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Journalism of Courage
The winter sun bathes the pristine glasses of Moti Masjid as locals begin to gather for afternoon prayers. The mosque is situated on the Asmoli-Sambhal road, which is busier than usual with large convoys constantly on the move of candidates making poll promises.
Mohd Faheem (60), who lives in the lane next to the mosque and has seen many elections, says now more than ever there is a need to defeat the communal forces. “The Hindu-Muslim card is a political ploy. You place it on the table and you get a certain section on your side. There are only a few Hindu families that live in this area. They have never faced any issue and never will. But on your televisions, leaders will make you believe there is enmity all the time. The public is smarter than what everyone likes to believe. The mandate will make it clear,” says Faheem.
The Muslim-majority Sambhal district has four Assembly seats in total. While the BJP had won Gannaur and Chandausi (SC) last time, the Samajwadi Party had won Asmoli and Sambhal City.
The SP-RLD candidate in Sambhal City again is Iqbal Mahmood, who has won the seat for the SP the last four times.
Even if locals wish Mahmood had paid more attention to development, he has their “trust”. There is also hope that the rising tempo of communalism will cool down should the BJP be dislodged from power.
Mohd Areeb, a resident of Deepa Sarai, argues that even the SP paid price last time for similar politics. “People do not want to live in a state of conflict and eventually get tired of communal rhetoric. When the SP built boundary walls for graveyards, they should have done the same for temples and cremation grounds. It was communal on their part and the public showed them the door. If the ruling party continues this narrative, it will anger people.”
The Congress candidate in Sambhal City is former News Nation journalist Nida Ahmad. The party has made tickets and promises to women the centrepiece of its campaign, and campaigning door to door, Ahmad tells voters she is ‘Sambhal Ki Beti’.
Mahmood, on the other hand, goes by the title ‘Sambhal ka Badshah’, and Ahmad admits the contest is tough. However, she has worked to a plan. “There are no degree colleges in many areas, no parks… I am a journalist and even in this role, I will continue to question the status quo till there is change,” she says.
Also in the fray is BSP’s Shakeel Ahmad, who owns a meat company and is believed to a strong contender for Muslim votes.
The BJP candidate, Rajesh Singhal, starts from a position of disadvantage given the numerical majority of Muslims. However, says a supporter, Anoop Sharma, there is much to recommend in the Yogi Adityanath government. “Law and order is in place, electricity supply has become regular. The Hindus are less in number but our entire vote is for Yogi ji. We are also hoping that our Muslim brothers will see the good since this government cares about everyone,” says Sharma.
A similar divide is visible in Moradabad, nearly 30 km from Sambhal. The six Assembly seats here are also Muslim-dominated. The SP had won four of the seats last time, against the BJP’s two.
The buzz is missing from the iconic brass market of Moradabad Sadar. With prices of raw materials up by nearly 100%, retail has been heavily impacted.
Moradabad Sadar was one of the seats won by the BJP last time. The party has fielded its sitting MLA, Ritesh Kumar Gupta. The SP has fielded Mohd Yunus Ansari while the BSP candidate is Irshad Hussain.
BJP supporters, however, argue that the government alone can’t be blamed for rising prices. Trader Bhushan Gupta lists reasons such as law and order, saying “the present government has done a lot”.
However, even his appeal for votes for the BJP comes down to a simple math. “We must come out and vote in large numbers because Muslims will support in one direction… Elections are a true test for us all.”
