CPI(M) Delegation Visits Lynching Victim’s Family

New Delhi. A delegation of CPI(M) led by Nilotpal Basu, Polit Bureau member and ex MP and Haryana Secretary Surender Singh visited Firozpur Jhirka and village Kolgaon yesterday to meet the family of lynching victim Akbar Khan alias Rakbar Khan by a vigilante group on the intervening night of July 20-21 in Ramgarh (Alwar) Rajasthan.

The delegation noted that this lynching is particularly shocking as it comes within days of the stinging Supreme Court judgment over vigilante crimes and such groups taking upon themselves the functions of law enforcement, based on self-declared allegations.

The Mewat area, as a whole, is extremely backward. Main occupation is rain fed agriculture and animal husbandry. Rearing of cattle is one of the main sources of livelihood.

This is not the first instance when such lynching has taken place in the region. There is political patronage to these cow vigilante groups. In this case, as well, there is every likelihood of complicity of a nexus of cow vigilante groups, police administration and ruling party politicians.

It is shameful that till now none from the government of Haryana has visited the victim’s family to console. No formal declaration of compensation has been made either by Haryana or Rajasthan government.

The villagers told the party delegation that Kolgaon is on border with Rajasthan. Nearest town is Navgaon in Rajasthan just 9 Kms away. They have to visit it for their daily needs and have to face humiliation. Their motor cycles, tractors and other vehicles are towed away by police. Even when they take their cattle for insemination they are caught, attacked, humiliated and sometimes their cattle are also snatched away. There is a general bias amongst the police of adjoining Rajasthan areas against these people.

The delegation was accompanied by important leaders of the state and the district committees and important social activists from the area.

(Release)

Hastakshep