By Salman Sultan, TwoCircles.net,
Azamgarh: It was a dark September in the year 2008, when Azamgarh, famous for communal amity and intellectual heritage, occupied valuable newsprint space for days and was repeatedly mentioned in the electronic media. People were warned of the danger posed not by illiterate Muslim youths but highly educated youths who had the potential to move out of Azamgarh and compete with the world.
Putting all norms and regulations aside national media started singing chorus of “Terrorism posed by educated Muslim youths” in unison and built up the crescendo to deafening proportion. A few sane voices that dared to come out against this uninhibited and shameless display of fanaticism were lost in the cacophony. Azamgarh rose in unison to blunt the weapon of divisive politics through polarization of communities. Both Hindu and Muslim community felt hurt by this media savagery and wondered as to how this can happen in a Socialist Democratic Republic. Just the name of Azamgarh was enough to lose jobs and this irrational and unjustified treatment was not reserved for Muslims only, Hindu employees/aspirants also felt the heat.
National or even regional media never bothered to look out for sincere Muslim youths who were not only honestly earning their daily breads but were supporting their family in addition to educate their siblings. Mohammad Anwar is a glorious representation of such Muslim youths.
Third among the four brothers and one sister, Anwar works as a “Raddiwala” (junk, old newspaper, etc) from 8am to 4pm. On off days when there is not much work or when he doesn’t have enough money to buy household junk, Anwar learns making of seat cover for motorbikes through his elder brother who works at such a shop. He could not study beyond eighth class as he had to support his parents but Anwar is determined to educate his younger brother. The eldest one is working in a company in Delhi and Anwar’s sister is studying in eleventh class. Anwar finds time in the evening to pick up the broken thread of his education and is helped by his sister in this noble task. Let us salute to the indefatigable spirit of Muslim youths like Mohammad Anwar.