While police have arrested 10 persons each from the Muslim and Hindu communities to appraently show that the police are niot favouring any community, the big question is that the FIR lodged at the behest of the magistrate on duty has not mentioned the role of Hindu processionsts in the riots. The fact is that the riots broke out when the Hindu processinists were passing the Muslim locality and allegedly raised provocative slogans. This brings the role of the police and the local administration under suspicion.
Sami Ahmad
PATNA—Rizwan Ali of Siwan’s Barhariya block was released on bail by the Juvenile Justice Board on September 14 after a sustained protest against his arrest. His family claimed that Rizwan was just eight years old, though the police claimed he was 13. He was charged with throwing stones at a procession of Mahavir Akhara on September 8 in Paschim Tola of Purani Bazar under Barhariya police station in the Siwan district of Bihar.
Rizwan’s release on bail is not the answer to the role of the local administration of Siwan, that too under a government with parties claiming to be the champions of secularism in Bihar, particularly the Lalu Prasad-led Rashtriya Janata Dal. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of Janta Dal (United) always claims that his government follows a zero tolerance for ‘communalism’.
The role of the district magistrate Amit Kumar Pandey and the superintendent of police Shailesh Kumar Sinha is also being questioned. Their role in earlier communally sensitive cases is also alleged to be suspicious of being hand in gloves with the BJP and the rioters.
As the news of Rizwan’s arrest went viral, the demand for his release also increased. A Twitter campaign, #RelaseRizwan was launched. AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi questioned the Nitish Government for Rizwan’s arrest. So, ADG of Police J.S. Gangwar held a press conference to assert that the age of Rizwan was 13 and not 8. On the other hand, his birth certificate, now in the public domain, states his date of birth as 01-01-2014.
Three other minors are languishing in the remand home in this case as their bail plea has not been moved.
But the police did not say anything about the ‘planned attack’ by the procession of Mahavir Akhara on the Muslim community while they were offering Namaz and the provocative sloganeering.
The role of the deputed magistrate junior engineer Premchand is also being questioned as he does not mention anything about why the procession was ‘attacked’ as he describes in the FIR (398/22) registered by him. There are 35 named accused in this case. The local police arrested ten each from both communities. Rizwan’s grandfather (Dada) Mohammad Yasin, 65, a former village sarpanch, was also arrested.
Rizwan’s elder cousin Mohammad Shahabuddin said that he (Rizwan) had gone to offer Maghrib prayers. He told to media that the police came in late at night and picked up his grandfather along with Rizwan. He revealed that the police had told them that Rizwan was being taken to the police station to identify the rioters.
Rizwan’s mother, Wakeelan Khatoon, said she was shocked to see her son’s hands tied with a rope. She said that his hands were untied when they reached the police. One can imagine how difficult it had been for both the mother and the son. After the matter went into the public domain, Rizwan was sent to a remand home. It is also alleged that the policemen demanded a bribe to release Rizwan, but the police refuted this claim.
According to this FIR, through the market, the procession was supposed to reach Hardiya via the Masjid at Purani Barhariya. “The procession was stopped at the Purani Bazar, Barhariya for Azan. The procession entered Masjid Street around 5.30 pm. The procession was passing through peacefully. The idol and trolly passed the Masjid, but when the procession reached there, some Muslims attacked the procession with stones and bricks that were in, and on the roof of the Masjid”, said the FIR.
Now, contrast this with what a fact-finding team of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation says. The fact-finding team said, “As the procession of Mahavir Akhara was approaching the Masjid chanting communally provocative slogans, it became more aggressive. The fanatics and rioters from the procession carrying sticks attacked the Muslim community offering Namaz. The rioters broke the doors of Muslim houses and set their shops on fire.”
It added that the three policemen deputed there remained silent spectators. “When the attack from the procession increased, the Muslim community retaliated. Then it became a two-sided affair. Finally, the police force reached there after an hour. Then the situation came under control,” the report further said.
Meanwhile, the state secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation Kunal expressed his deep concern over the Siwan issue. He termed this ‘’an organized attack on the Muslim community.” He alleged that after being ousted from power, Bhartiya Janta Party had gone berserk and was involved in an engineering riot and frenzy in Bihar.
He demanded stern action from the Bihar government against the culprits. He alleged, “The biggest concern is that the administration’s role has been entirely pro-BJP.” He also accused the administration of being negligent and questioned why just three policemen were deputed while the area was declared sensitive. He also raised concern over the involvement of people from other villages in the procession.
It is surprising while police have arrested ten persons from each side, why no offence of the rioters of the procession is mentioned in the FIR filed by the deputed magistrate? The administration’s role must be a serious concern for the state government. The officers are badly damaging their credentials as an impartial secular administration.
