The fire in Rohingya slum in South-East Delhi’s Kalindi Kunj reduced 44 huts to ashes. (Photo by: Raqib Hameed Naik)
 

The fire which started in the early hours of Sunday morning also consumed a makeshift mosque and a madrasa.

“The fire started at 3 am in the morning when everyone was asleep,” says Shabir Alam, 37 a Rohingya. He says that the fire started near the Toilets close to the makeshift mosque. “That time everyone was running to save their lives. I took my 5 children to safety and when I returned everything was on fire,” he told TwoCircles.net.

Shabir Alam, 37 a Rohingya refugee feeds his child inside a temporary relief camp. (Photo by: Raqib Hameed Naik)

The shanties were made of bamboo and polythene. “It is the reason why everything caught fire so quickly. The fire brigade arrived half an hour later. By then everything was turned into ashes,” he adds.

Fayaz Ahmed, 31 lost everything to the fire. He had saved 80,000 rupees in last five years after toiling hard by collecting scrap.

“I have lost everything. My house, money, utensils. I don’t even have clothes to wear. I had to ask NGO people to buy one shirt for me,” Fayaz told Twocircles.net.

A civil defense official walks past the burnt structure. (Photo by: Raqib Hameed Naik)

The fire has affected 44 refugee families consisting of 230 members who mainly work as hawkers, laborers, rickshaw pullers.

According to Fayazul Kalam, a Rickshaw puller, it will take him years to rebuild back what he has lost in the fire. “For five years, I worked day and night and built a house, bought utensils, clothes for my two kids and wife, but today I lost everything. This was my second home along with the one in Burma,” he said.

Various Non-Government organizations are providing food and clothes to the fire affected families. The members of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind are also camping at the spot and surveying the families who need help.

Fire affected families inside the temporary shelter. (Photo by: Raqib Hameed Naik)

“We will make fireproof tents for them and provide them with utensils, clothes, and fans. The work will start in a day or two. As of now, we are surveying what else can be done for them,” Ghayur Ahmad, Jamiat member who is accessing the situation at Kalindi Kunj told TwoCirlces.net.

In last few years, the Rohingya slums across the country have seen various incidents of fire turning their shanties into ashes. In a similar incident in April 2017, five huts of Rohingya refugees caught fire in Nangali gaon, Nooh of Mewat in Haryana, leading to one person being severely burnt. In November 2016 more than 80 huts belonging to the refugees were reduced to ashes leading to the death of four refugees in Narwal area of Jammu.

The belongings of refugees consumed in the fire. (Photo by: Raqib Hameed Naik)

Last year on August 19, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs issued a circular asking all states to identify and deport ‘illegal’ Rohingyas.

“Illegal migrants are more vulnerable to getting recruited by terrorist organizations. Infiltration from the Rakhine State of Myanmar into Indian Territory, especially in the recent years, besides being a burden on the limited resources of the country also aggravates the security challenges posed to the country,” the document read.

The Supreme Court is presently hearing a petition filed by the Rohingya.

Fayaz Ahmed, 31 a hawker who lost his house, utensils, clothes and 80,000 rupees in the fire. (Photo by: Raqib Hameed Naik)

At present, there are more than 40,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees living in four states: Jammu, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Delhi majority of whom are living in Jammu.

Thousands of Rohingyas fled Myanmar during a spike of violence some five years ago. They arrived in India with hopes for peace and security. At first, the refugees were well-received by the locals, but the hostility has gradually increased over the past few years.

Courtesy: Two Circles
 

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The eviction row brought Muslim community and BJP at loggerheads in the state with the All Manipur Muslim Organizations’ Coordinating Committee (AMMOCC) calling for 32-hour general strike on Tuesday, April 10. The agitation was called off on Tuesday evening after a memorandum of understanding was signed between Government of Manipur and AMMOCC.

“The Chief Minister appreciated the sentiments of the affected people and appealed to call off the agitation. Thereafter, both the parties agreed to continue the talks to find an amicable solution to the concerns of AMMOCC in three weeks and in turn the AMMOCC agreed to call off the agitation with immediate effect in public interest,” reads the memorandum signed by Dr. J. Suresh Babu, Chief Secretary and the Muslim leaders.

The Muslim body had submitted a memorandum giving an ultimatum to the Manipur Chief Minister, N Biren Singh on April 4 seeking revocation of the earlier order of the eviction. A similar memorandum was submitted earlier in February 2018 as well.

The AMMOCC have alleged government of playing a politics of displacement and derecognition with the Muslim community, often called Pangal Meiteis, a minority ethnic group in Manipur by targeting their settlements to mentally torture, intimidate, humiliate, harass and dishonor them.

“The villagers who have been residing at Kshetri Bengoon Mamang Ching since late 1960s and with most of the civic amenities or entitlements of a citizen from Manipur government have been targeted and the process of evacuation is being stayed by High Court,” AMMOCC said in a memorandum submitted to the state CM on April 4 earlier this month.

“Residents of Mantripukhri and adjoining areas have been continuously targeted and peace of mind robbed by demolishing houses constructed on certified patta land. Your government itself has been flip-flopping on the reason for such merciless actions. As per records, your government wanted the area for MLA quarters construction in 2017 and now it seems the government wants to protect the areas from non-agri usages under paddy land conservation act 2014,” the memorandum reads.

The Muslim body has also found out that as a consequence of Govt move, the houses and business establishments of Muslims living in Nagaram and adjoining areas of Khuman Lampak in Imphal West, have been intimidated and asked by the locals to vacate.

It also alleges government of intimidating Muslim community by actions of combing operation in the name of anti-drug campaign and identification of illegal immigrants allegedly harbored by Muslims in their localities.

“Pangals (Muslims) have been relegated to second citizens by your govt’s actions. All the steps that BJP government has taken up against Pangals in the past one year of rule indicate systematic stripping of Pangals’ indigenous identity,” it alleges.

According to Md Raees Ahamed, a civil society member, the government is only targeting Muslim areas and not even a single notice has been served to people from the other communities.

“As an Indian citizen, I have rights. They can’t just show up with a notice, then demolish and ask us to go away. We have spent lifelong earnings in constructing the houses,”

SM Jalal Sheikh, President AMMOCC says that the Muslim body wills resist the government move at any cost and won’t allow illegal eviction of the community members.

“Right now we are in talks with the government and within few days, the people from civil society group, elders, and religious heads will meet and decide the future course of action,” Jalal told TwoCircles.net.

During a news conference held on Tuesday by Minister for consumer affairs, food and public distribution and revenue, Karam Shyam said that the government strictly abides by the laws and acts of the land and has no intention to fan communalism.

Quoting government reports, Shyam said that around 75 houses of nearly 400 villagers were built at the Kobithabi Nongmaijing Ching reserve forest area.

“Under the DFO, Central Forest Division of Manipur Forest Rule, 1971, a show-cause notice was served on March 1 to the encroachers seeking clarification on the constructions within March 14. An eviction order was issued to the encroachers on March 17, saying that encroachers should vacate the reserve forest before March 24,” he told the media persons.

He further said that the state has a proposal to construct a quarter complex for ministers, MLAs and other officials as a direct purchase under the Manipur Conservation of Paddyland and Wetland Act 2014.

Courtesy: Two Circles

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“I always wanted to be an aeronautical engineer. Looking at the planes in the sky always gave me goosebumps. I was always excited about learning the engineering behind this,” Adeeba told TwoCircles.net.

“Getting into UPenn is a dream come true. My faculties at RiSE, especially Mubeen Sir and Salman Sir always guided me for the same. Their strategies regarding tackling any exams or interviews have been very helpful. I want everyone from Kashmir especially my hometown Shopian to always dream big,” she said.

UPenn is one of the most prestigious universities in the world. It boasts of producing 30 Nobel laureates, 25 billionaires – the most by any University at the undergraduate level, and a significant number of Fortune 500 CEOs.

Adeeba was hand-picked by RiSE team in 2015 when she topped the first edition of RiSE talent search examination, RiSE is a Valley-based mentoring centre for competitive exams started by three IITians from three different parts of India including one from Kashmir.

“It is a moment of pride for us. We, along with Adeeba, feel extremely jubilant and content because our efforts of past two years have been rewarded,” Mubeen Masudi, an IIT Bombay alumnus and the co-founder of RiSE, told TwoCircles.net.

“This achievement is significant for her. UPenn will be an ideal launch pad for her successful career ahead. It will do justice to her unrelenting desire to learn and grow. This result is also significant for us and our students. I see more and more students talking about this. I see parents of young girls inquiring about the admission process. This result has transformed another impossible dream into an achievable goal. I am confident we will see many more like Adeeba in the years to come. The hope has been ignited,” he added.

Salman Shahid, an IIT Kharagpur alumnus and faculty at RiSE sees a lot of potential in the Kashmiri youth and if identified and shown the right path, they can get admissions in best universities across the world. “Results like that of Adeeba and Moin are a step in the direction of transforming the education sector in Kashmir. They will inspire many more successes in the future. Our team braves the shutdown, curfews, strikes, but impact like this makes everything worthwhile,” he told TwoCircles.net.

RiSE was set up in 2012 by a IITians to coach and empower talented Kashmiri students to get into prestigious educational institutions.

Courtesy: Two Circles
 

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The two students were served with a notice of cancellation on January 24, 2017, after they had submitted their reply to the show-cause notice issued by the Jamia authorities. The show-cause notices were issued in the month of December to three students out of which one was let off with a warning.

According to one of the Kashmiri student who has been expelled from the hostel, on November 26, 2017, an application addressed to Vice Chancellor signed by more than 50 students was submitted after students were fed up with deteriorating quality of food served.

“They used to serve us uncooked food. Sometimes, the food had traces of blood in it..so we decided to write a letter to Vice Chancellor. On November 27, 2017, the provost office called only three Kashmiris despite the fact there were 50 signatures on it. A week before we had complained to the warden as well, but no action was initiated,” said Samir Hussain, an MA Political Science student who has been ousted from the hostel.

According to show cause notice issued by Provost, JMI, Eqbal Hussain, who despite taking note of the quality of food served, alleged Samir of putting “somebody’s else telephone number which created lots of problems in finding ” and alleged him of instigating students against filing the complaint.

Shrugging off the allegations, Samir says, “That was my J&K number and was blocked by the company a few days back and I had applied for another number. Besides, the number mentioned there was my friend who lived with me in the same room and no student was instigated. Everyone was fed up with the food served in the Khawaja hostel,” he added.

Another Kashmiri student studying BA (Honors) History in the university has also been blamed by the authorities of forging the signature of students, which he has vehemently denied.

The students have also alleged that Jamia authorities while seeking an explanation from them have used objectionable language like, “You Kashmiris deserve what is happening with you.”

When TwoCircles.net contacted Saima Saeed, Media coordinator, Jamia Millia Islamia, she claimed ignorance about the cancellation of the hostel of Kashmiri students.

The move comes months after Jamia authorities had ousted Ph.D. Scholar Dhrupadi Ghosh, a student activist who has been vocal about issues related to payment of dues to workers, implementing labour laws in the university, attack on female students by male university guards and police entering the campus without permission.

Courtesy: Two Circles
 

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The report disassociates Dar from being a stone pelter and clarifies that he had cast his vote for the Lok Sabha by poll on April 9 before heading to a nearby village to attend a condolence meeting, and terms the action of army major as wrongful confinement of an innocent civilian.

“During investigation it came to surface that on 09-04-2017 during by-poll elections various stone-pelting incidents took place in the jurisdiction of police station, Beerwah, and on the same day the said Farooq Ahmad Dar s/o Abdul Rahim, r/o Chill accompanied by Hilal Ahmad Magray s/o Ghulam Mohammad r/o Chill (witness no. 01 above mentioned) proceeded to village Gampora for condolence and after spending some time left from village Gampora and reached Utligam crossing where from he was lifted by Army during stone pelting and was tied to bonnet of the army vehicle as human shield under threat,” the two-page report says.

“He was kept under wrongful confinement and was paraded/moved around in the area,” the report adds.

On April 9th during the Lok Sabha, by poll elections in Budgam district of Kashmir, Farooq Ahmed Dar, a shawl weaver, was picked and tied in front of an army Jeep, which the army had claimed to avoid stone pelting on it. He was allegedly beaten before he was lashed to the vehicle with a sign saying “This is the fate that will befall stone throwers” pinned to his chest.

Many BJP leader and Army had given clean chit to the officer and had, in fact, backed the actions of the officer, saying he had the responsibility to save the lives of those involved in the by-election that day.

The video of the incident had sparked intense debate in the state and around the world and many human rights activists had termed it as crimes against humanity. Later J&K CM Mufti had asked for a detailed report from the state. The Jammu and Kashmir police filed a First Information Report on April 15, following which the army formed a court of inquiry.

The findings of the latest report have once raked up the debate over the narrative promoted by the mainstream media which have hailed Major Gogoi over the human shield row and whether Dar deserved such treatment even if he was stone pelter.
Kashmir-based human rights activist and Chairperson of Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances Khurram Parvez said, “There is a problem with this kind of narrative itself that he voted and he shouldn’t have been used as a human shield, even if he was involved in stone pelting does that justifies the act of army using him as a human shield?”

“Everyone has rights, even prisoners have rights. what army has done is a serious rights violation,” he added.

While speaking on the award given to the army Major Gogoi, he said, “Army giving an award to its officer, who is accused of human rights violations isn’t the first case. The army officer involved in Pratibhal fake encounter, colonel Saxena was also awarded similarly, until his retirement despite the clinching evidence of his involvement. Even Jammu and Kashmir police who have submitted this report has a similar past.”

When asked if he expects that Major Gogoi could be persecuted, he said, “As per our data, the forces here in Kashmir have been enjoying absolute impunity. There has not been even a single case in which a security force personnel could have been prosecuted by the civil court and the more concerning is moral impunity.”

Gowhar Geelani, a Journalist, Political Analyst, and Commentator castigated the role of Indian electronic media who through debates had backed the actions of the army officer.

“The facts are only vindicating stand of the Kashmiri people. From day one it was known to local journalists, who had covered the by-election in Budgam district, that Farooq Dar had indeed cast his vote after which he was tied to a bonnet of army’s jeep on Major Gogoi’s directions. At that time, vast sections of Indian electronic media through vitriolic commentary and while cashing on propaganda and falsehood tried to construct a counter-narrative to a) deny the facts regarding the case, and b) to misinform the Indian people with the aim to boost Indian army’s morale in Kashmir. However, a false narrative will never stand the test of time,” Geelani told TwoCircles.net.

“Also, even if Farooq Dar were not a voter, what Major Gogoi did is a war crime and all sane Indians should feel ashamed of celebrating war crimes. This false sense of jingoism, patriotism, and nationalism at the expense of violating someone’s human rights only showcases regression in Indian society. This is not the first case of human rights abuses or war crimes in Kashmir. Indian army is accused of planning extrajudicial killings; killing civilians in Pathribal and Machill in fake encounters and then passing them off as foreign mercenaries, a mass rape in north Kashmir villages of Kunan Poshpora etc,” he added.

Chairman of the International Forum for Human Rights and Justice, Mohammad Ahsan Untoo, who had pleaded Dar’s case before the State Human Rights Commission said, “What I was saying five months ago has been corroborated by the state government report today. I am not surprised at the outcome, but justice is still has a long way to come until the army officer involved in the incident is prosecuted.”

The State Human Rights Commission had even asked the J&K government to pay compensation of Rs 10 lakh to Farooq Ahmad Dar which he still awaits.

“I filed an appeal before SHRC today against the state government for not paying him the compensation. The SHRC has summoned Chief Secretary and next hearing is on October 3, ” Untoo added.

The State Human Rights Commission Chairperson (Retd.) Justice Bilal Ahmad Nazki in his judgment had said, “I have no doubt in my mind that Farooq Ahmad Dar was subjected to torture and humiliation, besides being wrongly confined. It is medically also established that Farooq Ahmad Dar did not suffer only humiliation publicly, but also faced a trauma which resulted in psychiatric stress which may remain with him for rest of his life.”

It is pertinent to mention here that the state police recorded the statement of Dar on September 20th, only after Valley-based newspaper Kashmir Reader reported how the police were yet to record the statement of Dar even five months after the incident.

Courtesy: Two Circles
 

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The Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) on Thursday September 7 took out a protest rally in Leh town against the marriage and warned the government of a full-fledged agitation if the girl was not returned. The association has ‘given’ the government a week’s time.

The protesters also submitted a memorandum addressed to Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti at the office of the Deputy Commissioner, alleging Muslims of luring Buddhist girls into their fold.

“Young girls are being lured by Muslim boys to marry and finally convert them,” the memorandum said. The association also made a direct threat in the memorandum, saying that the situation could turn ugly if the girl is not returned back to Leh.

“We feel that the Muslim community leaders, administration, and other stakeholders need to warn Muslim community and the state government machinery for immediate intervention and arrange to bring back the girl before peace tranquility and communal harmony takes an ugly turn.”
Later, the leaders of LBA while addressing the protesters issued an ultimatum to local Muslims, who are in minority, to vacate the town within seven days.

However, among all these allegations, it seems the LBA has missed a small but rather important detail. The girl in question, whose earlier name was Stanzin Saldon, had converted to Islam way back in April 2015. In an affidavit signed by Stanzin now Shifah in April 2016 in Bangalore, Karnataka reads, “I have embraced Islam, giving up my former Buddhist faith on 22nd April 2015.Therefore I hereby confirm adopt and reaffirm faith in  Islam.”

The allegations of LBA of marrying and converting a Buddhist girl fall flat as the girl in question converted to Islam way back in 2015. “She had converted two years ago and was looking for a Muslim guy who could marry her. The question of Muslims marrying Buddhist girl falls flat here. The girl was Muslim even before meeting the boy,” says Sajjad Hussain, a Kargil-based journalist.

According to locals in Drass, the girl and her husband have gone underground after the threats emerged. The girl has also written an open letter in response to LBA’s memorandum.

The girl accused LBA of issuing false statements and presenting a concocted version of the events.

“They  (LBA) state that I was lured into Islam by him and also warning Muslim community in Ladakh (in general) to return me. So this is to clarify to your honourable self and the concerned parties that this statement of LBA is false and concocted, an effort to suppress and threaten the rights of an individual, a woman to be more specific,  in the disguise of “luring”,” she wrote.

She further wrote, “LBA is trying to objectify me and demanding my return as if I’m a property, which I’m not and cannot allow anyone to perceive me as such. I’ve accepted Islam long way back, not because I dislike any other religion but considering my spiritual quest and an interest in religious philosophies, which was way before I met Murtaza. I repeat, my marriage has nothing to do with my spiritual choices, love and companionship being the only reason for our marital bond. The spiritual choice is a very personal matter not to be mixed with my marriage,” she added.
She requested people to maintain peace and harmony by not letting dividing forces to deepen the fear and hatred.

Local Muslim leaders have also alleged LBA of communalising the issue and stoking communal tension in a region that has otherwise been mostly peaceful.

“The open letter written by the girl has already cleared many things and threatening Muslims to vacate the district is very unfortunate. We spoke to Superintendent of Police Leh to ensure the safety of Muslims because the administration is responsible for the safety of Muslims in the district,” Ashraf Barcha, President, Anjuman Islamia-Leh, told TwoCircles.net.

Sheikh Abdullah Jalili of Islamia School Kargil said the threat of communal violence is hardly a solution to this issue. “LBA has previously also issued open threats to the Muslim community in the region. Everyone has freedom of religion. If a person wants to convert to Islam or Buddhism, it is solely his/her personal decision and we are no one to interfere in that. Recently, a Muslim girl converted to Buddhism in Kargil, but we didn’t make such noise because this was her personal decision.”

The deadline given by the LBA to state government and Muslims is Thursday, September 14.

Courtesy: Two Circles
 

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