A minor squabble over parking a bike on the night of 30th June, turned into a full blown communal clash the next day in Lal kuan, Delhi.
Image courtesy: timesnow
It all started when Aas Mohammed parked his bike in front of a building and one resident of that building Sanjeev Gupta objected to it. And there was allegedly a minor sccuffle over it with different people saying different things.
And soon fake messages over whatsapp began circulating that a Muslim man has been lynched in Lal Kuan locality of Chawri bazar. And many Muslims gathered there the next day and began shouting sloganeering and hurling stones at buildings and in the process the temple at Hauz Qazi was vandalised with glass panes being broken.
Now it was the turn of the Hindus to spread fake messages on social media that an anceint temple has been set ablaze by the Muslims; that the pundit of the temple was badly beaten up by the Muslims.
And because of all these rumours through whatsapp security was beefed up at Lal Kuan. And many youth from both the communities also gathered to avenge themselves.
Although none of these things happened, the youth were bent on baying each other’s blood.
Irtiza Querishi, an activist striving for communal harmony dispelled all these fake messages of whatsapp and appealed to the people that the need of the hour was scarcity of water. And not temple or mosque.
Meanwhile Mufti Mukarram appealed to the Muslims to restore the Mandir.
Amidst all these tension prevailing, it was only the local leaders of both the communities who intervened. TwoCircles.net spoke to Irtiza who told that leaders of both of the communities have been talking but till evening but could not come to a reasonable conclusion.
On Monday morning the MP of Chandni Chow and Union Minister Harsh Vardhan visited Hauz Qazi area and assured action against the guilty at the same time appealing for harmony.
“The Hindus have laid down 3 reasons, two of which have been met and the third one is not reasonable and will only create more violence,” he said. “The first condition is that the temple should be repaired; the seond being punishment for the youth who had hurled stones at the temple and the third one is that the Hindus will also vandalise a mosque to get even.”
“ The first two conditions have been met and the youth responsible for vandalising the temple are already in police custody. But the third one will only trigger more violence. And no body is ready to listen to reason.” he said sadly.
He also said that he has been calling up the political leaders to intervene and settle the matter peacefully but no one is responding. Querishi also said the police is controlling the situation if not it would have gotten worst.
Another activist Ashok Mathur told TwoCircles.net, “ Lal kuan has people from both the communities residing from many years but there has never ever been any incident of communal violence. It is saddening that this incident happened.”
However after several dialogues, the leaders from both the communities, Jamshed Ali Siddiqui and Tara Chand Saxena of Aman committee held a press conference and released a joint statement that peace has gained the upper hand. And the culprits will be punished as per the law of the land while the temple will be repaired.
The members of the Aman committee appreciated the police who controlled the situation ably preventing further violence as both the parties were ready to kill or die.
Many hailed this decision as the need of the hour is communal harmony.
Courtesy: Two Circle