Bharat is a country where the names Akhlaq, Pehlu Khan, and Junaid Khan have become household names. They are almost celebrities. Their claim to fame: they were beaten to death by Hindus. It is a different matter that they may have actually been the ones to start the fight, or may have been cattle smugglers who steal good cows (worth Rs. 45,000 each) pushing their owners into debt. The latest to join this all-star team is Tabrez Ansari: a “pushtaini chor” (thief whose father was also a thief) who was caught in the act and beaten by a mob.

But I want to ask all our readers. Does the name Bhavesh Koli ring any bell? Be honest, probably not.

It is almost a year ago when a young government employee – Bhavesh Koli -was stabbed to death by a mob. His crime? He was just doing his job. He was a BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) employee, working at the pay and park facility run by the BMC for the public in Byculla, Mumbai. Two youths, both school dropouts, would come to the facility and do their “stunts” on motorbikes: drive very fast, and so on.

Bhavesh simply asked them to stop because it was dangerous. Do you know what they did? They went home, got accomplices, followed Bhavesh back home after his work, and stabbed him to death!

Now, how is this reported by our media? Here are some reports: IndianExpress, Afternoon DC. Notice that when you read these reports, there seems to be absolutely no communal angle. 

But the truth is rather different. Here is a HinduPost report that names the 2 stuntmen: “Those arrested have been identified as Shahzada Usman Shaikh and Anus Shaikh”

But poor Bhavesh: you see, he was just another Hindu butchered by Muslims in the bloody history of Bharat. So his death did not rankle anyone. Everything went on as normal. No one returned their awards. No one wrote articles in the Washington Post. No one took out candle lit marches. No actors declared that they were “afraid” (and this is Mumbai, the home of the film industry).

I’ll also be honest: even I was not aware of Bhavesh’s murder till today: almost a year after he was killed. To make amends for that, I am writing this article. I hope Bhavesh finds a place in Vaikuntha.

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