WEST BENGAL: Mamata Banerjee’s Bengal is fast becoming a massive riot-hit state for Hindu-Muslim conflicts. Four people have been killed and over eight have sustained injuries after a communal clash broke out between two communities in two villages of Nadia district of West Bengal on Monday afternoon.
People killed in the violence include Maru Hajra, Rasomoy Hajra, Moyna Hajra and Shanti Hajra from Juranpur village.
The injured have been admitted to Katwa hospital, while some are reportedly still stuck in the village because of blockades by Muslims.
Several houses owned by Muslims have been gutted in fire, while four Hindus have been killed so far. The Naoda village situation is said to be stressed as villagers fear another attack in the area in the absence of police.
However, the Kaliganj police in Debagram are trying to send out troops to the affected area at the earliest.
The incident took place after a Hindu convoy was on its way back from Dharmaraj Mela at Jamalpur in Purbasthali to their village.
As they passed by a mosque in Juranpur village, they were attacked by a group of men, reportedly Muslims around 3 PM.
The clash turned violent after both the parties resorted to firing and bombing.
West Bengal in recent years has been encountering serious Hindu-Muslim conflicts leaving the state largely affected by the violence.
Here are some of them:
• In 2013, the Canning riots between the two communities broke out after a Muslim cleric was killed by unidentified assailants. Following the incident, Muslim mobs burned down more than 200 Hindu houses in the villages of Naliakhali, Herobhanga, Gopalpur and Goladogra villages in Canning police station area. Apart from this, two dozen Hindu-owned shops were looted in Jayanagar area under Baruipur subdivision. The violence even disrupted the rail services.
• Eight Muslims and one Hindu were killed, while 38 Muslims and 19 Hindus suffered injuries in 23 cases of communal disturbance and 21 of tension in 2012.
• The Deganga riots in 2010 too created a major ruckus in the state when Muslim mobs resorted to arson and violence against the local Hindu community. The violence that began late in the evening on September 6 continued for several days. The chaos created at the time was extensive, so much so that the Indian Army was deployed after the district police, Rapid Action Force, Central Reserve Police Force and Border Security Force failed to suppress the issue. The situation at least settled down on September 9 after numerous business establishments and residences had been looted, destroyed and burnt, dozens of people injured and several places of worship desecrated and vandalized. The allegations were totally against Haji Nurul Islam of Trinamul Congress.
