NEW DELHI: Yet to fathom the difference between a prison and a cage, Mohammed Zaheer Iqbal's five-year-old son thinks that his father lives in a cage. Iqbal is one of the 221 people arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) and now languishing in jails in Gujarat.

"Whenever our son misses his father, I take him to the jail where Iqbal is lodged. The little boy thinks that we are visiting his father in a cage," said Afrin, who has been fighting for the release of her husband.

In the capital on Tuesday to narrate her story that is being documented at the Independent People's Tribunal (IPT), Ms. Afrin said: "My husband was taken away for an inquiry by the Crime Branch officers in 2003. When he was picked up in the dead of night, we were assured that he will return home in the morning. He never came home, instead he was charged with the conspiracy of carrying a tiffin bomb. When that case was discharged, they promptly slapped another case, this time he was accused of being an ISI agent."

Ms. Afrin alleged that the families were not even allowed to be present at hearings.

Driven out of village

Another victim of the communal violence in Gujarat, Niyaz Ben Malek, who now lives in Rahat Colony, recalled how she was driven out of her village Ognaj by people who grew up with her sons. "I have filed a case against the people who attacked us with tridents and swords, my houses have been razed and all I have got is a compensation of Rs. 2,500 against the loss of property worth Rs. 10 lakh."

Harrowing experiences

Sharing their harrowing experiences during the riots that followed the Godhra carnage, over 200 victims, activists and academicians from across 17 States have come together to testify before the IPT.

Their testimonies on the rise of fascist forces in India will later be released as a report.

"We are documenting the testimonies of these people, trying to make sense of it and present it as concrete evidence of people's experiences. We will try to reflect on what happened and also suggest what can be done," said Akoijam Bimol, who, along with Subharanjan Dasgupta, Nikhil Waghle and Sandeep Pandey, is a member of the jury on Gujarat.

Accusing the Government of "shying away from recognising the growth of fascism in the country," Shabnam Hashmi of non-governmental organisation Anhad said: "At this two-day event, we are trying to show that fascism is on the rise and not just in Gujarat. But surprisingly both the civil society and the Government are refusing to acknowledge it. These testimonies will help us push for action."

Organised by the Human Rights Law Network and Anhad, the IPT is being supported by organisations such as Aman Samudaya, Antarik Visthapit Hak Rakshak Samiti (Gujarat), Insaaf,

and People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL).

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