By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
Patna: Acting on the TwoCircles.net report about the Bihar youth who was stopped from going to Qatar at IGI Airport in Delhi by Delhi Police without any reason, Dr M Manzoor Alam, Secretary General of All India Milli Council today wrote to Prime Minister urging him to intervene to stop such humiliating incidents.
In the June 28 report Bihar youth stopped from taking flight at Delhi Airport, twice in 15 days, TCN had brought to light the plight of 28-year-old Ataur Rahman ‘Chand’ from Sitamadhi district in Bihar. In a short period of 15 days he was twice stopped from taking flight to Qatar at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi by immigration officials at the behest of Special Cell of Delhi Police. Father of an 8-month-old baby girl and son of a Bihar police officer, a non-matric, Chand was exposed to humiliating questions including ones related to terror training.
Photo by www.treehugger.com
“The second case, reported in TwoCircles.net (posted on June 28) says a 28-year old Muslim from Bihar was stopped from going to Qatar at the IGI airport without any reason being cited. He was detained and asked questions like which weapons he was trained to use, to which he said “none”. After all that he was asked to go back. A fortnight later he went back to the airport once again with a new air ticket to Qatar. This time round, too, he was retuned, with more humiliation, of course. No reason for it, whatsoever, was cited,” Dr Alam wrote in the letter and wondered if such incidents will help in maintaining rule of law.
“We wonder whether this is how the officialdom thinks the rule of law is sustained,” he said.
Leading the community leaders, Dr Manzoor Alam expressed his serious concern over continuing profiling and humiliation of Muslim youths in different parts of the country and requested the PM that such cases are “looked into and a transparent, straight-faced reason for such treatment is offered.”
Dr Alam, who is also chairman of Institute of Objective Studies, has sent the letter to Home Minister and External Affairs Minister also.
Humiliated and helpless Chand — as he did not get any support from the media or community leaders — has now returned to his hometown Sitamadhi.
Text of the letter of Dr Manzoor Alam:
“This is to share the Indian Muslim community’s deep concern over continuing profiling and humiliation of the youth. We know that for every case of police high handedness that comes to light there are several others which remain unknown to the public.
Dr Mohd Manzoor Alam, [TCN Photo: By Mumtaz Alam Falahi]
During this week we have come across two such published reports, one in the Times of India and the other in TwoCircles.net. The Times of India of June 30 (New Delhi ed.) reported from Mumbai that a 42-year old Muslim civil engineer, who had gone to Income Tax Office sent by his employers, close to the Israeli consulate about which he did not know.
While he was handling his cell phone, people from the Israeli consulate came down and took him to the nearby police station, from where he was taken to his residence by two hawaldars who searched it.
He was brought back to the police station and detained for four hours where humiliating questions were asked. He was let off with the “advice” not to have “such long beard”. Before that his cell phone was thoroughly checked to confirm whether he had taken some pictures.
The second case, reported in TwoCircles.net (posted on June 28) says a 28-year old Muslim from Bihar was stopped from going to Qatar at the IGI airport without any reason being cited. He was detained and asked questions like which weapons he was trained to use, to which he said “none”. After all that he was asked to go back.
A fortnight later he went back to the airport once again with a new air ticket to Qatar. This time round, too, he was retuned, with more humiliation, of course. No reason for it, whatsoever, was cited.
We wonder whether this is how the officialdom thinks the rule of law is sustained. We request that such cases are looked into and a transparent, straight-faced reason for such treatment is offered. In cases where it cannot be done, victims must be given due compensation for the loss of money, time and honour. Also, it is time that such random, whimsical detentions and denial of free movement are stopped. It is time, too, for Israel-inspired humiliation of Indian Muslims to be stopped.
With regards,
Yours sincerely,
(Dr. M. Manzoor Alam)
Secretary General