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On 13 and 14 December 2016, Rioters attacked and looted shops and houses of the local and set them on fire in Dhulagarh in [[Howrah district]] of [[West Bengal]] following an altercation on 12 December 2016 between processionists and local residents who were observing religious rituals.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Truth Behind The Riots In Bengal That The Media Doesn't Report|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2016/12/26/the-truth-behind-the-riots-in-bengal-that-the-media-doesnt-repo/|accessdate=14 April 2017|publisher=Huffington Post India|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320143217/http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2016/12/26/the-truth-behind-the-riots-in-bengal-that-the-media-doesnt-repo/|archive-date=20 March 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Dhulagarh riots: West Bengal town on the boil after communal violence|url=http://www.firstpost.com/india/dhulagarh-riots-west-bengal-town-on-the-boil-after-communal-violence-3177608.html|accessdate=14 April 2017|work=Firstpost|date=28 December 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=What actually happened during the Dhulagarh riots?|url=http://www.dailyo.in/politics/dhulagarh-riots-dewan-ghat-communal-violence-bjp-trinamool-muslims/story/1/14992.html|accessdate=14 April 2017|publisher=Dailyo}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Howrah: 25 held after communal clash|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/howrah-25-held-after-communal-clash-kolkata-4430988/|accessdate=15 April 2017|publisher=The Indian Express|date=17 December 2016}}</ref>

== Background ==
Dhulagarh is a small industrial and business hub in Howrah District.<ref name="dm28122016">{{cite news|url=http://www.dailyo.in/politics/dhulagarh-riots-west-bengal-muslims-hindus-mamata-banerjee-eid-milad/story/1/14783.html|title=How Mamata tore the secular fabric of Bengal into shreds|last=Merchant|first=Minhaz|date=28 December 2016|work=DailyO|accessdate=31 December 2016}}</ref> It is only 20 km from [[Nabanna]], the seat of state government in the city of Howrah and only 28 km from [[Kolkata]]. Dhulagarh falls under [[Panchla (community development block)|Panchla block]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wbagrimarketingboard.gov.in/MinorityPopulation/Population_howrah.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210161338/http://wbagrimarketingboard.gov.in/MinorityPopulation/Population_howrah.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 February 2012|title=Block Wise Details of Minority Population as Census 2001: Howrah|publisher=West Bengal State Marketing Board|accessdate=31 December 2016}}</ref> In the second decade of 21st century the occurrences of [[communal violence]] have sharply increased in West Bengal. In 2013 there were 106 instances of communal violence in West Bengal compared to the previous years which had an average of 15-20 each year.<ref>http://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/communal-clashes-soar-in-bengal/
</ref>

== Attacks ==
On December 12, Hindus and Muslims clashed when the Mawlid possessions were not allowed to carry out. Both groups hurled bombs at each other.<ref>{{cite news|title=Dhulagarh riots: West Bengal town on the boil after communal violence|url=http://www.firstpost.com/india/dhulagarh-riots-west-bengal-town-on-the-boil-after-communal-violence-3177608.html|accessdate=14 April 2017|work=Firstpost|publisher=Firstpost|date=28 December 2016}}</ref><ref name="timesnow" /> On December 13, clashes between two communities (Muslims and Hindu) erupted following religious celebrations of Milad-ul-Nabi in Dhulagarh. The mob hurled bombs at local residents.<ref name="timesnow">{{Cite news|url=http://www.timesnow.tv/india/video/times-now-report-from-dhulagarh-the-story-india-isnt-reporting/53364|title=Times Now Report From Dhulagarh: The Story India Isn't Reporting|date=2016-12-23|work=TimesNow|access-date=2017-04-15}}</ref> Many people were injured and rendered homeless in the clashes.<ref name="simmers">{{Cite web|title=West Bengal: Dhulagarh in Howrah simmers after clashes over a religious procession|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/west-bengal-dhulagarh-howrah-clashes-religious-procession/1/839478.html|access-date=2017-04-02|website=India Today}}</ref> 65 people were arrested in connection to the riots.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/beef-thrown-in-temple-bengal-govt-worried-as-communal-clashes-spread-to-kolkata/story-yIsnXKOm1R6NHJ4SYQ6myN.html|title=‘Beef’ thrown in temple: Bengal govt worried as communal clashes spread|date=2017-01-29|work=Firstpost|access-date=2017-07-10|language=en-IN}}</ref>

Local residents claimed that they had to flee with their children and elderly as soon as the mob hurled country-made bombs at their houses. Later, the mob allegedly looted the houses and fled with the money and jewelry, later, setting it on fire.<ref name="it28122016"/> They alleged the local police remained inactive and arrived late at some places while the mobs resorted to loot and arson and had told some of them to quickly leave their homes.<ref name="it28122016">{{cite news|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/dhulagarh-riots-howrah-kolkata-mamata-banerjee-milad-ul-nabi/1/844203.html|title=Rather than protecting, Bengal police gave us 2 minutes to flee our own homes: Dhulagarh riot victims tell India Toda|last=Kundu|first=Indrajit|date=28 December 2016|work=India Today|accessdate=31 December 2016}}</ref>

== Aftermath ==

The state police claimed that the violence was the outcome of a dispute arising out of a local issue. it stated that 58 arrests were made rin relation to it and the situation was under control.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timesnow.tv/india/video/58-people-arrested-in-dhulagarh-case-claims-west-bengal-police/53618|title=58 People Arrested In Dhulagarh Case, Claims West Bengal Police|website=Times Now|access-date=2016-12-30}}</ref> According to a senior state government official, strict actions have been taken on those involved in the violence.<ref name="ie30122016"/> [[Keshari Nath Tripathi]], the Governor of Bengal has asked [[Surajit Kar Purkayastha]], the DGP of the state to prepare a report on the incident.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/keshari-nath-tripathi-summons-dgp-mamata-banerjee-dhulagarh-issue/1/841179.html|title=WB Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi summons DGP Surajit Kar Purkayastha|website=India Today|access-date=2016-12-23}}</ref>

Several local residents talked to [[India Today (TV channel)|India Today]] and narrated the events of the riots. While the police claimed the situation was under control, the residents contradicted it saying they were still worried and scared about the situation.<ref name=simmers/> [[Zee News]] which was among the first one to report on the riots had an FIR lodged against its journalists namely editor Sudhir Chaudhary, West Bengal correspondent Pooja Mehta and cameraperson Tanmay Mukherjee though the Sankrail police station didn't confirm any FIR while the [[New Indian Express]] presented a copy available to it.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2016/dec/27/zee-news-booked-for-dhulagarh-riot-coverage-claims-editor-sudhir-chaudhary-1553567.html|title=Zee News booked for Dhulagarh riot coverage, claims editor Sudhir Chaudhary|work=The New Indian Express|access-date=2017-04-02}}</ref>

A week after the incident, the state government transferred Sabyasachi Raman Mishra, the Superintendent of Police, Howrah (Rural) for allegedly failing to contain the communal riots.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ptinews.com/news/8212309_Sabya-Sachi-Raman-Mishra-removed-as-SP--Howrah--Rural-.html|title=Sabya Sachi Raman Mishra removed as SP, Howrah (Rural)|date=21 December 2016|work=PTI News}}</ref> The state government banned the entry of the opposition political parties and the media into the troubled area.<ref name="it28122016"/> The [[delegations]] of [[Congress]], [[BJP]] and [[CPI(M)]] were stopped by the police from entering Dhulagarh.<ref name="it28122016"/>

The state government had started compensating each family with INR 35,000, whose houses were destroyed in the communal riots. The victims stated that the compensation was simply not enough as the losses were much more.<ref name="ie30122016"/> More than two weeks after the communal riots, the victims remained homeless<ref name="it28122016"/> as they were wary of returning to their homes in Dhulagarh.<ref name="it28122016"/><ref name="ie30122016"/>

A [[Public Interest Litigation]] was filed in the [[Calcutta High Court]], demanding a judicial inquiry into the riot. The first hearing of this case was conducted on 20 January 2017 with the petitioners lawyer claiming that the police had not taken any action even though a large-scale had taken place. On the other hand, West Bengal government's pleader and advocate pleaded that 14 separate cases had been lodged in relation to the incident and the police has arrested a few culprits. After hearing the arguments from both sides, the division bench instructed the state government to submit an affidavit, stating what measures had been taken by it in relation to the riot.<ref>{{cite news | url= http://bangla.eenaduindia.com/State/Kolkata/2017/01/20142745/What-step-has-been-taken-in-Dhulagarah-clash-asks.vpf | title= ধূলাগড়ের ঘটনায় পুলিশ কী ব্যবস্থা নিয়েছে ? জানতে চাইল হাইকোর্ট | language= Bengali | access-date= 20 January 2017 | archive-date= 12 June 2018 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140302/http://bangla.eenaduindia.com/State/Kolkata/2017/01/20142745/What-step-has-been-taken-in-Dhulagarah-clash-asks.vpf | url-status= dead }}</ref>

== Reactions ==
[[Siddharth Nath Singh]] of BJP accused the minority cell of [[Trinamool Congress]] of actively engineering the riots.<ref name="th21122016">{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/BJP-to-move-NHRC-over-Dhulagarh-riots/article16915243.ece|title=BJP to move NHRC over Dhulagarh riots|date=21 December 2016|work=The Hindu|accessdate=31 December 2016}}</ref> The West Bengal unit of the BJP announced that it will move the National Human Rights Commission over the issue of communal riots in Dhulagarh.<ref name="th21122016"/> The BJP claimed attackers were brought in from outside to create trouble in the presence of Trinamool Congress MLA Gulshan Mullick. BJP leader and [[Rajya Sabha]] M.P. [[Roopa Ganguly]] had alleged that Gulshan Mullick was present when the violence was taking place. Roopa Ganguly said that attackers had also come from [[Metiabruz]] and other places.<ref name="Dhulagarh Violence1">{{cite web|title=Dhulagarh Violence: Alleged Bomb Maker Arrested, Say Police Sources|url=http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/dhulagarh-violence-alleged-bomb-maker-arrested-say-police-sources-1643649|website=NDTV.com|accessdate=2 January 2017}}</ref>

[[Mamata Banerjee]], the Chief Minister of West Bengal, denied any incident of communal riots in Dhulagarh.<ref name="ie30122016"/> She termed the events as a 'small incident' and a 'local problem' and categorically denied any communal problem. She alleged that wrong information was being spread in the social media.<ref name="ie30122016">{{cite news|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/mamata-banerjee-denies-riot-in-dhulagarh-blames-social-media-4451970/|title=Mamata Banerjee denies riot in Dhulagarh, blames social media|date=30 December 2016|work=Indian Express|accessdate=31 December 2016}}</ref> [[Mamata Banerjee]] has also been accused of destroying 'the secular fabric of West Bengal' as an aftermath of the Dhulagarh Riots and a series of similar incidents during her tenure as the Chief Minister.<ref name="dm28122016"/>

Trinamool Congress alleged that BJP and RSS was spreading misinformation regarding the incidents and tried to provide a communal twist to a local incident.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}}

== See also ==
* [[2016 Kaliachak riots]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

{{Riots in India}}
{{IslamismSA}}

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[[Category:2016 crimes in India]]
[[Category:2016 riots]]
[[Category:Crime in West Bengal]]
[[Category:December 2016 crimes in Asia]]
[[Category:December 2016 events in India]]
[[Category:Ethnic riots]]
[[Category:2010s in West Bengal]]
[[Category:Howrah district]]
[[Category:Persecution of Bengali Hindus]]
[[Category:Politico-Religious violence in West Bengal]]
[[Category:Religious riots]]
[[Category:Riots and civil disorder in India]]

2016 Dhulagarh riots - Revision history

MetaBOT at 18:53, 8 July 2023