Clashes With Kanwar Pilgrims in a Series of Incidents of Communal Tension

The growing controversy surrounding the processions like Kanwar Yatra, Tiranga Yatra, Ram Navami and deteriorating law and order has become apparent in the last few years. Recently, Uttar Pradesh's communally sensitive Bareilly district saw a clash between the Hindu and Muslim community during a Kanwar procession. In this case, the police have registered a case against 750 people for spreading riots and for violation of Section 144.  

According to the reports, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Rajesh Mishra asked the district administration to allow the Kanwar procession to pass through a Muslim-majority area called Khajuria, as he wanted to set a 'trend' for the society. In the past, no such procession had passed through this village, informed Bareilly District Magistrate Virendra Kumar Singh. 

Meanwhile, heavy deployment of police was made in the area, and police was reportedly urging the Kanwar pilgrims to take another route – the Bisalpur road. A police official told Newsclick that the BJP lawmaker wanted to take the procession through a Muslim concentrated area called Umaria, but the administration declined his demand. “Everything is under control now, and no clash so far has been reported,” he said. 

A similar incident happened in Rajasthan's Tonk district on Thursday when a clash took place between Kanwariyas and local people. Stones were reportedly hurled, and a vehicle was set on fire during the clash, injuring 15 Kanwariyas, police said.

The Kanwariyas were passing through a Muslim-majority area in Malpura when some people hurled stones at them, Additional Superintendent of Police Goverdhan Sekaria said. Fifteen pilgrims were injured, he said.

Scores of such clashes between Kanwariyas and citizens in different states have recently been reported. Earlier, a group of Kanwariyas vandalised a car in Delhi’s Moti Nagar. The images of the pilgrims breaking the car’s windows and smashing the vehicle, even as a couple of policemen were hovering in the vicinity, had gone viral. The Delhi police since have arrested ten people they suspect to be part of the mob. 

Not long back Kasganj in Uttar Pradesh was the epicentre of communal tension after an altercation during a Tiranga Yatra on Republic Day claimed a life and led to cutting violence. 

Recently, in a show 'Hafte Ki Baat' of Newsclick, senior journalist Urmliesh said that it was only after 1990 that the Yatra was turned into such a large-scale event. In this yearly event, one can clearly see the convergence of religion's political aspirations and politics' religious backing.