Page 84 - Non-violence and peace-building

Nipping Inter-Community Conflict in the Bud

held, in which the Congress Party candidate, a Muslim
man called Hafiz Muhammad Siddiq, won by a massive
majority. The candidate of the Hindu-oriented Jan
Sangh, Mr. Hans Raj Chopra, got so few votes that he
lost his deposit. It was not only Muslims who voted for
Hafiz Muhammad Siddiq. He received support from a
good number of Hindus, too.
The defeated politician was very upset. He was on the
lookout for an opportunity, which, fortunately for him,
soon came his way. One day, a marriage party belonging
to the Hindu Mehtar caste was passing through the
streets. It was almost time for the evening prayers in
the mosque. The members of the marriage party were
singing, dancing and playing music. Some Muslims
tried to block the party. They asked them to stop the
noise they were making near the mosque and told them
to change their route. The members of the party did
not agree to this. This led to an altercation, which soon
escalated into violence. Some more Muslims joined
those who were already present. They ran after the
Mehtars and entered the Mehtar locality, where they
beat up some Mehtars and set fire to some homes.

It was now the turn of Mr. Hans Raj Chopra and his
men. They went around Moradabad and nearby places
delivering fiery speeches and creating a climate of great
tension in the area.
Some days later, it was the day of the Eid festival. On
that day, some people threw bits of pig flesh into an
eidgah, a place where Muslims offer Eid prayers. This
greatly angered the Muslims, who began hurling stones
at the police. And then a full-scale riot broke out, with

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