VHP offshoot behind reign of terror

By Mohammed Iqbal

JUDA (RAJASTHAN), NOV. 12. The tribal belt in Rajasthan seems to be slowly and steadily shedding its original culture. In a shocking turn of events, a sustained campaign launched by the Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad (VKP) - an offshoot of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) - has led to largescale migration of people from this tiny village in Kotda tehsil of Udaipur district.

The VKP has been working in the tribal-dominated districts of Udaipur, Sirohi, Dungarpur and Banswara for over a decade with the ostensible goal of generating awareness among tribals about their rights while preserving their customs. True to the Sangh Parivar's character, the outfit has succeeded in driving a wedge between the tribals and the others.

A spate of violent incidents in Kotda tehsil, allegedly at the VKP's instance, has led to panic among Muslims, Rajputs, Mahajans and the Scheduled Castes here. Following the murder of a small- time trader, Habib Khan, by tribals on the outskirts of Juda village recently, the open threats have forced nearly 90 families here to abandon their homes and migrate to neighbouring towns.

The murder was perhaps a turning point in the relations between tribals - belonging to the Garasia and Gameti tribes - and the small Muslim population in the area. In a population of about 2 lakhs in Kotda tehsil, the Muslim households barely number 500. Their small population is restricted to Kotda, Juda and Bikarni.

According to the local residents, tension between tribals and Muslims had been rising over the past two years with incidents of roadside scuffles and looting reported regularly. ``The campaign of hatred launched by the VKP seems to have borne fruit when the tribals decided to take revenge for a petty quarrel by attacking Muslims,'' Dr. Mohammed Sattar, a registered medical practitioner doctor in Juda, told this correspondent.

The VKP activists, accompanied by a BJP leader from Kotda, toured the area around Juda - situated nearly 100 km from the district headquarters - on September 26 to gather tribals for an attack. Hundreds gathered near Juda following the beating of drums and Habib Khan was identified as the target, since he used to sleep alone at night at his `kirana' shop on the outskirts. He was murdered using swords and arrows around midnight on September 26. Five persons were later arrested by the police in this connection.

Mr. Bhupendra Pal Singh of the erstwhile ruling family of Juda says the poor man had nothing to do with the altercation involving a young tribal in the village earlier. ``He was killed simply because the VKP had instigated the tribals to take revenge,'' he said.

The coldblooded murder instilled a feeling of fear and insecurity among the Muslims in Juda. As the incident was followed by open threats, abuses and violent behaviour by tribals, as many as 80 Muslim families abandoned their houses and left for nearby towns. Almost all the Muslim residents here have since sent their valuable household goods away to other places.

The people belonging to the majority community too were affected by the reign of terror in the village. Though they had initially tried to stop Muslims from leaving, the ferocity of the tribals frightened them and about a dozen of their families have also migrated from here. ``Despite the systematic inculcation of hostility, the relations between Hindus and Muslims here are cordial. Yet there is little likelihood of people coming back soon,'' says Hanuman Singh, who runs a tea kiosk in Juda.

The VKP has its permanent office in Kotda where it runs a residential school for tribal children and holds regular meetings to inspire the tribals to return to their ``roots''. Thus the tribals, who were earlier almost ignorant of the Hindu religious practices, have now discovered a new identity for themselves - and a new target for their vengeance.

The VKP claims that its objective is to raise the tribals' standard of life and protect them from the impact of ``alien culture''. The VKP Kotda unit's Sangathan Secretary, Mr. Meethalal Garasia, told this correspondent that the Parishad had nothing to do with the violence in the area or the killings of a couple of Muslims during the past six months, which were the result of personal enmity.

Yet he does not desist from making wild charges against Muslims. ``Their small population has committed all sorts of exploitation of tribals. Recently an arms cache has arrived for them from Pakistan via Gujarat,'' he says, adding that the tribals would no longer tolerate these ``anti-national'' activities. The way the atmosphere is being communalised in Kotda tehsil does not portend well for future.

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