LUCKNOW: The almost simultaneous outbreak of communal violence in Sharanpur Hardoi Etah and Mau districts during the last three days resulting 61 deaths till now has confirmed intelligence agencies fears that Uttar Pradesh will witness “unprecedented violence” during the run up to the polls.
All the districts affected by communal clashes ironically are those where superintendents of police had been transferred during the last week’s pre-election mass transfers. The new police chiefs in some cases like Sharanpur had not joined or had little time to settle down.
Discovery of two more bodies in Saharanpur where violence erupted on Wednesday has taken up the toll to 19 a police official here said. Two persons were killed in clashes in Mau on Thursday.
In Saharanpur riots were triggered off by stoning of a religious procession by miscreants belonging to another community. In Pihani town violence was triggered by simultaneous use of loudspeakers from two religious places belonging to two communities In Etah an attempt was made to whip up passions by desecrating a place of worship. In Mau a minor dispute led to a murder and this triggered off a communal confrontation.
Senior police officials discern a sinister pattern in these incidents. They are keeping their fingers crossed and hoping that the trouble will not spread to other areas.
MASS TRANSFERS: Mass transfers of nearly 50 IPS officers and an equal number of IAS officers on the eve of the elections has created a piquant situation in a large number of communally sensitive districts The states as well as central intelligence agencies have warned that the passions will add a new dimension to electoral violence in U.P. this time.
These agencies have indicated that in addition to the usual booth capturing and poll violence caste and communal clashes can break out a number of places as electioneering gears up.
A highly-placed official said that 68 of the 85 Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh have been identified as “sensitive” on the basis of intelligence reports.
There are some other plates which have been classified as “hypersensitive” These areas include constituencies represented by the Prime Minister Mr Chandra Shekhar (Ballia) the two former Prime Ministers Mr Rajiv Gandhi (Amethi) and Mr V.P.Singh and the U.P. chief minister Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav’s home district Etawah.
The other hypersensitive constituencies are in districts which witnessed communal riots last year such as Kanpur Agra Mathura Aligarh Farrukhabad Bijjore Bulandshahr Meerut Moradabad Baseilly Ferozabad Gonda Farizabad and Azamearh as well as the dacoit-infested Bundelkhand region of the state.
GOVT WARNED: Intelligence agencies have warmed the government that large-scale violence can be expected during the elections. While booth capturing will have to be tacked on the day of polling in respective areas violence can be triggered off due to communal clashes caste conflicts or attacks by goondas on rival political parties.
The state government is understood to have asked for 200 companies of CRPF and paramilitary forces from the Centre for smooth conduct of the forthcoming elections. The force available in Uttar Pradesh has already been depleted by deployment of 20 companies of PAC outside the state.
A senior police official pointed out that during the 1989 elections the Centre had sent 144 companies of its force to U.P. This had proved inadequate to curb electoral violence in which nearly 100 lives were lost.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 5, 1991
