By Dr. Syed Ahmed, for TwoCircles.net,
Imphal: Several civil organizations of Manipur strongly condemned the killing of Md. Sharif Ahmad, a native of Manipur, near Jalpaiguri in West Bengal on 18 August 2012. He was one of the four people who died at Belakoba railway station, a few kilometers away from Jalpaiguri. The four people were thrown out of a moving Bangalore-Guwahati train by unidentified miscreants.
Md. Sharif Ahmad, a resident of Lilong Haoreibi Turel Ahanbi in Thoubal district, was studying M.Sc. Geography in Cotton College in Guwahati. The body of Sharif Ahmad was brought to Imphal on 21 August by air.
As soon as the news of the killing reached home a public meeting was organized at Lilong and strongly condemned the brutal killing. A joint action committee was formed to demand justice for the killing. The convenor of the committee Zakir Hussain, speaking to media-persons questioned how Sharif Ahmad who was staying at Guwahati got killed in West Bengal. He also questioned how the unfortunate incident occurred when Assam government claims that the communal flare-up in the State has been controlled and Manipur government has also posted its officials in Guwahati and other cities to ensure safety of the Manipuris returning back from the cities of South India. The committee demanded a detailed report of the incident and a CBI probe. The committee refused to take the body until the State government assures to fulfill the demands.
Several civil organizations of the state condemned the killing and questioned the initiatives taken up by the State government for the safety of the Manipuris. A joint students’ co-ordinating committee, which included Pangal Students’ Organizations (a strong body of Manipuri Muslims), Zalianrong Students’ Union Manipur, Kuki Students’ Organization and Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong strongly condemned the killing of Sharif Ahmad. Thokchom Suresh, a member of the committee, said the mass exodus of people from North-East from the cities of South India in the last few days cannot be the result of the Assam violence; it’s rather a case of ‘racial profiling’ of the people of the North-East. The incident has shown that government has not given any security arrangement for the safety of the Manipuris returning home, Suresh added.
Md. Khairuddin Shah, president of All Manipur Muslim Organizations’ Co-ordinating Committee also said that the State government has not taken up proper safety measures to safeguard the lives of the fleeing Manipuris. He also appealed to the people of the State to maintain peace and calm, and not to spread unwanted rumours.
All Manipur Muslim Women Development Organization has also condemned the killing of Sharif Ahmad and asked the State government to make proper security arrangement for the Manipuris coming back home. Muslim Students’ Union of Manipur also condemned the brutal killing of Sharif Ahmad and demanded that the miscreants should be brought to book and punished.
However, on 21 August the joint action committee formed against the killing of Sharif Ahmad held a meeting with the Chief Minister of Manipur and reached to an agreement. State Agriculture Minister and MLA from Lilong Assembly constituency, Md. Nasir also attended the meeting. Speaking to media-persons after the meeting the convenor of the committee, Zakir Hussain expressed that the Chief Minister had assured to fulfil the demands put forward by the committee. The State Cabinet is going to take a decision and urge the Centre to institute a special investigation of the killing, Hussain added. After the assurance given by the Chief Minister the committee agreed to take the body of Sharif Ahmad for performing the last rites.
Manipur Government had dispatched civil and police officials to Bangalore, Pune and Guwahati to assess the situation, co-ordinate the movement and ensure safety of the Manipuris. A team of Manipur unit Trinamool Congress, led by its President is also visiting Delhi to discuss the developments with their party leaders.
Muslim civil organizations appeal to maintain peace and communal harmony
Muslim civil organizations from various states of North-East have expressed serious concern and dismay at the reports of attacks and threats on students, professionals and workers from North-East in some of the cities of South India as a fallout of the violence between the Bodos and Bengali-speaking Muslims at Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD) in Assam, leading to the mass exodus of people from North-East living in the cities of South India back home.
Fearing that the crisis might affect the communal harmony in other parts of North-East, civil organizations of different communities in the region have appealed the people to maintain communal peace and harmony. Muslim civil organizations in the region have also urged the people to uphold peace and communal harmony.
Two of the prominent Muslim organizations of Nagaland, Muslim Council Dimapur and Muslim Welfare Society Kohima condemned any sort of harassment meted out to people from North-East staying in many of the cities of South India, and appealed for communal harmony in the state. The two organizations appealed to the people of the state to maintain peace and harmony among different sections of the people in the state. The organizations also said that there is no logic behind the assault on Nagas as the violence that took place at BTAD in Assam had anything to do with Nagaland.
A. Rahman, the working president of Muslim Council Dimapur expressed to media-persons that Nagaland has a sizeable Muslim population. The Muslim community has been living peacefully with the Nagas for many years, and any one attacking Nagas as a consequence of the violence in Assam would be treated as an enemy of the Muslim community. Rahman also appealed to all not to disturb the communal harmony of Nagaland.
A popular on-line forum of Manipuri Muslims, Manipur Muslim Online Forum (MMOF) also appealed to the people of North-East to maintain peace and harmony. The press-release of MMOF notes, “Manipur Muslim Online Forum appeals to all the Northeasterners, in general, and Manipuris, in particular, to maintain peace and communal harmony. Some vested interests have been mongering rumour of attacks on migrant workers and students from Northeast in South India, especially Karnataka. We have strong faith in universal brotherhood and India’s secular fabric. It is time we became responsible as well as accountable and stop feeding the rumour mills. Anger has never solved any problem in the history. Violence only gives reason for violence.
MMOF also requested some of the prominent organizations of Manipur, namely UCM, AMSU, DESAM, AMUCO, ATSUM, ANSAM, KUKI INPI, FRIENDS, PSO, ANJUMAN, AMMUCOC and others to join hands in maintaining peace and guide the general public in this hour of chaos.
“To combat the mongering rumour of attacks on migrant workers and students from North-East in South India, MMOF appeals to the relevant authorities wholeheartedly and practically support of civil society and pressure on the government to create peace and communal harmony,” the press-release added.
Muslims throughout North-East prayed to restore peace in the violence affected areas of Assam and also pleaded to maintain peace and communal harmony in other parts of North-East on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.