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2016 Dhulagarh riots
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Ethnic riots in West Bengal, India
March 2017
April 2017
April 2017
On 13 and 14 December 2016, rioters attacked and looted shops and houses of the local and set them on fire in Dhulagarh in Howrah district of West Bengal, India following an altercation on 12 December 2016 between processionists and local residents who were observing religious rituals.The Truth Behind The Riots In Bengal That The Media Doesn't Report http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2016/12/26/the-truth-behind-the-riots-in-bengal-that-the-media-doesnt-repo/ 14 April 2017 Huffington Post India https://web.archive.org/web/20170320143217/http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2016/12/26/the-truth-behind-the-riots-in-bengal-that-the-media-doesnt-repo/ 20 March 2017 deadDhulagarh riots: West Bengal town on the boil after communal violence http://www.firstpost.com/india/dhulagarh-riots-west-bengal-town-on-the-boil-after-communal-violence-3177608.html 14 April 2017 Firstpost 28 December 2016What actually happened during the Dhulagarh riots? http://www.dailyo.in/politics/dhulagarh-riots-dewan-ghat-communal-violence-bjp-trinamool-muslims/story/1/14992.html 14 April 2017 DailyoHowrah: 25 held after communal clash http://indianexpress.com/article/india/howrah-25-held-after-communal-clash-kolkata-4430988/ 15 April 2017 The Indian Express 17 December 2016
Background
Dhulagarh is a small industrial and business hub in Howrah District.http://www.dailyo.in/politics/dhulagarh-riots-west-bengal-muslims-hindus-mamata-banerjee-eid-milad/story/1/14783.html How Mamata tore the secular fabric of Bengal into shreds Merchant Minhaz 28 December 2016 DailyO 31 December 2016 It is only 20 km from Nabanna, the seat of state government in the city of Howrah and only 28 km from Kolkata. Dhulagarh falls under Panchla blockhttp://www.wbagrimarketingboard.gov.in/MinorityPopulation/Population_howrah.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20120210161338/http://wbagrimarketingboard.gov.in/MinorityPopulation/Population_howrah.htm dead 10 February 2012 Block Wise Details of Minority Population as Census 2001: Howrah West Bengal State Marketing Board 31 December 2016 In the second decade of 21st century the occurrences of communal violence have sharply increased in West Bengal. In 2013 there were 106 instances of communal violence in West Bengal compared to the previous years which had an average of 15-20 each year.http://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/communal-clashes-soar-in-bengal/ Communal clashes soar in Bengal 14 March 2014
Attacks
On 12 December, Hindus and Muslims clashed when the Mawlid possessions were not allowed to carry out. Both groups hurled bombs at each other.Dhulagarh riots: West Bengal town on the boil after communal violence http://www.firstpost.com/india/dhulagarh-riots-west-bengal-town-on-the-boil-after-communal-violence-3177608.html 14 April 2017 Firstpost Firstpost 28 December 2016 On 13 December, clashes between two communities (Muslims and Hindu) erupted following religious celebrations of Milad-ul-Nabi in Dhulagarh. The mob hurled bombs at local residents.http://www.timesnow.tv/india/video/times-now-report-from-dhulagarh-the-story-india-isnt-reporting/53364 Times Now Report From Dhulagarh: The Story India Isn't Reporting 2016-12-23 TimesNow 2017-04-15 Many people were injured and rendered homeless in the clashes.West Bengal: Dhulagarh in Howrah simmers after clashes over a religious procession https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/west-bengal-dhulagarh-howrah-clashes-religious-procession-358686-2016-12-20 2017-04-02 India Today 65 people were arrested in connection to the riots.http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/beef-thrown-in-temple-bengal-govt-worried-as-communal-clashes-spread-to-kolkata/story-yIsnXKOm1R6NHJ4SYQ6myN.html 'Beef' thrown in temple: Bengal govt worried as communal clashes spread 2017-01-29 Firstpost 2017-07-10 en-IN
Local residents claimed that they had to flee with their children and elderly as soon as the mob hurled country-made bombs at their houses. Later, the mob allegedly looted the houses and fled with the money and jewelry, later, setting it on fire. They alleged the local police remained inactive and arrived late at some places while the mobs resorted to loot and arson and had told some of them to quickly leave their homes.https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/dhulagarh-riots-howrah-kolkata-mamata-banerjee-milad-ul-nabi-359866-2016-12-28 Rather than protecting, Bengal police gave us 2 minutes to flee our own homes: Dhulagarh riot victims tell India Toda Kundu Indrajit 28 December 2016 India Today 31 December 2016
Aftermath
The state police claimed that the violence was the outcome of a dispute arising out of a local issue. it stated that 58 arrests were made rin relation to it and the situation was under control.http://www.timesnow.tv/india/video/58-people-arrested-in-dhulagarh-case-claims-west-bengal-police/53618 58 People Arrested In Dhulagarh Case, Claims West Bengal Police Times Now 2016-12-30 According to a senior state government official, strict actions have been taken on those involved in the violence. Keshari Nath Tripathi, the Governor of Bengal has asked Surajit Kar Purkayastha, the DGP of the state to prepare a report on the incident.https://www.indiatoday.in/india/west-bengal/story/keshari-nath-tripathi-summons-dgp-mamata-banerjee-dhulagarh-issue-359103-2016-12-23 WB Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi summons DGP Surajit Kar Purkayastha India Today 2016-12-23
Several local residents talked to India Today and narrated the events of the riots. While the police claimed the situation was under control, the residents contradicted it saying they were still worried and scared about the situation. Zee News which was among the first one to report on the riots had an FIR lodged against its journalists namely editor Sudhir Chaudhary, West Bengal correspondent Pooja Mehta and cameraperson Tanmay Mukherjee though the Sankrail police station didn't confirm any FIR while the New Indian Express presented a copy available to it.https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2016/dec/27/zee-news-booked-for-dhulagarh-riot-coverage-claims-editor-sudhir-chaudhary-1553567.html Zee News booked for Dhulagarh riot coverage, claims editor Sudhir Chaudhary The New Indian Express 2017-04-02
A week after the incident, the state government transferred Sabyasachi Raman Mishra, the Superintendent of Police, Howrah (Rural) for allegedly failing to contain the communal riots.http://www.ptinews.com/news/8212309_Sabya-Sachi-Raman-Mishra-removed-as-SP--Howrah--Rural-.html Sabya Sachi Raman Mishra removed as SP, Howrah (Rural) 21 December 2016 PTI News The state government banned the entry of the opposition political parties and the media into the troubled area. The delegations of Congress, BJP and CPI(M) were stopped by the police from entering Dhulagarh.
The state government had started compensating each family with INR 35,000, whose houses were destroyed in the communal riots. The victims stated that the compensation was simply not enough as the losses were much more. More than two weeks after the communal riots, the victims remained homeless as they were wary of returning to their homes in Dhulagarh.
A Public Interest Litigation was filed in the Calcutta High Court, demanding a judicial inquiry into the riot. The first hearing of this case was conducted on 20 January 2017 with the petitioners' lawyer claiming that the police had not taken any action even though a large-scale had taken place. On the other hand, West Bengal government's pleader and advocate pleaded that 14 separate cases had been lodged in relation to the incident and the police has arrested a few culprits. After hearing the arguments from both sides, the division bench instructed the state government to submit an affidavit, stating what measures had been taken by it in relation to the riot. http://bangla.eenaduindia.com/State/Kolkata/2017/01/20142745/What-step-has-been-taken-in-Dhulagarah-clash-asks.vpf ধূলাগড়ের ঘটনায় পুলিশ কী ব্যবস্থা নিয়েছে ? জানতে চাইল হাইকোর্ট Bengali 20 January 2017 12 June 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140302/http://bangla.eenaduindia.com/State/Kolkata/2017/01/20142745/What-step-has-been-taken-in-Dhulagarah-clash-asks.vpf dead
Reactions
Siddharth Nath Singh of BJP accused the minority cell of Trinamool Congress of actively engineering the riots.https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/BJP-to-move-NHRC-over-Dhulagarh-riots/article16915243.ece BJP to move NHRC over Dhulagarh riots 21 December 2016 The Hindu 31 December 2016 The West Bengal unit of the BJP announced that it will move the National Human Rights Commission over the issue of communal riots in Dhulagarh. The BJP claimed attackers were brought in from outside to create trouble in the presence of Trinamool Congress MLA Gulshan Mullick. BJP leader and Rajya Sabha M.P. Roopa Ganguly had alleged that Gulshan Mullick was present when the violence was taking place. Roopa Ganguly said that attackers had also come from Metiabruz and other places.Dhulagarh Violence: Alleged Bomb Maker Arrested, Say Police Sources http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/dhulagarh-violence-alleged-bomb-maker-arrested-say-police-sources-1643649 NDTV.com 2 January 2017
Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, denied any incident of communal riots in Dhulagarh. She termed the events as a 'small incident' and a 'local problem' and categorically denied any communal problem. She alleged that wrong information was being spread in the social media.http://indianexpress.com/article/india/mamata-banerjee-denies-riot-in-dhulagarh-blames-social-media-4451970/ Mamata Banerjee denies riot in Dhulagarh, blames social media 30 December 2016 Indian Express 31 December 2016 Mamata Banerjee has also been accused of destroying 'the secular fabric of West Bengal' as an aftermath of the Dhulagarh Riots and a series of similar incidents during her tenure as the Chief Minister.
See also
2016 Kaliachak riots
References
West Bengal
Category:2016 crimes in India
Category:2016 riots
Category:Riots and civil disorder in West Bengal
Category:December 2016 crimes in Asia
Category:December 2016 in India
Category:Ethnic riots
Category:2010s in West Bengal
Category:Howrah district
Category:Persecution of Bengali Hindus
Category:Politico-Religious violence in West Bengal
Category:Religious riots in India
Category:Attacks on shops in India
Category:Anti-Muslim violence in India
Category:Attacks on buildings and structures in 2016