DASAJ (India): Months after they were forced from their homes by Hindu fanatics, many of Gujarat’s displaced Muslims fear a new round of bloodshed by Hindu far-rightists who say Muslim votes could sway the upcoming election.
The Indian state’s incumbent Hindu nationalists are far ahead in polls taken before the Dec 12 assembly election, but the demography of some districts has been changed by the exodus triggered by riots earlier this year.
Muslims in the village of Dasaj, some 80 kilometres north of Gujarat’s commercial hub Ahmedabad, say their perceived threat to the Hindu vote-bank set off violence here last week in which one Muslim and one Hindu were killed.
“More than 50 of our houses were torched by a mob of over 5,000 the night of Nov 11 because we didn’t heed their demand that we throw out displaced relatives from the village,” said Hathikhan H. Pathan, a community leader.
Hundreds of Muslims had migrated from nearby villages to Dasaj after their houses were destroyed and looted in the communal riots in March.
More than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in the riots that were triggered by February’s Godhra massacre, in which a Muslim mob torched a train carrying Hindu activists, killing 58 people.
Though many have returned to their homes or taken shelter in some other village, the collector, or administrative head, of the Mehsana district said more than 241 Muslim migrants were still in Dasaj, which has some 6,000 voters.
“The Hindu vote-bank will be diluted by approximately 241 votes due to the Muslims of other villages coming to Dasaj. This is the reason why the locals do not want the migrant Muslims in the village,” said Additional Collector of Mehsana, I.G. Parikh.
Communal tension hangs thick in the air of Dasaj, where 20 police points were set up after Nov 11 and police continuously patrol the narrow lanes of the village.
“After the clash on Nov 11, we have not gone towards the Hindu side of the village without protection and in the night we do not switch on lights in houses close to their locality as they can easily target us,” says Sabdalkhan S. Pathan, who works at a school in the village.
Muslims have asked for a separate polling booth on their side of the village.
“We have received an application from Muslims of Dasaj village for a separate booth which we have passed on to the Election Commission (EC). Most probably, it will be approved,” said Deputy Resident Collector of Mehsana, K.S. Medath.
The EC has assured complete security for the electorate during the voting, with 400 Central Reserve Paramilitary Forces (CRPF) to be deployed in the state.
But Mehsana superintendent of police A.K. Sharma said he “felt almost helpless” trying to control unruly mobs on Nov 11 and did not rule our clashes during the election.
“Of the 200 companies of CRPF that will be deployed by Nov 21 in the state, Mehsana will get six companies and later we will get more than that.
“The security situation will also depend a lot on candidates selected in the region, but we just cannot rule out clashes,” Sharma said.
But deputy superintendent of police K.M. Rathore, who is stationed in the village, said he was optimistic that both communities would work out a compromise to resolve their differences.
“There has been some misunderstanding between them. People of both communities are wise. It will take them some time but they will sit together and work out a compromise and forget their differences soon,” said Rathore.
Dasaj is not the only place where communal tensions are still running high.
Some 80 families in Umtha village fled to another village when they heard about the trouble in Dasaj which is about 10 kilometres away, because they feared revenge attacks.
“On Nov 11, Hindus from our village had gone to Dasaj and when we heard about the communal clash, we fled from our village as we feared that if they had been injured then we would have to bear the brunt,” said Bashir Khan Himmat Khan Chauhan.
Muslims in Umtha are also scared to pass through Hindu localities to reach the polling booth in the middle of the village.
“If the booth is in the middle of the village then 50 per cent of us will not vote. Especially our women, would be sacred to go there,” said Chauhan.—AFP