Shaken by persistent police scare, Atali’s majority community flees

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, July 5

A day after 66 persons were detained in communal violence-hit Atali village, several families belonging to the majority community today moved out of the village fearing police action. 

Police Commissioner Subhash Yadav confirmed the development. He said some families, mainly comprising women and children, had reportedly fled the village fearing arrest. “It is perhaps due to rumours making rounds in the area. But, no innocent will be arrested,” he said. The police had yesterday launched a massive crackdown on the perpetrators of the violence. Sources said more people would be detained soon. 

The crackdown, however, has been dubbed as “one-sided action” by the police. Protesting villagers today blocked state highways at several places, including at Chandawali, Manjhawali,  Machhgar and Dayalpur villages. A large number of protests were witnessed yesterday too. Claiming the manner in which the youths were being rounded up was “unjustified”, a villager said more families could migrate if the police did not refrain from its “one-sided action”. 

Fearing backlash from the majority community, around 40 families of the minority group had fled the village three days ago. Tension has been prevailing in Atali since May 25 after a dispute over the construction of a place of worship by the minority community. 

“Even police presence in the village could not prevent the repeat of the violence on July 1,” said Prahlad, a resident. He said sarpanch Rajesh Chaudhary was inaccessible since the incident. He alleged the administration had made attempt to resolve the crisis. 

The village elderly are learnt to have been preparing to contact ‘khap’ and ‘gotra’ leaders for holding a panchayat to register their protest against the police as well as the government. 

So far, the police have registered three cases for the violence since May 25 in which some houses were torched and several persons were injured. The village has a population of around 15,000.