Series of Rapes Behind Muzaffarnagar Riots?: INDIA WIRES analysis

 An Analysis by INDIAWIRES

Is a series of rape incidents and support of politicians to the accused a reason behind communal riots happening in Muzaffarnagar? If you go through recent incidents happened in the town, such a question definitely arises. Before concluding that an eve-teasing or a youtube video caused the violence, we need to go back to these incidents happened in last one year.

Here is a list of such incidents reported.

• Dec 21 2012: Muzaffarnagar panchayat offers rape victim Rs 1.5 lakh to keep quiet (Source)
  
• Dec 24  2012: Minor girl gang-raped by three youths in Muzaffarnagar (Source)
• Dec 29, 2012: Girl, school teacher sexually assaulted (Source)
• Dec 30, 2012: Two women injured in acid attack in Muzaffarnagar (Source)
• Feb 18, 2013: Woman gang-raped by four men, filmed in Muzaffarnagar (Source)
• Apr 3, 2013 Acid attack on three teachers, student in Muzaffarnagar in UP (Source)
• June 03, 2013: Minor girl raped Muzaffarnagar (Source)
• July 8, 2013: Man shot dead for demanding arrest of gangrape accused  (Source)
• July 29 2013: Woman forcibly married and gang-raped as ‘honour’ punishment after her brother eloped with village girl  (Source)
• Aug 24, 2013: Class IX student raped by youth in Muzaffarnagar (Source) 
• Aug 23 2012: Schoolgirl gangraped by 5 youths in Muzaffarnagar (Source) 
• Aug 30, 2013: Muslim cleric arrested for abducting 11-year-old girl (Source) 
• August 27, 2013: In Kawal village, an eve-teasing incident led to clash, burning bikes and the murders of three youths
• Aug 28, 2013: A mob returning from the cremation ground indulges in arson.
• Aug 29, 2013: Stoning between both sides. Women devotees molested near a place of worship.
• Aug 30, 2013: Huge mob assembles at a mosque in Shaheed Chowk after Friday prayers.
• Aug 31, 2013: Nearly 40,000 people assemble at Nangla Mandoud  Panchayat. Mob attacks a family going in a car on Khatima road, sets fire to their car.
• Sept 1, 2013: Police files FIRs against leaders who had spoken at meetings in Shahid Chowk and Nangla Mandoud. Affected family in Malikpura threatens self-immolation.
• Sept 2, 2013: Walls of places of atemple broken in Sanjhak and Titavi. BJP calls Muzaffarnagar bandh.
• Sept 3, 2013: Case filed for circulating fake video of Kawal incident. Violence in Shamli town.
• Sept 4, 2013: Sporadic violence in Muzaffarnagar.
• Sept 5, 2013: Mahabandh call given across Muzaffarnagar district. The Khap panchayat then announced to organize a ‘Bahu Beti Samaan Bachaoi Mahapanchyat‘ on September 7, at Nagla Mandaur
• Sept 7, 2013:  The panchayat was organized by the Jat community at Nagla Mandaur, 20 km from Muzaffarnagar city, where over 1.2 lakh people participated. People going to panchayat attacked.
• Firing  in Muzaffarnagar town as stoning, arson go unabated. Army called in and town put under indefinite curfew.  21 killed, more than a score injured in violence.

Source: http://indiawires.com/25917/news/national/series-of-rapes-behind-muzaffarnagar-riots/