Situation remains calm in Western Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur area, on Tuesday – the day of Id-ul-fitr.
The violence which broke out last week was a result of >land dispute between two religious communities in the Qutub Sher police station area of Saharanpur.
Curfew was partially lifted in the ‘old city’ area of Saharanpur between 7 and 11 in the morning, and between 3 and 7 in the evening in the ‘new city’ area.
Saharanpur District Magistrate Sandhya Tiwari said, “After reviewing the situation we would decide on the whether to continue with the curfew.”
Ms Tiwari said 22 FIRs had been registered against the people involved in the communal riots, and 43 persons had been arrested on the basis of the FIRs. “The police arrested 33 persons under preventive action,” she said.
Three persons died, and 34 were injured in the riots, she said. Ms Tiwari said that there were five security personnel amongst the injured.
According to survey done by the city administration, 165 shops were burnt during the riots, but, the number might increase after completion of the survey. Also, 42 vehicles, and a house got damaged in the riots.
Saharanpur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajesh Pandey said, “The people still continue to violate the curfew by coming on the streets. When the security forces stop them, they take it as some kind of harassment.”
Mr Pandey said that the people shouldn’t violate the curfew rules strict actions will be taken on the violaters.
‘black Eid’
A discomforting silence prevailed in the vicinity of Saharanpur’s Qureshan Masjid – the neighbourhood where Mohammad Sarfaraz lived. Sarfaraz, an 18-year-old, was among the three killed in communal violence that broke out on
Three persons were killed and 34 were injured in the riots, which flared up Tuesday’s Eid. The festival when the Muslims end their month-long fasting with feast and gaiety could not bring cheer to Sarfaraz’s family. The neighbours too were grief-ridden.
Mohammad Sherawat Qureshi, resident of the Mandi police station area who wore a black cloth around his arm, said, “This is to show my grief. My family is not celebrating.” Two, amongst the three dead, were from Mr Qureshi’s neighbourhood.
In the morning at the Idgah on the Ambala road, thousands of people offered ‘namaz’ after curfew was partially lifted between 7 and 11. The town remains under curfew; and as Muslims themselves remained cagey, the usual amity associated with Eid gave way to fear and suspicion. Saroj Yadav, a resident of the Gurudwara road, recalled the past celebrations. “The streets would be crowded. People exchanged sweets with their friends and neighbours.”
“But, the riots have altered our relations with the Muslims. There seems to be a divide. The side they occupy is now called the ‘old city’ and our side is called the ‘new city’,” Ms Yadav added.
Prior to the riots the Sikhs too celebrated Eid with the Muslims. Gurbachan Singh, who runs a vegetable store on the Gurudwara road said, “Everyone celebrated all festivals together, but, now the relations between the Sikhs and them [Muslims] have been hampered.”
Some odd residents stood out by not letting the ocassion pass without a gesture of fraternity, however. “Rishi ‘bhai’ visited us to extend his greetings,” Kafeel Ahmed of Qutub Sher area said, about his Hindu friend.
In many areas under the Qutub Sher police station which have high Muslim population, many shops are owned by the Hindus. Mr Ahmed said the shops in his neighbourhood which were owned by non-Muslims were left untouched during the riots. He suggested that there was brotherhood between the different communities in the neighbourhood.
Nazim Ali, another resident of Qutub Sher police station area said, “We are here and we will not harm their property. It is the politicians and the administration that are causing problems between us.”
After the riots, the Qutub Sher Police Station has emerged as a dividing line between the Gurudwara road residents and residents of the ‘old city’.Nishat Alam, a resident of the ‘old city’ area said, “We cannot meet anyone from the Gurudwara road to wish them on Eid. But, we have wished our friends over the phone".
