Akhilesh must stop riots, or suffer the consequences

Communal incidents sputter on in large parts of Uttar Pradesh, with the timing of clashes suggesting that many major political parties — such as SP, BJP and BSP — stoke the fires of violence ahead of bypolls in 12 assembly constituencies to maximise electoral gains. The pattern clearly suggests that parties instrumentalise violence or the threat of violence to polarise Hindus and Muslims. This was in evidence most recently in Saharanpur which is among the 12 assembly constituencies where by-elections will be held in the course of the next few months.

While the entire western UP belt is simmering, reports over the past couple of months indicate that parties have taken to the politics of fear in several districts, including Moradabad, Bijnore and Meerut. In fact, as many as 259 incidents of a communal nature have been reported from western UP. Last year’s riots in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli districts, that claimed 44 lives, broke a traditional voting alliance between Jats and Muslims.

However, as the old adage goes, one can fool some of the people all of the time, one can fool all of the people some of the time, but one cannot fool all of the people all of the time. Law and order is a state subject. The deterioration of the law and order situation and breach of communal harmony reflects in large part a failure of Akhilesh Yadav’s government in UP which claims to be a protector of secular values. Today’s citizen wants to live well, the politics of fear is dated. UP is no exception to this rule. If law and order breaks down, the SP government will attract most of the blame. Unless Akhilesh acts decisively to protect not just minorities but all sections of the population, he will reap the wrath of those who voted SP to power.