By TCN Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: His life was peaceful before 18th May 2007. The deadly serial blasts at Mecca Masjid on fateful Friday not only shook the foundation of Hyderabad’s historic mosque but also shattered the life of Shoaib Jagirdar, who was about 500 kms in Jalna district of Maharashtra at the time of the blasts. The blasts and then police firing claimed dozen odd lives. The subsequent biased probe into the gruesome terror acts claimed job, education, reputation – and most importantly – peace of over hundred lives. Jagirdar was first and one among those arrested for the blasts.
The 44-year-old Jalna native Jagirdar was invited to Delhi by Khudai Khidmatgar civil group at the launch of Ram-Rahim Shanti Sena on this past 2nd October – the birthday of messiah of peace and communal harmony Mahatma Gandhi. He narrated his tale of terror and trauma and vowed to work for peace – yes, the peace which was shattered by the malicious probe that could not deliver but miscarried in the courtroom. Not only Jagirdar, but scores of other Muslim youths picked from Hyderabad for the Mecca blasts were acquitted by the court. Jagirdar happens to be khalu (husband of mother’s sister) of Imran Khan, the Hyderabad youth who was also arrested, tortured, prosecuted and later acquitted in the Mecca blast case. Jagirdar was accused of bringing 2kg RDX for the mosque blast. RSS activist Aseemanand, however, in 2011 admitted Mecca blast was executed by saffron extremists.
Shoaib Jagirdar (extreme left) speaking at the launching program of Ram-Rahim Shanti Sena in Delhi on 2nd Oct. 2012
Ever since his acquittal in the case about one year after the arrest (21st May 2007) Shoaib Jagirdar has been attending peace and communal harmony programs in different parts of the country. “The terror blasts and subsequent blind and biased probes in most of the cases have harmed peace and communal harmony in the society and also the relation between Muslims and other communities. There is a need to work for communal harmony and peace in the society,” says Jagirdar, father of two who runs his father’s kerosene distribution outlet in Jalna.
“We are inviting him at different programs. A person whose peaceful life was shattered is most able person to understand the value of peace,” says Faisal Khan, eminent civil activist and leader of Khudai Khidmatgar. Recently he was invited to Kashmir at similar program, informs Khan.