10 of 29 religious violence cases in Jharkhand happened during Hemant Soren rule: NGO

By A Representative

Bringing to light “growing religious violence and hatred in Jharkhand”, the Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha (JJM), a state-based civil rights organization, has said that since 2016, in Jharkhand, “at least 29 Muslims and Adivasis have been lynched or injured on suspicions of cow slaughter/ consumption of beef/stealing cattle or due to religious hatred.”
Releasing the list of persons who have become victims of this type of violence, a JJM statement regretted, “This violence has continued even after the Hemant Soren government took charge.” Displacing the BJP rule in state assembly polls, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-Congress-Rashtrya Janata Dal alliance under Soren took over in December 2019.

The list shows that many as 10 cases of violence took place after Soren took over as the chief minister,all of them attack of Adivasis. While three cases took place on July 2 at Jamshedpur (one) and Dumka (two), “In the most recent case, on September 16, 2020, seven Adivasis of Simdega, accused of cow slaughter, were beaten and tonsured. They were also forced to chant 'Jai Shri Ram'. A recent media report quotes the DIG's denial of this matter”, JMM asserted.

Underlining, through a series of tweets, that “adequate compensation, judicial and police action are pending in several cases”, JMM said, “In many cases, the police was complicit in the violence or in protecting the perpetrators”, adding, “Growing communalisation and violence by Hindutva groups in the state is deeply worrying”, demanding from the Soren government to take “strict action against the perpetrators.”

Hemant Soren

JMM said, the state government should “ensure that the police and the administration respect Constitutional values and ensure strict action is taken against communal violence”, adding, “Also, the government needs to check attempts of Hindutva groups to spread religious hatred in the state.”
It also demanded, “We request the state government to order judicial inquiry against all cases of communal violence, provide compensation of Rs 25 lakh, implement Supreme Court guidelines against lynching, bring anti-lynchinig law and repeal the bovine slaughter protection Act and the freedom of religion Act.”