Vikram singh
SPNer
- Feb 24, 2005
- 455
- 418
Communal riot in Jodhpur; Idgah, Muslims shops burned
Jaipur: Several Muslim worship places including an Idgah were damaged and several shops of Muslim villagers were burned by rioters in Balesar Durgawta village in Jodhpur, home district of Rajasthan CM Ashok Gahlot. When the police intervened the rioters, mostly from Gahlot’s Bandhu Mali caste, pelted stones on police team. In subsequent police firing a rioter was killed.
The violence erupted on May 22 on construction of a NREGA project road. The Balesar Durgawta village, 75 kms from Jodhpur, has a dry river with Muslims and Hindus localities on opposite sides. “The two communities had agreed to give land for the road equally from their side but the majority community later denied and started construction work taking land only from Muslim side. When the Muslim locality objected, the other side threw stones at their homes. Later they damaged some Muslim worship places including an Idgah and burned several Muslims shops,” Siddique Ramzani, Secretary, Majlise Mushawarat, Jodhpur told TwoCircles.net on phone. He had led a fact finding team of Jodhpur based Majlise Mushawarat to the village.
When the local police intervened to stop violence, the rioters pelted stones on the police team forcing them to leave the scene. Later a heavy police enforcement was sent to control the situation. They first used tear gas and lathi charge to disperse the mob on rampage. When failed, the police had to resort to firing, killing one rioter on the spot, and injuring others. Only then situation was brought under control.
“In the violence, Muslim worship places, shops and Idgah were damaged. The residents were attacked with weapons. When police came to control the rioters, they started stone pelting on police, SP rural Sharat Kaviraj and other policemen were injured and they retreated. Then police restored to lathi charge, tear gas and when failed to control they started firing, one rioter was killed on the spot,” said Ramzani.
To create peaceful atmosphere, a peace committee meeting was called by the administration on May 28 in which compensation amount was distributed. But according to Mushawarat and other media reports, the state government discriminated while disbursing compensation amount.
The family of deceased rioter was given Rs 5 lakh and a job and other injured from the Bandhu Mali community was given Rs 2 lakh, 1 lakh and 50 thousand. On the other hand, only Rs 10,000 was given for damaged Idgah while Rs 2-3 thousand to the damaged shops and injured from the Muslim community. The community has refused the checks.
“The Mushawarat delegation found that in Gahlot regime, communalists are feeling bold and minority community, because of absence of justice, is feeling helpless,” Ramzani added. The Mushawarat delegation included its members Md Ali, Md Ayoub and Siddiq Ramzani
Jaipur: Several Muslim worship places including an Idgah were damaged and several shops of Muslim villagers were burned by rioters in Balesar Durgawta village in Jodhpur, home district of Rajasthan CM Ashok Gahlot. When the police intervened the rioters, mostly from Gahlot’s Bandhu Mali caste, pelted stones on police team. In subsequent police firing a rioter was killed.
The violence erupted on May 22 on construction of a NREGA project road. The Balesar Durgawta village, 75 kms from Jodhpur, has a dry river with Muslims and Hindus localities on opposite sides. “The two communities had agreed to give land for the road equally from their side but the majority community later denied and started construction work taking land only from Muslim side. When the Muslim locality objected, the other side threw stones at their homes. Later they damaged some Muslim worship places including an Idgah and burned several Muslims shops,” Siddique Ramzani, Secretary, Majlise Mushawarat, Jodhpur told TwoCircles.net on phone. He had led a fact finding team of Jodhpur based Majlise Mushawarat to the village.
When the local police intervened to stop violence, the rioters pelted stones on the police team forcing them to leave the scene. Later a heavy police enforcement was sent to control the situation. They first used tear gas and lathi charge to disperse the mob on rampage. When failed, the police had to resort to firing, killing one rioter on the spot, and injuring others. Only then situation was brought under control.
“In the violence, Muslim worship places, shops and Idgah were damaged. The residents were attacked with weapons. When police came to control the rioters, they started stone pelting on police, SP rural Sharat Kaviraj and other policemen were injured and they retreated. Then police restored to lathi charge, tear gas and when failed to control they started firing, one rioter was killed on the spot,” said Ramzani.
To create peaceful atmosphere, a peace committee meeting was called by the administration on May 28 in which compensation amount was distributed. But according to Mushawarat and other media reports, the state government discriminated while disbursing compensation amount.
The family of deceased rioter was given Rs 5 lakh and a job and other injured from the Bandhu Mali community was given Rs 2 lakh, 1 lakh and 50 thousand. On the other hand, only Rs 10,000 was given for damaged Idgah while Rs 2-3 thousand to the damaged shops and injured from the Muslim community. The community has refused the checks.
“The Mushawarat delegation found that in Gahlot regime, communalists are feeling bold and minority community, because of absence of justice, is feeling helpless,” Ramzani added. The Mushawarat delegation included its members Md Ali, Md Ayoub and Siddiq Ramzani
