Mob allegedly has allegiance to RSS, Bajrang Dal: Fact finding committee on Naragund murder case
Six-member committee of Bahutva Karnataka submits fact-finding report
Gadag: A six-member Fact-Finding team of Bahutva Karnataka released its report on the murder of Sameer Shahpur and attempted murder of Shamseer Khan in Naragund Taluk of Gadag district.
The committee submitted that the mob which lynched Sameer and injured Shamseer allegedly has allegiance to the RSS and Bajrang Dal.
It also added that Naragund has witnessed sporadic instances of minor Hindu-Muslim tensions in the past but the last two years have seen a steady rise in hate speeches and the harassment of Muslims. It also listed out several recent incidents wherein tension escalated between the two communities in the region.
Demanding fair and free investigations into the murder, the committee also called for police protection for both Sameer and Shamseer’s families and administration’s help to Shamseer for restarting his work in Naragund, among their other demands.
Full report of the fact finding committee of Bahutva Karnataka:
Sameer Shahpur, a 19-year-old resident of Naragund taluk, Gadag district, was lynched by a mob on January 17, 2022. Around 7:30 PM on January 17, 2022, while he was returning home on a motorcycle with his 20- year-old friend, Shamseer Khan, they were attacked by the mob who were carrying lethal weapons. Due to a stroke of luck, despite being stabbed near his chest, Shamseer survived but continues to be in a hospital, dealing with acute mental trauma and wondering what to expect when he returns to Naragund.
From all accounts, the mob allegedly has allegiance to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bajrang Dal. The police have subsequently arrested four people, including Sanju Nalvade, who is a member of the Bajrang Dal. Sameer is survived by his parents, 2 brothers and a sister who live in a rented house. Sameer’s father works as a mason while his mother is a homemaker. Shamseer’s father is a small-time clothes merchant and mother is a homemaker.
Naragund has witnessed sporadic instances of minor Hindu-Muslim tensions in the past. However, the last two years have seen a steady rise in hate speeches and the harassment of Muslims, with the intensity peaking since November, 2021. In the last week of November, Azim, a college student was assaulted by a mob purportedly belonging to the Bajrang Dal. Subsequently, a group of people including an accused in Sameer’s murder, came to Azim’s house where a scuffle ensued and an FIR was filed against Azim.
Within a few days after this, Zayed, a 17-year-old student of Siddheswar Government College and the only Muslim in his class, was taken out of his classroom by a mob of 100-150 people, many of whom belonged to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The remaining members of the mob appeared to be from elsewhere. After being dragged for a few hundred metres, he escaped and rushed to the principal’s office seeking help and wanting to call his uncle from the Principal’s cell phone. The mob barged into the Principal’s office, continued beating up Zayed while hurling verbal abuses against his Muslim identity.
When Zayed’s uncles came to the college, they were also brutalised by the mob. The Principal failed to take any action against the perpetrators. On the contrary, the mob put knives in Zayed’s bag and accused him of having violent tendencies. The Fact-Finding team could not meet with the Principal despite repeated attempts to do so. Zayed is back in college now and when asked why he was possibly assaulted randomly, he said “Because I am Muslim.” However, neither any FIR has been filed for this incident, nor has the college administration or the police taken any steps to strongly condemn this incident.
On December 1, 2021, another mob of 100 odd people, again supposedly belonging to ABVP, chased a 15-year-old Muslim boy, Arbaaz from a central part of town to Maulana Azad School, of which he is a class 9 student. Maulana Azad Schools are government schools run by the Minority Welfare Department, Government of Karnataka. The mob continued beating up Arbaaz inside the school premises, and also attacked the teachers and a student called Abu Bakr who tried to protect him. An FIR has been filed on the incident and one arrest been so far. The arrested person belongs to the ABVP. The school principal, while complying with the fact-finding team, said “I don’t know who the perpetrators were. When asked if he has interest in finding out the reasons for such an attack in his school premises, he said “We don’t wish to know that. No illegal activities would be allowed.” When probed, it emerged that he had no basis to assume that Arbaaz was involved in any illegal activities.
Around January 6, 2022, three men, supposedly belonging to the RSS, came to the Lodigalli area of Naragund and harassed a middle-aged Muslim man called Hanif. The group returned to Lodigalli on their bikes on January 14, 2022 and began creating an atmosphere of unrest. Soon after a verbal exchange started between the bike riders and some Muslim men of the locality. Around 200 people came to the spot within a few minutes wielding lethal weapons with an intention to create fear among Muslims. There were around 40 men from the Muslim community. The police also came to the spot and four people – all belonging to the Muslim community - were arrested that day. An FIR was filed against some members of the Muslim community on fabricated grounds of defaming Hindu gods. However, nobody from the 200 odd mob of the Sangh parivar were arrested for this, some of whom involved in this incident were later arrested in the murder of Sameer Shahpur.
Following this, the Sangh Parivar group took out a rally to the police station and shouted slogans saying “India is for Hindus. Muslims have come from Pakistan to beg and to do labour.” This rally was taken out flouting the Government of Karnataka’s COVID protocol norms. Despite flouting COVID protocols and despite incendiary speeches against Muslims, no FIRs were filed against members of the Sangh parivaar for this incident.
On January 17, 2022, led by the Bajrang Dal leader, Sanju Nalvade, strong hate speeches against Muslims calling them “terrorists” were made. The speeches mentioned, “we will not spare them.” Despite having an FIR against Sanju, it is astounding how he was openly allowed to give such speeches. Another speaker in the rally, referred to Muslims as “dogs.”
Shouting slogans of “Jai Shree Ram”, the speeches by members of the Sangh Parivar also mentioned that “even the police is being protected by Bajrang Dal.” The death of Sameer and narrow escape of Shamseer are not isolated accidents. This is a consequence of systematic forms of atomised and targeted violence against Muslims fuelled by hate speeches. In all the cases in Naragund, the victims have been young Muslim boys including two school going boys, belonging to economically backward sections. The silence of the governing dispensation in the state gives a tacit sanction and emboldens the rowdy members of the Sangh Parivar, who have complete disregard for the law and the Constitution.
Our demands from the administration and the police:
- Fair and free investigation into the murder of Sameer and attack on Shamseer, and into the previous cases. 2. StrongPolice action against hate speeches that sends a signal. 3. Arrest of all offenders and a thorough investigation into the operation of organisations that have facilitated the series of hate speeches and hate crimes. 4. End of political patronage to organisations and individuals committing hate speeches and hate crimes against Muslims. 5. Police protection for both Sameer and Shamseer’s families, and administration’s help to Shamseer for restarting his work in Naragund. 6. Ensure adequate compensation to Sameer’s family as per law. 7. Prevention of dropout from educational institutions due to hate speeches and hate crimes. 8. Safety in educational institutions for minorities and women. 9. Arrangements for the overall security of Muslims.
Members of the Bahutva Karnataka Fact Finding team:
- Akash Bhattacharya, Academic / Activist, Bangalore.
- Mohammed Irshad, Social Activist, Mangalore.
- Rajendran Narayanan, Academic / Activist, Bangalore.
- Shabeer Ahmad, Social Activist, Mangalore.
- Sheikh Zakeer Hussain, Journalist, Bangalore.
- Siddharth Joshi, Researcher, Bangalore.
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Assam to lift all cases against Koch Rajbongshis in Foreigners' Tribunals: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma
Guwahati, Apr 4 (PTI): The Assam cabinet has decided to lift all cases pending against people from the Koch Rajbongshi community in the Foreigners' Tribunals, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday.
They will also no longer carry the tag of 'D' or doubtful voters, he said.
''There are 28,000 cases pending in different Foreigners' Tribunals in the state against people of the community. The cabinet has taken a historic decision of lifting the cases with immediate effect,'' Sarma said at a press conference here after the cabinet meeting.
The government believes that the Koch Rajbongshis are an indigenous community of the state and they are an inextricable part of ''our social and cultural fabric'', he asserted.
The people of this community are poor and have suffered a lot over the years, he said.
''They will no longer carry the tag of foreigners or ‘D’ voters,'' the CM said.
Foreigners Tribunals are quasi-judicial bodies, particularly in Assam, established to determine if a person residing in India is a "foreigner" as defined by the Foreigners Act of 1946, based on the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order of 1964.
These tribunals are designed to address matters related to citizenship and the presence of “foreigners” in India, specifically focusing on cases where someone is suspected of being an illegal immigrant.
There are 100 Foreigners’ Tribunals across Assam.
The Koch Rajbongshis have a sizeable presence in Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya, and parts of Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan, and they demand Scheduled Tribe status.
