By Manzar Bilal, TwoCircles.net,
Patna: To counter the pressure on the Bihar government from several sections of the people for not giving compensation to the victims of Forbesganj brutal incident, Bhim Singh, Minister for Rural Works in Bihar Government, called it against the law to do so.
“The Chief Minister from his fund has given Rs. 3 lakh to the family of infant killed in the incident and our government will give the compensation once the report of the judicial commission is submitted. The law does not allow to give compensation in the incident happened between police and citizens unless the inquiry is done” said minister.
Leaders are being honoured,
The Forbesganj police firing was among the issues raised by the regional leaders of backward Muslims from different parts of the state at a conference organized by the All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz (Saleem faction) to mark the birth anniversary of prominent freedom fighter Abdul Qayyum Ansari on July 1 here in Patna.
The National President of the Mahaz, Saleem Prevez said: “The Mahaz’s team which visited the spot found that it was one-sided atrocities of Police upon poor Muslims. I met Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to discuss the issue. He assured me justice to the victims as he did for the victims of Bhagalpur riot.”
One of the resolutions adopted by the Mahaz demanded from the government to get the inquiry done as soon as possible and punish the culprits and give Rs. 10 lakh as compensation to the families of the deceased people along with job to one person of each family, and Rs. 5 lakh to each injured along with providing proper treatment facilities to them.
L-R: Daud Ali Ansari, Brishen Patel, Shiwanand Tiwari and Bhim Sing
Mr. Saleem who is JD-U MLC and Deputy Chairman of Bihar Legislative Council vowed that he will be fighting for the rights of Pasmanda Muslims and will never compromise. He also urged the hundreds of people from backward classes present at the function to strive for the educational development among them and use schemes run by the government for the purpose.
The Mahaz’s patron Abdus Sattar Ansari was very critical of the leaders among them who are appeasing the ruling party and avoiding from raising the voice for the problems of the lower class Muslims.
Speakers on the stage
“We are here to remember the leader of Pasmanda Muslims, Abdul Qayyum Ansari so we should take lesson from his life and carry on his mission. He was the man who even rejected the post for the cause of backward class Muslims. But today there are many people who after getting big post are tight-lipped on the problems confronted by Pasmanda Muslims.” said Abdussattar Ansari.
Speaking on the occasion, JD-U MLA Daud Ali Ansari said that it has been very sad part of the history that Pasmanda samaj who are fulfilling the various essential need of the society including providing clothes, vegetables and construction of homes have been neglected by the elite and the government. “There is an urgent need to step for the betterment of the Pasmanda Muslim” he added.
“Everyone should be given due rights and we should fight for our rights but with love and respect. We should not adopt the way of violence because it would create division among us that is against sprit of our country” said Brishen Patel, Minister of Transport, Information & Public Relations, Bihar.
Audience
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was also supposed to address the conference but he could not make it as he was in Delhi. Though in his written message to the Mahaz’s president he described inability to attend the program due to personal reason, the sources said that he missed it willingly.
Actually a faction of All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz is headed by JDU MLC Saleem Pervez which organized the program in the capital city of Patna while another faction is headed by JDU MP Ali Anwar Ansari organized the program on the same topic in Arrah city of Bhojpur district of Bihar. Interestingly, both are JD-U leaders and come from backward class Muslims so Nitish Kumar did not want to attend one’s program causing anonymity of another so he missed both. The point got strength as he was to fly from Delhi to Patna in the morning but he chose to take the train so as to arrive late.
[Photos by Mudassir Rizwan, TwoCircles.net]