Opinion - News Analysis

A candle in the darkness

By Manas Dasgupta

THOSE WHO wanted to "teach a lesson" to Gujarat's Muslims in the aftermath of the Godhra carnage, will never understand people like Om Prakash Sharma or Radhaben. They and their families live in the relief camps with victims from the minority community. Among the 800-odd inmates of camp number 45 in Ahmedabad's Saraspur locality are some 120 members of 24 Hindu families. They live under the same tattered piece of cloth passed off as a tent, eat the same food and share the same anxiety of an unknown future as the Muslim inmates.

The 24 Hindu families, 21 of them belonging to the "Salat" Adivasi community, lived with their Muslim neighbours in the Ambica Mill-ni-Chali. When they were attacked on March 1, they fought with the Muslims against the attackers throwing stones and a few even used bows and arrows. Radha's husband, Kallu Valia, a small trader, and several other Hindu residents were among the hundreds of Muslims arrested for rioting and later released on bail.

They were able to repulse the first attack but as the numbers grew on the other side, they were forced to flee to the camp where they have been for the last three and a half months. Some Muslim organisations which are repairing damaged houses in the Chali have not left out those of Hindus.

Initially, Mr. Sharma had registered his name in the camp as Shabbir Hussein out of the fear that his Hindu name may not go down well with other inmates, but Radhaben or other Hindu families who registered in their own names faced no problem. Mr. Sharma reverted to his own name during the issue of identity cards.

The Hindu families also provided moral support to Hanifabanu in her fight against some hooligans who wanted to usurp her small piece of land on which once stood her shop and adjoining house. After razing the building to the ground, the hooligans constructed a small temple to deny Hanifabanu her claim. In the absence of relevant documents, which were destroyed in the riot, it was not easy to convince the authorities about her ownership but she did not give up. With the support of other inmates and camp organisers, she ran from pillar to post and ultimately succeeded in getting the "temple" removed with the help of the local police.

The police, however, are yet to act on her complaint against the hooligans. She had been stabbed during the attack. She said she knew her attackers and those who demolished her house and had given their names to the police, but "they are still roaming around freely" and were threatening her with dire consequences if she did not withdraw her complaint.

Hanifabanu's is not an isolated case. Impromptu temples were built on the property owned by minority community at several places but with little success. In most cases, fortunately, the authorities have removed such encroachments. Camp 45 that stands as an example of communal harmony is one of the eight camps the Government ordered shut this week. According to the camp organiser, Farid Ahmad Sheikh, they had stopped serving food from Wednesday

"We are all forced to starve, none of us could cook any food because there is no water in the camp," said Rizwanbibi.

The water tankers sent to the camps by the district authorities have also been stopped. There is no home to return, no compensation paid. "We will continue to live here with or without food and water till the Government pays our compensation and provides security cover," she said. — M.D.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Opinion

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Nowhere to go and no one cares
• A candle in the darkness
• A pittance as payoff
• The CBI and the superintendence issue

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu