'Riots could not have continued for days without govt support'

New delhi: Activist Harsh Mander, CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat, former SC judge, Justice V Gopala Gowda and other panellists on Wednesday maintained that it would be incorrect to call the communal violence in north-east Delhi this February "riots".

While launching a book on the violence, the panellists insisted that the violence was one-sided. The book, "Communal Violence in North East Delhi: A Report", was released in the presence of family members of three victims. "Not only were the greatest losses borne by the minority (Muslim) community but the offensive was almost completely in minority (Muslim) dominated areas. The areas were chosen by the Hindutva mobs based on where the anti-CAA women's protest sit-ins were taking place," the report found.

Activist Harsh Mander was at the launch of the book and said that in his experience of working with survivors of mass violence and formerly as an IAS officer, it was clear that such an incident "could not have continued for more than 2 hours, let alone for 4-5 days, without the government's support".

"People don't automatically have guns and weapons, or know how many Muslim families live in which areas. That requires preparation", Mander said, calling the riots "orchestrated". He also questioned how the government was not able to bring the situation under control even with the Army, police force and paramilitary at their disposal.

CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat said the violence in North East Delhi between February 23 to 27 was "quite clearly modelled on the Gujarat Riots of 2002". Former Supreme Court Justice V Gopala Gowda said, "The Centre and State need to answer why and how the police were allowed to take the law into their own hands and at whose behest? Why were several news channels not allowed to air footage of ground reality?"

The book release was also attended by family members of three victims: Kismatoon, mother of 23-year old Faizan who was allegedly beaten to death by Delhi Police, Ram Suhag Paswan, who lost his 15-year-old son in the riots and Agaaz Hussain whose son was killed in the riots just 10 days after his wedding.