Vol. 10, Issue : 2
February 2018
KASGANJ RIOTS
On January 26 th , 2018 and following two days,
Kasganj of Kotwal area in UP was rocked by
communal riots. A town, which was known for peace
and communal harmony, was suddenly pushed into
these riots. A person, Chandan Gupta, said to
belong to VHP, has died in the clashes.
The facts, as narrated by the local people,
concerning the incident are like this :
It was Republic Day. As is the practice there
every year, the people of Kasganj organised a flag
hoisting ceremony at Veer Abdul Hamid Chowk,
next to a primary school. This year, it was organised
on a grand scale. When the celebrations were on,
over 100 youth belonging to VHP and ABVP came
in a rally on motor bikes, holding tiranga and saffron
flags in hands and raising slogans. They sought to
push through their way through the congested
lanes of Badoo Nagar where the flag hoisting
ceremony was on. The organisers of ceremony
requested the motorists to take another route as it
was not the main road and a function was under
way. But they did not listen and resorted to use
expletives against the Muslims and asked them to
go to Pakistan. This has ignited emotions and the
clashes broke out between the sections of people
of two communities. The rioters have damaged
several vehicles. They tried to set fire to a local
Mosque, ransacked and looted a two-storey house
of a prominent Muslim businessman.
Next morning, ie, on Jan’28 th, Chandan Gupta’s
last rites were completed. Within Minutes after this,
a mob went on a spree of burning shops and buses.
The peace loving people felt helpless because of
utter inaction on the part of the police. According to
D.K.Thakur, IG, Agra, 99 per cent of the shops burnt
down belonged to the Muslims.
The police imposed curfew, suspended the
internet services, deployed the PAC and RAF and
held a flag march. By Jan’30, it arrested a total of
112 persons and filed FIR against them under
various criminal sections. Normalcy came after the
traders, the leaders of political parties and the
members of both communities met in a peace
Meeting and pledged to restore peace and
communal harmony.
But the question is, will the real culprits
responsible for the communal riots be brought to
book and suitably punished. It is not only because
the BJP is in power in UP and the Centre, but also
certain utterances of some important leaders of
Sangh Parivar reflect a dangerous trend.
Giriraj Singh, a senior leader of BJP has said :
“Had the deceased been Mohammad Ismaayil
instead of Chandan Gupta there would have been
a different debate in the Media. We have to change
the mindset.” This leader knows it well that it is the
innocent Muslims, other minorities, Dalits, rationalist,
progressive forces who are always at the receiving
Organ of the Central Committee of CPI(ML)