On April 10, a frenzy of anti-muslim violence swept across the Khargone district in Madhya Pradesh. It took place on the occasion of Ram Navami, which fell this year in the holy Muslim month of Ramadan. It was a rare synchronization that had occurred after 33 years. In Khargone, that day around 11 am, Raghuvanshis started their annual Ram Navami rally from Talab Chowk area to finish at the Ram temple by noon. Some tensions were said to have erupted when the BJP state vice president Shyam Mahajan expressed displeasure over police barricading around Talab Chowk, the location of the town’s Jama mosque. While no incident took place during the rally, this altercation led to a rumor that police didn’t allow Hindu procession to take their route because it was a Muslim locality. Shortly after, a second march led by rumor under the banner of Gau Raksha Samiti started preparing to move along the same route with tableus and posters of recently released Anupam Kher’s film The Kashmir Files with a catchphrase ‘JagoHinduoJago’. The highly charged mob that reached there in the second rally raised objectionable slogans in front of the mosque while playing provocative songs on DJs. Sometime between 5-6 pm, when Muslims started gathering for their routine Ramadan prayer at Jama mosque, the virulence and passion of their sloganeering reached a new pitch. Videos showed hundreds of them dancing and cheering in unison to songs blared from loudspeakers that included calls for violence against Muslims. It was around this time, the tensions escalated heavily resulting in brickbats and stone showering between the two communities. Soon, in confabulation, police resorted to lathi charge to disperse the angry mob . Who instigated whom and who first pelted the stones remained a matter of investigation but what unfolded later was a blind orgy of violence. The alleged stone pelting provided an excuse for unleashing large-scale calculated attacks on Muslims. Over 250 houses, largely of Muslims, were rocked by brutal violence that day and a young Muslim man had lost his life. When this didn’t seem enough, bulldozers were rolled over their houses and shops a day after the violence. The organization initially made two visits to the area to review the extent of losses the violence put behind. Afterwards, the organization appealed to the generous minds to offer financial donations to help people devastated in the violence. Alhamdollillah, soon, in a span of two weeks, the organization was successful in collecting Rs.70,50,000 for the victim families of Khargone. Without any further delay, Miles2Smile transferred the amount to the needy people to help them move through their difficulties so as to put their smiles back on their faces. We restored their damaged houses, sources of livelihood and also provided over 22 families with ration for a month. From the collection to the disbursement of funds, the organization functioned speedily and with utmost transparency. A detailed description of the assistance provided has been attached at the end of this report.
