Please stop branding us terrorists: Muslim areas in Ahmedabad shut down, silently

For the first time in this city since the riots last year, a bandh was observed without any political affiliation—and exclusively in ar...

For the first time in this city since the riots last year, a bandh was observed without any political affiliation—and exclusively in areas dominated by Muslims.

The bandh was unique in other aspects as well: there were no statements or appeals by any organisation, no one came out to enforce the bandh and yet virtually every one complied, shops remained closed and people stayed indoors. And by evening there was no one claiming success for the near-total bandh.

The bandh was provoked by an anonymous leaflet circulated in Muslim neighbourhoods. This leaflet claimed that the entire Muslim community is being branded as terrorists and that innocents were being targeted, a reference, police said, to the five local residents arrested in connection with the Akshardham strike.

Story continues below this ad

‘‘The tone and language of the leaflet was not at all crude; In fact, it was quite well-written. The tone was not inflammatory, it just made a bandh appeal,’’ said a senior police officer.

‘‘I don’t know who called for the bandh but by participating, I am doing what little I can do to help those who are trying to raise the government from its slumber. I certainly feel that the government is just not bothered about us,’’ said Hanif Sheikh, who owns a provision shop in Dhabgarwad.

The news of the leaflet spread last evening prompting the police to make security arrangements in the Muslim-dominated areas of Dariapur, Kalupur, Shahpur, Mirzapur, Teen Darwaja, Dhabgarwad, Karanj and Vejalpur.

‘‘We did not want to take any chance when we heard of the anonymous leaflet. The bandh was peaceful and there was no untoward incident. No one was arrested,’’ Joint Commissioner of Police (Sector I) P C Thakur told The Indian Express.

Story continues below this ad

Though no one knew who issued the leaflet, word spread like wild fire this morning that all residents of Muslim areas are observing a bandh in protest against the arrests.

By afternoon, even shops in markets which were open in the morning downed their shutters. Shops and business establishments in areas like Jamalpur, Raikhad, Gaekwad Haveli and Khamasa which had opened this morning closed down by afternoon learning that shopkeepers in other Muslim areas in the city were observing a complete bandh. Interestingly, a row of shops owned by Hindus in Teen Darwaja also remained closed.

In the afternoon, residents of Kalupur and Dariapur, mostly women and children, assembled near Relief Road to take out a rally to protest against the arrests. However, after an appeal by Thakur, they dispersed peacefully.

The women who gathered to take out the rally too did not know who had given the bandh call. ‘‘All I know is that the bandh is in protest against the arrest our religious leaders and others who have been wrongfully detained by the Crime Branch in the Akshardham case. I joined in to show my solidarity,’’ said Nafissabanu of Dariyapur.

Story continues below this ad

‘‘This kind of arrests have been going on for quite sometime and I believe that many of those arrested are innocent,’’ said Roshanbibi, another protestor.

As all the shops in these areas remained closed throughout the day, supply of essential commodities was hit. ‘‘I had learned about the bandh call last night and knew things will not be available today so I stocked up milk for my little daugther yesterday night itself,’’ said Mohammed Zuber. ‘‘And even if we had to undergo some inconvenience, it’s okay because the protest was against the illegal acts of the government and the police.’’