Nine months is not such a long time but a lot has changed in Shirpur (Maharashtra) since July. This small town in Vidharbha will never be what it was then — a riot has run through it. The story that The Indian Express documented nine months ago was one of hope — a town unaffected by riots in the communally volatile Washim, where the Hindus and Muslims celebrated religious festivals together. The story this week is of a town divided by a riot, suspicion, Ayodhya and Gujarat. On July 13, this paper reported a rare example of communal harmony, a joint prayer the two communities held in this dusty town, tucked away in the vastness of Vidharbha, 300 km from Nagpur and 70 km from Akola. It was a Friday. The Hindus and Muslims were praying — as they’d done for centuries— at the dargah of Mirza Miyan, a Muslim pir who lived here 400 years ago, in the memory of Hindu saint Omkargir Baba. On March 29, another Friday, we were there again — to report a riot. Shirpur, which has an almost equal number of Hindus and Muslims, had changed. The Holi riots happened in Shirpur like elsewhere in the country — a noisy procession passing by a mosque, colours thrown around and then, violence. By the time peace came back, 11 had been injured. Each side is saying the other started the fire. The Hindus say the Muslims objected to the slogans. The Muslims say the Hindus threw colours at the mosque. But Shirpur had never been like elsewhere even when communal riots rocked the country in the aftermath of the demolition in 1992. So why now? No one will say it openly but the suspicion and hatred have been simmering ever since Gujarat started burning. The elder generation would not admit it but younger people have no doubt as to Shirpur boiled over. Anyway, they now talk us and them in Shirpur. ‘‘We have been friendly with them all through. We pray at their dargah. But there may have been some anger somewhere that found an outlet this year,’’ says Limbaji Gabhane, a doctor and prominent leader of the Hindu community. Muslims accuse him of making threatening statements at Saturday’s peace meet. But Gabhane refutes the charge. ‘‘We have dealt with them patiently so far. The patience is now running out,’’ he said. Though Muslim leaders like Walayat Khan and Moin Khan Pathan rubbish the Ayodhya effect, they can’t explain the riots. ‘‘We ourselves join the Hindus in the festival of colours,’’ is what they say instead. Manzur Ali Khan Pathan, a tea vendor, believes the younger generation is hot-headed. ‘‘There are miscreants in our camp too but the Hindus should desist from creating ruckus near the mosque during namaz,’’ he says. But all is not lost here. Both sides still have enough people who can turn the tide back. ‘‘I showed The Indian Express report at the peace meet to urge the people to forget the black Friday,’’ says Damodar Sarada who along with Dr Manik Dhoot, had persuaded a rampaging Muslim mob to cool down. ‘‘We don’t want to spoil the atmosphere by filing complaints against the Muslims,’’ he adds. Both sides are still firm on continuing the joint celebrations of each other’s saints as Shirpur awaits its next date with communal harmony on July 31.
