RACIAL PROFILING, CRIES BHARATIYA FILMMAKER HELD IN THE U.S.
and/or www.mantra.com/jai
By Abhinav Garg, TNN
The Times of India
Monday, August 30, 2010
Indraprasth aka New Delhi - In his first interview since being
incarcerated in a US jail nearly 10 days ago, Mumbai-based
documentary film maker Vijay Kumar has claimed that he is a victim of
racial profiling and is being harassed by US officials.
Speaking over phone from a detention centre where he was shifted from
Houston county jail, Kumar, a strict vegetarian, claimed he skipped
food in jail for two days as he was deliberately served non-
vegetarian fare. Kumar's visa was revoked and he was declared an
illegal visitor after he got bail from Houston county court.
Kumar was detained at Houston international airport while on his way
to Vancouver, Canada after "behavioural detection officers" at the
airport felt something was amiss with him. They pulled him in for
questioning and were further alarmed when his baggage revealed
publications dealing with Jihad and Islam. According to US
authorities, his checked-in baggage from New Delhi revealed a pair of
brass knuckles, prohibited by Texas state law, though not banned
under US federal law.
However, Kumar was at pains to clarify that he posed no terror threat
to the US. "While at Houston airport there was a last-minute change
in my flight's departure terminal due to which I had to run a long
way inside the airport. That's why I was sweating and furiously
searching for my travel documents. The Transportation Security
Administration officials then took me aside for interrogation. Later,
the FBI and sniffing dogs descended at the airport. I was handcuffed
there itself and kept like that for 50 minutes in a car," the
filmmaker revealed, reliving his nightmare.
Kumar said he decided to carry brass knuckles after scanning the
banned items list of TSA, and finding it didn't figure there. "My
checked baggage passed through extensive screening both at Delhi
airport and later at Frankfurt but I was unaware it is prohibited in
Texas and so got into this problem," he added in a downcast voice.
When asked why he was carrying such an exhaustive collection of
publications/books dealing with jihad, Kumar said he was researching
jihadi terrorism and was headed to Vancouver to work out options for
making a documentary. "I have been involved in making short films,
documentaries on Muslim issues especially on how to bring misguided
youths back into the mainstream, victimisation of Muslim women in
India, their personal laws.
One of the books I was carrying was 'A Women Among Warlords' by
Malalai Joya. It is ample testimony to my academic interest in this
topic and doesn't make me a terrorist," he said, making an
impassioned plea to the Indian government to intervene on his behalf.
His fellow researcher Diksha Jyoti, a documentary maker herself, told
TOI from Mumbai she was shocked how a film maker was being harassed
by the US authorities. Jyoti said she had worked with him on a
documentary on Muslim women and believes his detention is a result of
a "huge misunderstanding".
"When my bail bond was lowered from $50,000 to $5,000 by the county
judge, the authorities revoked my visa without charge and now keep me
detained for being in the US illegally. On September 2, I have a
hearing on this issue while on September 8, the county judge will
take up my case," Kumar said when TOI asked when he saw himself
walking out of jail.
He told TOI that though he was visited by India's consulate
officials; they have been unable to do much except assure him of
their support. "I fear as news spreads of my purpose, of researching
Islamist groups and their jihadi agenda, I might be targeted by their
agents," he said.
Finally, on reports of his being a member of the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Kumar conceded he had been part of the
organisation but had "long disassociated" himself with it owing to
ideological differences.
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti
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