Communal riots breaking out in Bihar, elections approaching

By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,

New Delhi: The infamous nexus between communal riots and elections in India is not news. In the recent past that the nexus did a naked dance was in Gujarat in 2002 and later. Bihar, also now ruled by BJP though partly, will face assembly elections in coming October, but much earlier have come communal riots. Several districts in Bihar witnessed communal violence this week.

Yesterday, communal riot erupted in Darbhanga (Minority Concentration District) and Begusarai. Day earlier, Sitamadhi, another MCD, had its own quota of communal violence.

Reports reaching Patna yesterday said about one dozen people were injured in stone pelting by members of two communities. The incident took place when a group of majority community was trying to take out a religious procession through minority areas. When they objected, processionists started throwing stones at people, homes and shops of the minority community. The incident took place in a village under Kamtaul Police Station. As the news spread, members of both communities clashed with each other in other areas also.

Yesterday also, communal situation became tense in Begusarai when the news spread that member of a majority community has brought a minority community girl from Delhi to get married. As soon as the news reached village leaders (all from minority community) they went to the house of the boy to enquire. They took both the boy and girl to another place for further questioning but rumor spread that the boy had been killed by the visiting village leaders, and this infuriated the people. However, local MP Manazir Hassan of JD-U and police immediately came into action, and the worsening situation was brought under control.

A day earlier in a Sitamadhi village, several huts of members of a minority community was put on fire by some anti-social elements.

Reasons are different in all these cases. They may be sporadic. But they also may be linked to a game plan – divide and rule.

Supporters of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of JDU-BJP government cite check on communal riots in the state during Kumar’s regime as a big achievement. But it seems, it will be a big test for Kumar to continue the check until coming elections. His partner BJP may be thinking otherwise.