Odisha: Clampdown, prolonged internet shutdown in communal violence hit Balasore

Two days after a communal clash rocked the coastal town of Balasore, the Odisha government on Thursday extended the suspension of internet services till 10 am on June 22 and curfew till Friday midnight.

The hours in the areas under the Balasore municipality have been extended with relaxation from 6 am to 12 pm. During this period, all commercial establishments and routine services are allowed to function, Balasore District Collector Ashish Thakre said.

On Thursday, curfew restrictions in the Balasore municipality area were relaxed between 7am and 11am to allow people to buy essential goods. During the relaxation period, all commercial establishments are allowed to open.

All educational institutions in the city will remain closed until June 21.

Detailing the sequence of events, a senior Balasore police official said the clashes started when some locals noticed the sewage water flowing near Bhujakhia Pir, a mausoleum of a Sufi saint, turning red on Monday afternoon. After the news spread, people staged a road blockade and stopped traffic on the main Chandipur-Balasore road, which was opposed by people from a minority community. Some members of a community started pelting stones at the protesters without any provocation, forcing the police to intervene to bring the situation under control. Several policemen were also injured by stone pelting.

The situation escalated late on Monday night after members of one community attacked a religious shrine in Suelpiur area of ​​the city and attacked the houses of people of another community with stones, sticks and glass bottles. To control the situation, the police were forced to use gunfire.

“Normally during the religious ceremony of a community, animals are sacrificed and it is very likely that a goat or sheep was killed and the blood was drained into the nullah. It would be difficult to find out if the cow was sacrificed as claimed. The water from the canal has been sent for forensic testing,” said a police official.

Incidentally on Monday, at least four incidents of minor clashes were reported from different parts of Odisha, but the situation escalated only in Balasore.

On Thursday, Director General of Police Arun Sarangi visited Balasore and held meetings with district police officials as well as Balasore MP Pratap Sarangi and Balasore Sadar MLA Manas Dutta.