Ekta or unity is the only way forward

In 2002, their faces had defined the emotional extremities of the Gujarat riots. Ashok Parmar had a rod in his hand and rage on his face. Qutubuddin Ansari, his bloodshot eyes welling up, had his hands folded in a prayer for mercy.

On Friday, Parmar’s footwear shop here called “Ekta Chappal Ghar” was inaugurated by Ansari, sealing a gradual friendship that started in 2014 when they were brought together on the dais of a communal harmony programme for the first time.

Seventeen years earlier, Parmar, now 45, had been captured on camera in Ahmedabad with a saffron band around his head and brandishing an iron rod. Burning tyres formed the backdrop to the raw aggression in his eyes, turning him into the face of the riots. Ansari’s cry, frozen in images, typified the vulnerability and fear of those at the receiving end.

Both faces were beaming at Parmar’s shop in the bustling Delhi Darwaja area on Friday. It had been a long journey for the two of them before culminating in the catharsis of that moment.

Parmar used to be a cobbler. He had lost his parents when he was in Class 10 and had to drop out of school to continue his father’s roadside business. He remains unmarried and lives in a nearby school that has been his night shelter for a few years.

Parmar’s life changed when Kaleem Siddiqui, a Leftist from Kerala, took him to his state in 2014 to campaign for CPM ahead of general elections.

P Jayarajan, a CPM leader, started assisting him financially and even offered him a job there, which he refused. “I decided not to go to Kerala as language was a big hurdle,” Parmar said.

Parmar was aware of the struggles faced by Ansari who, supported by Bengal CPM leader Mohammed Salim, had shifted to Kolkata with his family by then. But unable to adjust, Ansari chose to return to Ahmedabad after some years.

He now runs a successful tailoring business and has a wife and children. Parmar has struck a rapport with Ansari over the years and had been invited to release the latter’s biography in Malayalam, “Me Qutubuddin Ansari”, in Kerala.

“I am happy that a new chapter has started in Ashok bhai’s life,” Ansari said on Friday. The duo, who weren’t named in any case pertaining to the 2002 riots as a perpetrator or victim, are overwhelmed by the compassion shown to them. Both believe that horrors like 2002 are best forgotten.

“Ekta or unity is the only way forward,” Parmar said.

Article first published on Times of India.

22-years-old, Kaminiben Chanchiya, was brought to Sonawala Government Hospital when she started experiencing labor pains. The chief medical officer of the hospital and senior doctor, Dr. Paresh Lakhani, reluctantly operated Chanchiya while he was heavily drunk.

This resulted in heavy bleeding, and she was rushed to a private hospital. The blood-loss was profuse that she lost her life in the ambulance. No sooner she died, her baby too passed away.

Dr. Lakhani has had 15 years of experience, but the relatives of Chanchiya have accused Dr. Lakhani for negligence. He has been arrested under Prohibitions Act.

“The police found that the doctor was drunk while on duty. He was first booked under the Prohibition Act and was arrested. His blood sample was sent for testing,” said Botad Superintendent of Police Harshad Mehta.

The dead bodies are sent for autopsy to conclude if the deaths occurred due to negligence.

“As per Supreme Court guidelines, only a committee headed by a civil surgeon can determine negligence charges. If the report is positive, we will book him under provisions of IPC related to negligence,” Mr. Mehta added.

According to top sources in the two agencies, Sandesara and other family members including brother Chetan Sandesara and sister-in-law Diptiben Sandesara were believed to be hiding in Nigeria.

Since India doesn’t not have an extradition treaty or a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with Nigeria and bringing them back from the African country would be difficult, sources said.

However, the investigation agencies are planning to send a request to UAE authorities asking them to “provisionally arrest” the Sandesaras if they are seen there. Agencies are making efforts to get Interpol red corner notices against Sandesaras.

The ED arrested Delhi-based businessman Gagan Dhawan and Garg and attached assets worth Rs 4,700 crore of the pharmaceutical firm in June. However, officials said bringing the Sandesaras back to India to face criminal trial was important as they had diverted huge amounts of money abroad.

Officials said the modus operandi for money laundering used by the Sandesaras involved formation of more than 300 shell/benami companies, manipulating balance sheets, inflating turnover and insider shares trading. 

These firms were controlled by the Sandesaras through dummy directors, who were or are employees of various companies of the Sterling group. 

Bogus sales/purchases were shown between the benami companies and the Sterling group firms to divert loans and inflate turnover to obtain further loans from banks.

[Based on Marathi report in Maharastra Times]