Polling day brings out Eral irony

Madina Sheikh and her nephew Firoz have never felt as secure and confident as these last few days. An SRP team, which maintained a vigil over them since the Eral case hearing began, was replaced with a better equipped squad from the Border Wing. “I just hope the outcome of these elections is what we have prayed for all these years,” Madinabibi said.

Shantaben’s grandson and Chauhan’s son, Shailendra, voted before leaving for his father’s village to complete the last rites. Shailendra was also the backbone of Shantaben’s campaign and the death effectively stopped all their last-minute preparations.

Just a few hundred feet from Madinabibi’s house, Shantaben’s patrons mill about her house waiting for a response from the police who are investigating Chauhan’s death. Said Darji Parmar, “We suspect it was a political ploy to kill Arjunbhai. He was not into politics, but he was Shailendra’s father. We just hope the guilty are found.”

For the villagers, the saga is too much to handle. While most Muslims were affected by the riots, the Hindu’s are the accused. Madinabibi is a heroine for many, who overcame several obstacles while giving her final testimony in court. For those accused in the riots, who believe they are innocent, Shantaben’s candidature was their last hope after the political support they once enjoyed left them out in the cold.