By Mohammed Siddique, TwoCircles.net,
Hyderabad : Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee and its women’s organization Nisa have launched a first of its kind financial initiative for the rehabilitation of the youth, who were arrested by the police and implicated in the terror related cases after last year’s bomb blasts in the city.
In first such effort, a shop of electrical goods and services of Mohamed Rayeesuddin was opened in Malakpet area of Hyderabad by Prof. Rama Milkote of Osmania University on Wednesday.
The APCLMC has provided a financial assistance of Rs 40,000 to 25 year old Rayeesuddin, an accused in the criminal conspiracy case, to stand on his own feet as he had failed to get a job after his release on bail a few months ago.
“I approached many people for a job but they refused because of the police case against me. Some were afraid of police because the police had falsely projected me as a terror accused. Some others asked me how I will be able to work if I have to appear in the court for the cases”, Rayeesuddin said.
He recalled that after the blasts last year the police had picked him up and tortured in illegal detention for several days. “They were asking me to take the responsibility of the blasts. They even offered me lakhs of rupees to accept the responsibility”, he said.
Rayeesuddin had to pay heavy social price too. After losing a good secure job in a jewelry shop, his engagement was also broken as the girl’s parents did not want to have any thing to do with a “terror accused”.
Rama Milkote inaugurating the shop hoped that Rayeesuddin will set an example of success and will become a role model for the youth like him who had become victim of police atrocity but boldly faced the situation. “it is the collective duty of the society to come to help of such youth”, she said.
Lateef Mohammed, the general secretary of APCLMC said that his organization along with Nisa will try to help all such youth with the financial contributions from the people. “We have made a beginning today and this first step in this direction”, he said.
Soon a general store will also be opened with an investment of Rs 30,000 to rehabilitate another youth Mohammed Raheemuddin who is also an accused in the criminal conspiracy case.
Lateef Mohammed Khan ridiculed the statement of the state’s minority welfare minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir that the state government will provide Rs 30,000 for each of the youth who were wrongly arrested by the police and arrange a loan from the bank for their economic rehabilitation. “None of these youth are willing to accept Rs 30,000 loan from the government in exchange of the inhuman torture they had to suffer. If the government is sincere let it withdraw the false cases”, he said.
Khan pointed out that 21 youth who had become target of the police atrocities have filed a suit in the local court seeking compensation of Rs 20 lakh each.
In at least two terror related conspiracy cases, the courts in Hyderabad have acquitted nine youth during last one month.
The Andhra Pradesh Civil LIberties Monitoring Committee has taken a unique initiative to economicaly rehabilitate the youth who were arrested on terror related charges but were later acquitted by the court. As the affected youth were not able to get any job becuase of the terror slur, the APCLMC appealed for public donations to help the youth. As a first step in this direction, an electric good and service shop was set up for Mohammed Rayeesuddin in Asman Garh and it was formally inaugurated by Prof. Rama Milkote. APCLMC general secretary Lateef Mohamemd Khan said that the scheme will be implemented by a newly formed women organization NISA (means Women). One Kirana store for another affected youth Abdul Raheem is coming up in Singareni colony of Sayeedabad soon with an investment of Rs 30000.
[Photos by Snaps India]