Civil society organisations of Hyderabad (CSOH) and the fact finding team (FFT), which visited the riot hit areas in the Old City, have appealed to all people of Hyderabad and of the State to maintain peace and harmony between all communities and frustrate the nefarious designs of vested interests that seem to be bent upon fomenting communal violence for political gain.
In a press release, members of Fact Finding Team Jeevan Kumar (HRF), Audhesh Rani, Ramakrishna Raju (NAPM), Mazher Hussain (COVA) Syed Bilal (HRF), Noor Jahan Siddiqui (COVA), MA Hakeem (ICAN) have demanded that the State government immediately table the recommendations of the Ramanachari Commission Report of 1991 and take all steps necessary to prevent communal violence and promote inclusive and equitable development of all sections of the society.
Both CSOH and FFT have observed that despite the grave provocations, people in the affected areas belonging to different communities continued to maintain cordial relations and ascribed the disturbances to vested interests.
Cases of members of one community saving members of another community have also been reported-like it happens in most instances of communal disturbances.
The mobs that numbered between 50 to a couple of hundred and comprised mostly of 15 to 25 years olds-with their faces covered with handkerchiefs had gathered for attacks. In many sensitive locations, elders of the area were able to control the groups and prevent untoward incidences even before the arrival of the police.
Despite the repeated attempts to provoke communal feelings by desecrating places of worship of both the communities, people seemed to retained their balance and saw through the designs to engineer riots for some vested interests.
Both CSOH and FFT alleged that the role of some media has been partisan and at times grossly inaccurate leading to increase in tensions and the possibility of spread of violence to more areas.
Media gave names of those injured that revealed community affiliations to further stroke passions and violence. One TV Channel wrongly reported death of a youth who was injured heightening tensions at a critical time in many areas.
Alleging that police personnel showed partiality towards Muslim youth, both the CSOH and FFT said that though police officers were stating that investigations are still in progress and eventually every one responsible will be caught, prima facie, from the facts available at the moment, it appears that the police are more vigorous in pursuing the cases relating to the Muslim youth.
This was causing fear psychosis in the Muslim youth about the police force and the recent tragic incident of a Muslim youth Syed Ghouse, who is reported to have died while trying to escape from a police party searching for him, illustrates the point.
All this was leading to feelings of insecurity, alienation and loss of confidence in the neutrality of police force that is dangerous for all concerned, including the Muslim Community. Matters have come to a stage when some very respected and highly placed members of the Muslim community have petitioned the State Human Rights Commission to address this issue. Immediate steps and action should be taken to restore the non-partisan image and functioning of the police force, the organizations demanded.
———————- (NSS)