NEW DELHI, April 10 (IOL) Indian authorities clamped a curfew in the hit town of Kalyan, 60 kms north of Mumbai, following Hindu-Muslim riots in which two people were stabbed to death and one died of shock.
The situation is "tense but under control", police sources said. Additional forces, including the Rapid Action Force, have been rushed to control the situation.
Trouble erupted in the Rohidaswada area of Kalyan after the body of an activist of Bajrang Dal, an ultra Hindu youth organization, was found with stab injuries. A mob went on a stone-pelting and stabbing spree and set ablaze houses and commercial establishments of the Muslim community, prompting police to open fire.
The mob also stabbed a Muslim woman who died later of her wounds. According to UNI, an official Indian news agency, a large number of houses and shops have been torched. No casualties have been reported so far in the firing. However, a couple of policemen were injured in a stone attack by the rampaging mob.
The focus might have been on Gujarat, which is burning since February 27, the tense communal atmosphere created by the extremist outfits has resulted in many communal flare-ups around the country during the past few weeks.
In Gujarat alone, over 800 people have already been killed, billions worth houses and trade establishments have been systematically destroyed and over two hundred thousand Muslims now live in refugee camps scattered all over the state.
The extremists have been threatening to repeat 'Gujarat' all over India. A number of such attempts have already been made. In Karimpur village of Baghpat district of the north Indian state of Haryana, at least 21 were injured
when elements from the Hindu and Muslim communities resorted to brick batting on the occasion of Holi, the festival of spring.
Two Hindus who were playing colors reportedly got hold of a Muslim youth, and applied colors to his face by force. This resulted in the beating up of the two people involved and later on led to group clashes between the two communities resulting into communal tensions.
The northern state of Uttar Pradesh witnessed stray incidents of communal violence. A mazaar was reportedly desecrated and
a copy of the Holy Quran burnt in the district of Bahraich by miscreants sparking off retaliation with a mob attacking places of worship, setting ablaze vehicles and throwing stones at the police. This forced authorities to clamp prohibitory orders. Nearly 130 persons were arrested.
In Rampur district, an alert district and police administration foiled attempts by miscreants to spread communal tension. However,
two persons were killed and several injured in the district on the occasion of Holi.
The city of the Taj Mahal - Agra - too was not spared from the communal frenzy. Miscreants made futile attempts to burn the shahi darwaza of the Shahi Jama Masjid, whereas, at another place in the district, stones were pelted at a mosque and at least four shops belonging to Muslims were ransacked on March 28.
In Rajasthan, communal riots broke out on the occasion of the Muslim occasion Aashura (10th of Muharram). Incidents of arson occurred in Gangapur city of Sawai Madhopur district after police firing on an unruly mob blocking the route of Muharram procession claimed the lives of three people and left about 70 injured. Indefinite curfew was clamped on the town to bring the situation under control. In another incident, desecration of a mosque in the Chittorgarh district April 1 led to communal tension.
Even in central India, the Congress-ruled state of Madhya Pradesh could not escape from communal fury. In Khandwa town, communal riots broke out between Hindus and Muslims. Three of the worst affected localities were placed under curfew and the situation was brought under control.
In eastern India, the states of West Bengal and Jharkhand were also affected by the communal tension which has overtaken a major part of the country. In the Keshpur area of Midnapore West district in West Bengal, tensions ran high after one person was killed and three others were injured in a communal clash March 30.
The communally-sensitive state of Jharkhand was not left behind. Nearly 23 people were injured, five of them seriously,
in a clash between Holi revelers and a group of Muslims emerging from a mosque after Friday prayers.
The trouble emerged in Madanpur village of the Ichak police station, nearly 35 km away from Hazaribagh district of the state on March 29. Patrolling has been intensified in the area and prohibitory orders have been promulgated.
In the Western Indian state of Maharashtra, serious communal riots broke out in the district of Akola. According to reports, a Hindu woman was stabbed to death and her two-and-a-half-year old son was left seriously injured by a mob in the old city on March 30. Soon afterwards, police opened fire on a group of Muslims, killing three on the spot.
Nearly 12 people were injured in subsequent stabbing and firing incidents across the city. An indefinite curfew was clamped on parts of the town next day, March 31.
The flare-up in Akola followed allegations of police inaction against people suspected to have thrown Holi colors on a mosque. Mobs from both communities fought pitched battles in various parts of the town.
The South Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka also had to bear the communal brunt. In Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu, an activist of the extremist Hindu Munani outfit reportedly stabbed and killed a Muslim medical shop owner March 26. This led to communal tension in the area.
In retaliation, a few days later, a senior functionary of the extremist Hindu organization, RSS, was knifed to death by unknown assailants in the district. Following the two incidents, security was further tightened and more armed policemen were deployed in the area.
In the Hubli district of Karnataka, Hindu and Muslim elements set 18 shops on fire March 29, but the situation was quickly brought under control.
Islam Online- News Section
