Malda Conflicts: Not a Communal Riot Between Two Communities Preliminary observations of a fact finding team

-- 25^th January 2015 | Press Release

Malda Conflicts: Not a Communal Riot Between Two Communities

 

Preliminary observations of a fact finding team

 

The violent conflict in Kaliachak of Malda on January 3 seems neither a religious feud nor an attack of one community over the other. The conflict raised at best was a handiwork of some anti-social elements present in the rally protesting against the police. It's they who attacked the police station, and damaged some houses and shops. In the police firing one of them also got gunshot injury. The whole incident was a shameful and a condemned one and completely unjustifiable. However, such an incidence was used to spread hatred and misunderstanding between communities, which is equally condemnable.

 

It needs to be noted that protests against the remarks of Kamlesh Tiwari, leader of Hindu Mahasabha, about the Prophet Hazrat Muhammad was observed in many corners of the country, including in Araria, Forbesganj, Bessie (Purnia), Katihar etc. in Bihar. In the same regard, the January 3^rd protests in Kaliachak, Malda was also organized. However, the way this conflict has been covered in the media especially in some electronic media, its quite disturbing and troublesome.

 

It was even after ten days of the conflict, that there was still some deliberate confusion with regard to the incident was being spread and a communal angle was being attached that a few members of Jan Jagran Shakti Sangathan (JJSS), an alied member of National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM), decided to visit the area to understand the reasons behind the conflict.

 

JJSS constituted a three-member team for the same which comprised of journalist-social activist Mr. Naseeruddin, Mr. Ashish Ranjan and Ms. Shohini Lahiri. The team was guided by Mr. Jishnu Roychowdhury from the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights(APDR). They reached Malda on the 16^th of January and returned on 17^thJanuary, 2016. The members had a talk with especially those people of the community who were said to be victimised. A summary of their observations and conclusions are being presented here.

 

Ranjeet Paswan, Kamayani Swami, Ashish Ranjan

 

For Jan Jagran Shakti Sangathan

Contact :  9973363664

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25^th January 2015 | प्रेस विज्ञप्ति

मालदा के कालियाचक की हिंसा : दो समुदायों केबीच का दंगा नहीं

कालियाचक के दौरे के बाद जन जागरण शक्ति संगठन कीटीम की शुरुआती रिपोर्ट

मालदा के कालियाचक में हुई हिंसा, साम्‍प्रदायिक हिंसा नहीं दिखती है। इसे एक समुदाय का दूसरे समुदाय पर आक्रमण भी नहीं कहा जा सकता है। यह जुलूस में शामिल होने आए हजारों लोगों में से कुछ सौ अपराधिक प्रवृत्ति के लोगों का पुलिस प्रशासन पर हमला था। इसकी जद में एक समुदाय के कुछ घर और दुकान भी आ गए। गोली लगने से इस ही समुदाय का एक युवक जख्मी भी हुआ। पूरी घटना शर्मनाक और निंदनीय है| ऐसी घटनाओं का फायदा उठाकर  दो समुदायों के बीच नफरत औरगलतफहमी पैदा की जा सकती है| यह राय मालदा के कालियाचक गई जन जागरण शक्तिसंगठन (जेजेएसएस) की पड़ताल टीम की है।   

हिन्दू महासभा के कथित नेता कमलेश तिवारी के पैगम्‍बर हजरत मोहम्‍मद के बारे में दिए गएविवादास्‍पद बयान का विरोध देश के कई कोने में हो रहा है| हाल ही में अररिया, फारबिसगंज,बैसी (पूर्णिया), कटिहार आदि जगहों पर भी विरोध हुए। इसी सिलसिले में मालदा केकालियाचक  में जनवरी को कई  संगठनों ने मिलकर एक विरोध सभा का आयोजन किया।इसी सभा के दौरान कालियाचक में हिंसा हुई। इस हिंसा को मीडिया खासकर इलेक्‍ट्रॉनिकमीडिया ने जिस रूप में पेश किया, वह काफी चिंताजनक दिख रहा है। इस पर जिस तरह कीबातें हो रही हैं, वह भी काफी चिंताजनक हैं।

10 दिन बाद भी जब कालियाचक की घटना की व्याख्या साम्प्रदायिक शब्दावली में होरही थी तब जन आंदोलनों का राष्ट्रीय समन्वय (एनएपीएम) से सम्बन्ध जन जागरणशक्ति संगठन (जेजेएसएस) ने तय किया कि वहाँ जाकर देखा जाए कि आखिर क्याहुआ है? जेजेएसएस ने तीन लोगों की एक टीम वहां भेजी। इसमें पत्रकार औरसामाजिक कार्यकर्ता नासिरूद्दीन, जेजेएसएस के आशीष रंजन और शोहिनी लाहिरीशामिल थे। मालदा में एसोसिएशन फॉर प्रोटेक्‍शन ऑफ डेमोक्रेटिक राइट्स (एपीडीआर)के जिशनू राय चौधरी ने इस टीम की मदद की। ये टीम 16 जनवरी को मालदा पहुंचीऔर 17 को वापस आई। 
टीम ने खासकर उन लोगों से ज्यादा बात की जिनके बारे में कहा जा रहा है कि हिंसा उनके खिलाफ हुई है| इन्होने जो देखा और पाया उसका संक्षेप में शुरुआती ब्योरा यहाँ पेश किया जा रहा है।

जन जागरण शक्ति संगठन की ओर से –

रंजीत पासवान            कामायनी स्वामी           आशीष रंजन   

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