I •

COMMUNA OTSIN

ALIGARHDec. 1990-Jan. 1991,

!

A REPORT BY PEOPLE'S UNION FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES

alumnus. It produced educationists like Dr. ZakirHussain and K.G. Saidyain, poets and writers likeMajaz, Ja- 'isar or Ismat Chugtai, journalists andwriters like K.A. Abbas, and a secular script writer likeDr. Rahi Masoom Reza of Mahabharat fame.

The University came under the influence of com-munal trends during the '40s. Then came the partitionof the country, and this tragedy shook the very founda-tion of the University. For a time people forgotabout its being a centre of the composite culture ofIndia where students professing diverse faiths lived to-gether in peace and harmony. Regrettably, manyHindus continue to remember only the period when ithad come under communal leadership.

Under Dr. Zakir Hussain's stewardship the Univer-sity was rejuvenated in terms of Syed Ahmad Khan'sdreams along the path of national resurgence. How-ever, the University has witnessed stray incidents buton the whole life in the campus has been generallywitbout communal tensions. A large number of non-Muslim students (more than 40% students in Medicaland Engineering faculties are non· Muslims) have livedin the campus with their Muslim classmates in harmonyand peace. Peace in the campus bas now been disturbed.Mistrust has set in.

One hopes that the University authorities, facultymembers and students, will stand up against communal-ists of both the camps and will defend and enrich theethos of composite living on the campus. They havedone it in the past and there is no reason why theycannot do it now.

ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITYAligarh is different from other riot affecte

in UP in one respect in that it is an intknown centre of higher learning. This uniwas victim of communal riots in the past also.

There are contradictory perceptions about theUniversity among the two communities. CommunalistHindus consider it to be the centre of Pakistan move-ment and of anti-national activities; communalistMuslims take it to be a protected Islamic enclave, wherenon-Muslims should have no place.

The Aligarh Muslim University was set up , bySyed Ahmad Kban, a savant of rare vision who founda way OHt in the gloom of the post-1857 phase. LikeRaja Ram Mohan Roy, a few decades earlier, SyedAhmad Khan charted the tortuous trajectory for theIndian people that avoided both the quicksands of amoribund tradition and whirlpools of a rootless mod-ernity. He proclaimed that Hindus and Muslims werelike two eyes of the motherland and both can developonly if they live in harmony with each other.

The University was set up with financial supportfrom citizens professing different religions-some not-able names being those of Maharaja of Porbandar andSeth Hukam Chand. The first graduate produced bythe University was Raja Mahendra Pratap, the well-known revolutionary and freedom fighter.

The University became the hot-bed of nationalistideas and was the nerve centre of the Khilafat move-ment-Maulana Mohammad Ali being its distinguished

alumnus. It produced educationists like Dr. ZakirHussain and K.G. Saidyain, poets and writers likeMajaz, Ja- 'isar or Ismat Chugtai, journalists andwriters like K.A. Abbas, and a secular script writer likeDr. Rahi Masoom Reza of Mahabharat fame.

The University came under the influence of com-munal trends during the '40s. Then came the partitionof the country, and this tragedy shook the very founda-tion of the University. For a time people forgotabout its being a centre of the composite culture ofIndia where students professing diverse faiths lived to-gether in peace and harmony. Regrettably, manyHindus continue to remember only the period when ithad come under communal leadership.

Under Dr. Zakir Hussain's stewardship the Univer-sity was rejuvenated in terms of Syed Ahmad Khan'sdreams along the path of national resurgence. How-ever, the University has witnessed stray incidents buton the whole life in the campus has been generallywitbout communal tensions. A large number of non-Muslim students (more than 40% students in Medicaland Engineering faculties are non· Muslims) have livedin the campus with their Muslim classmates in harmonyand peace. Peace in the campus bas now been disturbed.Mistrust has set in.

One hopes that the University authorities, facultymembers and students, will stand up against communal-ists of both the camps and will defend and enrich theethos of composite living on the campus. They havedone it in the past and there is no reason why theycannot do it now.

ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITYAligarh is different from other riot affecte

in UP in one respect in that it is an intknown centre of higher learning. This uniwas victim of communal riots in the past also.

There are contradictory perceptions about theUniversity among the two communities. CommunalistHindus consider it to be the centre of Pakistan move-ment and of anti-national activities; communalistMuslims take it to be a protected Islamic enclave, wherenon-Muslims should have no place.

The Aligarh Muslim University was set up , bySyed Ahmad Kban, a savant of rare vision who founda way OHt in the gloom of the post-1857 phase. LikeRaja Ram Mohan Roy, a few decades earlier, SyedAhmad Khan charted the tortuous trajectory for theIndian people that avoided both the quicksands of amoribund tradition and whirlpools of a rootless mod-ernity. He proclaimed that Hindus and Muslims werelike two eyes of the motherland and both can developonly if they live in harmony with each other.

The University was set up with financial supportfrom citizens professing different religions-some not-able names being those of Maharaja of Porbandar andSeth Hukam Chand. The first graduate produced bythe University was Raja Mahendra Pratap, the well-known revolutionary and freedom fighter.

The University became the hot-bed of nationalistideas and was the nerve centre of the Khilafat move-ment-Maulana Mohammad Ali being its distinguished

SECTION-ICOMMUNAL RIOTS IN ALIGARH Oec.1990-Jan.1991

A Report by People's Unio il Liberties

(No one can claim to give an exact death toll of the riots Aligarh under investigation, in fact it is notpossible to give exact figures in any riots. According to the District Magistrate 92 lives were 101t, of these about 2/3were Musliml. The unofficial figures, however, are much higher. W8 were liven a list, by some Muslim organisations,01100 Muslims killed. This list contains not only the names of the alleged victims but also some other detailslib the next of kin, age etc.

From all accounts it appears reasonable to place the number of persons killed at 125 to I~O).

Communal riots flared up in Aligarh on 7-12-90. to above appeared) the Gomti Express incident paledTwo dastardlly acts the kind of which have not taken into insignificance despite its confirmation, if one goesplace elsewhere in the present communal holoeanst- by newspaper coverage in Hindi dailies of V.P.one, killing of passengers in a train, and the other, a false 2. PUeL received letters and calls fromnewlI item which has been continuing to play havoc-are

pe-ople, beth Hindus and Muslims, (including aParticularly shocking A Hindu mob stopped the Oomti

communication from the V.P. Organising SecretaryExpress very near Aligarh city during curfew hoursof PUCL at Luck now) that PUeL should send awhen shoot-at-sight order was in force on 8-12-90 andteam to investigate into the riots in Aligarh. A team waskilled passengers (official death toll 4; unofficial figuresset up consisting of Mr. V,M. Tarkunde, Mr. Rajinderbetween 10 and IS). Secondly. a news item appeared

in a U. P. Hindi Daily AAI on II -12·90 under a full- Sachar , Professor Abu Baker, Professor Dalip S.Swamy74 I and Dr R. M. Pal The team visited Aligarh twice:page banner headline on the front page that peop e

di I C II 4-6 Jan 91; and 12 Ian 91. During these two visits theincluding 28 patients in Jawharlal Nehru Me lea 0 egeteam inspected a number of riot-affected areas, metHospital of Aligarh Muslim University were killed.friends and relatives of a number of riot Victims, ques-

What is more. Doordarshan acted irresponsibly in tioned a cross section of intellectuals, professionalslivin! the news (i) that two policemen were stabbed in including doctors and members of the Bar. members orAMU campus, and (ii) tbat the University was declared Vyapar Mandai, social workers, journalists. officers ofclosed and that orders were issued by the Yice-Chancel- the- District Administration including tho District Magis-lor that students'hostels be vacated. The Vice-Chancellor trate, and other senior citizens.contradicted tbe story of killing and vacating of hostels.

The Gomti Express incident was confirmed by theAdministration. The Hospital news was contradicted bythe AMU authorities and the District Administration.The Medical faculty members devied the news item andappealed (a press release was issued) to representativesof the people and other citizens to come forward andsave the GOuntTY,adding that all concerned were wel-• ome to visit the Hospital and SQethings for themselves.

Aftor 10-12-90 (i.e. the day the news item referred

3 Riots in Alii8rh did not start all of a sudden.The se,ds of riot, bad already been lown, not only inAligarh, but throughout UP.; only the Dilltriot Admi-nistraticn did not take notice, And significantly enou.1la blue-print to meet riot situations was allo circlilatedquite sometime age and it was in the District Magistra-te's olice. It appears tha t the then District Magistratewas benignly ignorant about it .

With the Ramjanmabhumi/Babri Masjid controversy.and particularly the Rathyatra of BlP leader LK.Advani

( 3 )

the eivide between Hindus and Muslims had deepened.The divide became near complete after certain eventstook pJace- the karseva programme at Ayodhya on30 10 90 and 2-11-90 accompanied by vi ndpolice firing. playing of audio/video cassetvocative speeches by BJP/VH P/Bajranj Daagainst Muslims. holding of 80 caJled religious 'melas',eireulation of highly objectionable leaflets by someHindu organisations, kites with provocative slogansagainst Muslims released over Muslim areas of t.he city,almost total communalisation of the Hindi press to UP--all these had already built up a tense atmosphereMuslims too brought out some provocative leaflets, thuseach fanning communalism of the other group.

Given the background, the polluted and totallyeommunal:5.ed atmosphere, near break-down of the lawand order machinery. and increasingly scant respect forrule of law, communal riots were almost inevitable.The Administration knew. or ought to have known,that riots were in the effing. And yet killings \'\'cnt onunchecked during the period 7-10 Dec. 90. Hardly anyadministration existed in Aligarh during this period.Tho District Magistrate Mr. Verma and some otherofficials were transferred (this was the only punishmentfor erring officials); and a new District Magistrate Mr.Misra took over on 10-12-90. Many people we metsaid that given the debris left by his predecessor andthe story that appeared in AAJ on the very dayhe took over charge, resulting in increased violence,the new District Magistrate did a fairly good job,Even though riots were widespread upto about1~-10-90 and Muslims were at receiving end, Mr. Misrawas able to instil some confidence iB the victims.

4. We have said above how the polluted atmos-phere ,ave rise to riots. It is therefore pointless to askthe question : who started the riots and to find out thestarting point. However, we give below a summary ofthe accounts of what we saw, observed, and were toldby people we met. We took as much care as possible toeress-check whatever we were told.

On. version is that after Friday prayer at a Mosque

at Upper kot on 7.12.90 when provocative speeches (byway of sermons) were delivered, some Muslims attackedtwo PAC jawans near the Police Station. In retaliationPAC killed a number of Muslims and in some otherareas Hindus attacked Muslims.

The other version is that a bomb was hurled at aMosque in Sarai Sultani on 712.90. and as a resultfighting started between Muslims and Hindus at SaraiSultani. The sound of bomb blast was easily audible atUpperkot Mosque (Jam a Masj'd). Muslims gathered infront of Kotowali to protest, and there a section of themob tried TO snatch Jifles from some PAC jawans. PACthen opened file killing 3 Muslims and injuring many..

It is rutile to try to find out the exact starting pointof the riots in view of the conflicting versions givenabove, both by Hindus and Muslims.

The area of Sarai Sulrani/Sarai Rai is largely com-posed of Muslims bur is surrounded by Hindu loca li-ties Muslims who gathered in the Mosque for Fridayprayer (on 7.12.90) were alarmed when they saw hund-reds of people on roof tops of Hindu houses throwingbombs at Muslims and their houses and at the Mosque.We saw impacts of bombs (they must be crude bombs)011 the houses in the locality and many houses destro-yed in PAC firing and rioting, Not many of the ownershad yet returned. We were also told that the PACJawans posted there were not able to control the rioters;on the contrary pAC provided a cover to the rioters bypreventing the Muslims from approaching the Mosqueto rescue their friends and relatives; that some Hinduswith country-made pistols were n.oving along withPAC jawans; that Muslisms were confined to their housesand inside the Mosque. If any Muslim dared to comeout the PAC is alleged to have fired at them.

The Police/PAC had surrounded the Mosque.Muslims got agitated and some Muslims tried to snatchaway rifles (rom some PAC jawans. (Muslims herewere fairly well organized). Some Muslims threwbombs or similar articles at the PAC. w110 then openedfire to kill.

After riots in the above two areas-« Upperkot and

( 4 )

Sarai Sult:ani on 7 12.90, violence spread all over thecity including Civil Lines ~rea.

5. In a Hindu area Jogipara, adjacent to SaraiSultani, we met some Hindus+-retired persons, shop-keepers etc-, but they were just not willing to speakto us. However, one elderly Hindu lady told us that ahuge crowd had gathered on the 7th morning from theHind u mohallas. Muslim neighbours were scared.Many of them came to her area; she and some of herneighbours helped 20/25 escape through the backdoorunhurt. She also told us that she too was scared be-oause the mob was unruly and they were unkind to eventhose people like her who were helping Muslims.

In this area 17 Muslims were killed on 8.12,90.(We have yot the lilt of these persons). One policeofficial Mr. Diksbit told us that there is an FIR whichmentions the killing of 17 persons by burning, andadded tbat unless a dead body is recovered police donot consider it a case of murder or killing, and that nodead body has been recovered at Jogipara,

We were told that six out of these 17 persons hadtaken shelter in a factory, owned by Shri Anil Kumar,where a furnace is used for melting mettle. He wantedto save these 6 persons.but people from the mob advisedthat if these six are spared they would become wittnessto the killing of II persons. The mob then attacked AnilKumar's factory and burnt the six persons in thefurnace.

We were informed that some prosperous shop-keepess of the locality were instrumeotal in inciting riotsin this area because they have been wanting to buy someMuslim property here. This possibility needs to be look-ed into by the administration.

Some other Muslim areas we visited (like Kaziparanear Kazipara-Jaigunj Post office crossing, Sarai Rainear Sarai Sultani, Sarai Hakim Takia, Saifi Colonyetc.) brought forth more or less the lame picture,namely PAC resorting to firing to kill indiscriminately,Hindus being helped by PAC cover, Mosques atta.ked,houses destroyed, people subdued but angry. All thesecolonies are surrounded by Hindu areas. K azipara was

attacked by a mob from the nearby Harijan colony.We were given graphic accounts of how PAC

entered some houses and shot people dead.

other area (Sarai Ha'kim Takia)-again aslim pocket surrounded by Hindu areas

[about 00 families of Harijans and a large number offamilies belonging to Vaish community]. Trouble startedon 7.12 90, at about 4.30 p.m. when Hindus from thesecommunities started throwing stones on Muslims.Muslims also retailiated. Police appeared at about 6 pm,and people dispersed. On 8.) 2.90 riots broke out again,and two Muslims were killed by PAC firing.

We were told that people from the trading com-munity in the area fixed up a bell in the Harijan templeand asked them to make worshipping a noisy affair.They also helped the Harijans financially. Harijans arealleged to have been instigated by people from thetrading community to attack Muslims.

Litigation between Muslims and Harijans over aplot of land in the area has been going on for severalyears now- Harijans claim that the plot is meant fortheir community centre, and Muslims claim that it isearrnai ked for a Mosque. The land is now in thecustody of Nagar Palika.

We found that the Har ijan colony in the same areawas deserted. Houses were burnt or damaged badly.On seeing us some Harijan ladies came to us and nar-rated their miseries. They took us round and showedtheir burnt-out and badly damaged houses. They toldus that their household properties were looted byMuslims. All the Harijans had shifted to a near-by placeto live together. They told us that Muslims came outof their houses on 8.12.90 and there was firing by PAC,but they did not know if anybody was killed in thefiring.

From the old city the riots spread to civil linesJ

area near the University: Zakaria Market, HamdardNagar. and Jarnalpur, and some other places adjacentto the University. Harndard Nagar is a purely Muslimarea. Hindu mob from nearby villages attacked tholocality, and a number of Muslims were killed by PACfiring. Houses were damaged and property looted.

( 5

A Muslim mob attacked Zakaria market, damagedand looted establishments including XsRay clinics,general merchants, restaurants, pathologist's chamber-all belonging to Hindus. None was killed i rict-ing in the market area.

Jamalpur is a Muslim area with a small Hindupocket-about 9;% Muslim and 5% Hindus. In therioting here one Hindu was stabbed to death and an-other injured. A number of houses were damaged andbusiness establishments burnt. A number of Muslimswere killed in PAC/Police firing.

After the Gomti Express killing and then after theAAJ News of alleged hospital killing, riots spread to anumber of other areas like Bhujpura, Delhi Gate, JangalBari, Chandan Sheed Road and Tila. A number ofHindus were stabbed to death; and Muslims killed,mostly, in PAC firing.

6, Gomti Express KIllings:

A Hindu mob of about 1000 or more first tried to stopthe Kalka Mail a little after 10 a.m. on 8 1290 near theeast cabin, but did not succeed. Around mid-day themob succeeded in stopping the Gomti Express (verynear the Station) and killed several passengers. Whilea judicial enquiry, which is reported to have beenordered, would be able able to es: ablish thecircumstances, and may find whether or not Railwayofficials were involved or showed negligence, we maynote a few details which we gathered from varioussources including some Railway officials-who did notwant to be identified:

The Cabin incharge Mr. G.S Sharma reports theincident (attempt to stop the Kalka Mail) to theStation Master on duty, Mr. S. A. Khan (indoorduty); Mr. K. Lal is outdoor station master. Mr.Khan enters the report jn the Register and alsoinforms Mr. K. Lal, Mr. Gautam, Station Suptd.,and Mr. K.C. Sharma, Asstt. Traffic Suptd. Mr. K. Lalgoes out to see things for himself, returns after a shortwhile and informs that there is no mob any where, and

Mr. K. Lal tried to inform all concerned includ-ing R.P.F., but all the telephones were engaged,according to him.

issued instructions that all trains be allowedto pass. At around 11 a.m. Cabin E informs Mr.Khan that there is an armed mob near the Cabinand that up-line was brought with cement sleepers.Mr. K. Lal is again informed. He records thatthe report is correct, He however does not informthe District Administration, not even his ownofficers. Mr. K Lal informs Mr. Khan that thesleeper that blocked the Rly. line had been remov-ed and the mob had left and that Force had beenarranged. At about 12 noon Mr. Khan givespermission to Cabin E for 'giving line clear' toGomii Express. Gomti was reported to be leaving; iaud Khan at [2 noon. The train runs into thecement sleeper and stops. Cabin E informs Mr.Khan. Mr. Gautam (station Suptd.) gets theinformation but remains in his office on the pleathat his superior officer Mr. K C. Sharma ispresent at the trouble-spot.

The mob comes to know of the exacttime of the train leaving Daud Khan andputs the sleeper back on t he line at the

. right time to stop the train. Where does the mobget the sleeper since all cement sleepers, at the timeof anti-Mandal agitation, were taken away? TheOver-Head Equipment meant for stopping trainsin between stations is not used.

The above account indicates that there has defi-nitely been human failure on the part of someRly. officials; whether or not there has been foulplay, can only be determined by a thoroughenquiry which should be conducted without further

. delay.

7. PAC, Civil Police, and CRPF :

There is no doubt that the PAC killed a large num-ber of Muslims. On some occasions Muslims may have

( 6 )

acted in a provocative manner by way of trying to

match rifles, going out during curfew hours, etc. butthe PAC retaliated with disproportionate brutality.

The part played by the PAC in the Aligarh riots isindeed reprehensible Almost every where Muslimstold us that at least as many persons of their com-munity were killed by the PAC as by Hindus. Inseveral places we were shown the high terraces fromwhich PAC personnel fired at fleeing Muslims. Evenyoung Muslim children were thus killed by the PAC.At many places PAC fired at Muslims when neitherthey (the PAC) nor Hindu. were attacked. The PACacted as a highly communalised force.

During our talks with the District Magistrate Mr.isra, we referred to the PAC and its conduct. He

admitted that opposition to PAC from Muslims is"tremendous'. Regarding complaints about PAC Mr.

isra laid "truth is somewhere in between". Hehowever did not elaborate this. He added that afterhe took over there have not been as many complaints;all complaints, he said, relate to the period before hetook over. He said that a lot depends on the kind ofleadership under which the PAC functions. In PACjawans have to be told to act, unlike in the civil police,Mr. Misra said. PAC is a "tremendous" force capable ofmeeting "tough" situation. but the PAC must go throughsome "reorientation and training", he said. Thistraining is particularly important, at the present timein view of the propaganda that has been unleashed bycommunalist forces. When we pointed out tohim that PAC brutalities continued during his regimealso. he said that the Force was attacked with bombsand guns on some occasions ; he himself was gheraoedfor about 40 minutes on one occasion at Uppercot.

Even these guarded, though fairly frank, commentsof the District Magistrate would indicate that the PAClaas contributed considerably towards worsening thesituation, and Muslim anger over the PAC is largelyjustified. The PAC should therefore be removed and

be sent away to the barracks "for reorientation andtraining".

be noted that the PAC's bonhomie withde Muslims angry. For example, Hinduswith PAC personnel, offered them sweets,

garlanded them; and if any of them declined toaccept their offers Hindus raised slogans and exhortedthem to listen to the call of Hindutva and Ram Bhatti.It would indeed require tremendous self-control onthe part of an average Muslim to tolerate such Hindufraternisation with the police.

On the other hand, almost all the Muslims we metsaid that they have abslute confidence in the CRPF. Inone area, Muslim residents told us that but for theCRPF they would all have been killed.

Many Muslisms spoke well of the civil police also.As illustration, a young civil engineer (a Muslim) gaveus an account of how Sub-Inspector Man Singh Yadavsaved the life of Abid from the clutches of PAC jawans.Later when Mr. Yadav was on duty at the local Mosqueon a Friday prayer day, he was warmly welcomed bythe Muslims present there.

8. Meeting With Hindus from Various Walks of Life

Almost all Hindus whom we met were only concer-ned with and agitated over the alleged killing in theMedical College Hospital as reported in AAJ and otherHindi Dailies. A few dismissed this news as absolutelybaseless, and blamed the BJPNHP/Bajrangdal combinefor the riots; they also referred to the playing of casset-tes from every nook and corner.

W. requested the Hindus to help UI in our enquiry:they could give us, we said, names of persons killed inthe riots in tbe city, properties of Hindus destroyed andburnt. However apart from the areas that have beencovered by us in the foregoing in this report, they didnot come out with any other specific instance, Theironly concern was the AMU and the Medical CollegeHospital.

( 7 )

,. A Few Other Points raised by Mu~Jims :Though Muslims have been suffering the most, no

politician including the Prime Minister has said anythingspecifically about Muslim suffering in communal riots;Muslims have not attacked and damaged Mosques; ifMuslims continue to remain at the receiving end Muslimterrorism may emerge.

We did not find any evidence or Hindu templeshaving been damaged or attacked except a slight touchon a small temple in Jamalpur. We however foundample evidence or Hindus having attacked Mosques.Also, we found ample evidence of Hindus using abusivelanguage about Muslims and Islam+ these are by nowgenerally well-known. We would rather not reproducethe kind of offensive language that has been used. Themost foul and obscene language was used in sloganswritten Oll walls. We were sad to observe that commu-nal hatred against Muslims has assumed pathologicaldimension. From our talks, as well as (rom contents ofleaflets and cassettes, it became clear to us that manyHindus are profoundly ignorant about Muslim cultureand religion; ignorant also of the fact that Muslim andHindu saints contributed considerably to popular socio-religious movements against Brahmanical orthodoxy.

Sadly, as we have observed, Muslims too need to

SECTION- IIJAWAHAR LAL NEHRU MEDICAL COLLEGE HOSPITAL

(Aligarh Muslim University)

Some of them told us that Muslims had acquired alot of arms and weapons. Our enquiry revealed thatsome Muslims in the old city had prepared themselveswith arms, but they were net able to use the tensi-vely, The PAC prevented them from attaeki induareas in any organised manner. OUTenquiry also revea-led that most of the Hindus killed were by stabbing.

Sltuatlon of tbe University Campus:1. The campus of Aligarh Muslim University is an

open area in that there is no boundary wall aroundthe campus, and there are private residential localitiesand shopping centres around the University. They

x

be cured of their aarrow-mtndedness; many of them glo-rify not the true spirit of Islam.

]0. Recemmaadetions :( I) Programmes which are likely to foment commu

nal passions (such as Rathyatra, processions of ashesof kar seva victims, playing or communally surchangedcassetles etc) should be stopped by making use ofsections J 53 and 153A of the Indian Penal Code.

(2) Para-military police forces should be reorga-nised and reoriented to free them of communalism andpunitive action should be taken against those policepersonnel who take sides or act partially during a com-munal riot. Such punitive action should be givenadequate publicity.

(3) Publication through newspapers of leaflets orspeeches of false information which are likely to promote communal passions should also be punished undersections 153 and 153A or the Indian Penal Code.

(4) Local administration must be instructed to actpromptly and impartially at the very emergence of acommunal riot situation.

(5) Those who commit grave offence like murderand anon during a riot should invariably be tried andpunished as soon as normalcy is established.

X X XSince most Hindus we met concentrated only on the

Madical College Hospital of AMU and wanted action tobe taken against the University, we have thought it pro-per to go into greater details than necessary, . The nextsection of the Report therefore deals with this aspect.

look like being part of the University, The MedicalCollege Hospital is in the University Campus; outsidethe Medical College there ate residential areas andshopping centres on which the Medical College or theUniversity administration bas no control. Local people

( 8 )

from these areas have free and easy access to thecampus of the Hospital and the University.

2. Communal riots started at Aligarh in fullwing on 7.12.90. 22 injured (riot victims) were

brought to the Emergency section of the Hospital onthe 7th Another 37 were brought on 8. 12.9(i). TheGomti Express killing took place on 8.12 90. Most ofthe injured brought to the Hospital were Muslims.

ews spread like wild fire, and Muslim mobs gatheredoutside the Hospital on 7th and 8th. They wereagitated. Riots broke out outside the Hospital on 7th;these became more serious on the 8th. There werecases of stabbing and killing, and looting and burningof shops in the Zakaria market outside the Hospital.Looting and burning of shops was done in a selectivemanner in that only Hindu shops and establishments

ere the targets. In this rioting two persons, Safruddinand Ram Chander, were stabbed. Zafruddin died onthe spot; Ram Chander was brought to the MedicalCollege Hospital for treatment. He has fuliy recovered.

Curfew was imposed on 7.12.90. As a resultthose living in curfew areas were not able to report forduty and attendance of Hospital staff including nurses

as very thin. Under the circumstances the Hospitalauthorities were hard pressed, and were under greatstress and strain. Doctors and others in the Hospitalworked round the clock and did an excellent job.

3. On 10.12.90 the Hindi daily AAJ publisheda news item, giving full page banner headline in thefront page that 74 persons including 26 patients weremassacred in Medical College Hospital on 8-1-91. Theheadline was not put in quotes, indicating thereby thatthey got the news through investigation conducted bythem. The raper did 110t give the names of patientsallegedly killed in the Hospital.

On publication of this news. attendents of 3 Hindupatients, at the initiative of the District Magistrate andthe University authorities, were taken to Police Lines to

tell the truth to newspersons. These attendants deniedallegations against the Hospital and expressed fullsatisfaction over the treatment given to their patients.But nd other Hindi dailies from UP. notablyAM JALA and DAINIK JAG RAN, eontinuedto publish unconfirmed stories; in fact publication ofsuch news is still continuing.

The District Magistrate Mr. Verma issued astatement on 9.12.90 denying any killing in the hospital.The new D.M. Mr. Misra and the SSP visited thehospital on the night of 10.12.90 and after their visitthey too issued statements denying any killing and tbeallegations against the Hospital.

4. We visited the Medicai College Hospital on4th and 5th Jan, 91; met correspondents of the press on5.1.91 and again on 12.1.91; and, as mentionedearlier, we met representatives of Vyapar Mandai.faculty members of local colleges, members of the Bar,and senior citizens. We met Mr. Promod Kumar,local industrialist who was one of the first to visit thehospital after the news was published in AAJ. Werequested all concerned to give the names of thepatients who were allegedly killed in the Hospital, or,at least, to give as many names as possible. Theyhowever maintained that it was for the Hospitalauthorities to prove tbat the news was baseless andthat none was killed. We again requested them tohelp us in the investigation; and certainly, we suggested,they couid give at least some names since mostpatients in the Hospital belonged to Aligarh city andnearby areas, and since they were so sure of thekilings having taken place in the hospital. Some ofthem then gave us the names of two attendants, and4 patients, and two dead bodies found in a well nearthe University We shall now deal with these instances.

I (a) It was said that Rati Ram has been missing.Our enquiry revealed that Constable Rati Ram'sdaughter Rekba Rani was admitted on 4.12.90in the hospital following head injury. On 1~1.12.90two Magistrates (who were specially deputed by the

( 9 J

District Administration to visit the Hospital and toenquire from Hindu patients whether they wanted to

go away from the Hospital, or stay) met Constable RatiRam and his wife Smt. Rakesh Kumari. T act isthat Rati Ram is not missing; he is very mu alive.

I (b) Smt. Sushila Devi, wlo Shri Vrindaban; andtwo dead bodies found in a \\ ell near the Universityon 2.1.91 :

We met Shri Vrindaban at the Civil Hospital on12.1.91. He gave U& the following account:

Shri Vrindaban had met with an accident on15.4.90 and was ad~itted to the Medical CollegeHospital (ward 5) on 25.4.90. He was attendedto b,: his wife Smt Sushila Devi. He was lookedafter well in the Medical College Hospital On7.12.90 he did not see any untoward incident takingplace in his ward. nor did he hear of anything inany other ward. He however heard that sometrouble was going on outside the Hospital. On8.12.90 Sushila Devi went out to bring medicinefor him, and she never returned. He got worried;got himself discharged and went to the CivilHospital where he is still undergoing treatment.Sushila Devi's body was found in a well, and thebody was identified by her children through her

clothes.

Two dead bodies found in the well as mentionedabove include the one of Smt, Sushila Devi. Preliminaryinvestigation by the authorities suggests that the otherbody is of a Home Guard, presumably a Muslim; butnothing definite could be said of the identity of this

dead body.It appears that Sushila Devi and the other person

were stabbed to death in the riot that took place on8-12-90. There was commotion outside the hospital, alarge Muslim mob gathered there on hearing of bullet-injured patients arriving at the hospital. The mob triedto identify Hindus. There were stabbings. Three labou-rers were stabbed; one of them died. One other Hinduwas also stabbed to death. Another who was stabbed toMeath by the same mob was later on found to be a

Muslim, son of an employee of the University. Later inDelhi, Dr. Masood Hasan of Delhi University SouthCampus told professor Dalip Swami-sour team member-that he was present at Aligarh during the riots begin-ning on 7th Dec. 90, and that he was told by reliablesources that some Hindus were killed, and some stabbedby a Muslim mob outside the Hospital on 8 12.90.

Patients alleged to be killed in tke Hospital:

I. Smt. Omwati and Smt. Ramwati : Omwati(age 32) was admitted in the Medical College Hospitalon 7-12-90. Smt. Ramwati (age 32) was also admittedon the same day. Vyapar mandal leaders and facultymembers of D.S.College, Aligarh produced Shri HukumSingh and Shri Ram Dayal, husbands of Omwati andRamwati. They gave us the following account:

Ram Dayal's brother Yogendra Pal saw, from hid-ing in a samll room near the ward, some boys stra-ngle Omwati and Ramwati to death. Ramwati wasundergoing blood transfusion, she was bleeding, thenurse on duty removed the blood transfusion equiprnent. Yogendra Pal and his relations/friends alsosaw the child of Omwati being killed. The incidenttook place at midnight 8/9.12.90. They came out at3 am. on 9 1290. Hukum Singh lodged an FiR withthe Police on 29 12.90. i e. 19 days later. He couldnot report earlier, he said, because he had fallenill. Ram Dayal sent a report to the Police on I O. I .91by registered post; he however gave informationabout this to Shri Kalyan Singh, a local BJP leaderon 29 or 30 Dec. 90.

Our enquiry revealed that Smt. Omwati wasadmitted on 7.12.90. She delivered a dead baby thesame day. The body was handed over to an attendantby staff nurse on duty Ms.Satyavati Singh the same day.Smt. Omwati expired on 9.12.90 at 2 a.m.- a case ofpregnancy with fulminant Hepatic Failure. Death certi-ficate No. 2910 was made. She was under consultantincharge Dr. Jamal Ahmad and clinical Registrar Dr.Anirudh Ghorai. It was clearly a case of natural death.

Our enquiry with regard to Smt. Ramwati revealed

( 10

t she was admitted on 7.12.91. It was a case ef-partum septicaemia with cardiac failure. Dr. Jamal

Ahmad was consultant in-charge, and Dr. AnirudhGhoria, Clinical Registrer, in the case. She expired on

.12.90 at 9.40 p m Death certificate No. 2908 wasmade out. It was also clearly a case of natural death.

The attandants wanted to take the bodies to theirrespective villages. Since the city was under curfew,aad also because transport was not available, the au-

orities informed the SSP. The SSP made arrange-ts for the transportation of the bodies of the two

dell"CaliCd along with their attendants Shri Dori Lal,bn~~·-in·law of Smt. Ramwati; and Shri Tota Ram,

er-in-law of Smt. Omwati,

It was obviously an afterthought on the parts ofiRam Dayal & Shri Hukam Singh to make out a sto-

of killings and report them to police after many days.The women died on 8th and 9th Dec. 90; but suspris-

I. 00 report was made to the police when the bodiesCD from the hospital. Reports were made after

deal of delay. Yogender Pal's story is obviouslyHe claims to have seen the child being killed

.12.90 while the body of the child was alreadyded over to attendant on 7.1290

II. Siya Ram: We were told that Siya Ram was atient in the Hospital and he was killed. Our enquiry

revealed that Siya Ram was admitted in the Hospital on.1290. He met the Suptd oftbe Hospital on 15.12.

and showed him a copy of DAINIK JAGRAN, aHindi Daily f om Agra of 15.12.90 which reported thathe himself (Siya Ram) had been killed. Since he

ran ed to go home because his family would be wor-n d, he was banded over to Mr. M.S. Yadav, S[ ofCi~il Lines Police Station. Dodhpur for being takeneome.

IlL Radhey Moban: We were told that he wasa patient in the Hospital and he was killed. Ourenquiry revealed that Radhey Mohan was admitted inthe Hospital on 2.12.90. He left the Hospital againstmedical advice on 11.12.90 through the help of his

( 11 )

neighbour Yaseem Ali. The hospital authorities in-formed the Civil Lines Police Station, Dodhpur on12.12.90. He is very mucb alive. In this case also anews i bad appeared in AAJ that Radhey Mohanwas m ng.

These are the only 4 cases of alleged killings inHospital wards that were brought to our notiee+-out ofthese two deaths were due to natural causes; and theother two were not deaths at all. Our talks with alarge number of Hindus who constantly mentioned that28 patients were killed in Medical College Hospital,did not bring forth any other cases; nor did Hospitalrecords indicate anything untoward happening in thefIospitaJ.

5. Leaders of Vyapar Mandai produced ShriMahesh Agaarwal Genera: Merchant, and Shri SatishAgarwal. Cloth Merchant (brothers) in SUpport of theirclaim that some incidents had taken place in the Hos-pital. Agarwals gave us the following accounts :

Their mother Smt.Asharfi D~vi was admitted to theMedical College Hospital on 7.12.90 ward 12, bedNo. 217. While they were on their way home theywere attacked by a Muslim mob at Dodhpur.They returned to the Hospital From the wardthey saw injured people coming in the Hospital andstudents shouting slogans. Again, on 8.12.90they saw a mob of about 2000. None from

• the mob were allowed by the hospital author-ities ":o enter the Hospital building. They heardfrom people that about ]2/13 people were stabbedbetween 9 a.m. and 3 pm. They themselves sawonly one person being stabbed in front of theEmergency section. They saw Hukum Singh(husband of Omwati referred to above) faint, andthat someone came to bis help. They managedto get away from the Hospital on 9.12.90 alongwith 6 others. They had come to know thatOmwati and Ramwati bad expired and death certi-ficates were made out, but doctors could not makearrangements to shift their bodies. They weregreatly concerned about the welfare of their mother

and wanted to bring her out of the Hospital. They•poke to leaders of the Vyapar Mandal, They metDistrict Magistrate and Police officials. They wereaeeompained by Shri Navman, BJP M.L.A Duringtbeir meetings with officials there were angryexchanges between Shri Navman and Police officials.Professors K. P. Singh of the University told themtbat 6 stabbings had take" place in riots outsidethe hospital. Mr Tahir Khaja PTI correspondentoffered to take them to the Hospital to see thingsfor themselves and help in getting their motherout of the Hospital. Mr Khaja brought out twopatients including their mother. There were othercorrespondents also present. Their mother wastransported to their residence in District Magis-trate's car (11.12.90). Their brother was attackedat Zakaria market (near the Medical CollegeHospital) on 7.12.90; he was not injured. Theyhave not lodged any report with the police.

This account of these two important members ofVyapar MandaI make it quite clear that thoy had wit-nessed no untoward happenings in wards. They sawnone being killed in wards; thay saw one person beingstabbed outside tbe Emergency section; they heard butdid not see themselves, that 12/13 per sons were stabbedoutside the Hospital: that their brother was attackedby a Muslim mob but not injured; they have notreported to the police; that Hospital authorities didnot allow anyone from the mob to enter the Hospitalbuilding.

{It should be noted here that this alleged eye witnessaccount of these two brothers on which the news papersAa], Arnar Ujala and Dainik Jagran based their storiesof 28 killed in the hospital].

6. During our visit to the Civil Hospital on12.1.91, we asked Dr. V.P. Aggarwal, Chief MedicalSuptd. if he suspected any foul play by the MedicalCollege Hospital in connection with post-mortemsconducted in the Medical College Hospital under hissupervision. He did not, he said, adding that he hadfound no discrepancy in Medical College Hospital

records showing cause of death .

7. During our meeting with Mr. Misra, DistrictMagistrate, Aligarh on 5.1.91 we asked him since bothhe and his predecessor had contradicted the news of28 patients killed as reported in AAJ of 10.12.90, hecould surely proceed against the paper under sectionJ53-A, I.P.C. He told us that one Reporter was ar-rested; another had reportedly obtained an anticipatorybail, and still another was absconding and that theAdministration was going to proceed to get his propertyattached. We pointed out that Editors and Proper-itors of Papers must be proceeded against under sectionlS3-A, I.P.C. primarily, since, it was their responsibilityin much matters. He said he would look into thisaspect. We .alsc asked him if he would let us knowthe source of the news in AAJ ; he expressed his ignor-ance and added that it happened during IDS predeces-sor's time.

8. There have been communal riots before, butthe atmosphere never became as vicious as it has be-come today; and communalisation did not give riseto such vulgariaation as it has done today. The MedicalCollege 01 AMU holds an all-India fuuction of sportsevents every year and invites all Medical colleges toparticipate in the events. This year '00 they sent outinvitation for SPORTOTSA V 91. They received thefollowing reply from Govt. Medical college, Jabalpur:"You bloody How can you expect to participate insuch activity. Jai Shri Ram ". Sd/- illigible (Dean). Thiswas written on the reply post card sent with the invita-tion card. Such conduct is against all medical ethics. Thematter needs to be looked into by Govt. Medical colJegeJabalpur.

It is also painful to observe that Aligarh MuslimUniversity did not get support of any significance fromthe Medical fraternity of the country and faculty mem-bers of universities. They have closed their eyes onthe indignities that the AMU is going through and thovilification campaign that has been going on in theHindi press.

( 12 )

( 13 )

9. We art' inclined to think that the press and proceeding against the guilty newspapers? The motiva-indus of Aligarh might have been compelled to tone red and orchestrated propaganda against the Medicalwn their misconeeived reaction.if'Shri Promod Kumar College Hospiial has become So vicious that if the gover-industrialist (;1' f>'lIgarh. and Mr. Ashok Chauhan, nrnent does not handle matters ill a forthrtght manner,o were the fi rst persons to go to the Hospital after leaving aside all political and electoral considerations,news appeareJ in AAJ. were allowed to proceed in people of all religions will continue to suffer. Contrary

e matter as Mr. Prornod Kumar had suggested. They to popular belief amongst Hindus, more than 40%- ited wards 10,11,12 They were told by some people students in AMU Medical college are Hindus: at one

during their visit that 2 patients were killed; they foun~ time majority of patients in the Hospital used to beSe two patients alive. Mr. Pramod Kumar told us Hindus Not many people outside Aligarh know that tbet he did not suspect any foul play in the hospital. He Medical College Hospital is a specialised hospital andwever wanted to go about the matter in a detailed member, of staff there are some of the best in thed thorough manner so that he could issue a com pre- country.

sive statement in order to allay public misgivings We were pained to note that District authorities haveed by the mischievous and baseless news. for, as he now directed the Medical College Hospital authorities

d us. he had to face such formidable' forces like the to mention religion of patients in Cards and Hospi-. (the Vyaoar MandaI. as we could see, is controlled tal registers. One doctor was in tears when he mention-R S) and Bajrangdal. One or two doer" '." :,!~e ed this to us.

patient and used strong language, he told us (and it II, Before we left Aligarh on 12.1.91. we hadconfirmed by some doc' ors of the Hospital)for,they asked all who met II~, specially the members of the Barsuch a course (as advised by Mr. Pramcd Kumar) and pres,'; persons, to let us know tile names of patients

uld add further injury to their wounds They therefore allegedly killed in Hospital. but upto the date of comp-D ed him to issue a statement right (hen since he had letion of this report we have not received any communi-

und no untoward happenings inside the Hospital. He cation from them.refere withdrew fi orn the scene. We might add that Conclusion:ost everyone in the Hospital spoke highly of his 1. There was no killing of patients in the Hospital.

ergrity and impartiality. as also of Mr. Chauhan,s. 2. There were riotings and stabbings.and also somelP. Inspite of contradicti<.H1S of the AA] news item killings by stabbing outside the hospital, as also lootingished by a number of newspapers from De1J11,some arrd burning of Hindu houses and establishments

the basis of their own investigation and some on the in areas eutside the hospital. We found no evidence. of District administration's contradiction, Hindus of any hospital staff beihg involved in any such

Aligarh and elsewhere. particularly in UP., have con incident.ed to believe this foul story. So much so that the 3. Rumours spread, and baseless neW8 items pub-

Government of U P. felt it necessary to insert an adver- lished in Hindi papers have double significance-they. ment in AMAR UJAtA, Agra on lR.12.90."Rumours tarnish the image of the Hospital and AMU, and at the

are harmful for Nation and Society. False news about same time they are communal in character in that theyilIings in the Aligarh Medical College Hospital publish- arc anti-Muslim.

ed in some newspapers led to the communal violence As a consequence of these rumours resulting in fearand innocent persons lost their lives". (And also, the psychosis poor Hindus will suffer more because theyaovomment could have added, the Medical College, its will be reluctant to visit such a well-equipped modernreputation). What then prevents the Government from hospital.

-V.M. Tarkunde-Rajindcr Sachar+-Alu Baker-Dalip S.Swamy-R.M.Pal

( 13 )

9. We art' inclined to think that the press and proceeding against the guilty newspapers? The motiva-indus of Aligarh might have been compelled to tone red and orchestrated propaganda against the Medicalwn their misconeeived reaction.if'Shri Promod Kumar College Hospiial has become So vicious that if the gover-industrialist (;1' f>'lIgarh. and Mr. Ashok Chauhan, nrnent does not handle matters ill a forthrtght manner,o were the fi rst persons to go to the Hospital after leaving aside all political and electoral considerations,news appeareJ in AAJ. were allowed to proceed in people of all religions will continue to suffer. Contrary

e matter as Mr. Prornod Kumar had suggested. They to popular belief amongst Hindus, more than 40%- ited wards 10,11,12 They were told by some people students in AMU Medical college are Hindus: at one

during their visit that 2 patients were killed; they foun~ time majority of patients in the Hospital used to beSe two patients alive. Mr. Pramod Kumar told us Hindus Not many people outside Aligarh know that tbet he did not suspect any foul play in the hospital. He Medical College Hospital is a specialised hospital andwever wanted to go about the matter in a detailed member, of staff there are some of the best in thed thorough manner so that he could issue a com pre- country.

sive statement in order to allay public misgivings We were pained to note that District authorities haveed by the mischievous and baseless news. for, as he now directed the Medical College Hospital authorities

d us. he had to face such formidable' forces like the to mention religion of patients in Cards and Hospi-. (the Vyaoar MandaI. as we could see, is controlled tal registers. One doctor was in tears when he mention-R S) and Bajrangdal. One or two doer" '." :,!~e ed this to us.

patient and used strong language, he told us (and it II, Before we left Aligarh on 12.1.91. we hadconfirmed by some doc' ors of the Hospital)for,they asked all who met II~, specially the members of the Barsuch a course (as advised by Mr. Pramcd Kumar) and pres,'; persons, to let us know tile names of patients

uld add further injury to their wounds They therefore allegedly killed in Hospital. but upto the date of comp-D ed him to issue a statement right (hen since he had letion of this report we have not received any communi-

und no untoward happenings inside the Hospital. He cation from them.refere withdrew fi orn the scene. We might add that Conclusion:ost everyone in the Hospital spoke highly of his 1. There was no killing of patients in the Hospital.

ergrity and impartiality. as also of Mr. Chauhan,s. 2. There were riotings and stabbings.and also somelP. Inspite of contradicti<.H1S of the AA] news item killings by stabbing outside the hospital, as also lootingished by a number of newspapers from De1J11,some arrd burning of Hindu houses and establishments

the basis of their own investigation and some on the in areas eutside the hospital. We found no evidence. of District administration's contradiction, Hindus of any hospital staff beihg involved in any such

Aligarh and elsewhere. particularly in UP., have con incident.ed to believe this foul story. So much so that the 3. Rumours spread, and baseless neW8 items pub-

Government of U P. felt it necessary to insert an adver- lished in Hindi papers have double significance-they. ment in AMAR UJAtA, Agra on lR.12.90."Rumours tarnish the image of the Hospital and AMU, and at the

are harmful for Nation and Society. False news about same time they are communal in character in that theyilIings in the Aligarh Medical College Hospital publish- arc anti-Muslim.

ed in some newspapers led to the communal violence As a consequence of these rumours resulting in fearand innocent persons lost their lives". (And also, the psychosis poor Hindus will suffer more because theyaovomment could have added, the Medical College, its will be reluctant to visit such a well-equipped modernreputation). What then prevents the Government from hospital.

-V.M. Tarkunde-Rajindcr Sachar+-Alu Baker-Dalip S.Swamy-R.M.Pal

Annexure IDuring our visits in the Medical College Hospital

we-.met some patients. We give below accounts given

by two such patients :

1. Mohammed Ayub, s/o Zahoor, village Budaka,His profession was to buy and sell young buffaloes.

7/8 persons, their faces covered, attacked him at adistance of about 200 yds fJom his residence. They hithim on his testicles. His testicles were crushed, Hefell down in pain. They hit him in his eyes with somepointed weapon. He was brought to the Hospital on17.1290. Doctors came to the conclusion th~t hilieye-sight could not be restored. His eyeballs wereremoved. Testicles completely crushed and permanentlyblinded, Mohammad Ayud was being looked after byhis brother in the Hospital.

2. Karnod Singh: He belongs to village PalanpurDesari in Kanpur district. He is now fit enough tomove about. He helps. other patients and we couldsee that he is popular with all patients. He was admi-tted to the Hospital in the last week of July 1990.According to him news published In Hindi papersabout the Hospital was a white lie 1he Dcctors andother staff members worked throughout nights becauseof the large number of patients coming to the Hospitalfrom 7th December onwards. At times they wentwithout meals and gave their food to patients. Doctorsand hospital staff are always very helpful and often goout of their way to solve patients' problems. There isno discrimintation between Muslim and Hindu patients.He was pained when he read in newspapers allegationsagainst the Hospital. He has written to various peoplein Kanpur including the M .L.A. of his constituency,about it.

Annexure IIPRESS COVERAGE, LUCKNOWby Prashant Kumar of PUCL

The local Hindi press has, by and large, behavedlike a 'Hindu' press in the coverage of the recent

( 14 )

Ayodhya incidents and their fallout. This reporting oncommunal lines has whipped up hatred for the minoritiesand resulted in one-sided attacks on Muslims inUttar Pradesh. The highly exaggerated reporting of theAyodhya firing toll is making people believethat thousands of "innocent karsevaks" were"massacred" on October 30 and November 2. MIUrvashi Sahani, Secretary. "Suraksha" (a voluntaryorganisation) told a PUCL seminar on november I~that in some villages of Lucknow district, peopleasserted that "at least 50,000 people had beenkilled" .

Perhaps the editors sitting here would not like teanswer the question Mr. Vidyasagar (senior journalist)raised: "What i. the impact of your writing?" Beingan activist of the PUCL, which has launched a cam-paign against communalism in Lucknow, I can tellyou what damage this kind of reporting has dona toour society. Hindu fanatics have attacked mosques inAyodhya, Oeoria and elsewhere, burnt and stonedhouses and shops owned or occupied by Muslims andpainted vulgar and provocative slogans at public placesall over the state.

In Lucknow the house of Mr. N. M. Alvi, deputydirector, Census, was burnt in the posh Kendrachalcolony Area (House No. I, Type IV) on the nightof November 5 while the family was away. Householdgoods were completely burnt. No newsperson visitedMr. Alvi's house. No question of reporting a word onthe incident. Had a Hindu citizen met similar fate ,the city's Hindi Press would have published 50-ODDstories on the issue.

Similarly, no word has been written on the attackson Muslims' shops in the various localities of the statecapital, the provocative wall writing (like, '~fHr~~'lT'lT ~ ;a-'lCif>T~q-"'T, ~TqTU Cif>~ ~ id"ii<fiT \CRr'lr';~~ ~lTT3T) ~g~ 'fiT, 'lTlT flTcHrr ~T~~ <fiT'; '~lT

~tq- ~) ~Jl ~T\jf ~;. \jfTlJ';a-~ ~lT ;qT\jf ~, etc.) and the

growing sense of insecurity among the minorities in thestate.

COIlDDIlUOai press has put out absolutely falseories as 'news' on the front pages. On

• the 'Swatantra Bharat' (Lucknow) front-item headlined ;:w:r ~Tq-f~ ~Hr ;;rcf'ClfT<f

e,

imed the Maniram Chhavani mahantDas had dematerialised after he was

the police. It further claimed that it was theof such (supernatural) disappearance. On

•••••• lei" 13 the same paper boxed yet another 'news'nnder the headline '~Tq-!' ( Curse ).

laimed that the pupil of a senior policeright eye had melted away (1) because the

ordered firing on the karsevaks in Ayodhya !ories' are not merely ridiculous. These are

._Ird to i til in the minds of guillible citizens thato opposes, or does not side with, the Ram-er hall meet a similar fate.

communal press has also been trying its bestthe readers that most Muslims supportHiodu organisation on the Ayodhya

OD October 23, 'The Pioneer' (Lucknow) front-Gaya-datelined PT! story which claimed thatm driver of Mr. L K. Advani's Rath was

uragiog Mu lims at several places to offer karsevan ruction of the temple at Ayodhya" How

uslims did actually reach Ayoo hya to offer~tnI:va? On October 25, the same paper again front-

a tory headlined "5,000 Muslims to DemolishlIIasijd'. The story quoted one Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi as

that' 'the Babari Masjid at Ayodhya will be demoby a batch of 5000 nationalist Muslims who willthere on 29 October under their secret plan",

publicity crazy Naqvi is very well known to VPIjIll8(;aaIists. We all know that he cannot mobilise

50 Muslims for masjid demolition. Canr ponsible journalist make frontpage 'news' out offalse and nasty olaims? Ask the Principal COJ res-

ndent of the Pioneer, who anchored this report, tobmit a list of the 'nationalist' Muslims who went toodhya for karseva. It is shameful that the Pioneer

did not even care to put the headline within quotes.In yet another absolutely unethical move on

November 15. the same newspaper frontpaged astory headlined "Muslims Condemn Govt, order onParikrama", Curiously, this story does not quote

any Muslims individual or organisation which supposedlycondemned the government order on parikrama. Ifyou read the story, you will find that a former CongressI MLA, who happens to be a Hindu, has issued thisstatement on behalf of the Muslims community! Ifsome Muslim MLA tomorrow issues a statementsaying that the Hidus have condemned the karsevaks'attempt to demolish the ruasji d, will the Pioneer carry it?Significacantly, again, the headline of this story too isNOT within quotes. Nov. 23, 1990

SOME U.P. HINDI DAITIESby Sehjo Singh of Pll Cl:

Many Hindi Dailies in V.P. have adopted a straightforward Hindu communal posture in the reportingof events connected with Ayodhya Kar Sewa To giveone example: tbe extensive coverage given to Ms. Uma

Bharati the language and style of whose speeches fall onthe borderline of indecency. These papers have have nocomments to offer about her language, instead she hasbeen painted as a new Robin Hood The AmarUjala of December 6, 1 )90 calls her an Ojasvi Vakta(Brilliant Speaker), her reaching Ayodhya described asa daring escape from clutches of an evil administration.Similarly in another instance Aaj of 3rd January, 1990carries a four c:olumn box on its front page proudlydetailing the happiness of the mother of one SureshBaghel who tried to blow up the Babri Masque.

They have shown litlle or no discretion in thecoverage of riots; for instance the Amar Ujala of 8December, 1990 which carries the news of riots inGanjdundwara carries a picture of a dog dragging asemi-burnt corpse on its front page and repeats itinside It mentions the identity of rioters, and givesa lurid description of their doings. The Amar Ujalaof 13 December 1990 puts in a box item on front pagewith a head line "Allaha-OxAkbar Chillate Sipahi NeSP Ko Goli mari". (A policeman shouting AI1aho

( 15 )

Akbar shot at SP)At the same time one can see that there are some

right minded people within these organisations, whoare having a difficult time in making their presence feltto the readers.

The news about alleged killings in the med icalcollege hospital of A M.U. appears in Aaj on 10.1290.The earlier editions of Amar Ujala of that day did nothaveauy reference to it. but the later editions have a boxitem claiming that fifty people have been allegedlykilled. The Aaj however proclaimed 74 dead including28 patients in a full front page banner headline.The Dainik Jagran of that day however beat therecord by claiming 124 dead in a similar bannerheadline. The reports were filed on the basis ofaccounts of two witnesses, Mahesh and Sat ishAggarwal.

i, Significantly Mahesh and Satish claim thatthe" were accompanied by six other men while escapingfrom the medical college hospital compound but theothers went home, and these two were the only onesleft to report the event to the District Magistrate. Butth e Aaj of 5th January trumpeted another escapee whoalso claims to have been with them while meeting theD. M. Wby bad been his presence forgotten earlier, orwas he prepared laler on ?

ii. Similarly the two claim in Aaj of IUh Dec.that two women patients died because one ugly lookingwomen came into the ward and kicked off the glucoseand blood drips At another place (Arnar Ujaja l lthJanuary) they say that a mob entered the ward andkicked at the bottles.

iii. The Aaj of 11th Dec. says that these two sawfrom their hiding place one leader named Furkan Sahebwho came around 3·30 p.m and tried to control thecrowd, but be was ridiculed and had to beat a hastyretreat. The Arnar Ujala of that day however claims

tbat this leader further provoked the crowd,iv. All the reports published on Dec. l Oth an

II th claimed that two labourers working near tbmedical o liege campus were killed and one policemawho was attending to his sick daughter is missing. 02)st December Amar Ujala says that these two labourers were able to escape but another labourer Ratirarwas injured and admitted into the hospital and has beemissing since then The Aaj of 6th January claims thaRatiram was beaten up but now is safe and well. Thfact is that Shri Ratiram was escorted by two Magistrates on 15th December although he was reluctanto go.

V The Aaj also alleges that Mr. Radhernohan wakilled, quoting a discrepancy between the list provideby the hospital authorities and a police diary, inbox item of front page on January S, 1991. It wahowever very obliquely conceded in a little peragraptucked in a corner on January 8, 1991, that he waalive.

There is such a p ethora of so-called evidenc"official proofs" and "responsible sources" that it iimpossible for anyone to counter them and least of alfor a medical college whose main busrness is to treatbe injured and not carry out a media campaign, Thproblem however remains tbat the lack of credibility 0

Govt information among the common readershimakes them implicitly trust an independent source lika newspaper. The printed word carries its own weighand one tends 10 accept that there must be some trutin the stories since these are being repealed over anover again. It is regrettable that the Hindi press iU.P. has adopted as its motto : go on repeatina lie over and Over again, and it is bound to be accepteas a truth; reminiscent of Hitler's notorious Deputy?

Annexure III : Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College Hospital

Attendence of Nursing Staff On 6tb, 7tb, 8th, 9th Dec. 90Even. 3 to lO pmi Present On leave Absen tNight 10 to 8 am

Night 25 2 I

Evening 20 2 3Night ) 9 Nil 16Evening 12 I 19Night 14 Nil 17Evening 18 Nil 19

Date

6.12.~O

7.12.907.12.908.12.908.12.909.12.90

Remarks

No passes

were issued by theadministration tohospital staff. This isthe posiven even atthe time of enquiry.

( 16 )

PEOPLE'S UNIONFOR CIVIL LIBERTIES

FounderJAYAPRAKASH NARAYAN

Advisor:V.M. Tarkunde

President:Rajindar Sachar

Vice-Presidents:KG Kannabiran

(A P)Prabhakar Sinha

(Bihar)Asghar Ali Engineer

(Bombay)S.A.A. Pinto

(Bombay)Amrik Singh

(Delhi)Baba Adhav

(Maharashtra)Hemlata Prabhu

(Rajasthan)

General Secretary :

Y. P. Chbibbar

Assistant Secretaries:Anil Misra

Sehjo

Organising Secretaries :

Hasan Mansur(Karnataka)

Rajendra Sail(Madhya Pradesh)

R P Nene(Maharashtra)

N Kotishwar Singh(Manipur)

Prashant Kumar(U P)

81, Sahayoga Apartments,Mayur Vihar- I, Delhi-l 10091

Editorial Colleettv«R. M.PAL

(EdItor)

DALll' S. SWAMYGEORGE MATHEW

INDER MOHANMs. SERJO SINGHY. P. CHHIBBAR

Ms. KAWALJIT (Patna)HASAN MANSUR (Bangalere)

N. KOTISHWAR SINGH (Impbal)YOGESH KAMDAR (Bombay)

Ms. VIJA YALAKSHMI 'Bubby'(Cartoonist)

Design

Ms. Suchitra BalasubrahmanyamVipul Sangoi

Annual Subseription : PUCL Bulletin

IndIa:PUCL membersNon-membersLibraries, Institutions

Overseas:PUCL member-sNon-membersLibraries, Institutions

PUCL Membership Pee

India:PatronLifeAnnualStudents & low income group.

Overseas:Annual

1

RI. 2jRs.35Rs. 45

US$ 12USS 30US$ 3j

RI.I000RI.2S0RI.20RI.1O

US$ 12

Published by Y. P. Chibbar, General SecretaryPeople's Union for Civil Liberties and Printed at PaperProducts Manufacturing Co., 4017, Ajmeri Gate, Delhi-S

,f