Patna: Saran Division Commissioner Ashok Kumar Chauhan while talking to twocircles.net said:"Members from both the sides are taking round of the area to take locals in confidence. Situation is completely under control and no untoward incidence has been reported so far since the past few hours. We have taken all the precautionary measures to avoid recurrence of any unfortunate incident".
It is to be recalled that around yesterday afternoon tension broke out between the members of two communities in the Pathanpatti area of Gopalganj district in Bihar, which falls under Barawli police station.
Tension escalated when members of a particular community decided to follow through the route of Pathanpati area, along with the procession, led by a strong mob, for the purpose of idol immersion on the occasion of Saraswati puja.
Madrasa Insaful Uloom was put on fire but all the students were able to make safe exit.
Patna: A madrasa called Insaful Uloom and some houses of Muslims were put on fire today in Pathan Patti area of Barauli Police Station in Bihar’s Gopalganj district allegedly by a mob of thousands of processionists who were taking idols for immersion through a route never used for that purpose.
Eyewitness talks to TwoCircles.net:
In the ensuing clash between the two communities some people including some policemen have reportedly sustained injuries. A police sub-inspector is reported to have died of heart attack immediately after the incident.
Locals told TwoCircles.net that the idols of Hindu deity Saraswati was immersed some days back but people from five villages did not immerse their idols and were adamant to take them through the Muslim area which was never used for immersion procession. On that route fall a mosque and Madrasa Insaful Uloom. Village head had already written to authorities that the route should not be used. However, they remained adamant.
Today around 1 pm a mob of more than 10 thousand processionists from the five villages gathered at a place and proceeded with the idols to the route which was prohibited. The administration was aware of the situation as the news about growing tension in the area was coming in the local media for some days. But they did not do enough to keep the anti-social elements from executing their plan. Today the police force was deployed in the area. Yet, as soon as the mob reached Muslim area, they attacked the madrasa and put it on fire. They also put on fire some huts of Muslims, which followed stone pelting from the two sides and some people including policemen were injured. Some students of the madrasa were also injured while their belongings were burnt.
To control the situation security forces have been called in from neighboring districts of Muzaffarpur and Motihari. Senior police officers are camping in the area.
The area falls in Barauli Vidhan Sabha constituency which is currently represented by BJP MLA Ram Parvesh Singh, who is also state tourism minister. People say what happened today was well planned and executed keeping in view the coming Lok Sabha elections.
Patna: As per the initial report available tension broke out in the Barawli area of Gopalganj district in Bihar when people from majority community were crossing the Pathanpatti area for the purpose of idol immersion on the occasion of Saraswati Puja.
Two groups from both communities clashed in the area which led to the injury of few people and a police inspector.
As per the sources the furious crowd has attacked some madrasas in the Pathanpatti area, which has led to the worsening of the situation.
Situation is still tense but under control.
District Magistrate, superintendent of Police and other admistration officials have reached the spot to take stock of the situation.
By Abdul Hameed and Mudassir Rizwan, TwoCircles.net,
Belying a perception that madrasas generally show little interest in national festivals like Independence Day and Republic Day, several Islamic seminaries in Mumbai and Patna and many others across the country, along with the nation, celebrated the Yaum-e-Jamhuriya (Republic Day) today with enthusiasm.
Following the national tradition madrasa teachers and students gathered under the National Flag – Tiranga – hoisted it and sang the National Anthem and National Song with teachers reminding their pupils about the importance of the day and that they should be a faithful citizen of the country.
The whole Mumbai today celebrated the 60th Republic Day with joy and fervor and programs were organized at schools, colleges, and madrasas and even on the pavements.
Madrasa Rahmania in Govandi celebrated the Republic Day with the same spirit. Located in the Muslim-dominated area the madrasa has been conducting programs and hoisting flags on 15 August and 26 January for nearly 8 years and it attracts many people from its vicinity too.
The students of the madrasa presented their programs on the occasion that included the National Anthem and National Song (Sare Jahan se achchha Hindustan hamara) followed by speeches by the students focusing on the Muslims' contribution towards freedom of the country.
“Some years back our madrasa would not hoist the flag but at the suggestion of a municipal officer we have been doing so for the last eight years,” Maulana Jalaluddin, secretary of the madrasa, told TwoCircles.net.
“We hold programs on Independence Day and Republic Day to express our solidarity with the whole India and through this we tell the people about what our forefathers sacrificed for the sake of the country,” said the Maulana.
With same national spirit several madrasas in Bihar including Al-Mahadul Aali, a madrasa run in Patna by the Imarat Sharia (Bihar, Orissa & Jharkhand), celebrated the Republic Day.
Located in a densely populated Muslim locality of Phulwari Shareef in Bihar’s capital madrasa Al-Mahadul Aali celebrated the 60th Republic Day with full national spirit.
After hoisting the Tiranga Maulana Abdul Basit, secretary of the madrasa, told the students about the responsibility of a good citizen. He emphasized communal harmony and brotherhood among the people of the country. Quoting Allama Iqbal’s couplet "Ai Aabrood Ganga Woh Din Hai Yaad Tujhko, Utra Tere Kinare Jab Kaarwan Hamara" Maulana Abdul Basit told his students that they should not forget the purpose of the caravan of their forefathers that came here. He said: We should live here peacefully and maintain good relationship with our countrymen. We must not do anything that hurts others.
While talking to some madrasa students it was noticed that like their counterparts of modern schools the new generation of madrasas know a little about Independence Day and Republic Day and some of them are confused about the history of these two days.
Waheedur Rahman and Muhammad Ajmal, Class VI students of Madrasa Rahmania say: We celebrate 26 January as Republic Day every year because the Constitution of India came into force on the very day in 1950. Correct. But Muhammad Zahid of the same class is a little confused when he says today is Independence Day and 15 August is Republic Day. Similarly Abdul Haseeb of Class IV says 26 January is Yaum-e-Jamhuriya (Republic Day) and we are celebrating the day since 1946 while Ubaidullah who did his SSC says we have been celebrating Republic Day since 1947 or 1957.
New Delhi: It has been 16 years since Babri Masjid was demolished on the basis of a plotted controversy by Hindu extremists and then communal riots erupted almost throughout the country. TwoCircles.net tried to know what Muslims in Delhi, Mumbai and Patna think about the issue today and how it has affected the community.
Our teams in the three cities talked to teenagers, youths and people who are in the 30s and found that Mumbai Muslims are more sensitive to and more aware of Babri Masjid demolition issue than Muslims in Delhi and Patna. Unlike teenagers in Mumbai, those in the same age group in Delhi and Patna are not or little aware of the issue. Similarly, 50% of youths we talked in Delhi want to forget the issue and move ahead. Some want to give more focus on recent issues like Gujarat pogrom and serial blasts in Delhi and Mumbai. But youths in Mumbai are more sensitive. The reason lies in the history. Post-demolition, Mumbai was worst affected by consequent communal riots compared to Delhi and Patna.
Delhi
Naqueeb Ahmad, network engineer, age 24: As far as the demolition is concerned it took place 16 years back when I was just 8 an then I had no idea what happened. Now I am 24 and in all these 16 years some Islamist extremists and fundamentalists have been trying every year to provoke and keep the issue alive. We should forget it as this will always harm the communal harmony and relationship between Hindus and Muslims and always increase hatred among the communities.
Nadeem Ahmad: general store owner, age 35: The demolition affected us but now there are more big issues. It is no more an issue to talk about. Why don’t you talk about Gujarat genocide and serial blasts in Delhi and Mumbai? However, he admits that the Muslims will never forget Babri issue the generations will remember it until justice is done.
Nadeem Alam Khan, computer professional, age 35: Muslims should remember December 6 because on this day in 1992 Babri Masjid was demolished. That was a horrific incident which shook the entire community. It was a first case of its kind that a mosque was demolished in such way. We are sad and feel helpless that we could not protect the mosque.
What could be the peaceful solution?
Muslims and Hindus should sit together and find out any solution that could not harm the communal harmony.
Mohammad Jawed, activist, age 30: What happened on December 6, 1992 in Ayodhya can never be forgotten. The demolition was an attack on our democracy – an event that never happened in the history. I lost faith in democracy as the mosque was attacked in the full presence of security forces and governments. Muslims can never forget the tragedy.
A class XII student of Jamia Millia Islamia, age 17: The Babri issue is totally political and I don’t want to discuss it. (He, however, does not know the exact date when the mosque was demolished. He said it was demolished on December 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 in 1992)
Waqar Ahmad, class IX student of Jamia Millia Islamia, age 15: Until two years back I did not know about the issue because it was never talked about in the family or my village in Mahua in Vaishali district of Bihar. When I came here I knew about through friends.
Mumbai
It is really pleasing to note that the Muslim teenagers have great interest in the history of their community. When TwoCircles.net talked to two of them they both turned out to be well aware of December 6, 1992 incident. They told that December 6 is a 'black day' for the community.
Siddiqi Akhtar Husain Mazhar Husain, class X, age 16: It is a day of sorrow and sadness. Muslims should take a lesson from the incident. They should try to prevent such tragedies from taking place again.
He told that Babri Masjid was demolished on December 6, 1992.
Wajhul Qamar, student of Madani High School, age 15: December 6 is known as 'black day'. It has great importance.'
Being asked when Babri Masjid was demolished he told: Actually it was demolished on December 5 because the riots in Mumbai had erupted on 6th December and it is fact that they took place after the demolition of the Masjid.'
Maulana Rizwan Ahmad Qasmi, 30, was a student of Almiyah in Imdadia Madrasa when the riots in Mumbai erupted after demolition of Babri Masjid. Though he did not point out to anything the effect of which he still feels yet he said:
'We were affected badly. For many days we could not study. Our Madrasa was also attacked by police. They entered the madrasa and killed the teachers and injured students.' Those who lost their dearest and nearest ones during the riots caused by the demolition can never forget the incident. The subsequent incidents which still go on taking place remind people of the incident in which they lost their relatives and friends.'
Haroon Mozawala, general secretary Khair-e-Ummat Trust: At the time Babri Masjid was demolished the structure of democracy was collapsed amidst the slogans of communalism. Even though it had come as a blow to the glory of the country, it is also harmful for the Muslims; for whatever the country faces from, the Muslims are automatically affected by that.
That Muslims had to be jailed and their economy somehow weakened, was a result of their emotional reaction. Had they shown some patience they would have been averted from those losses.
The place where once a mosque is built becomes specific to the mosque. Yet we are ready to accept whatever decision the court issues. In the matter if the court decides on the basis of the solid evidences that the land is that of a temple then we will accept it. This is the opinion of almost all the Muslims.
Patna
Mobbashir Hassan, class 5th student of St. Michael, age (13): I don’t know at all if something really very important happened on December 6. He said no one at his school or home talked about the day.
Imran, class VIII, Al- Hira Public High School, age 15: I don’t know what exactly happened on the day.
When reminded of an incident in which Babri Masjid was demolished on the day in 1992, he said he has heard of the tragedy in his home and school but didn’t know the exact date and year on which it happened.
(Mumtaz Alam Falahi in Delhi, Abdul Hameed in Mumbai and Md. Ali in Patna)
