VADODARA, Aug 18: While the nation was celebrating Independence Day, Sanjeli town was exploding with worse assaults than what had seen some 500 Muslims fleeing their homes in nearby Randhikpur less than a month ago.Only on August 5 Minister of State for Home Haren Pandya had made peace between the communities in Randhikpur. Twelve days later he was back at Sanjeli, trying to do the same.The difference was that he had visited Randhikpur a month after the violence erupted there, but he rushed to Sanjeli within 48 hours. But the similarity is that in both cases his department was caught between the pulls of governance and pressure from the Sangh Parivar.Sanjeli could have been avoided had the police not ignored intelligence reports and remained prepared. But the state government's failure to stand up to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal is also at the crux of the issue.When Pandya went to Randhikpur, he would have wished to get every deserter back home but the local VHP leaders did not allow that to happen and only 20 families were brought back. He had wished to go round the town in the joint company of Hindus and Muslims. This too was prevented.The government had wanted the police to get tough in maintaining law and order, while the BJP leadership was expected to tell the VHP to restrict its passions in the larger interest of the government's sagging image. But, neither Pandya's visit nor Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel's assurances of equal treatment to all cut any ice, either with the VHP or the local Muslims.So when Pandya left Randhikpur 12 days ago, little did he know that the peace he had bought was fragile. It won't be surprising if a Sanjeli or Randhikpur is repeated in other towns in the Panchmahals district.Bigger towns in the Panchmahals already have a history of communal violence. A strong VHP-Bajrang Dal network, the decreasing political presence of the BJP, an underworld, and last but not least, the unemployment and labour unrest make the area volatile.Add to this a gulf between two communities and the area is a bomb ticking away.
