The communal violence that erupted during the Brijmandal Jalabhishek Yatra organized by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Haryana’s Nuh district on Monday could have been avoided, had the district administration promptly taken pre-emptive measures, such as close monitoring of the movements of the Hindu processionists and the Muslim mob that allegedly attacked them. According to Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala, the organizers did not provide complete information to the administration, particularly regarding the estimated number of participants. The police, with no due diligence, granted permission for the procession following a mere assurance that the participants would not carry weapons. The fact that armed processionists managed to enter a communally sensitive area — a locality whose residents predominantly belong to the Muslim community — underlines serious lapses on the part of the authorities. It’s obvious that the standard operating procedure (SOP) for such situations was given the go-by, which apparently made it easier for the waiting mob to launch an all-out attack.

The inflammatory videos doing the rounds on social media on the yatra’s eve — with members of both communities making provocative remarks — should have alerted the administration to the possibility of a physical confrontation. With Bajrang Dal’s cow vigilante Monu Manesar, an accused in a lynching case, mobilizing people to throng temples in Mewat, trouble was just around the corner. No lessons were learnt from the clashes that had taken place in Bihar and West Bengal (March-April this year) and in Delhi and Madhya Pradesh (April 2022) during Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti celebrations.

Earlier this year, the Citizens and Lawyers Initiative, a civil society group, had brought out a report titled ‘Routes of Wrath — Weaponizing Religious Processions’. It presented a case-by-case analysis of the genesis and spread of communal riots and how processions taken out on religious occasions had become a platform for inciting hatred and violence. Taking cognizance of such reports, the authorities must exercise caution while granting permission for processions; subsequently, it should be ensured that the SOP is strictly adhered to. Troublemakers of both communities should be detained well in advance to prevent the situation from spinning out of control.
(Tribune, India)