By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net
Abu Qaiser is a civil engineer by profession but for the last few years he has taken it upon himself to seek justice for the victims of Bhagalpur riots of 1989. These days he is a happy man because his long fight to get compensation for Bhagalpur riots victims has resulted in the Government of India announcing a Rs 30-crore package.
A young energetic business man, Abu Qaiser has made a reputation as a fine builder in the city of Patna. I met him in the month of March this year in the office of Muslim United Front (MUF), the organization that he heads. The modest office is located in Abu Fakhruddin Plaza which was constructed by Abu Qaiser’s Abu Construction Private Limited. A revolutionary design brings residential and commercial area into one building while still keeping the two areas separate. Indoor courtyard gives opportunity for residents to interact with each other and children a safe and secured playing area.
The design of keeping human first in his buildings reflects the politics of Abu Qaiser. His struggle for Bhagalpur riots victims is for Muslims as well as Hindus. In the files of meticulously prepared statements from villages of Bhagalpur, one can see a number of Hindu names; those who have supposedly championed the cause of Hindus have not done anything for these poor folks.
Abu Qaiser in the office of Muslim United Front
Abu Qaiser is not like traditional politicians; he is educated, professional, and a successful businessman. He is not in politics to make money or save himself from law enforcement. Unlike other Muslim politicians, he is not seeking a post or election ticket for himself. He is building a position for himself by painstaking struggle. He doesn’t believe that he will get what he wants from street fights alone. So, he is using all the tools that politics and social movements provide.
As the Bhagalpur files in his office show, he is ready to do the grass root level work to argue his case at the state and the national level. He is aware that only documentation is not enough, you have to argue and work the system to get the files moved within the government. He has through his inside connections got all the files relevant to Bhagalpur compensation moved and have documented the comments and orders noted on the files by government officials.
Like a game of chess he has all the pieces moving towards the checkmate, each move calculated well in advance. Combining grass root level work of documentation and mobilizing people – through street level protests, dharna, and gherao — and pressing the governments have done what Muslim leaders have failed to do for the last 60 years for their community.
A new crop of Muslim leaders like Badruddin Ajmal, M. Jawahirullah, and Abu Qaiser provide hope to the Muslims of India. Political parties should take notice that Urdu, Taslima, and Hajj subsidy are not going to impress the community anymore.
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