NEW DELHI, January 16 (IslamOnline) - Communal riots and tension gripped different parts of India with at least five persons killed on January 4 in Marad coastal areas in the southern district of Kozhikode (Calicut) around 20 injured in communal riots, all admitted in different hospitals with stab wounds.
The conditions of the five injured persons were reported to be serious. Several houses, shops and boats were also set on fire, shoot-at-sight orders were issued and services of the special anti-riot police, Rapid Action Force (RAF) and CRPF personnel were requisitioned to cope with the situation.
Clashes started on 3 January night over a minor issue but took a serious turn the next day.
There is simmering tension in the area.
Communal, that is Hindu-Muslim, clashes also took place on 4 Jan. in the southern state Karnataka's Uttar Kannad district on minor grounds leading to cases of stone-pelting, police baton charge, arrest of seventeen persons, tense atmosphere in the affected area and imposition of prohibitory orders and imposition of curfew.
In another incident, the Eidgah (Eid prayers mosque) in Phooph town in Bhind district was attacked, wall demolished and other damage inflicted on 30 December. Prohibitory orders 144 were enforced to contain tension.
Communal tension also prevailed in Lakshman Garh of District Sikar in the western state of Rajasthan on 4 Jan. as a result of the desecration of a religious place of worship.
According to reports, a group of miscreants entered a temple of this village and broke three idols which resulted in clashes, communal tension and promulgation of prohibitory orders. Rajasthan Armed Constabulary has been posted in the affected area. A mosque gate was burnt in Sikar district on 7 Jan.
All these incidents took place within a couple of days only and tension prevails in all these areas.
Southern areas of India have been relatively free of communal violence but recent policies of right wing outfits which enjoy the support of the present government in New Delhi have led to the spread of this virus to the south of the country where Muslims have traditionally lived in peace and harmony with others.
Communal tension helps these outfits to take root in the communally polarized environment and this in turn helps them to create vote bank for elections.
