New Delhi, October 06 (Md. Mubashiruddin Khurram): “There is not much difference between the AP and Gujarat governments. In Gujarat, those police officers got promotion who were involved in fake encounters of Muslims and in AP the judicial cases were registered against those newspapers who unveiled the face of an eminent official who was involved aiding Sohrabuddin’s fake encounter. Another example of AP police is that constable Abdul Qadeer who was involved in gunning down a communal officer and later served 19 years term in jail. On the other hand, a non-Muslim who was involved in killing service bound Muslim officer A K Khan, was released on bail within six months. This is the double standard of the law in Andhra Pradesh.”
These were the words of editor Siasat and politburo member of TDP Mr. Zahid Ali Khan who was addressing a seminar organized three leading Urdu dailies Siasat, Inquilab and Azad Hind. Also present there include renowned film maker Mahesh Bhatt, Ram punyani, Zafar Agha, Mrs. Kavita Srivastav, Mrs. Zoya Hassan, Hanif Lakdawala, Asghar Ali engineer and others.
Mr. Khan continued and said that this very double standard of the law is the cause of the destruction of the country and created a feeling of insecurity among Muslims. Though the hair-raising harassment to Muslims are not existed in other states barring Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.
The clear evidence in this regard is the arrest of Muslim youths after the twin blasts and Makkah Masjid blasts. Constable Abdul Qadeer had killed his superior who was communal and ordered to kill the Muslim youths indiscriminately which might have annoyed Abdul Qadeer’s sentiments. Anyway, when he did the wrong he had to pay the penalty. However, the irony of it is that even after serving life term, he is still in jail whereas quite contrary to Qadeer’s incident, another non-Muslim who was involved in killing Muslim IG, was released on bail.
By arresting Muslim youths, the government has ruined their dreams to become engineers, now left with no option but to drive auto rickshaws in the city. If we go through and study the condition of Muslims in various states, it would be concluded that evil efforts are on to drive out Muslims from India the way it was done in Spain but this is the duty of other fellow Indians to make this evil effort unsuccessful.
He asked the Muslims to emphasize on unity as non-Muslims have an image of Muslims as a shattered lot. Renowned filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt recalled the words of his mother where she had once said that beta, keep quiet, this country belongs to them. He emphasized for a separate legislation to bring out Muslims from the net of inferiority complex.
When he hears the hair-raising stories of atrocities on Muslims, he always remembers his mother’s words. Mr. Zafar Agha said that he would never say that Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi are not secular but on the other hand the prime minister could not do anything positive or to bring them those culprits to book who were involved in the fake encounter of Ishrat Jahan. Muslims were optimistic that things would change in their favour post 2004 elections but even after 2009, the circumstances remain unchanged. Why because that on central and state level administration, the saffron thoughts are still on.
Those who govern the country by making fear their triumph card; they always need a ‘non-existence’ enemy. There was a time when the Sikh community of the country was labeled as the enemy of the country and later, Muslims were made the scapegoat. Recently, another enemy is created in the form of Maoists.
Mrs. Kavita Srivastav said that a coordination committee should be formed to check the on going of the trials of the Muslim youths with regular intervals. She said that it was the peak of religious fanaticism that in a Rajasthan jail, inmates were not allowed to offer their namaz-e-Id.
Mrs. Zoya Hassan was of the opinion that Muslim MPs should compel the government to form a standing committee of the newly created ministry of minority affairs. Mr. Hanif lakdawala said that it was congress that sowed the seed of communalism in 1984 and gave a new direction to the politics and it was RSS who provided all possible help to congress.
Mr. Prashant Bhushan said that after hearing the stories of the affected people in this three-day seminar, it is concluded that communalism is not minimized. M/s Ram Punyani, Asghar Ali engineer and other also spoke in the session.
Wajid_siasat@yahoo.in