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The Hindus must share a part of the blame in provoking the Muslims by their celebration rallies, inciting slogans and rasta rokos which were all organised mostly by Shiv Sainiks, and to a marginal extent by BJP activists.
Extracts from Sreekrishna Commission Report...
The Shiv Sena led by Bal Thackeray, MP, Madhukar Sarpotdar and other leaders like Gajanan Kirtikar and Milind Vaidya have been directly indicted in the Commission's report. The report which is unsparing of acts of Muslim aggression states however that there was no evidence to show that on the side of the minorities there was any single individual or organisation responsible for fomenting trouble.
Chapter III, Volume 1 of the report dealing with the specific terms of reference, "whether any individual or group of individuals or any other organisations were responsible for such events and circumstances", the report states categorically: "As far as the December 1992 phase of the rioting by the Muslims is concerned, there is no material to show that it was anything other than a spontaneous reaction of leaderless and incensed Muslim mobs, which commenced as peaceful protest, but soon degenerated into riots. The Hindus must share a part of the blame in provoking the Muslims by their celebration rallies, inciting slogans and rasta rokos which were all organised mostly by Shiv Sainiks, and to a marginal extent by BJP activists.
For the January round of violence, the Shiv Sena has been held squarely to blame. Turning to the events of January 1993, the Commission's view is that though several incidents of violence took place during the period from 15th December 1992 to 5th January 1993, large-scale rioting and violence was commenced from 6th January 1993 by the Hindus, brought to fever pitch by communally inciting propaganda unleashed by Hindu communal organisations and writings in newspapers like Saamna and Navaakal.
It was taken over by Shiv Sena and its leaders who continued to whip up communal frenzy by their statements and acts and writings and directives issued by the Shiv Sena Pramukh Bal Thackeray. The attitude of Shiv Sena as reflected in the Time magazine interview given by Bal Thackeray and its doctrine of 'retaliation', as expounded by Shri Sarpotdar and Shri Manohar Joshi, together with the thinking of Shiv Sainiks that 'Shiv Sena's terror was the true guarantee of the safety of citizens', were responsible for the vigilantism of Shiv Sainiks. Because some criminal Muslims killed innocent Hindus in one corner of the city, the Shiv Sainiks 'retaliated' against innocent Muslims in other corners of the city.
"There is no material on record suggesting that even during this phase (January 1993) any known Muslim individuals or organisations were responsible for the riots, though a number of individual Muslims and Muslim criminal elements appear to have indulged in violence, looting, arson and rioting." (Pg. 22, para 1.2-ii). However, the report is unsparing of several individual acts of Muslim communalism and aggression unlike what the Maharashtra government would have the people believe:
Dharavi: "There were meetings held on October 21 and December 1, 1992 by the Muslims advocating protection of the Babri Masjid and opposing the construction of Ram Mandir at the disputed site at Ayodhya. These meetings were held in Naiknagar on L.B. Shastri Marg… One of the speeches advocated that if the Hindus were to snatch away the Babri Masjid from Muslims, there would be no stopping of disintegration of the country; that if Hindus were to build a Ram Mandir at Ayodhya and usher in Ram Rajya, then the Muslims would, through the Babri Masjid Committee, fly the green flag on the Red Fort at Delhi and rule the country.
Three activists of Tanzeem-Allah-o-Akbar, which organised some of the meetings, Hayatbhai, Sayyedbhai and Shakoorbhai were quite active during the violent incidents which took place on December 7, 1992.
In one of the meetings organized by the Muslims on November 15, 1992, one Maqsood Khan declared that 25 crores of Muslims in India would not remain passive without demanding and getting a partition of the country, as they would not like to remain slaves in this country. Once again, no action ensued, since the police considered that, though objectionable, the speeches were not actionable in law." (Pgs. 92-93, para 10.6).
Deonar: "This is one police station jurisdiction where, during both phases of riots, the Muslims gave more than they took. During December 1992, police registered 36 cases of communal violence/rioting of which 18 cases were closed by classifying them in "A" summary and charge-sheets were filed in rest of the cases. In one case accused died after the charge-sheet was filed in the Court and the case abated. Out of the 36 cases registered by police, 19 cases were in connection with rioting and mob action and 17 pertained to assaults on individuals. The trouble began in December 1992 at about 9 p.m. on December 6, 1992 when mobs of Muslims started pelting stones at vehicles and BEST buses moving along the link road through Muslim dominated areas. At about 11 p.m. on the same day there was an attack on the house of one Gundeti, a local Bharatiya Janata Party activist and leader of Bharatiya Janata Party from Shivaji Nagar The interrogatory statements of the accused arrested in this case, which included two Hindus, suggest that the reason for the attack was the organising of several meetings in the area by Gundeti. There was also an attack on Shiva temple and Geeta Vikas School and an attack on Hanuman temple at Shivaji Nagar, Plot no.34. There was damage and attempted arson to Shiva temple and Geeta Vikas School. Hanuman temple in Shivaji Nagar was damaged completely and the idol of Hanuman was smashed to pieces. There was heavy stone pelting at the houses around the Hanuman temple. Though the police claimed that the Muslim mob had carried out heavy stone pelting at houses around the Hanuman Mandir in Shivaji Nagar, the panchanama recorded in C.R.No.895 of 1992 does not bear out this fact. Nor is there any reference in the FIR to attack on Hindu houses on Plot No. 34 in Shivaji Nagar." (Pg. 82, para 9.6).
Dongri: Is a predominantly Muslim area with the reputation of being communally-hypersensitive. It is also the haunt of several illegal activities including drug peddling."During the period 8th December 1992 to 31st December 1992, 23 cases of communal incidents were registered by the Dongri police station in which Hindus were aggressors in seven cases and Muslims were aggressors in 16 cases. Contrary to the police perception that during the December 1992 phase of the riots, it was only the Muslims who were aggressors, it appears that the Hindus also contributed their share towards riots and communal incidents during this period. Out of the seven cases in which Hindus were aggressors, four were cases in which Muslims were stabbed; in two cases there was looting and one involved looting and arson of a Muslim establishment. During the same period, out of the 16 cases in which Muslims were aggressors, nine were individual stabbing cases, and seven were cases of looting of different Hindu establishments." (Pg. 108, para 11.21).
Nagpada: "In the period between July-December 1992, there was a lot of activity by the Muslim organisations active in the area. Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and Bombay Muslim Committee were quite active during this period. On July 24, 1992, an Urdu blackboard was displayed by SIMI which contained extremely provocative writing. During November 15-26, 1992, many Muslim organisations had organised meetings on the Ayodhya-Babri Masjid issue. (Pg. 165, para 22.3).
Nirmal Nagar: "The fury of the Muslims (in December 1992) was directed against the Police Chowky at Behrampada Gate No.18, Police Chowky in Navpada and Ambewadi. Further up in the Golibar locality, against the Shakha of Shiv Sena and the Hindu shops located on the Golibar Road between Ambewadi Chowky and Adarsh Apartments. There was violent confrontation between armed Muslim mobs emerging from the kabrastan shouting anti-Hindu slogans and the police. In an incident of rioting at Indira Nagar the Muslim mobs attacked the Indira Nagar Police Chowky damaged it and set on fire articles inside the Chowky and a scooter of a police officer. There was also an incident of rioting near the Fish Market, Nehru Nagar, Bharani and Dawari Colony during which one Head Constable was assaulted and injured by a chopper wielded by the Muslim in a mob." (Pg. 159).
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