14 Hindus were burnt alive in a mill very near to Sambhal’s disputed mosque in 1978
Rumours of a Hindu killing an imam and a sadhu performing puja there triggered this massacre
I spoke to the family of the mill owner, who was also killed
A thread on this forgotten tragedy
The mill, an ahaata spread over 4 beegha in Nakhasa Bazaar, belonged to Banwari Lal Goel, an affluent, well-respected man in Sambhal
He was known for his fairness and even Muslim families sought his help to resolve disputes, locals recall. He was also Sambhal president of VHP
On 29 March 1978, when Muslim League leader Manzar Shafi’s followers unleashed violence (check my previous thread on it), Banwari Lal was in the compound
His workers and their relatives sought refuge in his compound, believing his stature would protect them
They were wrong
Violence engulfed Sambhal, starting around 10 am. Two hours later, they targeted the mill compound
A tractor was used for repeatedly crashing into the mill’s front wall until it collapsed. Rioters then threw burning tyres inside and allowed no one to escape
As per official records, of the 25 killed in Sambhal that day, 23 were Hindus. The majority of them, 14, were burnt alive in this mill
When Banwari Lal’s sons, Navneet, 18, and Vineet, 16, entered the compound six hours later, they found only ashes
Vineet Goel (in pic) tells me: “Everything was burnt. Tyres were still smoldering. No bodies were found. Everything had turned to ash. After searching, we found part of my father’s glasses. That confirmed his death.”
Only one, Hardwari Lal, survived. He had hidden
inside a drum
He watched it through a hole and his testimony confirmed the horrific details and helped identify the victims
The family lost everything - their mukhiya Banwari Lal and their assets
Facing penury, his sons - Navneet, Vineet and youngest Suneet - rebuilt their lives from scratch
The family stayed in Sambhal till 1993 as they got a lot of support from their community. Sambhal after that was under constant security patrolling
Like many Hindus of Sambhal, Vineet Goel blames the then DM Farhat Ali for siding with rioters and not saving Hindu community
After moving to Delhi, the Goels turned to peppermint production
They sold off most of the mill compound in Sambhal, but a small portion still remains
That space has been hosting major Hindu religious events for decades, including Ram-Bharat Milaap episode of the annual Ramlila
No Muslim will buy that plot because they know our traditions won’t stop,” he says
He says that after the massacre, some local Muslims met them and silently revealed the names of the perpetrators. The family learnt that the perpetrators were Banwari Lal’s business allies
He says the family has not made business ties with members of the other community since then
Attached is a a para from a 1979 book roughly and with slight errors describing the episode
Another description of the massacre recorded in history. It’s from a book called Mob Violence in India. I however could find no global media news report like in BBC or NYTimes from that time. And no recent news on the case trial etc
Family says they recall no court trial
View: https://x.com/swati_gs/status/1863257480534589675