Communal violence after 11 years

Population mix makes the town vulnerable to clashes between communities

The semi-urban town of Bhainsa in Nirmal district is a cotton rich area and a major trading centre. In some sort of a coincidence peace in this town is as vulnerable as the fluffy white cotton is to fire.

The town constitutes a mix of communities, including a large number of working class, while the minority community accounts for an estimated 40 % of its population of 65,000. The varied mix of people and the labour intensive cotton industry, however, have never been the guarantee of peace for the residents here.

Bhainsa has seen a few communal incidents in the past which has put it on the map of communally sensitive places in the country.

First event

The first of the communally violent incidents in this town is traced to holi festival celebrations in 1984 when two dominant communities clashed.

The second incident took place in 1996 during the Ganesh immersion festivities. The town witnesses robust celebrations of festivals which also makes it vulnerable for violence.

The last major incident of communal violence took place in October 2008. Violence had broken out during the Durga Devi immersion procession which had left three dead but worst was to come a couple of days later.

Horrific repurcusions

In the sleepy village of Vatoli in Bhainsa mandal, six of a family, including three children were burnt alive on October 12 as a sequel the two-day-old incident. This incident had sent shock waves across the then undivided Andhra Pradesh.

The government had brought in many an initiative after the 2008 incident to bring about lasting peace between the communities in Bhainsa. One of the measures was to allocate an office of Deputy Superintendent of Police to keep a close watch on the situation perpetually.

Source: Read Full Article