By Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: In an effort to bring the issue of Forbesganj firing to the national level, the parents of those killed in the firing incident met the UPA Chief Sonia Gandhi on Saturday. They were accompanied by Mahesh Bhatt and Shabnam Hashmi from Anhad.
On 3rd June 2011, residents of Rampur and Bhajanpur villages under Forbesganj block in Araria district came out, after Juma Prayer, to protest against blockade of the connecting road between the two villages for a factory. The police not only opened fire on the protestors but chased them to their homes, entered in and killed even women and infant pointblank. Four people including two women and a six-month-old infant were killed.
Phatkan Ansari broke down while talking about how his son Mohd Mustafa Ansari was brutally killed by Bihar police, Mahesh Bhatt looks son
Those who met Mrs. Gandhi include Phatkan Ansari and Tahirun Khatoon, parents of Mohd Mustafa Ansari (18 yrs) who got killed in the police firing; Amina Khatoon and Farukh Ansari, parents of Mohd Mukhtar Ansari.
The parents of those killed by the Bihar police told Mrs. Gandhi about the brutal way in which the state police killed their children without any fault of theirs. They also made her aware about the way the entire police administration of the state has been trying to brush the matter under carpet and the fact that the Nitish Kumar led NDA government of the state has not taken any substantial step yet to punish those responsible for the firing.
Mahesh Bhatt told TwoCircles.net that the “It was a very emotional scene. The mothers of victims cried on the shoulder of Mrs. Gandhi. Only a woman can understand the pain of woman and I hope that Mrs. Gandhi will do some thing for these victims whose every right has been violated by the state police.”
Talking to TwoCircles.net, Dr. Shakeel Ahmad Khan spokesperson of the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee said that Mrs. Gandhi has assured the victims that surely the matter will be taken seriously and the Congress will make every effort possible to get them justice.”
Khan further said that, “as far as the BPCC is concerned it has started a campaign against the apathy of the Nitish government and soon if the state government doesn’t do any thing it will start a statewide agitation against the NDA government.”
“We have also taken up the Forbesganj firing incident with the central leadership of the Congress party and soon the central leaders will visit Bhajanpura village,” added Khan.
In spite of enthusiasm shown by Khan and Mr. Bhatt, Shabnam Hashmi of Anhad was skeptical of highlighting the meeting with Mrs. Gandhi too much, instead she seemed to prefer the substantial action on the ground.
“We have met and are still trying to meet every body in order to get justice to the victims of Forbesganj firing but let’s see what happens,” Hashmi said while talking to TwoCircles.net.
The victims will be meeting National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and National Commission for Minorities (NCM) on Monday.
The victims of Forbesganj will be in Delhi for coming two days and any media house interested in meeting them and doing any story can contact Shabnam Hashmi on 9811807558.