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Poster war takes on riot proportion
This is what residents of Thane’s sleepy Rabodi area and people in the north Maharashtra town of Dhule must be wondering after going through communal riots over the past two weeks.
Is the nightmare over or was it just an indication of things to come?
This is what residents of Thane’s sleepy Rabodi area and people in the north Maharashtra town of Dhule must be wondering after going through communal riots over the past two weeks.
The riots in Dhule left 10 people dead and more than 400 injured in several clashes since the violence erupted on October 5.
The riots have affected the livelihoods of this backward district’s large tribal population, most of who are weavers and labourers.
Riots had broken out over tearing of posters of the Muslim and Hindu communities pasted on the walls of a cinema hall in town.
Shiv Sena and Hindu Raksha Samiti activists distributed hate pamphlets a day before their rally on October 5 at which the Sena urged Hindus to rise against Muslims. The situation is still tense but under control.
The administration is trying to relax curfew adding an hour daily and monitoring the situation.
In the Rabodi area of Thane, an uneasy calm prevails after riots broke out on the night of September 29 between Hindus and Muslims over a dispute regarding a Navratra mandal's archway. One person was killed and more than 100 injured.
Rabodi had been under curfew every evening since September 30. However, since Sunday curfew has been lifted.
