The Hindu : Communal clash in Kalyan claims 3 lives

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 11, 2002

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Communal clash in Kalyan claims 3 lives

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI April 10. An old feud between two persons belonging to different communities led to a fight, which later resulted in mob violence and arson and claimed the lives of three persons in Kalyan town near here. Curfew was subsequently imposed in the area. The pattern of violence has assumed a communal colour even as the Shiv Sena claimed that one of the dead was its man.

Efforts were taken to control the situation to prevent a major communal conflagration because its impact could well be felt elsewhere, especially in Mumbai which has otherwise been without such incidents for a long time.

Police used lathis last night and today and 10 rounds were fired when a mob attacked a police van soon after the trouble began.

In last night's incident, a horse-carriage owner, Salim Suleiman Sheikh, and Ashok Walunj, stabbed each other. Walunj died, his mother who saw the incident collapsed after a heart attack and Sheikh's wife, Nasim, too died of a wound. When word spread a 400-strong mob gathered, leading to arson. Sheikh was seriously injured.

Kalyan, 80 km from here, is a satellite town near Mumbai and has its own industrial activity. After the incident, most part the town was normal but there was some tension.

Fifteen houses, including a shop owned by a Shiv Sainik, were burnt. Curfew was first imposed in one police station limit with claims of ``situation being under control but certainly tense. Misunderstandings and fear makes a place tense,'' a source in Kalyan said.

Rohidaswada, where the trouble started, has often witnessed communal tension. A year ago, the Shiv Sena's civic elections candidate, Usha Walunj, lost the ward to the NCP's Iqbal Sheikh, who interestingly is a nephew of the former Sena Minister, Sabir Sheikh. Since then, there has been an undercurrent of tension. Ashok Walunj, who died, is Usha Walunj's nephew.

All political activists and leaders have been denied access to Rohidaswada and the ruling Congress State unit president, Govindrao Adik, was asked not to go there. The area has been well barricaded by police now. Kripashanker Singh, Minister of State for Home, who visited the area did not get down from his car since he did not want to break the curfew.

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