A march for Justice for Martyred Comrade Zafar was taken out in Pratapgarh on 3 July 2017 in which 1500-2000 workers, farmers, Katchi Basti residents and justice-loving citizens participated. The march started from Gandhi Chowraya at 12 noon, proceeded through the main roads, Main Market, Lohar Galli, Krishi Mandi Road, and Ambedkar Chowraya and culminated in a meeting and demonstration at the Collectorate. A ‘Justice for Zafar’ delegation comprising Comrades Mahendra Choudhury, Roshan Ali, Zulfikar Alam, Chandradev Ola, Shankar Lal Choudhury, Shakir Qureshi, Saurabh Naruka, Advocate Ajay Saxena (PUCL), Himmat Seth (Mahavir Samta Sandesh), and family members of Zafar Zulfikar (brother) and Rukhsar and Shabra (daughters) met the Additional District Collector and Additional SP and submitted a memorandum addressed to the DM and SP. The administration gave them the assurance of a fair enquiry and action. A copy of the memorandum was sent to the Chief Minister and the Home Minister of the state.
Speaking at the protest meeting Com. Aslam Khan said that photography and videography of women forced to defecate in the open for want of usable toilets will not be tolerated, and this struggle will be continued until the arrest of Com Zafar’s murderers. AIPWA State Secretary Sudha Choudhury said that the strategy of the present toilet campaign serves only to increase corruption, propagate false statistics, and publicly humiliate poor and deprived citizens. Com Santosh said that the Rs 1200 given by the government is not sufficient for building toilets; even out of this insufficient amount a large portion is misappropriated by the Sarpanch-officials-
Com Shahnaz said that the petty leaders and agents of BJP governments have always perpetrated such injustice against the poor, adivasis and women throughout the country; this is nothing new for them. This government is also working to protect the rapist BJP Sarpanch of village Sati Ki Chouree in Salumber Tehsil near Pratapgarh. This is a government of agents helping murderers, rapists and thieves.
After the talks Com Mahendra Choudhury, representing the delegation, said that if the administration does not act within 15 days on the given assurance of a free and fair enquiry, the agitation would be stepped up. Along with the arrest of Com Zafar’s killers, the true justice for Com Zafar will be the fulfillment of his fight for ‘pattas’ and basic amenities for the Katchi Basti. At the conclusion of the meeting Com Saurabh Naruka said that in the next 15 days the message of today’s protest must be taken to all the youth, basti residents and justice-loving citizens of the city so that if proper action is not taken the government can be politically challenged in Pratapgarh.
