The Jahangirpuri incidents over the past few days seem to have unfortunately polarized the Delhi residents. This has happened when the need of the hour is to maintain communal harmony to create an atmosphere that is free of any hate content. The Bharatiya Janata Party and its affiliates seem to stoke the fire which can engulf the capital unless the rule of law is enforced firmly by the police. While it is for the police to ascertain the cause of the violence that broke out on the Hanuman Jayanti day, it is evident that the entire fracas that resulted in that evening could have been easily avoided. Jahangirpuri is amongst several re-settlement colonies that were established during the Emergency by the then Congress government at the behest of the late Sanjay Gandhi. In its over 45 years of history, the colony has never ever witnessed any communal strife earlier.
All it took to blemish this record was an unauthorized and illegal procession taken out by some right-wing fanatics around the time when the Muslims were preparing to break their fast during the Ramazan month. What followed was a full-blown riot in which stones and other missiles were freely used and some miscreants even resorted to firing from their illegally acquired weapons. The police have rounded up multiple suspects and are investigating the case. However, what needs to be also probed is the role of the Delhi police which is being criticized by opposition parties for colluding with the organisers of the illegal Shobha Yatra. Therefore, it is for the Union Home Ministry and the Lt.Governor to examine the role of the district police officials and if they are found guilty, strict action must be taken against them. Equally appalling is the fact that while the tension was still at its peak and attempts were being made to restore some semblance of normalcy, the MCD, acting at the instructions of the local BJP leaders commenced a demolition drive, targeting what was described as encroachments on public land.
The symbol for the clearance of these structures was the bulldozer that has been used extensively by the Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh governments to raze down the premises of those suspected to be involved in unruly behaviour and riots. The timing of the demolition drive sent alarm bells ringing and several top lawyers such as Dushyant Dave and Kapil Sibal moved the Supreme Court which has asked for the status quo to be maintained. The demolition drive could not have taken place if the police had not been put on duty and the same police which is aware of the breakdown of law and order in the vicinity, permitted this action to go on. It shall take days or months for the situation to come back to normal since there is now a huge distrust that has crept in.
Adding fuel to the fire are some irresponsible TV anchors who have no clue about the governing structure of Delhi and are bent on creating confusion. Jahangirpuri is an area where the majority of residents are poor but have co-existed with complete harmony for so many years. The incidents of Hanuman Jayanti have created a divide that may persist for a long long time. The happenings have triggered off a debate even in the rest of the city where highly opinionated people on both sides have been either justifying the right-wingers or condemning them. On the day of the demolitions, most politicians preferred to stay away and it was Brinda Karat of the CPM, who alone was there to convey to the officials, the decision of the Supreme Court to grant an injunction against the MCD drive. The AAP held press conferences to demand that the BJP headquarters should be demolished by Bulldozers as it was that party that was responsible for what transpired at Jahangirpuri and other places where riots have taken place. The Congress leaders were all over the place on Thursday and thought of using this unfortunate occasion to remain relevant in the capital’s politics. All the political parties must understand that restoration of peace was paramount and nothing which can contribute to inciting any further violence should be allowed to happen. These are the kind of incidents that should never take place if the country has to march ahead.
