By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata: A relief team of Jamiat Ulama e Hind (Arshad Madani Group), headed by state Secretary Qari Shamsuddin Ahmed, distributed rice, potato, dry rice, lungies, sarees and others material to the 317 victims’ families of the Sholo Bigha slums on May 4.
A massive fire had gutted more than 700 slums at the Sholo Bigha basti, beside the Santoshpur Railway station under the Maheshtala Municipality of South 24 Parganas in West Bengal. Slum dwellers at Sholo Bigha basti had lost their homes and belongings in a massive fire on March 16, 2013. Earlier also fire blaze had engulfed this Muslim dominated slum on 20 November, 2012.
On behalf of WB Jamiat Ulama e Hind (Arshad Madani Group) cloths handed over to victims.
Qari Shamsuddin Ahmed told TCN that not only now, but even immediately after the blaze in the slums Jamiat Ulama had organized a medical camp for the slum dwellers, most of whom were Muslims.
Slums dwellers are still living an unconditional life, with little food, clothing, etc and most of the dwellers are employed as daily wage labourers or pull rickshaws. Some Muslims organizations have finally woken up and are providing them assistance.
Relief materials’ van on way to Sholo Bigha Basti near Santoshpur railway station from Burdwan.
Qari Shamsuddin Ahmed also told TCN that according to a decision taken by the country head of Jamiat Ulama, Maulana Syed Asrhad Madani, financial assistance will be given to the poor families to arrange marriages of their daughters.
Jamiat will also provide bicycles and rickshaws to some of the poor slum dwellers to earn a living.
State Secretary of Jamiat Ulama e Hind (Arshad Madani Group) handed over the cloths to an aged victim of Sholo Bigha slums on 4 May, 2013.
Haji Abdul Matin, Maulana Fazlullah, Jahangir Islam, Dr. Shafiqul Islam and many others Jamiat personalities and activists were present to distribute the relief materials to Sholo Bigha slums dwellers.
Although Chairman of Maheshtala Municipality, Dulal Das, in-law of Kolkata Municipal Corporation Mayor Shovan Chatterjee had assured to the slum dwellers for a rehabilitation package, no accommodation facility had been provided by the Municipality till now. WB Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was had then brushed the incident as minor incident.
Victims of Sholo Bigha slums dwellers gathered at a relief camp organized by Jamiat Ulama e Hind (Arshad Madani Group).
It is worth mentioning here that when the fire had broken, fingers were raised at the Maheshtala Municipality Chairman Dulal Das of some kind of conspiracy against poor slum dwellers, most of whom are Muslims. Then a FIR was also registered against the chairman, informed Idris Ali, President of Sholo Bigha Basti Committee.
Locals are not very hopeful as WB CM had already brushed it aside as a small incident, although she had then sent Minister for Fire and Emergency Services and Disaster Management, Jawed Ahmed Khan to visit the basti. He had assured of a rehabilitation package and that new houses would be constructed by the Maheshtala Municipality.In the presence of Minister Jawed Ahmed Khan, a temporary tarpaulin based make shift huts were erected, but no rehabilitation package has otherwise reached the ground.