On December 16, CPI(ML) and Insaaf Manch organised a statewide protest across Bihar against the brutal mob lynching of Mohammad Athar Hussain. Hussain, a Muslim cloth vendor, in Bhatta village under Roh police station of Nawada district was brutally attacked on December 5.
In the state capital, a protest meeting was held near Buddha Smriti Park, Patna, with the participation of a large number of activists, representatives of civil society and people’s organisations.
The Patna protest meeting was addressed by AIPWA General Secretary Meena Tiwari, former Phulwari MLA Gopal Ravidas, Paliganj MLA Sandeep Saurabh, MLC Shashi Yadav, PUCL state secretary Sarfaraz, Meera Dutt and CPI(ML) youth leader Divya Gautam, among others. The meeting was conducted by AIPF leader Kamlesh Sharma and chaired by CPI(ML) Patna city secretary Jitendra Kumar.
Addressing the gathering, AIPWA General Secretary Meena Tiwari said that the incident exposes the serious erosion of the rule of law in Bihar. She said that a sustained communal atmosphere is being created in the state by the BJP.
Athar Hussain was brutally beaten, branded with a hot object, his ears were cut, a finger was broken and petrol was poured on his private parts. After being left in a critical condition, a false case of theft was lodged against him. He died during treatment on December 12.
CPIML MLA Sandeep Saurav pointed out that incidents of mob violence and bulldozer action have increased after Samrat Choudhary took charge as Home Minister. Any attempt by the NDA government to impose the so-called Yogi model in Bihar would be disastrous for social harmony and democracy and would be strongly resisted.
CPIML MLC Shashi Yadav said that Mohammad Athar Hussain was targeted merely on the suspicion of being Muslim and was subjected to inhuman torture. She held the police, district administration and medical negligence directly responsible for his death.
The protesters demanded immediate arrest and strict punishment of all those involved in the killing of Mohammad Athar Hussain, security and adequate compensation for the victim’s family, withdrawal of false cases, action against guilty police personnel and officials, an immediate halt to bulldozer actions and mob rule, and a public from Home Minister Samrat Choudhary on the state of law and order.
Protest marches and demonstrations were also organised in Nawada, Nalanda, Darbhanga, Ara and several other districts.
CPI(ML)–Insaaf Manch Fact Finding Team
Earlier on December 5, a joint state-level team of CPI(ML) and Insaaf Manch visited Nawada on to investigate the incident.
The team was led by former Phulwari MLA Comrade Gopal Ravidas and Comrade Anwar Hussain. Other members of the team included Comrade Murtaza Ali from Patna, Comrade Bhola Ram, district secretary of CPI(ML) Nawada, and Comrade Pal Bihari Lal from Nalanda.
The team reported that Mohammad Athar Hussain was attacked after being identified as a Muslim and was subjected to extreme cruelty. They further observed that Bhatta village and nearby localities are gripped by fear in the aftermath of the incident.
The team noted that after the incident an atmosphere of fear prevails in Bhatta village and surrounding areas. Around 10 to 15 Muslim families living in the village are terrified and unable to speak openly. The accused are allegedly being given protection and no serious investigation into their background has been carried out so far.
At the state-wide protests, CPI(ML) and Insaaf Manch appealed to the people of Bihar to come forward to defend the Constitution, democracy and justice, and asserted that the struggle against mob rule, hatred and repression would continue.
