Singhs and Hasans : “The family” that is at the centre of the Hindu Muslim divide at Kairana

Kairana – a historical city in the state of Uttar Pradesh, currently the hotbed of upcoming assembly elections is once again in the news. Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate from the seat, Nahid Hasan was arrested on Saturday by the Uttar Pradesh police under the Gangsters Act. Hasan was wanted in connection with a case from last February and was produced in the MP/ MLA court of Shamli district where he was sent to jail for 14 days in judicial custody.

The arrest of Nahid Hasan adds another chapter in the family history of Kairana. After all, Hasan is part of the family that has been at the center of the conflict in the city for the last 120 years. It is pertinent to note that there are two families viz. Singh’s and the Hasan’s control the political climate of the city. However, what many don’t know is that these two families, once belonged to one family under a single Khap.

Over a century ago, the Singh’s and the Hasan’s were united, part of one family headed by Baba Kalsa. However, one of the ancestors turned towards Islam and thus started the rivalry that has often turned bloody and even resulted in the exodus of Hindus from the city.

Throughout the troubled history of the city, both factions have continued to send their political leaders to the state assembly or the parliament – thereby playing a game of cat and mouse with each other to wield the political gun.

Hukum Singh, the late BJP leader was considered the chief of the Hindu group, while Munawwar Hasan, father of Nahid, headed the Muslim wing. The rivalry has only spilt into the new generation with Nahid locking horns with Hukum Singh’s daughter Mriganka.

What happened in Kairana?  

As reported extensively by TFI, Kairana, a historical city located in the Shamli district in Uttar Pradesh had been in the news for all the wrong reasons under SP’s rule, particularly in the year 2016 when the news of the exodus of Hindu families first hit the newsstands.

The mass exodus of Kairana Hindus from the torture, inflicted upon by the goons belonging to the majority population of Kairana was a point of national debate before the 2017 assembly elections.  

BJP MP, late Hukum Singh had first raised the issue of the mass exodus when he released 2 lists that contained the details of the 346 and 68 families which had migrated from Kairana & Kandhla respectively. 

Hukum Singh was the BJP MP from Kairana, having won the election in 2014. He had worked towards the betterment of his constituency and had not shied away from revealing the truth about the state of affairs from his home constituency.  

NHRC report confirming the exodus  

The National Human Rights Commission had confirmed Hukum Singh’s claims and remarked that over 250 Hindu families had migrated from Kairana. It had blamed the change in demography for the resettlement of over 25,000 members of the minority community, done after the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots.  

The NHRC report confirmed the terror of the Muslim gangster Mukim Kala, who had committed at least 47 known cases of robbery, murder, dacoity, violation of the Arms act, and extortion in the period of 2010-2015. The NHRC report sent also mentioned that the exodus had taken place due to fear of the members of a particular community which was ‘in the majority in the area’. 

Read More: Kairana was not a lie, confirms NHRC  

Yogi Adityanath government has brought peace 

Before the Yogi era, the problem in Kairana was not limited to crime and lawlessness but also to political patronage towards a particular community. According to the locals, criminals from the community in question enjoyed a free run. In fact, the region had seen a shift in demographics post-2001, with Hinds being reduced from a majority of 52 per cent to a minority of around 30 per cent by 2011. 

However, despite all the rhetoric by the anti-BJP lobby post the 2017 elections, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath remained undeterred in his fight against the mafia and other miscreants active in the state.

In November last year, Yogi met returning Hindu families of Kairana. Talking about how peace had returned in Kairana, Yogi had remarked, “After 2017, peace has returned to Kairana due to the state government’s policy of zero-tolerance against crimes. A number of families have returned to Kairana now. Today, I am here for the establishment of a battalion of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC),” 

Read More: How Yogi Adityanath saved Kairana from becoming another Kashmir

Kairana is gradually returning towards total normalcy. However, the process could be upended for good, if any party, other than BJP comes to the state. Yogi is the antidote for the radicals of the region and so far he has single-handedly effectively neutralized them, even the notorious Hasan family.