By Abdul Basith, TwoCircles.net,
Kozhikode: Last few weeks the state witnessed every human rights and Muslim groups coming together to demand justice for Abdul Nasser Madani. A general public opinion formed and protests began against his ‘illegal’ detention. However, the issue now appears to be hijacked by politicians in their petty politics.
Pro-left independent MLA from Kerala, PTA Raheem had last week visited Madani in jail and came out with some controversial remarks against Indian Union Muslim League [IUML]. He quoted Madani of having told him from the jail that, a few IUML leaders has worked behind getting him arrested in Karnataka jail.
Abdul Nasser Madani [Courtesy; vyganews.com/]
Madani had some evidences in hand against a few IUML leaders, he was pressurised on not to reveal those, he added. Madani’s response was that if there is truth in those evidences, those will be published. This indeed was a major reason behind Madani getting arrested again, Raheem said.
TwoCircles.net contacted PTA Raheem but he was reluctant to blame it solely on IUML again. He told TCN that, he was not specifically targeting any political party and that in general he was mentioning about a few vested interests within Kerala conspiring and targeting Madani. “A section of media was in particular highlighting my references with regards to a few IUML leaders, when I was in general mentioning about the conspiracies as told by him,” he told TCN.
Another case getting fabricated in Kerala to trap Madani foreseeing a release from Bangaluru jail:
Speaking to TCN, PTA Raheem noted that nobody would disagree on the fact that there have been conspiracies against him from within the state and the next stages of conspiracies are underway with cases getting fabricated against him in a jewellery looting incident at Ernakulum.
Eminent advocate BA Aloor had earlier staid regarding the investigation team torturing Tadiyantevida Naseer asking him to give statement against Madani, in the jewellery robbery case. The investigation team asked Naseer to state that the looted jewellery finally reached Madani and that the robbery was carried out to find funds for terror activities.
“My statements were solely meant at conveying Madani’s anxieties on such mischievous moves against him, mediated not just by forces outside the state and instead by conspirers within the state as well. Madani strongly believes that a few top politicians in Kerala too are involved in these types of conspiracies and that was what I was referring to,” he said.
He told TCN that IUML is not at all sincere with Madani’s case. The UDF hasn’t until now responded to CPI (M) leader MA Baby’s demand in the assembly to send an all party committee to meet Karnataka CM. The silence from the part of UDF and especially league leaders on this regard is mischievous, he said.
Now Madani is critically ill and so IUML somehow want to convey that they are not responsible for this situation. Recently after the IUML national executive meet at Kozhikode too, the leaders were found responding to the queries of media persons by clearly stating that ‘Madani is not part of their agenda’, said the MLA, who has adopted a pro-left stand after walking out of IUML.
We can’t say that League as a whole is responsible, and leaders like ET Muhammed Basheer too stays an exception with their sincerity towards Madani but it should not be forgotten that there were few leaders who found it politically safe to limit Madani behind bars, said Raheem MLA.
IUML terms Raheem’s allegations ‘baseless’:
Speaking to TCN Muslim league state General Secretary KPA Majeed termed Raheem’s allegations baseless.
“Muslim league doesn’t want to trap or jail anybody based on false allegations. Though there are chances that Madani might be revengeful against IUML, we are of the opinion that Madani should get justice. We don’t agree to the detention of anybody without reason, and IUML is not indifferent in Madani’s case too,” said Majeed.
“We don’t believe that Madani might have told anything against IUML as stated by PTA Raheem,” added the general secretary of the League.
Meanwhile the ‘Madani justice forum’ chairman Sebastian Paul said that he has visited Madani frequently in jail and that Madani hasn’t until now revealed anything like, what PTA Raheem stated before the media channels .
The working chairman of PDP, Poonthura Siraj too shares an opinion that Madani would not have told such things to the MLA. Veteran columnist O Abdullah opined that it is hard to believe that Madani said something like that to PTA Raheem MLA on his visit to the jail.
Most other than the left circles shares an opinion that the MLA’s remarks quoting Madani against IUML has came out in the wrong occasion; especially when IUML came up raising Madani’s rights issue irrespective of their political differences.
They accuse CPI (M) of using him as a pawn to disrupt the unity that has formed in favour of Madani within the political, religious and social spheres of Kerala. They believe that CPI (M) is at its worst distressed by IUML’s involvement in the Madani issue and so somehow wants to create fissures within this unity.
PTA Raheem
Expert committee appointed by Kerala CM to analyse Madani’s medical report:
Meanwhile, an expert committee of five doctors appointed by Kerala CM have started analysing Madani’s detailed medical report sent by the Karnataka government. Further steps will be taken based on this report, said the Kerala CM. The Kerala CM made it clear that the government has limitations intervening into a case within another state and that it will make all possible attempts despite these constraints. He informed that the government has not made any decisions to send an All Party Committee to Karnataka with regards to Madani’s treatment and release, despite continuous demands from the part of opposition leaders.
The Muslim Educational Society [MES] President and senior neurologist Dr Fasal Gafoor had visited Madani in jail and had warned of the life risk he is facing if not shifted to a hospital on an emergency basis. The diabetes has critically affected most of his body organs. He is almost blind due to the lack of blood flow in the eye veins and diabetic nephropathy has resulted in the failure of both his kidneys.
Fasal Gafoor said that both his legs and face were inflamed due to renal failure. His face and several other body parts have developed wounds and are not healing due to a high level of diabetes. He needs emergency medication from a specialised medical centre or otherwise it is fatal I should say, warned Fasal Gafoor.
Madani had undergone angiogram examinations thrice and had shown symptoms of heart attack several times in last 24 days. He has breathing difficulties as well and though being informed constantly the jail authorities haven’t availed any treatment facilities, said the PDP state general secretary Muhammed Rajeeb after visiting Madani in jail.
Madani told him that the Karnataka home affairs secretary’s report to the Kerala government saying that adequate treatment facilities are now being availed is baseless. In last two and half year it was only twice that they have checked Madani’s blood sugar level and ahead of submitting his medical report before court they inject him with a high dose of insulin and it is only after this they conduct a blood sugar test, this way they are successful in convincing the court that he is not that diabetic, says Muhammed Rajeeb after visiting Madani.
Despite all these criticalities the jail authorities says that he is physically fit, citing instances of him speaking with those who visits him in jail. So the justice for Madani forum have asked Kerala govt to sent a Doctors team from Kerala to Bangalore and assess Madani’s health conditions first hand rather than depending on the Karnataka govt’s medical report.
Meanwhile PDP acting chairman Punthura Siraj handed over a letter written by Madani to the Kerala CM describing the tortures in jail and his critically ill health state. He took almost six days to complete this letter by his own hand due to deteriorating health conditions and weak eye sight. Madani was desperate to write and handover the letter this week itself because Oommen Chandy is about to meet Karnataka CM on 3rd January to discuss on the health conditions of Madani.
In this long letter he had listed the human rights violations and denial of justice faced by him in the Parappana Agrahara jail since last two and half years. He has enclosed a few medical reports proving his critical health state and has tried to expose the hypocrisy of Karnataka government and prosecution who keeps repeating that they are providing adequate treatment to him in jail.
The Karnataka government has until now taken a negligent approach towards the grave health issues faced by Madani. Every time he tried to convince the jail authorities and trial-court about his critical health state, they have turned a blind eye and claimed in the court that his health is stable and could be medicated within the treatment facilities in jail/government hospital. So it needs clarity on how far the medical report sent by the Karnataka stays true to the health conditions of Madani.
Soukya Medical Centre assures treatment facilities anytime on request:
The Soukya holistic and integrated medical centre in Bangaluru in their letter to the Parappana Agrahara jail authorities expressed their willingness to provide treatment to Madani anytime. Earlier Madani had written to them seeking treatment for diabetic neuropathy and retinopathy. The hospital has assured to arrange specialist diabetic cardiology treatment as well, if required.
“Madani was here for treatment two years back and so we are not aware of his present state,” said the Soukya centre chairman Dr. Isaac Mathai Nooranal. He asked the jail authorities to reduce the security official’s number to a minimum and to deploy them under mufti, so as to maintain the hospital atmosphere. He have sought the help of a by-standee while treatment and has expressed his preference for one among Madani’s family member on that regard.
Can Kerala intervene in the real sense?
The Kerala CM though assured effective measures to ensure treatment and justice; he keeps repeating that in Madani’s case, as he is being detained in a different state, the government has limitations in intervening.
The CM is not yet ready to consider the opposition demand to send an all party committee to meet Karnataka CM, and has not explained the limitations prevalent on that regard. Now it will be an official team visiting the Karnataka CM along with the Oommen Chandy and it needs to be seen how effective it will be compared to an All Party Committee.
It is under the wake of these developments the ‘Justice for Madani forum’ chairman Sebastian Paul questioned the court’s logic of letting free murder indicted Italian Marines for spending Christmas along with family back home whereas a cruel court is even not ready to hear what a critically ill – Madani has to say about his innocence and life threatening diseases.
The Kerala govt didn’t even go for an appeal in higher courts against the court’s and central govt’s decision to let them travel back to Italy and nobody found it difficult to intervene, even when they were citizens of a different nation.
Taking into consideration these recent developments, human rights groups and Muslim organisations has now started raising their concern over the sincerity of statements and actions undertaken by both the ruling and opposition fronts. As now it seems, for both the fronts, it is not justice that matters and instead some temporary political gains.