Two days after being attacked by members of a local right wing outfit, Vishwa Hindu Dal trust, two Kashmiri vendors, Abdul Salam Naik, 35, and Afzal Naik, 40, were back to selling dry fruits on Daliganj bridge in old Lucknow’s Hasanganj area on Friday afternoon.
They occupied the same spot, where they were attacked on Wednesday afternoon on the roadside while trying to attract customers. The two vendors became the centre of attraction as soon as a few locals recognised them and people gathered them to know their well being on Friday.
“There was a better response today when we re-occupied our spot to sell dry fruits after the Wednesday incident,” the duo said unanimously. Both them hail from Hajipura area in Kulgam district of south Kashmir. For the past many years, they have been visiting Lucknow for four months every winter.
Abdul Salam Naik said he used to sell dry fruits worth ₹ 4,000 to 6,000 between 10am and 6pm every day before the attack. On Friday, he was able to sell the same amount of goods in just four-five hours, he said.
Abdul Salam Naik was the one seen in a widely shared video as the one being beaten up with wooden sticks by a group of people wearing saffron kurtas. Calling him a ‘stone pelter’, the attacker assaulted him in full public view.
He said he was initially scared, but the response of the local police and administration changed his approach.
“I am not afraid anymore, so I occupied the same spot,” he said.
Another vendor Afzal Naik said he had been visiting Lucknow every winter to sell dry fruits for the past 20 years, but such an incident never occurred in the past. Terming the attack a stray incident, he said he had been getting a very good response for Lucknowites for so long. He said the incident had not dented his confidence and he would continue to visit Lucknow every winter.
Earlier in the day, All India Democratic Women Association called the two vendors to their programme at International Buddha Centre auditorium. Many women activists purchased dry fruits to make them feel secure and encourage them to visit Lucknow again.
Lucknow district magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma also met Abdul Salam Naik and gave him ₹ 20,000 cash as compensation for the loss caused to him in the incident. He said the loss was compensated to him as a goodwill and confidence-building gesture.
The local police had arrested five people, including the key accused Bajrang Sonkar, on Thursday.
PM warns those targeting Kashmiris
In Kanpur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it was important to maintain harmony and warned those targeting Kashmiris in different parts of the country after the Pulwama terror attack in which 41 CRPF jawans lost their lives.
He also asked the state governments to act tough in cases where Kashmiris were being targeted.
The PM’s comments came two days after two Kashmiri vendors were beaten up by members of a little known right wing outfit, Vishwa Hindu Dal, in Lucknow. Following the attack on Kashmiris, the Uttar Pradesh police arrested four people after a video of the incident was widely shared on the social media.
“I congratulate the Yogi government for taking immediate action against those who targeted Kashmiris in Lucknow. I urge other state governments to take strict action against those who try to indulge in such acts. We have to fight terrorism with the mantra of unity,” he said.