Ashok Mochi, Face of Gujarat Riots, Wants Dalit-Muslim Unity Now

Once photographed with a saffron bandana & a rod in his hand, Ashok Mochi is now part of the dalit agitation in Una.

Ashok Parmar aka Ashok Mochi now works as a cobbler in eastern Ahmedabad and sleeps on the streets. (Photo altered by The Quint)

Cliché: A picture is worth a 1000 words! For Ahmedabad’s Ashok Parmar aka Ashok Mochi, who became the face of cruelty, a picture meant a new life.

Even before humans mastered the art of clicking selfies with facial expressions that appear unreal, Parmar wrongly pouted for a photograph during 2002 Gujarat riots and became the poster boy of Hindus attacking Muslims.

In the infamous photograph, he was seen wearing a saffron head band and holding an iron rod in hand with an aggressive expression on his face.

Parmar now wants people to know his ‘real’ side and has become part of Gujarat’s ongoing Dalit agitation. He believes the coming together of Dalits and Muslims is the most critical aspect of this movement.

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Dalit and Proud

Protests started in Gujarat after four Dalits were beaten over the skinning of a dead cow in Una. Dalit activists took out a 10-day march from Ahmedabad to Una, which ended on 15 August.

Parmar joined the march but left in a day.

In the rally many were taking oaths to not skin dead animals. I believe ‘Chamars’, who are known for tanning work, should look for alternative jobs, but not all will be able to find an alternative. The fight should be for getting respect in whatever job one does, like it happens in US.

Ashok Parmar

Parmar works as a cobbler in eastern Ahmedabad and sleeps on streets.

In the photograph Ashok Mochi is seen with the tools of cobbling. (Photo: Ankur Jain)

I don’t skin animals, but many in my community do. It’s the same job that doctors do in hospitals after years of training. But without any formal education ‘chamars’ master the art, only to get the leather that goes into the making of fancy products.

He is even against using the word ‘Dalit’.

“I don’t call myself Dalit, it’s unconstitutional. In fact, it’s wrong to call anyone a Dalit. I am ‘chamar’ and I take great pride in it.” says Parmar, who earns around Rs 200 a day.

Also Read: Walk This Way: Rebellion, Resistance and Una’s Dalit Uprising

From a Grieving Lover to the ‘Face’ of Gujarat Riots of 2002

Living on the streets, he keeps himself updated with news, especially about Narendra Modi who he feels has failed the people of Gujarat and India.

“Narendra Modi has been fooling people in the name of development. However, what I dislike about him the most is that he has failed to follow ‘Rajdharma’. He visited Godhra to see burnt train coaches, but never went to Naroda Patia to meet injured people,” says Parmar.

Ashok Mochi’s photo made the front page of news publications after the Godhra Riots. (Photo Courtesy: Outlook)

Parmar says it often amazes people when he criticises Modi and talks about Hindu-Muslim unity. “I am not the man in the photo. I condemn Godhra and post-Godhra the same way.” Photographer Sebastian D’souza had photographed Parmar on 28 February 2002.

My girlfriend got married days before the riots and I had left home in grief. On that ill-fated day, Hindus were out to kill Muslims and to save myself I tied a saffron band. Later someone gave me an iron rod and asked me to revenge Godhra killings. I took the rod and kept walking on road when this photographer approached and asked me to show how angry I am.

Parmar was arrested and kept in jail for 14 days after this photo became popular. He was later acquitted as there were no witnesses against him.

“I killed no one, nor did I do any sort of rioting. I was angry with the people behind Godhra, but more with my life as a homeless who lost his girlfriend. Embroiled in all these circumstances, I ended up giving a wrong expression at a wrong place,” he says while laughing.

However, he blames Modi for gaining notoriety due to the photograph.

Modi said the anger of 5 crore Gujaratis led to the 2002 riots. Media lapped on to the news, and used me as a face to depict the anger. In riots the real story never comes out. Many of those arrested are not the real perpetrators, but I don’t have any proof to prove my point.

He believes, in Ahmedabad, riots like 2002 will never happen again, as people have realised the huge economic and human loss such riots cause. This might change the landscape of caste politics in the country.

And, Parmar, ironically, may become the face of this unity, as he spiritedly quips in, “I don’t mind another photograph of mine getting popular, only this time for good,” he says.

(The writer is a Gujarat-based journalist.)

Also Read: Chalo Una: Hundreds of Dalits Vow Never to Dispose off Dead Cattle