Situation remains tense in India’s northern state after communal violence

By Shuriah Niazi

NEW DELHI(AA) - The situation in the parts of the northern Indian state of Haryana continues to remain tense after communal violence claimed six lives on Monday in the state's Nuh district.

On Thursday, two incidents of fire were reported at two mosques in Nuh district. Police said they are still investigating the matter.

The government said that internet services will remain suspended in the areas till Aug. 5 in order to maintain law and order.

Six persons were killed in the violence which started on Monday as people tried to stop a procession by a right-wing Hindu organization.

Those killed included two police personnel, a Muslim cleric and three men associated with the right-wing Bajrang Dal.

The incident took place in the Muslim-majority Nuh district where several cars were torched and stones were thrown at the police, and the state government sought additional forces to bring the situation under control.

Nuh district police spokesperson, Krishan Kumar, said no new incidents have been reported and the situation is normal in the whole district.

“We have arrested 139 people and filed 45 First Information Reports (FIRs) in the district,” Kumar told Anadolu.

Meanwhile, a tense calm prevailed in the region with people from the minority community fleeing Gurugram, where a mosque was torched and a Muslim cleric was killed by a mob.

Most of the slum dwellers living in the area fear more attacks by local right-wing groups.

Gurugram, which is known for its high-rise buildings, has a large number of migrant workers who have come from different parts of the country in search of work.

Ozair Qazi, who lives in the area, told Anadolu: “Many people from slums have moved to safer places. They fear that they might be attacked any time.”

Mohammad Aslam Khan, chairperson of the Haryana Anjum Trust, which manages the mosque attacked by right-wing groups, told Anadolu: “The mosque has been taken over by the police and prayers inside the mosque have been stopped for the time being as the investigation is going on.”

“Peace Committee meetings are regularly being organized by the administration with leaders of both communities as a confidence building measure,” Gurugram District Magistrate Nishant Yadav said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, an Indian Islamic organization, has expressed grave concerns over the situation unfolding in Haryana.

In a statement, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Vice President Prof. Salim Engineer said: “The reported attack on places of worship is alarming and should be immediately brought under control.”

“We condemn the violence instigated by rioters and anti-social elements and the open arms distribution carried out along with religious procession to provoke, instigate and perpetuate violence is predatory and suicidal,” he said and added that these incidents are carried out to stoke communal tensions and reap political benefits by sowing the seeds of polarization.

In Washington, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller on Thursday urged people to remain calm and refrain from violent actions.

Speaking on clashes in Gurugram and other areas, Miller said: “With respect to the clashes, that obviously, we would, as always, urge calm and urge parties to refrain from violent actions.

With respect to whether we've heard from any Americans, I'm not aware of that. I'm happy to follow up with the Embassy."

Hindu-Muslim tension in India has been on the rise in recent years, with critics often accusing the state of turning a blind eye and doing little to stop the violence.