Mangaluru: A day after the grieving family of Abdul Basheer had laid him to rest in a simple ceremony away from the prying eyes of the media even as communal tensions in this pollbound state continue to simmer below the surface, the genial 47 year old's brutal murder at the hands of communal elements at Kottara Chowki in a tit for tat killing, has left his family bereft, and his son, the sole bread-winner uncertain about leaving his family, defenceless in this increasingly polarized atmosphere.
Basheer's oldest son Mohammed Imran, who works as a store keeper at the Al Futtaim company in Abu Dhabi had only just invited his brother Irfan to Abu Dhabi to search for a job. When Basheer was attacked on January 3, both sons were in the UAE capital. Though Imran rushed home immediately, Irfan only returned on Sunday.
"How can I leave my family under these circumstances and return to Abu Dhabi?" Imran asks, uncertainty in his voice. "My mother is very sad. After all, I am the eldest in the family."
“My younger brother Irfan had to return from Abu Dhabi even before getting a proper job following the death of my father. I have to look after the education of my youngest brother and also arrange for my sister's wedding. How can I leave them and go abroad?" said a distraught Imran, speaking to DC, and calling strongly for a probe.
"There should be a proper investigation into the case as the Chief Minister had directed the officials," he said. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had visited the house of Basheer on Sunday night and asked the Deputy Commissioner to provide a job to Irshad- a BBM degree holder. "My mother and family members may find it difficult if I return. I have not yet decided on my returning to Abu Dhabi. I believe God will guide and help us. It would be good if Irshad gets a good job," he added.
Basheer's home, that he had built, is filled with silence. Basheer's wife and children unable to believe that he was gone. Basheer had worked in Saudi Arabia for over two decades and although he came home only once or twice a year and was rarely a presence for celebrations and festivals, he was the provider. The family lived in a very small rented house for several years. Finally, about three and a half years ago, the father and son built their dream home.
"From my childhood I always saw my father working for us abroad. Last year I asked him to go back to India as I was by then, working in Abu Dhabi. Though he returned, he could not sit idle and thus started a fast food joint in partnership at Kottara Chowki," Imran recollects.
Soft spoken, Basheer is remembered as helpful and committed to keeping religious harmony. "He would help anybody. He was a silent and down to earth person. It is sad that such a person was killed," Basheer's classmate and corporator Deepak Poojary says.
