On 11th January 2013, a delegation of Left Parties and MSMRA, consisting of L. R. Rao, Rajesh Kulkarni, Hemant Malpure, Mukhtar Ahamad Ansari, Rahul Shelke, Shravan Shinde, Ramesh Parolekar, Irfan Maniyar and Kumar Shiralkar visited the riot affected areas and families in Dhule during the relaxation of curfew between 12 pm and 3 pm. The delegation could visit 11 families and collect the information about the damages and losses suffered by them. After directly talking with the affected persons, the following things were noted down:
1. Mohammad Salim Mohmmad Hasan: His ‘New Femous Motton Shop” was totally looted and gutted using kerosene and cooking gas cylinder. His total loss (cash, goods and property) is to the tune of Rs 12 lakhs.
2. Ayub Haji Subhan Kazi, Hanif Haji Subhan Khatik, Mohammad Haji Subhan Khatik: Their fish-chicken-bombil shop and residence was looted and burnt using kerosene and gas. The loss which includes cash and jewelry is Rs 8 lakhs.
3. Haji Suleman Khatik: Shop and house robbed and burnt. Rs 4 lakh cash and Rs 5 lakh worth of goods destroyed.
4. Asif Shekh Khatik Raiz: His “Asif Testy Chicken Centre” robbed and gutted using cylinder. Losses to the tune of Rs 6 lakh.
5. Jamil Bhai: His “New famous Chicken Centre” shop was looted and burnt. Loss Rs 6 lakh.
6. Jalil Al Mohammad Hasan: His ground and first floor house gutted using kerosene and gas. Rs 4 lakh of cash, 10 tolas of gold, 40 tolas of silver and property worth of Rs 25 lakh was looted including vessels.
7. Akeela Ikbal Shah, Iqlak Gulam Hussen: His ground and first floor small house was robbed and burnt along with the soap shop. Rs 60000 cash and gold 25 grams and silver 31 tolas looted.
8. Hari Nathu Patil: His house was burnt. Rs 15000 cash, One and half tola of gold and Rs 4000 worth silver robbed.
9. Rajkumari Kailaschand Agrawal: Her house burnt. Rs 40000 cash, 5 tolas of gold and 3 tolas of silver looted.
10. Dinesh Ratilal Sonar: His house was destroyed. Cash of Rs 5000 was looted.
All the above mentioned, are in and around Machhibazar and Madhavpura and less than half a furlong from Machhibazar Police Chouki and about 2 km from the DSP office. As every body knows, the Machhibazar area is communally sensitive since 1989.
How the event unfolded
It is reported that on 6th January 2013 at about 1.30 pm, a group of youth belonging to the minority community refused to pay the bill of Rs 20 to the owner of a small hotel owned by Mr Wagh, whose wife is NCP's elected corporator of Dhule Mahanagar Palika. Mr Wagh is a kerosene dealer. The workers in the hotel at the instruction of the owner beat up the youth. Then the youth went to Machhibazar Police Chouki, which is just opposite. But the police did not take cognizance of the complaint and hence there was altercation between the youth and the police. Then the youth left. In the meanwhile, more police came to the spot but they were not well equipped to tackle the situation. The youth came back with a big mob, which forced into the police chouki, threw the furniture and destroyed some papers and registers. When the police tried to pacify them they did not heed, became restless and started throwing stones, bottles, bricks at the police.
The mob from majority community gathered and started burning and looting some of the minority houses. The minority mob from other side burnt and robbed few houses of the majority community. It was reported that when police came fully equipped with force, though late, they could not first make any announcement on loud speaker to get the crowd dispersed. It is not clear whether the Sub Divisional Level officer in charge of the area was present there and from where the orders to fire and shoot came from. But it is reported in the press that acid and chemicals were used by the mob and many police personnel was injured. It was also reported that the orders to shoot were also received from higher authorities if the mob goes out of control. Instead of using other means like tear gas, water cannons etc, the police first started firing rubber bullets and then the lethal ones. Total number injured are more than 200 out of which 7 have succumbed to bullet injuries. Those who died belong to the minority community. When our delegation visited the affected area, we were told by the minority victims that the police only targeted the minority and in some cases helped the rioters to loot and destroy their establishments.
What conclusions can be drawn?
1. Dhule town is prone to the communal riots.
2. Burning and looting of property is becoming the norm of the day.
3. Leaders of bourgeois political parties are eager to get electoral benefits from riots.
4. The Sangh Parivar and Islamic fundamentalists are very much active in Dhule of late.
5. Arms, chemicals, lethal weapons are compiled by communalist leaders of both sides.
6. The religion-based communal hatred is continuously propagated among the youth.
7. A section of unemployed youth is addicted to drinking, smoking and drugs.
8. The real problems of day to day livelihood, employment and income have taken a grotesque form.
Some immediate and long term solutions:
1. Relief to those victims who are very poor and lost everything.
2. The through enquiry of the incidence, action against the police excesses if any, arrest of the culprits and stringent punishment.
3. The formation of ‘Mohalla’ or ‘Basti” committees on the lines of Bhivandi pattern. Common cultural programmes to create social harmony.
4. Implementation of Sachar Committee recommendations.
L. R. Rao,
Branch Secretary, CPI (M),
Dhule City.
1. Mohammad Salim Mohmmad Hasan: His ‘New Femous Motton Shop” was totally looted and gutted using kerosene and cooking gas cylinder. His total loss (cash, goods and property) is to the tune of Rs 12 lakhs.
2. Ayub Haji Subhan Kazi, Hanif Haji Subhan Khatik, Mohammad Haji Subhan Khatik: Their fish-chicken-bombil shop and residence was looted and burnt using kerosene and gas. The loss which includes cash and jewelry is Rs 8 lakhs.
3. Haji Suleman Khatik: Shop and house robbed and burnt. Rs 4 lakh cash and Rs 5 lakh worth of goods destroyed.
4. Asif Shekh Khatik Raiz: His “Asif Testy Chicken Centre” robbed and gutted using cylinder. Losses to the tune of Rs 6 lakh.
5. Jamil Bhai: His “New famous Chicken Centre” shop was looted and burnt. Loss Rs 6 lakh.
6. Jalil Al Mohammad Hasan: His ground and first floor house gutted using kerosene and gas. Rs 4 lakh of cash, 10 tolas of gold, 40 tolas of silver and property worth of Rs 25 lakh was looted including vessels.
7. Akeela Ikbal Shah, Iqlak Gulam Hussen: His ground and first floor small house was robbed and burnt along with the soap shop. Rs 60000 cash and gold 25 grams and silver 31 tolas looted.
8. Hari Nathu Patil: His house was burnt. Rs 15000 cash, One and half tola of gold and Rs 4000 worth silver robbed.
9. Rajkumari Kailaschand Agrawal: Her house burnt. Rs 40000 cash, 5 tolas of gold and 3 tolas of silver looted.
10. Dinesh Ratilal Sonar: His house was destroyed. Cash of Rs 5000 was looted.
All the above mentioned, are in and around Machhibazar and Madhavpura and less than half a furlong from Machhibazar Police Chouki and about 2 km from the DSP office. As every body knows, the Machhibazar area is communally sensitive since 1989.
How the event unfolded
It is reported that on 6th January 2013 at about 1.30 pm, a group of youth belonging to the minority community refused to pay the bill of Rs 20 to the owner of a small hotel owned by Mr Wagh, whose wife is NCP's elected corporator of Dhule Mahanagar Palika. Mr Wagh is a kerosene dealer. The workers in the hotel at the instruction of the owner beat up the youth. Then the youth went to Machhibazar Police Chouki, which is just opposite. But the police did not take cognizance of the complaint and hence there was altercation between the youth and the police. Then the youth left. In the meanwhile, more police came to the spot but they were not well equipped to tackle the situation. The youth came back with a big mob, which forced into the police chouki, threw the furniture and destroyed some papers and registers. When the police tried to pacify them they did not heed, became restless and started throwing stones, bottles, bricks at the police.
The mob from majority community gathered and started burning and looting some of the minority houses. The minority mob from other side burnt and robbed few houses of the majority community. It was reported that when police came fully equipped with force, though late, they could not first make any announcement on loud speaker to get the crowd dispersed. It is not clear whether the Sub Divisional Level officer in charge of the area was present there and from where the orders to fire and shoot came from. But it is reported in the press that acid and chemicals were used by the mob and many police personnel was injured. It was also reported that the orders to shoot were also received from higher authorities if the mob goes out of control. Instead of using other means like tear gas, water cannons etc, the police first started firing rubber bullets and then the lethal ones. Total number injured are more than 200 out of which 7 have succumbed to bullet injuries. Those who died belong to the minority community. When our delegation visited the affected area, we were told by the minority victims that the police only targeted the minority and in some cases helped the rioters to loot and destroy their establishments.
What conclusions can be drawn?
1. Dhule town is prone to the communal riots.
2. Burning and looting of property is becoming the norm of the day.
3. Leaders of bourgeois political parties are eager to get electoral benefits from riots.
4. The Sangh Parivar and Islamic fundamentalists are very much active in Dhule of late.
5. Arms, chemicals, lethal weapons are compiled by communalist leaders of both sides.
6. The religion-based communal hatred is continuously propagated among the youth.
7. A section of unemployed youth is addicted to drinking, smoking and drugs.
8. The real problems of day to day livelihood, employment and income have taken a grotesque form.
Some immediate and long term solutions:
1. Relief to those victims who are very poor and lost everything.
2. The through enquiry of the incidence, action against the police excesses if any, arrest of the culprits and stringent punishment.
3. The formation of ‘Mohalla’ or ‘Basti” committees on the lines of Bhivandi pattern. Common cultural programmes to create social harmony.
4. Implementation of Sachar Committee recommendations.
L. R. Rao,
Branch Secretary, CPI (M),
Dhule City.
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