Posters that read ‘house on sale’ have emerged outside at least 150 shops and houses belonging to the people of the Hindu community in the Giridih district in Jharkhand. The Hindus have been forced to take this decision after another incident of sporadic stone-pelting occurred on the Hatia Road in the Pachamba area in the Giridih district in Jharkhand on June 12. This incident of violence occurred merely two days after Jharkhand, like many other states in India, was marred with violent protests by Islamists against former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.
झारखंड राज्य के गिरिडीह जिला के पचम्बा में मुस्लिमो से परेशान होके बहुसंख्यक समुदाय के पचम्बा हटिया रोड के निवासी दहसत में है ।
— sourabh mishra (@sourabhsagarmi4) June 14, 2022
दहसत का आलम यह हैं कि अपने दुकान मकान पर दुकान मकान बेचने का बोर्ड लगा कर यहां से भागने विचार कर लिया है। @PMOIndia @dasraghubar @AmitShah pic.twitter.com/D0IVvcUjBl
As per reports, communal tension gripped the Giridih town in Jharkhand after people of both communities came face to face and pelted stones at each other on Sunday, June 12.
The June 10 violent protests by Islamists, followed by this particular incident and reportedly the apathy of the Jharkhand’s Giridih police working at the behest of the Hemant Soren government, towards Hindu residents while handling the stone-pelting incident on the night of 12 June 2022, has left the latter petrified. The constant fear of reprisal from one particular community and the alleged callousness of the Jharkhand police towards Hindus have left the latter with no other option but to sell their properties and move out of the area.
In what transpired on June 12, an argument had broken out between people of both communities over a molestation case. As the dispute escalated, stone pelting started. Police forces were brought in to control the situation. The next day on Monday (13 June 2022), the police arrested a total of 7 including 2 minors and sent them to Hazaribagh Remand Home and Giridih Jail. The Hindus alleged that the police took one-sided action against the Hindus, displaying their clear proclivity towards the Muslim community.
To oppose the police apathy and atrocities on Hindus in the area, many locals, in fact, also took to the streets on Wednesday, June 15, to stage a sit-in. They said that the frequent incidences of molestation, stone pelting, and fake FIRs against individuals who resist such criminal actions rather than the actual culprits have disturbed local Hindu residents in the Giridih area of Jharkhand. Local Hindus have said that they are concerned that the police allow criminals to wander freely while picking up innocents and putting them behind bars. They have also alleged that the police have filed arbitary cases against Hindus who have been compelled to sell their shops and homes and evacuate the area due to fear of retaliation from one particular community.
In fact, Sourabh Mishra, the District President of the Bharatiya Janata Mazdoor Trade Union, Giridih took to Twitter on June 14 to share pictures of these distressed Hindu residents in Pachamba’s Hatia Road in Garidih, Jharkhand pasting ‘on sale’ posters outside their shops and houses. He Tweeted in Hindi which roughly translates to “Due to continuous atrocities by Muslims, residents of the majority community in Pachamba, Giridih district, Jharkhand, are terrified. The situation is so grave that they are considering fleeing by putting up ‘house is on sale’ posters outside their shops and homes.
झारखंड राज्य के गिरिडीह जिला के पचम्बा में मुस्लिमो से परेशान होके बहुसंख्यक समुदाय के पचम्बा हटिया रोड के निवासी दहसत में है ।
— sourabh mishra (@sourabhsagarmi4) June 14, 2022
दहसत का आलम यह हैं कि अपने दुकान मकान पर दुकान मकान बेचने का बोर्ड लगा कर यहां से भागने विचार कर लिया है। @PMOIndia @dasraghubar @AmitShah pic.twitter.com/D0IVvcUjBl
The Giridih police have, however, denied these allegations. They said that they filed the FIR on the basis of CCTV footage. Giridih Superintendent of Police (SP) Amit Renu said, “Officers have been appointed to talk to the people who are protesting. The allegations of unilateral action are baseless. Directions have also been issued for the arrest of other accused involved in the case.
