Since Mumbai is under careful scrutiny by citizens , those creating a divide
and rule for electoral and political benefit and as a political diversionary
move from economic and social discontent to polarize voters have shifted
operations to those Districts like Dhule , Jalgaon and others where there is a
communal history and communalized leadership of political parties dating back
to the colonial and post colonial period and consequently the administration
and police at lower levels is also affected by the communal virus as at the
police training centers it is inculcated that there are only two potential
threats " Jehadi" read Muslim and " Maoist " read those who work among the
unorganized sectors , Dalits and Tribal people .
Since the War on Terror was launched by the USA and its alliance
partners India has been one of the frontlines consequently arrest and killings
of innocent Muslim youth has become routine with hardly any questions asked .
By the time an encounter is proved , the corporate press has moved on to cover
up the original story . Large sections of minorities have been reduced along
with the Adivasi and Dalit youth to second class citizenship status under the
Neoliberal that is the period of Economic Reforms which needed an Enemy as a
diversion from the privatization of public assets and the privatization of
Education , Health and Public Utitlities .
The situation of all socially and economically mariginilized communities
is serious and they are now confined to the periphery of policies facing social
and administrative apartheid including by policing agencies at lower levels .
It is not only in Dhule and Jalgaon that communal riots have broken
out this has happened at Khed in the Konkan among other Districts indicating
that criminalized leadership of political parties are in election mode the
controversy at the Marathi literary festival with the organizers and certain
political parties wanting to honour the late Mr. Thackeray for his so called
literary contribution which was nothing but abusive use of language for
minorities , indicates the level to which Maharashtra has sunk no one would
consider Mr. Thackeray a literary figure , apart from the fact that he took on
the name of an English Novelist and is from a family of migrants from Madhya
Pradesh masquerading as a crusader of Maharashtrians when in fact he set a
trend for criminalization of Maharashtra to suit his Corporate and MNCs patrons
and served everybody except the Maharashtrians !
It is necessary to convene a State level conference of all
marginalized communities and classes to focus on what is happening as a prelude
to the so called electoral battle which is choosing from the worst or worse
alternatives
Niloufer Bhagwat
----- Original Message -----
From: Feroze Mithiborwala
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2013 8:56 PM
Subject: Dhule Riots: Deputy Tehsildar Abdul Halim Ansari on Dhule riot duty
finds son ‘shot dead by cops’
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/dy-tehsildar-on-dhule-riot-duty-finds-son-shot-dead-by-cops-/1056076/
Dy Tehsildar on Dhule riot duty finds son ‘shot dead by cops’
For 33 years, Deputy Tehsildar Abdul Halim Ansari worked for the state, never
doubting that it was largely fair, just and honest towards all citizens. That
perception changed on Sunday, after his 30-year-old son died before his eyes,
allegedly gunned down by the orders of the same administration that he has
served all his life.
Ansari, 58, believes that the police shot his son in cold blood. He says not
one colleague or senior official from the administration that he has been part
of all his working life has visited him in his tragedy. He says that he will
not return to work now; he cannot be part of a “biased” system any more.
On Sunday afternoon, as a quarrel between a Hindu street food vendor and two
Muslim youths escalated into riots in communally sensitive Dhule town, 325 km
north of Mumbai, Ansari received a call from work.
“One of my colleagues was injured, and I took him to hospital. I was then
asked to return to office to collect safety gear and head to Machchli Bazaar
where violence had broken out,” Ansari said.
“Suddenly, I received a call saying my son had been injured. I rushed to the
hospital. He gestured to me to say he had been shot and asked for some water,”
Ansari said. “He died in front of my eyes.”
Ansari’s son, Hafiz Asif Abdul Halim, was an Islamic scholar who had a small
provision store outside his home. He had gone to Machchli Bazaar to buy the
family’s weekly stock of vegetables.
“The police shot him deliberately, he had done nothing,” Ansari said. “I am
not going to return to work. I can’t work for a biased system.”
The families of the three other men killed in Sunday’s firing echoed Ansari.
“How can you explain a 17-year-old being shot twice in the back? How can the
police shoot a kid who was trying his best to get away from them?” asked Arif
Patel, the uncle of Rizwan Raees Patel, who studied in class 12.
Twenty-year-old electrician Imran Ali Qamruddin was supposed to get married
this May. His brother Asif Ali said Imran had been complaining of pain in the
right side of his body and had an appointment with a Mumbai doctor who was to
put him through MRI and CT scans.
“I know that everyone who losses a family member in such incidents says that
their relative was not involved in the riots. But I sincerely tell you that
Imran never involved himself in such activities,” Asif said.
Asim Shaikh, 24, was an egg vendor who was allegedly shot by police while on
his weekly round of the market, delivering eggs to shops.
“It is God’s will. Dhule suffered a lot during the riots of 2008 as well. I
have faith in Allah and He will give us justice, but I pray that no father
irrespective of religion should ever have to suffer the death of his young
son,” Nasir Shaikh, Asim’s father, said.
--
Feroze Mithiborwala
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