Finally, Naroda-Patiya boy gets cheque to a new life

Six months after he lost his family at Naroda-Patiya, Javed Ismail Sheikh, 14, received some compensation for the irreversible loss. He watc...

Six months after he lost his family at Naroda-Patiya, Javed Ismail Sheikh, 14, received some compensation for the irreversible loss. He watched silently today as the cheque for Rs 1,80,000 was handed over to elder brother Aslam Sheikh.

Javed’s uncle, Khaliq Noor Mohammed, said: ‘‘What can the boy say? His childhood is lost forever. Money matters but who wants a few lakhs after losing everything else.’’

Khaliq too received a cheque for Rs 3,60,000. He had lost his wife, daughter, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren. In May, he got a cheque for Rs 90,000 compensating his son Samuruddin’s death.

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Khaliq, however, has not been compensated for the death of daughter Kausarbano because both he and her husband have claimed compensation.

Javed’s failure to get compensation was reported in the Indian Express on September 16. He had visited the Collectorate several times and made numerous representations to various government officials. He even approached a National Human Rights Commission team and finally the President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

The administration, obeying Kalam’s instruction, has now urged the St Xaviers Social Service Society to arrange for Javed’s education. But he says: ‘‘What will I do here? Everything is lost.’’ Javed plans to leave by next week for Gulbarga in Karnataka. Srinivas has promised to talk about his education with Deputy Commissioner of Gulbarga.