Communities clash over kids’ scuffle

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, February 21

Members of two communities clashed at the flats constructed under the Basic Services to the Urban Poor (BUSP) scheme in Giaspura this morning. They pelted one another with stones during which several persons suffered injuries.

Local residents rushed into their houses to save themselves. A pregnant woman also suffered minor injuries in the clash.

Senior police officials, including ADCPs Kuldeep Sharma and PS Goraya, accompanied by a large posse of police, reached the spot to control the situation. The police had to use mild force to disperse the crowds.

According to eyewitnesses, children from both communities (Muslims and Valmikis) scuffled while playing in a park last evening. When their families got to know about the incident, they exchanged heated arguments and warned one another of dire consequences.

Sources said the matter was sorted out last night. In the morning, the families came face to face and passed irreligious remarks against one another, and the situation turned ugly.

Members of both communities came up with different statements.

Govind alleged that the issue started after one of the children desecrated a temple located in the park while Mohammad Sadiq said it started when some children desecrated a mosque and passed irreligious remarks.

The sources said after community members started pelting one another with stones, a few policemen reached there to control the situation but they failed. It was only after a large posse of police reached there that the situation was brought under control.

Kuldeep Sharma said some persons, including a pregnant woman, suffered minor injuries in the clash. Both parties have been pacified by the police. When asked if the mosque and the temple were disrespected, he said, both religious structures were damaged as members from both communities pelted one another with stones. “Although a compromise has been reached by both parties, our force will remain in the locality for the whole night to prevent any backlash,” he added.

Large quantity of stones, bricks kept on rooftops recovered

A resident said they had piled up large quantities of stones and bricks on their rooftops last night when they noticed that members of the other community, too, had collected swords and other sharp weapons in their houses. “We kept stones in self-defence. When armed members of the other community tried to barge into our flats (Block C) to attack us, we started pelting them with stones,” Wasim, a local resident, told The Tribune. Jasvir, from the other community, said they retaliated after residents of Block C started hurling stones.