Taslim had been selling chicken from a small wooden kiosk for the past 3-years in Gagan Diwan area — a Muslim neighborhood on the Southern end of Bihar’s Sasaram city. The business had been passed down to him from his father, who managed it for 25 years.
Little did Taslim know that on Friday, March 31, his life and livelihood would be forever altered by the devastating violence that struck his neighborhood.
It was a celebratory occasion for Hindus in the town While Muslims were observing their month of Ramadan. Unfortunately, the occasion of was hijacked by those having a sinister agenda of crippling Muslims financially. In the guise of religious rally, they had prepared themselves for a targeted attack.
Taslim was frightened, when an armed mob, a faction from the Ram Navami Rally fueled by their prejudice, gathered near his kiosk without any apparent provocation or reason. The blinded mob viciously flipped his kiosk, spewing abuse and hatred while the police, mere bystanders to the rampage, offered no protection.
Taslim watched helplessly as his livelihood was destroyed before his eyes, his money box looted, and his counter fully damaged. The inaction of the local authorities further compounded the tragedy, as they failed to protect the innocent and maintain law and order during the chaos.
Amidst the rampage, Taslim anyhow managed to escape the clutches of the mob. But his losses were profound. He had not only lost all his livestock but also his means of earning a living. Days turned into weeks, and his family struggled to put food on the table.
During our relief & rehabilitation work in Biharsharif, Miles2Smile learnt about Taslim’s ordeal and assisted him with Rs 30,000 to rebuild his shop and get his business running again.
