[Reader-list] Two Articles on What Really Happened At Mecca Masjid, Hyderabad

[Yogi Sikand]

1. What Really Happened
At Mecca Masjid

A Fact Finding Report

23 May, 2006
Countercurrents.org

Report of the fact finding committee on the bomb blast at Mecca Masjid and
subsequent police firing


A fact finding committee was constituted by the organizations mentioned at
the end of this report to collect facts about the bomb blast at Mecca Masjid
on 18-05-2007 at Hyderabad and the subsequent police firing.

The committee visited the Mecca Masjid on 20-05-2007, enquired with the eye
witnesses to the occurrence in Masjid and later with the injured at Owaisi
Hospital and arrived at the following conclusions.

The committee strongly condemns the heinous act of bomb blasting at Mecca
Masjid killing 5 and injuring about 35 people.

The committee equally condemns the police firing on innocent people killing
9 and injuring several others with out any provocation.

The committee is of the opinion that the bomb blast at Mecca Masjid while
the Friday prayers were going on was aimed at only to terrorize Muslim
people and to shatter their confidence.

The committee also feels that the police firing was also aimed at
terrorizing Muslim people and to crush even a small attempt of agitation
from the Muslims.

The police firing was done at a place which is about 200 meters from the
Masjid which show that the police were aiming at people who were proceeding
towards Masjid or going away from the Masjid.

According to the version of the injured in the police firing, the firing was
aimed at people which have no concern to the incident. One was fired at
while he was proceeding towards his house by that side and another 17 year
old boy was fired at when he was going in to the Asra hospital to donate his
blood for one of his relative. Yet another was fired at when he was trying
to lift a fallen man of the bullet injuries. These are classic examples of
how the police fired indiscriminately. According to police version which
appeared in the press that they fired at the mob which was about to attack a
petrol pump and a wine shop. In fact there were no signs of any attack. The
petrol pump was closed on 3 sides and opened to road on one side which is
well guarded. If the shutters of the wine shop were down it will be easily
protected. It is ridiculous for the police to claim that they were to kill 9
people and injure about 25 people in order to save a petrol pump and a wine
shop. It appears that the police value property more that human lives.

More condemnable than the above incident is the police opening fire into the
Masjid putting the rifle on the iron rails of the Masjid from the road side.
An eye witness to this ghastly behavior of police is none else than Mr. Mohd
Ghouse a former cooperator from that area. When the people trying to rush
out after the blast the police aimed at firing at such terror stricken
people. The manner in which the police opened fire, one aiming inside the
Masjid and the other firing indiscriminately from a place away from the
Masjid show that the police also aiming at terrorizing Muslims.

The police firing started after about an hour of the blast. People must have
been by that time agitated and anxious to know about the condition of their
relatives who have gone to offer namaz. The police did not warn them. Even
if the mob has become uncontrolled, the police should have used rubber
bullets. All the injuries are from bullets only. There are no traces of any
injury of a rubber bullet, which shows that the police simply fired at the
mob. Till to date there is no evidence of who gave the permission to open
fire.

The government till date is not in a position to give the exact number of
deaths due to bomb blast and police firing. According to information
gathered by the committee the deaths due to police firing are more than the
deaths due to bomb blast. This fact alone speaks volumes.

According to version given by the police the bomb blast is of the handiwork
of two Islamic organizations which operate from outside India. In fact the
police has released a Muslim name who is said to be the master mind of the
blast. According to facts reveled by a medical officer of Asra Hospital who
treated the injured, some nails, door hinges, and briefcase handle were
removed from the bodies of the injured. This establishes that the bomb used
in the blast was a crude one made with indigenous technology. The injuries
received during the blast and the foreign objects recovered from the bodies
of the injured do not establish any connection with either RDX or TNT. The
naming of the two Islamic organizations as responsible for the blast with
out any acceptable clue reveal the mind of the investigating agency either
to mislead the public or to divert their attention. By identifying the
probable accused and the organizations with out any preliminary evidence
show the attempts of the police to close all other areas of suspicion. The
investigating agency can only come up with the names of the organizations
which are responsible for the blast only after eliminating all other
organizations which can be suspected in such nature of crimes.

The committee feels that both the bomb blast and the subsequent police
firing are aimed at terrorizing Muslims and trampling minimum agitation from
that side.

The state government should take the responsibility for the whole incident.
Even after the warnings by the central government about the possible
terrorist attacks in states including Andhra Pradesh, the police did not
take any necessary precautions to guard sensitive places like places of
worship. It seams there will be regular check up at Mecca Masjid especially
on Fridays by the concerned police. Surprisingly there was no regular check
up on that Friday. Sufficient force was also not deployed when about 10,000
people gathered at the time of namaz. It is unfortunate to know that the
government is appreciating the police for controlling the situation instead
of taking action against the police who are responsible either for the lapse
regarding arrangements at the Masjid or for indiscriminate killing people
with out any provocation.

This is the first time in the history of Hyderabad city or the for the
matter of India where a bomb was blast when thousands of people were
offering prayers in a mosque. It is a very serious matter and of concern for
all to know the persons responsible for it. No investigating agency can
simply wash off its hands by naming terrorist organization. When such
incidents are likely to happen again, it is the duty of the investigating
agency to clear of all possible suspicions and arrive at a definite
conclusion. Even after lapse of 4 days no such traces are evident in the
investigation. It is surprising to know that one more cell phone was
recovered on 20-05-2007 from the pound. In such incidents there shall be no
left up from any side.

The committee makes the following Demands.

1. The committee holds the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh morally
responsible for the bomb blast and administratively responsible for the
police firing. Hence the committee demands the resignation of the chief
minister.

2. In addition to the indiscriminate firing by the police there were
innumerable lapses from the police side to protect the lives of innocent
people. No responsible police officer is forth coming owning the
responsibility for the police firing. Hence the committee demands the
immediate suspension of the Director General of Police and other high
officers who have immediately trooped at the place of incident and
responsible for the firing. Prosecution shall be launched against those
police men who opened fire at innocent people either killing them or causing
injuries.

3. The investigation shall be immediately handed over to CBI.

The Organizations who participated in the fact finding:

Bojja Tharakam (State President Republican Party Of India)
Lateef Mohd Khan G.secreatery.Civil Liberties Monitoring committee
Varvara Rao VERASAM
D. Suresh Kumar Secretary. APCLC
Prabahakar PKM
Abhinova. KNPS
Radha APCMS
Mujahid Hashmi AMA
Leo Augastine
E.Gri yaduvo Praja party

Received from
Lateef Mohd Khan, G.Secretary CLMCI
Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee, India
Amberpet, Hyderabad, A.P - 500013 India, Tel: +91-9391051586 Fax:
91-40-27403392,
Email: clmci at hotmail.com

2. Hyderabad Blasts: Malegaon
Syndrome Travels South

By Mubasshir Ahmed

23 May, 2007
Countercurrents.org

It was a blast from the recent past. The past was replicated with pure
precision and exemplary execution. Past-precision is a lesson for those who
are in the security business. It demands the attentive attention of
capricious crooks (read not so-intelligent intelligence-wallas) to study the
intricacies of the operation. Venerable vigilantes are taught not to allow
history to repeat itself.

Sadly, history was (deliberately?) allowed to repeat itself in Hyderabad.

Malegaon syndrome travelled to South for the very first time.

RAW (Research Analysis Wing) proved to be really raw. Our 'expert'
interceptors (now singing Aladdin's magic phrase ' Khul Ja SIM SIM'), did
not behave like seasoned seismologists in predicting the unpredictable, so
the doctrine of pre-emptive strikes (elimination by encounters) was not
employed this time!

ATS (Anti-Terrorist Squad) was too busy proving in Supreme Court that it
does not stand for Acquired Teasing Syndrome for the Muslim community!

So we were left with only R.K. Laxman's common man to protect us!

Security agencies that have just come out of their hibernation mode are
sniffing out the same old and 'standard pattern' once again. Our always
hyper National Security Advisor (who recently panicked that terrorists are
investing heavily in the stock markets without any substantiation) must
introduce a new and broad pattern of investigation instead of selective
intimidation.

The theorists of the old and standard pattern suggest that whatever happens
in India (Prime Minister's sneeze included!) is the ultimate outcome of the
designs made on the other side of the border. And designs are implemented by
the educated Muslim youths of the country. Isn't it a unique case of
remote-control governance? What more, deadly designs direct these youths to
kill their co-religionists in mosques!

Believers are being killed by the believers. So is it safe to assume that
the devotees at Akshardam temple were gunned down by their co-religionists?
Or should we conclude that the 7/11 train blasts were the handiwork of
Hindus? What would be the reaction of the Hindu mass, if we extend believers
versus believers theory in the Varanasi temple blast?

Investigators who are relying heavily on SIM card registration must know
that today's hi-tech terrorists are smart enough not to leave any thick
trail of evidence. And fabricating documents is not a big deal these days as
has been shown by many investigative reports by various newspapers. So why
would terrorists register SIM cards in their real names? Therefore, SIM card
registration in a Muslim name may be an attempt to disguise the
investigators.

Time is ripe for India to come out of its conditioned mentality.
Investigators must break their mental blocks. Indian law enforcement
agencies suffer from the fatal disease of prejudice. India is once again
going through the 'siege within' phase. Today's India is reminiscent of the
1980s when it was being torn apart by sectarian violence. ULFA and Maoists
are threatening the entire North-East. Naxalite movement and Peoples' War
Group (PWG) have become a household name in South India. The North-West
shudders at the mention of police encounters. In the North, Kashmir narrates
an all together different story.

So, internal vigilance is more important than the external outlook. India's
lop-sided policy is obsessed with the external element only. As M.J. Akbar
wrote, "Vigilance needs three eyes, only one of which looks across the
border. Two must look within."

The writer is a freelance journalist. He may be reached at
mubasshir.ahmed at gmail.com
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