“Ab Hamara Hindustan, Mulla Bhago Pakistan” (Hindustan is now ours, Muslims flee to Pakistan) -Mahesh Kumar

“Ab Hamara Hindustan, Mulla Bhago Pakistan”
(Hindustan is now ours, Muslims flee to Pakistan)
-Mahesh Kumar

“Ab Hamara Hindustan, Mulla Bhago Pakistan” is the slogan which is been raised by RSS Karyakartas in a Park in Shri Ram Colony, a Muslim Majority locality. The Sakha is been forcefully organized inspite of opposition of locals there. During the Sakha, in addition to raising provocative and mischievous slogans, Karyakartas are been trained to launch attacks on the minority community. In the morning when the Sakha is organized, even the air of Rajiv Park carries the stench of Communal tension. This park has a majority of Muslim houses surrounding it and when these people listen to the anti-muslim communal slogans of the Shakha day after day, it is natural that they are filled with fear. When a fact finding team of CPI(M) did a survey on Sunday, they found out that the Shakha was not intended for any cultural event or any physical exercise but for raising slogans targeting and harassing the minority community and their only agenda was to terrorize the Muslims residing in that area.

In order to assess the situation we talked to some women whose homes were bordering the park. Meena Begum, age 45, says that this park had always been a park for pedestrians and walkers and people used to come here to stroll. Every morning and evening, women and children would gather to play, chat and stroll. The gathering would be of people belonging to all communities. Meena Begum said, that once a year the park would also see a gathering of Muslims offering Namaz for Eid. She said along with Eid, this park would also host Dusshera celebrations where Muslims would also join in enthusiastically. She further said the Sangh had opened the shakha last year just before Dusshera under the pretext of celebrating Ramleela and since then communal tension and fear has gripped the neighbourhood. She says that the Shakha’s activities and anti-muslim slogans have sometimes caused so much fear and panic that “we feel that if it is not checked, the situation will escalate and get out of hand.” She worries that in this tense atmosphere if a mischief maker does even a small provocation, then the whole colony will be engulfed in communal riots and a Trilokpuri like situation will arise here as well. She also says that if those people have a problem with Namaz, then we are willing to not offer Namaz but then this park will have to be secured for only playing and walking/strolling so that there is no possibility of an outbreak of communal insanity. She informed us that an illegal construction of a platform has been done by the Sangh, and they hold meetings on that platform. The authorities have not taken any action against these illegal activities. If the authorities do not make any timely intervention then the situation can go out of hand and the worst sufferers will be women and children.

Shri Ram colony has a 85-90 percent Muslim population, Hindus and others constitute roughly 10-15 percent of the population. This is like any other illegal colony of Delhi which is home to poor labourers who live a life of struggle. This basti is adjacent to UP’s Loni and falls in the Karawal Nagar Delhi Assembly Constituency. The neighbouring colonies – Khajuri, Sonia Vihar and Ganga Vihar are also illegal colonies. These bastis are a huge vote bank for ruling parties and all of them make promises of regularizing these colonies. There is a fundamental lack of basic amenities, the gullies are unpaved and parks are not maintained and muddy and get flooded during monsoons. There is an extreme scarcity of good schools, but inspite of all these hardships people lived as a close knit community in harmony here. Till date, there as been no incident of communal rioting.

Ever since the RSS karyakartas, who prior to this held their shakha at another locality, moved their shakha to this colony and made this park their den, the situation became tense.

Another resident Tarannum, age 29 years, had gone into depression due to the tense situation looming around her. Neighbours and AIDWA workers have given her counseling and managed to restore her courage. Tarannum says that the situation is very bad, “Shakha people turn towards our homes to urinate, shout loud slogans and when the Shakha disperses, they leave the colony, beating their sticks on the ground. Around the time the Shakha disperses, the children have to leave for their schools but due to this intimidation, families have stopped sending their children, especially girls to school.” Tarranum says “All, we residents want is to stay in peace and harmony but these outsiders of the Sangh put up their shakha, creating fear in the atmosphere.”

Nargis, age 34 years, is a worker of AIDWA. She says inspite of informing the authorities of this ongoing situation, no action has been taken to shut down the Shakha. Even the police knows that these people are trying to incite communal feelings by shouting slogans, but the police is not taking
any action because we have a RSS sympathetic BJP govt at the center and the police works on central government instructions. On asking, she said that the local AAP MLA, Kapil Mishra, who ironically is also Delhi’s Law Minister, is a BJP leader’s son is also not supportive in this matter. People of this colony led by CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat, met with the local police officers and have handed them a petition, action on it is still awaited.

Yakub Ali, age 44, said that very few locals, 4 or 5 are a part of this Sankha and these are some innocent children who know nothing about RSS. Most of the RSS karyakartas are outsiders who come here and raise communal slogans. According to Yakub, Sanghis raise slogans like “Mulla Mulayam had said even a fairy cannot brush her wings against the Babri Majid and you all know the end result of that.” When they pass by our homes beating lathis they threaten us openly saying “do what you will, we will continue doing this”. Further he said, the RSS Karyakartas openly say: “Whoever dares to stare at the Sangh, will have his eyes gorged out”.

In the last few years, the Sangh with it’s activities have tried to create a tense atmosphere here. The  colony residents have continuously informed the Delhi Govt. and the police authorities of the situation here and the authorities were kept informed that the Sangh activities are being done to incite the people and this can lead to communal tension and violence. Last few years have seen some police intervention which had kept the situation in check but ever since the Modi govt has come to the centre, the Sangh has intensified its activities and the administration has literally refused to take cognizance of the current situation. The Sangh leaders openly gloat that the govt. at the center is their’s and they don’t fear anyone and if anyone dares to take action against them then the consequences will be severe.

There is an attempt to create a Trilokpuri like situation in Shri Ram colony. Keeping in mind the upcoming festival of Eid, the RSS has tried to disturb the communal harmony of the colony and create communal hatred against the Muslims. The need of the hour is for progressive people of
society and mainstream media to come forward and understand the situation and spread awareness so that the administration is forced to take action and prevent Shri Ram colony from becoming another Trilokpuri or Atali.

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