West UP: The main ‘trouble zone’
Western parts of UP have witnessed a surge in caste and community clashes in the past two months.
At least two persons lost their lives, a police post, vehicles and houses were torched during such incidents in Sambhal, Saharanpur and Bulandshahr districts.
Rioters also vandalised houses of innocent people, which gave organisations like Bheem Army an opportunity to back Dalits to fight against alleged excesses by upper castes.
When the outfit was denied permission by police to convene a mahapanchayat in Saharanpur on the issue, it triggered widespread violence in the district.
In an incident reported from Sarak Doodhli village of Saharanpur last month, Muslims and other influential persons of the village objected to a Ambedkar Jayanti procession led by BJP MP Raghav Lakhanpal.
This resulted in a conflict between the two sides. Over a dozen people were injured in the brick-batting and the issue worsened when an unruly mob led by BJP leaders barged into the SSP’s house.
Barely a fortnight later, violence erupted in a Dalit dominated village Shabbirpur during a Maharana Pratap Jayanti procession.
A Thakur youth, Sumit Rana succumbed to injuries in the conflict and in retaliation Thakurs torched and vandalised many houses of Dalits in the village.
An unregistered oraganisation ‘Bheem Army’ gave a call to Dalits to attend a Mahapanchayat organised to demand justice.
However, alert officials banned the panchayat, which led to widespread violence in the district.
Meanwhile, suspected activists of Hindu Vahini threatened Muslim families in Sohi village of Pahasu area of Bulandshahr of dire consequences after a Thakur girl eloped with a Muslim youth.
Angry activists lynched an elderly Muslim when he refused to respond to their queries over the possible hideout of the couple.
Later, police sent the city president and two workers of Hindu Yuva Vahini to jail on the complaint of the deceased’s son.
In a similar incident, members of Yadav community vandalised houses of Muslims in Nandraul village of Sambhal district after a Yadav girl eloped with a Muslim youth.
Police intervened and arrested eight persons from both sides to bring normalcy in the village.
Sanjeev Sharma, professor of political science in CCS University, said: “These incidents are more socio-political, which reflects existing imbalance in the society.”
He believes that the Yogi government has put an effective check on crime and the police’s attitude has also changed in past two months.
UNSOLVED CASES IN AGRA
Though DGP Sulkhan Singh assessed the law and order situation in Agra zone on Thursday, the general public doesn’t seem too convinced by such review exercises.
“The new regime should be given time to improve law and order situation. But the frequency of crime and unsolved cases have raised a question as to how the scene is different from before the UP elections,” stated Ram Avtar Agarwal, a chartered accountant.
On May 15, when two jewellers were shot dead and three others were injured in Mathura, there was similar attack on a jeweller in Runakata area of Agra.
Rs 8 lakh was looted from Dinesh Agarwal, who is battling for life in a city hospital.
On May 11, a shopkeeper was shot dead by a customer in a dispute over a recharge coupon of Rs 20. Sikandra cops registered a case against the main accused, his mother and two brothers. The accused are absconding.
A jeweller’s shop in Nagla Mahadev locality of Sadar area was targeted by dacoits on April 28. Despite CCTV footage, criminals are at large.
Dacoity at the house of a handicraft shop owner Satyendra Sharma in Lata Kunj on March 26 is still to be worked out.
Between April 1 and May17, there have been 40 cases of theft all over Agra. Despite CCTV footages available in most cases, no major arrests have been made.