Parbhani bounced back to normal because it cannot afford communal clashes, literally. Nanded, on the other hand, has a one-sided equation with business and the community that runs it.Result: Parbhani was last rocked by serious violence around 20 years ago, Nanded sees a riot every two years, the latest outbreak was over the bomb blasts at a mosque 80 km away. ‘‘It’s a simple case of begaani shaadi mein Abdullah diwana,’’ says Prof Noorullah Khan. With a doctorate in law, Khan represents the moderate voice of new Nanded, the recently developed part of the town. ‘‘There are some elements here just waiting to play mischief.’’Not quite. At the other end of the city, Old Nanded, which is a smouldering sprawl of ghettos, Khan’s logic doesn’t hold.The cramped market area around Barki Chowk, Itwara, is dominated by Muslims. However, there is also a strong non-Muslim Sarafa community, which sells gold and silver, vying for market space. The two communities live and trade side-by-side in neighbourhoods close enough to array them against one another, a situation tailormade for political brinksmanship.In Parbhani, the market area is occupied by equal numbers of Hindus and Muslims. ‘‘In most cases, the employer is a Hindu while the employee is a Muslim or vice versa. Even their shops are next to each other,’’ says Mohammad Khadir, 39, a police constable. ‘‘They know it makes business sense to maintain good relations with each other.’’Says Parbhani district collector M. Chowdhary: ‘‘In Parbhani, members of both communities are relatively scattered. There’s a lot of breathing space. In Nanded, especially Old Nanded, the localities are cramped, often causing friction.’’And yet, it is Parbhani that’s still coping with poor infrastructure and lack of job opportunities. Nanded is acquiring all the trappings of a prosperous and growing town, the new city at least.The lanes in Old Nanded get narrower with each riot, making it difficult for the administration and peace committees to penetrate. SIMI is also known to be active in the area. In recent days, groups comprising apolitical members of both communities have held rallies in protest against the tension. ‘‘It’s all about politics. Politicians are gaining mileage at the cost of public safety,’’ says merchant Iqbal Mudkhedkar.
