By Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net,
Patna: Weeks after the orchestration of the riot in Dhule the situation in the communally sensitive area of Maharashtra seems to be “normal”. Normal at least in the sense that there is no violence and curfew.
As per the official data 10 people were killed in the frenzy of violence but the relief workers who are working in the area say it is as usual an underestimation by the government to lessen the casualty at least in the media to save its face.
In order to have an idea of what is going on there TwoCircles.net talked to Sarfaraz, Dhule district president of Movement for Peace and Justice (MPJ) and Zainul Abedin who is also associated with MPJ.
They said more than 4000 people have been affected by the pre-planned riot. Most of the people who were in the two relief camps have gone to their relatives as their homes have been looted and burnt. Some have returned to their homes.
At present the relief work is going on. The relief work is mainly being done by the MPJ and Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH). To start with they are helping people register the FIR with police. Explaining the detail about the relief work Zainul Abedin pointed out that there are lots of people who have been left with nothing. They will have to start their lives afresh.
What the MPJ and JIH are doing is helping the affected people start their lives afresh any how. With their own limited resources they are helping the people with their needs like grains, and stoves, repairing of the house if at all it is worth repairing.
The poor class people like rickshaw pullers and labourers are the worst hit because being vulnerable they became the easy target. There are many rickshaw pullers whom the MPJ and JIH provided some amount of money either to repair their rickshaws or help them get some labor work if rickshaws have been burnt by the rioters.
He stressed the fact that the worst affected section has been the business community of Dhule. He pointed out that there were numerous shops belonging to Muslims on the national highway, prominent among them small scale factories of plastic, garages, and shops of other things. They have been burnt by the rioters.
MPJ activists are helping the garage people with some money to help them start their garage.
He further said that the rioters strategically targeted the entire prospering businessmen who were famous in the area. It was complete planning that they did this. For instance they first looted the shops by filling up the vans they had specially brought up for the purpose and then they burnt the shops leaving only cold ashes as evidence of their crime.
Zainulabedin informed TCN that today Amar Singh, the general secretary of Samajwadi Party, visited Dhule. TCN asked if there is any difference after the visit of so many politicians from the state and also from the centre belonging to different parties. He said nothing has changed. And any way their visit was a part of the politics they pursue. To ensure justice to the victims is not part of that politics.
On resignation of several Muslim corporaters in Nanded, Aurangabad and other districts, he said the move has certainly brought the government under pressure. They did make some announcements that “justice will be done, and all the guilty will be punished.” But there hasn’t been so much pressure to make them take concrete steps to ensure justice and compensation to thousands of victims and affected people.
He pointed pout that many people have been arrested but the irony is that the oppressed have been treated as oppressor. People whose houses and shops were looted and burnt were arrested for the crime they don’t know.
He also informed that an “Aman March” was organized two days before.
MPJ and JMI have appealed to the people across the world to contribute in the relief fund they have specially started for the rehabilitation of the riot victims of Dhule.
The money can be sent on the below mentioned address:
Ideal Relief Committee Trust
Account Number – 30026552256
Mumbai, Maharashtra
In case of any enquiry these people can be contacted
Mr. Siraj, President MPJ, Maharashtra- 9324236162
Mr. Sarfaraz, President MPJ, Dhule- 9822247580
Shoaib Lokhandwala, Media secretary MPJ-9833627173