Ruling Class

9th September 2013 – Press Release on Muzaffarnagar Riots

UP Committee of CPI(ML) ND has expressed its deep anguish at the massive loss of innocent lives and property in the communal clashes that have erupted in Muzzafarnagar and adjoining districts and has appealed to the people to maintain restraint. It has severely condemned the continous communal mobilization done by BJP and others in the entire area against muslims since August 27 incident of village Kawal. The callous and inept handling of the inflamatory situation by SP govt shows that the UP govt has actually connived to allow these clashes to take place.
There are very serious doubts about the August 27 incident of alleged eve teasing, a muslim youth being killed and then 2 brothers being lynched. The August 28th incident was first reported as an accident nvolving two motorcycles. The video circulated by BJP MLA Sangeet Som is 2 years old, it took place in a foreign country and has nothing to do with this incident. This is a full replay of the Gujarat game plan carried out by Amit Shah and Narendra Modi in 2002 where throughout Gujarat they made emotive propaganda of “safety of Hindu girls” under attack by muslim boys and unleashed communal attacks on muslims. It began as a RSS laboratory of communalism and is being replayed in Muzaffarnagar. CPI(ML) demands an immediate enquiry by a sitting Supreme Court judge into this incident.
BJP began holding communally charged ‘condolence meetings’, ‘Dharm Sansads’ and ‘Khap Panchayats’ in several centres and were supported by BKU, RLD and Congress leaders. BKU leader Rakesh Tikait has been close to the BSP and is opposed to the SP. BJP held a bandh in Muzaffarnagar on Sept 5, 2013. It held a dharam sansad in Devikund of Deoband. This was banned but the ban was not propagated. People were allowed to gather and later permission was given for a Maha Yagya in Mahakaleshwar Gyan Mandir.
BJP sponsored “panchayat to protect Bahu-Beti” was permitted on Sept 7 in Nangla Mandaur. Mobilization for this took place through several preparatory public meetings from 31st onwards in several villages in Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Shamli, Meerut, Baghpat and others. Chaudhary Hukum Singh (BJP), Sangeet Som (BJP MLA from Sardhana), BKU president Ch Naresh Tikait, spokesperson, Rakesh Tikait, Surendra Singh of Deshkhap, Mullick of Gathwala Khap, Ex MP Harendra Mullick of Congress gave inflamatory speeches and spewed venom against muslims. BJP MLAs Lokendra Singh Chauhan Noorpur and Bhartendu Singh Sadar and Lok Dal MLA Swami Omved freely rallyed people from Bijnor through the Ganga barrage which is the only road route. Last minute bans were imposed but deliberately not implemented.
The incident shows that the state administration is itself highly communally polarized and has delibearately permitted the RSS to conduct anti muslim propaganda in order to inflamed passions. DGP UP Devraj Nagar and other officials have made repeated helicopter landings only helped them.
Several riots took place in UP in Faizabad, Pratapgarh, Kosikalan, Barielly, Mussorie in Ghaziabad, Allahabad, Lucknow, etc since SP govt came to power in 2012. In all these muslims became the target of aggressive Hindutwa communal forces with the administration and police freely siding with them and booking several false cases against the muslims who have themselves suffered losses. The attempt has been to polarize the vote bank with Lok Sabha elections in mind. While the SP govt deliberately allowed communal forces to rally and reach a point of attacking the minorities. Then it has tried to rally the muslims through granting some relief to victims through its own party leaders amongst muslims, even though it has failed to live up to freeing innocent Muslim youth who were charged as terrorists by the erstwhile BSP govt and Congress govt and are in jail for long without even a chargesheet.
This game plan has helped all ruling class parties which do not want people to pay any attention to the anti people policies of the central and state govts which are making peoples’ lives miserable. They all want that forceful displacement of farmers and city poor to hand over land to corporates, armed displacement of small shops to help FDI in Retail, massive price rise, freedom to corruption in high offices, devaluing rupee, rising unemployment, etc should not become election issues.
CPI(ML) ND calls upon the people to rally unitedly to oppose and defeat the communal designs of ruling class parties, particularly BJP, which want to divide the people and divert their political attention.
(Dr. Ashish Mital)
Secretary