Azam Khan was in Karnataka when the Khargone violence took place. During his absence, his shop was looted, and to his shock, an FIR was filed against him, accusing him of participating in the violence.
"I wasn't even here. When I returned, I found out that my shop had been burned down and an FIR had been filed against me." Azam Khan told Miles2Smile.
The Ram Navami celebrations in Khargone took a tragic turn when a religious festivity spiraled into chaos.
At Talab Chowk, two processions—one organized by the Raghuvanshi community and the other by groups like Bajrang Dal and Gauraksha Samiti—crossed paths, leading to rising tensions that soon erupted into violence, plunging the city into turmoil.
In the aftermath, authorities launched a demolition drive, citing construction violations as the reason. However, many residents disputed these claims, stating that their homes and businesses were lawfully built. The demolition disproportionately affected the Muslim community, leaving countless families without shelter or means of livelihood.
Azam Khan is a chauffeur and a shopkeeper by profession. His shop was looted and burnt, taking away a major source of his monthly income.
"What was my fault? Why was my shop burned down?" Khan asked
Khan further claimed that his shop had been targeted even before the riots, the reason being his Muslim identity.
"This is not the first time; my shop has been targeted twice before." Khan said.
Tears welled up on his face while sharing his heart-wrenching ordeal. Despite being innocent, he lost everything.
While Miles2Smile was on the survey to help people bear the loss, our team assured Azam Khan of the help he needed.
Miles2Smile managed to raise funds for Azam Khan’s shop and helped him reconstruct his shop and restock it. With the help of our donors, we were able to earn another smile.
“Thank you, Miles2Smile, for rebuilding my shop and my life. I do not have words to express my happiness,” Azam Khan said with a broad smile. A smile that would be engraved upon our hearts forever.
Our Khargone relief work would not have been possible without the help of our donor. to learn about more stories read: https://stories.miles2smile.org/category/khargone-2022/
