Author: Ayesha Khan
Publication: Indian Express
Dated: May 3, 2006
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/story/3677.html
An Armyman on his way to get his children
admitted to school, a brother taking the short-cut home from a shop he had
newly opened, a young man about to get married, two men returning from work:
the victims of yesterday's Vadodara riots over the dargah demolition, Hindu
and Muslim, were ordinary citizens not even aware of the controversy.
Consider the case of Subedar Ramchandra Meena
(35), belonging to the Patiala unit of the EME. Following his recent transfer
to Bhusawal, he was on training at the EME school in Vadodara until April
29. And on Monday, at around 12.45 pm, while the dargah was being demolished
on the Fatehpura-Champaner road, he and his nephew Manoj Meena were on their
way to the Kendriya Vidyalaya in Harni to secure admission for his three daughters
when they came up against a police blockade.
"We asked around for a shortcut to Harni
and entered Yakutpura. First, our motorcycle was stoned from neighbouring
buildings and then about a dozen men gheraoed us. They started beating my
uncle and confined me inside Minara Masjid. I was rescued by some women from
the neighbourhood. When I reached my uncle he was bleeding profusely, I took
him to a nearby hospital on my motorcycle," recalled Manoj Meena.
At the Swami Premdass Hospital, doctors told
Manoj that his uncle was no more. A post-mortem report confirmed that Meena
had died of stab wounds in his back and stomach.
Today, EME personnel, accompanied by Meena's
wife, daughters and his brother-in-law, came to pick up his body. "We
are taking the body for cremation to our native village in Bhilwada, Rajasthan,"
said his brother-in-law Bhanwarlal Meena.
Like Meena, Biren Shah (23), another one stabbed
to death, had taken a shortcut to his Mandvi residence via Lal Akhara, while
returning from his newly opened Waghodia Road shop. "He was attacked
with a chopper on his neck and shoulder. His body was mutilated and left on
the street," said his brother Devang Shah.
Biren was cremated on Monday night. Shah's
relatives were asked to give a written representation to a five-member panel
from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) which, tomorrow, will visit
the families of those killed.
Similarly, the two Fatehpura residents, Imran
Hussain Dhobi (25) and Mohammad Hayat Mansuri (22), were returning home from
work when they caught police bullets in their heads near Champaner Darwaza,
after they took refuge in neighbouring buildings.
"The boys were sitting down, when they
stood up, the police suddenly fired and they got hit," said Mansuri's
relative, Yasmin Sheikh.
While Imran used to work in a dry-cleaning
shop owned by his family, Mansuri, a Sarsia Talav resident, was employed as
a mattress-maker.
Imran had shifted to his new residence at
Adania Pul after his Baranpura home was burnt during the post-Godhra riots.
Mohammed Ashfaq (23), who was injured early
this morning, died at SSG Hospital later in the day. He was the youngest of
three brothers and sisters, and worked as a salesman in a footwear shop in
Alkapuri.
Ashfaque, the son of a rickshaw-driver, had
just got engaged to be married on Sunday. Friends of this Wadi Moti Vhorwad
resident say he had come out of his house to watch the stone-pelting and insist
he was killed in police firing.
However, the post-mortem report said Ashfaq
sustained injuries during stone pelting and died of haemorrhage. His bother
Alif alleged that his body was recovered after three hours by his friends
who went out in the night. "The police attempted to hide the body after
shooting him," alleged Alif.
