J&K: Divided by riots, Kishtwar plans to vote on communal lines

Kishtwar: It is perhaps for the first time in the electoral history of Chenab Valley that the town of Kishtwar, 226 kilometres from the winter capital of Jammu, is more communally polarised than ever before for the upcoming elections. Although, the bazaars of Kishtwar town present a picture of normalcy, in whispers and in close-door meetings both Hindus and Muslims are divided on religious lines for the upcoming elections. Though presently a riot torn district, the politico-religious debate of Jammu never affected Kishtwar town where the Hindu and Muslim population is almost equal. The riots broke out on 9 August last year between the two communities during a Eid congregation. A minor scuffle between a policemen, assigned to a local BJP leader, and a Muslim group led to a communal frenzy in the town. In the senseless violence that ensued three people were killed and more than 30 were injured. Property worth millions was reduced to ashes and the smoke was still billowing from the markets when the Army marched into the town to put an end to the violence. [caption id=“attachment_1471083” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  The riots have divided the town. Sameer Yasir/ Firstpost[/caption] Sitting on a porch near his once established business, 36-year-old Javid Malik saw his business turn into ashes minutes after the riots erupted. He said although there is strong anti-incumbency against the sitting National Conference MLA Sajjad Kitchloo, he would vote for the party’s ally Congress in the upcoming polls. “Kishtwar remained neglected during Ghulam Nabi Azad’s tenure as chief minister but he is someone who is accepted among both the communities, a face of Jammu in national politics,” Malik said. Nearly a hundred metres from Malik’s shop is Amara Market. Ashish Kumar, whose shop was allegedly burnt by a Muslim mob, said the compensation he received wasn’t adequate to rebuild his business. “The Muslim leaders only allow development in their own constituencies. It is a fact. They don’t care for Hindu areas. Ghulam Nabi Azad denied funds to Kishtwar as compared to Bhaderwah which witnessed massive development on tourism front. This time we will vote for BJP and it will take care of the Hindus of Kishtwar,” Kumar told Firstpost. There are no signs of reconstruction in the town by the state government. There have been few efforts by any of the political parties to rebuild bridges in the town. Professor Rekha Choudhary, who teaches Political Science at the Jammu University, has studied communal riots in town. She said that before Azad entered the political fray the BJP was riding high on communal polarisation in the town. “Apart from elections, there is also a factor of the justice delivery system, which has failed. The failure of institutions to get the communities together has resulted in increasing the gap between them. The concept of justice remains elusive,” Choudhary said. It may be the reason why the Supreme Court on Monday directed the state government to ensure proper investigations in all cases related to the communal clashes in Kishtwar last year. It also asked the Commission of Inquiry set up by the state government to submit its report within three months. The government had appointed a commission headed by Justice RC Gandhi, a retired judge of the Jammu & Kashmir High Court, to inquire into the incident. For the first time in the history of the state, a minister of the state, Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo, quit due to the opposition demanding it over his alleged involvement in the riots. The commission of inquiry, however, exonerated Kichloo in its interim report and he was later re-inducted in the state’s council of ministers. The BJP protested the decision and claim it was a “conspiracy of the state government.” “The moment the interim report of the Justice Gandhi commission was submitted to the government, the report was leaked and even cards sent out for Kichloo’s swearing in at the Raj Bhavan in Jammu,” BJP spokesperson Jitendra Singh said. It was this exoneration by the commission that BJP is using in Kishtwar town and other adjoining areas to keep the pot boiling for the coming elections. The town which has never witnessed communal riots before seems divided forever and a failure to engage in dialogue has only worsened things. Gujri poet, Ghulam Nabi, sat silently in the first floor of his half burnt house with tears in his eyes on Monday as he spoke of the impact of the violence. “No houses or buildings are as important as the coexistence of people with tolerance. The riots happened for the second time. I thought the wounds would be healed with time but if I tell you they have, I would be lying to you,” Nabi said, keeping his head down. How Kishtwar will vote in the coming elections will indicate how communally polarized this town has become and how likely it is to return to the communal harmony that once prevailed.