In the last few months of 2015, the State saw a spate of communal incidents.
In September-end, a Ganesh idol procession turned violent in Bagalkot district, leading to scores of vehicles, shops and two houses being torched by rioters, apart from 10 policemen sustaining injuries. As many as 69 people were arrested. Two months later, Kogadu and Mysuru districts saw clashes over the State government’s decision to celebrate Tipu Jayanti.
These incidents and the police action following the clashes has seen the State come second in the National Crime Records Bureau’s (NCRB’s) tabulation of communal riots in the country, released on Tuesday. Moreover, with 163 cases recorded in 2015, Karnataka has seen a drastic rise of 330 per cent in the incidence of clashes (In 2014, 38 cases of communal clashes were recorded in the State).
Suresh Bhat Bakrabail of Karnataka Komu Souharda Vedike said the increase tallies with the communal incidents reported in newspapers in the State which he records meticulously. In 2014, he said, there were 173 communal incidents in the State, which increased to 228 in 2015.
“The violence of the right-wing Hindutva groups seems to be spreading from the coast towards Malnad. Issues of cow slaughter and nationalism are being raised for violence — which is a trend across the country. Moreover, parties see a political advantage in stoking violence here,” Mr. Bakrabail said.
‘Police proactive’However, Alok Mohan, Additional Director-General of Police (Law and Order), said the number of cases was not indicative of an increasing violence — rather, it was indicative of proactive policing.
“The moment communal incidents flare up, the police land at the scene, restore calm and immediately take up cases against those involved … This is why there is no prolonged incidents of violence, and the situation is brought under control in a matter of hours,” he said.
Overall, however, cases of rioting (which need not signify violence and can also be filed for protests) have risen marginally in the State. Apart from cases categorised by the NCRB as communal, even cases of political riots have increased by more than 250 per cent.
