Aligarh: Members of two communities clashed here in Uttar Pradesh following a brawl at a shop selling meat products, said police which deployed a large number of its personnel to bring the situation under control early Tuesday.

The clash was reported around midnight from the Sarai Sultani area, police said.

Police said two persons entered into an argument at the shop selling cooked chicken and meat products, and a brawl broke out on Monday night.

As the news about the incident at the shop spread, members of two communities confronted each other and it turned violent with people throwing stones at each other, police said.
 

Uttar Pradesh | Stones pelted after a scuffle broke out between some people over buying meat from a shop in Aligarh

Some people went to a meat shop. An argument happened between the people and the shopkeeper & later stone pelting happened. 2 got injured: Aligarh DM pic.twitter.com/ALyKGhdETh

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) January 16, 2023

They said as soon as information was received, a large deployment of personnel was made in the area, and the situation was brought under control.

Senior Superintendent of Police Kalanidhi Naithani, who rushed to the spot along with other top district officials, told reporters early Tuesday that the situation is under control but a strict vigil is being maintained.

He said a report is being filed, and strong action will be taken against the perpetrators. Security arrangements in the area have been tightened. No casualties were reported, the officer said.

Courtesy: Siasat

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A 17-year-old girl in Aligarh committed suicide last week on Saturday, two days after she was allegedly raped by two men of the same village, The Indian Express reported.

An FIR has been filed under Sections Sections 376 (D) (gangrape) and 306 (abetment to suicide) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the SC/ST Act.

Police officials said that the girl was found hanging in her house on Saturday. Her family alleged that after the incident, there was a panchayat held in the village where the girl was pressured into “resolving” the issue.

The girl’s family said that the incident took place last week on Thursday. Her father said, “They… sexually assaulted her… And after that they held a panchayat to give out meagre punishment. I was told the boys threatened her… She took it to heart and felt that she had been insulted on all ends and hanged herself.”

About the matter, Aligarh SSP, Muniraj G said, “On Saturday, the police was informed that a minor has committed suicide in an Aligarh village. When we investigated, we were told by the deceased’s family members that she had been gangraped in the village itself. Prima facie it appears that a panchayat was also held to resolve the issue. Two persons have been arrested and action against those will also be taken those who participated in the village panchayat if they are found linked to abetment of suicide.”

According to Hindi news website Uttam Hindu, the panchayat announced that the men involved in the incident should be beaten with shoes by the victim and shamed by blackening their faces. The hapless girl did as she was told and the boys were left with a mere warning. That the panchayat felt this punishment equivalent for the crime, is appalling.

According to the publication, the girl was returning home from the washroom when the incident happened. This was when two boys followed her, covered her face and dragged her away, raped and left her with a threat that she shouldn’t speak about the incident to anyone.

The attitude of the villagers left her feeling wronged and distressed and she decided to end her life. The deceased’s body has now been sent for a postmortem and the police say that strict action will be taken against the perpetrators.

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For these women, this election was less about the idea of democracy and more about how it functions. It was about applications filled and identification cards denied, and at the core of it were their efforts to seek out two things: the right to vote and the right to a decent source of livelihood.

This reporter visited four of the poorest areas of Aligarh, though by no means the only ones and used the 2011 census to identify these communities using indicators of employment, education, historical marginalisation, and low-paying work.

School, not factory

Sunita Devi (40) lost her husband, who worked in a barbershop, seven years ago. A year later, she applied for the widow’s pension, yet only received the money a month back: Rs. 1500 for three months.

On election day, she walked for half an hour in the afternoon heat to cast her vote.

She lives in Palaholi Chowk, which falls in Gambhirpura ward that has 22,751 people who do not know how to read or write, the highest in Aligarh, as per the census. Sunita Devi says that she too has never been to school and can neither read nor write.

She works in a hardware factory where she does khulai ka kaam. Her job is to clean metal products, such as door latches and bolts, in acid water. Her son works in another hardware factory, where he operates a power machine. Though both earn about Rs. 8000 a month, more than a third of it goes towards rent. This means that she can only afford to send only one of her children, her youngest daughter, to school.

A ‘No’ to vote

Sufiya Begum (50) lost her husband, who owned a provisions store, five years ago. Like Sunita Devi, she too does not receive widow’s pension, despite applying for it four months after his passing.

She lives in Jeevangarh, where more than 300 people, the highest number in Aligarh, work as household industry workers “manufacturing, processing, servicing, and repairing goods.” Her son, who financially supports her, is also one.

Election day was not a good one for her. She ran from pillar to post with her voter ID and Aadhar Card to cast her vote but was unable to do so.
The reason? She claims that her stepdaughter-in-law told the block level officer (BLO), who runs a school in her house, to cut Sufiya Begum’s name from the electoral register. When I went to meet the BLO with Sufiya Begum, she claimed that the reason was that Sufiya Begum had shifted. This meant that her residential area, notified as part number in the electoral roll, had changed. But Sufiya Begum interrupted the BLO, saying that she had shifted 15 years ago.

I asked the BLO whether she had sought Sufiya Begum’s permission before doing this. She said that she had spoken to her husband, now gone for five years, and then said that it was her stepdaughter-in-law who had told her.

She also claimed that she had applied for a new voter ID on behalf of Sufiya Begum but that it had not come through from the tehsil. As we were about to leave, an election official offered to give Sufiya Begum someone else’s voter slip who hadn’t shown up, so that she could vote but she said: “Ghalat kaam nahi karoongee–I won’t do anything illegal.”

Three widows, no pension

Shakuntala Singh (64), right, lost her husband, who was a farmer, six years ago to dengue.

On election day, the person ahead of her pressed the elephant symbol for the Bahujan Samaj Party but saw the Bharatiya Janata Party’s lotus sign come up on screen. She says that he got into an argument with the police about it, so she stepped in and suggested to the BLO that the machine should be removed, which it was, and the voting resumed.

She lives in Nagla Kalar, which, according to the census, has the highest Scheduled Caste population at 9,772 people. Singh herself is a Dalit Christian.

Three years after her husband’s death, her younger daughter’s husband also passed away and she came to live with Singh. Poonam Paul, her elder daughter (left), became a widow two months ago. Neither of her daughters receives a pension though both have applied. Singh received old age pension but that stopped when Yogi Adityanath became Chief Minister, she says. Now, Paul’s two sons support the family as does her sister who works as a cook in people’s homes.

Work among “non-workers”

From left to right, Pushpa (35), Kishan Pyari (40), Shanti Devi (65), and Roopvati (55), are all widows. But only Kishan Pyari and Pushpa received widow’s pension, and that too Rs. 1500 last month, though both their husbands passed away one and five years ago respectively.
They all voted and say that the biggest problem that they face is a lack of better employment opportunities. “Koi kaam hona chahiye–there should be some work,” says Roopvati, who support her family of five, by working as a tailor. Her two daughters, both of whom are college graduates, have not found formal employment, though they work as tailors alongside their mother.

All of them live in Upar Kot in Aligarh’s old city, specifically in Kaba ki Sarai that, has the highest number of “non-workers” at 14,965 people.
Pushpa, Kishan Pyari, and Shanti Devi work temporary jobs at people’s weddings making pooris. They leave in the morning and come back as late as 3 am, earning Rs. 200 per day. Pushpa says that they roll a quintal worth of flour into pooris every day.

But this is seasonal work and in all of their homes, at least one, if not more, of their children is also working. In Pushpa’s case, her two sons, both in their 20s, passed away, one in an unfortunate accident and the other from an illness that doctors failed to diagnose. She has two other teenaged sons. When I ask her if they go to school, she says: “School jayenge to khaane ko kaise aayega–if they go to school, where will we get the money to eat?” Both of them work in a locks workshop, like their father before them.

Meher Ali is an independent journalist based in Aligarh. She reports on refugees and human-rights related issues. You can also read her blog on the culture and heritage of Aligarh and western Uttar Pradesh here. Follow her on Twitter @aashi310 .

Courtesy: Two Circle

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Satish Gautam, the sitting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP who was in news last year over a controversy surrounding Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s portrait at the renowned Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) is facing strong anti-incumbency and anger from traders. This has made the Lok Sabha election for the Aligarh constituency a triangular contest.

Satish Gautam is contesting against the Mahagathbandhan candidate Ajeet Baliyan of Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) and Bijendra Singh of Congress in the elections being held today.

Gautam seems to be banking on the split of Muslim votes as the opposition candidates are hoping for the consolidation of votes in their favour.

Traders in the area feel that they chose Gautam to bring “pro-people” policies and not instigate controversies like the one in AMU.

In May 2018, Gautam stirred controversies when he demanded that the portrait of Jinnah be removed from AMU student union office where it had been for decades. Hindu Yuva Vahini affiliates had attacked students and state police lathi charged students. Several students were brutally attacked and sustained injuries.

There are around 3.50 lakh Muslim voters, while Brahmins, Vaishyas and Chhatriyas together constitute about seven lakh of the total 18.73 lakh voters. Jat, Yadav and Lodi account for four lakh.

As per experts, Gautam rode on the “Modi wave” of 2014 to win the seat in 2014 by defeating BSP’s Arvind Kumar Singh by over two lakh votes. However, they believe that things have changed since and things could be different this time.

He faces strong opposition from with the party, with veteran leader and former Chief Minister of the state, Kalyan Singh opposing his candidature.

Anger is also brewing against him over demonetisation and high GST, though he cant be solely held responsible. The lock industrialists of the area are said to be extremely upset with him.

This anti-incumbency may benefit both Congress and mahagathbandhan who have promised to focus on education and improve the city’s infrastructure, many residents feel.

Baliyan, a newcomer is believed to have a good chance among the voters because of his strong support base among SC/ST voters.

A professor at Aligarh Muslim University, Ali Nadeem Rezavi said “It is high time that Muslims do tactical voting as that could play a very important role in the turnout in the election.”

Gautam has given a statement few hours back where he has reiterated his ‘resolve’ to send Jinnah’s portrait “back to Pakistan.”

Aligarh is having polls today in second phase of elections on April 18. Khair, Baroli, Atroli , Kol and Aligarh city are assembly segments in the constituency.
 

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Iglas: After villagers in Aligarh district in Uttar Pradesh herded more than 700 stray cows and bulls inside the 12 school compounds to save their crops, the situation continued to remain tense as more than a dozen cows were reportedly buried alive in Iglas locality.
 
The district administration and police authorities of Aligarh went into overdrive with the recovery of a dozen cow carcasses, believably, buried alive, near a canal on Aligarh-Mathura Road on Thursday morning.
 
Remains were dug out following information by a resident who found the animal parts popping out of the ground.
 
After the police authorities recovered the carcasses, a post-mortem examination was conducted which confirmed that the cows died of asphyxia.
 
As per the sources, Villagers found animal parts on the ground and after digging found five cows and they claimed that one of them was alive when the police reached the spot.
 
A resident told Times Of India on the condition of anonymity that the police personnel who initially arrived at the scene sent the five dugout cattle to the veterinary hospital and wanted to leave after cleaning the spot. However, they brought a JCB after angry villagers demanded that more area with loose sand should be dug up. The operation led to the recovery of seven more cows.
 
“Villagers of Iglas are up in arms against the administration for its failure to resolve the stray cattle menace. Residents say that ever since the Yogi Adityanath government imposed a ban on cow slaughter and ‘cow vigilantes’ are on the rampage, there has been a phenomenal increase in the population of non-lactating, old and ailing cows deserted by their owners. These animals have been destroying crops, leading to resentment among farmers,” the report added.
 
Abhimanyu Singh, who owns 20 bigha land in Iglas area, said that the farmers can’t afford to feed non-productive cows and no one wants to buy them because of the fear of “gau rakshaks”. “We respect cows, but they are damaging crops,” Singh said, adding that stray cattle had become a huge nuisance. “Farmers have been facing problems for the past year, but now the situation has worsened. The government must take corrective measures,” he said in the report.
 
The DM claimed that around 2,000 cattle were shifted to 12 gaushalas in the past three days.
 
Cow vigilantes from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal and Hindu Yuva Vahini blocked a state highway, protesting the death of a dozen cows the previous night near the Iglas area.
 
“We got the information from some local people that not all the cows were dead. Some of them were buried alive. We can’t tolerate this kind of cruelty on cows,” said Dharma Bhaiya, district in-charge of the VHP in a report by Economic Times.
 
However, both District Magistrate (DM), Aligarh, CB Singh and SSP Ajay Kumar Sahni denied that the cows were buried alive. He claimed that they were dead animals which were buried two days ago. The DM also claimed that autopsy of the bovines established their death two days ago. However, he cautioned against rumour mongers who wanted to vitiate the atmosphere.
 
Meanwhile, the residents of Iglas have raised the issue of increase in the population of stray cattle which was causing inconvenience to them. Besides destroying the crops, non-lactating, old and ailing cows lead to other problems in the area. However, the ban imposed on cow slaughter by the authorities and pro-active cow vigilante groups has made life difficult for residents.
 

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It has been more than a month since the chaotic process of demonetisation began. The drastic effect of this scheme is seen on local industries across the country. Aligarh's centuries-old lock industry, which comprises of 5,000 organised and as many unorganised units, employs over 2 lakh daily wage workers, and is worth Rs. 4000 crore is staring at what could be a total shutdown. 90% of the small and cottage scale units, including unregistered ones in Aligarh have either closed down or are on the brink of closure. Owners have no money to pay wages or buy raw material, while stock of manufactured goods is piling up in their storehouses. Newsclick spoke to the people in Aligarh regarding the devastating impact of demonetisation on their lives. Here is our video report from ground zero. 

Courtesy: Newsclick.in

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मोदी के खिलाफ नारेपैसे की किल्लत से जूझ रहे लोग बैंकों में पहुंचे। बैंकों में बताया गया कि पैसे नहीं हैं। एटीएम भी खाली हैं। इस पर लोगों का गुस्सा फूट पड़ा। उन्होंने शहर के सभी प्रमुख चौराहों पर जाम कर दिया। प्रधानमंत्री नरेन्द्र मोदी के खिलाफ नारेबाजी की। उन पर जनता को परेशान करने का आरोप लगाया।

ये चौराहे और मार्ग किए जाम अलीगढ़ शहर के अब्दुल्ला चौराहा, दोदपुर, सिविल लाइंस, जीवनगढ़, रामघाट रोड, कठपुला जाम कर दिया। शहर में कहीं जाना है तो इन चौराहों और मार्गों पर आना ही होता है। हाल यह है कि एक किलोमीटर का सफर एक घंटे में तय हो पा रहा है। जहां पुतले फूंके गए हैं, वे सब मुस्लिमबहुल इलाके हैं

आभार: जागरण

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Communal tension in Bahraich, UP. Photo credit: Hindustan Times

क्‍या हमें पता है कि पिछले तीन दिनों में कई जगहों पर हिन्‍दू और मुसलमान आमने-सामने आए हैं? दोनों समुदायों के टकराव की ये बातें हमें अलग-अलग माध्‍यमों से आ रही खबरों से पता चल रही हैं. खास तौर पर उत्‍तर प्रदेश और बिहार में साम्‍प्रदायिक तनाव की खबरें बड़े पैमाने पर मिल रही हैं. यूपी के पूर्वी इलाके में तनाव ज्‍यादा फैला है. वहीं बिहार में अरसे बाद इतनी सारी जगहों से तनाव की खबरें सामने आ रही हैं. यूपी में चुनाव होने हैं, इसलिए साम्‍प्रदायिक तनाव काफी अहम मायने रखते हैं. बिहार में चुनाव हो चुके हैं लेकिन सरकार का निजाम अब तक मजबूती से खड़ा नजर नहीं आ रहा है. या यों कहें, डिगा सा नजर आ रहा है. ध्‍यान रहे पिछले तीन दिन दशहरा, दुर्गा प्रतिमा विसर्जनऔर मुहर्रम की दसवीं का मौका था.

नीचे वे घटनाएं हैं जो हमें अलग-अलग जगहों से अलग-अलग माध्‍यमों से पता चल रही हैं. इनमें से कई घटनाएं आप कल इस साइट पर देख चुके हैं. मुमकिन है, ऐसी अनेक घटनाएं होंगी जो खबर के रूप में नहीं आ सकी हैं. जिन्‍हें सामान्‍य मान कर छोड़ दिया गया होगा.

उत्‍तर प्रदेश – 12 अक्‍टूबर

गोंडा के कोतवाली इलाके में दुर्गा प्रतिमा विसर्जन के दौरान गुड्डूमल चौराहे के पास दोपरहर दो बजे के करीब पथराव का आरोप. जुलूस रोक औरलोग धरने पर बैठ गए. थोड़ी दूर पर एक मस्जिद है. देर शाम में पुलिस के हस्‍तक्षेप करने पर हंगामा बढ़ गया. जिले के बाकि हिस्‍सों में साम्‍प्रदायिक हिंसा की अफवाह तेजी से फैली. हिन्‍दूवादी संगठनों ने कई जगह प्रदर्शन किया. दुकानें बंद हो गईं. बुधवार को कैसरगंज से भाजपा सांसद बृजभूषण सिंह और गोंडा के भाजपा सांसद कीर्तिवर्धन सिंह कोतवाली में धरने पर बैठे. प्रशासन के साथ बातचीत के बाद गिरफ्तार 17 में से तीन लोगों को छोड़ा गया.

ताजियादारान कमेटी गोंडा ने सुरक्षा का पुख्‍ता इंतजाम न होने का हवाला देकर दसवींमुहर्रम का जुलूस नहीं निकाला. शहरी इलाके में चौकियों पर ताजिए नहीं रखे गए. जुलूस भी नहीं निकाला. गुरुवार 13 अक्‍टूबर को गोंडा के एक भाजपा नेता को धार्मिक उन्‍माद भड़काने और दंगा फैलाने के आरोप में गिरफ्तार किया गया.

मऊ में पहले प्रतिमा और फिर ताजिया तोड़े जाने के आरोप प्रत्‍यारोप के बीच तनाव रहा.

अलीगढ़ के जलाली इलाक़े में क़ब्रिस्तान की ज़मीन पर रावण जलाने से पूरे इलाक़े में तनाव फैल गया. लोगों का आरोप है कि पुलिस की मौजूदगी में क़ब्रिस्तान के गेट का ताला तोड़ा गया और रावण दहन किया गया.

मुरादाबाद में बिलारी इलाके में मुहर्रम के दौरान एक खास जुलूस को निकालने के मुद्दे पर तनाव हो गया. मंगल की रात से शुरू हुआ तनाव बुधवार और गुरुवार को बढ़ गया. गुरुवार को दोनों पक्षों में मारपीट हुई. कई लोग घायल हैं.

मुरादाबाद के गोविन्द नगर इलाक़े में बजरंग दल कार्यकर्ताओं ने शस्‍त्र पूजन किया. इसके बाद हथियार लहराते हुए जमकर फायरिंग की. बजरंग दल के दो कार्यकर्ता गिरफ़्तार किए गए और बाद में इन्‍हें छोड़ दिया गया।

उत्‍तर प्रदेश-13/14/15 अक्‍टूबर

गोंडा के मोतीगंज में गुरुवार को ताजिया का जुलूस जा रहा था. ताजिया गिर गया. उसके बाद टकराव. हालात जल्‍दी काबू में पाया गया.

बहराइच के फखरपुर थाना इलाके में गुरुवार को बहेलिया इलाके की मूर्ति का जुलूस जा रहा था. एक इलाके गुम्‍मा खां पुरवा के पास एक मस्जिद है. वहां गाना बजाने के मुद्दे पर कुछ विवाद हुआ. आरोप है कि पत्‍थर चले. मूर्ति खंडित हुई. कुछ घायल हो गए. मकानों और झों‍पडि़यों में आग लगा दी गई. जलने से एक बच्‍ची की मौत हो गई. दो बच्‍चों के लापता होने की खबर है. प्रशासन के मुताबिक, 34 घर जले. गांव में दोनों समुदाय के लोग रहते हैं. गांव के लोगों का कहना है बाहरी लोग आए थे. उन्‍होंने ही आगजनी की. 34 लोग पुलिस हिरासत में. हर परिवार को 7900 का मुआवजा दिया गया. मरने वाली बच्‍ची के परिवारीजनों को सरकार की ओर से चार लाख दिया गया है.

बहराइच में नानापारा में गुरुवार को मूर्ति विसर्जन का जुलूस जा रहा था. किसी ने मांस का टुकड़ा फेंक दिया. जुलूस में जा रहे लोग मूर्ति के साथ धरने पर बैठ गए. दोनों समुदाय के कुछ लोग आगे आए तब जाकर मामला शांत हुआ. फिर मूर्ति विसर्जन के लिए निकली. मांस फेंकने के आरोप में एक शख्‍स गिरफ्तार भी हुआ है.

बहराइच के नवाबगंज इलाके में बुधवार को मोहर्रम के जुलूस के रास्‍ते को लेकर विवाद हुआ था. पथराव भी हुआ. इसके बाद शुक्रवार को इसी इलाके में एक दीवार तोड़ने के मुद्दे पर दोनों समुदाय के लोग आमने-सामने आ गए. पथराव और मारपीट में कई लोगों के जख्‍मी होने की खबर है. कुछ लोग इसे मोहर्रम के दिन हुए तनाव से जोड़ कर देख रहे हैं तो कुछ इसे आपसी विवाद मान रहे हैं.

महाराजगंज के नाथनगर इलाके में शाम में प्रतिमा विसर्जन के दौरान मारपीट, पथराव होने की खबर. विवाद की वजह-जुलूस को खास रास्‍ते से ले जाने की जिद. मारपीट की सूचना के बाद कई इलाकों के लोगों ने प्रतिमाओं को रखकर जाम लगा दिया. डीएम-एसपी के पहुंचने के बाद देर रात विसर्जन हो पाया. चार लोग गिरफ्तार किए गए.

देवरिया के लार कस्‍बे में जयकारा लगाने के मुद्दे पर विवाद हो गया. पुलिस ने भीड़ को खदेड़ा तो पुलिस पर पथराव हुआ. पूजा समितियां मूर्ति विसर्जन न करने पर अड़ीं.

कुशीनगर के कुबेरस्‍थान थाना के इलाके में प्रतिमा विसर्जन के जुलूस में शामिल हाथी और रास्‍ते के मुद्दे पर विवाद, पथराव, फायरिंग, मारपीट. कई लोग घायल. दो की हालत गंभीर. कई दुकान, गोदाम और एक स्‍कूल जलाया गया. तीन घंटे तक उपद्रवियों ने जमकर हंगामा किया. कुछ लोग हिरासत में लिए गए. डीएम-एसपी की मौजूदगी में जुमे की नमाज हुई. शुक्रवार को गांव जा रहे हिन्‍दू युवा वाहिनी के कार्यकर्ताओं को पुलिस ने गिरफ्तार किया.

बरेली के नवाबगंज में गुरुवार को मुहर्रम के मौके पर ताजिया का जुलूस कर्बला की तरफ जा रहा था. नवाबगंज के पास रास्‍ते के मुद्दे पर विवाद हो गया. स्‍थानीय लोगों ने रास्‍ता बदलने का दबाव बनाया. खबरों के मुताबिक, जब हजारों लोगों को नवाबगंज के पास कर्बला की ओर जाने से रोक दिया गया तो टकराव हो गया.

सीतापुर के हरगांव के पास मुहर्रम के जुलूस में ताजिया पर पथराव की खबर. लोग आमने-सामने आ गए. पथराव. कई घायल.यहां 14 अक्‍टूबर को भी मारपीट होने की खबर मिली है.

रायबरेली के डीह क्षेत्र में दुर्गा के प्रतिमा विसर्जन के रास्‍ते का विवाद में टकराव.

बलरामपुर में मूर्ति विसर्जन के दौरान भड़काने वाले नारे लगाने का आरोप. कुछ दुकानों और मस्जिद पर रंग डालने की खबर के बाद तनाव. अलग-अलग जगहों पर अलग-अलग तरीके से नफरत फैलाने की कोशिश. भरत मिलाप के दौरान भी आपत्तिजनक नारे के बाद तनाव हुआ.

बलरामपुर में मुहर्रम के जुलूस में एक झांकी पर एतराज करते हुए तनाव पैदा करने की कोशिश की गई. उस झांकी को राष्‍ट्रद्रोह की श्रेणी में रखा गया. बलरामपुर में शुक्रवार को भी सोशल मीडिया के जरिए नफरत फैलाने की कोशिश की खबरें आ रही हैं.

श्रावस्‍ती में गुरुवार, 13 अक्‍टूबर को मूर्ति विसर्जन के जुलूस के रास्‍ते के लिए तनाव हो गया. इसके बाद पथराव शुरू हो गया. पुलिस ने सख्‍ती की और 62 लोगों को गिरफ्तार किया. दूसरे दिन शुक्रवार को भाजपा सांसद दद्दन मिश्र भिनगा-बहराइच फोरलेन पर धरने पर बैठ गए. उनका इलजाम था कि पुलिस इकतरफा कार्रवाई कर रही है.

बलिया में मुहर्रम के जुलूस जिस रास्‍ते से निकलना था, उस रास्‍ते में दुर्गा पूजा की सजावट के झालर लगे थे. ताजिया निकालने वालों ने झालर हटाने को कहा. दुर्गा पूजा समिति नहींमानी. इसके बाद मुहर्रम का जुलूस नहीं निकला. दूसरे दिन प्रशासन के समझाने-बुझाने के बाद दोनों पक्ष माने तब ताजिया उठाया गया. इससे पहले बलिया के ही रेवती इलाके में मूर्ति विसर्जन के दौरान हंगामा और मारपीट की खबर है.

प्रतापगढ़ के कुंडा में ताजिया ले जाने के रास्‍ते का विवाद के बाद तनाव हुआ. इसी तरह पीलीभीत, चित्रकूट, बाराबंकी-फैजाबाद, इटावा, सहारनपुर के देवबंदसे भी तनाव की खबरें मिली हैं.

बिहार के कई जिलों से तनाव की खबर

पूर्वी चम्‍पारण के मोतिहारी के तिरकोलिया में पूजा पंडाल में 11 अक्‍टूबर की रात को तोड़फोड़ की खबर के बाद तनाव पैदा हो गया. लोगों ने मुख्‍य सड़क जाम कर दिया. जब लोग नहीं हटे तो पुलिस ने लाठीचार्ज किया. थाना इंचार्ज को निलम्बित कर दिया गया है. कई दुकानें जला दी गयीं. अफ़वाहों को रोकने के लिए पुलिस को इंटरनेट सेवा बंद करनी पड़ी. तुरकौलिया के साथ-साथ आस-पास के कई गांवों में तनाव है.

पूर्वी चम्‍पारण के सुगौली में शुक्रवार को विसर्जन के दौरान हिंसा हुई. खबरों के मुताबिक, डीजे पर नारे लग रहे थे. पटाखे फोड़े जा रहे थे. एक पटाखा किसी के मकान पर गिरा और इसके बाद हंगामा शुरू हो गया. एक और खबर के मुताबिक विसर्जन जुलूस पर पथराव के बाद हंगामा शुरू हुआ. दोनों समुदायों के बीच जमकर पथराव हुआ. फायरिंग की भी सूचना है. दुकान और घर जलाए जाने की खबर है. फोर्स तैनात कर दी गई है.

पश्चिमी चम्‍पारण के बेतिया के जमादार टोला के मुहर्रम के अखाड़े के दौरान टकराव हुआ. तनाव और मारपीट की खबर. कई घायल. एक शख्‍स की हार्ट अटैक से मौत हो गई. एक घायल के मौत की भी खबर है. इससे तनाव के और बढ़ने की आशंका बढ़ गई है. (चम्‍पारण में हिंसा पर विस्‍तृत रिपोर्ट यहां देखी जा सकती है.)

भोजपुर के पीरो में 12 अक्‍टूबर को मुहर्रम के जुलूस के दौरान तनाव और पथराव. 13 और 14 को भी हिंसा हुई. ट्रेन पर हमला और यात्रियों की पिटाई की खबर है. इसके बाद भी हालात नहीं सुधरे तो 15 को इंटरनेट बंद किया गया.

सीतामढ़ी के रीगा में मंगल 11 अक्‍टूबर को ताजिया चौकी के जुलूस के रास्‍ते के मुद्दे पर दो समुदायों में झड़प और मारपीट की खबर है. पुलिस के साथ भी बदसुलूकी हुई. सीतामढ़ी में शुक्रवार को हालात में सुधार की खबर है.

मधेपुरा के बिहारी गंज में मूर्ति विसर्जन के दौरान कुछ लड़कों में मारपीट हो गई है. खबरों के मुताबिक लड़के अलग-अलग सम्‍प्रदाय के थे. लोगों ने मूर्ति सड़क पर रख दी और प्रदर्शन शुरू कर दिया. प्रदर्शनकारियों ने दो सरकारी अफसरों की गाडि़यां जला दीं. इस मारपीट की शुरुआत एक दिन पहले सोमवार को हुई थी. यहां शुक्रवार तक तनाव बरकरार रहने की खबर है. शुक्रवार को पांचवें दिन डीएम ने खुद घूम घूमकर लोगों से दुकानें खोलने की अपील की. हालात सामान्‍य होने की तरफ.

गोपालगंज में 14 अक्‍टूबर को दुर्गा प्रतिमा विसर्जन के जुलूस पर पथराव और फायरिंग की खबर के बाद तनाव. आगजनी. इंटरनेट सेवा बंद की गई. 15 अक्‍टूबर को दुकानों में लूटपाट की खबर भी मिल रही है.
गया के मानपुर में गुरुवार को मुहर्रम के जुलूस के दौरान छेड़खानी के इलजाम के बाद तनाव पैदा हो गया. औरंगाबाद में भी तनाव की खबर है.

गया में शुक्रवार की देर मुफस्सिल इलाके में एक धर्मस्‍थल में पथराव और थोड़फोड़ की खबर के बाद शनिवार के दिन तनाव पैदा हो गया।

बंगाल भी पीछे नहीं

बंगाल के कई जिलों में भी साम्‍प्रदायिक तनाव की खबरें हैं. खासतौर पर खड़गपुर, हुगली, उत्‍तरी 24 परगनाजिलों में दुर्गा पूजा और मुहर्रम के दौरान 11 और 12 अक्‍टूबर को कई जगहों पर झड़प, आगजनी की खबरें हैं. खबरों के मुताबिक, खड़गपुर में 12 तारीख को अफवाह फैल गई कि किसी ने मुहर्रम के जुलूस पर बम फेंक दिया है. इसके बाद हालात बेकाबू हो गए. कुछ दुकानों में तोड़फोड़ की गई. कई घायल हुए हैं.

महाराष्‍ट्र
महाराष्‍ट्र के ठाणे के भिवंडी में मुहर्रम के जुलूस के दौरान साम्‍प्रदायिक टकराव. नवरात्र के दौरान कुछ गेट बने थे. खबर के मुताबिक, मुहर्रम के जुलूस के दौरान कुछ नुकसान हो गया. इसके बाद दोनों समुदायों के लोग आमने-सामने आ गए. पथराव हुआ. बाद में गेट के नुकसान का वीडियो सोशल मीडिया पर साझा हुआ तो तनाव और बढ़ गया. कुछ लोग घायल भी हुए हैं.

कर्नाटक

कर्नाटक के बेलगावी के शेट्टी गली में मंगलवार की रात एक जगह हरा झंडा फहराने के बाद विवाद हो गया. विवाद बढ़ते बढ़ते टकराव में बदल गया. दोनों समुदायों के लोगों ने एक-दूसरे पर पथराव किया.कई लोग घायल हुए.कई गाडि़यों को नुकसान पहुंचा.

ये घटनाएं शुभ संकेत नहीं दे रही हैं.

(ये खबरें इंकलाब, दैनिक जागरण, नवभारत टाइम्‍स, दैनिक भास्‍कर, हिन्‍दुस्‍तान, हिन्‍दुस्‍तान टाइम्‍स, टाइम्‍स ऑफ इंडिया, टू सर्किल्‍स डॉट नेट, द न्‍यू इंडियन एक्‍सप्रेस, द हिन्‍दू, द इंडियन एक्‍सप्रेस, अमर उजाला, पत्रिका और इन इलाकों में काम करने वाले कई पत्रकारों से इकट्ठा की गई हैं.) 
 

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My grandmother told me years ago that "Ismat apa", as she always called the illustrious writer,  wrote lying flat on her stomach, in the middle of a room buzzing with people. My grandparents were part of the great current of people who contributed to and were carried along by the Progressive Writers' Movement in the 1940's. While my grandfather was directly involved in literary production, my grandmother's contributions were more tangential, and her observations rather pithy. She told me that she loved visiting Ismat apa's home near Shivaji Park in Mumbai, a far trek from where she lived in Andheri. The windows of this house were always wide open, she recalled, and its curtains billowed all day in the sea breeze. From these observations I formed my own image of Ismat Chughtai, a woman of formidable achievement who wrote in an accessible voice. In my mind, she is the writer who wrote no matter what, belly down on a chatai (mat) on the floor, thriving on the bustle of the household around her.  The prolific writer was in the news recently, when the Rajasthan government decided to drop her stories from school textbooks. It also removed poems and short stories by the late theatre activist and writer Safdar Hashmi.
 
In her life, Chughtai was adept at offending people. Her work dealt with taboo themes and took readers into places that had never before been described. She wrote in the 'ghareloo zabaan': the turns of phrases and idioms of her busy household, the gossip of inner courtyards and women's quarters. I read her memoir Kaghazi Hai Pairahan (translated in English as A Life in Letters) as a college student. It was as transformative a text as other feminist tracts I encountered during those years, if not more so for the immediacy of its setting. Chughtai wrote in a style that was fearless, irreverent and often very funny. She began writing in the 1930s, but the story that defined her was Lihaaf (The Quilt), published in January 1942 in Adab-i-Latif, a literary magazine published from Lahore. The story earned her a court summons for obscenity, along with her friend Saadat Hasan Manto. They both chose to stand trial rather than apologize for their work, and eventually the cases were dropped.
 
Chughtai's canon includes works like her novel Terhi Lakeer (The Crooked Line) and stories like Masooma, Chauthi ka Joda (The Wedding Dress)  and Ziddi (The Stubborn Girl). The latter was adapted into a film script directed by her husband Shahid Latif. The duo collaborated on a host of other films including Arzoo (1950). Chughtai also wrote the dialogues for the 1978 film Junoon in which she played the role of a grandmother. And Chauthi ka Joda formed part of the story for the Partition classic Garam Hawa (1973), directed by MS Sathyu.

The years of student life are made special by exploration, by tuning into the abundance and diversity of nations, voices and realities. All this would be denied to the young minds who read the purged textbooks.
 
In every way, Chughtai stood for progressive values for most of her life.  She had to fight for an education, first from the iconic Isabella Thoburn College in Lucknow and then to gain a Teachers Training degree from Aligarh. She went on to write books that challenged parochialism and patrirachy and championed the cause of social justice. She wrote for all of India, and almost 25 years after her death, she stands as a proud symbol of India's syncretic values and her own compassionate humanity. So to weed her out of textbooks for schoolchildren is a self defeating move.
 
According to media reports, the reason for the removal of Chughtai and Hashmi's writings is that "they were were loaded with Urdu words…" and were "highlighting practices of a particular community." They are sought to be replaced by readings that promote "local cultural practices and beliefs". This runs counter to the idea of Indian plural culture, that takes pride in its diversity. It also fails to understand the entire culture of reading, and of exploring different worlds through words, ideas and books. As a young woman in Aligarh, where Chughtai set many of her stories, I devoured translations of Chekhov and Maupassant, besides the writings of PG Wodehouse and Agatha Christie. It is limiting to think that reading should be about your own life or what is familiar. The years of student life are made special by exploration, by tuning into the abundance and diversity of nations, voices and realities. All this would be denied to the young minds who read the purged textbooks.
 
It is both sad and ironic that Chughtai's works continue to fall foul of government diktats, decades after her trial by the British Crown, in the India of 2015.  Perhaps the only sane response to this is what I imagine Ismat would have done: continue writing, in a room with the windows flung wide open, open to the breeze from all directions.  
 
(The writer is a journalist based in Mumbai )
 

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