By TwoCircles.net staff reporter,
Ahmedabad: President of the Gujarat unit of the People Unit of Civil Liberties, who has strongly condemned the July 26 serial bomb blasts in Ahmedabad resulting into death of 62 persons, mostly Hindus and injuries to 150 others, has announced to finance the educational cost of school going children of the accused arrested in the incident.
Speaking to Twocircles.net over from his residence in Vaddoara, which is 110 kms from Ahmedabad, Prof. Bandukwala said that the expenses for the education of such children would be borne by Zidni Ilma Trust of which he happens to be the president.
The arabic words Zidni Ilma mentioned in the Holy Quran, mean `increase the knowledge’ and the readers of Quran have been asked to pray Allah Taala to increase their knowledge.
Bandukwala, who is an ardent believer in communal harmony and has been consistently fighting for better relations between different communities, said that his trust would ensure that the education of the children of these people did not suffer for lack of finances their families would be facing after the arrests.
“As far as the accused are concerned, we will dissociate ourselves from them if they are found guilty by a court of law. But as far as their children are concerned, they are totally innocent and deserve support and succor and we will extend it to them”, he asserted, saying that the accused arrested were being made a scapegoat by the police as the latter had not been able to find the real culprits.
Bandukwala is collecting details about school going children of these people. However the financial assistance would be available only to those whose families and children are living in Gujarat and not outside the state. “We will be helping only those whose children are living and studying in Gujarat”, he said, adding:“this is our policy”.
His trust will, however, not be giving cash to the families. Instead, they will deposit annual fees and other school/college charges to the institutions directly to ensure money is not spent on other heads. Besides, the trust will also be buying books, stationery and uniforms for these children.
According to in formation available, only four of the serial blast accused-Arif Kagdi, Sajid Mansuri, Iqbal sheikh and Shamsuddin Sheikh-have school going children. Other accused are either unmarried or do not have children.
Bandukwala’s trust is also taking care of educational expenses of 148 children of POTA detenus in Godhra and 25 children of POTA detenus in Ahmedabad since last year. Even in all these cases, his trust made payment to the school and bought uniform, textbooks and stationery materials for the children.
From this year, Zidni Ilma has also started giving scholarships to poor Gujarati Muslim students studying engineering and medicines and doing other professional courses in educational institutes in Gujarat.
Since 2002, POTA families were given financial assistance, including monthly ration, by Action Aid and ANHAD (Act Now for Harmony and Democracy). However, they discontinued it two years ago owing to lack of funds.