Mewat violence pre-planned, 'similar to what happened in Manipur': Fact-finding team

By Jag Jivan*  

A well-attended civil society meet, drawing a parallel between what happened in Manipur and the recent violence in Mewat, has insisted that in Mewat, like in Manipur, one saw state was "complicit" towards the perpetrators. Speakers at the meet, organised by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR), insisted that those "falsely implicated" in Mewat violence, most of whom were Muslims, should be released and compensation be paid to the "victims of demolitions".

The speakers also sought arrest of Hindutva leaders like Bittu Bajrangi, Monu Manesar and others allegedly responsible for instigation of violence in Nuh and other places in Mewat. Called “Authority and Complicity: Exposing State Sponsored Violence from Manipur to Mewat”, a fact-finding report on Nuh violence titled “Persecuted for Resistance” was relelased at the meet. Initiating the meet, senior activist John Dayal, analysing the socio-political condition of Nuh, said, all the shops of Muslims in the village were demolished which "broke the economic backbone of the community."

Leading a fact-finding team on Manipur violence, Annie Raja, president, National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW), speaking about the violence in Manipur, said, “There are almost 125 dead bodies of Kuki people in mortuaries and 56 dead bodies of Meitei’s, that were later allowed to be cremated”. She elaborated, Kukis were being targeted because of their opposition against hill development funds to the valley. 

She informed the audience that tribal houses were marked in surveys and later burned, asserting, the question on land reservation to Dalit and tribals raised by Meitei broke the tension. “The violence was indeed a state agenda with the central government's hands in it... The eviction of forest areas of Manipur would provide free access to corporates in future”, she added.
Other speakers, who formed part of the team conducting fact-finding in Mewat, said, the violence in Haryana was "preplanned." Asim Khan, president of the Fraternity Movement, said, in Nuh "it was a well coordinated attempt by fascist goons in regard to the upcoming elections.". He demanded "rebuilding of shops and houses that have been demolished, initiation of strong actions against those who instigated the violence, and the release of falsely incarcerated people".

Jenny Rowena, professor at the Miranda House, Delhi University, said, “People in Mewat villages are mostly working class and struggle to meet the ends", pointing towards "a long history of attempts to create disharmony among the communities by the right wing people. She added, in the  past there were instances, when Muslims guarded local temples, and an amicable resolution was reached when a mazaar was destroyed in during a yatra.

Aditi from the Bigul Mazdoor Dasta highlighted problems with socio-economic structure of Haryana and the condition of women. Explaining the conduct of police during raids, she said, “Police raided villages in the early morning without women police personnel and made sexually explicit comment against women”. She elaborated how women have to guard their villages amid ever looming threat of raids and arrests.
Advodate Vikas Attri from Sonipat, justified the resistance of people of Nuh by stating, "The people were deliberately instigated by communal slogans, threatening to attack, and genocidal calls. This deliberate instigation was allowed by administration/police, therefore, in absence of law and order, people resisted this attack. I believe this resistance is well within the right of self defense." 

Elaborating on "malicious persecution", he added, “The suspect list that police has issued, names barely seven Hindus from more than 700 people named. Police have not even investigated from Hindu community but have raided Muslim houses and arrested individuals indiscriminately".

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*Freelance writer