A day after bomb explosions at a Muslim graveyard killed 38 people and injured 190 in this small town in western India, Hindus and Muslims vowed to maintain communal harmony.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi visited Malegaon, only to hear some sorry tales from the kin of the
victims.
As Gandhi was
distributing cheques of Rs.1 lac to the kin of the deceased, a victim's relative could not control his emotions and said: "My son was supposed to go to China on some assignment. But he is no more. What is the use of this cheque now? Why has the
government failed to provide security to the
common citizens?"
Two brothers, Mr. Shafiq Ahmed and Mr. Shaqeel Ahmed, who lost their sons in the
blasts also refused to accept the cheques and told the
leaders they did not want any
money as it could not bring their children back . Ahmed also asked leaders that he can give Rs. 10 lacks instead, the government is doing nothing for common men.
People's cry is very much genuine, because every time any incident takes place leaders visit affected sites, receives media attention and by just distributing government money to victims, they presume that their job has been done. They don't try to look beyond that and to provide solution to the problem.
Yesterday one victim of Malegaon blasts even told leaders that they have not came to collect money but to present their case. For 40 years Malegaon was ahead of Nashik, a near by city, but today it is much behind it, because of lack of basic facilities.
Distributing ex gratia payment to victims has now become a routine, but when our leaders will understand that money without life is nothing!
More reviews about the Loktej