2014 Saharanpur riots

Last updated
2014 Saharanpur riots
Date25 July 2014 (2014-07-25)
Location
29°18′N77°13′E / 29.30°N 77.21°E / 29.30; 77.21
Caused byOver a Small piece of Land
Casualties
Death(s)3 (2 in police firing)
Injuries33
India Uttar Pradesh location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Saharanpur
Location of riots in Saharanpur, India

The 2014 Saharanpur Riots occurred on 25 July 2014 in the city of Saharanpur in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. The riots occurred between Muslims, led by Samajwadi Party leader Muharram Ali Pappu, and Sikhs, led by Shri Guru Singh Sabha, over territory and religious differences. [1] Three people were killed and several were injured. The ruling Samajwadi Party alleged that it was an act of RSS, the BJP blamed ISI and the UP police allege that the riot was well planned to divide members of the two minority communities. [2] [3]
In February 2020, Muslims relinquished their claim to disputed Saharanpur territory as a gesture of gratitude to Sikhs. [4]

Contents

Cause

The root of the clashes is a land dispute between former MLA Moharram Ali aka Pappu Ali and Gurudwara Singh Sabha in the Kutubsher area. The land is adjacent to the gurdwara near the railway station, of which both groups claims ownership. On 25 July, members of the gurdwara flagged off the construction to expand the gurdwara premises, [5] and clashes broke out the next day.

The gurdwara management had purchased land 15 years ago, but Pappu claims that the land belongs to the mosque and Wakf board and there cannot be construction without their permission. A petition was filed in the civil court 10 years previously by Moharram Ali Pappu in the civil court, stating that the land belonged to the mosque. The Hindustan Times wrote on July 30, 2014, that three years ago some members of the local gurdwara committee met Pappu to settle the land row. Money was also offered to him but the deal fell through. One Abdul Wahab had challenged the gurdwara’s claim over the land and told the court he had done so at the behest of Pappu.

In May 2013, additional district judge passed an order stating that land belonged to the gurdwara.

Clashes and security

On 26 July, Muslims supporting Pappu came together from Saharanpur, Moradabad and Muzaffarnagar, and attacked members of Gurdwara Singh Sabha using guns and swords. Members responded to them by pelting with stones. The fighting led to the death of three people (1 Muslim and 2 Sikhs) [6] and left 33 injured. Shops of other Sikhs were set on fire. A curfew was imposed by the district administration and shoot-at-sight orders were given. Police arrested more than 60 people. [7] The state transport cancelled all 569 buses which pass or terminate at Saharanpur. Forces including PAC, CRPF, RAF and ITBP are deployed in the troubled areas.

Accusations

The main accused, Muharram Ali Pappu, was arrested on 30 July 2014 and booked under the National Security Act. [8] Pappu is a former councillor of Saharanpur Municipal Corporation and has a criminal record. [7] The police have registered a case against him and 66 others and charged 75 cases against them. The three killed were identified as Sarfaraz, Arif and Harish Goojar. [9]

Moharram Ali Pappu had filed a petition in the court against the construction. Prabhjit Singh, a member of Shri Guru Singh Sabha, said that Pappu demanded 25 lakh for an out-of-court settlement, to which they did not agree. [10]

Related Research Articles

The Liberhan Commission was a long-running inquiry commissioned by the Government of India to investigate the destruction of the disputed structure Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1992. Led by retired High Court Judge M. S. Liberhan, it was formed on 16 December 1992 by an order of the Indian Home Union Ministry after the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on 6 December and the subsequent riots there. The commission was originally mandated to submit its report within three months. Extensions were given 48 times, and after a delay of 17 years, the one-man commission submitted the report to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 30 June 2009. In November 2009, a day after a newspaper published the allegedly leaked contents of the report, the report was tabled in Parliament by the Home Minister P. Chidambaram.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pappu Yadav</span> Indian criminal and politician (born 1967)

Rajesh Ranjan, better known as Pappu Yadav, is an Indian politician. He won elections to the Lok Sabha in 1991, 1996, 1999, 2004 and 2014 from several constituencies in Bihar as an Independent / SP / Lok Janata Party / RJD candidate. Pappu Yadav became one of the 'best performing' MPs in 2015. Pappu Yadav is President of Jan Adhikar Party (Loktantrik).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jagdish Tytler</span> Indian politician

Jagdish Tytler is an Indian politician and former Member of Parliament. He has held several government positions, the last being as Minister of State for Overseas Indian Affairs, a post from which he resigned after publication of a report by an official commission of inquiry, known as the Nanavati Commission. The commission had accused that he "very probably" had a hand in organising attacks on the Sikh community in Delhi after Sikh bodyguards assassinated the Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. He has not been charged with any crimes related to those riots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohyal Brahmin</span> Sub-caste of Saraswat Brahmins

Mohyal Brahmins are an Indian sub-caste of Saraswat Brahmins from the Punjab region, who are sometimes referred to as 'Warrior Brahmins'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hukam Singh (Punjab politician)</span>

Sardar Hukam Singh was an Indian politician and the third Speaker of the Lok Sabha and second Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 1962 to 1967. He was also governor of Rajasthan from 1967 to 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sikhism in Italy</span>

Sikhs are a growing religious minority in Italy, which has the second biggest Sikh population in Europe after the United Kingdom (525,000) and sixth largest number of Sikhs in the world. It is estimated that there are between 200,000 to 220,000 Sikhs in Italy, constituting 0.33% of Italy's population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1984 anti-Sikh riots</span> Series of organised pogroms in India after PM Indira Gandhis assassination

The 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots, also known as the 1984 Sikh Massacre, was a series of organised pogroms against Sikhs in India following the assassination of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. Government estimates project that about 2,800 Sikhs were killed in Delhi and 3,350 nationwide, whilst independent sources estimate the number of deaths at about 8,000–17,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sikhism in Malaysia</span>

Malaysian Sikhs are known to be the fourth largest Malaysian Indian ethnic group. It is estimated that there are around 100,000 Sikhs in Malaysia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Temple</span> Sikh religious site in Amritsar, Punjab, India

The Golden Temple is a gurdwara located in the city of Amritsar, Punjab, India. It is the preeminent spiritual site of Sikhism. It is one of the holiest sites in Sikhism, alongside the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Kartarpur, and Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Singh Sabha Movement</span> 1870s Sikh movement in Punjab

The Singh Sabha Movement was a Sikh movement that began in Punjab in the 1870s in reaction to the proselytising activities of Christians, Hindu reform movements and Muslims. The movement was founded in an era when the Sikh Empire had been dissolved and annexed by the British, the Khalsa had lost its prestige, and mainstream Sikhs were rapidly converting to other religions. The movement's aims were to "propagate the true Sikh religion and restore Sikhism to its pristine glory; to write and distribute historical and religious books of Sikhs; and to propagate Gurmukhi Punjabi through magazines and media." The movement sought to reform Sikhism and bring back into the Sikh fold the apostates who had converted to other religions; as well as to interest the influential British officials in furthering the Sikh community. At the time of its founding, the Singh Sabha policy was to avoid criticism of other religions and political matters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demolition of the Babri Masjid</span> 1992 religious riot in India

The demolition of the Babri Masjid was carried out on 6 December 1992 by a large group of activists of the Vishva Hindu Parishad and allied organisations. The 16th-century Babri Masjid in the city of Ayodhya, in Uttar Pradesh, India, had been the subject of a lengthy socio-political dispute, and was targeted after a political rally organised by Hindu nationalist organisations turned violent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Uttar Pradesh</span> Region in northern India

Western Uttar Pradesh is a region in India that comprises the western districts of Uttar Pradesh state, including the areas of Rohilkhand and those where Khariboli, Braj and Kannauji are spoken. The region has some demographic, economic and cultural patterns that are distinct from other parts of Uttar Pradesh, and more closely resemble those of Haryana and Rajasthan states. Western Uttar Pradesh has experienced rapid economic growth, in a fashion similar to Haryana and Punjab, due to the successes of the Green Revolution. A significant part of western Uttar Pradesh is a part of National Capital Region of India. The largest city of the region is Ghaziabad, while the second-largest city, Agra, is a major tourist destination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akali movement</span> Former campaign within Sikhism

The Akali movement, also called the Gurdwara Reform Movement, was a campaign to bring reform in the gurdwaras in India during the early 1920s. The movement led to the introduction of the Sikh Gurdwara Bill in 1925, which placed all the historical Sikh shrines in India under the control of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaheed Ganj Mosque</span> Former mosque in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan

Shaheed Ganj Mosque, originally named the Abdullah Khan Mosque, was a mosque in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. The Mosque was commissioned in 1722 during the reign of Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah and built by Abdullah Khan construction was completed in 1753 during the reign of Ahmad Shah Bahadur. It was constructed next to the shrine of Pir Shah Kaku. Sikh rule began in 1762, the Gurdwara Bhai Taru Singh was built afterwards within the same grounds. The mosque site was under dispute during British rule, but was demolished by Sikhs on the night of 8 July 1935.

Ahmed Bukhari is the 13th Shahi Imam of the Jama Masjid, Delhi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Muzaffarnagar riots</span> Jat–Muslim clashes in Uttar Pradesh, India

The clashes between the Hindu Jats and Muslim communities in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh, India in August–September 2013, resulted in at least 62 deaths including 42 Muslims and 20 jats and injured 93 and left more than 50,000 people displaced. By date 17 September, the curfew was lifted from all riot affected areas and the army was also withdrawn.

Thakur Sangeet Som is a BJP politician based in Sardhana, Meerut. He is former Member of Legislative Assembly from the Sardhana constituency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tauqeer Raza Khan</span>

Tauqeer Raza Khan is an Indian politician and Islamic cleric from the state of Uttar Pradesh. He is a religious leader of the Bareilvi sect of Sunni Muslims and the founder of the political party Ittehad-e-Millat Council. He is a greatgrandson of Ahmed Raza Khan, who was the founder of the Barelvi movement. He also heads the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (Jadeed) after he cut ties with the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, claiming discrimination by the Deobandi Muslims.

Keshdhari Hindus means "Hindus with long hairs". It is a term used and promoted by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Vishva Hindu Parishad, and other Sangh Parivar organizations for Sikhs to describe them as the sword arm of Hindus and, hence, staunch Indian nationalists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gurdwara Shaheed Bhai Taru Singh</span> Sikh temple in Lahore, Pakistan

Gurdwara Shaheed Bhai Taru Singh or Gurdwara Shahidi Asthan Bhai Taru Singh ji is a Sikh Gurdwara at Naulakha Bazaar in Lahore, Pakistan, which commemorates the spot where Bhai Taru Singh was executed. The shrine was built on the grounds of the Shaheed Ganj Mosque, leading to a legal dispute over ownership that began in 1850. British, and later Pakistani, courts upheld the right of Sikhs to maintain a place of worship at the site. While a settlement was being negotiated by British authorities, a group of Sikhs demolished the mosque on 7–8 July 1935, triggering communal riots. In December 2022, the official Gurdwara’s doors where locked by the local people was turned into a mosque.

References

  1. Upadhyay, Kavita. "Saharanpur: land dispute gets complicated". TheHindu.com. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  2. "UP cops say Saharanpur riots were well-planned". InToday.in. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  3. "Saharanpur riots: SP faults RSS, BJP blames ISI - Times of India". IndiaTimes.com. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  4. "Delhi Riots: Muslims Give up Claim to Disputed Saharanpur Land as Gesture of Gratitude to Sikhs". The Wire. 2 March 2020.
  5. "Riots in Saharanpur: The story so far". OneIndia.in. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  6. "Saharanpur hit by major communal riot". The Milli Gazette — Indian Muslims Leading News Source. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
  7. 1 2 Srivastava, Piyush (July 30, 2014). "UP cops say Saharanpur riots were well-planned". India Today. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
  8. "Saharanpur riots: Main accused arrested, booked under NSA". in.com. Archived from the original on 31 July 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  9. "Saharanpur hit by major communal riot". The Milli Gazette — Indian Muslims Leading News Source. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
  10. Upadhyay, Kavita (2014-07-31). "Prime accused in Saharanpur riots held". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2021-09-15.