In the last of the three-part series on Malegaon blasts, we bring you the story of a Unani doctor who was one of the nine accused of the blasts in the town. Dr Salman Farsi now works six days a week as a medical emergency officer, while waiting and hoping to be absolved of all charges in the case
By TwoCircles.net Special Correspondent,
Malegaon: Dr Salman Farsi is a man on high-alert, and for good reasons.
For six days, the normal hours of employment do not necessarily apply to him. As an emergency doctor working for the Bharat Vikas Group (BVG) in Nampur, 30 kilometres from Malegaon, he attends patients who are in need of an immediate medical attention and then drives the ambulance to the nearest hospital for further treatment.
Not that Dr Farsi, a resident of Malegaon, chose this particular profession in mind.
The textile town of Maharashtra was rocked on the September 8, 2006 afternoon by three serial bomb explosions near a Muslim cemetery, soon after Friday prayers, leaving 37 dead and 125 injured. As we have shown in Part One of the series, the blasts not just killed dozens and injured hundreds, it also altered the lives of many others for the worse.
Salman Farsi
Farsi, a Malegon resident and a BUMS graduate; was working in his clinic in Govandi, Mumbai, when his life changed forever: Maharashtra ATS picked him up on November 5, 2006 alleging his involvement in the blasts. He was arrested along with eight other Muslim youths for having participated in the conspiracy and orchestrating serial blasts.
It was not until November 2011, having spent five years in prison under the accusations, that all youth accused, including Dr Farsi, were granted bail. The NIA did not object to their bail and instead charged Hindu radicals for the blasts.
“There was a delay in granting bail and for me justice is yet to be done as charges have not been absolved,” Dr Farsi says with optimistic tone.
As Part Two of the series showed, the bail was hardly an end to their travails. After coming out on bail, Farsi decided to settle down in Malegaon. He explains, “I chose to live in Malegaon because I found support here. It was very difficult initially and I could not focus on practice (Unani medicine), but I had a desire to treat people. The next two years were a struggle: Dr Farsi tried his hands in business and also grazed sheep.
He led the prayers at a mosque in Yeola, Nashik. “Being an Aalim (Islamic scholar), I could have continued to lead people in prayers but this (the emergency medical officer) job gives me pleasure. After waiting for about two years, I finally got an opportunity that I desired,” he says.
“We attend patients within 60KM zone and after providing emergency medical care in our ambulance, we take patients to nearest civil hospital”, he adds.
Sharing the feeling he experiences in treating patients, he says, “It gives me satisfaction that I am using my potential in serving people in their tragedies. I become happy when patients, after receiving treatment, thank me for attending them in time”.
After the treatment, most of the patients, as an expression of gratitude, try to touch his feet but Dr Farsi tells them, “Thank the almighty, who sent me to attend you. I am only his servant”.
The struggle of Dr Farsi meant his family’s life was no different: Dr Nafeesa, wife of Dr Farsi, is also BUMS doctor. After his arrest, she worked as a general practitioner in Malegaon. Nafeesa runs her dispensary and the family enjoys Sunday together when Dr Farsi comes home from Nampur.
Maulana Farqalid, a renowned Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind functionary from Malegaon, is well acquainted with Dr Farsi’s family and expresses haplessness at not being able to help Dr Farsi get a similar job in Malegaon.
“Although Salman is doing a very good job as an emergency officer, he has to spend days away from his family. We tried to get him such job locally but could not succeed so far”, he says.
“Salman is earning a good name because of this job and has also been promoted by the BVG due to his excellent service. His wife is also very hard working, I am happy that Jamiat helped Salman and others in getting bail”, Maulana adds.
Dr Farsi, along with all other accused in this case, were helped by Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind legally and submitting Rs 50,000 sureties of bail before trial court but it could not help these accused in getting jobs in Malegaon.
Dr Farsi is the only accused who has not filed ‘discharge’ application before trial court. Instead, he has filed an application to scrap all charges before Bombay High court. He has not engaged any lawyer to argue this application and hence the case is pending.
“I don’t want to get discharge or acquittal; I want to be absolved of all the charges. I want them to finally confess that the case against me was bogus. Mentality of the officers of ATS and CBI who arrested and charge sheeted was antinational. And by shielding the ‘real’ accused they were allowed to commit several other blasts,” Dr Farsi shares his despair of being falsely charged in the case.
Dr Farsi has to attend court hearings in Mumbai, which usually occur once a month and sometimes twice. When he has emergency patient at hand, he writes ‘exemption’ application and hands it over to any of his co-accused from Malegaon who goes for hearing and ask them to submit on his behalf.
“There is a complexity in this life…many a times; I get angry when I look back. But, to be honest, when I go to bed I can sleep well with the feeling that even in this difficult time, someone is being cured by my hands”, Dr Farsi says with a smile.
Related:
Part One: Malegaon blasts victims and families seek justice, not compensation
Part Two: Out on bail, Muslim youths accused of Malegaon blasts struggle to start a new life