Kandhla--In September 2013, as Shamli and Muzaffarnagar burned around them, the small town of Kandhla was largely untouched, with leadership working overtime to keep the peace.
On Sunday, a day after 17 people were injured in a clash between the police and a mob protesting at Kandhla railway station against the alleged assault on five members of Tablighi Jamaat, the local leadership is yet again asking people to stay calm and united. The markets remained open on Sunday.
Amit Garg, member of the local traders’ union said, “Meetings are being held all over…and one of the points of consensus was that the town must not look like it is under curfew.” Most people blamed politics for the latest tension.
“There are forces at play that want to communalise the situation. They have targeted Kandhla because it has stayed peaceful so far,” said Ranjit Singh, who owns land near the police station that was allegedly attacked by the mob.
According to Arshad Kandhalvi, maulana at Madarsa Islamia Suleimana at Kandhla, things took a violent turn because of the “designs of the administration”. “First, there was misbehaviour against those of the Jamaat in the train (Saharanpur-bound Janta Express). Some people protested by blocking a train which happens everywhere. When district administration assured people, they began to leave. A small group of youths was left behind and some trouble ensued. Police fired at them and that caused people to get angry, even as both Hindus and Muslims told people to calm down. At the police station, the administration destroyed its property to make a case against Muslims,” he added.
Indian Express
