Muslims in North Gujarat now rooting for Cong

PALANPUR: It''s around midnight. Local Congress candidate Virji Judal is campaigning in the narrow alleys and by-lanes of Muslim-dominated ward number 3. Hearing of some movement, lights are switched on, people wake up and come out of their houses to greet him.
"Hum aapke saath hi hai...aap dusre ilako me dekh lena, yahan to saare vote aapke hee hai," an old man assures Judal.Youngsters too come out and join the group of Congress workers.
Such a reception for Congress candidates is not uncommon here, it can be seen everywhere in North Gujarat. The riots in the region and Muslims being discriminated against still haunts the villagers.
"The BJP-led municipality has stopped supplying water to us. While the rest of Palanpur gets water twice a day for a few hours, our ward gets water only for a few minutes once in three-four days," says leading advocate Aiyyub Kureshi.
A large number of Muslim voters — who refrained from voting or supported the BJP and were not with the Congress — now show solidarity with the Congress like never before.
In nearby Deesa, the problems are the same. Bhopapura, the Muslim-dominated area is located on the outskirts of the town. There is garbage all over, no gutters and roads are broken.
"Two Muslims were killed in the town during the riots. Though now there is not much tension, we avoid going there unless there is some work. We get high electricity bills, there is no water, no gutter, no education for our children," Gulam Mohammed Aftab, who works in a shop says.
"Only a Congress candidate came here during the riots to help us on humanitarian grounds. We have decided to help him," he says.
Dasaj, a village of 10,000 located near Unjha in Mehsana district, saw major rioting a month ago, one killing and burning of some 50 houses. Policemen are more visible here than villagers.
"Our children don''t go to school anymore. We cannot go to their (Hindu) area to vote. All of us will vote this time...no mistake now. But this can happen only if a special booth is set up in our locality," says Sajid Khan who has been organising relief camps for the riot-affected Muslims from other districts.
Some 150 Muslim families from Khedbrahma, Laxmipura and other neighbouring villages have taken shelter in Vadali village near Idar in Sabarkantha. Nearly 1,500 of them have become local voters and have been provided a separate booth to vote.
"There is no tension here. In fact we are running the camp with help from our Hindu brothers. The Congress MP has helped us a lot. Social boycott compel these people to stay here," says Amanullakhan.