By Punjab Human Rights Organization
The circumstantial evidence points an accusing finger only in one direction. The guilty ones of Bidar in 1988 appear to be the same as the guilty ones of November 1984.
It will do the country’s unity and integrity a lot of good to keep in mind that Bidar may be repeated in all Non-Congress (I) ruled States of the Union. All must remain vigilant lest traitors and criminals masquerading as political leaders succeed in their dialogical design of destroying inter-community relations.
There is no doubt that much more about these shocking incidents would become known as time passes. The police and Shiv Sena insiders have yet to come out with their parts of the Bidar story.
Bidar sends important new signals. The November 1984 incidents did convey a message but probably their significance was not fully comprehended by the world at large. The Bidar message is a little more mature and clear in its tone. If Hindu-Muslims contradiction has been a matter of fact in India for centuries, the Hindu-Sikh Cleavage is now a new reality.
If the cleavage is allowed to grow, as is likely, it will have far reaching consequences for India and for the South East Asian security. The misdeeds of India’s chauvinistic ultras are a God send opportunity to those who would like the region to be balkanized.
That is how the Punjab Human Rights Organization intercepts and interprets the signal from Bidar. The Bidar is tragedy is certainly a nail in the coffin of Indian unity.
Background
Guru Nanak (1469-1539) founder of the Sikh faith visited Bidar on his way to Ceylon around 1510 A.D.. Ever since this ancient town has supported a small but conspicuous Sikh society.
Guru Nanak Hospital in Bidar, now with 500 beds ‘was founded in 1969. It continues to provide free medical aid to the sick of all communities.
Guru Nanak Public School in Bidar was started in 1975. It has 1,500 students in rolled of whom 1454 are non-Sikhs.
“The local permanent Sikh settlers number only 11 house-holds and nine business establishments. All these establishments were looted and burned.”
Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College, in Bidar started functioning on August 8, 1980. Admission to this college has not been refused to any local student who applied for it. The non-Sikh percentage of students here is 57%.
Guru Nanak Dev Polytechnic having 60% Sikh students was set up in 1986.
Guru Nanak Dev Pre-University College started functioning this year.
Altogether about 600-700 Sikh students of the above mentioned intuitions, mainly those of Engineering College were victims of the present attacks on the Sikhs at Bidar.
This small ancient town (population a little more than 100,000) housing these and several other institutions was rocked by looting, arson, mayhem and murders which continued for at least four days beginning September 14, 1988 and left a deep ugly scar on the minds of Sikh people as the victims were exclusively Sikh settlers and Sikh students all over the country who were studying at Bidar.
BIDAR THE INCIDENTS
The local permanent Sikh settlers number only 11 house-holds and nine business establishments. All these establishments were looted and burned. Extensive damage was done to buildings housing Sikh institutions. An attack on the main gurdwara was attempted and Mai Bhago’s gurdwara at Janwada was desecrated twice on September 15-16 and 25. According to a conservative estimate Sikh property worth Rs. 2 crore was looted or destroyed. Five Sikh students of Engineering college Bidar. A dozen or so were grievously hurt and at least 125 Sikh students sustained serious injuries.
Most of all this happened on Gamesh Chaturathi festival day which fell on September 15 this year. The celebration of this festival invariably accompanies tension between Hindus and Muslims and has often resulted in violence.
There is evidence to show that isolated incidents had occurred last year too on the same occasion. Mr. Joga Singh president of the gurdwara management had written a letter to the SP Bidar apprehending what was averted last year but happened with a vengeance this year. Students recall that of late tiffs between them and local toughs had become a usual feature.
Many such quarrels were reported to the police from time to time. Some students recalled the one near a local cinema which had created quite a stir. Several students remember having received threats to their lives prior to the September incidents. At least in once case the response of the superintendent of police was “have you not heart that barking dogs never bite?” A Central Intelligence Official told our team that his office apprehended anti-Sikh trouble as early as May 1988. Cocker
“They indulged in huge extortions and forced students to pay to several different batches of donation seekers and repeatedly threatened those who would not pay.”
About three weeks ago prior to September 15, an organization known as New Shiv Sena was launched at Bidar along with NAVY and Swagath groups already in existence. It is regarded as an aggressive organization mostly comprising rowdy elements. It was ostensibly formed for the celebration of Ganeshpuja. People belonging to the above three organizations started collecting funds for the festival. They indulged in huge extortions and forced students to pay to several different batches of donation seekers and repeatedly threatened those who would not pay.
Ignition point was reached at about 21 00 hours on September 14 in the Baduruddin colony (renamed Gandhi Ganj) which is a meeting place and a trade Centre. Several activists of chauvinist organization live in this area. A group of Sikh students returning after eating out was confronted by donation seekers. They refused to pay on the ground of having paid earlier. Receipts were demanded but were not readily available. This led to an altercation and resulted in the students being beaten up
“Students gathered together in groups and started proceeding to the gurdwara for safety. Police intercepted some such groups and took some students in custody. Two of them managed to reach the gurdwara.”
by local toughs who were in large numbers and came prepared. The scenario was repeated and it further aggravated the situation. Agitated mobs soon started attacking Sikhs in the area and set their houses on fire.
Students gathered together in groups and started proceeding to the gurdwara for safety. Police intercepted some such groups and took some students in custody. Two of them managed to reach the gurdwara. The first three students reached at about 22:30 hours. Promptly they were sent to lodge a complaint with Gandhi Nagar Police Station. Another 20 students reached the gurdwara at about midnight.
Next morning at about 08:80 hours it was known that mobs were continuing with what they had begun earlier. Students pursued the same strategy to reach the gurdwara or the college (the two are five miles apart). Soon some 600-700 students collected in the college. An attempt by about 30 of them to go to Gandhi Ganj to take revenge was foiled by the principal Mr. M.S. Sukhija who persuaded them to return to the college campus. Local police was present on the scene.
A small mob which steadily swelled soon gathered outside in the vast open space near the boundary wall and started demolishing a part of the wall. The Principal made repeated requests to the Deputy Superintendent of police to prevent the demolition but failed to activate him or anyone of his 25-odd policemen. He stirred only when the mob entered the college campus and students tried to repulse the attack. The police then fired in air, fired three rubber bullets on the students and lobbed several; tear gas shells at them forcing them to retreat. Police stood by while the crowd destroyed the college property.
The Superintendent of Police appears to have been running around the town the whole day without intervening anywhere to prevent looting, assault arson or murder. It was Geneshpuja day and crowds of 100-200 persons had gathered at every street corner for celebration. Instigators freely moved about the town inciting violence. The S.P. was informed in time about the burning of Mr. Joga Singh’s house by a responsible public man but did nothing to prevent it although he passed that way. Similarly Mr. Iqbal Singh Bhatial told our team that from the Gurdwara he could see the mob preparing to loot his house and set it on fire. He kept on relaying a sort of running commentary of the happenings to the Superintendent of Police standing nearby but failed to move him to act. Most damage to life and property was done on this day.
Right up to the evening crowds went about plundering maiming and murdering without any fear of law. The students claim that they often heard the mob shout “Police Zindabad” (long live the police) and “S.P. Zinabad” Going by what all it calmly tolerated, it appears the police was attempting to immortalize itself in the estimation of lawless elements.
According to all accounts the crowd was armed with bamboo sticks (of uniform size and color iron pikes, daggers and incideniary material.
At about 19:00 hours the Deputy Inspector General of Police arrived from nearby Gulbarga. He arranged for
“Dead bodies of four students were recovered from a well which is just about a hundred meters from the residence of the Superintendent of Police, Other two boys died in hospital as a result of injuries sustained during mob attacks.”
Sees eight busloads of students to be shifted from the college to the gurdwara which was safer. The D.1.G. also rescued 41 students who were in police custody although the fact that the students were arrested and in police custody was earlier solemnly denied by the Superintendent of Police.
Vandalism and arson continued for their third day on the 16th of September. Mai Bhago’s Gurdwara was perhaps looted on this day. Lawlessness was contributing when a meeting of the peace committee was arranged at noon by the administration. The college building evacuated the previous evening was extensively damaged on this day. It was alleged in the meeting of the peace committee that three bodies floating in a well were not recovered though one from the same place had been recovered. (Indian Express September 19, 1988) Some stray incidents also took place on 17th and 18th of September.
Dead bodies of four students were recovered from a well which is just about a hundred meters from the residence of the Superintendent of Police. Other two boys died in hospital as a result of injuries sustained during mob attacks.
The dead students are:
- Upkar Singh (D. Pharmacy College) S/o Lakhbir Singh Shonil Refreshment, Bus stand Dhariwal (Gurdaspur).
- Jasbir Singh Anand (3rd year Mech.) S/o Joginder Singh Anand, 326-A, Vishnu Colony, Opp Co-operative Bank, Kurukshetra (Haryana).
- Gurinder Singh (3rd year Civil) S/o Mohinder Singh C-50 South Extension Part New Delhi.
- Harvinder Singh (3rd year Civil) S/o S. Gurcharan Singh Lajpat Nagar, Barabanki, JP).$%FL 5, Amarjit Singh S/o Gurcharan Singh Rajpat Nagar Barabanki (U.P.),
- Balvinder Singh Bawra (3rd year Mech)S/oS. Puran Singh 556/6, Raj Park Jaipur Rajasthan).
The Part II of this article will be printed in the next issue of WSN.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 28, 1989