By IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, 31 May 2015: The fact-finding report of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) on the Haryana communal violence has raised serious questions before the law and order machinery in the state.
The NCM report says that the alleged main accused was present in the village when the NCM team reached Atali on 27th May morning. He even got into altercation with some Muslims accompanying the team; he was apprehended by the police present but was released when the team left the village. The NCM report also says that villagers had no remorse over the violence.
“There was no evidence of any remorse from the residents that we met. The main accused, who it is alleged was directing the violence, was present and got into an altercation with some Muslims accompanying the team. The police at this time apprehended him but he had been released by the time the NCM team reached Ballabhgarh, “for fear of creating a situation that may get out of hand” according to the Police,” the NCM said in its four-page report which the NCM has decided to send to the Union Home Ministry.
A page from the report of National Commission for Minorities on Haryana riot
Full six days have passed since a mob of the majority community attacked Muslims houses and an under-construction mosque in Atali village of Ballabhgarh tehsil in Haryana, no arrest has been made. The incident, which took place on 25th May evening, forced Muslim villagers to flee – around 300 of them took refuge in the Ballabhgarh police station.
“The Muslim residents however were extremely resentful of the fact that no arrests had been made and that the police was being intimidated by the offending parties,” said the NCM report.
A page from the report of National Commission for Minorities on Haryana riot
Around two dozen homes and an under-construction mosque, besides several vehicles, were put on fire by the rioters. Around one dozen people were injured in the attack.
Some members of the local Hindu Jat community were opposing expansion of the mosque even though court and local authorities had already title suit in favour of the mosque. They attacked when the mosque being constructed on 25th May.
Demands of NCM
The NCM has put six demands before the local authorities that include:
1. Immediate arrest of culprits
2. Individual FIRs instead of the joint FIR that the residents have been coerced into filing
3. Adequate assessment of the damage and calculation of compensation
3. Protection of properties of Muslims till they are able to return to the village
4. Adequate protection to victims for them to feel safe and to return to their homes.
The three-member NCM team had Dr Ajaib Singh, T.N. Shanoo and Prof. Farida A. Khan – all members of NCM.
