For weeks before the riots, a number of BJP–Shiv Sena lead-ers were touring Malegaon, in view of the municipal elections due in December (subsequently postponed). A strong contender for control over the Municipal Council (which is likely to be upgraded to a municipal corporation) is the Janata Dal (secular) state president, Nihal Ahmed. In the 1999 Assembly polls, the Congress(I)’s Rashid Shaikh, who was supported by Sena–BJP, defeated him.

This defeat ended Ahmed’s 22-year uninterrupted reign over Malegaon as MLA. He has been MLA six times here. Ever since his defeat, say residents, he has lost no opportunity to stir up communal feelings. For instance, while all over India Muslims reacted in a low–key manner to the burning of the Quran in Delhi by Bajrang Dal members, in ultra–sensitive Malegaon, Nihal Ahmed held a public meeting to denounce the act and specifically to expose the claim of Maharashtra’s home minister that news of the burning was just a rumour.

The rally organized by Nihal Ahmed on October 19, to protest against the American bombing of Afghanistan, was joined by a few youngsters who were carrying Osama posters. Some of them raised pro–Osama slogans also. Ahmad announced at the start of the procession that his morcha had nothing to do with Osama, but those carrying Osama’s posters continued in the procession almost flanking him. This image was caught on TV and relayed throughout Malegaon. The anti-America, pro–Osama sentiments of a section of Muslims came across very clearly this time — specially to Malegaon’s Hindus.

This morcha reinforced in their mind the growing stereotype of Islam as a terrorism–promoting religion of which Osama Bin laden is a symbol. Since Septemeber 11, anti–Muslim sentiments were strongly prevalent here.

Nihal Ahmed, the 75–year–old socialist, has been universally blamed for the riots… (Today) every action of his is geared towards arousing religious feelings among the Muslims, even at the cost of alienating Hindus. This trend began after 1972, when he first tasted electoral defeat at the hands of a Congress candidate Ayesha Hakim. Till then, recall Malegaon’s Hindus, he even participated with them in major festivals. He was elected MLA in 1977, after the emergency, and remained MLA till 1999. About five years ago, he had (allegedly) kicked a Ganpati pandal because it blocked the way of a Moharram procession, sparking off a minor riot.

In a long interview with two members of the team, Ahmed defended himself. He ascribed his defeat in ’99 to the ganging up of the Shiv Sena, BJP, Hindu Ekta behind the Congress(I)’s Dakhini Muslim candidate, and the use of goonda elements. "The Congress had tried to dislodge me for six terms, and failed. So this time they got together with the Sena and BJP to defeat me.’’

Asked why he could not get the support of Hindus, he said that Hindus from his party voted for him. He denied that his morcha had contributed to the riots, pointing out instead to the Karanj Gavan incident on August 18, in which the Sena–BJP–Jaanta Raja descended on the village to attack Muslims who had to flee from there and come to Malegaon. "The Tableegh Jamaat people were beaten badly there and they came here and told everybody about it. Even Muslim women were beaten in that attack. Didn’t that heat up the atmosphere?’’

Ahmed described his morcha as a satyagraha by 7000–8000 people. It was to oppose the US bombardment and to tell people that force can never crush terrorism. "My morcha had nothing to do with Laden, I said as much there. I said those who don’t understand this can go home.’’

Why then didn’t he take out a joint Hindu–Muslim morcha? "Which Hindus would come with me?’’

Wasn’t the morcha a ploy to get the Muslims behind him for the forthcoming elections? "Who prevented the Congress from taking out a morcha? In politics, whoever’s clever, uses whatever opportunity is available to him.’’

Ahmed ascribed the riots to the administration’s failure, specially the police… (He) blamed the police for firing on people who were simply standing, in an area where no Hindu shops were burnt.

Why didn’t he use his clout over the Muslims to control them outside the masjid?

"Why should I? It was not my programme. I am responsible for my programmes and I proved it with my morcha. If they didn’t have the power to control their followers, why did they have the distribution of pamphlets?’’

Why hadn’t he visited Hindu riot victims? "Why should I? Do they vote for me?"

Asked about why he has acquired the image of a communal Muslim leader, Ahmed replied, "I work among the poor, not the rich".

… The gulf between Nihal Ahmed and his Hindu councillors came through in a talk we had with the latter. The Hindu Janata Dal councillors had advised Ahmed not to take out the October 19 morcha, but he had refused to listen.