Discordant Notes

Clashes on festivals like Ram Navami sharpen the divide between Hindus and Muslims in Jharkhand

- Md Asghar Khan

ABDUL Zafarullah Sadiq, 38, who has been the president of the committee of a mosque in Hazaribagh in Jharkhand for the past 15 years, is well acquainted with most of the lanes of the city. For him, it has been a matter of pride that though the mosque is situated in the ‘Nawabganj’ area of the city, the name of the mosque is ‘Indrapuri’. “This shows our diversity,” says Sadiq, adding: “However, things have changed in the recent past.”

Over the years, Hazaribagh has witnessed many incidents of violence between Hindus and Muslims. According to Sadiq, while reconciliation between the two communities after episodes of communal tension was a norm earlier, after the recent incidents, the animosity has spilled over to other aspects of day-to-day life, affecting personal equations and businesses. He is particularly upset about vandalism at the Indrapuri mosque in April during the Ram Navami procession. “At 5 AM on April 1, people participating in the procession broke open the gate of the mosque. The glass outside was broken, stones were pelted and slogans were raised. All this happened in the presence of the police,” says Sadiq. This is the first time this mosque was attacked. There is a temple right opposite to the mosque, but there was no tension ever, he adds.

In the lane next to the Indrapuri mosque, there are small shops owned by a Hindu businessman. “Nine were rented by Muslims, which have been vacated after the incident. I had never imagined something like this would happen,” says Sadiq.