On the evening of October 6, around 6,000 Hindutva men draped in saffron shawls holding massive bamboo sticks stormed Dargah Bazaar — a Muslim majority area in Odisha’s Cuttack and started vandalizing public property including shops and vehicles.
Visuals that emerged on social media show the extent of damage done by the mob on the road that just a day earlier was bustling with people shopping, eating at stalls and enjoying the evening.
The Observer Post reached out to several locals who explained what led to communal tensions. They alleged that two days earlier, a Durga idol immersion procession had taken place. During the procession, on Saturday, Hindu men reportedly played loud DJ music right in front of the Dargah. Some among them allegedly passed lewd comments at a Muslim girl, which further enraged members of the Muslim community.
When a few Muslims approached the group, requesting them to lower the volume and move past the Dargah respectfully, the men allegedly refused to comply. Tensions escalated after reports emerged that some Hindu men had urinated on the Dargah walls, leading to a heated exchange between the two groups.
Reportedly, stone pelting took place from both sides prompting police intervention. During the chaos, five policemen were injured. Six men were arrested after reviewing the CCTV footage. The police resolved the issue, made peace and dispersed the crowd.
An internet shutdown was imposed from October 5 at 7 p.m. to October 7 at 7 p.m.
However, Hindutva group — Vishwa Hindu Parishad announced a 12-hour Bandh on October 6, Monday accusing the police of “failing to stop the processions from being attacked.”
The next day, on Sunday October 5, around 6 in the evening a huge mob entered the locality and started the vandalism.
A local who preferred anonymity said, “Most of them weren’t locals at all. We had never seen them before. This was well-planned. Otherwise, where did a mob of nearly 6,000 come from?”
When the police arrived to control the huge mob, the mob started to chase the police injuring at least 25 police personnel including the Cuttack DCP Khilari Rishikesh.
Syed, a local witness who was returning home when the vandalism started, said, “We all heard them scream derogatory slogans about Allah, Muhammad and Islam. It shocked us. They were full of extreme hatred. They also kept chanting ‘Jai Shree Ram’ all along.”
Reflecting on the incident, Syed said, “I feel unsafe as a Muslim. I have never seen something like this in my life. Hate politics has played a major role in it.”
His voice heavy, Sohail who suffered a loss of around 3 lakhs alleged, “I had closed my shops and went for lunch. When I came back in the evening, there was nothing left. The charred remains of my shops shook my entirety. The shops I owned after working tirelessly were all set on fire. They were gone.”
Only Muslims in the crosshairs?
Sohail and many other locals alleged that surprisingly, the shops owned by Hindus stood unharmed. “They selectively targeted Muslim shops, carts and vehicles,” Sohail recalled what he saw.
Zain* another shopkeeper who alleged, “They looked for symbols that determine the religion of the shop owners and based on that they attacked. Most of the shops with Om, Jai Shree Ram etc written on them were not harmed.”
Around 24 shops, mostly belonging to Muslims were set ablaze. Additionally, eatery carts were also fully damaged.
Police fired tear gas and tried to disperse the mob, after which a 36-hour curfew was imposed.
Siddique* who ran an eatery cart narrated his ordeal, “That cart was the only way through which I filled the stomach of my family. They burnt it all.”
Swallowing his grief, he questioned, “We lost our shops. We had no role in the argument that broke out that day. What did we do to deserve this?”
A Planned Attack?
Locals alleged that the attack seemed “deliberately planned” to avenge the heated arguments between Muslims and Hindus that had happened a day ago.
Dr Biswajit Gandhi, Convenor for Gandhi Peace Foundation also believes that the attack was pre-planned and that the police failed to control the situation. He said, “The police allowed the procession to enter the Muslim locality, where participants created a ruckus by urinating, attempting to damage religious structures, and provoking residents. “This wouldn’t have happened if the police had prevented them from entering the area.”
Gandhi also accused the BJP government for engaging in “hate politics” adding that the authorities and the police often act in favour of the majority community.
Police arrested 6 Muslims and 8 Hindus. A curfew was imposed for two days and the internet was suspended.
Haunted by fear and uncertainty that such incidents might recur, the families who suffered losses have demanded compensation to help them start over and restore a sense of normalcy.
