In Chamba, a murder, subsequent arson fail to break long-held social bonds

Victim Manohar Lal

They don’t remember seeing a mob or a house going up in flames ever. But this tiny peace-loving hamlet saw it all on June 9 and the days to come.

Manohar Lal, a 27-year-old herder, was killed and his mutilated body in eight pieces stuffed in three jute bags was found near a stream flowing down from a hill at the village. The brutal killing soon got a communal tone when an agitated mob backed by local leaders protested outside the area police station in Kihar and later marched towards Sanghni, where they set on fire the houses of the accused, Musaffir Hussain, 40, on June 15. The police had earlier said Hussain suspected Manohar was in a relationship with his minor niece and hence he committed the crime as a revenge. A cattle merchant who lived on a hilltop, Hussain allegedly invited Manohar to his house and killed him there. Police have so far arrested Hussain and five family members for their alleged involvement in the crime. Six others were also detained.

A week later, Bhandal is still struggling to bring back normalcy.

A weakened and wrinkled Yakoob Magray, who served as the village sarpanch for two decades from 2000 to 2020, still believes that theirs is a well-knit community with no divisions on the lines of religion. “Our village’s strength lies in our unity. We have a diverse population of around 5,500 people of whom there are 2,764 voters in the panchayat, and only 650 of them are Muslims. I was made the sarpanch by all of them, do you think only Muslims voted for me? My Hindu brothers and sisters have always supported me.” These days, one of his nephews is the up-sarpanch (deputy).

Magray sighs as he remembers how the entire village was upset when Manohar, youngest in his family and the only son, went missing. “We called up people, made inquiries and the entire village searched for him.”

The remnants of the burnt house of murder accused family at a hilltop in village Bhandal (Chamba).

On June 9, he says, young men from the community were at the forefront, searching for and retrieving his body parts. “The next day, we took part in a march to Kihar police station, demanding that the perpetrators of this crime must be brought to justice.”

But by then the incident had taken a different colour. “There were outsiders, some people were making all sorts of comments…” his voice trails off. Magray came back. “We returned to our homes, distancing ourselves from any further unrest. But believe me, all villagers strongly condemn the murder. We have nothing to do with that particular family,” says Magray, who blames the violence on outsiders.

In a show of solidarity, community members, including Magray, have submitted a memorandum to the state government, urging swift justice and the harshest punishment for all members of the responsible family.

The reaction, however, doesn’t come as a surprise to 51-year-old Raggi Devi, a resident of Bhandal. “Arrey, hamara bahut aana jaana hai,” she says telling you about their heartwarming everyday interactions. “Many of us are involved into animal husbandry. Our cattle often graze together, and we even share the milk produced. There are Muslims in our village who own cows. While our living spaces may not be adjacent, there are areas where our homes are close to each other. And there is free flow of commerce, we even frequent each others shops.”

Members of the muslim community in Bhandal.

Echoing the collective sentiment, Mohammed Hassan, the Imam of the mosque in Bhandal, says, “The conflict involving Mohammed Sharif, 70, father of the main accused, does not reflect the views of our entire community. Their tendency to create trouble and their lack of social connections are known to all of us. We want a thorough investigation conducted by central agencies such as CBI, NIA, or ED, to ensure transparency. It’s important to understand that the actions of one family shouldn’t be attributed to the entire community.”

At Manohar’s house, his grieving mother Jojhi Devi has only one thing to say — “fansi” for the culprit. “Nobody even kills animals the way my son was brutally chopped. Whenever I think of him, my soul leaves my body. I want just death punishment for the killers of my son,” Jojhi Devi says as she is comforted by her three daughters. Their father has gone to Haridwar to immerse the ashes.

Bittu, victim’s cousin, adds that Manohar’s phone was switched off around 8 am. “He had gone to meet a friend and we thought he would return by lunch time. But when he didn’t return, we lodged a police complaint. On June 9, when police questioned Farida, Hussain’s wife, and two juveniles, including a girl, they confessed to the crime. Later, body parts were recovered,” he says.

Amid the present challenges, Suresh Kumar, the current sarpanch, hopes they will be able to restore the brotherhood under attack. “We strongly believe that our relations will improve. In fact, members of the minority community have submitted a memorandum, advocating for the toughest punishment for the culprits.”

Suresh Kumar says he is himself puzzled by the terrible murder and the violence that followed.

Contrary to the notion of division, Randhir Chandel, a respected figure in the Sanghani area of Bhandal panchayat, sheds light on the inclusive nature of their community. He remarks, “The shocking murder of Manohar Lal did shake the faith of some individuals within our community and the violence that ensued was an unfortunate consequence.” Bhandal, he says, is a medley of people from various backgrounds. “We have tribal, SC, ST, and people from the general communities, and they all interact.”

Most of the villagers are either farmers or cattle owners. They also breed mules and put them up for sale during the annual Chamba fair.

For most villagers like Raggi Devi, they just hope that the daily grind will dispel all the new-found fears and bind them together again.