BADAUN, Oct. 1—In its haste to make Urdu the second official language three months before the elections, the ruling party has sacrificed yet another town at the altar of communal politics.
Curfew has been imposed for the first time in more than 40 years in this town, which has so far had a history of communal peace, despite its closeness to Moradabad, Aligarh, Firozabad and other towns where communal tension prevails.
Citizens can recall violent incidents of such magnitude only during partition. The only tense moments in recent times were during a bandh in February, 1987, to protest against the handling of the Babri Masjid Ram Janmabhoomi issue and during Holi last year.
But the tension was localized and the people themselves saw to it that matters were settled amicably. Last week was a different story altogether.
Even as the powers that be in Lucknow decreed that Urdu should be the second official Janguage in the state, trouble was brewing in Badaun. On September 27, students of the Shri Krishna Inter College marched in a procession to the collectorate and handed over a memorandum to the District Magistrate to register their protest at the decision.
The next day, students of the Islamia Inter-College took out a procession welcoming the decision and shouted slogans against the students of SK Inter-College.
Violence erupted when the procession reached the SK Inter-College. There was heavy brickbatting. Acid and patrol were freely used. The interstate bus stand opposite the college was burnt down as were the motor parts shops around it.
Within half-an-hour, there was arson and rioting in other parts of the town, especially in the market area. This was at 9:30 a.m. Curfew was imposed at 4:30 p.m. and was not released till Sunday.
Three days after the incidents, which, according to the district administration, left 24 people dead, the ashes are still smouldering. So is the anger.
Leaders, of all parties, district officials and ordinary people were of the opinion that there was no need to rake up the Urdu issue just now. ‘The state is already gripped by tension due to the Babri Masjid Ram Janambhoomi controversy which is likely to come to a head in November. To fuel this tension with the second language bill was “madness.”
“A cheap pre-election stunt at the cost of innocent lives,” a Muslim citizen, who asked not to be named, said.
“Yes, really there was no need to bring this up right now. This should have been achieved six months ago. Now, the timing is unfortunate,” said Mohammed Isar Ahmed, brother of the pre sent MLA from ‘Badaun, Mohammed Abrar Ahmed, of the Congress-I.
“But we had promised in the last elections that we would get the official second language status for Urdu. That promise had to be fulfilled before this elections,” he said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, which was waiting in the wings all these years, has pounced on the opportunity provided by last week’s incidents. People here have been unhappy with the anti-Hindu attitude of Salim Iqbal Sherwani (the sitting Cong IMP from Badaun),” said Mr. Krishan Swaroop Vaish, of the BJP.
The seat has gone to Muslim leaders of the Congress-I in the last three elections. In 1977, it was Mushir Ahmed, in 1980 it was Mohammed Asrar Ahmed, father of the sit ting MLA and in 1984, the seat went to Mr. Sherwani.
“The atmosphere here is now definitely anti-Congress. None of the leaders who represent Badaun at the Assembly and at the Centre have even thought it necessary to come here to see what has happened,” Mr. Vaish said.
However, what most feel is that the BJP has played right into the hands of the Congress-I by opposing the Bill. “BJP is responsible for what has happened here by communalising the issue before it is even clear how the Bill is going to benefit Muslim voters,” said Mufti Mohammed Syed of the Janata Dal who was in Badaun on a tour to assess the situation.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 20, 1989
