'Bhatkal is home to smart traders, not terrorists'

BHATKAL - Proud residents upset with police and media for defaming quiet coastal town that was earlier known for enterprising businessmen.

Residents of Bhatkal, a port town in Uttar Kannada district of Karnataka, are a hassled lot. Who wouldn't if their town figured in the news and police came knocking on their doors looking for suspects every time there is a terror attack in the country?
It was not like this till as late as five years ago. Bhatkal was known for enterprising businessmen with ties to the Gulf. People are well-off and some are known for lavish lifestyles. The town earned notoriety when some people began using these ties to smuggle gold and electronic goods in the days before the economy was liberalised. But, people are deeply hurt at their small town being described as an Islamist terror hub.

The description followed the emergence of the Indian Mujahideen, a terror outfit believed to be responsible for the blasts in Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Delhi. The founder of the outfit is supposed to be a man named Riyaz Shahbandari alias Riyaz Bhatkal.

'BHATKAL is not a SURNAME'
However, residents say that they are known as Bhatkalis, but no one uses Bhatkal as a surname. Kashimji Parvez Hasan Bapa, president of Bhatkal Town Municipal Council, said, "This is a well-planned plot to defame Bhatkal because, despite being a minority community, we are in a majority in this town and are also economically well-off."

He cited the case of Abdul Samad who was picked up from Mangalore on May 24 on his arrival from Dubai and taken to Mumbai in connection with an arms smuggling case. The 23-year-old is from Bhatkal, but does not include it in his name. However, soon after his arrest, he was being referred to as 'Abdul Samad Bhatkal' in media reports. Eventually, police had to release Samad due to lack of evidence against him. But, the damage has been done.

Haneef Shebab, a doctor and social worker, said, "It was in the mid-60s that the right wing first termed Bhatkal as a mini-Pakistan. From then on, there has been a continuous attempt to malign this town. Today, people look at Bhatkal with suspicion. But, there was no major incident of violence or clash in Bhatkal till the communal riots in 1993 over a local dispute that resulted in the loss of 20 lives," he said.

People are desperate to salvage the town's reputation.

"A terror attack anywhere in the country, and the police come to Bhatkal"

"We are trying our best to maintain peace. Every year, people get together to execute at least 3-4 programmes for the overall development of the entire town. Sadly, we do not get any support from other communities. But, we will not give up trying," Dr Shebab said.

Bapa said that this month, along with the NRI association, they are planning to organise a workshop. "If there are terrorists in Bhatkal, show us where they are. We will not support them," he said.

Dr Shebab said 'Bhatkal' has become a name to be bandied after every terror attack. For example, soon after the Bangalore blasts, police picked three people from Chennai and brought them in a chartered flight to Bangalore. Reports said that one of them was from Bhatkal while the reality was that the person concerned is from Mysore but is married to someone in Bhatkal. He was questioned and released with a warning not to speak to mediapersons.

Because such cases, people fear for the welfare of the next generation.

FEAR FOR GEN-NEXT
Apparently, the Intelligence Bureau has been keeping a watch on youths from Bhatkal, especially since 2008.
But, according to DySP (Bhatkal) Dr Vedamurthy, "It is true that Bhatkal was added to the names of Riyaz and Iqbal who are allegedly involved in terror activities. However, neither is named in any criminal case here. And, so far, there is no proof of terror activities in Bhatkal."

But, residents complain of bias at the time of passport formalities. This is a major problem as many people of Bhatkal are employed in Gulf countries. Locals say that if there are four men in a house, at least two would be working in the Gulf. As far as possible, people avoid interacting with the police. A social worker, who did not want to be named, said, "If there is an accident, the parties involved prefer to settle the issue among themselves rather than call the police. This might create an impression that they have something to hide, but the reality is that they don't want to be embroiled in police cases out of fear for their jobs abroad. Police can stop or put hurdles to visa clearances." Another good reason for people to resent the terror tag.

By: Deepthi Shridhar, Bangalore Mirror dated 10 July 10