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.”
Comments
SDPI CONTESTING THAT PLACES, THEY HAVE ALREADY SDPI STRENGTH, SDPI WILL GOT MLA SEATS.
Sdpi knows where to contest election and not to...This kind of torture is faced by minorities in every elections. Enough is enough we are tired of INC's fake promises. If you don't work for the welfare of the community you don't deserve to be elected.
No more threats on " if no Congress then BJP will come to power "
AWAAM KI JEET SDPI KI JEET
JAI SDPI
What is contribition for Minority past years. can u mention here.
every on know whom to vote.
Who are you "congress miniority cell" to ask this question?
what you contribution for miniroity since last 70 years?
answer is: Sachar Report that u gave us & Babri Masjid that u taken from us ( 2 important role muslims still suffering)
BJP is just for agenda for u,
We will support SDPI wherever we want
Its our choice now dont spoil Muslims name for your personal benefit
*"We are minorities, we cannot have our own representative.. even other parties are right in not fielding a candidate from minorities as the possibility of winning is very weak. So, why to waste a vote. Better to go with so called secular parties as before"*
These words often we hear here & there, every now & then. Such kind of opinion among our friends, family really pushes our morale down. We celebrated like as if we won, when the person we voted won. But everyone of us should ask ourselves *have we really won ?* We voted a party for years & years & *has the position of our community changed ??*
Leave aside the development & welfare promises, most important question is *are we secure in our own land ??*. Some people do ask *Why only SDPI ?* *Why can't we support a Muslim candidate from other parties ?* Yes we can support if he really does fight for welfare of the community. But we all have seen, we voted many times & sent them to speak for us. But our problems fell on their deaf ears & they became dumb when they really had to speak.So we don't have any expectation from them.Its time to know that we need one among us to represent us.So, that *our voice reach assembly & make a noise there*. it should alarm & awaken others who have been sleeping for years .Truth is that even a member can make other 100 tight lipped secular members open their mouth.One question will open door for 100 answers..Until somebody is there to cry & fight for us, we are not going to get anything. Remember the saying *crying baby only gets the milk*.
If one carefully analyse through the last assembly elections Muslim candidate have lost Muslims in Muslim dominated constituency. In many cases winning margin is thin as many independent Muslim candidates cutting through the votes. This may be the strategy of the BJP in coming assembly elections as well. Other factors are small regional parties lise SDPI which directly responsible for Congress to lose in Mysore Lok Sabha elections. MIM has cost nearly two dozen seat in UP is the worrying fact.
Congress is shedding tears now after losing 15 seats in Gujarat with a small margin. Had they spared couple of seats for BSP and NCP they would have easily won 13 seats ...‘As you sow, so shall you reap’.
Wake up INC & start discussing & shares the seats with growing , popular & true secular,agitative & politcal party SDPI or else it will be too late...
One SDPI MLA enter in ASSEMBLY will open mouth of all minority MLA , this time must go one MLA FROM SDPI,
Never ever one and only SDPI
Congress itself is the reason for failure in Gujarat, they didn't join hands or not ready to talk with BSP or NCP. while checking recent statements of ING party, it also going favor to soft Hindutva, instead of this let them join hands with SDPI to fight against saffronization or else they will pay for it as they did in Gujarat.
my opinion SDPI will win 2 to 4 seats with any party support in Karnataka this time, more than 40+ places chances of coming in the second place ... congress should make their strategy now and move on.. best of luck Cong+SDPI.
This is congress strategy till date, minorities especially muslims are well aware of all these tactis. Never they work hard or do anything for minorites rather they just show BJP as a devil and gain votes. Vote for all these secular parties with a clever startegy where they can be made victories. We can see that bjp is out of power and also see that along with congress 4-6 MLA from these parties enter assembly and make the changes.
On one hand Rahul Gandhi is instructing Karnataka Congress govt to stop so called "Minority Appeasement" and on other hand the Minority wing of Karnataka Congress is begging Muslims to stay away from Sdpi and MIM. This shows us Congress is not yet decided its stand on Muslims in coming MLA Election. Whereas SDPI has its stand very clear about contesting the elections with positive Political views. We will support SDPi wherever they contest for election. Whereas we ask Congress to alliance with SDPI in order to save BJP from coming into throne. Sdpi and Congress should be together to defeat BJP. Hence Congress should offer SDPI some of its seat. That will be clever move from Congress.
There is nothing new in KPCC Minority Wing's view, this is what Congress has been telling for almost 7 Decades. Why only SDPI & MIIM, why not JDS and other secular smaller parties, they too cause division of Muslim and secular votes. JDS has got many infulential Muslim figures such as Farook Bhai, Rauf Puttige and many from Coastal belt, then countless Muslim leaders from other parts of Karnataka. Are they not dividing Muslim votes.
I agree with Minority wing - hold discussion not only with SDPI & MIIM but other small progressive parties, thinkers such as Dwaraknathji, Bhaskar and about 15 such people who are decided to contest election this time, Congress should support them, not to field candidates against them. Let some more JIGNESH's come out from Karnataka, let us here different voice of revolutionary thinkers in the Assembly.
An Historical opportunity awaiting for Congress in Karnataka to silence Fascist forces. Dont blame or terrify Muslims, rather work strategically. The ball is in Congress Court!!!
To kick out all communal ; anti INDIA forces from our beloved NATION INDIA. All should unite and vote for the best secular party with ballots. Decline ; reject EVM system then only you can make impossible thinks to possible. Stand togehter and deman for BALLOT voting system then only you will aware who is for the country and who is not. At present there are big deal programs are going on behind screen with communal groups which INDIAN never experienced in the past. Now this is the right time and we the peace loving KARNATAK people to start. For the best government and ruling select qualified young energetic with good back ground. Don't support criminal and communal mind candidate.
We need our GREAT NATION to unite always and shine as number ONE in UNIVERS.
Jai Hind! Jai KArnataka !
They might have good ideologies. But people should recognize as a winning party.
otherwise no use. We dont have objection, if these New parites can win.
We know it will take many years to be strong enough to win in the election New parties
Better be smart, wise support to Congress, atleast much safer than BJP. otherwise you are answerable to your God for not using your brain.
May God bless.
Expression or Minority Wing of All India Congress Committee is quite correct, otherwise same Gujarat situation will prevail in Karnataka too. All Muslims should vote to a single party.
Add new comment