Kasganj in turmoil: Communal violence breaks out during Republic Day celebrations

On 26th January communal clashes broke out in Kasganj leading to harsh violence and shut down of the city in Uttar Pradesh. The violence led to death and disruption of normal life that too on Republic Day. The Kasganj clashes sent social media buzzing and violence continued until Sunday. A peace meeting was organised to sort out matters and discuss how to proceed.

Kasganj violence

This is the first time riots broke out in the peaceful district. Even after 48 hours of the event, the city still remained under lookout by personnel. The clashes began on 26th January when a group waving saffron and tricolour flags began a rally. They disrupted a republic day function of a Muslim-dominated locality in the city. The members of the rally were said to have forced the Muslim-community to chant ‘Vande Mataram‘, despite the fact that they were already celebrating the event. Arguments and violence broke out. The members of the rally were allegedly part of the student wing of the RSS in Kasganj.

Guns were fired resulting in the death of one man, Chandan Gupta and injured several others. For two days consecutively now, Kasganj has become a ground for communal violence. Shops and vehicles have been burnt, and hundreds of lives have been put at risk. The town’s Ghanta Ghar hub was also destroyed due to the violence. The police are yet to issue statements on the matter.

Political involvement

The riots were given a political colour when the heads of state began to discuss the issue. Politicians like Mayawati and Akhilesh blamed the BJP for the violence. Mayawati in a statement believed that violence had increased in the BJP-ruled states, especially in Uttar Pradesh. The Samajwadi party’s head Akhilesh Yadav also criticised BJP on the matter.

“The dismal state of crime control, law and order, and development and welfare in BJP-ruled states shows us that the ruling BJP has been criminalised at all levels”- Mayawati said.

More than a hundred people have been arrested so far on the account of the riots. The CM of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath has announced Rs. 20 lakhs as compensation for the deceased’s family. Slowly with police vigilance, the district is moving towards peace although the situation remains tense. Congress in the light of the violence has asked for a judicial probe into the events on 26th January. They too brought the state government to task about the riots, on the grounds of mismanagement.

The peace meet

The peace meeting was organised on Sunday, but it left many disappointed. The meeting was led by the Divisional Commissioner of Aligarh.  The participants included various party representatives. The talks surrounded the matter of 26th January and how peace and harmony could be brought back to the district. Arguments came up calling the riots a result of failure on the part of the police. The search for the rioters continue and drones to have been deployed to help the police surveil the area. Internet services have stopped functioning and newspapers have not been in distribution either.

Despite the relaxation of the curfew, people are still afraid for their safety. The Kasganj violence is sure to leave a lasting impression on the state government’s memory and will surely put the entire Kasganj city on guard. Such an unprecedented break out of violence will need to be addressed accordingly. While it does draw many attacks on the CM’s governance the issue at hand is what the people of Kasganj are going through.

The priority should be to restore the peace in Kasganj and ensure such riots don’t break out again. While the trigger may have been Republic Day, there may even be a deeper more rooted reason for such a riot. Deeper investigation is definitely needed. If riots can break out so simply, especially in places that are not known for such activity then the whole nation has something to fear, not just Kasganj.