It has been 12 years since Salauddin Khan of Chatra district lost his father Shahabuddin Khan during the Mumbai terror attacks also referred to as 26/11.
Though the life slowly returned to normalcy for the victims and their family but for 33 years old Salauddin the ordeals continue since Jharkhand government has still not provided him a government job as promised.
At least 166 people had died and around 300 were injured when Pakistani terrorists opened fire and hurled hand grenades on the crowd.
That time Maharashtra government had announced Rs five lakh as compensation to the kith and kin of the deceased. Jharkhand government also announced Rs one lakh as compensation and a government job to one member of the family.
Nevertheless, Shahabuddin’s widow Sakida Khatoon received compensation from Maharashtra and Jharkhand government but Jharkhand government did not provide her any job.
Shahabuddin, a native of Navratanpur village under Pratappur block of Chatra district used to work as a tailor at a garment factory in Mumbai.
He was working in the garment factory when he heard a gunshot and explosion.
The fifth ODI match between India and England was going on at Cuttack in Odisha. Shahabuddin thought that India probably has won the match and people are bursting crackers as celebration.
He walked out of the factory when one of the terrorists sprayed bullets on him causing his death on the spot.
Trusting Jharkhand government will give a job, Salauddin submitted an application before Chatra DC so that necessary actions are taken. He visited the State secretariat for more than a dozen occasions to pursue his case.
After exhausting all available options Salauddin finally lodged a complaint at Mukhyamantri Jansamvad Kendra in 2017.
Upon this the then chief minister Raghubar Das directed the then DC of Chatra Sandeep Singh to resolve the issue on priority basis. Singh was later on transferred and he was replaced by Jitendra Kumar Singh.
However, Jitendra Kumar Singh in 2018 had sought directions from the then State Home Secretary on the issue of absorption of Salauddin in government job.
But the matter is pending at the home department since then. Salauddin left his study after completing Intermediate.
“My husband is jobless and this is very hard to run the family now. He has been running from Chatra district headquarter to Ranchi hoping that the government will give him a job. We have a four months old daughter and a large family to look after. We are worried about our future,” said Razia Sultana; wife of Salauddin.