Kairana, a small town in Shamli district in Western Uttar Pradesh, has always witnessed communal harmony even at a time when parts of the state remained highly polarised and charged during the Muzaffarnagar riots. With nearly 80 per cent Muslims and 18 per cent Hindus in Kairana, there was still no trace of communal tension as rumours of a “Hindu exodus” spread thick and fast when the BJP MP and Hukum Singh, one of the accused in the Muzaffarnagar riots, released a list of 346 people, claiming they had left the village due to “threat and extortion by criminal elements belonging to a particular community”.
The BJP Monday, the concluding day of its crucial national executive at Allahabad, raised the bogey of “Hindu exodus from Kairana” saying “UP should not take Kairana lightly, it is a shocking event”.
Despite these rabble-rousing statements, people in Kairana — both Hindus and Muslims — want peace.
Shamli has had its own brush with a political tug-of-war in the past over its name. It was named Prabuddh Nagar by Mayawati, the then chief minister. In July 2012, Shamli got its original name back because of Akhilesh Yadav, who later took charge of the state.
The BJP has been accused of trying to “create another Muzaffarnagar” in this small town. The politicians of the state are aware that any communal spark flickering in this area could spread rapidly and it would be “Muzaffarnagar phir ek baar”, said a Samajwadi Party leader.
Standing accused for spreading fear, a local Muslim, Abdul Afeez said, “We are living in the city for the past several generations and we never had any trouble.”
He said that even when communal hatred engulfed Uttar Pradesh during the Muzaffarnagar riots, they stood shoulder to shoulder and did not let hatred affect their brotherhood.
Angry at being used like a pawn by politicians, Abdul lashed out, “These politicians should stop playing us and stop dividing us on the basis of religion.”
His sentiments were shared by 70-year-old Sadhu Ram. “We are surrounded by Muslims. But neither I nor anyone else ever felt any threat from them,” he said. He claimed that those who migrated had done so for “personal reasons”. He added, “I own several hectares of farmland and over 50 Muslim labourers work in my farms. They are no trouble. They are like a family.”
Fact check According to the report submitted to UP govt by DIG A.K. Raghav 33 families left Kairana in five years 37 families migrated about ten years ago 32 families left 7 yrs ago These include 58 Muslim families too All left for personal reasons like jobs
