Amid talk of communal tension, Baghpat villages begin stir to ‘free India from hate campaigns’
Sandeep Rai | TNN | Jun 13, 2016, 11.14 PM ISTMEERUT: While politics is heating up over the alleged migration of Hindu families from Kairana, residents of 20 villages in Baghpat have joined hands to start a campaign to free the country from "hateful propaganda between communities".
On Sunday, a meeting was held under the banner of 'Unmaad Mukt Bharat Abhiyan', in which more than 100 villagers took an oath to free India from all sorts of hate campaigns on caste, religious and other lines.
A senior member of this group, Iqbal Singh, said, "A vicious atmosphere akin to what happened during the time of Partition in 1947 is being created in the state. This is dangerous and that is why we have to stand up against it now."
He further stated, "When we had begun our fight against imperial rule in 1857, we had never imagined that in the name of freedom our country would be disintegrated into Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. It was because of political parties that Partition occurred. We are now headed in the same direction."
Meher Singh of Kishanpur village said, "Panchayat system is often termed as 'Talibani' system but earlier it was strong enough to settle matters at the local level. What was the need for MP Hukum Singh to rope in the media and highlight the so-called exodus of Hindu families? Couldn't he call for elders of both communities to sit together and settle issues? Haven't we done that for centuries? He did what he did because politics was involved. The real reason behind all this is to vitiate the atmosphere in the region."
The organisation now plans to organise panchayats at the village level and has an elaborate plan to increase membership to at least 5,000 within the next three months.
"This is the time when more people have to join the movement. We cannot allow another Muzaffarnagar (riot) to happen," said Raghubir Singh of Bajidpur village.
The campaign leaders also plan to send a delegation to Kairana for a ground report. "We will go there and see and find out for ourselves how authentic the MP's claim is. Even if people have moved away, we will bring them back."
On their posters, the group gave a strange comparison to bring home their point of view. One showed a troupe of monkeys and underneath was written, "No matter how much we fight with each other, we do not allow others to interfere in our matters. Do we want our descendants to be like a group of monkeys or a pack of dogs? Dogs are loyal to humans but still the term is used as an abuse because dogs cannot stand each other and often invite other dogs to settle scores."
On Sunday, a meeting was held under the banner of 'Unmaad Mukt Bharat Abhiyan', in which more than 100 villagers took an oath to free India from all sorts of hate campaigns on caste, religious and other lines.
A senior member of this group, Iqbal Singh, said, "A vicious atmosphere akin to what happened during the time of Partition in 1947 is being created in the state. This is dangerous and that is why we have to stand up against it now."
He further stated, "When we had begun our fight against imperial rule in 1857, we had never imagined that in the name of freedom our country would be disintegrated into Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. It was because of political parties that Partition occurred. We are now headed in the same direction."
Meher Singh of Kishanpur village said, "Panchayat system is often termed as 'Talibani' system but earlier it was strong enough to settle matters at the local level. What was the need for MP Hukum Singh to rope in the media and highlight the so-called exodus of Hindu families? Couldn't he call for elders of both communities to sit together and settle issues? Haven't we done that for centuries? He did what he did because politics was involved. The real reason behind all this is to vitiate the atmosphere in the region."
The organisation now plans to organise panchayats at the village level and has an elaborate plan to increase membership to at least 5,000 within the next three months.
"This is the time when more people have to join the movement. We cannot allow another Muzaffarnagar (riot) to happen," said Raghubir Singh of Bajidpur village.
The campaign leaders also plan to send a delegation to Kairana for a ground report. "We will go there and see and find out for ourselves how authentic the MP's claim is. Even if people have moved away, we will bring them back."
On their posters, the group gave a strange comparison to bring home their point of view. One showed a troupe of monkeys and underneath was written, "No matter how much we fight with each other, we do not allow others to interfere in our matters. Do we want our descendants to be like a group of monkeys or a pack of dogs? Dogs are loyal to humans but still the term is used as an abuse because dogs cannot stand each other and often invite other dogs to settle scores."
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