Khandwa Muslims seethe over SIMI encounter
KHANDWA(MP): It is almost two weeks since eight SIMI activists were gunned down in a police encounter hours after breaking out of the Bhopal jail, but sections of the Muslim community in Khandwa, the Madhya Pradesh town from where five of the killed fugitives hailed, are still seething with anger.
Thousands had turned out for the funerals of the five on November 2 and raised angry slogans against the state government and police. Agitated mourners also pelted stones in Tapalchaal neighbourhood of the city, best known to outsiders for being the birthplace of legendary singer Kishore Kumar.
Aqeel Ashraf, a prominent activist, said the encounter
shrouded in controversy has further deepened the sense of alienation among local Muslims.
“The problem is that an impression is being created in the minds of youth that Muslims mean terrorist and incidents such as the encounter only increase the feeling of alienation among the community members. The way the media covered the entire episode has
not helped matters. I think the Bhopal encounter will lead to radicalisation among Muslim youths,” he said.
Khandwa-based lawyer and a prominent community member, Javed Chouhan, said the resentment and anger brewing among Muslim youth was a reaction to the encounter. “When we received the bodies, it was clear from the bullet wounds that the intention had been to kill. The police had violated the Supreme Court guidelines for encounter,” he said.
The encounter deaths have inflamed passions and the state government has ordered a judicial probe following public criticism. Lawyers of the SIMI activists say the encounter was staged. Several audio and video clips that purportedly suggest the fugitives being shot in coldblood have deepened suspicion.
The police, however, insist the situation in Khandwa is under control.
“Yes, the situation was tense during the funeral procession, but things are normal now. At present, there is no evidence of SIMI being active in Khandwa,” additional superintendent of police (ASP), Gopal Khandel, told HT.