News & Events

An IDPD peace team visited Muzaffarnagar on 24th November 2013. The team went to Shahpur town, Kutba, Kutbi and Kankra villages which were hit by the violence over two and half months ago. The team also visited the make shift camps for the displaced people of the area. The team comprised of Dr Arun Mitra – National General Secretary, Dr Sudhir Dhakre – National Secretary, Dr Sanjeev Verma – UP State Secretary and Dr Neelam – Member Central Council of IDPD. Dr Kuldeep Singh Chauhan a leading physician organized the visit. Social activist Com. Rambal Tyagi joined us in our visit to different places. The members interacted with the people of the area and found that until this event there had been no tension in the society. The area was spared of riots even in 1947. The rural areas had even stronger relationship among the communities. This was a result of long standing harmony, brotherhood and cohesive relationship among different communities. The events are a clear pointer to that the whole thing was stage planned, managed, and engineered in a well orgnaised manner. The role of the administration in curbing the violence has been disgusting. An ordinary crime of stalking and eve teasing was turned into communal problem. It was very sad to note that the same people who lived together are now garnering mistrust among each other. Fear loomed large among the displaced people who were reluctant to go back to their homes in the villages. Women and children were even getting nightmares. The confidence building measures are far from sufficient. The team has following recommendations to make:

1. Confidence building measures have to be initiated by both the administration and the civil society. Communalism should be countered on Ideological grounds.
2. Effort should be made to bring the saner senior people of the villages to meet those living in the makeshift camps and persuade them to return to their home.
3. Every village should be provided with armed police security.
4. Arms of any kind including the local made crude weapons should be taken away from the civilians.
5. Till the people are persuaded to shift back to their homes, they should be kept in the camps on the government land. Camps from the private land should be shifted.
6. 6. The culprits should be booked and prosecuted after thorough genuine investigation in a scientific professional manner.