An RSS-backed panchayat that has been called in Muzaffarnagar on October 10, and a Rashtriya Lok Dal-inspired rally scheduled for October 12 in neighbouring Meerut, with seemingly different agendas, could see a fresh spurt of divisive politics in western Uttar Pradesh, an area that was rocked by communal violence last year and led to 40,000 Muslims fleeing their homes to take shelter in refugee camps.
Friday’s Muzaffarnagar panchayat — that has awakened memories of last year’s mahapanchayat where inflammatory speeches by local Jat leaders led to communal violence — its convenor Virendra Singh told The Hindu telephonically, has been called to demand that the recent murder of three labourers in the district be declared as a “communal incident” so that their families can get the compensation that those who are victims of communal violence get — and that includes a government job.
The three murdered men belong to the Jatav, Valmiki (both Dalit) and Kashyap communities, so the fervour that was seen among the dominant Jat community may not be on display on Friday, Mr Singh – a Jaat himself – said.
But by insisting that it be seen as a communal incident there appears to be an effort to revive the tension seen last year that so polarised Hindus and Muslims in the Lok Sabha elections that the BJP swept the polls in the region.
Simultaneously, RLD chief Ajit Singh has called a rally on October 12 under the banner of “Chaudhary Charan Singh Smarak Banao Sangharsh Samiti” ostensibly to demand that 12 Tughlak Road be declared a memorial for his father and the former Prime Minister Charan Singh but, in fact, it will mark the start of his efforts to revive his party.
Communities at warThe RLD that traditionally drew its strength from the Jat-Muslim combine found its base totally eroded after last year’s communal violence left the two communities at war with each other.
The rally is being described as a “political family get-together” as invitations have been sent to the Samajwadi Party, the Janata Dal-United, the National Conference, the Biju Janata Dal, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi and the Janata Dal-Secular — many of whose leaders are expected to show up.
For Mr. Ajit Singh, this will be his first effort after the Lok Sabha polls to demonstrate that he still has political clout in the region and sources say, he is expecting over a lakh and a half to show up as Jat leaders and khap heads from Haryana and western UP have all been sent invitations.
Those who are likely to attend are former PM H.D. Dewe Gowda, former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, JD(U) president Sharad Yadav, RJD president Lalu Prasad and SP leader Shivpal Yadav. Congress Chief Ministers Harish Rawat and Bhupinder Singh Hooda, NC chief Farooq Abdullah, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Telangana CM K. Chandrasekhar Rao too, have been invited.
With the RLD rally an attempt to bring anti-BJP forces on one platform in Meerut, and the Muzaffarnagar panchayat an effort by pro-BJP forces to revive the communal tension of last year, western UP will continue to be a contested site.
