Any Muslim will feel honored to be asked to fetch water for the thirsty. How a sacred duty to quench the thirst of the thirsty became a flash-point for a communal riot, is a matter of great distress that is needed to be fully investigated. Who was looking for trouble. Who was out to create strife and division? Civil service people should chip in to understand the anatomy of the communal strife and go for a deeper solution for a harmonious relations between communities. India needs a healing touch, which is beyond the agenda of the political class.
Ghulam Muhammed, Mumbai
http://www.indianexpress.com/
Tue, 26 Apr 2011
VijaitaSingh
Tags : mobs riot, meerut, Mohammad Danish, witnessed, Zakir Nagar Colony, agitation
Posted: Tue Apr 26 2011, 02:29 hrs
Meerut:
All of 18, Mohammad Danish, a fruit vendor, had never witnessed violence on this scale. And he never thought he would see it happen at home.
In Zakir Nagar Colony, some 60 km from Delhi on the Hapur Road in south-east Meerut, a mob raised slogans on Sunday night and torched the rickety wooden trolley on which Danish sold watermelons.
“They pelted stones and then torched my trolley. I had bought fresh fruits a day ago after borrowing Rs 5,000 from a friend,” said Danish, holding a burnt watermelon in his hands.
It all began around 5.30 pm on Sunday at Qazipur village when Ikrar Ahmed, the Imam of Chhoti Masjid, was beaten up after a quarrel over a glass of water.
“Three men who live in our village came to the mosque and asked for some water. Someone here offered them tap water. But they insisted on cold water. The person told them that only tap water was available. They started abusing the attendant, barged inside the mosque and beat me up. They even misbehaved with the children studying here,” Ahmed said.
When the Imam and others from the village went to the nearby police station, the police sat on their complaint.
“We kept asking them to take speedy action but the policemen did not move. By this time, many people including several namaazis also gathered in our support outside the Kharoda police station, 12 km from our village. Suddenly, there was stone-pelting. What followed was arson and torching of shops. If we name any community, there will be more distrust. This is not healthy. The men who beat us up should be punished,” Ahmed said.
A house in Zakir Colony with a two-year-old girl and her mother inside was torched by miscreants. Both are recovering from burn injuries at a hospital. Six others, including policemen, were also injured.
“Had the police acted in time, the riots would not have happened. Some miscreants made most of the opportunity to flare up communal tension. We have never had such problems in the past,” Ahmed said.
The arson and riots continued till 3 am Monday. Personnel of the RAF and PAC were brought in to control the situation.
On Monday, schools and markets remained shut. Scores of vehicles were torched and rioters even brought down two concrete police posts.
“More than 15 people have been arrested for the riots. We are trying to identify people who started pelting stones. The situation has been brought under control. The schools were closed on Monday as a precautionary measure,” said Santosh Kumar Sharma, District Magistrate, Meerut.
“Three men beat up a local Imam and the trouble started after that. It took a communal colour. Some miscreants deliberately attacked people and houses belonging to members of a particular community. We have also arrested two of the three men who beat up the Imam,” said Gurbachan Lal, Additional Director General, NCR.
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Ghulam Muhammed, Mumbai
http://www.indianexpress.com/
Tue, 26 Apr 2011
Quarrel over glass of cold water heats up, mobs riot through the night
VijaitaSingh
Tags : mobs riot, meerut, Mohammad Danish, witnessed, Zakir Nagar Colony, agitation
Posted: Tue Apr 26 2011, 02:29 hrs
Meerut:
All of 18, Mohammad Danish, a fruit vendor, had never witnessed violence on this scale. And he never thought he would see it happen at home.
In Zakir Nagar Colony, some 60 km from Delhi on the Hapur Road in south-east Meerut, a mob raised slogans on Sunday night and torched the rickety wooden trolley on which Danish sold watermelons.
“They pelted stones and then torched my trolley. I had bought fresh fruits a day ago after borrowing Rs 5,000 from a friend,” said Danish, holding a burnt watermelon in his hands.
It all began around 5.30 pm on Sunday at Qazipur village when Ikrar Ahmed, the Imam of Chhoti Masjid, was beaten up after a quarrel over a glass of water.
“Three men who live in our village came to the mosque and asked for some water. Someone here offered them tap water. But they insisted on cold water. The person told them that only tap water was available. They started abusing the attendant, barged inside the mosque and beat me up. They even misbehaved with the children studying here,” Ahmed said.
When the Imam and others from the village went to the nearby police station, the police sat on their complaint.
“We kept asking them to take speedy action but the policemen did not move. By this time, many people including several namaazis also gathered in our support outside the Kharoda police station, 12 km from our village. Suddenly, there was stone-pelting. What followed was arson and torching of shops. If we name any community, there will be more distrust. This is not healthy. The men who beat us up should be punished,” Ahmed said.
A house in Zakir Colony with a two-year-old girl and her mother inside was torched by miscreants. Both are recovering from burn injuries at a hospital. Six others, including policemen, were also injured.
“Had the police acted in time, the riots would not have happened. Some miscreants made most of the opportunity to flare up communal tension. We have never had such problems in the past,” Ahmed said.
The arson and riots continued till 3 am Monday. Personnel of the RAF and PAC were brought in to control the situation.
On Monday, schools and markets remained shut. Scores of vehicles were torched and rioters even brought down two concrete police posts.
“More than 15 people have been arrested for the riots. We are trying to identify people who started pelting stones. The situation has been brought under control. The schools were closed on Monday as a precautionary measure,” said Santosh Kumar Sharma, District Magistrate, Meerut.
“Three men beat up a local Imam and the trouble started after that. It took a communal colour. Some miscreants deliberately attacked people and houses belonging to members of a particular community. We have also arrested two of the three men who beat up the Imam,” said Gurbachan Lal, Additional Director General, NCR.
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