Exodus of Hindu families from Kairana a reality, finds NHRC probe report

Meerut : A report of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on the alleged exodus of 250 Hindu families from Kairana in Shamli district of western Uttar Pradesh, parts of which were made public on the rights panel’s website on Wednesday, all but validates what BJP MP Hukum Singh had initially said. The panel has also sought a report from UP chief secretary and DGP on the action they have taken on the findings and recommendations of its probe team – which were submitted to the state government on June 23.

It its report, conducted by a four-member team comprising deputy SP Ravi Singh and inspectors Suman Kumari, Saroj Tiwari and Arun Kumar, NHRC found that that over 250 Hindu families had indeed left the town due to fear of the members of a particular community which was “in majority in the area”.
“At least 24 witnesses stated that the youths of the specific majority community (Muslims in this case) in Kairana town pass lewd/taunting remarks against the females of the specific minority community in town. Due to this, females of the specific minority community (Hindus) in Kairana town avoid going outside frequently. However, they could not gather courage to report the matter to the police for the legal action,” the report said.

NHRC’s deputy director (media & communication) Jaimini Kumar Srivastava told TOI, “During the course of the inquiry, our team visited different places in Kairana town, Muzaffarnagar and Panipat in Haryana. The team also examined relevant witnesses, victims, independent witnesses, police and administrative officials concerned. Copies of relevant records were also obtained and analyzed. The team obtained a list of 346 displaced families/persons from Kairana MP Hukum Singh’s personal secretary. Out of that list, three residential localities were selected and at least six alleged victims/displaced families/persons were randomly chosen for verification. The team also had telephonic verification from at least four displaced families mentioned in the list, who had migrated to distant places like Dehradun (Uttarakhand) and Surat (Gujarat).”

The fact-finding team also confirmed the terror of Mukim Kala gang in the region. “The notorious gang leader Mukim Kala had committed at least 47 cases of robbery, murder, dacoity, extortion and violation of the Arms Act during a span of just 5 years between 2010 and 2015, in the states of UP, Haryana and Uttarakhand,” the report said.

The report said the resettlement of over 25,000 members of the minority community in the aftermath of the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots had led to a major change in the demography of many towns in the region, including Kairana. “Most of the witnesses and victims feel that the rehabilitation in 2013 has permanently changed the social situation in Kairana town leading to further deterioration of law and order in the area,” the report said.

The panel has directed UP chief secretary and DGP to submit action taken report on the observations and recommendations of the NHRC team. The panel issued the order after considering the material on record, including the report of its investigation division on a complaint that Hindu families were leaving Kairana due to fear of criminals.

The team was constituted on a complaint filed by Supreme Court lawyer Monika Arora, who had approached the rights panel after reports were published in newspapers about the exodus of Hindu families from Kairana and Kandhla.

In June, Kairana MP Hukum Singh had alleged that around 250 Hindu families had migrated from the town, leaving behind properties, out of the fear of criminals who enjoyed political patronage. The issue became a major controversy with BJP accusing the ruling Samajwadi Party of pursuing minorities appeasement policies.

Source : Times of India