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Government kept Kalam away: Shah-e-Alam camp inmates

Unhappy that President A P J Abdul Kalam did not visit them during his trip to Ahmedabad, inmates of the Shah-e-Alam relief camp went hungry on Monday.

The over 4,100 inmates -- mostly from the riot-hit Naroda Patia area -- protested against the arrest of their camp organiser Sharif Khan Pathan and the government's "evil designs" to keep the camp off the President's itinerary.

An inmate, Nannumiya Sheikh, said: "They are trying to show the President what they wish to. If he had come here we would have told him how we continue to live in misery even six months after the riots. No homes, no compensation and they want to say everything is all right!"

The residents of Naroda Patia were also unhappy with the little-over-two-minutes that Kalam spared for them.

"He just came in and went out before we could finish speaking to him," said one resident, who along with a few others had been selected by the Ahmedabad district collectorate to speak on behalf of the hapless riot victims.

Abdul Razzak, another resident of the area, was, however, quite pleased. He said: "I spoke to the President. He asked me if I had got the compensation." Razzak said he had.

When Kalam alighted from his bullet-proof Ambassador car along with Chief Minister Narendra Modi, he turned towards the riot-singed Noorani Masjid and waved at a sea of people who were waiting for him.

Moments before Kalam arrived at the site the police had removed "objectionable" banners like those asking for the release of the riot-accused.

The final moments of the President's trip to Naroda Patia were spent under a shamiyana, where, flanked by Modi and government officials, Kalam listened to the woes of the people and advised District Collector K Srinivasan to give "all possible assistance" to them.

The President's tightly monitored tour of the city went a little awry at the Haj House relief camp situated opposite the Kalupur railway station.

The inmates of the camp, which was considered to be "safe", threw a surprise as they poured out their woes and accused the state government and the chief minister of being behind the riots.

Ayub Khan Pathan, the organiser of the camp, said: "The people opened up before the President. We had a good session of one-to-one with him."

But there were those like the handicapped Faqir Mohammad Qureshi, who was not allowed to approach the President. "I stay near Chartoda Kabristan in Gomtipur area. My daughter was burnt alive in front of me and my property was looted by hooligans. Yet, I have not been compensated... I was shoved aside by the policemen," he said.

In the aftermath of the "free exchange", the police did not allow journalists into the relief camp even after the President had left for Juhapura, where he inaugurated a home for widows of riot victims.

Urging the women to start life afresh, Kalam asked them to contact him in case they wanted any assistance.

A widow from Gulberg Society, which was one of the worst-hit by the riots, offered a shawl to the President, touching off an emotional scene.

The President spent 10 minutes there before heading off to Gandhinagar, the state capital.

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