AS THE Basant Panchami approaches, worries in the Police Headquarters and the Home Department are increasing about communal amity in Dhar.
Extraordinary security measures are being taken. A dozen companies of police and four companies of Rapid Action Force have been deployed at the Bhojshala. The town will be virtually fortified on February 3.
However, the police have yet to work out a cohesive strategy to deal with the situation. This year Basant Panchami is falling on Friday. How the special Friday prayer and daylong ‘puja’ will be held on the same day at Bhojshala is a big question. Neither side is willing to yield ground to the other. Officials are apprehensive that if the matter is not resolved early the situation may become too explosive to handle on February 3.
“Lack of clear direction to the administration in dealing with potential troublemakers who fuel communal tension is creating problems for the local police force ”, admits a senior officer in the Home Department.
Officials are worried that if the standoff doesn’t get resolved and Friday witnessed any trouble, the blame will be on the local administration and police. “It is high time a strong message is sent that come what may law would be upheld”, the officer said. “In a peaceful State like ours, where there are few conflicts, such disturbances need to be quelled. But that requires strong political will and the direction must come from the top”, he added.
Attacks on Christians
The brutal attack on Christian assembly in Govindpura has come as a shock for residents. It is the first ever such criminal attack on a religious gathering in the State capital and reflects growing lawlessness in the City.
Attacks on Christians
The brutal attack on Christian assembly in Govindpura has come as a shock for residents. It is the first ever such criminal attack on a religious gathering in the State capital and reflects growing lawlessness in the City.
It is a measure of miscreants’ audacity as well as police lethargy that the assailants barged into the house and beat up hapless devotees including priests black and blue at will. Worse, they fled the scene and all of them are yet to be identified.
But the worst aspect of the sordid incident is that the victims are too frightened to identify the attackers, as they do not seem to have faith in the police in the present political dispensation.
It is improbable that the local intelligence and police are unaware about identity of attackers. On one hand the police said that the victims were too frightened to name the attackers, on the other hand, no hunt was launched to nab the culprits.
Were the police waiting for them to as though the law it launched no crackdown on anti-social elements as if waiting for them to surrender? For three days after the incident there was no arrest and after pressure mounted on police, just five of the attackers were arrested later.
Abduction industry
For a fortnight the abduction of Honey Gupta from Porsa kept the Morena police on the toes. After protests and a complete shutdown in the town, the police swung into action. The child was rescued but dacoit Tehsildar Singh has managed to flee. The four-year-old child’s abduction and the demand of Rs 21 lakh as ransom once again highlighted the growing menace of abduction industry. Aren’t we going the Bihar way?