The vicious attack unleashed by Islamists on civic authorities and police personnel in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, over the demolition of a so-called madrasa constructed illegally on government land on February 8, was anything but a random attack. In our previous ground reports, we have established how the attacks were pre-planned, with the rioters carrying illegal weapons, gasoline, bricks and stones, among other things.
The OpIndia team, which has been relentlessly reporting from the ground, had learned that in addition to ordinary people and police personnel, the Islamist mob had targeted journalists who had previously published stories in their favour. We also learnt that the Islamist mob singled out and violently attacked the Hindu journalists who were present there.
Sanjay, a journalist with the ‘Amrit Vichar’ newspaper is one such Hindu journalist who was specifically targeted for his religious identity on that day. OpIndia met with the injured journalist to learn about the events that unfolded on Thursday (8th February 2024).
Sanjay had just been admitted to the Brijlal Hospital when we met him and was undergoing treatment. He was primarily injured while reporting from the ground. He had suffered a fractured hand and an injury on the head with a sharp object. Sanjay told OpIndia that he could still clearly recall the horrific incident when the Islamist mob launched a vicious attack on the administration team that had reached Banbhoolpura in Nainital’s Haldwani to demolish an illegal mosque and madrasa.
He said that as soon as the illegal mosque was demolished, stones began to fall from the roofs. Police fired tear gas shells to stop the frenzied mob, but it had no effect. Around one and a half hours later when it became dark, the throng showed up again and started resorting to arson. All the exit routes were blocked and the mob started pelting stones from all directions. Amidst the chaos, the police officials tried to evacuate their senior officers from the site, however, by that time, the mob had set many police vehicles on fire. It was extremely hard for anyone to escape or find refuge because of how fiercely the stones were being thrown. There was total commotion as the police were also running helter-skelter trying to find shelter to save their own lives.
Narrating his ordeal, Sanjay said, “Amidst this chaotic situation, some mobsters caught hold of us and started beating us. They snatched our watches, phones and cameras and broke them. Our car was set ablaze. We were attacked with stones and sticks. We never thought we would come out alive from there. This is like getting a second life.”
It is evident from the video below that the journalist has fractured his hand. Additionally, he took a severe weapon blow to the back of his skull. His injuries are so severe that he will take a lot of time to recover. Standing next to her injured husband, Sanjay’s wife cries as she ponders how to break the news to her in-laws and kids about her husband’s condition. She worries that it would not be prudent to inform her mother-in-law about Sanjay’s health because she recently had heart surgery. She asserts that all she wants right now is for her husband to get better and return home.
वीडियो में जिन्हें आप देख रहे हैं, वो हैं 'अमृत विचार' अख़बार के पत्रकार संजय। उनकी इस हालत के जिम्मेदार हैं #Haldwani के दंगाई। धारधार हथियार से उन पर वार किया गया। उनका हाथ फ्रैक्चर हो गया।
— ऑपइंडिया (@OpIndia_in) February 12, 2024
पूरे 24 घंटे उन्हें ICU में गुजारने पड़े। उनकी बीमार को ये सब के बारे में नहीं बताया… pic.twitter.com/sUSkxNhy7G
The Islamist mob checked the IDs to specifically target Hindu journalist
Meanwhile, the OpIndia journalist met another journalist named Atul Aggarwal, who was working for a local media house called Uttarakhand 24. Ironically, Atul Aggarwal was amongst those journalists who had stood with the Muslim community of Banbhoolpura last year when the court ordered the removal of encroachments. Atul Aggarwal had then published stories in favour of these encroachers and now he had only been attacked by these people. Atul now expressed regret, saying that his view regarding these people had changed after this incident.
The journalist revealed how the attackers selectively singled out Hindus among journalists and conspired to kill them. “They looked at the IDs and asked for the journalists’ names before they attacked.” You can visit different hospitals in Bhabalpoora to confirm this for yourself. There were also a lot of journalists from the other community there, but they didn’t suffer a single scratch.”
"नाम पूछ, पहचान पत्र (ID) देख भीड़ कर रही थी हमला। जो घायल अस्पताल में हैं, उनके नाम से पता चल जाएगा कि दंगाई किसे कर रहे थे टारगेट।"
— ऑपइंडिया (@OpIndia_in) February 13, 2024
उस पत्रकार की आपबीती, जिन्होंने रेलवे जमीन अतिक्रमण के समय दिखाया था मुस्लिमों का दुख-दर्द।#HaldwaniRiots पर @STVRahul की पूरी रिपोर्ट जल्द pic.twitter.com/Pl3l9uXyEt
Recalling the horrific incident Atul said, “Even thinking about what unfolded on that day makes my soul tremble. We must have done some good things in our lives or it is because of the mercy of our God that we were able to return alive from there. They had an issue with the administration. I am wondering why then the Hindu journalists were singled out and attacked, ” the Hindu journalist bemoaned.
Further displaying a completely damaged helmet Atul said, “If I had not been wearing this helmet today, my head would have been completely smashed. The attack was so vicious. Stone pelting was going on continuously. They just wanted to kill us,” he said, wondering why the journalists, who went there to report the incident merely were attacked so viciously, especially by those for whom they had reported positive news last year.
Atul said, “When the court ordered that the encroachment be removed last year, I was standing behind them, wondering where these folks would go if they were rendered homeless. Why did they not come out to stand with us when we were standing with them?” he queried.
“For all these years, we had just heard about such incidents but never experienced it. If they can attack media, which is known as the fourth pillar of a democracy, like this, then what can you expect from such people? They had an issue with the administration, so why were we targeted? Atul asked.
Atul Aggarwal chastised media outlets like The Wire, who are busy whitewashing the violence perpetrated by the Islamist mob in Haldwani, Uttarakhand on February 8. Atul said, “It’s very easy for them (The Wire) to sit in their offices and give a clean chit to the murderous rioters. Had they been reporting from the ground they could have gaged the innocence of these rioters. Ask us what the situation was. They are sitting in Delhi and publishing stories in favour of these mobsters. Come and stand with us and report from the ground. Is this how innocent people are? Do they operate in this manner? I have three children. If something happened to me, who would take care of my family? We had never imagined that we would witness something as horrific as this. We have always embraced the principles of brotherhood and given them respect, but this will not be followed henceforth.
Rioters selectively targeted media and police personnel
Before this, OpIndia had spoken to several other journalists who were attacked by the Islamist mob on 8th February, when the administration team had reached Banbhoolpura in Nainital’s Haldwani to demolish an illegal mosque and madrasa. The journalists told OpIndia that the attackers selectively singled out Hindus among journalists, Municipal Corporation officials and police personnel, and a conspiracy was hatched to kill them. Stones were thrown at them, and petrol bombs were launched. Mukesh Singh, one of the journalists who was attacked, revealed that the Islamist mob was targeting journalists after asking their names, and those with Muslim names were being spared and not subjected to violence.
