Until justice is done, these two old men refuse to take a break

Their sons died while trying to help the 8216;other community8217; during riots. The fathers, in their 70s, are keeping alive the faith for 43 families

In normal circumstances, the paths of retired political science professor Dr Harpal Singh and former councillor Maulvi Yameen would perhaps never cross. In normal circumstances, after both lost their sons to communal riots, there would have been even fewer chances of that.

But for Singh and Yameen, two men in their 70s, 8216;normal8217; lost its meaning that day of May 22, 1987, when 43 Muslims were shot dead, allegedly by Provincial Armed Constabulary PAC jawans. They have spent the past two decades fighting for justice for the families of the 43, though personally they have nothing at stake.

Speak to anyone on the streets of Hashimpura mohalla, and they say: 8220;We could have never come so far without the support of Maulviji and Doctor Sahib.8221;

Both men have ensured the issue stays in the public discourse. While Singh used his academic contacts to ensure bureaucrats reacted, Yameen pulled all his political strings to get the case moving.

They have formed a legal aid committee to support the Hashimpura case being tried at a Delhi Sessions Court since 2000. Together, they also arrange for money and resources for residents of Hashimpura to attend court proceedings in Delhi as well as organise press conferences, letters, petitions etc needed from time to time.

For Singh, it all started when, three days before the Hashimpura massacre, his son Dr Prabhat Singh fell to communal violence. Prabhat was killed by a 8220;Muslim8221; mob, while on his way to attend to a Muslim patient.

The mourning wasn8217;t even over when Singh heard of 48 men being picked up by PAC jawans in Hashimpura and the killings that followed. Religion never came to Singh8217;s mind as he decided to reach out to the families.

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8220;The men who killed my son were just criminals and anti-social elements 8212;- not Muslims or Hindus,8221; he says. According to him, any person capable of the inhuman acts of murder, rape, plunder or loot is not fit to be called religious or even human.

While Singh met each victim8217;s family and offered his support, Yameen was in jail at the time. Following his release two years later, he immediately got to work. 8220;I just knew I had to help them,8221; Yameen says. 8220;So I started getting in touch with officials I knew to get the case registered and heard in a court of law.8221; A year later, Yameen8217;s son fell to the town8217;s communal tension when he was killed by a 8220;Muslim8221; mob for trying to protect the neighbourhood munshi. The year was 1990, and BJP leader L K Advani8217;s Rath Yatra had heightened religious passions. Tariq Arshad was slaughtered in broad daylight on the main road near his house.

It wasn8217;t religion that killed his son at the age of 24, Yameen knew. 8220;They were just caught in the frenzy of fundamentalist sentiments encouraged by politicians,8221; he says. Two decades later, according to Yameen and Singh, Hashimpura still bears the imprint of the 1987 incident. Yameen says it left the lives of 8220;decent folk and small-time entrepreneurs shattered for generations8221;, while Singh notes that 8220;Hashimpura people are all semi-skilled labourers and after 1987, they have been missed in markets8221;.

The retired political science professor adds that his fight is against a decedent system. 8220;Our police works on the same principle as the post-1857 British Act. It is about their power and strength over the common man rather than their attempt to help him,8221; he says.

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Ask him about his advancing years, and Singh laughs: 8220;We are already in the grace period and have to make the best of what is left, even if it is more mental activity then physical.8221; As for Yameen, every time there is a court hearing in Delhi, he is present, along with the witnesses and family members of the victims.