INTERMITTENT VIOLENT COMMUNAL CLASHES ACROSS INDIA

Communal organizations owing allegiance to political parties like Bharatiya Janata PARTY (BJP), Samajwadi Party (SP), BahujanSmaj Party(BSP),and Bharatiya  Kisan Union(BKU) were running amok in the outskirts of Musafar Nagar city of Uttar Pradesh  aiming each others’ throat since the last two days. As an after math of which 38 persons were already dead, many more were in waiting with the volatile situation seemed like no sign of abetting in spite of army columns and paramilitary forces had entered the scene. In North Indian States communal clashes are not a new phenomenon, they occur intermittently, but they often die down with the intervention of police. After a long interval clashes of such a huge magnitude were happening again in UP. The clashes reared its ugly head on September 7 soon after a Maha Panchayat was organized  by certain political parties in the outskirts of Musafar Nagar. The flames of communal clashes with in no time enveloped the city killing at least 21 citizens on the very first day which suddenly spread like wide fire in the entire city. If no strong arm measures were forthcoming, it was certain that the situation would go out of control. The expression of shock and grief was okay from the part of those at the helm affairs, but in addition to it, they should have seen to it that the situation was brought under control at the earliest. A number of families fearing repercussions fled the area with their kith and kin leaving their belongings. If the fire of communal violence was set to swallow the entire State the concerned authorities would have been squarely blamed. Some political leaders belonging to different political parties  upon hearing  the news, were in a mad rush to reach Musafar Nagar  knowing fully well that the intervention  at such a volatile situation would set off an alarm  which could trigger the panic button. Anyhow the govt took all measures not to allow them to reach the hot-bed of communal clashes. Leaders of BJP, SP, BSP and BKU were taken into custody for whipping up communal sentiments.

It is shameful that communal clashes are still gripping India .even while we do claim to have achieved much progress since we gained independence six and half decades ago. Even otherwise but for a lot of tall talks of a fast developing country, what all are left we have to harp on?