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With the current riots in Uttar Pradesh being dubbed as the worst ever since independence, civil society in Lucknow is sitting down to re-assess the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP)'s record in tackling communalism.
UP-based political activist Ram Kumar told Business Standardthat even in 1992, when UP is judged to have seen the worst communal tension ever in the wake of the demolition of the Babri Masjid, it was the state police and paramilitary which had been used to quell the violence. This is the first time in recent history that the Army has been deployed in UP.
Since the SP has come to power in UP, a 100 small and big caste and communal riots have taken place in the state. Many of them have been over trivial issues like where garbage should be dumped (leading to a clash between Dalits and Muslims) and perceived encroachment on Waqf land. But the massing of two communities on such a large scale , and that too in rural areas, political observers say, is a first.
The empowerment of one community, should not but often is, seen at the cost of the disempowerment of another. When Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati was in power, her patronage to the Dalit community led to a feeling that whatever their crime, the Dalits would not be prosecuted for them. This led to encroachment of Waqf property which, in turn, led to tension between Dalits and Muslims. This tension was exacerbated when the SP came to power, supposedly on the back of the Muslim vote and the Muslims tried to get their encroached land back.
In the initial days of the SP coming to power, the pattern of communal tension was different. But as the clamour for Narendra Modi became louder and Amit Shah was announced the Bharatiya Janata Party's man in charge of Uttar Pradesh, a campaign began to get Modi to UP to contest the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. This, in turn, led to Muslim fears and insecurities which manifested themselves through exaggerated assertions of the need for protection.
The last such event was the suspension of IAS officer Durgashakti Nagpal who was targeted by the state government allegedly because action taken by her caused religious tension. Nagpal warned persons in a Muslim-dominated village against attempting to build a mosque on government land. No complaint was made by villagers and they razed the construction themselves. But it was Nagpal the state government suspended. On the other hand, when communal tension could be seen building up in Muzaffarnagar for over two months, the government did nothing, preferring to watch from the sidelines.
UP-based political activist Ram Kumar told Business Standardthat even in 1992, when UP is judged to have seen the worst communal tension ever in the wake of the demolition of the Babri Masjid, it was the state police and paramilitary which had been used to quell the violence. This is the first time in recent history that the Army has been deployed in UP.
Since the SP has come to power in UP, a 100 small and big caste and communal riots have taken place in the state. Many of them have been over trivial issues like where garbage should be dumped (leading to a clash between Dalits and Muslims) and perceived encroachment on Waqf land. But the massing of two communities on such a large scale , and that too in rural areas, political observers say, is a first.
The empowerment of one community, should not but often is, seen at the cost of the disempowerment of another. When Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati was in power, her patronage to the Dalit community led to a feeling that whatever their crime, the Dalits would not be prosecuted for them. This led to encroachment of Waqf property which, in turn, led to tension between Dalits and Muslims. This tension was exacerbated when the SP came to power, supposedly on the back of the Muslim vote and the Muslims tried to get their encroached land back.
In the initial days of the SP coming to power, the pattern of communal tension was different. But as the clamour for Narendra Modi became louder and Amit Shah was announced the Bharatiya Janata Party's man in charge of Uttar Pradesh, a campaign began to get Modi to UP to contest the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. This, in turn, led to Muslim fears and insecurities which manifested themselves through exaggerated assertions of the need for protection.
The last such event was the suspension of IAS officer Durgashakti Nagpal who was targeted by the state government allegedly because action taken by her caused religious tension. Nagpal warned persons in a Muslim-dominated village against attempting to build a mosque on government land. No complaint was made by villagers and they razed the construction themselves. But it was Nagpal the state government suspended. On the other hand, when communal tension could be seen building up in Muzaffarnagar for over two months, the government did nothing, preferring to watch from the sidelines.
