In a rare show of solidarity after a communal riot in Shehra town in the Panchmahals on August 31, leaders from the two warring communities came together and sat on a fast on Wednesday to restore peace in the area. On August 31, a fight between two school students from the Muslim and the Sindhi communities developed into an all-out riot in Shehra. A 45-minute reign of arson and stone pelting soon ensued. It was only after the police arrived and lobbed teargas shells that the crowd was dispersed. Sixty-four people were arrested. On Wednesday, five members of each community in Shehra — Hindu, Muslim and Sindhi—- gathered together to sit on an eight-hour fast, protesting the violence and calling for peace. Iqbal Pocha, a community leader, said, “The night the violence took place, members from both communities filed an affidavit at the Shehra court saying that we were willing to compromise.” Rupchand Sukhani, leader of the Sindhi community, said, “In the police combing operations, Sindhis and Muslims were arrested and jailed. Community leaders came together and decided to appoint only one lawyer for all of them.” The advocate, Godhra-based P D Pathak, filed an affidavit the same night of the violence, saying the communities would compromise and there would be no cross-complaints. While the Muslims paid the bond amount for the release of the Sindhis arrested, the Sindhi community reciprocated the gesture. The district administration too chipped in to compensate those who lost their livelihood in the riot. Community leaders from both sides sought Panchmahals Collector Milind Torwane’s permission to sit on the fast, to which he immediately agreed.“I was stunned with the proposal as I have never witnessed such solidarity,” said Torwane.
