The relationship of riots with politics

We and not the government will have to be active to avert a second a calamity like Muzaffernagar in future, concurs this dissertation. The mistake that we are committing is that we are not looking within our hearts. During the delicate times of violence, we have been adding fuel to the fire. If we could met out hard punishment to the administration at fault, perhaps no second Muzaffernagar will happen in future. The article suggests some remedial cure to this vexatious problem also.

The problem is that due to which disease of secularism, our country had to be divided into separate nations, despite the passage of over 65 years of independence, this disease is afflicting us. The disturbed harmony in Kishtwar, then Nawada and now in Muzaffernagar are the instances of this continuing sordid saga. We all have lost something of our own in all these riots. Each of us has received the punishment of migration. Our materials and property have been destroyed. Pain, trouble and dishonor have to be worn by not any one community. Both suffer in the process. The result is that, somebody commits the act while we all pay the cost of it.

Right after the independence itself, the social fabric of the country has been shredding at short intervals. In some so called secularist persons, this monstrosity like tendencies flare up engulfing the entire area, district, state or nation within its tentacles. Losing everything after this, we engage ourselves again in living with our daily chores treating the incidents as the plays of Mother Nature. Sometime we accuse the secularist forces responsible for riots, yet the other times we point towards the political parties and their leaders and after that, we think our duty to have ended.

In fact, the mistake lies here. We are not searching ourselves from within. On the contrary, shirking away from our responsibilities during such times of rioting, we stoke the fire by adding oil to it. Could a few fanatics mislead you? Could a few self-serving political leaders use and abuse you to such a degree calling you a vote bank? Riots in UP are the ugly consequences of the vote bank politics. If you shall listen to the voice of your inner self, those fistful of wicked individuals can never ever misguide you. Social harmony will prevail. The motives of those out to destroy the social harmony shall never be fulfilled. They will have to eat soil. Under the circumstances, it is the bounden duty of all of us to maintain social harmony at any cost. This issue is vital the most.

Tragedy is the victim of conspiracy

Communal riots flared up earlier too. However, the tendency and nature of riots have changed 8th decade of last century. The riots, formerly, were confined to roads. People used to come out in the open on roads being agitated after smallish skirmishes and the beating and thrashing used to start. Daggers and spears were in use those days. Since the riots were limited on roads, getting control over them was easier.

People tell the stories that at that time in Kanpur in 1946; the riot that had begun was from a smallish mishap. A boy was out to encash a forged 'Atthanni' (a half of a rupee). When he succeeded in getting it exchanged, moved back to his home shouting out of sheer joy 'chal gai, chal gai' meaning thereby, he succeeded in exchanging his fake atthanni. People thought rioting has started. Out came, spears, daggers and batons. Several innocent lives were lost and markets were closed down.

In the 9th decade of last century, riots entered homes from roads. Choppers and sickles were replaced with petrol and bombs. Riots were triggered after a deliberate planning with the sole aim of breaking the backbones of a particular community experiencing prosperity in the decade of seventies. This factor would emerge up if the evaluation of destruction in riots of the lives and property is done.

Narrow nationalistic mind-set were present from early on in India. This trend was prevalent among Muslims, but no room was left in it after the division and gradually this finished. In the decade of nineties, this trend caught hold of a chunk of the Hindu society with intense force. Provocative speeches of some of leaders confirm this.

Effects of Ram Janmbhoomi and Mandal commission

Ram Janbhoomi movement would not have left such a major influence had the Mandal commission been not introduced at the same time. The high class of Hindu society felt threatened from the reservation lest their status is not grabbed up. The middle class supported BJP just for the reason that probably the BJP would be in a position to stem the tides of the boils of the lower strata. The middle class
Was least influenced with BJP with its Hindutva agenda. Since then, BJP is always in the loon aggressive politics to establish an aggressive politics with the help of RSS and VHS. The way by sidetracking all the top brasses of BJP, Modi is being brought on the forefront underscores the point why Modi thunders in his rallies with so much of aggressiveness. RSS think tank is of the opinion that BJP can come to power only through an aggressive brand of politics.

Riots-deeply connected with politics

Riots have a deeply related with the politics of election. Riots are not mishaps but are carried out in a well-planned manner, which are directly connected with the vote bank politicking. An American writer has written in his book 'Election and vote', "When the election approaches, number of riots increases".

Particularly in our country, where people still vote on religion and caste basis, relation of riots and politics goes deeper down. Political parties want to create such an equation to win elections that the communities whom they expect to vote in their favor could be brought under their umbrella and they tend to create divisions into the vote banks of other parties. Something similar has happened in Muzaffernagar.

What is sickening about these political parties?

Some parties are of the view that there develops a division between Hindu and Muslim on the national level so that the votes of a particular community rain in their bag. This is generally given off the name of 'polarization'. This weapon has been in use for a long time since the pre-independence era. It was high time now for the accountability on people's representatives were also fixed up.

The problem is that no matter how hard a political party tries, not the whole of any community is likely to vote in its favor en masse. That power cannot quit dreaming for the polarization of politics is another matter altogether and in this way, cannot come back in power. We should understand that the politics of polarization is a double-edged sword that slashes both ways in which the chances of gain and loss always stand straight.

Riots big in size cannot happen without state's connivance

I am of the opinion that that any riot in India cannot continue for more than 24 hours. If the violence of communal riots continues in any area for more than 24 hours, it could be said that the state itself wants it. This consent of state could be in any form-in form of its criminal inactivity, silent approval or active silence. My contention does never mean that if the state so wants; peace shall be restored within 24 hours in any riot-affected area. Nevertheless, I certainly subscribe to the idea that despite all the good intentions of state, though isolated incidents of small type of violence shall keep on happening in the remote areas of state but the scene of riots of a major scale cannot happen without the active green signal of the state.

For the last several years, a bill is waiting to become law against communal violence. Had this law been framed, its specialty could have given it a separate identity from other Indian laws. For the first time round, compensations for the riot victims has been provided for in this. This compensation will not be based on the conscience of court or politicians. Today, the situation is that the politicians declare compensation packages according to their own calculation for those dead in riots or whose properties shave been destroyed. For example, different compensation are announced for the people of different communities who have died or whose properties have been destructed in similar situation. Courts too do not follow uniform measuring yardsticks. For the first time in this bill, institutionalized attempt has been made. Secondly, there is the provision inserted into this bill for pinpointing the responsibility. This is an interesting matter, that the police or the magistracy have never been punished for their lapses during the happenings.