The 2016 Dhaulagiri Riots: A Tale of Loss, Fear, and Unanswered Questions

Dhaulagiri is another small industrial town which sits at not more than 28 kilometers on the outskirts of Kolkata and in the end became the venue of horrendous communal riot in December 2016. While a dispute occurred on December 12 during a religious procession, the escalation to two days of rampage, destruction of property, and violence left families displaced, and a community wounded.

The Spark That Lit the Fire

On December the 12th a clash arose over the posting of a notice about the planned procession for Milad-ul -Nabi. Throwing of bombs was also claimed by both sides as tempers ran high at the confrontation zone. The subsequent days were characterized by attacks on homes and shops in well-coordinated exercises. People in the area stated that mobs bearing crude bombs were going round attacking people and any property that they found before burning houses and taking all the valuable items they would find.

The police’s lack of action and political dismissal

Hear say, victims claimed that the police took time to reach the scene or watch as looters went amok. Some of the residents accused the staff of telling them to run away, not saving them. The state government tried to play it down as a local issue, Chief Minister of West Bengal Mrs. Mamata Banerjee also dismissed the violence as a small issue and there was no question of any communal violence. These measures did nothing to reassure the congregation…