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Journalism of Courage
Two days after the murder of three Muslim youths in a Muzaffarnagar village blamed on Jats of an adjoining village shattered the tenuous calm in the region,Muslims and Jats held parallel panchayats,digging in their heels while nervous policemen kept watch.
The panchayat in the Muslim-dominated village of Hussainpura demanded the swift arrest of the murder accused and Rs 25 lakh as compensation for the kin of the victims. They warned that if the culprits were not caught,a mahapanchayat would be called on November 7.
In adjoining Mohammadpur-Raisingh,leaders of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD),Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) and 36 Jat biradaris attended a panchayat,urging Jats to unite,stay strong while finding a solution to the conflict. They said that they would not celebrate Diwali on Sunday as a mark of protest.
While Hussainpura residents said their panchayat was a precursor to a mahapanchayat planned for November 7 in case the police investigation was not conclusive,the Jats of Mohammadpur-Raisingh said they had planned a meeting on November 6.
According to FIR registered on October 30,Amroz,Ajmal and Meharban were working in a sugarcane field along with two others when 20-25 people,of which 15 have been identified,attacked the group. They dragged the three youths to Mohammadpur-Raisingh,while two others managed to escaped and informed Shahnawaz,husband of the Hussainpura pradhan. When they headed to the sugarcane field,Shahnawaz and other village residents found the three bodies.
Hussainpura wants the swift arrest of those named in the FIR and identification of those who have not been named. The police have arrested only eight people. There were at least twenty others. Those who attacked these three boys came with arms and with the intention of killing Muslims, Shahnawaz said.
As the two panchayats met,policemen were put on alert. We had different teams,including the station officers of police stations,in sensitive areas and special teams in plainclothes to inform us in case the situation deteriorates. We had also deployed officers in nearby villages to ensure that nothing untoward happens there, Shailendra Pal,Dy SP (Budhana),said.
In Mohammadpur-Raisingh,Jat leaders spoke of the need to unite against the great challenge ahead.
The present government is only working for one community. Make no mistake about this,its not a fight between Hindus and Muslims but Jats and Muslims. Our strength has decreased and we must unite to show our strength, Rajpal Singh Baliyan,RLD leader and former MLA of Budhana,said.
BKU leaders Rakesh Tikait and Naresh Tikait said a meeting of elders from both communities would be held on November 6 to find a peaceful solution.
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