Anti-Sikh riots in Bidar

Anti-Sikh riots in Bidar link: http://www.jstor.org/pss/4393984

In an in depth article availiable at http://www.jstor.org one can see how greed and envy lead to the violent deaths of 6 Sikhs, scores of other Sikhs (students and non-students) injured and the destruction of Sikh property, conservatively estimated to be Rs 50 Lakhs.

The excellent, in depth article at http://www.jstor.org/pss/4393984 was written by Ranjiv Nayar and Vrijendra and has been copyrighted / © 1988 Economic and Political Weekly / October 29, 1988

Abstract

The riots were politically inspired and were basically rooted in the rivalry between two trusts over a proposed medical college in Bidar. The police and the administration failed to discharge their duty during the three days of active rioting.

Jstor shows only the first page of the story. One must have access to a library that uses Jstor's services or the report may, I believe, may be purchased.

Other sources

Communalism and Communal Incidents in Karnataka

Festival occasion as moment for riot

The Hindu Sikh riots that took place at Bidar September 14th and 16th 1988 left at least 6 Sikh students dead, about 100 injured and loss of property worth nearly Rs 62 lakhs. Trouble started on the night of September 14, when a few Sikh students in Gandhinagar were asked to pay subscription for the Ganesh Chathurti celebrations that were to take place the next day. The students refused to pay as they claimed that they had already paid. This led to a scuffle where the Sikh students got beaten up. They later returned to the spot in a larger number and damaged a few vehicles and shops belonging to the Hindus. In retaliation, late at night a group of Hindu young men struck at the houses where the Sikh students were staying and burnt their scooters.

During the night, a plot was apparently hatched where it is believed that the future course of attack was decided upon. The planned nature of the attacks- use of petrol, selective assaults on Sikh, burning of the houses of Muslim landlords and sparing those owned by the Hindus- indicate the well thought out strategy that was shaped at the meeting on 14th night. From the next morning, a regular onslaught began- not only on the Sikh students who were involved the previous night, but also against houses and shops owned by Sikhs in other parts of the town. An inadequate police force, tried to keep the two contending groups at bay, but with no success. Six people died and 42 were injured, all of whom were Sikhs. All the 85 houses that were attacked were occupied by Sikhs, though in some cases the owners were Muslims. Property worth more than Rs 1 Crore was destroyed.

Spread of Hindutva

Before the Hindu–Sikh riots that took place in Bidar (September 1988), an important recent development there has been the growth of majority communal ideology. Although not reflected in electoral terms, there has been the propagation of communal attitudes and prejudices by several groups such as the BJP, the RSS and the VHP. Many of those linked to these groups are also connected to the large number of educational societies there and use such connections to propagate their ideologies.

For instance, in Dharwad, Hindu youths had been trained under an RSS/VHP outfit, by a ‘Seth’ living there, about 8 months before the demolition of the Babri Masjid. After these demolitions, there were rumours about an alleged stoning of a temple. (An inspection of the temple did not show any damage due to the alleged stoning). By this time, a mob of around 200 persons gathered in front of the temple, intent upon attacking Muslims and their property.

It was the young Hindus who had been trained by the RSS/VHP who along with some other ‘anti social elements’ from the neighboring villages swelled the ranks of the mob that ravaged Uppinabettigeri, Dharwad after such rumors had spread. The Muslims of the village maintain that except for these youths, who have been communalized by the RSS, the Hindus of the village harbor no ill feelings towards the Muslims of the village. Likewise the Hindu on 12/12/92 reported that the RSS and its sympathizers had gone on a stabbing spree in the town of Bidar.

Build-up to riots – both historical and immediate

These riots have a background of economic competition, which played a part in bringing events closer to the unfolding denouement. The first was the rivalry over obtaining sanction for a capitation fee-based medical college in Bidar. There were several contestants, the strongest being Joga Singh, (the head of the Guru Nanak Jheera Prahbandhak Committee and Guru Nanak Jheera Sahib Educational Foundation which set up educational institutions). A ‘Citizen’s Committee’ was formed by the rival educational societies which were in the running for the medical college with the contender being Kashinath Belure, who had the backing of the State BJP secretary.

The second factor, one that was used to give a communal twist to what was essentially business rivalry, was the repercussion of the post-Operation Bluestar Punjab situation, the growth of terrorism in Punjab and the deteriorating attitudes to Sikhs as a minority community outside Punjab. The local communal leaders lost no opportunity to cash in on what was being reported almost daily in the media about Punjab, and they spread the impression that it was only Hindus who were being killed there. A direct and deliberate communal appeal was made that all Sikhs were potential terrorists; that Bidar was in danger of becoming the next Amritsar so as to make the medical college demand a mass issue. Thus the ground was further prepared for a chance altercation between members of two communities to set off a raging fire.

Institutionalized riot systems

In the 1988 Hindu-Sikh riots that took place at Bidar, there was undue delay in reporting of the incidents in the national dailies. Although the disturbances took place between 14th and 16th September, it was almost a week later that the national press published these reports. Immediate publication of a report would have shown that the Sikhs in this case were not the culprits, but the victims of a communal outrage, thereby preventing rumors that warped the public mind.

The Hindu-Sikh riots that took place at Bidar in 1988 have a background of economic competition, which played a part in bringing events closer to the unfolding denouement. The first was the rivalry over obtaining sanction for a capitation fee-based medical college in Bidar. There were several contestants, the strongest being Joga Singh, (the head of the Guru Nanak Jheera Prahbandhak Committee and Guru Nanak Jheera Sahib Educational Foundation which set up educational institutions). A ‘Citizen’s Committee’ was formed by the rival educational societies which were in the running for the medical college with the contender being Kashinath Belure, who had the backing of the State BJP secretary.

The second factor, one that was used to give a communal twist to what was essentially business rivalry, was the repercussion of the post-Operation Bluestar Punjab situation, the growth of terrorism in Punjab and the deteriorating attitudes to Sikhs as a minority community outside Punjab. The local communal leaders lost no opportunity to cash in on what was being reported almost daily in the media about Punjab, and they spread the impression that it was only Hindus who were being killed there. A direct and deliberate communal appeal was made that all Sikhs were potential terrorists, that Bidar was in danger of becoming the next Amritsar so as to make the medical college demand a mass issue. Thus the ground was further prepared for a chance altercation between members of two communities to set off a raging fire.

Untimely action by police

Trouble came on the evening of September 14th when a group of Sikh students in Gandhinagar were asked to pay subscription for the Ganesh Chathurti celebrations that were to take place the next day. The students refused to pay as they claimed that they had paid up before. Arguments led to a scuffle and then to a clash in which some were injured. If the events of the day were spontaneous, planning clearly went into the developments of the next two days when the Sikhs, their homes and establishments were singled out for attack. Mobs went on the rampage on September 15th.

After the 1988 Bidar riots, the police came in for criticism by all, for untimely action. Tensions between the students and the local population had been on the increase for quite some time. The rise of the Hindu communal groups, their connivance with the local gangsters, and their open display of communally surcharged emotions, like the events preceding the Ganesh Chathurti festival- all these were apparently allowed a free rein inspite of warnings sounded by some citizens. Even when the violence started on 14th September night, the police acted in a lackadaisical manner.

Inquiry committees

After the Hindu-Sikh Bidar riots of 1988, an official judicial committee was set up under Justice Shyamsunder which was to submit its report in three months. The State government also constitutes two goodwill committees. The first consisted of prominent individuals like Surjit Singh Barnala, Lt Gen Jagdish Arora and I.K.Gujral. The second comprised legislators from Karnataka.