An uneasy silence weighs heavily on the stillness of the empty streets in the centuries-old town of Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, where clashes with police over yet another 'mandir-masjid' dispute led to the deaths of local Muslim men.
Tensions flared in Sambhal after a court-ordered survey of the 16th century Shahi Jama Masjid following a petition claiming the mosque was built on the ruins of a Hindu temple.
On Friday, the Supreme Court directed a trial court to halt proceedings related to the contentious survey.
For the families of the victims, all working class Muslim men including two teenagers, the loss remains irreplaceable.
Reporter: Rakhi Bose
Camera: Tribhuvan Tiwari
Editor: Sudhanshu
#SupremeCourt #ShahiJamaMasjid #Sambhal #SambhalViolence #SambhalMosqueCase #UttarPradesh #HistoricalMonuments #MosqueSurvey #CJI #ClashesInSambhal
Tensions flared in Sambhal after a court-ordered survey of the 16th century Shahi Jama Masjid following a petition claiming the mosque was built on the ruins of a Hindu temple.
On Friday, the Supreme Court directed a trial court to halt proceedings related to the contentious survey.
For the families of the victims, all working class Muslim men including two teenagers, the loss remains irreplaceable.
Reporter: Rakhi Bose
Camera: Tribhuvan Tiwari
Editor: Sudhanshu
#SupremeCourt #ShahiJamaMasjid #Sambhal #SambhalViolence #SambhalMosqueCase #UttarPradesh #HistoricalMonuments #MosqueSurvey #CJI #ClashesInSambhal
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NewsTranscript
00:00What justice will we get? Our child has left us.
00:06We apologize to you.
00:08Whatever happened, leave it to us.
00:11We don't want any action from anyone.
00:13The centuries-old town of Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh erupted with violent clashes on November 24th
00:19after a court-ordered survey of the Mughal era Shahi Jama Masjid left violent clashes in its wake.
00:26The clashes between locals and police left at least five persons dead.
00:31All were working-class Muslim men, including two teenagers.
00:3517-year-old Mohammad Dayan used to work in a local eatery in Mohalla, Kotpura,
00:39where he lived with his family, including his elderly parents.
00:4318-year-old Mohammad Kaif, the son of a vendor, used to sell cosmetics out of a stall.
00:4822-year-old Bilal Ansari ran a handloom shop to support his family.
00:5235-year-old Naeem Ghazi ran a sweet shop.
00:55Yes, this is Naeem's house.
00:57What does Naeem do and why did he leave that day?
00:59He has a sweet shop. His brother also had a sweet shop.
01:02We went to buy groceries from that shop.
01:06He was shot when he came to the middle of the road.
01:11He was shot?
01:12Yes.
01:13How did you people come to know that this happened to Naeem?
01:16Some people came and told us that Naeem was shot.
01:23Later we came to know that he was shot.
01:26There were marks on his body.
01:29We did not see him properly.
01:32We took him to the post mortem team.
01:35We said that we will do the investigation.
01:39Did you get the post mortem report?
01:42No.
01:43All had left home on Sunday for work.
01:45Families claimed the men became casualties in a conflict they had no part in starting.
01:50I used to work at a hotel.
01:53I used to wash utensils.
01:55What kind of family are you?
01:58I used to get Rs. 300-Rs. 200.
02:00I used to give it to my mother.
02:02Do you hope that this child's death will bring some justice?
02:07Sir, what justice will we get?
02:09Our child has left us.
02:12What do we have to say to the government?
02:16Do you want anything from the government?
02:18No.
02:19At the heart of the unrest is a court-ordered survey of the 16th century Jama Masjid
02:24sparked by a petition that was built on a Hindu temple.
02:27The petition, filed by advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain and others,
02:31echoes similar disputes in Ayodhya, Mathura and Varanasi.
02:35Mehant Rishi Rajgiri of the local Kaila Devi temple,
02:38who was one of the petitioners in the case,
02:40claims that the mosque was built on an ancient Harihar temple.
02:44You have just filed a petition.
02:46Can you tell us about it?
02:48It is a Harihar temple.
02:50The structure is called the Jama Masjid.
02:53It is a Harihar temple.
02:55When did you file this petition?
02:57Why did you feel that you should file a petition?
03:01Keeping the public sentiment in mind.
03:04Do you know about the incident that took place on 24th November?
03:08Yes.
03:09Five people died there.
03:11There were clashes between the protesters and the police.
03:14Yes, it is very sad.
03:16But why do you think that this violence took place during the survey?
03:20They didn't want it.
03:22They are sad that the survey is taking place.
03:24If the survey was conducted, they would have come to the temple.
03:27They didn't want it.
03:29What proof do you have for this petition?
03:33There is a Bawar Nama.
03:35There are many other British historians.
03:40If you go inside the mosque, you will find that it is a temple.
03:44It doesn't look like a mosque at all.
03:46Have you gone inside?
03:48No, I haven't.
03:50What is the demand for the petition?
03:52If the survey is conducted and there is sufficient evidence,
03:56then the petition will be allowed to be conducted.
03:58Will it be a mosque or a temple?
04:02It will depend on the law.
04:04The initial survey on November 19th
04:06proceeded peacefully with the mosque committee's cooperation.
04:09But a second survey held on November 24th inflamed tensions.
04:13Videos circulating on the internet show
04:16that the survey committee on the second day
04:18was joined by a mob chanting Jai Shri Ram on its way out of the mosque.
04:22Jai Shri Ram! Jai Shri Ram!
04:26Shared out of context, such videos fuelled communal tensions in the region.
04:3027 individuals including 3 women have been arrested
04:34and 7 FIRs have been registered,
04:36implicating nearly 2,500 people
04:39known and unknown for the violence that took place on Sunday.
04:43Why was there a conflict here?
04:46A suit was filed.
04:48The day the civil suit was filed, the survey was ordered.
04:51The advocate commission was appointed by the court.
04:54The advocate commission was appointed.
04:56The survey was conducted on the 19th.
04:58On Saturday night, the DM gave an order to the mosque committee
05:03to conduct another survey.
05:06The survey was completed by 10.30 a.m.
05:12After that, there was a rumour
05:14that there was an excavation going on in the mosque.
05:17There was a digging going on in the mosque.
05:20The rumour spread.
05:21People were angry.
05:22People wanted to go inside.
05:24The police were stopping them.
05:25The police charged them with a stick.
05:27After that, there was a commotion.
05:29Six people lost their lives.
05:32I have read about it in social media.
05:35Six people were shot to death.
05:38The police said that they shot each other.
05:42But the public is saying that the police shot them
05:47with their personal weapons.
05:52Do you think that the attitude of the authorities
05:55towards the civilians and the locals has been right?
06:00The public is afraid of the police.
06:04No one is ready to say anything.
06:06The administration is trying to maintain peace.
06:11I went to the market this morning.
06:13The market is completely closed.
06:15The Muslim areas are almost closed.
06:17The police have been deployed there.
06:19Authorities have also imposed restrictions
06:22on the entry of outsiders and public representatives
06:25into the area until November 30th.
06:27An atmosphere of fear nevertheless hangs
06:30in the empty residential violence.
06:32Many want justice for the violence and damages they faced
06:35but are afraid to seek it.
06:37Do you think that any action is being taken
06:39against them?
06:40What action will they take?
06:41They will suppress us even more.
06:43Madam, we cannot say anything.
06:45What will happen?
06:46What is the situation here?
06:48It is peaceful.
06:49The whole city is peaceful.
06:51Families like that of Ayaan, Kaif and Naeem
06:54mourn in silence.
06:55Some like that of Rumaan Khan who also died on Sunday
06:58have refused to speak to the media
07:00after initially claiming he died of bullet wounds.
07:03For these families mourning their loved ones,
07:06the loss is irreplaceable and normal is a distant dream.