By Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net,
Mumbai: People from across the social and political spectrum of Maharashtra have given mixed reaction to the conviction of former Shiv Sena MP Madhukar Sarpotdar in a 1992-93 Bombay riots case, and granting him bail within an hour of the pronouncement of the judgment.
Sarpotdar, along with two other Shiv Sena activists, Jaywant Mahadev Parab and Ashoke Shinde, were awarded one year imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5,000 on 9th July in Mumbai by a Special Court for his inflammatory speech that led to rioting. They have been convicted under section 153-A of the IPC. On December 27, 1992, Sarpotdar led a five thousand-strong mob in Bandra area. He made provocative speech at a Ganesh temple. Soon after the speech, the mob turned violent and rioted.
In order to get an idea of the feelings of the Muslims in Bombay, TwoCircles.net talked to some Muslim intellectuals and social workers who are actively working for the community.
Although the respondents expressed a bit of satisfaction, but more importantly they decried at the mockery of justice as even after the wait of sixteen years for justice, when the perpetrators of terror are convicted they get an easy bail within hours.
Most of the people highlighted the vulnerability of the legal system. They expressed the need for reform in judiciary which has emerged as the flickering but the only hope for the minorities.
Talking to TwoCircles.net editor of Urdu daily Hindustan published from Mumbai Sarfaraz Arzu’s reaction was “too late and too little.”
Arzu points out that this case against Madhukar Sarpotdar was a well-thought out move to mislead the Muslim public, because the government has strategically covered up the cases against him which were more serious in nature.
For instance, Sarpotdar was arrested in the TADA notified area with his vehicles loaded with arms and ammunitions by some military personnel. So his case was graver than the case in which Sanjay Dutt was convicted. But it was already suppressed by the authorities.
He terms this move as a part of the government’s larger exercises to maintain the facade of secularism. Arzu does not find any difference between the present political dispensation in the state and Hindutva parties. “They work for their [the perpetrators of terror] release and not for their conviction. That is why the more serious cases against Sarpotdar had been suppressed,” he alleged.
Arzu is harsh on Muslim leadership. He points out, “The way the government has mislead the Muslims across the state show only how much it takes the Muslims for granted. It does not care for the Muslim votes because it thinks that they can be brought under the fold any time by buying Muslim leaders.”
He says justice can only be done when all the riot cases are investigated in a serious and non-partisan manner, and when the culprits involved in rape, murder, looting, and burning of the properties of Muslims are made accountable to law.
When TwoCircles.net wanted to know the reaction of noted social activist Sayeed Khan of Muslim Youth of India, he said Muslims in Mumbai are a bit relieved at the fact that at least one culprit got some punishment. Sarpotdar had been actively involved in the riots. He openly exhorted the violent mob to murder Muslims, said Khan.
In Maharashtra it is a big thing to “punish” someone close to Bal Thackeray, so people are relieved at the conviction of Sarpotdar.
Are the riots victims also satisfied? Not much, says Khan adding that they consider the amount of punishment as hugely insufficient. So there is an obvious and natural anger among them.
Legal experts have also shared their views with the media on the conviction of Sarpotdar and other Shiv Sena activists.
Prominent legal expert Majeed Memon points out that it is a historical verdict in the sense that a 16-year-old incident was vindicated in the court in the light of evidence, says a news report in Urdu daily Rashtriya Sahara.
Although, the leader has the right to appeal against the verdict but the fact is that a lower court has held him guilty and, therefore, it can be expected that the miscreants and hate-mongering leaders will be careful in their speeches in coming election.
Memon says the verdict has sent a clear message to the society that the people spreading discrimination and hatred should now beware and refrain from such activities; otherwise their place will be behind bars.
The people who were affected by the riots are angry at the amount of punishment, and also because he got bail.
Yusuf Ali Muzzaffar, who lost his one leg and the earning of his whole life in the post-Babri demolition riot orchestrated by the Hindutva organizations, has been quoted by the media describing the entire process as “drama.” He does not consider it as “conviction.”
He says that he cannot arrange for the marriage of his daughter because the rioters had destroyed all his property. Since those nightmarish days it has become very hard for his family to make two ends meet.
Reacting to the verdict of the court, leading filmmaker and social worker Mahesh Bhatt said that the verdict has come too late and too little, says a report in Urdu daily Inquilab. He said after sixteen years the verdict which awarded punishment to Madhukar Sarpotdar is appreciable but punishment of one year’s term and a fine of Rs 5,000 are too meager.
He points out that even after the verdict that came 16 years after the incident, we have to wait and see what would happen in High Court and, then, in the Supreme Court whereas we are still get perplexed when we think what shall happen to other cases pointed out in Sri Krishna Commission report!
In comparison to the amount and intensity of injustice, trauma, pain, and suffering faced by the Muslims in 1992-93 riots, the “punishment” is nothing short of mockery of justice.
If one analyses this riot case or any other riot case across India one realizes that it is not the sense of justice but the hypocritical and opportunistic politics which guides the union and the state governments in their dealing of the affairs and problems of the minorities in the country. The 1992-93 riot cases in Maharashtra are no exception.