A Report on the disturbances in Kanpur
A team of three peace activists from different organisations went from Delhi on their own behalf to inquire into the violence that rocked the city of Kanpur from March 16th till March 20th 2001. The team comprising of its coordinator Mr V.B.Rawat, and other members were Dr Mahendra P Rana and Mr Sanjay Bharati, visited the city and the riot affected areas on 30th, 31st March 2001. In Kanpur it was assisted by Advocate Jaiveer Singh Yadav and Advocate H.R.Siddiqui.
Details of Incident: In the aftermath of Bamiyan incident in Afghanistan in which the Buddha Statues were demolished by the Taliban militia, their Indian counterpart started building motion against the Muslims. Hence the Sangh Parivar and their various offshoots were the most active and provocative after the incident of Bamiyan and protest and Dharanas formed a part of that. Despite a clear condemnation by the Muslims leaders as well as intellectuals (barring a few ignorant fellows), the Sangh Elements were in their flavour. Report of their cadre burning Holy Quran in front of the UN Office in Delhi appeared on a web-site. Though none of Secular media could try to verify this incident yet this news spread like wild fire among the Muslims all over the country. They were feeling deeply disillusioned and resented it. The reports of burning of Holy Quran also came from Amritsar and other parts of the country.
Like any other organisation, some of the Muslim organisations of Kanpur wanted to protest against the burning of Quran in Delhi and hence they gave a call to all the Muslims of the city to wear black badges during the Namaj time in the evening and organise a protest meeting in the evening on 16th March at the Dr Berry John Chauraha. There was no mention of any protest or burning of effigy in the poster. But something mischievous happened on 16th March. Some youths went for a protest march and wanted to burn the effigy of Prime Minister Vajpayee. As the mob started getting bigger, some 500 people, they reached near Naveen Market near Parade Yateem Khana Masjid. Parade has a mixed population of both Hindus and Muslims. The crowd was proceeding towards Naveen Market, according to eye witness, some anti social elements joined the crowd from Chandreshwar Hata. According to Muslims of the area, these were BJP people who wanted to destablise the entire process of peaceful democratic protest by the Muslims. According to press reports, the crowd started pelting stones, bottles and even bombs at the police party and they had to resort to firing. But some social activist said that even when the crowd pelted stones and bottles at the police, it should have used all its method to calm down the crowd. But there was police firing on the crowd near Bhatia Charuaha and three people were dead. About 500 yards from this incident ADM finance Mr C.P.Pathak died of a shot near Chobe Gola, near Nai Sarak Sunheri Masjid. Immediately after this, shoot at sight order were given to police. In all 9 mosques were demolished and as per newspaper reports three temples were also bore the brunt of the rioters.
From 16th March evening, Kanpur city especially its Muslim dominated areas like Bekanganj, Parade, Chamanganj, Anvarganj, Moolganj, Raipoorva came under stringent curfew.
And these areas bore the brunt of the PAC, local Administration and anti social elements of the Sangh Parivar. Travelling to the narrow lanes of these areas would show how the police fought the battle as if the entire community was their target.
Prior to this, an incident occurred on 15th March when some young Muslim youths, their number was not more than 50 burnt the effigy of Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Ragbey Road. Most of the Muslims social activists, political leaders, academics, that we spoke with informed that they were not aware of any such organisation responsible for that protest march. Around 4.00 pm a bomb was hurled and a police inspesctor was injured. The Muslims of the area said that the police should have been on red alert if they had visualised the situation. But the administration did nothing and should have stopped the mob of about 600 people proceeding towards the BJP office near Yatim Khana on 16th March. Why didn’t the administration stopped them in the beginning they argue when the administration felt that there were some anti social elements both the side who wanted the situation go out of hand.
Killing of ADM C.B.Pathak : While this incident in Kanpur is very horrific, it cannot be in any case termed as a communal riot between the Hindus and Muslims. It was a police action wanting to teach an entire community a lesson in deep connivance with the anti social communal elements who were waiting for such an opportunity after the 1992 communal disturbances in the aftermath of the Babri Demolition. To turn the police anger and the main reason for this riot on the Muslims, the administration and its planted mediamen clearly mentioned that C.P.Pathak, the ADM Finance was killed by A.K.47 near the Masjid. Hence it is important that an impartial inquiry into the killing of Pathak needs to be done by independent agencies as there is no faith in the state apparatus which behaved in the fashion as if they were fighting battle over the enemy territory. There are certain important points which needs answer before one can reach to the conclusion that Pathak was killed by the mob or Muslim anti social elements near the mosque. Let us find out what those points are?
According to many social activists of Kanpur city, on 16th March 2001, the police had fired on the protestors at the Parade Chowk without any prior permission of an administrative officer. ADM Pathak was passing through the area after participating in a meeting. The police officials stopped his car and wanted him to sign the order of firing which he declined. And this was the most unsuited incident for the police and might have resulted in the killing of C.P.Pathak. Our intention is not to blame the police here but the repeated incidents later on points to many things must be probed. According to people who had known Pathak very well, said that he was a very secular and committed officer of about 40 years age. The only witness to this incident could be Ram Chander his peon who is also injured. On 30th March, when our team was just very much in the mid of its tour from Meston Road Market and moving to Shivala Choori Market where some shops were burnt, CO City Ashok Tripathi went to Nai Sarak area where Pathak was allegedly shot from A.K-47 near the masjid from the house of Satveer. It is an open secret now that Ashok Tripathi fired from that area on two balu boras and fired from his 9 mm pistol where Pathak fell to the assassins bullet. Now the question here arise is why did Tripathi want to redo the entire episode… Who asked him to go for this. The entire thesis looks very filmsy that he wanted to justify as how was Pathak killed… Should this be allowed.? What were his intentions? The entire Kanpur became tense on 30th March in the afternoon as it was Friday Namaz. Market closed again but the entire media in Kanpur termed this incident as an ignorant shot by the CO. No body questioned his motive as how this happened. He was caught red handed and so far nothing has been done. There is no ethics shown by the media here as how and why the CO City was enacting a drama in the already tense atmosphere of the city.
Don’t we all know that the Indian police have a specialty in making artificial encounters…? Our reports from Mirjapur where 16 Dalits were messacarred in the name of Naxalites, clearly showed how police men went to the same village three days after the incident and made artificial holes of bullet which they tried to show that there was cross firing and that all those died in cross firing. But such police tactics need to be exposed, as the entire theme of Kanpur riots revolve around Pathak’s death who has been termed as Hindu martyr by newspapers just to communalise the entire issue. It is also reported that there have been flaws in the post mortem report of Pathak. First day it was reported that he was fired from AK-47, next day that he was fired from the back but the bullet was never recovered. Another story came around which said that Pathak was fired from a mercury bullet which only a high profile international gangster can do (clearly linking the entire thing to D-Company) but after the cremation, it is claimed that a bullet was found in his ashes. After its assessment it is reported that the bullet could only be fired from 9 mm pistol, which is a prohibited bore and the public do not get a license for this. This kind of pistol can only be with the police officer. This clearly show that this cannot be fired from more than 25 meter while distance from the house top near the mosque and where Pathak was allegedly killed is quiet far. So it is a must to find out who killed Pathak and why ? And for this we demand an independent inquiry and all those who can affect the investigation should be kept aside or transferred.
Why the riots were well planned :
In the democratic set up every one has a right to burn the effigy of a political leader as well as protest in the streets. Kanpur witnessed that many such effigies were burnt of the Prime Minister due to Tehelka Exposure. It is also found that many small orgnaisations of the city have been protesting in the street against the Tehelka exposure. So what if the Muslims have protested. It is very clearly evident from the posters and documents made available to us that no known Muslim organisation had given a call for burning of effigy as well as protest March. The only call was given to have a protest gathering at Dr Berry Road Chauraha on March 16th and prior to that the Namaz would be offered with black badges against the burning of holy Qoran in front of the UN office in Delhi.
Despite the fact that this report was filed by Reuters, no Indian news-paper either carried the item or condemned it. Perhaps it was because in the aftermath of Bamiyan, we had seen a bias media targeting the Muslims. Except for a minority of people, the Muslims were targeted as dangerous. And when the situation became tense as though the media did not report the incident, that reached all over the country like wild fire. It also needs to discuss how such incidents have reached all over the country when it was neither confirmed nor rejected. Clearly, there were elements in the Muslim community who want to make political capital out of the sufferings of the community. It is clear also that these community leaders were not only misrepresenting the facts about Buddhism but gave enough space and time to the Hindutva elements to make an over all onslaught on them. Rather than coming all out against the Taliban and supporting the Dalits in India, the community was trapped in the Hindutva propaganda and the response to this was its reactions to Burning of Quran. We don’t wish to deny this important fact that this incident was reported by a prestigious agency but at the same point of time, we wish to remind that in earlier cases also the police and administration was ready to teach the Muslims a lesson. While those who burnt and defiled Quran were never arrested and accounted for but those who protested against it faced the wrath of the Police force.
Two question comes from the Kanpur incident which need to be probed. When the protesters burnt the effigy, why did the administration allowed them if there was tension from the previous night. Second important question was how come the police using bullets directly without going for lathicharge or using water cannons.
Now we come to some important points.
Many social activists and particularly Muslims say that on 16th the PAC and local administration were guiding the Hindu miscreants. These miscreants had arms and ammunition and they were working in close league with the police. This was clearly evident from evening news broadcast on Citicable on 16th March 2001. The cassettes of citicable were unavailable to us. Another important factor was that after this incident if fire or arsoning on 16th March, the strict curfew was imposed in all the Muslim dominated areas. We have witnessed many places and are giving a clear picture. Baconganj Thana Incharge Mohan Verma emerges as the main villain of peace as far as Muslims are concern. We visited the area and saw the Thana and found that police brutality has crossed all the limits. In the entire locality not a single Hindu household was destroyed. The temples remained untouched. In all the Muslim dominated areas that we visited and spoke to several Hindus, who complained that it was PAC which was looting the shops. It is strange that while it is the Muslims whose property worth crorres of rupees was burnt to ashes by the rioters in deep connivance of police. Most of the brutal incident took place during the day time of 18th March, when the entire area was under curfew. How come the incident of looting took place under the curfew in the Muslim dominated areas. Our visit clearly saw that the Hindu shops were not targeted and Muslims shops and business institutions were clearly marked by the political gangsters. A local Muslim in Takia Park area, whose refrigerator repair shop was completely burnt, informed us that the entire riot was instigated by the police in connivance with local Hindu Youths. He also informed that prior to that the local youths had marked the shops and establishment of Hindus and Muslims as H and M and the shops mentioned M were targeted. Clearly, the Hindu Pan shop near his shop clearly survived. Another important ethical question now is that after so much of action complaint PAC from the past experiences, the government still provides them support to unleash their terror on Muslims. And after the PAC had done their entire work, the government does not want the Muslim populace to come out in protest and put the rapid action force in their area. It is the Muslims whose establishment and shops were burnt, it is they whose families killed, and it is they who have been arrested. It is they who face the wrath of the police… and it is they who are alleged to have instigated the riots. Is not it an irony that those who lost everything are charged for their own misfortune?
Question of Ethics: If the administration has been proactive in blaming the Muslims community as a whole for the incident, the local media cannot be left aside. The entire Hindi media acted as a Hindu media. We are sorry to mention that our worst fears about the Hindi papers are coming true. How can a journalist reporting from the DM/s car or SP’s vechile report unbias. How can a journalist who has already made his intention to judge the entire community be free from prejudice. Role of Dainik Jagran during the riots is very much evident and even the press council had admonished it for communalise reporting on Babri Demolition. But then who is afraid of press council. Narendra Mohan, the Editor and proprietor of Dainik Jagran, got a Rajya Sabha nomination, apart from many other favors from the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party, for the great service his papers has been doing for the past twenty years. It is also important to note that Jagran has a good circulation in those areas which are communally sensitive. The first day on 16th it had a great day. Muslims masses attack on Police check post and burnt several temples was the headline from Jagran’s Kanpur edition. Then there was many more news. Strangely, no paper has covered the brutality of police on the Muslims. It was assumed by them that the Muslim killed ADM Pathak and that’s why all the action taken by police was fine. They didn’t even question the police attack. Nobody question the incident of Pathak’s death. It is strange that weeks after when the situation was coming back to normalcy, CO city Ashok Tripathi went to the same place and tried to fire shot from his 9 mm pistol, to ‘verify’ how ADM Pathak would have died. Every newspaper in the city passed this as an idiotic, nonsense from Tripathi but those of us, who have seen how police manipulate things and create artificial encounters, this was alarming. As we feel that he might have been trying to create an artificial encounter by firing shot form that place. The question is whether Pathak was shot from the mob or anyone else or Tripathi’s misadventure, the media has a duty to present full facts. Unfortunately they did not. One can rarely find any mention of Muslim property or those who lost their nears and dears one in the riots. The only concern of the media was highlighting the activities of Student Islamic Movement of India, SIMI. One is not defending SIMI but talking to a vast sections of Muslims in the city one can verify that it does not have any impact in the city. And if a handful of SIMI activists are indulged in any anti social or anti national activities then the police should go ahead with their work but why should an entire community be targeted for the act of a few miscreants, if they did anything? Why did the media fail to bring the truth that it is the Muslim masses who have the worst affected victim of the riots. Papers like Jagran were giving ‘Opinion’ of various sections of the people that PAC should not be take off from Kanpur as the anti national element will grow further and it would demoralize the police force. Anti national element is clearly mentioned to Muslims. There was not a single Hindu who could be termed as bad elements.. All the bombs and nives have been recovered from the Muslims. Can they take on if all the Muslims are pushed to the wall to take arms in their hand? Why the media did not do an important study on as why the target is always the business houses of Muslims. Is it because their business is a challenge to the traditional Hindus over business? Even when a reporter from Times of India, Delhi had gone to interview, Mohd Suleimann, Principle of Faizam Inter College, Kanpur, he was detained by a local police official Gabariyal and threatened with dire consequences. ( Times of India, Lucknow March 24th, 2001). The entire Kanpur Hindi media has already prosecuted Soleimann as the main culprit who incited violence in Kanpur. A principle of an important Inter college is not even addressed with suffix Mr. by the media and termed as a simple gangster. Is it media ethic? Even when police was unable to provide certain charges against Suleimann, the Kanpur’s Hindi media was entirely with the Police. It was clear that media in Kanpur wanted the PAC to remain there and hence the news reports in the form of survey were published. Thanks for Jagran, we came to know that a majority of Kanpur people want PAC to demolish the hideouts of the anti national elements is Muslims. If the area is handed over to army, the moral of the police will be very low and it will be surrender to the anti national elements. Certainly, PAC is a Hindu police and Muslims have no faith in it, while over whelming majority of Hindus want it to act.
Statement of affected people:
Mr Liaquat Ali, son of late Hamid Ali owns a medical shop named as Pintoo Medical store, at 99/18 Beqan Ganj, Kanpur. According to him, on 18th March when the entire area was under curfew and he was sitting at his house, he saw police party led by Mohan Verma, SHO, Thana Beqan Ganj, along with local police and three trucks of PAC were firing unnecessarily and looting the shops. It was morning 8.00 O’clock incident. They broke open the door of his shop and started taking away all the stuff in the shop. Liaquat, phoned to Subhashini Ali, a former Member of Parliament and other people. Some people informed him about the looting taking place in his shop as he tried to peep out of his window Inspector Mohan Verma, put his revolver towards him and threatened to fire. Mustering courage, Liaquat cried : Now you have looted everything please kill us also.” The PAC men threatened him with fire. As the altercation between him and PAC-local police increased, Commissioner V.K.Malhotra, IG Karmveer Singh, DIG Mr Trivedi, SP Nilesh Kumar and many other officers were passing through that place and Liaquat informed them about the incident. The entire looted stuff was recovered from the truck no UP 78E 1942. The total loss to his shop was around One lakh fifty thousand rupees.
On 18th March evening at 7.00pm at the Halim College Road Hazi Chand Bhai’s building no 105/620 was burnt. Two plywood shops were burnt. In the upper part of building the looter took away cloths etc. A total of about 8-10 lakh rupees property was gutted. The police Choki, Halim College Road, Chaman Ganj is at 105/621, which is about 25 yards away from the spot of the incident. The entire area was under curfew from the 16th evening. In front of the road is the shop Balwant Timber which is owned by Sardar Amreek Singh, remained unfazed. How come a shop owned by a non Muslim remained safe while the shops of the Muslims were burnt mercilessly in front of the police chowki. This is a matter of concern and must be investigated.
In the Thana Chaman Ganj area, we found the same kind of incident repeated at the back of Chowki Takia Park. This area saw the worst face of police-gangster nexus in looting and targeting Muslim business establishments. At 88/545 India Glass House owned Mohd Naseem burned compltely. His father was burnt alive in the 1992 riots. At the moment Mohd Naseem had gone to Haz and returned to Delhi on 17th March. About 30-50 Lakh rupees property has been put to fire in this locality of Mohd Naseem. Mohd Israr Siddiqui, informed us that the police with the help of local antisocial elements burned his refrigerator making shop. Clearly indicating towards the Hindu colony areas, where the Dalit particularly Khatiks live, Siddiqui said that on the previous night the RSS elements had put H and M names on each and every shop and next day they were targeted. The very next shop owned by a Hindu never became the target of the police force in the area. He said that if raids are conducted in the area his looted stuff could be recovered.
House No 88/603 Prem Nagar, Takia Park is owned by Mr. Anwar Sadiq. This was a housing complex and at the ground floor M/s Lex Chappal, owned by prop. Akabar Ali was entirely burnt. Mr Zunaid Anjum’s entire home was burnt. He said that on 18th March, from morning 10 am till 1.30 pm, the rioters along with PAC surrounded the area . Any protest provoked firing from them. A screen Printing shop of Rashid was also burnt. Due to bursting of gas cylinder, one rioter was killed. Police Chowki Takia Akbarshah is just 200 yards away and in the backside of the chowki is a historic Masjid. The mosque was burnt. There were some 20 children inside it. Mr Farookh Hasan Ansari said how come so many people organised themselves during the curfew. One Chappal factory, one chicken shop and one showing machine shop was burnt inside the masjid complex. The masjid was almost completely destroyed. The Imam of the masjid informed that Holy qoran was burnt. This Masjid has a Kabristan of Akbar Shah in front of it and it is in the back yard of the police chowki. Clearly evident that every Muslim locality near the police thana and chowki was burnt and looted. At house no 88/129, we met a journalist belonging to an Urdu Weekly ‘Dukhati Rug’. He said on 18th March he saw about 50-60 PAC Jawan standing on the Makbara and trees and were leading the rioters One young lad of 13 years Vikki s/o Goga died at 11 am during the day.
At the crowed Muslim locality of Hazi Aziz market, we spoke to Kishori Lal Gupta who was a tenant of Halwari Masjid. He informed us that he has been living there for over 45 years and that every one there had good behavior towards him and other Hindus. At the Peskhar Road’s various building near Dr Nazeer Chauraha, we found the house of Munnan Khan the target of police firing. There were several other houses.
At Warsi market which was at 98/227 Beqan Ganj about 28 shops of cloths and hosiery, embroidery were burnt. The fire started at 6 am in the morning on 18th and the fire tender came after 30 hours when everything was finished. The loss goes beyond 2 crore rupees. At the round about of Thana Beqan Ganj about 8-10 shops were burnt while the temple at 98/227 was completely safe. At 98/55 behind Thana Beqan Ganj the house of Dr S\.M.Gyas and Mujaffar Ali have a two storied house. From the morning of 18th March the police started firing. Their house was shut yet, their drawing room still have sign of about 16 bullet shots. There was firing in their kitchen and elsewhere. They still have all the cover of the bullets recovered from their house. In front of the Thana is Mughal Market where the police fired. At 98/53 Ansari Cloth House we found fire on the shutter. A loss of 1,25,000 was estimated. At 98/70 was the house of Mohmmad Salim Khan whose first floor house is infront of Thana Beqan Ganj and saw fire coming in his drawing as well as bed room. One shot came where his brother in law was sitting. Mr. Mohan Verma, the Thana In-charge was crying to Muslims: Come and ask your Allah to save yourself.
A team of three peace activists from different organisations went from Delhi on their own behalf to inquire into the violence that rocked the city of Kanpur from March 16th till March 20th 2001. The team comprising of its coordinator Mr V.B.Rawat, and other members were Dr Mahendra P Rana and Mr Sanjay Bharati, visited the city and the riot affected areas on 30th, 31st March 2001. In Kanpur it was assisted by Advocate Jaiveer Singh Yadav and Advocate H.R.Siddiqui.
Details of Incident: In the aftermath of Bamiyan incident in Afghanistan in which the Buddha Statues were demolished by the Taliban militia, their Indian counterpart started building motion against the Muslims. Hence the Sangh Parivar and their various offshoots were the most active and provocative after the incident of Bamiyan and protest and Dharanas formed a part of that. Despite a clear condemnation by the Muslims leaders as well as intellectuals (barring a few ignorant fellows), the Sangh Elements were in their flavour. Report of their cadre burning Holy Quran in front of the UN Office in Delhi appeared on a web-site. Though none of Secular media could try to verify this incident yet this news spread like wild fire among the Muslims all over the country. They were feeling deeply disillusioned and resented it. The reports of burning of Holy Quran also came from Amritsar and other parts of the country.
Like any other organisation, some of the Muslim organisations of Kanpur wanted to protest against the burning of Quran in Delhi and hence they gave a call to all the Muslims of the city to wear black badges during the Namaj time in the evening and organise a protest meeting in the evening on 16th March at the Dr Berry John Chauraha. There was no mention of any protest or burning of effigy in the poster. But something mischievous happened on 16th March. Some youths went for a protest march and wanted to burn the effigy of Prime Minister Vajpayee. As the mob started getting bigger, some 500 people, they reached near Naveen Market near Parade Yateem Khana Masjid. Parade has a mixed population of both Hindus and Muslims. The crowd was proceeding towards Naveen Market, according to eye witness, some anti social elements joined the crowd from Chandreshwar Hata. According to Muslims of the area, these were BJP people who wanted to destablise the entire process of peaceful democratic protest by the Muslims. According to press reports, the crowd started pelting stones, bottles and even bombs at the police party and they had to resort to firing. But some social activist said that even when the crowd pelted stones and bottles at the police, it should have used all its method to calm down the crowd. But there was police firing on the crowd near Bhatia Charuaha and three people were dead. About 500 yards from this incident ADM finance Mr C.P.Pathak died of a shot near Chobe Gola, near Nai Sarak Sunheri Masjid. Immediately after this, shoot at sight order were given to police. In all 9 mosques were demolished and as per newspaper reports three temples were also bore the brunt of the rioters.
From 16th March evening, Kanpur city especially its Muslim dominated areas like Bekanganj, Parade, Chamanganj, Anvarganj, Moolganj, Raipoorva came under stringent curfew.
And these areas bore the brunt of the PAC, local Administration and anti social elements of the Sangh Parivar. Travelling to the narrow lanes of these areas would show how the police fought the battle as if the entire community was their target.
Prior to this, an incident occurred on 15th March when some young Muslim youths, their number was not more than 50 burnt the effigy of Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Ragbey Road. Most of the Muslims social activists, political leaders, academics, that we spoke with informed that they were not aware of any such organisation responsible for that protest march. Around 4.00 pm a bomb was hurled and a police inspesctor was injured. The Muslims of the area said that the police should have been on red alert if they had visualised the situation. But the administration did nothing and should have stopped the mob of about 600 people proceeding towards the BJP office near Yatim Khana on 16th March. Why didn’t the administration stopped them in the beginning they argue when the administration felt that there were some anti social elements both the side who wanted the situation go out of hand.
Killing of ADM C.B.Pathak : While this incident in Kanpur is very horrific, it cannot be in any case termed as a communal riot between the Hindus and Muslims. It was a police action wanting to teach an entire community a lesson in deep connivance with the anti social communal elements who were waiting for such an opportunity after the 1992 communal disturbances in the aftermath of the Babri Demolition. To turn the police anger and the main reason for this riot on the Muslims, the administration and its planted mediamen clearly mentioned that C.P.Pathak, the ADM Finance was killed by A.K.47 near the Masjid. Hence it is important that an impartial inquiry into the killing of Pathak needs to be done by independent agencies as there is no faith in the state apparatus which behaved in the fashion as if they were fighting battle over the enemy territory. There are certain important points which needs answer before one can reach to the conclusion that Pathak was killed by the mob or Muslim anti social elements near the mosque. Let us find out what those points are?
According to many social activists of Kanpur city, on 16th March 2001, the police had fired on the protestors at the Parade Chowk without any prior permission of an administrative officer. ADM Pathak was passing through the area after participating in a meeting. The police officials stopped his car and wanted him to sign the order of firing which he declined. And this was the most unsuited incident for the police and might have resulted in the killing of C.P.Pathak. Our intention is not to blame the police here but the repeated incidents later on points to many things must be probed. According to people who had known Pathak very well, said that he was a very secular and committed officer of about 40 years age. The only witness to this incident could be Ram Chander his peon who is also injured. On 30th March, when our team was just very much in the mid of its tour from Meston Road Market and moving to Shivala Choori Market where some shops were burnt, CO City Ashok Tripathi went to Nai Sarak area where Pathak was allegedly shot from A.K-47 near the masjid from the house of Satveer. It is an open secret now that Ashok Tripathi fired from that area on two balu boras and fired from his 9 mm pistol where Pathak fell to the assassins bullet. Now the question here arise is why did Tripathi want to redo the entire episode… Who asked him to go for this. The entire thesis looks very filmsy that he wanted to justify as how was Pathak killed… Should this be allowed.? What were his intentions? The entire Kanpur became tense on 30th March in the afternoon as it was Friday Namaz. Market closed again but the entire media in Kanpur termed this incident as an ignorant shot by the CO. No body questioned his motive as how this happened. He was caught red handed and so far nothing has been done. There is no ethics shown by the media here as how and why the CO City was enacting a drama in the already tense atmosphere of the city.
Don’t we all know that the Indian police have a specialty in making artificial encounters…? Our reports from Mirjapur where 16 Dalits were messacarred in the name of Naxalites, clearly showed how police men went to the same village three days after the incident and made artificial holes of bullet which they tried to show that there was cross firing and that all those died in cross firing. But such police tactics need to be exposed, as the entire theme of Kanpur riots revolve around Pathak’s death who has been termed as Hindu martyr by newspapers just to communalise the entire issue. It is also reported that there have been flaws in the post mortem report of Pathak. First day it was reported that he was fired from AK-47, next day that he was fired from the back but the bullet was never recovered. Another story came around which said that Pathak was fired from a mercury bullet which only a high profile international gangster can do (clearly linking the entire thing to D-Company) but after the cremation, it is claimed that a bullet was found in his ashes. After its assessment it is reported that the bullet could only be fired from 9 mm pistol, which is a prohibited bore and the public do not get a license for this. This kind of pistol can only be with the police officer. This clearly show that this cannot be fired from more than 25 meter while distance from the house top near the mosque and where Pathak was allegedly killed is quiet far. So it is a must to find out who killed Pathak and why ? And for this we demand an independent inquiry and all those who can affect the investigation should be kept aside or transferred.
Why the riots were well planned :
In the democratic set up every one has a right to burn the effigy of a political leader as well as protest in the streets. Kanpur witnessed that many such effigies were burnt of the Prime Minister due to Tehelka Exposure. It is also found that many small orgnaisations of the city have been protesting in the street against the Tehelka exposure. So what if the Muslims have protested. It is very clearly evident from the posters and documents made available to us that no known Muslim organisation had given a call for burning of effigy as well as protest March. The only call was given to have a protest gathering at Dr Berry Road Chauraha on March 16th and prior to that the Namaz would be offered with black badges against the burning of holy Qoran in front of the UN office in Delhi.
Despite the fact that this report was filed by Reuters, no Indian news-paper either carried the item or condemned it. Perhaps it was because in the aftermath of Bamiyan, we had seen a bias media targeting the Muslims. Except for a minority of people, the Muslims were targeted as dangerous. And when the situation became tense as though the media did not report the incident, that reached all over the country like wild fire. It also needs to discuss how such incidents have reached all over the country when it was neither confirmed nor rejected. Clearly, there were elements in the Muslim community who want to make political capital out of the sufferings of the community. It is clear also that these community leaders were not only misrepresenting the facts about Buddhism but gave enough space and time to the Hindutva elements to make an over all onslaught on them. Rather than coming all out against the Taliban and supporting the Dalits in India, the community was trapped in the Hindutva propaganda and the response to this was its reactions to Burning of Quran. We don’t wish to deny this important fact that this incident was reported by a prestigious agency but at the same point of time, we wish to remind that in earlier cases also the police and administration was ready to teach the Muslims a lesson. While those who burnt and defiled Quran were never arrested and accounted for but those who protested against it faced the wrath of the Police force.
Two question comes from the Kanpur incident which need to be probed. When the protesters burnt the effigy, why did the administration allowed them if there was tension from the previous night. Second important question was how come the police using bullets directly without going for lathicharge or using water cannons.
Now we come to some important points.
Many social activists and particularly Muslims say that on 16th the PAC and local administration were guiding the Hindu miscreants. These miscreants had arms and ammunition and they were working in close league with the police. This was clearly evident from evening news broadcast on Citicable on 16th March 2001. The cassettes of citicable were unavailable to us. Another important factor was that after this incident if fire or arsoning on 16th March, the strict curfew was imposed in all the Muslim dominated areas. We have witnessed many places and are giving a clear picture. Baconganj Thana Incharge Mohan Verma emerges as the main villain of peace as far as Muslims are concern. We visited the area and saw the Thana and found that police brutality has crossed all the limits. In the entire locality not a single Hindu household was destroyed. The temples remained untouched. In all the Muslim dominated areas that we visited and spoke to several Hindus, who complained that it was PAC which was looting the shops. It is strange that while it is the Muslims whose property worth crorres of rupees was burnt to ashes by the rioters in deep connivance of police. Most of the brutal incident took place during the day time of 18th March, when the entire area was under curfew. How come the incident of looting took place under the curfew in the Muslim dominated areas. Our visit clearly saw that the Hindu shops were not targeted and Muslims shops and business institutions were clearly marked by the political gangsters. A local Muslim in Takia Park area, whose refrigerator repair shop was completely burnt, informed us that the entire riot was instigated by the police in connivance with local Hindu Youths. He also informed that prior to that the local youths had marked the shops and establishment of Hindus and Muslims as H and M and the shops mentioned M were targeted. Clearly, the Hindu Pan shop near his shop clearly survived. Another important ethical question now is that after so much of action complaint PAC from the past experiences, the government still provides them support to unleash their terror on Muslims. And after the PAC had done their entire work, the government does not want the Muslim populace to come out in protest and put the rapid action force in their area. It is the Muslims whose establishment and shops were burnt, it is they whose families killed, and it is they who have been arrested. It is they who face the wrath of the police… and it is they who are alleged to have instigated the riots. Is not it an irony that those who lost everything are charged for their own misfortune?
Question of Ethics: If the administration has been proactive in blaming the Muslims community as a whole for the incident, the local media cannot be left aside. The entire Hindi media acted as a Hindu media. We are sorry to mention that our worst fears about the Hindi papers are coming true. How can a journalist reporting from the DM/s car or SP’s vechile report unbias. How can a journalist who has already made his intention to judge the entire community be free from prejudice. Role of Dainik Jagran during the riots is very much evident and even the press council had admonished it for communalise reporting on Babri Demolition. But then who is afraid of press council. Narendra Mohan, the Editor and proprietor of Dainik Jagran, got a Rajya Sabha nomination, apart from many other favors from the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party, for the great service his papers has been doing for the past twenty years. It is also important to note that Jagran has a good circulation in those areas which are communally sensitive. The first day on 16th it had a great day. Muslims masses attack on Police check post and burnt several temples was the headline from Jagran’s Kanpur edition. Then there was many more news. Strangely, no paper has covered the brutality of police on the Muslims. It was assumed by them that the Muslim killed ADM Pathak and that’s why all the action taken by police was fine. They didn’t even question the police attack. Nobody question the incident of Pathak’s death. It is strange that weeks after when the situation was coming back to normalcy, CO city Ashok Tripathi went to the same place and tried to fire shot from his 9 mm pistol, to ‘verify’ how ADM Pathak would have died. Every newspaper in the city passed this as an idiotic, nonsense from Tripathi but those of us, who have seen how police manipulate things and create artificial encounters, this was alarming. As we feel that he might have been trying to create an artificial encounter by firing shot form that place. The question is whether Pathak was shot from the mob or anyone else or Tripathi’s misadventure, the media has a duty to present full facts. Unfortunately they did not. One can rarely find any mention of Muslim property or those who lost their nears and dears one in the riots. The only concern of the media was highlighting the activities of Student Islamic Movement of India, SIMI. One is not defending SIMI but talking to a vast sections of Muslims in the city one can verify that it does not have any impact in the city. And if a handful of SIMI activists are indulged in any anti social or anti national activities then the police should go ahead with their work but why should an entire community be targeted for the act of a few miscreants, if they did anything? Why did the media fail to bring the truth that it is the Muslim masses who have the worst affected victim of the riots. Papers like Jagran were giving ‘Opinion’ of various sections of the people that PAC should not be take off from Kanpur as the anti national element will grow further and it would demoralize the police force. Anti national element is clearly mentioned to Muslims. There was not a single Hindu who could be termed as bad elements.. All the bombs and nives have been recovered from the Muslims. Can they take on if all the Muslims are pushed to the wall to take arms in their hand? Why the media did not do an important study on as why the target is always the business houses of Muslims. Is it because their business is a challenge to the traditional Hindus over business? Even when a reporter from Times of India, Delhi had gone to interview, Mohd Suleimann, Principle of Faizam Inter College, Kanpur, he was detained by a local police official Gabariyal and threatened with dire consequences. ( Times of India, Lucknow March 24th, 2001). The entire Kanpur Hindi media has already prosecuted Soleimann as the main culprit who incited violence in Kanpur. A principle of an important Inter college is not even addressed with suffix Mr. by the media and termed as a simple gangster. Is it media ethic? Even when police was unable to provide certain charges against Suleimann, the Kanpur’s Hindi media was entirely with the Police. It was clear that media in Kanpur wanted the PAC to remain there and hence the news reports in the form of survey were published. Thanks for Jagran, we came to know that a majority of Kanpur people want PAC to demolish the hideouts of the anti national elements is Muslims. If the area is handed over to army, the moral of the police will be very low and it will be surrender to the anti national elements. Certainly, PAC is a Hindu police and Muslims have no faith in it, while over whelming majority of Hindus want it to act.
Statement of affected people:
Mr Liaquat Ali, son of late Hamid Ali owns a medical shop named as Pintoo Medical store, at 99/18 Beqan Ganj, Kanpur. According to him, on 18th March when the entire area was under curfew and he was sitting at his house, he saw police party led by Mohan Verma, SHO, Thana Beqan Ganj, along with local police and three trucks of PAC were firing unnecessarily and looting the shops. It was morning 8.00 O’clock incident. They broke open the door of his shop and started taking away all the stuff in the shop. Liaquat, phoned to Subhashini Ali, a former Member of Parliament and other people. Some people informed him about the looting taking place in his shop as he tried to peep out of his window Inspector Mohan Verma, put his revolver towards him and threatened to fire. Mustering courage, Liaquat cried : Now you have looted everything please kill us also.” The PAC men threatened him with fire. As the altercation between him and PAC-local police increased, Commissioner V.K.Malhotra, IG Karmveer Singh, DIG Mr Trivedi, SP Nilesh Kumar and many other officers were passing through that place and Liaquat informed them about the incident. The entire looted stuff was recovered from the truck no UP 78E 1942. The total loss to his shop was around One lakh fifty thousand rupees.
On 18th March evening at 7.00pm at the Halim College Road Hazi Chand Bhai’s building no 105/620 was burnt. Two plywood shops were burnt. In the upper part of building the looter took away cloths etc. A total of about 8-10 lakh rupees property was gutted. The police Choki, Halim College Road, Chaman Ganj is at 105/621, which is about 25 yards away from the spot of the incident. The entire area was under curfew from the 16th evening. In front of the road is the shop Balwant Timber which is owned by Sardar Amreek Singh, remained unfazed. How come a shop owned by a non Muslim remained safe while the shops of the Muslims were burnt mercilessly in front of the police chowki. This is a matter of concern and must be investigated.
In the Thana Chaman Ganj area, we found the same kind of incident repeated at the back of Chowki Takia Park. This area saw the worst face of police-gangster nexus in looting and targeting Muslim business establishments. At 88/545 India Glass House owned Mohd Naseem burned compltely. His father was burnt alive in the 1992 riots. At the moment Mohd Naseem had gone to Haz and returned to Delhi on 17th March. About 30-50 Lakh rupees property has been put to fire in this locality of Mohd Naseem. Mohd Israr Siddiqui, informed us that the police with the help of local antisocial elements burned his refrigerator making shop. Clearly indicating towards the Hindu colony areas, where the Dalit particularly Khatiks live, Siddiqui said that on the previous night the RSS elements had put H and M names on each and every shop and next day they were targeted. The very next shop owned by a Hindu never became the target of the police force in the area. He said that if raids are conducted in the area his looted stuff could be recovered.
House No 88/603 Prem Nagar, Takia Park is owned by Mr. Anwar Sadiq. This was a housing complex and at the ground floor M/s Lex Chappal, owned by prop. Akabar Ali was entirely burnt. Mr Zunaid Anjum’s entire home was burnt. He said that on 18th March, from morning 10 am till 1.30 pm, the rioters along with PAC surrounded the area . Any protest provoked firing from them. A screen Printing shop of Rashid was also burnt. Due to bursting of gas cylinder, one rioter was killed. Police Chowki Takia Akbarshah is just 200 yards away and in the backside of the chowki is a historic Masjid. The mosque was burnt. There were some 20 children inside it. Mr Farookh Hasan Ansari said how come so many people organised themselves during the curfew. One Chappal factory, one chicken shop and one showing machine shop was burnt inside the masjid complex. The masjid was almost completely destroyed. The Imam of the masjid informed that Holy qoran was burnt. This Masjid has a Kabristan of Akbar Shah in front of it and it is in the back yard of the police chowki. Clearly evident that every Muslim locality near the police thana and chowki was burnt and looted. At house no 88/129, we met a journalist belonging to an Urdu Weekly ‘Dukhati Rug’. He said on 18th March he saw about 50-60 PAC Jawan standing on the Makbara and trees and were leading the rioters One young lad of 13 years Vikki s/o Goga died at 11 am during the day.
At the crowed Muslim locality of Hazi Aziz market, we spoke to Kishori Lal Gupta who was a tenant of Halwari Masjid. He informed us that he has been living there for over 45 years and that every one there had good behavior towards him and other Hindus. At the Peskhar Road’s various building near Dr Nazeer Chauraha, we found the house of Munnan Khan the target of police firing. There were several other houses.
At Warsi market which was at 98/227 Beqan Ganj about 28 shops of cloths and hosiery, embroidery were burnt. The fire started at 6 am in the morning on 18th and the fire tender came after 30 hours when everything was finished. The loss goes beyond 2 crore rupees. At the round about of Thana Beqan Ganj about 8-10 shops were burnt while the temple at 98/227 was completely safe. At 98/55 behind Thana Beqan Ganj the house of Dr S\.M.Gyas and Mujaffar Ali have a two storied house. From the morning of 18th March the police started firing. Their house was shut yet, their drawing room still have sign of about 16 bullet shots. There was firing in their kitchen and elsewhere. They still have all the cover of the bullets recovered from their house. In front of the Thana is Mughal Market where the police fired. At 98/53 Ansari Cloth House we found fire on the shutter. A loss of 1,25,000 was estimated. At 98/70 was the house of Mohmmad Salim Khan whose first floor house is infront of Thana Beqan Ganj and saw fire coming in his drawing as well as bed room. One shot came where his brother in law was sitting. Mr. Mohan Verma, the Thana In-charge was crying to Muslims: Come and ask your Allah to save yourself.
There were a number of houses where we visited and saw the police brutality. One woman was crying, her children are still in shock with the police firing. All their belonging were burnt.. Freeze, mixer grinder, wall clock all became defunct. One shot passed through the ear of the landlady and the other hit at her finger. She is still in shock and does not have courage to see the Thana. The house has as many as 24 children and thee women. They used to work on embroidery and had a lower middle income category.
At house 99/48 Mohd Khalik used to make chappals. He was 17 years of age and was coming after offering Namaz from a nearby Masjid. He was shot at and died. His father an old men of over 75 is shocked and cannot express himself. He has an elder son and three daughters. He says his only help has gone and is not in a condition to speak with us and unable to walk after an operation.
Mehtab Alam is a bag maker. He is about 22 years of age. On 18th March he was going to get Pan Masala when at 11.30 he was fired upon by the police. The bullet crossed his thigh.. He was crying in pain. RAF people took him to hospital. His father owns a pan shop. No body from the administration has visited any of these places.
At chaman Ganj, near Pintoo Medical Store, we spoke to his Hindu tenant whose ration shop was untouched, about who did the work. He openly said that it was the handiwork of PAC. Deep Narain is a Kirana Merchant in the locality and verified that the people in the area were very nice to him and that the PAC did the entire thing led by Inspector Mohan Verma.
Our conclusions:
Most of the arson and looting incidents took place in the Muslim majority areas under strict curfew on 18th March 2001, which clearly indicate that the administration was hand in glove with the rioters. That all the shops of the non-Muslims in those areas as well as temple remained untouched amidst this chaos is indicative of the nature of the rioters and who they were. PAC is already infamous for its highly communal bias. Meerut, Moradabad, Aligarh, Bijnaur and many other places are the hallmark of PAC’s career in UP and can put any civilized person to shame. Despite knowing the fact that the Muslim community in Uttar-Pradesh becomes mad with the single reference of PAC and the vice versa, PAC was deployed to tackle the situation. Despite demands the state administration did not ask for either RAF or army. It is only after the Muslims were taught a lesson that RAF was called and that too was deployed in the Muslim localities. Most of the arrest has been made from among the Muslims. Even when ambiguousness prevails as who killed ADM Pathak, the administration should have been firm with the miscreants. But rather than this, ADM Pathak has been made as a Hindu martyr by not only the communal elements but also by the administration. We will take revenge of Pathak’s death was the war cry of PAC. How can an administration treat an entire community responsible for the death of one official? If the riots sparked off in Parade area then why it spread in other areas. It is clear that the Police wanted it to play in the Muslim localities. teach them a lesson and destroy their business establishment, a lesson they must have learnt from their counterpart in Bombay in 1992 and Meerut and Moradabad.
Just by chanting SIMI, the administration cannot hide its highhandedness and brutalities. If SIMI is an organisation spreading hatred it must be banned but not in isolation. Just go through their literature and their activities and how many people turn to them. Why cannot the administration ban RSS and its various offshoots which are openly spewing venom against others, burning bibles and Quran has become their favorite pass time and digging the pitches. We have found no where they were punished. And Kanpur incident clearly indicates that these elements connived with the administration to destroy the well-established business institutions of the Muslims in their areas.
Demands:
We demand the following:
1. An independent time bound inquiry along with a separate CBI inquiry into the incident. what was the reason for it ?
2. Role of administration in the entire episode
3. Fix responsibility on civil and police officials
4. Compensate those whose property and houses have been looted and burnt
5. Either disband PAC or ensure representation of Muslims and other minorities in it. PAC should not be allowed to be used in the disturbances.
6. Ban all the organisations spreading hatred. But first check their record and don’t go on the basis of hearsay.
7. How come the properties and shops worth crores of rupees looted during the curfew period. There is clear need to find the criminal-police nexus in Kanpur.
8. Press Council should inquire into the role of news-papers in Kanpur.
9. Why the RAF was deployed so late and PAC was allowed to do its fancies.
10. What efforts did the administration made to silence the agitated crowd before it fired on the protesting mob.
Vidya BhushanRawat
Dr Mahendra P Rana
Sanjay Bharati
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