Activists condemn victimization of Muslim youth in Nasik

Activists condemn victimization of Muslim youth in Nasik

Authorities are once again unashamedly attempting to victimize a Muslim youth with the allegation that he is "Pakistani." Rahman Nawaz Khan, brother of noted social activist Faisal Khan, underwent humiliating and agonizing experience in Nasik at about 5:30pm on 9th of October 2009, when crime branch officials slapped him with the allegation that he is a "Pakistani" and tried their best to wrongly implicate him. It was only after the intervention of local residents and police that Rahman took a sigh of relief and crime branch people retracted.

Rahman is an aspiring actor, holding an Indian passport (passport no. F6745744) and other valid Indian identities (driving license, college certificates, and others) who was living in Nasik with his aunt. There is no police complaint against him of any nature. His brother, Faisal Khan, is a noted peace activist of National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) and has been contributing to strengthening of people's struggles across the country. When authorities can attempt to fabricate false charges against a citizen of India who thankfully has documents to prove his identity, it is left to one's imagination how serious the situation can get with millions of those residents of India who don't have any identity card to prove their nationality in their own country!

On the evening of 9th October 2009, Rahman was sitting in the lawns of the bungalow of his aunt in Nasik, when approximately 15 people came and called him at the gate of the Bungalow in very rude and inappropriate manner. "He immediately responded to their call, but was shocked to hear from them that he is Pakistani and in being watched for the last one year. Those people asked him to sit in the jeep and come along with them. My brother asked them in humble manner what exactly is the matter, and who has actually given this information. Those people become more rude and said "chal tu jeep mein baith." He was extremely tense and called his aunty, she came with the local police who did talk to my brother in a very polite manner and asked him to cooperate. He showed him all the relevant documents (his identity proof, college certificates, his driving license), and informed them that right now he did not have his passport. So the person from crime branch Kiran Kabadia started using foul language. Immediately my brother called our father and those people were convinced after talking to him. His aunty who is a Maharashtrian, tried to convince them but they said "nahi nahi yeh sab nahi chalega, every Pakistani says the same thing, tum muslim ne to badi gandh phaila rakhi hai, tum saloon ko train mein bhar ke Pakistan bhagana chahiye". After so much of threatening they asked him to come to the office on 10/10/2009 with his passport" narrated Faisal Khan, Rahman's brother.

"I would like to make it a point that the mental torture my brother has undergone is very humiliating and is shame on the democratic fabric in the society which we live. These incidents are on rise against muslims in India. These incidents should not be repeated and no Indian should undergo this mental humiliation which my brother has undergone" said Faisal Khan, NAPM activist.

It is yet another blot on Indian social fabric and democracy. By upping the victimization of Muslim youth on baseless charges, the state is jeopardizing the communal harmony and causing irreparable damage to the secularism India boasts of.

Activists from Asha Parivar have strongly condemned this nefarious act of victimizing the Muslim youth. "It is reprehensible on behalf of authorities in India to falsely accuse Indian Muslim youth as nationals of other nations, in particular, Pakistan - because it attempts to nullify the peace process between two nations and wrongly reinforces the misconception that all nationals of Pakistan are anti-social" said the statement from Asha Parivar.

The question is what constitutes to be anti-national - being an Indian Muslim youth is that anti-national in India or the act of authorities labeling Indian Muslim youth as nationals of other countries is anti-national? Is this act of authorities not against the secular and democratic values we Indians recognize ourselves with?

Asha Parivar activists believe that the act of authorities is anti-national because it marginalizes Indian Muslims, it increases the feeling of alienation in communities that are lawful residents of this nation, it is against our own Indian constitution that upholds secularism as one of the key virtues, and it propels misconceptions against another nation that all residents of that nation are anti-social.

The Asha Parivar activists have demanded an enquiry against the authorities who are perpetrating such acerbic activities in the name of law!

Published in:
Citizen News Service (CNS), India/Thailand
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