Aligarh: The most important occupation of the villagers of Badi Bai Kalar in Charra is goat rearing – all year round they bring up goats for the sacrifice of Bakr-Eid.
It is a profitable business where one can earn 1.2 million rupees in a year and spend the money on “marriages”, “clearing debts” and other important transaction that cannot be supported through farming or regular occupation of labor.
But this time, the village has suffered the loss of 15.7 million in goat selling business ahead of Bakr Eid- due to the violence inflicted upon them by the right wing groups in Gujarat.
Every year these people hire trucks and carry the goats to Mumbai for the sale of goats ahead of the festival. This year again the villagers left home on September 13 night. The next day the 20 people carrying 369 goats in four trucks, along with four quintal food for animals and also 400,000 cash for the journey – were stopped at Dahod near Godhra at Gujarat.
The right wing groups interrupted their journey asked the villagers about the business that brought them here. When the villagers informed them about the trip that they have been taking for years to sell goats in Mumbai, they were beaten and their goats released from the truck.
“We told those people that we are carrying goats for Bakr Eid and our market is Mumbai. Every year we sell the goats in Mumbai and earn good amount of money to carry on with our hefty expenses of marriages and clearing debts or buying property,” said Mohd Naushad who led the goat keepers this time on their tour to Mumbai, The Times of India reported.
Later at Dahod Rural police station in Gujarat they were kept there for two days. “The police kept telling us that we will get our goats back but nothing happened,” said Naushad, and added, “For days we took shelter at different places – some people knew us because of our annual trip and they offered help. We have returned yesterday, but some were left behind and might return today.”
“I have lost my 22 goats worth Rs 7.50 lakhs (750,000) and there was no one in Gujarat to listen to us. I am shocked because we go to Mumbai via Gujarat every year. This place has had Narendra Modi as its chief minister but we did not face these attacks then. I wonder why this is happening when he is the PM?” said the goat keeper of Charra, Shamim.
When the group returned on September 23 they did not know what to do – then the villagers approached Koil MLA Haji Zameer Ullah Khan with their story of loss – “Now our goats won’t come back at least give us the money we spent on rearing them,” said a goat keeper.
Khan has written a letter to Home Minister Rajnath Singh and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Goat rearing is the family business of this village in Charra, it is unfortunate that they have suffered a loss worth crores. The goats can’t come back. I am writing a letter to the Home Ministry and the PM asking for assurance that these incidents will not happen again in his regime – the growing attacks on the minorities is intimidating. Our festivals should not be attacked,” said Khan.