#Thread on recent violence in Siwan, Bihar
#SiwanViolence
On Thursday during the Mahavir Akhara rally. Hundreds of armed Hindu men were caught on camera shouting Islamophobic slogans and playing obscene songs. The provocation led to a confrontation between the two groups. However, Muslims in the region suffered disproportionately. +
Mohammed Nasiruddin’s general store at Purani Bazaar was burned by the Saffron mob, his family suffered huge losses due to this incident.
“It was our only source of income,” says Nasiruddin. +
Mohd Armaan, a 23-year-old boy residing in Barhariya, whose house was vandalised by the mob told me, “the aggressive Hindu mob entered my house abusing and shouting and broke my door and electricity meter with their sticks with, then kicked my bike.” +
52-year-old Amir Alam Khan owns a medical store at Purani Bazaar. On Thursday Hindu mob took out his refrigerator, his computer and then they set it on fire. “I had Rs. 25,000 worth of medicines in my counter, they either looted it or burned it as well,” said Khan. +
I went to offer the evening prayer, as soon as the prayer got over people were leaving, that's when the Akhara group came and began throwing stones and bricks. A stone which came from outside hit my foot, I had three children with me, my leg is fractured,”said 85-year-old Monaf+
Sarwar was brutally thrashed by a violent Hindu mob during the recent #Siwan violence. "Had he not fallen unconscious, they'd have killed him," his daughter Noora says. Sarwar's health is critical. Sarwari, his wife, sobs profusely while speaking to me. +
Sarwari showing her husband's shirt with blood on it. +
Sarwar's shop which was looted by saffron goons and where he was brutally beaten up. +
Locals of Barhariya claim that many Muslim residents have fled their homes due to fear of harassment. +
Tauseef's house was also vandalised by the Saffron mob. +
Madani Masjid, where the riots started after Hindu mobs provoked.+
Shabbir Qureshi's meat shop in Purani Bazar which was vandalized by Saffron mob.+
Chandan, an auto driver in Barhariya said that majority of the time - the people in Mahavir Akhara consume narcotics or other harmful substances before the procession.
“Those at the rally take marijuana and other drugs, Mahavir Akhara is an annual rally, police should be +
more cautious, in the recent violence both Muslims and Hindus were at fault, but Hindu group shouldn't have started the anti-Muslim sloganeering,” Chandan said.
Chandan blames Bharatiya Janata Party for the communal violence in the nation. +
The Siwan Police have lodged a First Information Report against 35 people – 25 Muslims and 10 Hindus and arrested 20 people in connection with the incident. Police arrested Muslim men gathered for evening prayer from a local mosque, including an eight-year-old boy. +
"The Hindu mob always used to match through the route which starts from a Muslim dominated area, Pashchim Tola (Near Purani Bazaar) and joins with Hardiya Mela at the end. The mob started their rally on this route on Thursday chanting Islamophobic slogans and playing provocative+
songs,” Tausif, a resident of Barhariya, told me. His house was also vandalised by the mob. He claimed that he has seen these conflicts between Hindus and Muslims since his childhood and there was always police force present at that spot. +
“After the police intervened, Muslim men returned home but the Police couldn’t control the Hindu mob, eventually the mob burned Muslims houses and shops “ Tausif added. +
The FIR book them under Indian Penal Code sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting with a deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 188 (disobedience to order), 296 (disturbing religious assembly), 337 (causing hurt), 338 (causing grievous hurt), 435(mischief with intent of damage)+
427 (mischief with substance), 505 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 307 (attempt to murder), 353 (assault, use of criminal force) and section 120B (party to criminal conspiracy).
On 29 August, a week before the Siwan violence - Brajesh kushwaha of Barhariya posted a suspicious post which said “Jinn bhaiyyo ko tandav dekhna hai, 7 tareekh ko Barhariya mein aye” (All those who want to see tandav, come to Barhariya on 7th September).
So it was pre planned?
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