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Communal hatred hit a new low in Gujarat when some foreign students enrolled with Gujarat University were assaulted for offering namaz in their hostel premises. The incident that took place on Saturday night is a big embarrassment for both the Gujarat and Indian governments. It has the potential to have ramifications in diplomatic circles, and took place in the month of Ramzan.
Understanding the gravity of the situation, the Gujarat Police has initiated action and arrested two persons identified as Bharat Patel and Hitesh Mewada. A case has been registered against 25 persons and nine teams have been constituted to nab the accused.
Sources on the ground disclosed that a mob of more than 200 persons was involved in the attack and ransacking of the hostel rooms where the foreign students are lodged. It is learnt that two students belonging to Sri Lanka and Tajikistan had to be hospitalised after they sustained injuries.
Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) tweeted on Sunday afternoon, “An incidence of violence took place at Gujarat University in Ahmedabad yesterday. State government is taking strict action against the perpetrators. Two foreign students were injured in the clash. One of them has been discharged from hospital after receiving medical attention. MEA is in touch with the Gujarat government.”
According to the information available, a group of around 15 persons had barged into the A Block of the Gujarat University boys’ hostel raising objection to the students from Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and other countries offering namaz at the facility where they were staying.
It is learnt that there are around 300 international students enrolled with the Gujarat University belonging to various countries, mainly in Asia and Africa. Around 75 of them are lodged in A block of the University.
The episode started with around 25 persons entering the hostel and raising objections to the students offering prayers asking them to not do so in the hostel and instead go to a mosque. This resulted in an altercation with the accused hurling abuses and resorting to stone pelting and attacking the praying students with other objects.
The situation worsened with a 200 plus mob landing at the spot. Sources disclosed that the mob ransacked the rooms on all the three floors of the hostel and attacked those students also who had locked themselves in their rooms fearing an assault.
The videos of the incident that are being circulated show two wheelers lying overturned and rooms of students in complete disarray after being ransacked. The mob was shouting slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ when the assault was carried out. It is yet to be ascertained which group or organisation the accused were affiliated to.
Gujarat University vice chancellor Neerja Gupta told the media persons, “Stern administrative measures are being taken. The security concerns of the students will be addressed.” Deputy Commissioner of Police Tarun Duggal told reporters, “Efforts are on to nab the accused with the help of technical surveillance and other measures.”
Questions are being raised over why the Police personnel who reached the spot on being informed about the incident allowed the accused to depart without being detained.
Social activist Shamshad Pathan told The Citizen, “There are some basic questions that need to be answered. How come a mob of more than 200 persons assembled at the spot all of a sudden?
“The two accused arrested are residents of localities that are quite far away from the University premises. One of them is a resident of Vastral while the second is a resident of Sola locality. This points out towards a design.
“The University authorities saying that there was some tension brewing between two groups, one of them being Muslim foreign students, leads to the all important question of why nothing was done to diffuse this tension and prevent things from taking a turn for the worse. It needs to be probed what kind of security agency has been given the job for keeping the hostel students safe and what were the security personnel doing when the accused barged into the hostel premises.”
Meanwhile, Mujahid Nafees who is the convener of Minority Coordination Committee Gujarat in a letter addressed to the University vice chancellor Neerja Gupta, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, state Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi and Director General of Police (DGP) Vikash Sahay, has sought that the case be registered under the sections related to prevention of terrorist activities along with the section of robbery.
Nafees has also demanded that the case be investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Muslim students be given adequate security. In addition to this the students should be compensated adequately for their losses. “The pressure mounted through circulation of videos and instant criticism from various corners led to the instant registration of a criminal case,” he said.
Social activist Dev Desai said, “Those who talk of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family) should understand what their own children would go through if such a thing happens to them. This incident is a shame for Gujarat and is deplorable.”
The episode in Ahmedabad has come in less than 10 days of the surfacing of a video that showed a Delhi Police Sub Inspector seen kicking two men offering namaz on a road in Inderlok area of the National Capital.
The two men along with others had ended up offering prayers on the road as the mosque next to the site was filled to its capacity. Following public outrage the Sub Inspector identified as Manoj Tomar was suspended and disciplinary action was initiated against him.
However, there has been very little outrage from the common public with even the Opposition = Congress and Aam Aadmi Party– saying little.
The lone Muslim legislator Imran Khedawala of the Congress who represents the Muslim dominated Jamalpur constituency did go to visit the injured students at the hospital where they were being treated. He was accompanied by former MLA from Dariyapur Gyasuddin Sheikh.
