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MEDICAL TOURISM HOTSPOT’S MOMENT OF SHAME ‘They use fear as a tool of suppression’ WHO KILLED In his first interview since his anointment, Syedna Taher Fakhruddin speaks up on the dispute between two factions ripping SHAHBAS? the Dawoodi Bohra community apart Five days after mid-day reported how one-and-half-year old was turned away by seven hospitals, toddler succumbs to accident injuries; state health dept orders Annu Kapoor in a still from the film inquiry into private hospitals violating SC ruling to accept LANDMARK critically ill patients even if they can’t cough up deposit RUPSA CHAKRABORTY JUDGEMENT? [email protected] TURNED away by seven hospitals Despite Censor clearance, in nine hours, both government HC instructs Jolly LLB 2 and private, Shahbas Ali battled in - ternal bleeding for five days in makers to delete scenes Sion hospital’s paediatric intensive disparaging of judiciary; care unit (PICU) before breathing his last yesterday. His father, a it’s a clash between daily wage worker from Virar, judiciary and govt, says blames the callous attitude of hos - pitals, who refused to admit him errant lawyer Annu Kapoor either citing unavailability of beds or their inability to cough up a VINAY DALVI hefty admission deposit. Taher Fakhruddin was anointed the 54th [email protected] The state health department Syedna last month by his followers said it will conduct an inquiry into THE makers of 3olly LLB 8 on Mon - the incident and announced the GAURAV SARKAR day were ordered to delete four ‘ob - setting up of a centralised system [email protected] jectionable scenes’ from the Shahbas’s father Shaitu and his mother that assists patients in similar courtroom drama after a three-mem - outside Sion hospital after he passed away on emergencies. » P LESS than a fortnight after his fac - ber panel appointed by the High Monday. (Inset) Shahbas Ali. PIC/NIMESH DAVE tion coronated him the ;:th Syedna Court agreed that it ‘showed lawyers (spiritual head) of the Dawoodi Bohra in poor light’. ‘If they don’t fall under community, Taher Fakhruddin spoke In its report , the 9-member panel exclusively to mid-day about the suggested four cuts, including the the Rajiv Gandhi growing rift with Syedna Mufaddal scene where the protagonist (Akshay Saifuddin (the ;9rd Da’i al-Mutlaq), Kumar), who plays a lawyer, is seen Yojana, and can’t pay condemned the community’s prac - jumping on the dais. He then signals cash, what can we do?’ tice of female genital mutilation, and his client to throw a shoe at the judge R K revealed what went on behind closed and a dialogue follows: ‘Kya akal Dr Raj Karva, medical superintendent, The deposit demanded from doors when the title of Syedna was ladaai hai’. » P SevenHills Hospital Ali family by private hospitals mid-day’s February 2 report “usurped”. » P 06 CITY mid-day Tuesday, February 7, 2017 | www.mid-day.com | twitter.com/mid_day | epaper.mid-day.com ‘Fear of social boycott keeps people mum’

mid-day’s January 24 report Syedna Taher Fakhruddin reveals how fear is used to control every aspect of Dawoodi Bohras’ lives on the coronation Continued from page $ truth. Having said that, the community is my community. Admissions On 9anuary BC, the Fakhruddin They see what is in front of faction had kicked off a three- them. They see the fear being day celebration to mark his perpetrated by those cur - under RTE E@th birthday by formally rently usurping the adminis - crowning him Syedna. The tration, and they also see the Takht-e-Nashini ceremony love, understanding and delayed for was seen as an official chal - openness, based on principles lenge to Syedna Mufaddal Sai - of accountability and trans - fuddin’s ascension as the ECrd parency in administration, third year Da’i al-Mutlaq. The succession that we practise. battle has been fought in They also see the institu - SILKY SHARMA courts for the last three years. tions of civil society and social [email protected] Excerpts from an interview welfare that are being run for with Fakhruddin at his Thane the people by us. Seeing our FOR the third year in a row, residence on Sunday: vision, hundreds of thousands Right To Education admis - are engaged with us, a large sions in Mumbai are de - Is the rift between the two proportion of the community layed. Online admissions factions (Saifuddin and who want change and positive, that were supposed to start Fakhruddin) becoming Syedna Taher Fakhruddin says his sermons are followed by thousands of followers forward-looking leadership. on Monday, were cancelled stronger by the day? More and more people are due to delay in schools’ reg - Yes, there is a rift, but stronger years, all of Syedna Burhanud - need to do this? The tool of What is your take on FGM coming to us to express not istrations. Parents seeking is a relative term. It exists be - din’s sons prostrated in front fear — of social boycott — is (female genital mutilation)? only their loyalty, but also admission for their wards cause of the dispute regarding of my father, showing alle - an invisible threat to the peo - I have condemned FGM cate - their support and service for have to wait for few more the wrongful usurping of the giance, loyalty, and respect to ple. They make it such that if gorically. It is un-Islamic and the cause. Hundreds of thou - days to apply for the first Syedna’s seat, of assets and his position… until they finally you do not comply with their horrific. And I have prescribed sands of community members round of admissions under other community property, grew up. They (the sons) took rules, you will be socially boy - that khafz be done as per the visited our website millions of the RTE Act for the academic and misguiding the commu - advantage of his (the then cotted. People won’t attend choice of the woman on reach - times last year. Hundreds of year B@AG-AH. nity, the very same things for Syedna’s) ill health, and were your family’s marriages. Or - ing adulthood. This guidance thousands view my sermons Speaking to mid-day, a which my father (late Khuza - speaking on his behalf. They ganising the funeral of loved is out of caring and love for the on YouTube. BMC education officer said, ima Qutbuddin) had to go to even attacked my brothers in a ones will become a problem. community. Those who want “The director of an education court. The rift will get wider place of worship. This is what you call practising to instil fear in the community What is your message primary extended the date of with time; the sooner it gets death by society. said this procedure must be to the community and school registrations till Mon - resolved, the better. Why is the Bohra done, even on minor girls, your followers? day, so we couldn’t start the community divided? Why aren’t people speaking even if it means breaking the As a Muslim leader, I would say admission on the said date. Why do you believe that The reason this community is up against this so-called law. They cracked down on drop the word ‘tolerance’ from Once the school registration the title of Syedna was divided is because of fear — a fear tactic? these women for even raising your vocabulary, and replace it process gets over we will wrongfully usurped? vicious tool that they (the op - People are afraid because if the issue. Religion is about with ‘acceptance’. Don’t be start the admission.” My father was anointed posing faction) have continu - they do so, they will be pe - freedom — let people make afraid. We live in a free country, Speaking about the aver - by Syedna Mohammed ously used in the community, nalised at every step. When their own choice. Forcing where all of us have equal age percentage of admis - Burhanuddin (who died in 9an be it to control financial insti - people stand up to them (the someone is wrong. rights. Let’s not stick to legacy sions under RTE, the district B@AD) to be his successor, right tutions or other services. They Saifuddin faction), they are for legacy’s sake. We know how coordinator said, “For past from the beginning. He was constantly monitor the lives of thrown into disarray, which is What is your strategy to politics works—the more you two years there has been a appointed second-in-com - people, from scanning cards apparent from many of my attract more followers? suppress, the more the people delay in the online admis - mand when he was only BG. for attendance at mosques to people who are going through I am not worried about num - will oppress. To all the perpe - sion process, and because of Syedna Burhanuddin saw the sending teams to homes to en - this today when they are bers. My concern is for the trators of fear: You will not that some schools refused light in him at an early age and sure compliance. Are we a standing up to persecution, goodness of the community, succeed, God is with us, and to take students, once their put him in that position. For BE communist regime that we extortion and bullying. its principles, and for the we stand united. admission period was over. But this year, we have as - sured that the admission process starts earlier than before, to secure BE% reser - Woman hangs self after in-laws taunt her over dowry vation in every school regis - tered under RTE Act.” VIJAY KUMAR YADAV family members learnt of the even take her body down or in - According to the figures of [email protected] incident, they told the police form the police or us for two the past two years, the over - that she took the extreme step hours. When the incident took all percentage of admissions THE regressive practice of after getting frustrated from place, she was not alone at in private schools is BC% dowry has claimed another the unbearable harassment home. The circumstances percent, instead of the BE% victim. Kundan Sharma, a BE- she was being subjected to under which my sister died under RTE Act. year-old, hanged herself from from her husband and other points to some foul play.” Act - However, an activist who a ceiling fan on 9anuary CA, family members. ing on the complaint by her fa - helps parents secure admis - after being mentally tortured Defiled over dowry ther, the police initiated a sion for their wards under by her in-laws. They were con - (From L) Kundan’s mother-in-law Anita, father-in-law Chhotelal and probe and arrested Sanuj and RTE quota, Sudhir Paranjape stantly taunting Kundan, as “In the FIR (mid-day has a brother-in-law Sandeep were arrested along with her husband Sanuj his family, confirmed inspec - said, “The unprofessional at - her father had failed to pay the copy) Kundan’s father Babul - tor Padmakar Devare of MIDC titude of authorities is play - monthly instalments for the nath Sharma, has stated that Sanuj and his family started allow her to take rest. They police station. ing with the lives of two-wheeler he’d given her her in-laws had demanded harassing Kundan over even beat her up sometimes,” All four accused have been students. It’s their duty to husband Sanuj, a BF-year-old dowry from him. Therefore, he dowry,” said a cop. claimed Babulnath Sharma. booked under sections C@DB complete the registration mechanical engineer as dowry. bought a two-wheeler for the “My daughter used to tell Didn’t even inform cops (Dowry death), AB@B (criminal process on time, and end The police arrested her hus - groom on a monthly instal - me over phone that her in- conspiracy), C@F (abetment of this chaos which leads to a band Sanuj Sharma along with ment. Since Babulnath failed laws harasses her and torture Kundan’s brother Rahul said, suicide) and DIHA (husband or waste of an academic year his brother Sandeep, father to deposit the money for three her mentally over dowry. Her “Kundan’s in-laws were so in - relative of husband of a for children who want ad - Chhotelal and mother Anita on months in Sanuj’s bank ac - mother in-law would force her sensitive that after learning woman subjecting her to cru - mission under RTE.” the same day. When Kundan’s count due to a financial crisis, for work for odd hours and not about her suicide, they didn’t elty) of the IPC.