Howrah violence: BJP says police crackdown was selective; fear and grief cut across divide

That makes the TMC’s politics clear, said senior BJP leader and former state party chief Rahul Sinha. “Over 80 per cent of those arrested are Hindus…Those who were attacked were arrested, those who pelted stones are roaming freely. Even those six Muslims arrested, I tell you, have only been picked up to show numbers for token balancing. After her Sagardighi by-poll defeat, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee knows that Muslims are going away from her. That is why this pre-planned violence.”

As of today, politics isn’t top of the mind of relatives of those arrested – all they want is the release of their family members.

Like Ashok Shaw who runs an iron beam shop and whose brother Anup Shaw is in jail. “My brother is a jute mill worker, he returned from work, took a bath and wore a yellow kurta for the rally. Like all of us, he stood near the end of the lane on G T Road to watch the Ram Navami procession pass by. After stone-pelting started from adjacent rooftops, he ran home. Later, police came and took him away. I met him in jail. He is constantly crying. This is the first time he is seeing the inside of jail,” said Shaw.

Vehicles set on fire during clashes at Kajipara in Howrah district, Thursday. (PTI)

Barely a five-minute walk away from Shaw’s house, standing at the entrance of his photo-frame workshop, Ashfaq Hussain recalls how his brother Ibrar, who works as helper to a cook, has been arrested. “He took Rs 50 from me and said he wanted to enjoy DJ music. He was even dancing during the Ram Navami procession. Since that evening, we haven’t been able to contact him. He has no mobile phone. Later, we were told he was arrested. We are going to meet him in jail tomorrow,” said Ashfaq.

Police picked up five more men from Ashok Shaw’s neighbourhood: Sipti Kumar Das (works in a private company);  Govind Prasad (works in a small event management company); Ravi Prasad (student); local residents Sanjay Mahato and Munna Rai.

“Sipti was returning home after work and had a black bag in his hand. He was picked up by police,” said family friend Gautam Verma. “We have no idea why.”

Said Mohammad Imran, uncle of 18-year-old Pintu Molla who has been arrested, “My nephew just got a job driving an e- rickshaw, his passengers are both Hindu and Muslim. But on Ram Navami day, there was no passenger, so he went to spend some time with his friends. He was picked up by police hours after the clash. We met him in jail, he was crying. All those who have been arrested, whether Hindu or Muslim, are poor people, randomly picked up by police. Those actually behind the violence haven’t been arrested.”

Cutting across the divide, there is a consensus the clashes could have been averted given that for the past two years, the area has seen violence and tension on Ram Navami day. But police lowered the guard and politicians upped the ante.

“For the past two years, it looks like this place is cursed… Earlier, everything was peaceful. Now, just look at the number of policemen patrolling after the violence,” said Ashfaq.

This is echoed by Shaw. “Even in 1992, (Babri Masjid demolition) nothing happened here. Muslim youths used to work with us. Since 2015, whenever the Ram Navami rally was held, local Muslim boys served sherbet to those in the procession but in the last two years, it has been a nightmare,” said Shaw.

Most of the cases filed against the 36 invoke IPC sections related to unlawful assembly, rioting, promoting enmity between two groups, attempt to murder, criminal intimidation and conspiracy and under various sections of The Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.

“The situation is normal. We are patrolling the area and meeting the public,” said Howrah Police Commissioner Praveen Kumar Tripathi.

Clashes erupted in West Bengal’s Howrah district on Friday. (Express Photo)

At a makeshift office, local Sangh leaders said they are working to prepare the legal challenge for those arrested. Supervising this work is Ritu Singh, state president of Durga Vahini of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad; and Priyanka Sharma, Vice President of BJP Yuva Morcha.

“Police have arrested innocent people and slapped non-bailable cases. We will approach the Governor with the cellphone footage that shows who are the ones who attacked the rally,” said Ritu Singh.

Countered TMC leader Joyprakash Majumder: “How many arrested from which community isn’t the issue. The clash was instigated by those in the Ram Navami procession. Here, in West Bengal, Muslims are peaceful. Police are looking for those who supplied arms to hooligans who used a religious procession as a cover for their violence. Police are not looking at who is from which religion. They are doing their job.”

Eight were injured in the clash besides “some policemen,” — the exact number hasn’t been made official.

One was 18-year-old Aniket Rana. “I was in the procession behind the DJ. When our procession crossed Shibpur police station, suddenly we were attacked by stones from rooftops. Also, I was beaten with a lathi fortified with nails. Police just watched the violence,” said Rana, a resident of Bataitala in Howrah, speaking from his nursing-home bed.