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Nuh Haryana: Who cast the first stone?

Tanya Arora    
For days before the violence erupted in Nuh, Haryana, hate speeches were made, social media was used for amplification and mobilising and finally an armed procession succeeded in the sinister plan: communal clashes in Nuh, Haryana

What began at Nuh has now spilled to the national capital region (NCR) Delhi with roads being blocked and communal tensions running high. Recent incidents that took place in Haryana during a religious procession were preceded by hate speeches being made where members of organisations like the Bajrang Da (BD) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) were reportedly involved. At the time of writing communal tensions have spread to many districts of Haryana, targeting Muslims in the state through hate speeches and also spilt over to Delhi. On Monday night, July 31, a mosque was also burnt in Gurugram, resulting in the death of one Muslim.

Many news reports have been surfacing regarding the “clashes” that broke out in the Nuh district of Haryana while a procession of Vishwa Hindu Parishad- Bajrang Dal was being taken out.

This morning, Wednesday, August 2, a news article of Indian Express dated August 2, 2023, ‘Who gave weapons to the religious yatris at Nuh?’ that quotes Union Home MoS Rao Inderjit Singh, is pertinent. He has expressed strong views on why Arms were allowed to be carried by participants in the religious procession on Monday, July 31.  In the article Shri Rao Inderjit Singh said he approached Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and the Union Home Ministry to send Central forces to Nuh after realising that the police force was “insufficient”. “WHILE stating that there was provocation from both sides resulting in the violence in Nuh, Haryana, on Monday, Gurgaon MP and Union Minister of State (Independent charge) Rao Inderjit Singh said it was not right for participants in a religious yatra to be carrying swords and sticks.

“Kisne hathiyar diye unko is procession mein le jaane ke liye? Koi talwar leke jata hai procession mein? Lathi-dande leke jata hai (Who gave weapons to them for the procession? Who goes to a procession carrying swords, or sticks)? This is wrong. A provocation took place from this side too. I am not saying there was no provocation from the other side,” Singh said, speaking to The Indian Express.”

Build Up

As the investigation will be conducted by the Police into the events that led to the said incident, where two home guards were killed and many sustained injuries, it is important that the build-up to the violence is also looked into and the said incident is not looked as an isolated event. Planning of the said procession had been in the play since many days. A background of the said procession has been provided by us below.

Background and build-up

  1. A video by Monu Manesar:

Prior to the procession on Monday, July 31, Monu Manesar (a previous offender whom the police has not been able to detain) had released a video and said he would participate in a religious procession. Through this three day-old video, Monu Manesar could be seen appealing to his supporters to attend the procession. In the said video, Monu Manesar assured his supporters that he will be present at the procession with his team. While eventually Monu Mansesar did not participate in the procession on the advice of the VHP, which feared that his presence would create tension, Monu Manesar’s name has been at the centre of communal clashes that broke out during the Vishva Hindu Parishad procession, even being connected to two ghastly lynchings in Mewat and nearby Rajasthan.

This remark by a social media user is relevant: “Even though I am sure that the police is aware of the gravity of the crimes associated with Monu Manesar, I am reiterating the same. Monu Manesar, who is the head of the cow vigilante wing of Bajrang Dal in Haryana, is an accused of kidnapping and killing two suspected cow smugglers called Junaid and Nasir in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur. The said incident had taken place in February this year. Even after this, Monu Manesar remains an active member of Bajrang Dal. As far as media reports indicate there is no move by the law and order authorities to act against the organisation that is fostering such criminals, hate mongers.” The video can be viewed here:

Also pertinent are the following news reports in understanding the build up.

Hindustan Times, August 2, 2023

Times of India, August 1, 2023

  1. Facebook Live by Bittu Bajrangi:

Two days prior to the procession, Between 8-9 a.m., Bittu Bajrangi, a senior Bajrang Dal leader in Haryana and a history sheeter, did a Facebook live before heading to Mewat. A Faridabad based cow vigilante, Bajrangi can be seen and heard instigating violence and challenging the Muslims living in region to face his gang. He can be heard saying “we are letting all of you beforehand that we will be coming so that you all do not complaint that we did not meet you.”

The gang, all of whom were donning the saffron scarf, can then be heard raising the religious slogan of “Jai Shree Ram”.

The video can be viewed here:

In another provocation two days before the violence broke out, a Video put out on the morning of August 2, is relevant and extremely worrying:

“Few hours before violence erupted in Haryana, Surendra Jain, General Secretary of Vishwa Hindu Parishad was present at Nuh’s Nalhar Mahadev Mandir (destination of procession) where he delivered hate speech against Muslims in Mewat. We have obtained video of his speech, which can be viewed here:

Procession by Vishwa Hindu Parishad- Bajrang Dal and provocations

As per media reports, the said procession ‘Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra’ was taken out by the VHP and Bajrang Dal on Monday, July 31. The yatra was flagged off from Gurugram’s Civil Lines by BJP district president Gargi Kakkar.

It is essential to note that the said procession to Mewat region that resulted in violence was led by notorious far-right leaders, including cow vigilantes. One group was led by Rahul Dhillon alias Rahul Boxer who runs a gang & owns heavy weaponry. Even in his video with a local reporter after violence started, Rahul Boxer can be heard makes calls for unification against the “1000s that are out there”.

The video can be viewed here:

Violence at Nuh:

Tension was already brewing in the region after Bajrang Dal member Monu Mansar had released the video, as people were provoked by (unconfirmed) news strengthened by his own video, that he, Manesar was going to be a part of the procession. In addition to this, reports have also claimed that Bittu Bajrangi’s live video from Ballabhgarh was also a trigger for the clash As the procession vehicles reached Nuh Chowk, a handful of teenagers pelted stones on the vehicles. What ensued was chaos and unprecedented violence. Cars were then set ablaze.

People in the procession also hurled stones back at the youths who had stopped them, reports said. A religious “clash” broke out. Some local media reports claimed that both the sides raised religious slogans flaring communal tensions leading to the clash with the police completely outnumbered by the mob. Later, many took refuge in a nearby temple as police tried to evacuate them to safety.

Videos from the site of “clash”:

There are videos present on social media where a reporter of Aaj Tak was being threatened by Bajrang Dal members to not take any videos. In the videos, the members can be seen donning a saffron scarf, carrying guns, running and pelting stones. The reporter was also asked by one of the members with a gun if he is a Hindu or not. This video was from Mewat region of Haryana.

The video can be viewed here:

In another video of Aaj Tak, a police van can also be seen at the same road where the big Bajrang Dal mob can be seen walking with guns and stones. Exactly in front of the police, one person can also be seen throwing a stone at a house. Sounds of firing can also be heard in the background, along with the slogan of “Jai Shree Ram”.

The video can be viewed here:

Photos of swords in saffron in the cars of the procession are also available on social media.

The post can be viewed here:

Reportedly, two home guards were also killed and at least 15 others were injured including policemen following violence that engulfed at Haryana’s Nuh.

Deleterious Impact

As reports of violence started surfacing from Nuh, anti-Muslim hate and violence started spreading to other districts and parts of Haryana. Muslims, places of worship, and houses were then targeted by Hinduwaadi mobs. Even as curfew was imposed in Nuh area of Haryana, and internet services suspended in Sohna, Pataudi and Manesar areas, violence against Muslims have taken a malicious turn.

Mosque vandalised, deputy imam killed

On August 1, a mosque in Gurgaon’s Sector 57 was vandalised and set on fire. Media sources also reported that the mosque was attacked at 12:30 am last night by a large armed mob which fired on the mosque and then set it on fire. The chief imam of the mosque was away to his village last night. But the naib-imam or deputy imam, who would lead prayers in his absence, was assaulted, stabbed 13 times with swords, etc. and his throat slit before he was killed.  The deputy imam was just 19 years old. Sources at the hospital the two were taken to – W Pratiksha Hospital – confirmed to the media that one of the victims was brought dead, with multiple stab wounds in his chest. Another person present in the premises was also badly beaten up and shot in the knee. He is presently in the ICU.

Notably, the Sector 57 mosque was the only mosque on a government-allocated land in the planned urban developed area in Gurugram

The video can be viewed here:

Hate speech:

Even as police claimed that the tensions were returning to normal in Haryana, videos showing members of Bajrang Dal taking out rallies, raising offensive and genocidal slogans and provoking people have been surfacing.

A video from Bhiwani, Haryana showed that the Bajrang Dal organized a rally where participants shouted slogans, used derogatory words and called for violence against Muslims. “Jab Mulle kaate jaayenge, Ram Ram Chillaayenge (When Muslims would be chopped off, they would cry Ram Ram).” Notably, police officers can also be seen standing behind and beside the mob. They are neither stopping the mob from raising such inciteful slogans, nor taking any action.

The video can be viewed here:

Another video from Bahadurgarh, Haryana shows a saffron donning mob of Bajrang Dal members taking out a rally and shouting hateful, provocative and violence invoking slogans: “Desh ke gaddaron ko, goli maro salon ko (shoot the traitors of our country).” A police van can be seen crossing the mob, without taking any action. A traffic police cop can also be seen walking alongside the mob.

The video can be viewed here:

A man holding a sickle can be seen raising a genocidal call against Muslims. In the said video, he asks Hindus from the surrounding area of Mewat to unify and take action against these “jihadis”.

The video can be viewed here:

Selective targeting:

Gurgaon- According to a report by Meer Faisal, a journalist, at some places in Haryana’s Gurgaon, Hindutva goons were asking labourers sleeping in shops whether they are Mewatis or Muslims. After asking, they are targeting them.

Khatela, Palwal- Reportedly, Khubi Khan had a tire shop in Khatela village, Palwal, which was set on fire by a Hindu mob around midnight. It is being alleged that cops were present at the site when the mob set the shop on fire.

The video can be viewed here:

Hodal, Phalwal- A Muslim driver named Ibrahim was beaten up by sticks and his vehicle was damaged by the members of Bajrang Dal.

The video can be viewed here:

Members of the Bajrang Dal have been maliciously whipping up emotions among the people of Haryana against the Muslim minorities in the state. Before this escalates further and the death toll rises, having reach five already, this needs immediate attention as this behaviour cannot be tolerated by any means, even under the law. Many more videos are surfacing where individuals donning saffron scarfs can be seen using guns with a police officer standing beside them.

Citizens for Justice and Peace (cjp.org.in) has complained both to the Director General of Police (DGP), Haryana and the National Commission of Minorities (NCM) on this escalation of violence. These attacks have started to play into the deep communal divide the authorities are ignoring, or complying with, and we are now on the verge of violence, targeted violence and social disharmony becoming the norm in our society. India as a democracy is committed to an ideology of toleration but such attacks and the increasing frequency of such attacks is dangerous and needs immediate action.

These incidents have gone beyond isolated instances hate speech and are manifesting into violent acts against minorities who are not even perceived as victims anymore. Public order and security of the state is paramount but with these incidents that go unchecked with punishment or accountability, is Haryana and its environs heading towards lawlessness?

Related:

Communal violence erupts in Nuh, Mewat, five killed, provocations by VHP-Bajrang Dal continue

Nuh Clashes planned and coordinated, more such violence likely before 2024 Polls: Satyapal Malik

Union MOS Home questions arms allowed in ‘religious’ procession at Nuh, Haryana: Rao Inderjit Singh

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