Special Series on Terror Arrests from Bihar – Part Five
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
Chak Zohra, Darbhanga: Local Muslims are frightened in the wake of terror arrests from Darbhanga and Madhubani, it was said. One day earlier this month we became witness to the fact – Fear has indeed settled down here after dozen odd youths having been picked up since November 2011.
It was 10 am and we were standing outside the house of an arrested youth in Chak Zohra mohalla in Darbhanga town of Bihar. Just after we entered the campus a kid of 4 riding his toy rickshaw inside the campus told us the keys of the gate of the house are lost. Instantly we felt he is tutored. We knocked at the gate and a lady from inside the house repeated what the kid had said and insisted we return but at the same time she threw several questions at us. Those with this scribe were the eminent persons of the locality and Darbhanga district. They introduced themselves to her and put the purpose of the visit. Yet, she was not willing to talk, leave alone allowing in. After lots of efforts, she was convinced about our genuineness and then allowed in.
She was mother of 19-year-old Abdur Rahman. She was really frightened after the arrest of his son. The first year B.Tech. student Raman was arrested on 27th November 2011 in Chennai by the Special Cell of Delhi Police. Only six months back he had gone to Chennai for engineering course after completing 10th and 12th from CBSE in Darbhanga itself. He was among the first few of dozen odd Bihar youths who have been arrested in connection with some unsolved terror blasts cases.
His family, however, is not ready to accept the charge. His mother says she has never received any complaint against her son from the mohalla, how can he be a criminal, leave alone terrorist.
“He had gone to Chennai six months ago to do B.Tech. He was arrested but we came to know two days later. We were worried. We got to know that Delhi’s Special Cell had arrested him,” says Rahman’s mother.
“He had studied from LKG to class 10 from Don Bosco school in the locality and 12th from Rose Public school in Belwaganj, Darbhanga. There has not been any case against him. There is no FIR against him. In fact, there is no complaint against him from anyone in the neighborhood. But Police has charged him as terrorist,” she says.
What Principal of Don Bosco School says about Abdur Rahman
Syed Anwar Hasan Abidi, Principal of Don Bosco School, about a kilometer from Rahman’s house, praises not only the boy but entire family.
“He was a good student both in education and character. We have no words to praise him. In fact his other brothers were also brilliant and good in character. I personally know the family. They are good family. There are doctors and engineers in the family,” he says.
Rahman studied about 10 years (nursery to matric) at this school but the school administration didn’t receive a complaint against him.
“He got education from nursery to class 10 at this school. In entire 10 years we didn’t get even a complaint against him,” says Abidi adding that the news about his arrest in terror case was unbelievable for him.
“When we heard about his arrest in terror case we couldn’t believe it. In fact this can’t be believed. Stilly today I don’t believe and cannot accept he could be a terrorist. It is possible he might have been misguided or was implicated. The entire area knows the family. They are good and respected family,” adds Abidi.
Academic record
The principal says Rahman was a very good student. He passed matriculation with first class. His younger brother also passed matriculation from here with good marks and youngest one is in class IX here.
Why terror arrests from Darbhanga?
“I think the youths getting higher technical education like engineering and computers are being targeted. It could be a conspiracy to push back the Muslim community of the area who are going ahead in education and economy. In recent past Muslim students from Darbhanga and Madhubani are doing well in medical and engineering fields. They are cracking competitions. But if such arrests continue maybe universities in other parts of the county would not admit youths from Darbhanga. And this will push the community backwards once again,” he apprehends.