By TCN News,
Bengaluru: Civil rights groups released a report, “Permanent Suspects - Framing Muslim Youth in Karnataka” on the targeting of Muslims in terror cases in an event attended by more than hundred persons on Saturday.
The event, titled “Needle of Suspicion- Targeting of Muslims in Terror Cases” was organized by a coalition of seventeen organizations. Speakers at the event included Manisha Sethi of Jamia Teachers Solidarity Association (JTSA), Delhi, Advocate S.A.H. Razvi of Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), and three of the acquitted persons in terror cases, Muthi-ur-Rahman Siddiqui, Mohammed Yusuf Nalbandh, and Aejaz Ahmed Mirza.
Introducing the report, Professor Sreedhara of Peoples’ Democratic Forum, stated that a need was felt for a probe into how people from one community are being targeted, and the report documents the stigma attached to persons even falsely charged in terror cases, and the loss of life, dignity and livelihood.
Speaking of his experiences, Mirza lamented, not only the loss of his job at DRDO, where he was one of the very few Muslims ever to be appointed but also the trauma that his family went through in trying to contact him after he was arrested.
Siddiqui spoke about how he still carries the stigma of being accused a terrorist, despite being acquitted. He also questioned the hypocrisy of the media in demanding an apology and compensation from the state for his illegal incarceration, when they themselves are not willing to apologize for the malicious manner in which they portrayed him to be a terrorist.
Nalbandh spoke about the trauma caused to his aged mother, who had to face the intense public scrutiny to which she had no answers.
Adv. S.A.H Razvi detailed the manner in which most terror cases are concocted, and innocent people are framed, which is best illustrated by the arbitrary manner in which investigations are conducted.
Manisha Sethi informed the gathering of her experiences in documenting the numerous false terror cases heaped on innocent Muslim youth across Delhi. In particular, she spoke about the Batla House encounter case, and the travails of the innocent Muslim youth who lost substantial periods of their lives behind bars because of the false cases foisted on them by the Delhi Police Special Cell.
The event was co-organised by People’s Union For Civil Liberties- Karnataka (PUCL-K), People’s Democratic Forum (PDF) Association For Protection Of Civil Rights(APCR), National Confederation Of Human Rights Organisations (NCHRO), Karnataka Komu Souharda Vedike (KKSV), Alternative Law Forum(ALF), South India Cell For Human Rights Education And Monitoring (SICHREM), Praja Rajakiya Vedike(PRV), Network Of Women In Media, India (NWMI), Maraa, Pedestrian Pictures, Aneka, Sangama, Vimochana, Concern (IISc), Indian Social Institute And Lesbit.