Raipur, Apr 12: As many as 108 out of the 159 people that were quarantined by the Chhattisgarh government last week for allegedly taking part in Delhi’s Tablighi Jamaat congregation are Hindus, according to reliable sources.
The names of these 159 people, who were said to be in Delhi’s Nizamuddin area when the Tablighi Jamaat congregation was held mid-March, were mentioned in a list issued by the state home department last month.
The list has been accessed by the many media outlets. But, Raipur Collector S. Bharti Dasan and the state’s Principal Secretary, Home, Subrata Sahu, claimed no such list was issued.
However, a senior state home department official, who didn’t want to be named, said: “Listing of the names was done on the basis of location of mobile phones traced in Nizamuddin in the month of March during the period when congregation of Tablighi Jamaat was held.
“It was subsequently sent to the chief medical officers in the respective districts for further action,” the official added.
These 159 people have either been quarantined at their homes or at government isolation centres. The quarantine exercise took place between 31 March and 1 April.
Interestingly, almost all the people named in the list have denied attending the massive Jamaat congregation, which had seen the participation of over 3,000 people, including foreigners.
Under quarantine “forcefully”, these people alleged they are facing social boycott as they have been “linked to the Tablighi”.
Those placed under quarantine, told media if their phone locations have shown their presence in the Nizamuddin area that didn’t necessarily mean they had attended the Tablighi congregation.
“My neighbours are no longer like my family. After 31 March, I have received more than 500 calls (from relatives and friends) and had to convince them that I didn’t attend the Jamaat event,” Umesh Pandey, a resident of Ambikapur, said.
“People in my area have started saying that some Brahmins took part in the event. I have no objection to being kept in quarantine, but it should be explained why it is being done,” said Pandey, who is a consumer rights activist.
Pandey said, like every year, he had gone to Delhi in March to participate in a consumer protection programme and had stayed at a hotel in Nizamuddin. “I came back on 17 March. After I was quarantined, a false propaganda is being spread about me that I am linked with Tablighi Jamaat activities.”
Pandey said he and his family are now being “looked at as suspects”.
Kamal Kumar Popatani, a businessman from Bilaspur district, has faced similar problems. Popatani and his family have been living in isolation since 31 March.
“I am completely flabbergasted by this step taken by the state government. I always visit Delhi to procure items for my shop. This time too I had completed my procurement and had returned home on 16 March. Everything was usual till 30 March, but suddenly after 31 March, when this so-called list of 159 alleged suspects was released by the government, we were placed under isolation,” Popatani said.
“My own family members, neighbours and everyone I know are now accusing me that I had joined the Tabligi Jamaat gathering. How can it ever happen? This strange attitude of the government has made my entire family a victim of social boycott.”
Trader Abdul Rahman, a resident of Lutra Sharif area of Bilaspur district, also echoed similar sentiments.
“I returned from Delhi along with my wife on 15 March, but my entire family has been kept in isolation since 31 March. All this is way beyond my comprehension… Blood samples of the entire family were taken. Now everyone is keeping a distance from us and calling us corona suspects,” said Rahman, who had gone to Delhi for a holiday.
“People not only from my village but also in the nearby villages are pointing fingers at me and my family… We are the ones who condemn Tablighi Jamaat and their activities. We have nothing to do with them. The quarantine… has brought…infamy to us,” he added.
In another goof-up, the list even includes names of some people who no longer live in the state but carried mobile numbers issued in Chhattisgarh. One such name is that of BSF sub-inspector Shantanu Mukherjee, who was working in Bhilai about two years ago, but is currently posted in Delhi.
“What kind of list is this? Who released it in the first place? At first, I received a call from the Covid-19 control room in Chhattisgarh and then from the State Police Control Centre. They inquired about my health and current place of posting,” said Mukherjee, whose office is located close to the Nizamuddin area.
Makkhan Singh Yadav, a sub-inspector with the CRPF, is another case in point. Yadav, who is posted somewhere close to Nizamuddin, had bought a SIM card from Dantewada, when he was posted there five years ago.
“I had received calls from both Delhi and Chhattisgarh police after being marked as a corona suspect. But when I explained the reality to them, no calls were made thereafter. I could not understand how all this is taking place,” said Yadav, who is a native of Rampur, Uttar Pradesh.
A first-year Delhi University student, who belongs to Mahasamund district of Chhattisgarh, has been kept under isolation at a local government hospital.
The student, who didn’t want to be named, said she had gone to Nizamuddin railway station to catch a train for Chhattisgarh.
“I came home immediately after it was announced that educational institutions are shutting down. After returning from Delhi, I spent around 19 days at my own home, but suddenly I was admitted to the hospital on 1 April. Why have I been brought here (hospital) if I have no symptoms? All this feels like some sort of torture.”
“Despite my repeated denial, I was brought here by the health department on the pretext of being associated with the Tablighi Jamaat,” she said.
Asked about the Tablighi quarantine list, principal secretary Sahu said: “The government has issued no such list. We have received inputs from the social media about three such lists but the state government has not officially prepared any list.
“All those put under quarantine have been done as per the orders issued by the state government. This order states that those who came to the state after 1 March should be kept under isolation,” he added.
Raipur Collector Dasan refused to say anything about the list and added that people have been kept under quarantine after obtaining their “detailed travel history” based on the guidelines issued by the ICMR.
On the allegation of social boycott, Dasan said: “No person or their families placed under home quarantine or isolation should be subjected to any social boycott or misconduct. They also need not have any social inferiority complex in their minds.
“If any person placed under quarantine feels like this (social inferiority complex), the government has arranged counsellors for them. Our counsellors are convincing and assuring such people by reaching out to them.”
In a release issued here, he said that some people were spreading false messages regarding the functioning of customs, immigration, security and airlines at the airport. But all operations were running smoothly, he said.
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NOT AT ALL WELL ... if someone want to experience the Truth then just Go to Mangalore Airport and see how they treat Burka and Beard Clad commuter, and the Emigration and CISF / Security personnel attitude which is very pathetic and too bad and sometime they make their Security DOG to snip the luggage and also sometime snip the said passenger.
you find lots of discriminate and bias right from luggage porters to the Emigration personnel...
....
I have seen officials at Mangalore Airport abusing Muslim men and women (Kerala) arriving from Gulf. If it is not for their hard earned money of these young men and women working in Gulf and spending in India. India would have become another Somalia.
Guys it is time to hit them were it hurts their wallet. Soon you guys can fly to Kannur Airport until then fly Cochin International Airport or Bombay International Airport ( they have improved their customer service) You have the power to stop the abuse...
Dear Airport Director,
Please install CC camera on each and every counter and all the places, then you will realize that your these INNOCENT staff's rude behaviour. They are making problems only for one community and blind for others. Please treat us also Indian, we are not from any other country. Please ask your people to behave with us atleast we are humans and we do have our self-respect. Hope you could do this. Tnx.
Bribery is very common in customs
All is not well,
I will share my experience when I traveled from Mangalore to Dammam.
We were 3 friends together travelling, along with us there was a guy travelling first time to KSA. One of my known friend told me that to take care & help his relative because he is first time to Saudi. We started together & we 4 got boarding pass. Then we 3 finished emigration check & 4th one was new guy, emigration staff didn't process his emigration work, I was waiting for him to come for 10 min. Then I went back to emigration counter & asked what is the problem. And our conversation was like below
Emigration staff :new guy was mentioned his profession as driver in the form.
Me : what is the problem with that ?
Emigration Staff : he don't have Indian driving license
Me : so what ?
Emigration Staff : Without Indian driving license how he will work in Saudi, I wont allow him to travel
Me : with Indian driving license he cannot drive in Saudi, he has to get Saudi license to drive
Emigration staff : no way
Me : Pls allow him,
Emigration staff : no way, you go away or give me your passport I will fix you the case against you
Then I left from & another guy from our group went & same conversation happened with them.
Flight was ready to take off, we are waiting for him, at last minute he came. He told us Emigration staff was demanding for money about 10,000 rupees, he had only 1,000 rupees & he gave him.
First thing to do is terminating Radhakrishna is the best solution & Emigration, custom staffs.
I request the authorities please donot be partial to one community. Donot give communal colour to customs checking atleast. Of course we love our city and would like to travel via mangaluru only. As you said we rely on your words. Kindly do the needful assistance for the travellers
I traveled many times from Dammam to mangalore I want to share my experience here tooo please airport authority take seriously ..
when we go to the immigration line .. there is one guy for stamping go out he behaves like we are coming from central jail .. he treats us like we are his slave and he behaves like a boss
asking wen u came last time y u r coming every 6 month this is none of his business his job is once we reach there check in his pc if the passport is matching to indian authority
after that wen I went to collect language realy very bad asking wt is that wt is this they are sreening if they have doubt they have to open and tie it properly and give back if any muslim ladies looking for gold wt they wear ...
but mom muslim men if he wear chain no question....
soon kannur airport is going to open.. then mangalore will learn soon..
Mumbai airport is better then mangalore as by my experience because I dnt want o say everyone need to take their own experience as specially muslim...
All is not well, CBI should inquire about this situation....harassing innocent people is not at all acceptable....custom officers have different kind policy towards Muslims....even if they carry authorized amount of gold still they check every parts of body....it is obnoxious...should not be allowed....it is better airport director come and see what is going on around at the time of arrival and till all passengers left from airport....
Ibrahim Hussain Udupi, CISF personnel are not kept for communicating in local languages but to look after the security of the Airport and us. It is very good that they have not kept local personnel. The immigration officers have to ask the new recruits many questions as there is lot of fraud visas being issued and they turn up at the Gulf countries and have to be put in jail or have to be deported back (many cases in the papers) for which I think you do not contribute (you would have know if you had contributed). Why bring religion into this as we know that educated Muslims are not targeted as myself and my family members have not faced any such questions in any of the Airports in India. I have flown out of Mumbai, Bengaluru,Delhi, Kochi, Calicut. How come you were scared to request muslims to stand against the comment of the MP from North Kanara but jump to comment on this subject. Do not be selective in standing up to issues of muslims. We do not require support who have double standards and double speak.
There must be some problem. Otherwise, the passengers would not have expressed their anger over social media.
The main reason for this is, losing faith in system or with the concerned authorities. They are still not sure that the authorities will help them for their smooth travel.
1st thing we need to understand that, all those who travel trough the airport are not smugglers or thieves. Yes security should be tightened but should not look at them with some prejudice. And the truth is that, smugglers keep very good relationship with the airport authorities and they will make sure that, they have hassle free travel. No question of religion/caste/creed comes here.
What the Director should do now is that, instead of wasting the time with media persons, Call the entire Airport staff and give them an excellent 2 day customer service training, So that, they will learn how to deal with the passengers who spend a lot and come there. And ofcourse , as you know the long journey in flight is really tiring for most of them.
Most of the complaints read and read, looks sending Free of cost 'WHATS APP\ really most of the Patience gone out of order, very, simple example to say After long struggling at least we Mangaloreans got International Airport, which we passengers or Public using a lot by Mr Ibrahim Hussian's community is saying nonsense, Language, The question to Him Why Your speaks, not Joining this Job?? you are always Job less Job Likers!!!!! at least wake up, and 99% of Gold Smugglers in your Great Group Mr Ibrahim, Question in Emigration is required getting afraid baseless, sure Uneducated cannot understand then complaining????.
Be perfect first then look others man!!!!
Jai Hindustan
Jai Siddaramanna
Jai Radhakrishna."
As far as my experience is concerned, I don't have much concerns about the security checking. But, in terms of maintenance, the authorities need to pay attention. Here, I would like to share my experience;
Few days back when I had to travel via Mangalore Airport, I was desperately searching for a dustbin to throw a coffee cup. I was running from counter to counter for at least three places thinking that the Emigration officers might have such an arrangement to throw a waste paper. Unfortunately I didn't find anything. Finally I was directed towards restroom.
I just wonder why Airport Authority of India fails to meet a traveler's basic needs despite being collecting huge amount in the name of airport maintenance.
look at the below fare details in rupees for a ticket from Kuwait to Mangalore;
Economy class Air fare 2000
Fuel Surcharge 5233
user Development Fee 856
passenger Service Fee 237
Passenger Service Charge 74
Development Charge 300
Total 8700
Now, my fellow CD readers have to tell; Are we enjoying the equal benefits for what we pay? Most of them might have traveled through Mangalore Airport. For me, All's not well these!
There are lots of ambiguity in Mangalore Airport. The CISF personnel are from north India, except Hindi they cannot speak no other languages. Their attitude in security checks at the departure is horrible. Insulting passengers specially aged people deplorable. At Immigration counter at departure, they ask many questions to the new recruits where they were harassed without any faults. For Muslim passengers there is double standard in immigration and security checks as they treat very badly.
Recently, during my travel back from Saudi Arabia, a Muslim girl was detained for several questions at customs check. She was so afraid of these customs officials. Later she was allowed to walk free. I think and propose Mr. Radhakrishna, must have a look at these counters solving agony of the passengers. The NRI's coming from the gulf countries are not thieves or smugglers. They work hard and bring lots of foreign exchange to the nation that cannot be ignored. To their contribution to the country, in return they do get no facility example is recent budget. From their earnings thousands of families living with peaceful life. Comparing to Mangalore airport, Mumbai airport is better these days for international passengers, only the problem is transit for Mangaloreans.
Because of problems only now most of the Gulf passengers like to travel via Bombay airport. They don't like to travel FROM Mangalore Airport directly. Who said don't have problem???
Dear Sir, are you sure that people will get help???
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