By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Mumbai: A panel of National Commission for Minorities (NCM) on Monday visited violence affected areas of Pune and after listening Sadiq Shaikh – father of murdered techie Mohsin Shaikh and other members of minority organizations have said that there are sufficient proofs of involvement of radical outfit Hindu Rashtra Sena (HRS) in igniting Pune communal violence in the city and therefore the panel would strongly recommend central government to ban HRS.
The commission panel was in the city to examine the losses suffered by the people and check if the government has compensated the victims, especially family of murdered techie Mohsin Shaikh, a 24-year-old IT manager who was beaten to death in the Hadapsar area of Pune by HRS activists after derogatory pictures of Shivaji and Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray were uploaded on Facebook, sparking communal tensions across the city during 31st May to 2nd June.
National Minority Commission meeting minority organizations in Pune [source – Roznamasahara]
The commission panel consisted of three members – Dr. Ajaib Singh, T N Shanoo and Captain Praveen Davar (retd) who visited the city after nearly 3 months of the incidence and met members from minority organizations – Khudai Kidmatgar, Jamiat Ulema Maharashtra, Muslim Saurakshan Hakka Samiti, Sadiq Shaikh and many other social activists.
All these organizations along with Sadiq Shaikh insisted the commission to propose central government to ban HRS members of which were responsible for creating havoc in the city resulting into the death of innocent IT manager Mohsin Shaikh in Hadapsar area of the city.
Sadiq Shaikh told the commission that even after state government’s announcement of providing job to Mohsin’s brother, state has not allotted any job to him so far although elections are due in the state for which model code of conduct will resume in couple of weeks.
Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, in a meeting with Sadiq Shaikh and MLA Pranati Shinde from Solapur on June 9, had assured him that the state government would provide a job for his younger son ‘Mubeen Shaikh’ but no official letter have been issued to his name till date.
With this he also asked commission to raise his demand of prosecuting HRS members arrested for Mohsin’s murder under stringent MCOC Act in a fast track court and to protect witnesses in the case so that trial will not get affected.
Representatives of minority organizations presented some photographs before the commission of damaged Mosques, Kabrastan (funeral ground), burnt Bakeries,shops, vehicles etc and have also demanded to compensate all the victims who have not yet been paid damages by the state.
Qari Muhammad Idris , head of Jamiat Ulema Pune unit apprised commission that since many years Hindu radicals in the city terrorize butchers and forcefully snatch sacrificial goats and bulls from their vehicles during transport for Bakr Eid to other city and sell them in other markets. He also told that even after number of complaints to city police such incidences continue to happen every year due to lack of vigilance of police.
After discussion the commission acknowledged the fact that only Muslim community suffered during the 3 days violence and there is absolute need of banning radical outfit HRS which has proved to be a threat for maintaining communal harmony in the society.
“The Commission will also recommend the ban on the radical outfit. The idea of ‘India’ is that followers of all religions stay together in total harmony in the country,” said Dr Ajaib Singh.
The commission appreciated response of Muslims in the city who kept calm and did not indulge in the violence despite damages suffered to them. The commission also appreciated city police in containing the violence though it hinted that if city police would have been vigilant then damages could have been fewer.
“We found that six incidents that involved digging up of graveyards in Bhosari area, and stone pelting at mosques, could have been avoided if police had been more vigilant,” said captain Davar.
In the end commission promised Sadiq Shaikh and meeting organizations of raising demands of immediately providing job to Mohsin’s brother along with other demands posed by Sadiq Shaikh while it meets Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan in next two days. The commission also assured of recommending central government to ban HRS.