रच रही है। सरकार के पैसों से चलने वाले ज़ी टीवी और दूसरे चैनल जान बूझकर झूठ फैला रहे हैं। इस हिंसा में मुसलमानों ने हिंदू मंदिरों की रक्षा की। उनकी दुकानें जला दी गईं उसके बावजूद उन्होंने हिंदुओं के घरों की और मंदिरों की हिफाजत की है। भाजपा का इरादा बहुत बड़ी हिंसा करने का था लेकिन सोशल मीडिया पर लगातार वीडियो आने और बात के सामने आते जाने के कारण भाजपा इस बार इतनी बड़ी तादाद में हत्या नहीं करवा सकी। लेकिन भाजपा लगातार और दंगा करने की कोशिश में लगी हुई है।

अब सरकार सीएए (CAA) का विरोध करने वाली मुस्लिम औरतों और नौजवानों को डराना-धमकाना और उन्हें फर्जी केसों में फंसाने की धमकी दे रही है। शाहीन बाग और उस तरह के सैकड़ों प्रदर्शनों में जो मुस्लिम महिलाओं एवं युवाओं का नेतृत्व उभर कर सामने आया और उसने संविधान, लोकतंत्र और धर्मनिरपेक्षता की रक्षा करने का जो संकल्प देश के सामने पेश किया है, उससे भाजपा बुरी तरह घबरा गई है। भाजपा द्वारा मुसलमानों के खिलाफ जो नकारात्मक आतंकवादी की छवि और उनके खिलाफ जो माहौल बनाया जाता रहा है, मुस्लिम औरतों ने शाहीन बाग जैसे प्रदर्शनों के जरिए भाजपा द्वारा बनाई गई मुसलमानों की छवि को बिल्कुल बदल दिया था। इसलिए यह दंगे करके शाहीन बाग आंदोलन को बुरी तरह से कुचलने और मुसलमानों की सुधरती हुई छवि की प्रक्रिया को रोकने के लिए भाजपा द्वारा कराए।

इस समय कपिल मिश्रा को हटा कर मीडिया ने ताहिर हुसैन को दंगे का असली खलनायक सिद्ध करने के लिए अपने सारे कैमरे वहीं स्थिर कर लिए हैं। मुस्लिम बहुल इलाकों के सारे मंदिर सुरक्षित खड़े हैं और उन मंदिर की सुरक्षा के लिए वहां के पुजारी मुसलमानों को श्रेय दे रहे हैं तो जली हुई दरगाह और उजड़ी मस्ज़िदों की जिम्मेदारी किसकी बनती है, ये सवाल आज खुद से करना होगा। अगर हुसैन के मकान पर स्थिर कैमरे करावल नगर से थोड़ा आगे जा कर खजुरी पहुंचते तो उन्हें गली नं.-4 और गली नंबर 5 दोनों गलियों में तक़रीबन 35 मकान भी दिखते जिन्हें आराम से पुलिस की निगरानी में लूटा गया फिर जला दिया गया और उन्हें एक हिन्दू भी मिलता जो अपने जले घर को बड़ी ठहरी आंखों से देख रहा था। हमारे पूछने पर कि किसने जलाया तो उसने बताया कि डर से उन्होंने भी घर छोड़ दिया था लेकिन अनुमान लगाते हुए कहा ‘‘हिन्दुओं ने ही जलाया होगा।’’ अगर वो थोड़ी और जहमत उठाते हुए नन्हें नगर जाते तो उनका अपने घर से जान बचा कर भागी बदहवास स्त्रियों से जरूर सामना होता जिनका अब सब कुछ खाक कर दिया गया है सिवाय उन फटे कपड़ों के जो उन पर हुए हमलों से फट चुके हैं। हमसे बात करते हुये एक स्त्री अचानक टूट कर बिखर जाती है और जमीन पर दहाड़ें मार-मार कर रोने लगती है। आपको उनकी कहानी जरूर सुननी चाहिए। पर उनकी कहानी ना कोई मीडिया सुनना चाहता है ना कोई सरकार।

अब इस देश में कोई ऐसी संस्था नहीं बची है जिनसे हम कोई उम्मीद कर सकें। सत्ता और मीडिया ने पुलिस, डॉक्टर, आम लोगों और समाजसेवी संस्था में उनके लिए इतनी नफरत भर दी है कि उनके पक्ष में कोई खड़े होने का साहस नहीं कर सकता। आज जो उनके साथ खड़ा होगा वो उनमें शामिल मान लिया जाएगा। उनका भी वही हाल किया जाएगा जो आज मुसलमानों के साथ हो रहा है। पर आज नफरत का जहर जो मुसलमानों के लिए इस्तेमाल किया जा रहा है कल आपके खिलाफ भी इस्तेमाल होगा। ये जहर कभी जाति, धर्म, भाषा, क्षेत्र, नस्ल, अमीरी-गरीबी और भी अलग-अगल पहचान लेकर बार-बार वापस लौटेगा। तब तक अपना शिकार करता रहेगा जब तक आपके पास कुछ बचाने के लिए बचा होगा।

चंदुनगर में नावेद नाम के एक लड़के से बात हुई, उसकी शेरपुर चौक पर मेडिकल और कम्युनिकेशन की दुकान थी। उन्होंने बताया कि उनके कुछ जानने वालों ने उन्हें बता दिया था कि माहौल खराब है, समय से घर चले जाना। उसके मुताबिक 3-4 ट्रक से कुछ लोग आए, उन्होंने अपनी पीठ पर बैग लटका रखे थे, आते ही उन लोगो ने ब्।। के समर्थन में नारे लगाने शुरू कर दिए। उसके थोड़ी देर बाद पथराव शुरू हो गया। वो दुकान बन्द करके भाग गया। उसकी दुकान को आग लगा दी गई, वो बस सड़क की दूसरी तरफ से देखता रहा।

शिव विहार जाने का प्रोग्राम बना लेकिन तभी पता चला कि अल-हिन्द अस्पताल में घायल हुए लोगों को सबसे पहले लाया गया था। वहां एक सज्जन से बात हुई। उन्होंने बताया कि शिव विहार हिन्दू बहुल इलाका है, मुस्लिमों की आबादी बस 3000 है। वहां के मुस्लिमों को स्थानीय हिन्दू लोगों ने अपनी जान पर खेल कर बाहर निकाला और सुरक्षित इलाकों में पहुंचाया है। कुछ हिन्दू परिवारों को शिव विहार में अपने मुस्लिम पड़ोसी या दोस्तों की मदद करने के कारण देशद्रोही घोषित कर दिया गया, उन पर भी हमला हुआ, वो लोग भी अभी बाहर चले गए हैं।

सबसे बड़ी बात जो निकल कर सामने आई वो ये कि स्थानीय लोगों ने एक-दूसरे की मदद की है। हमला करने वाली भीड़ बाहर से आयी थी और पुलिस अगर चाहती तो ये सब पहले ही रुक जाता, सबसे बड़ी भूमिका इसमें पुलिस की रही है।

29 फरवरी को हम लोगों ने चांदबाग से सफर की शुरुआत की। भजनपुरा की मजार से होते हुए हम लोग आगे बढ़ते रहे, रास्ते में जली हुई दुकानों और जले हुए घर थे, कुछ लोग घरों के बाहर थे और पुलिस जगह-जगह तैनात थी। ताहिर हुसैन जो कि आम आदमी के पार्षद हैं और जिन पर आरोप लगाया गया है कि दंगों में उनका हाथ है। उनके वहां पर कुछ लोगों से बात हुई। एक हिन्दू महिला का होटल था उसमें आग लगा दी गई थी। महिला ने बताया कि भीड़ बहुत ज्यादा थी और वो किसी के भी काबू में नहीं थी बस तांडव कर रही थी। उस महिला ने एक पेड़ दिखाया जो कि सड़क पर था और बताया कि इस पेड़ को आप देखो कितने पत्थर और गोलियों के निशान हैं इस पर, उसने बताया कि ताहिर हुसैन के घर की छत पर बहुत सारे लोग थे और गोलियां और पत्थर चल रहे थे।

इसके बाद आगे बढ़कर हम लोग खजुरी एक्स्टेन्शन की गली नंबर 4 में पहुंचे। इस गली में हिन्दू और मुस्लिम दोनों ही रहते हैं, गली के बाहर जला हुआ सामना पड़ा था। इमरान नाम के एक व्यक्ति ने बताया कि वो इस गली में किराए पर रहता है और उसका घर भी जल गया है, इस गली में सिर्फ मुस्लिम घरों को निशाना बनाया गया, हिन्दुओं के घर को कुछ भी नुकसान नहीं पहुंचा। अधिकतर लोग मजदूर और रोज कमाने वाले हैं, और सभी बिहार से हैं। बताया गया कि सबसे पहले आग मस्जिद में लगाई गई, उसके बाद घरों को निशाना बनाया गया, लोग बहुत मुश्किल से जान बचा कर भागे और अब सब कुछ तबाह हो गया है। सामान सब जल गया है। सरकार की तरफ से घोषणा हुई कि जिसका मकान जल गया है उसको मुआवजा मिलेगा। लेकिन जो किराए पर रह रहा था उसका क्या?

एक लड़के ने बताया कि उसके सभी कागज जल गए हैं, कोई पहचान का कागज नहीं है। कैसे साबित करेगा कि वो यहां का नागरिक है। हमलावर भीड़ में अधिकतर लोग बाहर के थे, लेकिन जिस तरह से मुस्लिम घरों को निशाना बनाया गया उससे लगता है कि या तो पहले रेकी की गई थी या स्थानीय तत्व भी शामिल थे।

चंदू नगर में लोगों ने बताया कि भीड़ ने यहां पर हमला करना चाहा था तो गली में रहने वाले हिन्दू लोग आगे आए और उन्होंने भीड़ को भगाया, सभी लोगों ने मिल-जुल कर इस मुसीबत में साथ दिया। चन्दु नगर में भी मुस्लिम आबादी ज्यादा है। अधिकतर लोग यहां बेल्ट बनाने का काम करते हैं, उसकी वजह से उनके काम पर असर हुआ है। वो सप्लाई नहीं दे पा रहे हैं, आगे उसी गली में 3 हिन्दू परिवार रहते हैं, उनसे बात हुई वो लोग बिल्कुल सुरक्षित हैं, स्थानीय लोगों ने बताया कि इन्हें कोई दिक्कत नहीं आने दी जाएगी क्योंकि अगर इन पर कोई दिक्कत आती है तो लानत है हम पर।

(हिमांशु कुमार, खालिद खान, विशाल, ऋतिक, श्यामवीर, एवम् दीपक की रिपोर्ट के आधार पर)

मासूम के साथ गैंग रेप और हत्या करने को लेकर तीन को फांसी, सिर्फ चार दिनों में आया फैसला

राँची:  देश में बढ़ रहे रेप और गैंगरेप (gangrape) के मामलों के बीच, झारखंड की एक अदालत ने नाज़िर पेश करते हुए सिर्फ चार दिनों में सजा का एलान किया है।

छह साल की मासूम बच्ची के साथ सामूहिक बलात्कार (गैंगरेप) के बाद हत्या के एक मामले में दुमका की अदालत ने तीन लोगों को फांसी की सजा सुनाई है।

दुमका की कोर्ट ने ये सजा सिर्फ 4 दिनों में दिया और जिन तीन लोगों को मौत की सजा दी है उनमे एक बच्ची के सगे चाचा भी शामिल है।

5 फरवरी को दुमका के रामगढ़ प्रखण्ड की एक बच्ची, जिसके अपने चाचा ने ही अगवा कर, दो और लोगों के साथ समूहिक बलात्कार किया। फिर बच्ची की हत्या कर उसकी लाश को फ़ेक दिया था। 7 फरवरी को बच्ची की लाश मिली और फिर पिता ने अपने ही भाई सहित दो और लोगों के विरुद्ध प्राथमिकी दर्ज़ करवाया।

आरोपी चाचा इस घिर्णित कार्य को अंजाम देकर महाराष्ट्र भाग गए थे जहां से रामगढ़ पुलिस ने पहले उसे गिरफ्तार किया। उसकी निशानदेही पे दो और आरोपियों को पुलिस ने गिरफ्तार किया।

सिर्फ चार दिनों में सजा

केस की सुनवाई रात में भी चली और तीन दिनों में सुनवाई पूरी की गयी। चौथे दिन, मार्च 3 को रामगढ़ ज़िला एवं सत्र अपर न्यायधीश तौफीकुल हसन की अदालत ने तीनों आरोपियों- चाचा मिठू राय, अशोक राय और पंकज राय को पहले पोक्सो धारा के तहत दोषी करार दिया फिर फांसी की सजा सुनाई।

झारखंड की इतिहास में ये सबसे कम समय में कोर्ट के द्वारा दिया गया फैसला है। और ये उम्मीद की जा सकती है के इस तरह के त्वरित न्याय से झारखंड में गैंगरेप के मामले में कमी आएगी।

केस का नाम लिटल एंजल

कोर्ट ने कहा के बच्ची का नाम नहीं बता सकते, इसलिए उसे लिटल एंजल नाम दिया और कहा के इस केस को इसी नाम से जाना जाएगा।

हेमंत सोरेन की झारखंड वासियों को सौगात- 100 यूनिट तक बिजली फ्री, 100 मोहल्ला क्लिनिक खुलेंगे राज्य मे

राँची: झारखंड के लोगों को भी अब दिल्ली की तर्ज़ पे बिज़ली फ्री और मोहल्ला क्लिनिक की सुविधा मिलेगी। हेमंत सोरेन सरकार ने अपने पहले बजट में झारखंड के लोगों को 100 यूनिट तक बिजली फ्री देने का, और पूरे राज्य में 100 मोहल्ला क्लिनिक खोलने का ऐलान किया। साथ ही स्नातक तक पढ़े बेरोजगार को 5000 रुपए और स्नाकोत्तर कर चूके बेरोज़गार को 7000 बेरोजगारी भत्ता देगी हर माह। इसके साथ ही सरकारी विद्यालयों में कक्षा 1 से लेकर 12 तक के सभी वर्ग (सभी जाति) के छात्र-छात्राओं को छात्रवृति देने की घोषणा भी की गई।

हेमंत सोरेन सरकार ने आज साल 2020-21 के लिए बजट पेश किया। इसे वित्त मंत्री रामेश्वर उरांव ने झारखंड विधान सभा में पेश किया।

86,370 करोड़ का बजट पेश करते हुए वित्त मंत्री रामेश्वर उरांव ने बताया कि इसमें पूंजीगत व्यय के लिए 13,054.06 करोड़ का प्रस्ताव रखा गया है। राज्य का विकास दर आठ प्रतिशत पर रखने का लक्ष्य तक किया गया है।

बजट की खास बातें

शिक्षा और स्वास्थ्य पे ख़ास ध्यान दिया गया है।

किसान

किसानों के 50000 हज़ार तक के कर्ज़ माफ़ किए जाएंगे। इसके लिए दो हजार करोड़ रुपए खर्च का प्रावधान है।

शिक्षा

राज्य में जनजातीय यूनिवर्सिटी और आवासीय स्कूल बनाने के साथ बालिका शिक्षा के लिए भी घोषणा

प्रत्येक जिला मुख्यालय में एक विद्यालय में गुणवत्ता पूर्ण शिक्षा पर बढ़ावा देने की योजना।

डिजिटल शिक्षा के लिए 100 करोड़ रुपए का प्रावधान है।

स्वास्थ्य

आयुष्मान भारत योजना में जो लोग नहीं आते, उनका राज्य सरकार 5 लाख रुपए का बीमा करेगी। इससे राज्य की 92 फीसदी आबादी स्वास्थ्य बीमा के दायरे में आ जाएगी।

पीपीपी मॉडल से सभी जिलों में डायलिसिस केंद्र बनेंगे, 300 बेड वाला कैंसर अस्पताल बनेगा।

मोबाइल पशु चिकित्सा क्लिनिक की शुरुआत की जाएगी।

लोहरदगा, गढ़वा, खूंटी, रामगढ़, लातेहार, गोड्‌डा व बोकारो में नर्सिंग कॉलेज खोले जाएंगे।

एंबुलेंस सेवा का विस्तार किया जाएगा।

रोज़गार

50 हजार परिवार आजीविका से जुड़ेंगे, ईको टूरिज्म पर रहेगा सरकार का ध्यान

50 हजार परिवारों को आजीविका से जोड़ा जाएगा। सिंचाई के लिए 300 चेक डैम पूरे किए जाएंगे

रोजगार के बेहतर अवसर के लिए सेंट्रल प्लेसमेंट सेल का गठन किया जाएगा।

पर्यटन क्षेत्र में आगामी वित्तीय वर्ष में 50 हजार रोजगार का लक्ष्य रखा गया है।

आवास

बाबा साहेब अंबेडकर योजना के तहत पांच हजार आवास बनाए जाएंगे।

पीएम किसान फसल योजना में बदलाव होगा, झारखंड राज्य किसान राहत कोष का गठन किया जाएगा।

पीएम आवास योजना के तहत सृजित किए जाने वाले आवास के लिए 50 हजार रुपए अतिरिक्त राशि दिए जाने का प्रस्ताव है।

अन्य

कैलाश मानसरोवर यात्रा के लिए 1 लाख रुपए सब्सिडी

50 जिलों में सीएफटी योजना की शुरुआत होगी।

हर जिले में दो-दो कोल्ड स्टोरेज बनाए जाएंगे।

रसोइया सह सहायिका के मानदेय में 2 हजार रुपए की बढ़ोतरी होगी।

57 लाख परिवारों को अनुदानित दर पर खाद्यान के अतिरिक्त 10 रुपये में मिलेगा लुंगी, धोती एवं साड़ी। 200 करोड़ के प्रावधान।

Mamata returns Shah’s volley: ‘Apologize for Delhi Genocide’

Kolkata: “Delhi has suffered a planned genocide which was later camouflaged as a communal riot,” Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee said today while hitting back at Union Home Minister and BJP de facto chief Amit Shah who had accused her and other Opposition parties of triggering riots in West Bengal over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) yesterday in Kolkata. As Shah kept mum on Sangh Parivar’s role in the murderous frenzy in the national capital last week as well as on the nonchalance of the police force that reports to the union home ministry, Mamata slammed him for not offering ‘any apology’ despite the ‘loss of 50 lives so far and grave injuries to hundreds as well as want on destruction of properties and livelihood means for thousands’.

Addressing her party members during an indoor rally, a day after Shah’s high-octane speech to his party supporters to dislodge Mamata in 2021 assembly polls, the big sis of Bengal returned the volley from her friends-turned foes with gusto. “Our fights will continue till the ouster of the autocratic government in New Delhi. A dictatorship is in the making as they are trying to impose a presidential form of government with a one-party rule across the country,” she said.

Mamata mocked the ruling party at the Centre while mentioning BJP’s successive defeats in Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Delhi after the parliamentary polls last year. “Your arrogance and politics of communal polarization won’t pay anymore,” she roared. She even offered shelter and financial support to the Delhi victims.

Describing  BJP’s latest war cry—‘Desh Ke Gaddaro Ko, Goli Maro Saalo Ko (Gun down the traitors of the country)’ as ‘demonic and criminal’ Mamata shot back, “Who are you to decide about the identity of the traitors and punish them? It is the prerogative of people of India, not your government or party.” The ‘Goli Maro’ gangs which have included the hate-mongering speeches by Delhi BJP leaders like Kapil Misra had triggered the worst communal clashes in Delhi. Same slogans were chanted by BJP supporters while heading to Shah’s rally yesterday. Mamata said that strict actions would be taken against such people. The city police has arrested three of them.

 As Shah had tried to blame Mamata by harping on her ‘vote bank politics’ in Bengal based on ‘infiltrators’, read Muslims, she outflanked him by training her guns on UP’s Yogi Adityanath government for resorting to police brutalities and terrorizing practices to gag Muslims and secular Hindu protesters against the CAA. “There is no democratic right in the realm of Yogi bhai. Women do not have any voice there,” she said.

Shah and his lieutenants are trying to harvest the angst of Hindu refugees from Bangladesh in coming polls in Bengal by promising full citizenship under the CAA as well as ‘power to sons of the soil’, read Hindu Bengalis while accusing Mamata of being a turncoat on the emotive issue. The chief minister tried to outmaneuver them by describing the CAA as an ‘unnecessary but a deliberate design to divide people of Bengal and rest of India’.

“All refugees are already the citizens of India whether they had come before and after the Partition as well as those who walked in, post-liberation of  Bangladesh. The government should give it to those are left out after their applications. Why make religious differences among them and continue with your bloody game just to ensure your perpetual rule? Are not we sons of the soil? Will you deport us after your NRC?” she retorted. Mamata had earlier refused to implement the CAA-NRC-NPR while Shah ruled out a rollback yesterday. Mentioning the series of expulsion of Bengali-speaking people from the BJP-ruled Assam, UP and Karnataka after being suspected as Bangladeshi Muslims, as well as post-riot exodus of migrant labors from Delhi, Mamata punctured Shah’s promise to turn Bengal into a saffronized ‘Sonar Bangla’.

In her renewed effort to be rallying point for the non-Congress parties including the NDA partners of BJP like Bihar’s main ruling party JD (U), she urged the state chief minister Nitish Kumar and his Orissa counterpart Navin Patnaik to oppose the CAA. Bihar’s assembly polls are scheduled this year in November-December. The JD (U) had taken the initiative for the passage of an all-party resolution against the proposed National Register of Citizenship recently in the state assembly. “Biharis are also being driven out of Assam. I will ask Nitishji too raise his voice,” Bengal chief minister said.

But closer home, she was caustic against Left-Congress combo and accused it of trying to ‘fish in the troubled water’. Her traditional rivals in the state politics which have been diminished to a distant third force called TMC’s absence on Kolkata streets during Shah’s visit yesterday a proof for Mamata’s ‘setting’ with the BJP in order to ease the pressure on her minions booked in Narada-Sarada scams. She had met Shah in Bhubaneswar few days back. Today she returned the favor by describing the red and tricolor-holders as ‘in cahoots’ with the saffron party who spurned her ‘earlier friendly overtures’. As both BJP and TMC are sides are drumming up propaganda on good governance for municipal polls in April, the irony of continued mutual spats among secular parties is not lost on many who wish for an understanding of anti-BJP forces for the coming polls.

Shah promises Sonar Bangla, but his minions offer ‘goli’

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Kolkata: With Bengal’s Municipal Polls round the corner, de-facto BJP supremo and union home minister Amit Shah today played his Hindu refugee card promising them full citizenship while accusing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of throwing spanner in their wheel to appease her vote bank, read Muslims.

Amidst protests and slogans of ‘Go Back Shah’ across the city, he addressed a BJP rally at Shahid Minar maidan and said that opposition parties are terrorizing refugees by creating a false perception about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Blaming the TMC supremo of allowing riots in her state by opposing the law, he said, “As an opposition leader, Mamata Banerjee raised the issue of citizenship to refugees. But when Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought the CAA, she is standing with the Congress and the Left Front in Opposition to it.”

However, when home minister was addressing to partymen, during and earlier to it,  protest against his arrival at Kolkata hold by several political parties including Left and Congress. Student wings from many universities also took part under different banners and chanted Go Back Shah. Left leaders also alleged that TMC did not hold protest against Amit Shah as BJP and TMC  have ‘setting’.

BJP is keen to harvest the misgivings of Hindu refugees from Bangladesh, particularly, the lower caste Hindus who have migrated to West Bengal after the Bangladesh liberation war. Many of them were forced to leave during the successive military rules after the killing of Mujibur Rahman and specially during the BNP-Jamat-e-Islami regime. The most organized and politically coveted is the dalit caste group of namo sudros who are now divided mainly between Banerjee’s TMC and BJP. Many of late-comers are demanding citizenship rights since 2003 amendment of citizenship act had counted them among illegal migrants.

The latest CAA promises to fulfill their demands as it makes all non-Muslims illegal entrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan eligible for citizenship while denying the same from Muslims from these countries. It is another matter that there will be many a procedural hassles including self-declaration about illegal migration with the application for the citizenship right to be vetted and decided by intelligence agencies among others.

That BJP is hell bent to continue its politics of communal polarization despite the latest sectarian orgy in Delhi, Shah’s supporters raised the same refrains- “Desh Ke Gaddaron Ko, Goli Maaro Saalon Ko,” today in Kolkata too in their way to the rally. The same sloganeering had triggered the worst communal riots earlier this week in national capital which saw murders of 43 people, both Hindus and Muslims.

“Hate speech by a section of senior BJP leaders and ministers was seen as a key reason for the violence in Delhi that flared up earlier this week. Now the BJP is trying to create similar communal tension in Bengal,” Md. Salim, a CPIM polit- bureau member said.

However, neither Shah nor his lieutenants in the state BJP uttered a word on the Hindutva mob’s role as well as collapse of law and order there when United States President Donald Trump was present in the capital.

Launching BJP’s ‘Aur Noi Annay’ (No More Injustice) campaign in the state, Shah mentioned that the TMC supremo started ‘Didi Ke Bolo’ and now the saffron camp is starting ‘Aur Noi Annay’ to stop the atrocities and violence of the ruling Trinamool Congress.

As Shah was kept harping on his party’s impressive show during last Lok Sabha polls in which they bagged 18 out of 42 seats in Bengal, he was silent on BJP’s debacle in the last three assembly bypolls in 2019, after the outcome of the Assam NRC. The final list of Assam NRC has excluded more than 19 lakhs of people, most of whom are Bengali Hindus. After that Modi-Shah duo brought CAA to mollify the Bengali-speaking Hindus in Assam and Bengal with a eye to Bengal assembly polls in 2021, while harping on countrywide NRC-NPR to exclude the ‘lakhs of infiltrators,’ their euphemism for Muslims. But they seemed to have put foot in their mouth and tried to delink CAA and NRC-NPR in the wake of nationwide protest.

Post rally, the Union Home Minister visited iconic Kalighat temple. Coming out of the temple, he said he has prayed for BJP’s rule in Bengal to ‘Kali Kalkatta Wali’.  It is an irony that Mamata Banerjee, also known as the human avatar of the deity, stays nearby.

Amit Shah, will you listen to poorest of poor and their fears regarding CAA-NRC?

Kolkata: Anwari Bibi and Dukhni Devi are not aware of today being UN Zero Discrimination Day to renew the global resolve to celebrate people’s right to lead a productive and dignified life in a world that promotes inclusion, compassion, peace for change and oneness of human family. Neither they knew of how Amit Shah, Union Home Minister, thundered about the BJP government’s vow to bulldoze opposition against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) that discriminates between Muslim and non-Muslim illegal immigrants, once again at Kolkata’s Shahid Minar area. However, Shah, the second in command of Prime Minister Modi, aka BJP-RSS ‘Goli Maro’ army should listen to these poor three women who live in the shanties lining the boundary of Park Circus Maidan, which is now being called Kolkata’s Shaheen Bagh.

This happens to be the border where the Muslims and Hindus divide dissolve and the beggars and rag-pickers, balloon-sellers and rickshaw-pullers belonging to both the community live together at the margin of both communities and class barriers. The struggle for them remains the same right from facing all kinds of exclusion and discrimination in their daily struggle for survival for decades including periodic displacements, mostly forced. However, the three-prong citizenship matrix of the Saffron regime—CAA, National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR), has emerged as the mother of all fears for them—denial of their Indian citizenship and being sent to the detention centre for not being able to prove their nationality.

“I have been living here for the past 40 years, ever since my husband died. I have lost everything. How can I prove where I was born, forget about my parents and husband,” rued 80-year-old Anwari Bibi. Sitting beside her, is Dukhni Devi, a lower caste landless, migrant from Bihar’s Samastipur. Devi, in her sixties, had landed in the city years ago with her disabled child Ranjit to eke out a living. “Our area is flood-prone. We lost many things including papers in successive floods. How can I produce the kagaz that the government is asking for,” asks middle-aged Dukhni.

Amit Shah Go Back CAA NRC NPR citizenship Bengal BJP poor poorest
Youth Congress protesters block the road near Esplanade chanting Amit Shah Go Back slogan

Both the elderly women said they have managed to get Voter Card even Aadhar card with the help of good Samaritans in the neighbourhood. “Lekin Sun Rahi Hu Ke Woh Kagaz Bhi Nahi Chalega. Toh Hum Kaha Jayenge? Kya Karenge? ” a visibly worried Dukhni asked. “I will go nowhere. I was born here and have lived my entire life here and it is here that I will die,’’ her senior neighbour insisted. More stubborn was Razia Bibi, a balloon-seller. “Can Modi provide his own birth certificate or that of his parents? Did he forget his chaiwala days? Why the hell he is tormenting poor people like us? Earlier, he made our lives miserable with note-bandi. The rich people would think twice to buy our balloons or give us alms, since they were cash-short. Wasn’t it enough for Modi?”, she said raising her voice. Will Amit Shah and his followers ever listen to these marginalised people?

While these people were venting out their woes, anti-CAA protesters including those from the Left parties and Congress along with the civil society groups came out on the streets of Kolkata to decry Shah’s visit and demand for his resignation in the wake of Delhi’s communal frenzy. At Ramlila Maidan, a civil society rally was organized under the banner- You Spread Hatred, We Spread Love. Addressing the rally from make-shift podium Shaheena Ashgar, a homemaker made a plea to Shah. “I am the home minister of my family and a mother too. You are the HM of the country; you are supposed to show a motherly concern to all member of the nation. How can you beat up students of your children so mercilessly? How can you unleash your murderous mobs on to the people of Delhi in the name of Ram and Bharat Mata,” she asked in a quivering voice.

Wali Rahmani, a young student leader and orator who had called the rally led the participants as they chanted together, “Hindustan Zindabad, Samvidhan Zindabad, Hindu-Muslim Ekta Zindabad, Inquilab Zindabad.”

Recalling the different generations of martyrs of Indian freedom struggle and friendship among them irrespective of caste, region and religion, Rahmani spoke passionately about the camaraderie between Ramprashad Bismill and Ashfaqullah Khan of Bhagat Singh era. “They fought united and died together. Now, this is our second freedom struggle – Hindu Aur Musalman, Desh Ke Liye Jaan Qurban,” he asserted. As the police blocked the rally’s route to BJP Headquarters, few meters away from the protest venue, he urged all the participants not to break the police cordon and requested the police officials to allow them to send a delegation to the BJP office. “We intend to hand over a bouquet and a packet of sweets to the Union Home Minister, in the spirit of our central slogan, You Spread Hatred, We Spread Love,” he said. With the police refusing to pay heed to their request, apprehending ‘hostile response’ from Shah’s party members, the protesters passed on their ‘gifts’ to policemen deployed, in hope of it being sent to the BJP headquarter in Kolkata.

Amit Shah Go Back CAA NRC NPR citizenship Bengal BJP poor poorest
Students and members of Bhagat Singh Sena protest against Amit Shah during his Kolkata visit

Soumya Shahin, a young law professor and one of the organizers stated, “Shah being the Union Minister and BJP leader has the democratic right to address his supporters. But did he and his party care for the democratic rights of anti-CAA-NRC-NPR protesters in Delhi— right from Shaheen Bagh to Jafrabad? Who is responsible for the loss of 43 lives so far and the over 300 injured? Being the Home Minister, he was supposed to ensure the freedom and security of protesters. Neither he nor his police took any action to stop the communal frenzy and instigators like Kapil Mishra of his party.”

Meanwhile, Left parties waved black flags to Shah near the airport as well as some other parts of the city. Congress student body members too registered their protest at Esplanade, in the heart of the city. Chanting slogans like “Go Back Amit Shah, Amit Shah Bengal Chhodo”. They even recalled his alleged role during Gujarat 2002 Pogrom under Narendra Modi government. “Gujarat has been repeated in Delhi and now he has come to Bengal to spread the poison of communal polarization,” said one of the protesters. A similar protest was carried a few meters ahead, near Grand Hotel by the Bhagat Singh Sena. They were seen waving black flags-balloons with the national flag, the trans-community gathering was singing ‘Azadi’ songs which has become the signature tune of the citizen’s resistance against CAA along with Vande Mataram and National Anthem Jana Gana Mana. “Aaj Awaz Uthao, Ya Kal Bistar Uthao (raise your voice now or prepare to leave with your bag and baggage tomorrow),” was one of the warnings at many protest sites.

Unlike Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Kolkata, earlier in January, footfall at protest sites was less in number, today. However, anti-BJP parties, as well as citizen’s groups, said that they kept restraint and did not urge people to come out in large numbers given the communal tension in Delhi. “We did not want the saffron gangs to get an excuse to trigger violence and fan riots in Kolkata. Our resolve to fight against their discriminatory CAA-NRC-NPR is as strong as ever,” said Manzar Jameel, one of the activists.

I was in Seelampur protest site for 3 days and what happened to the protesting women and their families during the pogrom now haunts me

[dropcap]O[/dropcap]n January 27, a day after Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro visited India for the Republic Day programme I along with a friend visited the sit-in protest organised by the local women at Seelampur.

As soon as I alighted from the metro station I asked around for the location where the sit in was being held. A local auto driver asked, ‘Aap Woh Protest Ke Liye Aaye Hai Na?’. I replied affirmatively. He immediately warmed up to me and asked where I had come from? One thing led to another and as I got off at the sight of the protest the man thanked me for standing by them during these testing times.

Now a month later I can only hope that he is safe or at least not injured. I can hope. As I entered the site of the protest which was a make shift tent structure made with plastic on the side of the road there were about 80-100 odd women sitting in protest against the implementation of the CAA-NRC-NPR.

These women belonged to all ages and some were even accompanied by their children. Upon inquiry we were told that they had been sitting for about 12 days by then. The roads that led to the site of the sit-in from the metro station were lined with food carts like dal pakora, briyani, aloo tikki among others. There was market right behind the site. As the evening Azaan approached a sudden scurry of movement was noticed. Women jousting around in the over populated tent towards the carpet laid out for the evening Azaan.

As namaaz was offered the women took their turns and eventually returned to their spots in the sit-in. Their voices hopeful that they shall win, their spirits undeterred by the rabble of confusion created by the police outside.

A local Pinjra Tod activist caught us up with how the sit-in had been organised and how it had been proceeding. One interesting fact about this sit-in was that it was entirely initiated and led by the women from the local areas of Seelampur and Jafrabad.

According to the activist the initiative began out as silent marches in the locality which were taken out in protest of the situation at Jamia Millia University. As the marches continued every other evening, so did the police interventions. Eventually one evening the police came in and picked up some local boys who were released a month later on unconfirmed charges. In one of the altercations a kebab seller lost his hand. All of this led the women to realise that they need to mobilise in different ways and register a larger protest.

After weeks of organising when they were about 700-800 women strong force they decided to start the sit-in. The sit-in is accompanied with sloganeerings, performance/poetry/inspirational speeches from different people and organisations that come in visiting. The women encouraged us to sloganeer with them and we gladly complied. The space was full of hope and I really believed that the conviction and strength with which the women had occupied the streets was undefeatable.

But the state which had all the machinery in the world to break common people’s lives down proved me otherwise. Today as I sit in the comfort of my home in Kolkata all I can wonder is how many of those women have lost their family members, or are running from streets to hospital? How many of them injured, how many of them raped? How many of them with broken, ransacked or burnt homes?

After spending three days with them, we left Seelampur after giving our aakhri Salaam. I returned to Kolkata but I will never forget the indomitable spirit of the women who occupied the streets and promised to continue till the law was amended and the policies were rolled back. The brute force utilised by the state will never be forgiven, far less forgotten. But what deserves a place in memory is the struggle of the women who left their ‘rasoi‘ to occupy the streets because they sensed the danger posed to their identities and their families. The sensed the upcoming violence which did arrive in due course of time. The women who lived their lives on the street for over a month, leaving the comforts of their homes should be remembered for their relentless battle, their patience and their perseverance.

One the third day as we were preparing to take our leave, we noticed a growing number of police patrols. Just observing, quiet, maintaining a distance, getting a lay of the land. I imagine at least some of them participated in the pogroms. I imagine they broke down CCTV cameras, I imagine they picked out the stones used by the Hindutva mobs for pelting, I imagine they beat people to sing the national anthem. I imagine those camouflaged monsters did all of this and worse. I imagine the women held their grounds, protected their families, kept running from room to room till there were no rooms to run into. I remember their powerful, resilient faces, smiling in the face of horrors and the possibility of their cries haunts me.

The possibility of their helplessness taunts me. The possibilities are endless. I witnessed the beginning of the end for so many stories or atleast the beginning of some evil person’s idea of the end. Yet, so many of those women have survived. That is how I will remember them. The women that led a battle on the streets, faced the terror of the state and survived.

Small lives Matter over Big Politics amid Delhi Cinders

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Delhi/Kolkata: Even if Prime Minister Narendra Modi has broken his silence by asking for ‘peace and harmony’ after four days of communal frenzy that broke over the divisive Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in north-east Delhi and has claimed at least 23 lives. Common people of the affected areas are mortally scared. Many of them are leaving their homes and moving on to secure places. Migrant workers from other states many of whom want to leave Delhi are not finding communications to move out. Their work-places have either been vandalized or closed down for an indefinite period as curfew has been imposed in the riot-hit areas. At the same time, it has become difficult for them to obtain food and shelter as most of the shops and markets remains shut.

 Migrants from Bengal

A group of 11 young labourers from West Bengal’s Murshidabad district is among them. Located in a mohallah at Gandachak in Maujpur area, one of the worst-hit places, they are seeking help from the Bengal government and TMC leaders in their native Nawda for their rescue. “We do not know any leader here. Our families in Nawda have contacted TMC leaders there. But we are yet to receive any help,” Kalam Shiekh, a 31-year youth from Khirmohoni village told eNewsroom over the phone on Wednesday afternoon. Others in the group are from the same village.

They had been working at a small factory that produces capacitors for electric fans for last three years. But the owner, a local Muslim, has shut down the workshop fearing for family’s lives. Though he had paid the Bengali workers their dues, they are now surviving on biscuits that they could buy from a local shop yesterday before violence recurred in the night.

“We are staying at our workplace since the trouble began. W e were terrified as we heard sounds of mobs screaming and gunshots or gas cylinders bursting at homes being gutted in the vicinity. We did not find police almost for three days. Ours is a Muslim-dominated area. Men and women were piling bricks, stones and other things on the terrace or rooftops to defend them in case of attacks. Violence recurred last night. Our eyes were burning even inside the locked room as police lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the mob closer by. We have moved to our rented place at another lane of the area this morning hoping for the rescue,” Shiekh said recalling the horror.

 This is their first experience of communal riot. “The area was peaceful and most people bothered about their livelihood only. But the tension has risen since this controversy over the CAA-NRC started to begin. We won’t come back unless and until the government rolls back CAA and peace returns,’’ he said.

Bangla Sanskriti Mancha, a social organisation active in Bengal districts, later networked with Delhi-based activists,Aam Admi Party and Delhi police to evacuate the migrant group. According to the Mancha president Samirul Islam, they have boarded Kalka Mail this morning way back home.

 Multi-faith peace initiatives at localities

 Meanwhile peace committees are being formed at the initiatives of local Hindus and Muslims as political leaders, either with secular claims or the BJP variety have vanished into thin air or are present only on Twitter. In Maujpur’s Vijay Park area, such a multi-faith committee has come up since the trouble had begun to guard the locality against the marauders from outside their area.

“I together with Shivji, Badalji, Panditji, Ajaypalji and others have spent sleepless nights since Sunday to keep vigil against trouble-makers. Police was hardly present. Whenever we called the local police station, we were told that all forces are out on duty. So around 25 Hindu, Muslim and Sikh neighbours have come together to form the Aman Committee to guard the road divides our Mohallahs and leads to Jafarabad, Gokulpuri, Bhramapuri, Chandbag and other disturbed areas. Last night too we did it while sipping the same tea and sharing the same worries. Peace March was organized in areas with mixed population in Brajpuri. That’s the Indian culture,” said middle-aged Amir Ali (name changed on request) to eNewsroom, a wholesaler of toys at Sadarbazar, originally from Bengal’s Birbhum district.

According to him, some motorbike-borne goons came, abused and fired upon the vigilant citizens with their war-cries of ‘Jay Sri Ram’ last night. “Fortunately, none was hurt. A CRPF patrol party came and left. Though violence has subsided, we are still sitting on a tinderbox. Ajit Doval (national security adviser) has visited Jafarabad and other areas. But police is deployed on the main roads linking the localities. People are still scared to venture out. No leaders from AAP, BJP or Congress have visited, to assure us with security and help,” Ali said.

 Build up to the frenzy

 A resident of Delhi since 1990, Ali had never faced such an ugly communal clash in the national capital. Amid the vicious political blame-game, he was remarkably balanced as he recalled the sequence of events after collating information from his friends and relatives in the troubled zones. According to him, BJP leaders and their larger RSS brethren were determined not to allow repeat of the iconic anti-CAA-NRC protest in south Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh in north-east Delhi’s Jafarabad -Saleempur area which had begun last week by blocking a part of a crucial road that connects Delhi to BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh. The entire zones houses a mixed faith population in the mainly poor neighborhoods which is full of migrant labours working in unorganized industries owned by petty businessmen in related markets. It was easy for BJP leader Kapil Mishra who was defeated by the AAP at the recently concluded Assembly Polls to rouse the Hindu sentiments against the Jafarabad protest on the pretext of traffic snarls and public inconvenience.

“People of all communities were inconvenienced by the partial road blockage. But Mishra’s inflammatory speech and threats on Sunday triggered mutual brickbats between his party men and the protesters,” the man from Birbhum said. Soon it was snowballed into a clash between two communities that gradually lead to the riots. Both sides targeted each other wherever the people of other community were vulnerable. Most of the rioters at both sides were youth. Mobs were instigated from some temples and mosques. In other localities, religious places were used for community gathering and warning against attacks through public address system. “Hindu members from our committee had intervened to stop such instigation from a nearby temple,” Ali recalled.

Bike-borne groups of armed BJP-VHP-Bajrang Dal were roaming around chanting hateful slogans, vandalising religious places, shops and establishment. They were intimidating mainly male commuters in autos and buses, forcing them to reveal their genitals to identify Muslims in a bid to loot or torture the victims. “Though much smaller in the scale, a section of Muslim youth too had resorted to communal violence. Both sides used illegal firearms. I saw from the rooftop of my house,” Ali said. According to him, despite its scanty presence, police had helped the saffron brigade in many areas. “In areas between Bramhapuri and Mohanpuri, the BJP supporters were raising slogans praising Delhi police while pelting stones under the wings of the uniformed men,” he said.

As it always happens, poorest of the poor are most affected as their livelihoods are at stake following the mindless violence. Nevertheless, the Hindutva hate brigades have begun targeting the most vulnerable among them by labeling them as Bangladeshis. “In Maujpur and some other areas, Bengali rag pickers who live in shanties have been threatened of eviction by calling them Bangladeshi infiltrators. The well-offs are yet to face such situations. But who knows when we too will be targeted,’’ Ali said.

His personal worries became more poignant when he referred to BJP’s proposed National Register for Citizens. “The NRC can pull the rug from under my feet by declaring me doubtful voter, an infiltrator because of my religion. The business and family life I have built over decades painstakingly will be demolished at the stroke of a bureaucrat’s pen. It’s too scary to think of.”

Delhi riots: India at crossroads of communal civil war and pluralist protests against CAA

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Parts of our National Capital Region (NCR) now resembles a war zone, albeit a civil war as many sane Indians have been apprehensive about the festering communal polarization over the divisive Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) passed by the BJP government and threats of its corollary projects of National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR). Rioters opposing and supporting CAA-NRC-NPR rioters have been allowed to enjoy free run in north-eastern Delhi under the nose of union home ministry since Sunday when the countdown for the much-hyped visit of US president Donald Trump and his family had begun. As the POTUS-FLOTUS were enjoying the LOTUS hospitality by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Ahmadabad’s upcoming Motera stadium on Monday noon, murderous mobs had already taken control of a good part of Delhi streets. While the US first couple was enjoying the sanitized serenity of Taj Mahal under a setting sun at Agra, the part of Delhi’s skyline was already aflame.

The NCR police that come under Union Home Minister Amit Shah are known as baton and trigger-happy as its recent crackdowns on anti-CAA students showed. But it has been soft-pedaling the latest violence despite widespread use of illegal firearms, arson at business centers and attacks on places of worships, apparently to avoid attention of the American media which was part of the presidential entourage. By the time the global big brother and our Motabhai ended their bragging and hugging sessions while showering mutually aggrandizing platitudes on Tuesday night, the sectarian orgy has engulfed almost every suburbs bordering UP. At least 20 people, both Hindus and Muslims including a policeman have lost their lives so far official count says. More than 150 people have been hospitalized, many with gunshot injuries. Hundreds of shops and homes as well as private and public vehicles have been gutted.

Although, the violence is evidently scripted and threatened about publicly beforehand, the political calculation behind the timing to trigger it during Trump’s visit is yet to emerge. The ruling party and the larger RSS Parivar was hell-bent on ending the nationwide protest against the CAA-NRC-NPR, symbolized mainly by the Muslim women’s sit-in demonstration at Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh for over two months. They failed to not only to dislodge the Dadis and Ammas of the Bag but also to effect a communal polarization among the predominantly Hindu Delhi electorate in recently held assembly polls despite a no holds barred hate and slander campaign led by Modi-Shah duo.

Seething with rage over their humiliating electoral defeat in the national capital after losing Jharkhand and Maharashtra successively, the ruling dispensation was waiting to unleash Hindutva forces for counter mobilizations on the streets. As many such dharnas were coming up at other localities including Zafarabad in the troubled zone, a BJP MLA, Kapil Mishra threatened to take law in their hand after the departure of Trumps if the police failed to clear the roads occupied by the ant-CAA protesters by that time. That threat apparently has triggered the current violence.

Many a Hindutva mob identified their article of faith by taking vows aloud to ‘teach Muslims a lasting lesson’ while ‘ensuring the implementation of the CAA-NRC-NPR to oust the menace forever’. They vandalized and gutted religious places but attacked journalists who were recording their misdeeds and forcibly erased the videos. It indicated a method in their madness. Scribes on duty were forced to show or prove their religious identity or communal affinity to get spared by the rampaging hordes. Police was either accused of helping the marauders or playing onlooker.

The Timing  

But it is yet to be ascertained whether the timing has suited Mishra’s masters or he and his likes acted over-zealously since Modi-Shah duo were presumably keen on showing total control over the home front while putting veils or raising walls to hide the ugly reality behind the spectacular shows as they did with the Ahmadabad slums. They were supposed to be anxious to impress upon the most coveted visitor and his home audience. It was an imperative in view of the bad press in liberal US media over the new religion-based citizenship matrix, systematic denial of political space for Muslims in India as well as continued detention of former chief ministers of erstwhile J&K after the unilateral abrogation of article 370 of Indian Constitution. Already, UN bodies and some US politicians as well as their European allies have expressed their concerns over these issues despite the increasing pressure from pro-Modi Hindutva groups in the Indian Diaspora.

Muslim Response

On the other hand, the anti-CAA Muslim groups, particularly those who were keen to tore apart the regime’s façade of normalcy and attract the attention of Trump and US media may have found Mishra’s threats as an invitation for a matching violence or an opportunity for the outburst of their pent-up anger. Blatantly communal police repression on Muslim students and youth in UP and Delhi that led to multiple deaths and destruction have already made the ground for them. Radicalized fringe but powerful groups with vested interests or myopic visions have been waiting at the wings as earlier street fights and gun-battles in UP had indicated. The arrest of a Muslim youth who was seen on TV screens brandishing pistol to a policeman, is a pointer to it.

Indeed, the violence drew Trump’s attention. But he brushed aside the anti-CAA protest as ‘India’s internal issue’ while reiterating his faith in Modi’s assurance on religious freedom. More fundamental was his repeated focus on the fight against global ‘Islamic terrorism’ and POTUS-LOTUS synergy on that mission.

However, most of the Muslim men and women across the country have so far shown exemplary restraint and courage, more importantly, political acumen by making their protests firmly rooted in democratic and constitutional ethos while harnessing it to the pluralist and inclusive strands of Indian nationalism of the freedom struggle era. Holding on the Indian tricolor and the constitution as the symbols of their protests, they have disarmed the fascist and jingoist RSS brand of Indian nationalism to a good extent.  Also, they have added a much-needed social constituency to a rekindled left-liberal imagination of India now being espoused by the multi-faith students across the campuses.

Disappointments

But a sense of disappointment has been creeping in many Muslim minds as secular opposition parties have failed so far to mobilize larger masses from the majority community in response to the war of attrition till 2024 since Modi-Shah duo have refused to budge on the CAA-NRC-NPR. The Congress, India’s grand old party, supposed to spearhead the battle to save the idea of pluralist India is still running like a headless chicken between an obsessive mother and his reluctant son. Their courtiers, old and young have become a galaxy of Twitterati, far removed from the sweats and bloods on the roads.

In the meantime, a profound majoritarian shift in the Indian realpolitik template as well as huge tilt in balance of power in between the executive and judiciary seemed to have become overwhelming despite the successive defeats of the BJP in states. The chief ministers of Congress-ruled states are paying lip-service to the anti-CAA protest while following soft Hindutva line at home. Even after a decisive hat-trick at the husting, the Delhi chief minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal too is evidently pursuing the same as it comes clear from his espousal of love for Hanumanji and seeking of prime minister’s ‘blessings’.

Most of the regional parties in the Hindi heartland which represent the SC-OBC communities including Bua-Bhatiza of UP and Chacha-Bhatiza of Bihar too are sitting tight on the fences, lest they lose their shares of Hindu votes more. Big southern parties except DMK are either with Modi or playing safe. Most of tribal groups too are also keeping distance. Bengal’s big sis Mamata Banerjee wants to hold her fort by balancing acts while aspiring to be the rallying point for non-Congress Opposition. But she refuses any space to other anti-BJP forces including civil society groups in her fiefdom.

Lefts, reduced to their all-time low presence in the parliament as well as in their earlier citadels of Bengal and Tripura are a pale shadow of their former selves, both in terms of ideological resolve and reach. Their failure to nudge the trade unions and peasant bodies under their influence in joining the social- political battle against fascist forces, notwithstanding periodic industrial strikes and peasant marches on economic issues, has limited the scope and strength of the anti-CAA-NRC-NPR protests to some big cities only.

The dangerous turn

Given the spate of BJP’s electoral defeats but disarray in the opposition, it is no wonder that the Sangh Parivar will now try to arrest its slide first by crushing the Muslim-led protest movements through counter mobilizations of Hindutva rioters and vigilante groups in Delhi, UP and other BJP-ruled states. Unspeakable state terror will follow. Uneducated and unemployed Hindu youths in the heartland led by the fanatics fed on dish full of Sangh delicacies on Dharm Yudh over the years, will be the foot soldiers of murderous campaigns. Angry and dejected, Muslim youths of same backgrounds would be too vulnerable to the baits. There is no dearth of Jihadis and other apocalyptic visionaries at their side too.

India is really now at crossroads. If the opposition, particularly, Congress and lefts are worth their salt it’s high time to hit the streets together with civil society forces to prevent a communal frenzy. Ensuring the democratic spirit and modes of protests against the CAA-NRC-NPR is important if we really keen to save the soul of India from the Sangh fascists.

Hemant Soren government at your finger tip (Tweet)

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Ranchi:  On February 22, when the news of National Health Mission’s vacancy (30 positions) for Community Health Officer (CHO), which was reserved for people of Jharkhand, was filled up by candidates hailing from Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, got flashed. Then several people including Giridih JMM MLA Sudivya Sonu, Tweeted, tagging Chief Minister Hemant Soren asked for action on the issue, and within 24 hours a probe was ordered into the matter, while the chief minister assured that the officials involved would be punished for the act.

A young doctor, Aditi Kashyap was travelling alone from Ranchi to Deoghar, when some policemen in civil uniform, chased 18 kilometers and stopped the car of Dr Kashyap in Giridih for some overtaking issue. They not only damaged her car but also beat her driver with the butt of the police rifle.

The doctor tweeted about this incident to Health Minister Banna Gupta and CM Soren from the roadside. And here also, within a day, the two policemen got suspended for their terrorising act.

Hemant Soren Government Twitter Jharkhand governance
The Tweet by Giridih JMM MLA Sudivya Sonu

These are a few incidents, in the everyday governance of Hemant Soren’s 58-day-old government. As a consequence hundreds of health, education and law and order related issues have been immediately sorted out with the direct intervention of Chief Minister Office (CMO), Jharkhand.

To talk on the swift action by Hemant Soren government using Twitter, the microblogging site,  eNewsroom contacted a member of Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s digital media communications team, who requesting anonymity said, “Twitter is a global platform which if used judiciously can be an effective tool to improve governance. Even before becoming the Chief Minister, Hemant Soren was one of the few leaders who addressed Twitter Chaupal in March 2019 to reach out to people, both offline and online.”

Jharkhand CM’s digital communication team member further informed, “The CM strongly believes that a people welfare centric approach is necessary and that vision should also be clearly understood by all the pillars of government.”

“Hemant Sir personally monitors all issues taken up or instructed by him through Twitter to ensure compliance and service delivery is strengthened and people start believing that governance is for them and led by them,” he said.

hemant soren government twitter governance Jharkhand
Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s reaction on a Tweet

He also mentioned that how during the previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government led by Raghubar Das government was using social media for propaganda and even Indian Administrative (IAS) officers were reprimanded by Election Commission of India (ECI) for getting involved. “So now the same DCs (deputy commissioners) who were reprimanded by ECI for participating in political propaganda on social media during the PM’s visit in 2019 September are taking necessary steps at appropriate levels.”

However, it is not going well with opposition BJP and Babulal Marandi, who recently joined the saffron brigade. Marandi said, “Hemant Soren is running his government on Twitter, there is no work visible on ground, it is a Twitter Sarkar.”

To which, some netizens commented, “It is not that government is being run on Twitter, but grievances are being addressed which is benefiting Jharkhand’s people.”

hemant soren government twitter governance Jharkhand
A comment by a netizen on BJP leader Babulal Marandi’s Twitter Sarkar jibe

And obviously, youth is at the centre of these exercise, “Youth in Jharkhand in spite of limited internet connectivity are using social media platforms. Twitter gives an instant connect and also marks accountability as well as responsibility in real time,” CM’s digital team member added.

Political analyst Vishnu Rajgariya believes that using Twitter to redress grievances is sign of a good governance. “The positive use of technology and social media is always welcome, as it will bring transparency and reduce corruption.”

Rajgariya played down on the ‘Twitter Sarkar’ jibe by BJP leaders. “If public work is getting done, then there is no rationale in questioning use of Twitter or any other platform. And during Suresh Prabhu tenure as Railway Minister, he used to respond on Twitter and people were also Tweeting about the problems they faced while travelling.”