On the 28th of August, it will be one year after the first incident of violence in which 3 young men died in Muzaffarnagar, UP. The rumour-mongering by the Sangh Parivar that atributed this event to ‘eve teasing’ of young Jat girls by Muslim boys and men provoked unprecedented attacks on the poorest members of the minority community in several villages of Muzaffarnagar and the neighbouring district of Shamli. Now, one year later, the BJP, which in its newfound confidence and hubris after its recent electoral successes has given up all the mukhautas of VHP, Bajrang Dal etc. that it used to hide behind, has given a call to observe this Anniversary in its own typical style. Once again, polarising statements are being made, the bogey of ‘love jehad’ is being raised and thousands are being mobilised to descend upon the village of the two Jat boys who were killed on that fateful day. Of course, the Muslim boy whose death preceded that of the other two, has been completely forgotten and will remain unmourned. Fear has started stalking the area again and a fresh round of violence and rioting which will, once again, lead to many more being rendered homeless and destitute is what is being dreaded by all peace-loving people of the area. In this atmosphere, the inauguration of the Ekta Colony in Jaula village, Muzaffarnagar, was a small beacon of hope, buffeted by strong winds of hatred. The 54 homes in this colony were built by the riot-hit victims themselves. The men belonging to these families are landless, daily-waged artisans – carpenters, masons, bricklayers, etc. – and with the help of their wives and children, they have built homes according to their needs. The material for these homes was provided by the CPI(M) District Committee with funds that had been collected by the Party all over the country to provide relief to the riot-hit. The bulk of the money, 55 lacs, was collected by the Kerala unit of the Party from people of all communities, mostly workers and peasants. Those who contributed so generously had probably never heard of Muzaffarnagar before this but they responded to a tragedy that had befallen thousands, a tragedy which was man-made. In the months after the riots, the Party contributed clothes, medicines, tool-kits, bedding, sewing machines etc. to people in the camps. The camp at Jaula village became the focus of the Party’s activities because some Party members and sympathisers were involved with the running of this camp. It is the only camp that could be protected from the administrations strong-arm tactics to forcibly wind up the camps even when they were very much needed. Even today, there are more than 150 families still living in the camp. (Photographs can be seen). The living conditions are sub-human. People have now lived here for a year. Many of the small children were born in the camp. These families are continuing to wait for the compensation to which they are entitled but which they are being denied because of bureaucratic tangles. Their condition is deplorable. The CPI(M) has been agitating on their behalf for months but the Government has not yet intervened to give them their due. The inauguration of the Ekta colony has renewed their hopes that something will happen in their case too. The Ekta Colony was inaugurated by CPI(M) leaders from Kerala, MA Baby (PB member) and Rajesh (MP). They were pleasantly surprised by the homes that the victims had built for themselves. They are quite unlike the airless boxes that are built by Governments and charitable organisations for victims of natural calamities and violence. These homes consist of airy rooms; they have verandahs and each house has a courtyard for animals. The women have hung coloured, printed material in front of the doors and windows and have used their few utensils to adorn the kitchen walls. The aesthetics are extremely pleasing to the eye. The State Government has given no assistance in the construction of the colony. Only 3 hand pumps have been provided for the drinking water and domestic needs of 54 families. There is no electric connection and no kharanja roads. The residents are now becoming aware of the need to organise themselves to agitate for these basic amenities. A large public meeting was organised to celebrate the inauguration of the colony. Many men and women attended the meeting which was addressed by the Kerala leaders, by Central Committee members, SP Kashyap and Subhashini Ali and the Dsst. Party Secy., Shyamveer Rathi. All the speakers spoke about the need for Ekta (unity) among people. This is all the more necessary in Muzaffarnagar and the adjacent districts with the BJP determined to do everything in its power to incite communal frenzy and violence. Subhashini Ali
Posted on: Tue, 26 Aug 2014 02:20:21 +0000
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