Seven days after the implementation of a curfew following clashes and stone-pelting that resulted in numerous injuries over the demolition of an “illegal” madrasa, a sense of normalcy appears to be slowly returning to the Banbhoolpura town as authorities lifted the curfew for a few hours on Thursday.
As per a directive issued by Nainital District Magistrate Vandana Singh, the curfew in Gaujajali, Railway Bazar, and FCI godown area will see relaxation from 9 am to 4 pm. In the remaining parts of Banbhoolpura, the curfew will be eased for a two-hour period, specifically from 9 am to 11 am.
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The violence that erupted on February 8 originated from the demolition of an illegally built madrasa in the Banbhoolpura area. Residents reacted by hurling stones and petrol bombs at municipal workers and police, resulting in the death of six individuals and injuries to over a hundred, including police personnel and media persons.
‘Haldwani violence’
The outbreak of violence in the Banbhoolpura area of Haldwani, Uttarakhand, led to six deaths and over a hundred injuries, including police personnel and media persons, according to the police. Following the violence, a curfew was imposed in Banbhoolpura.
The citywide curfew was implemented on February 8, with officers authorised to shoot on sight. It was lifted from the outer areas of Haldwani town on February 10, as the police asserted that the situation was under control. Nevertheless, the curfew persisted in Banbhoolpura and some adjacent localities, with townwide suspension of internet services. While shops on the outskirts of Haldwani had reopened, schools and colleges remained closed.
On February 11, most shops in Banbhoolpura, previously closed since the incident, had reopened, and internet services were restored in most areas.
The unrest originated from protests against the court-ordered demolition of an illegal madrasa and mosque. Banbhoolpura residents, primarily migrants and Muslims, engaged in rioting, pelting stones at police officers, setting vehicles on fire, and deploying petrol bombs.
The demolition of the illegal madrasa occurred under the High Court’s order to remove an unlawfully constructed mosque and madrasa in the Malik ka Bagicha area, under the jurisdiction of Banbhoolpura police. Despite a petition to halt the demolition, the court, citing insufficient evidence, denied any relief, confirming that the violence was pre-planned. Rioters attacked the police joint anti-encroachment team without provocation.