Zaheer Farooqui
NationalityIndian
Occupation(s)Chairman, Nagar Panchayat
Years activeDec 2017 - Present
Known forSocial work in Purkazi

Zaheer Farooqui (Adv.) is the Chairman of Nagar Panchayat, Purkazi, a town in Muzaffar Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh, India. He became the Chairman of Purkazi consecutively for the second time in May 2023 after a convincing win in the Nagar Panchayat elections.[1][2] He is also the State General Secretary and Advisor of Bharatiya Kisan Union.[3][4]

He is popular for uplifting the socio-economic and cultural status of the people of Purkazi. One of his prominent works has been his restless struggle since 2014 to get the status of 'Shaheed Sthal' (Martyr Place) for Suli Wala Bagh.[5]

Political career

He ended the seventy years long dominance of a particular family in the local politics to become the Chairman of Purkazi in 2017.[6] He came in the limelight due to his efforts to give due recognition to Suli Wala Bagh. On 26 January 2019, the people of Purkazi protested under his leadership by tying the gallows around their neck and demanded the historical location to be recognized as a Martyr's Place.[7][8]

Zaheer Farooqui
Chairman, Nagar Panchayat, Purkazi

On 17 May 2019, Zaheer Farooqui (Adv.) offered to resign owing to the conspiracy hatched to assassinate him. In order to express solidarity with Mr. Zaheer, the entire staff of Nagar Panchayat Purkazi offered to resign en masse.[9] The protest was also joined by the Bharatiya Kisan Union President Raju Ahlawat[10] along with many BKU activists.[11][12]

Welfare works

The Nagar Panchayat, under the supervision of Zaheer Farooqui, has come up with an advanced and ‘women only’ gym[13][14][15] worth Rs 25 Lakh. Inaugurated on 20 October 2019, the Chairman Farooqui dedicated this gym as a ‘Diwali gift to womenfolk’ of Purkazi. It aims at boosting the fitness of women and has been built with the help of funds released by the union government. On the suggestion of BKU leader Rakesh Tikait, the Nagar Panchayat chairman invited the oldest woman of Purkazi, Rajbala, an octogenarian to inaugurate the gym.

Among other developments in the Purkazi town of Muzaffarnagar, Farooqui had installed 40 CCTV cameras[16] in the entry and exit points of the Utar Pradesh-Uttarakhand border, which are instrumental in making the place crime free. His effort has helped to curb the incidents of cattle, bike and other thefts. He also proposed the idea of 'Pink toilet' for females in the market and introduced the sanitary pad dispenser. The endeavors of Zaheer Farooqui in spreading the awareness about sacrifices made during the uprising of 1857 are also commendable. Due to his initiative, the Nagar Panchayat has also started hoisting the tricolor inside the Suliwala Bagh[14] on 26 January and 15 August.

The cannon episode

Zaheer Farooqui is the only person in independent India to get a case registered against him on the charge of capturing a cannon.

The incident took place in the Hari Nagar village of the Purkazi area in Muzaffar Nagar, UP. The digging ordered by Purkazi Chairman took place on the complaint of a local resident who claimed his farm field contained artillery of the times of the British Empire. Evidently, a rusty cannon was unearthed on Jan 20, 2020, which the localites believed to be one of the remains of the 1857 war of independence.

Briefing the media, Chairman Zaheer Farooqui said that the freedom fighters in Purkazi ambushed the British troops bravely in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. During the war, the Indians snatched the arms and ammunition from the British soldiers. They buried the consignment later on in the Purkazi area. The recovered cannon which is about 9 ft. long and weighed more than 40 quintal,[17] is the reminiscent of the same era.

Hailing the cannon as a souvenir of the glorious history of Purkazi, Zaheer Farooqui vowed to establish it in the historical Suli Wala Bagh where the British soldiers hanged[18] more than four hunder Indians till death during the revolt of 1857. Zaheer got an overwhelming support of the local people as well as the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) Chief Rakesh Tikait. All of them unanimously rejected the administration’s decision to hand over the cannon to the Archaeological Survey of India. Rakesh Tikait also termed the cannon as a “Symbol of honour[19]” of the martyrs who were killed by the British army in Suli Wala Bagh.

The cannon remained in the custody of the villagers under the supervision of Zaheer Farooqui and several top leaders of BKU for three days. Eventually, the administration acquired its possession amid heavy security and handed it over to ASI, which took it to the Agra lab for inspection.

Holding Zaheer Farooqui responsible for not handling over the cannon to the ASI and capturing it by force, an F.I.R was registered against him in the Hari Nagar village on Jan 22, 2020. The writ petition saw a massive protest by the Bhartiya Kisan Union and the local residents of Muzaffar Nagar. In Nov 2020, the Prayagraj High Court however rejected the case and the charge sheet filed against Farooqui, thus allowing him a big relief.[20]

Meanwhile, the recovery of the Cannon also added weight to the age old demand of the people of Purkazi to give ‘Suli Wala Bagh’ the heritage status.[19]

References

  1. ↑ "UP Nagar Panchayat elections highlights: BJP wins 202 seats, Samajwadi bags 89". Hindustan Times. 13 May 2023. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  2. ↑ "पुरकाजी में जहीर फारुकी ने लगातार दूसरी बार ली चेयरमैन पद की शपथ". Hindustan (in Hindi). Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  3. ↑ Malik, Dilshad (1 July 2018). "जहीर फारूकी ने ऐतिहासिक काम से दिलाई पुरकाजी को नई पहचान" [Zaheer Farooqi has given a new identity to Purakaji from historical work]. www.khojinews.co.in. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  4. ↑ Team, BS Web (2 October 2018). "All you need to know about the Bharatiya Kisan Union protest in Delhi". Business Standard India. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  5. ↑ "शहीद वीरों की गाथा का मौन गवाह है सूलीवाला बाग" [The silent witness of the saga of martyr heroes is Sullivala Bagh]. Amar Ujala. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  6. ↑ "पुरकाजी नगर पंचायत के त्रिकोणीय मुकाबले में जहीर फारूकी ने बाजी मारी - Royal Bulletin" [Zaheer Farooqi wins in tri-tournament in Purkakaji Nagar Panchayat]. Dailyhunt. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  7. ↑ "सूली वाला बाग पर 26 जनवरी को फंदे पर लटकने को सैंकड़ों देशभक्त तैयारः जहीर फारूकी - Royal Bulletin" [Hundreds of patriots ready to hang on the yatra on the yatra on 26th of the month: Zaheer Farooqi]. Dailyhunt. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  8. ↑ Desk, UP ORG. "सूली वाले बाग को शहीद स्थल घोषित कराने की है भाकियू की मांग" [Bhukiyu's demand to declare Gulab Bagh as a martyr destination]. Uttar Pradesh News, UP News ,Hindi News Portal ,यूपी की ताजा खबरें. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  9. ↑ Malik, Dilshad (3 July 2018). "पुरकाजी में शिक्षा के लिए आंदोलन करने सड़क पर उतरेंगे चेयरमैन जहीर फारूकी" [Chairman Zaheer Farooqi will be on the road to agitation for education in Purkaji]. www.khojinews.co.in. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  10. ↑ "भाकियू जिलाध्यक्ष ने किसानों में भरा जोश" [Bhakiyu District President filled enthusiasm in farmers]. Dainik Jagran (in Hindi). Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  11. ↑ Dilshad, Mohd (19 May 2019). "Supporting chairman, entire Purkazi nagar panchayat staff offers to quit". The Times of India. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  12. ↑ "फारूकी की हत्या की साजिश में खुद इंस्पेक्टर पुरकाजी शामिल-अहलावत" [Inspector Purkayaji himself involved in plot to murder Farooqui]. Online News. 18 May 2019. Archived from the original on 24 May 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  13. ↑ "Octogenarian inaugurates women's gym in Purkazi". Hindustan Times. 23 October 2019. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  14. 1 2 "Healthy living: A small town civic body shapes up 'women's gym'". Hindustan Times. 21 October 2019. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  15. ↑ Dilshad, Mohd (11 October 2019). "In a 1st, panchayat in Muzaffarnagar comes up with state-of-art gym for women". The Times of India. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  16. ↑ Dilshad, Mohd (7 September 2018). "This Muzaffarnagar locality monitors every move with 40 CCTV cameras". The Times of India. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  17. ↑ "मुजफ्फरनगर में खेत में खोदाई के दौरान मिली तोप, फूल माला चढ़ाकर भाकियू ने दी सलामी Muzaffarnagar News". Dainik Jagran (in Hindi). Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  18. ↑ कैफ, आस मोहम्मद (22 January 2020). "उत्तर प्रदेश में लाठी से 'तोप' की रखवाली, खेत में मिली ब्रिटिश कालीन तोप शासन को देने से लोगों का इनकार". Navjivan (in Hindi). Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  19. 1 2 Mohd Dilshad (22 January 2020). "'British-era' cannon recovered in Muzaffarnagar, cops take its custody". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  20. ↑ "तोप प्रकरण में चेयरमैन पुरकाजी को बड़ी राहत". Amar Ujala (in Hindi). Retrieved 18 January 2022.
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