Recent
Tauqeer Raza Khan's U-turn on Muzaffarnagar; contradicts Azam Khan
Tauqeer Raza Khan is a known cleric of Bareilly. He has
considerable following among Muslims of Bareilly school of thought. During
recent communal flare-ups in his town, he ushered as a key figure. To buy his
support and peace with his staunch admirer in U.P. cabinet Mr. Azam Khan, Yadav
Government nominated him a member of Handloom Industry Advisory Board with the status
of State Minister with a red beacon-car.
After bloodshed in Muzaffar Nagar he promptly announced his
resignation from the membership to “register his protest” of innocent people.
His step was welcomed for two reasons. It gave a massage of his anguish and
displeasure on the callous attitude of State Government, secondly it was considered
as a goodwill gesture towards other sect of Muslims. It may be noted Muzaffar
Nagar is an area of influence of Devband influence.
However surprisingly he took a U-turn within no time and
gave the State Government a clean chit. On his way to Muzaffar Nagar to assess
the situation on ground, he briefly stayed in Moradabad and there talking to
media persons Tauqeer Raza Sahib vigorously sought to camouflage inaction of
Yadav Government gave him a certificate of prompt action. This he did even
before his visit to riot hit areas. The question is, if he does not saw laxity of
Yadav Government in quelling the communal frenzy, and did not see any fault in
her working, than why resigned?
Raza Khan Saheb reportedly told media persons, “It is wrong
to raise finger on Mulayam Singh of his C.M. son Akhlesh Yadav. The State
Government is doing her duty (satisfactorily). The fault is of District
administration and (local) Police which allowed grand conclave (Maha Punchayet)
of Jats. The Government acted promptly, transferred officers (immediately) and
took all necessary steps to quell the trouble.” (Urdu Daily Inqlab15th
Sept).
Interestingly this assessment of his is in sharp contrast of
the observation of Mr. Aazam Khan, the senior most Minister of Yadav Cabinet. Mr.
Khan is the Minister of Minority Affairs and also in charge of Muzaffar Nagar.
Therefore it cannot be presumed that what he observed may be against the facts.
Mr. Khan has strongly registered his displeasure on the way the situation was
handled there. He not only stayed away from the meeting of the National Executive
in Agra but also issued a statement and held the State Government responsible for
the blood bath. Mr. Azam Khan said on 9th Sept, "The manner in
which the situation is being handled shows that neither the government nor the
local administration is functioning." Media reported his statement prominently
on 10th Sept and was repeated several times on electronic media.
Certain independent reports from the area suggest that this accusation has essence
and Tauqeer Raza Khan’s statement is against the facts.
To blame District Administration and the Police is not entirely
justified. These were the same officers during previous regime, which never let
the communal incidents go out of control. Why? because, the then Government has
given strong warning against communal violence and never compromised on this
count. Unfortunately present political
leader ship is not sensitive on his issue. During last one and half year of this
regime, more than 100 incidences of communal violence show the failure of
inexperienced Akkhlesh Yadav and his uncles who rule the state like Rajaz. Actually
It is all Yadav’s Government in which Azam Khan has been isolated.
While communal tension was brewing in the area, the Chief
Minister failed to sense alleged maneuvers of saffron political players and their
grip on State machinery. On the day the riots break out, he was enjoyed a visit
to Delhi and then to Barabanki to condole the death of the mother of his party
leader. In the process the young CM left behind all concerns of deteriorating situation
of law and order in Muzaffar Nagar and Shamli Districts. Pranab Dhal Samanta,
who was with him on that day, graphically reported his engagement and his mood
on the day when communal frenzy was on the top in Muzaffar Nagar District. (Akhilesh
Yadav: The man in the muddle. Indian Express, 15th Nov.)
Party supreme Mulayam Yadav tried to dub the violence as
“class clash” and not a communal violence as wildly reported, while he was
addressing media in Agra after National Executive. But in the next breath he accused
communal forces to foment the violence. The reports from the area are explicit that
this was a communal violence. Frenzied mobs, which killed innocent people and
torched the properties of minority community, were raising communal slogans and
no slogan was raised against any cast or class. Scores reports in the media and
persons from the area write it a communal incident and inaction of the District
administration is attributed to non-alertness of the State Government itself. I
will recommend my readers a report by Deepakar Ghosh & Apurva, titled “Muzaffarnagar
riots: Tales of tragedy and destruction unfold in refugee camps.” (Indian Express, 15th Nov)
No comments:
Post a Comment