He literally ran into me while he was walking down
from his clinic in Bhikna Pahari locality to the
office of All India United Muslim Morcha almost a
stone throw distance away. He took me to his office
where a number of his supporters were already waiting.
Laddoos were offered to him, me and others present
there. Incidentally, one of those who put a laddoo in
my mouth was Imam-ul-Haque, a Rashtriya Janata Dal
leader. Dr Ali may be in a different party but he
champions the cause of Dalit Muslims, that is why,
this RJD man was there to congratulate him.
Dr Ejaz Ali said that after filing his nomination he
did not go to the Janata Dal (United) office as is the
wont. Instead he took his supporters, about 400 to 500
in number, to his residence. While talking to me he
expressed his dismay over a The Times of India report
which was published on Friday and which suggested that
by giving Ejaz Ali the ticket two years after Ali
Anwar the chief minister, Nitish Kumar, wants to
consolidate his support among the backward caste
Muslims.
The surgeon, however, made it very clear that his
agenda would be different. The fight for the Dalit
Muslims would go on. He had a long running battle with
Ali Anwar, who incidentally became Rajya Sabha MP two
years back. Now it seems that all is over and they
both are sailing in the same boat. But the surgeon
vows that he would not forget the real mission.
He had a tinge of regret. Apart from him the ticket
for the Rajya Sabha and legislative council have been
given to relatively unknown Muslims be it Sabir Ali,
the Lok Janshakti Party candidate for the Upper House
of Parliament or Haroon Rasheed of his own party, the
Janata Dal (United) for the council.
Dr Ali was surprised to know that the chief minister
was aware of the fact that his consultation fee was
only Rs 10 and that his clinic overflows with patients
from all over the state. “I would further reduce the
fee and operation charge,” he told me.
The son-in-law of former speaker, Ghulam Sarwar, the
surgeon shot into fame in 1993 by establishing the
Backward Muslim Morcha. He took entirely different
line from his father-in-law. Ghulam Sarwar kept a safe
distance from him. Instead he helped his nephew Ghulam
Ghouse become the MLC. Ghouse is now the leader of the
RJD in the Upper House of the state assembly.
Dr Ali wants to remain passionately attached to his
profession. “After all Dr B C Roy continued to
practice even as he became the chief minister of West
Bengal”, he said adding that one of the chief
ministers of Goa was also a doctor.
With Dr Ejaz Ali hopeful of entering Parliament and
Ali Anwar, already an MP, it is to be seen how the two
champions of the amendment in Article 341 articulate
their view further.
No doubt all eyes are now riveted to the fourth seat
for which both Dr Ejaz Ali and Sabir Ali of LJP have
thrown their hats yet the truth is that this is only a
by-election. The three main contestants from the NDA
are Shivanand Tiwary, N K Singh and Dr C P Thakur,
also a physician. Unlike the case of Muslim candidate
here all the three nominees come from three different
upper castes of Hindus.
