As per media reports, the conflict reportedly started as the procession was winding down and participants were returning to their homes. At this moment, a group allegedly attempted to hoist a saffron flag, a symbolic gesture that has often sparked controversy when displayed in sensitive areas. The situation was further inflamed by the shouting of “Jai Shree Ram” slogans, which led to a dispute between the two communities present.

FIR filed against Bajrang Dal: provoking religious sentiments

As tensions rose, a formal complaint was filed by members of the Muslim community, leading the Mumbai Police to file an FIR against 8 to 10 individuals associated with Bajrang Dal for allegedly inciting religious sentiments. According to the complaint, the procession and subsequent actions, including the flag hoisting and chanting of slogans, were seen as deliberate attempts to provoke the Muslim community. Police have launched an investigation, although no arrests have been made yet, as per a report in News 24.

However, Bajrang Dal has warned of protests in response to the police’s handling of the matter, claiming that the police have acted unfairly. This has further complicated an already sensitive situation in Malad, where religious and cultural identities have become points of friction.

Video evidence: reports of false allegations against Muslim boys

Adding to the controversy, a CCTV footage from the incident surfaced on social media, showing an exchange between two young men. In the video, a Muslim boy wearing a black t-shirt is seen trying to protect another boy, dressed in orange clothes, from a confrontation. However, some individuals present in the footage attempted to create an issue by falsely alleging that the Muslim boy was involved in violence. The police have charged him with attempted murder, despite the video clearly showing him acting defensively. This has raised questions about the accuracy of the charges and whether the police investigation is being influenced by external pressures.

The CCTV video can be seen here:

Background: The impact of recent tensions in Mumbai

The altercation in Malad follows a series of similar incidents that have stoked communal issues in Mumbai and its surrounding areas. Notably, the violence in Nagpur has been cited as a precursor to these events. Protests by right-wing organisations in Mumbai regarding the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb led to widespread rumours. These rumours claimed that protestors had burned a sheet with verses from the Quran, a claim that has been widely disputed. However, these rumours led to violent clashes in Nagpur’s Mahal area, with stone-pelting incidents resulting in the injury of 33 people, including police officers, and the tragic death of one young man.

This context of heightened communal sensitivity has further complicated the situation in Malad, where the Malad East incident appears to be part of a broader pattern of religiously charged confrontations.

Earlier incident: alleged assault on Bajrang Dal activists by Police

In an earlier incident in Mumbai, six police officers were transferred from their positions after being accused of assaulting two Bajrang Dal activists. The activists had gone to the Vakola Police Station to file an FIR alleging that a member of a particular community had molested a minor girl in Santacruz East. However, the activists claimed that, instead of receiving assistance, they were forcefully taken to a police detection room, where they were brutally assaulted by police officers, Indian Express reported.

The allegations sparked protests by Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) activists, who demanded action against the accused officers. Following an internal inquiry, the police department transferred six officers, including an assistant inspector and four constables, to a side posting in the Naigaon local arms division as provisional punishment. A departmental inquiry has also been initiated against the officers involved.

The events in Malad, alongside previous clashes and ongoing religious tensions, underscore the delicate nature of communal relations in some areas of Mumbai. As the investigation unfolds, the possibility of further unrest looms, with both religious communities and authorities caught in a growing cycle of tension.

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India’s Heartfelt Eid: where flowers & faith bridge divides

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Between bouts of heavy rains, Ambedkar Nagar residents on July 17, 2021 assembled with placards hanging around their necks to demand their relocation from the red-zone area. Adults and small children alike stepped out of their bamboo-and-plastic shacks, sporting messages that in different ways voiced their one single demand – decent housing in a safe region as per Bombay High court orders dating back to May 7, 1997.

People stood outside their makeshift houses with signs that read, “We request Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to rehabilitate us disaster-ridden Ambedkar Nagar residents.”

One child standing outside his shack showed a placard that read, “The people here live in bamboo houses. There are no basic amenities here. Why is this place called a house?”

Another child held a placard questioning why the move was delayed despite directions by the Court.

According to actor Anish Yadav, residents have been living in fear ever since the infamous Malad wall collapse of 2019. Around 29 people including two children had died in the incident, claimed residents.

“Our only demand is for rehabilitation because we fear something like the wall collapse may happen again,” said Yadav.

Similarly, labourer Kiran Asogupta, who found two bodies behind her shack two years ago said that children often cry at night during monsoon, fearing their death.

“Even today, it has been raining for four hours. We are scared our kids will get washed away. They ask us to leave this place but we cannot even leave,” said Asogupta.

In other areas, slum-dwellers have an option of exiting their place until conditions improve. However, the people here are at risk even in the open in the red alert zone. They also cannot go to their workplace because employers claim “they might spread diseases.”

“How many days are we supposed to go without work? Children can’t even attend online classes now because we have no money to pay for internet access,” she said.

Another resident, domestic worker Niranjan Rana said he lost his job during the coronavirus pandemic. However, despite economic troubles, he still wanted the government to prioritise the issue of rehabilitation.

“We have many problems. We lost fathers and children. But we don’t want electricity, water or toilets. Just give us a house. Why? Because even if we get facilities, we still live in garbage,” he said.

As per the Indian Constitution, people of India are entitled to the Right to Life, including the right to live with dignity and with all aspects that make life worth living. While courts interpret this right under Article 21 to encompass clean water and good health, the slum-dwellers here only speak about the need for concrete houses.

Further, Rana criticised the government and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for their delay in complete rehabilitation. Even after Cyclone Tauktae, residents saw municipal officials visit the area for a survey. They assured people of new flats in the city but failed to give an estimate as to when.

Moreover, after the recent cyclone, the High Court directed the BMC to submit a report regarding the status of living conditions. Rana claimed that even 25 days after the visit for the report, the same hasn’t been submitted to the court. He asked, “If we had violated any such High Court order, we would have been penalised but here the BMC has violated their directions and no complaint has been lodged. Why?” 

Recently, environmental communications collective Let India Breathe also reached out to the residents. Member Yash Marwah said that volunteers reached out to the BMC, the disaster management department and even the social justice department but did not receive a response.

“The only time the residents come into focus is when there are heavy rains. The important fact is that rain from a single day disrupts their life for at least 4-5 months. The government talks so much about climate justice but they need to realise that social justice is also a part of it,” he said.

Related:

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Democracy is hypocrisy as long as ‘Wall’ of Shame exists in India

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Here is the Video:

“I’m being held captive in Manali Hotel. I have come to this land of Babasaheb Ambedkar the first time. I wanted to pay him my respects. I want to know under which Act have I been detained. I ask the Maharashtra government and the police to tell me under what provision of the law have I been detained. The country should run as per the Constitution but today the Constitution has been set aside. 

“I wanted to visit Chaityabhoomi. I wanted to hold a press conference. I wanted to speak to the people and understand their struggle. What is happening to me today can happen to anyone who raises their voice against injustice. Whatever happened to AArticle 19 of the Constitution? I want to make it clear that the country must be run as per the Constitution. I am carrying my own copy. Some people harbour the dilusion that the country will be run as per decisions made in Nagpur or as per the Manusmriti. But I will not let that happen.

” I will not stop. I will not bow down and I cannot be bought. Even if you arrest me, I am prepared to make sacrifices to ensure that the Constitution is honoured. I know the present government will try to stop me. Let me see how many times they try. Jai Bhim. Jai Bhim Army.” 
 

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