Kasganj: The Anatomy of a Communal Riot

Anti-Muslim sentiment precipitated by the riot may help the BJP diffuse caste contradictions in central Uttar Pradesh and challenge Yadav dominance at the grassroots.

 

Kasganj (Uttar Pradesh): There is an uneasy calm in Kasganj, a small district town in the western fringe of central Uttar Pradesh. The town witnessed an unprecedented communal riot on January 26. Although only one person was killed, many were left physically injured and mentally scarred. While the social fabric seems almost irreparably torn, with Hindus and Muslims in the area facing their worst-ever trust deficit, it is the local economy that lies shattered.

Since the day the riot broke out, the bustling markets have mostly remained shut, crippling the largely Hindu-dominated trade. A majority of large Muslim shops have been looted and burnt down, forcing their owners to stay indoors. The few Muslim businessmen and workers who escaped the riot have not ventured out as they are too scared to be noticed in a still communally-sensitive Kasganj market.

Despite its 25,000-strong Muslim population, the social and political alienation of the minority community lends a dystopian look to what was once a vibrant commercial small town. The so-called border between Hindu and Muslim areas is now as distinct as it can be. Although religious friction has existed in Kasganj, just like most other small towns in north India, it has acquired a political dimension over the last few years.

“In the last few elections, the Hindus, across caste groups, started to consolidate under the umbrella of the Sanghparivar. The saffron groups appealed to the Hindus and ignored the Muslims entirely. This mode of campaign cemented the lines between the two communities. The Hindus started to become aggressively jingoistic and Muslims, in response, felt the need to prove their patriotism on every occasion,” said Madih Sherwani, a former Aligarh Muslim University professor.

He said that despite such polarising campaigns, the two communities remained mutually dependent due to trade linkages. “These connections,” Sherwani said, “have managed to somehow keep the social fabric intact.” Following the altercation between Hindu and Muslim youths on January 26, what Kasganj has been witnessing is a systematic obliteration of these symbiotic economic arrangements.

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