July 14: Mumbaikar's minds and tongues played out a part funny, part macabre version of Chinese Whispers today. Following Friday's violence, police stations and newspaper offices were abuzz with calls from citizens with enquiries that ranged from inquisitive to plainly imaginary.

The favoured targets of ``concern'' were Chhagan Bhujbal, Ramdas Athawale and Chhatrapati Shivaji. The grapevine first had it that Bhujbal had been shot dead outside his bungalow on Monday morning. Barely was this rumour discounted when readers called up to enquire about Athawale, who they `heard' had been summarily hanged to death at Ramabai Colony.

Both politicians had been at the receiving end of violence on Sunday. While Athawale was badly beaten up by a Dalit mob when he went to condole the death of persons killed in Friday's police firing, Bhujbal's official bungalow was ransacked by Shiv Sainiks.

Later in the day, even as news about disruptions on the Central Railway filtered in, callers renewed their enquiries, this time about statues of Shivaji Maharaj being desecrated.

``Is it true that the head of Shivaji's statue at Shivaji Park has been cut off,'' worried a reader.

Another wondered if a garland of slippers was placed on the statue. The second version was that while the figure of Shivaji was intact, his mount had been hacked away by miscreants. Yet another was convinced that Meenatai Thackeray's bust at Shivaji Park had been blown up. A more creatively inclined mind held that the Sena Bhavan was set on fire.

Rumours from the violence affected areas were even more sinister. ``Have the dalits formed a secret army to demolish all the statues of Shivaji Maharaj in Maharashtra,'' one caller from Kanjurmarg wondered. He went on to inform that the secret force was collecting gelatin sticks for the purpose. Residents of Ghatkopar, where the firing incident occurred, wanted to know if a week-long bandh had been declared in the area.

The already overworked police department was not spared either. The Bandra police rushed to Pali Hill after they were informed by callers that a statue of Shivaji Maharaj was desecrated in the area. Similarly, the Malad police were informed that some dalits had set ablaze a Shiv Sena shakha.

Following the spate of rumours, the police control room flashed a message on all pagers informing users that the situation in Mumbai was peaceful.

Members of the public were also invited to phone the control room on telephone numbers 100, 2620903/1855/5020 and 262 1983 to verify rumours. They also plan to air an appeal on television, radio and all city cable networks, requesting people not to believe these rumours.Deputy Police Commissioner Sanjay Barve explained the rumour-mongering as third phase of the riots. ``Anti-social elements conspire the riots in the first step, carry out actual violence in the second and spread rumours in the third.

"This is done to mentally harass the public, as the police are out on the roads and physical destruction is impossible for them.''

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.