‘Mob that was not from either community had role in Dhule riots’

Shubhangi Khapre:There has been a spate of communal incidents in which the minorities have faced off against the police in the state. Do you think communal riots have become different now as the state establishment is being challenged? Is there a larger communal design to this?

Mh:The main reason for the police versus minority incidents is that people do not seem to trust the police. Many think that the police is not able to protect them, give them respect and is generally unjust. There is a general feeling within the minority community that no matter how good a person is, the police looks at them in the same way. In case there is any bomb blast there will be a search or combing operation in which they will pick people up and declare them a 'terrorist'.

Because of all these reasons, the distrust against the agency has increased. The dialogue that should happen between the police and the community is not happening. In Maharashtra, all the riots that have taken place have occurred with a motive of getting political benefit for someone. Areas such as Konkan, which have not seen instances of communal violence, have also started witnessing this trend. In view of the 2014 elections, I believe there will be more such instances to provoke the minority to community and gain political benefit. There is therefore a strong need for dialogue between the police and the community and a need to share information.

Zeeshan Shaikh:What was your experience in Dhule during your visit to the town after the riots?

I had gone to Dhule to visit the riot-affected people. I saw houses of both communities burnt in a similar way. They were looted in a similar manner, too. There were complaints that acid was used by the rioters, but I did not see anyone burnt by acid. There was a lot of brick-baiting. All the bricks that were used were new, as if they had just been brought out from the kiln.

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