Vadodara, 1 September 2014

Here is Ganesh Utsav season again, and again there are incidents of communal violence in Vadodara.

While entire city is peaceful and normal, there are only handful of areas where incidents of stone pelting and rioting take place. Every year these areas remain same. Style of attack and violence also remain same.

First incident of attack on Ganesh procession took place in Panigate area of Vadodara on Wednesday during this year’s Ganesh utsav. The incident happened when Bavamanpura Kahar Mohalla youths were passing through Bavamanpura-Ektanagar area. Their procession with Ganesh murti was attacked between Petrol pump and Ganjkhana police chowki with stones suddenly by local Muslims. Ganesh procession was stonned outside Kagdachal. A pull cart was torched and private and police vehilces were damaged. Panigate Police Inspector’s jeep and other car suffered damage. Police Inspector JD Vaghela and other four were injured. One woman was injured and taken to Sayaji hospital for treatment. The incident happened at around 9.15 pm. Rioters had broken streetlights possibly with a motive to make their attack even more successful in dark. . Stone pelting continued for over 30 minutes. Joint Commissioner of Police DJ Patel arrived on the spot at 12.33 am.

Police filed complaint against mob of 300 persons belonging to both communities. Police has arrested 5 persons by Sunday.

On Friday, Ganesh procession by Fatepura Kumbharwada Yuvak Mandal was attacked at Mangleshwar zampa and Fatepura bhandwada. Police lobbed 17 tear gas shells. Murti suffered damage in this incident according to reports in local dailies.

The incident happened at 9.40 pm.Fatepura Kumbharwada’s Ganesh procession was arriving from Harni side and passing through Mangleshwar zampa road. Some youths were bursting crackers on the way near Mangleshwar zampa which is normal in such procession. Reports suggst that local Muslims standing there to watch procession asked Hindu youths not to burst crackers there. This sparked off verbal arguments. Karelibag police station Police Sub Inspector(PSI) Parmar and city police station’s PSI Chaudhary rushed to the place to control the situation. At the same time DJ music van played ‘Suno gaur se duniyavalo’ song. Some local Muslim youths agitated with this, started pelting stones over Ganesh procession which also reportedly damaged the murti. Rioters damaged vehicles and turned two rickshaws upside down. Stone pelting started at 9.46 pm between Mangleshwar zampa and Ramraj hotel. One Activa two-wheeler was thrown in water channel. Police lobbed 15 rounds to control the situation.

Later when Ganesh procession was moving towards Kumbharwada, a mob chased it from Hathikhana side and attacked the procession. Police lobbed 2 rounds of tear gas shells there to control the situation.

Police Commissioner E Radhakrishnan and other senior police officers rushed to the place. Two youths were injured in this incident.

Karelibag and city police bursted 12 tear gas shells and 2 rubber bullets to control the crowds.

Police Sub Inspector MC Parmar and ACP AF Sindhi filed complaint regarding these two incidents in Karelibag, following which police arrested Asif Mohammad Ansari, Muskim Yasin Vora, Amir Israrkhan Pathan(all of them from Tulsiwadi, Roshannagar) and Arif Abdul Sattar Divan. Another suspect Shakeel Sattar Vora(both Fatepura, Bhandwada) were identified. Police filed complaint against groups of Hindu Muslim communities, 800-850 in size under section 143, 336 and 188. Two State Reserve Police(SRP) constables Ashwin Sarvaiya and Ganesh Zala were injured during stone pelting incident. Some vehicles too were damaged.

After stone pelting incident on 29th August night in Fatepura, police teams held combing drive and rounded up 45 persons from Bhandwada, Hathikhana and Mahgleshwar zampa areas. 34 others were arrested. The combing drive was joined by 2 DCP, 2 ACP, SOG, PCB, Crime and about 100 cops from City police.

Police found that Ganesh Bal Yuvak Mandal leaders and other youths were bursting crackers and also had DJ sound system as part of the procession. They are booked under section 188 for breach of notification issued by police commissioner. On PSI DK Chaudhary’s complaint, police booked Rasik Nanubhai Rajput, Dilip Harishbhai Marwadi, Sanjay Maganbhai Thakkar, Rakesh Kiritbhai Chauhan, Umesh Arjunbhai Od(all from Kumbharwada), DJ Malik and operator of DJ system among others.

Police removed laari(push carts) and cabins from roadside with the help of Municipal Corporation teams. The Vadodara Municipal Corporation teams removed 49 laari, 3 cabins and demolished 16 shades obstructing traffic. The operation went on from 4.00 pm on Saturday to 10.00 pm. This was necessary to allow police vehicles to move inside the streets during riots comfortably.

On Sunday night, Hindu and Muslim groups clashed again with heavy stone pelting near Fatepura Panjrigar Maholla. SRP jawan fired a round in air. Police has filed complaint against 25 persons. The incident happened when son of Bipin studio owner was going from Ranavas to Panjrigar maholla at around 4.30 pm and his bike allegedly touched a person from Muslim community. A Muslim youth slapped Hindu biker which resulted into heavy stone pelting and group clash in which stones and glass bottles were used. State Reserve Police Group-8 constable Narendrasinh Jadeja fired one round in air to control the crowds after he too was under attack by stone. SRP jawan said there were two groups of two communities each having strength of 50-100 persons. We were three. We rushed there and informed police about this development. We warned those in mobs to leave the place or face firing. When a piece of brick hit our helmet, we fired a round in air which made rioters to leave the place.

Police has filed complaint against mob of 25 persons.

In all 4 incidents of rioting in a week, police has shown 1175 persons as accused, and total 44 persons are arrested. Police on Sunday arrested Sarfaraz Usman Sheikh, Abid Mansur Pathan, Mansur Abdul Rahim Anjum, Moinuddin Nasruddin Saiyad and Saji Hasan Beg for an incident of attack on Ganesh procession in Hathikhana.

City Congress president Narendra Rawat said illegal liquor business is also responsible for sparking off the riots, and therefore strong actions against such activity must be taken by police.

Police believe that Karelibag’s Nagarwada and Bhandwada are only two sensitive areas. While Panigate has 150 registered mutis, Vadi has 90, City has 159, Navapura 97, Raopura 57 and Karelibag 132.

City police has sent five persons to jails under PASA, 33 are banned from district area. Vadodara has witnessed 14 incidents of communal tension in last 4 months. Those sent to different jails under PASA after their alleged involvement was found in Junigadhi clash are Azruddin alias Ajju Islail Sheikh(21, Yakutpura), Suresh alias Babiyo Gokul Kahar( Nani Chhipvada), Prakash alias Magi Kishanbhai Kahar(Vankarvas, Nani Chhipvad), Samirali Abidali Saiyad, Abidali Hassanali Saiyad(both from Reshanvali street, Yakutpura).

The seventh and tenth days of Ganesh utsav are very crucial because 100s of murtis with procession pass through Muslim populated areas where most attacks on processions take place.

Police has decided to deploy mobile CCTV in sensitive area. Junagadhi procession on seventh day will have videographers and CCTV vans that will record the visuals from height.

Police also plan to call BSF, CRPF and RAF companies for assistance.

Sensitive areas like Panigate, Vadi, city, Navapura and Karelibag have at least 684 Ganesh murtis. Most of them will be immersed on 10th day.

Police Commissioner has held meeting with both communities and Ganesh mandal organizers. However there are some elements who don’t want peace. It is also believe that rivalry between Bafatisha Diwan and Liyaqat Madrasi in Panigate area is also responsible for these incidents. On Wednesday, Liyaqat was standing on stage to welcome Kahar Yuvak Mandal’s Ganesh, but stone pelting started before he could do so. Bafatisha’s two relatives are among those accused in this case.

Additional Chief Secretary of Home department, SK Nanda paid visit to city’s sensitive areas and also held meeting with police officials on Sunday. Police Commissioner E.Radhakrishnan accompanied him during his visit to sensitive areas.

Nanda asked police to find out those responsible for riots and book them. He also suggested police to use UVA to keep eye on rioters. He said the narrow roads of Char Darwaja area should be made available for smooth navigation by removing encroachment. He also suggested that police men who are familiar with these areas should be deployed there.