Rich with relief material, madrasas hold back victims of Muzaffarnagar riots

LUCKNOW: Senior UP minister Shivpal Yadav’s recent praise for madarsas for providing relief and rehabilitation to the victims of Muzaffarnagar riots does not seem to be a true reflection of the situation on the ground. For a ministerial panel, which he chairs, has pointed out to major problems in winding up the relief camps.

With funds and relief material freely flowing in from various sources, the relief camp organisers, mostly neighbourhood madrasas and local leaders, are refusing to let people go back home despite the situation fast returning to normal.

The Sadhbhavna committee, comprising 10 ministers, toured the riothit parts in western UP and came to a conclusion that one of the reasons why the displaced in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli districts were not returning to their villages was the vested interest of those running the minority relief camps.These camp organisers are spreading rumors and instilling fear among the minorities, says the committee’s report.

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav had specifically asked the committee to ensure that the relief camps are wound up as he felt that they were attracting too much media attention and keeping the story of riots alive.

The Sadhbhavna committee had also faced resistance from villagers at some places for the alleged biased action of the police.

The committee also felt that at places even those staying in relief centres were not keen on returning as they had ample facilities at the camp site.

At Malakpur in Shamli district, people are refusing to go back home as they have been told that the forest land that they are occupying will be alloted to them soon, the report states. The riots in Muzaffarnagar in September had killed 60 and displaced more than 39,000 people.