New Delhi: In 2002 he had become the face of the Gujarat riots. Though at that time the use of social media was not all that prevalent, Ashok Mochi (real name Ashok Parmar) became an instantly recognizable face. An unshaven face sporting a saffron headband and carrying a rod in one hand with the other fist clenched had become the talk of India. Instantly, he was called an alleged BJP supporter, a man who had taken part in the mass killings. For months and years, he was the epicentre of all discussions and the cover of many magazines.
Well today, things have changed. The firebrand that he was, Ashok today is a much more sober person. However, he is in a new ‘avataar’. Ashok is now protesting against the new farm laws of the Centre and in turn he has turned against the same party he was once allegedly working for.
A large number of farmers’ associations from Gujarat have joined the protests against the new farm laws at the Haryana-Rajasthan border in Shajahanpur. Ashok was seen sitting there on a chair, sipping tea holding the flag of a farmers’ union. Ashok is a resident of Ahmedabad now. He said that he has come and joined the protests as he feels that the new farm laws will be harmful for the farmers.
Talking about the 2002 picture that made him famous Ashok asserted that he was just protecting himself. “I was protecting myself during the riots,” Ashok has been quoted as saying by anandabazar.com. “I feel the farm laws will be harmful for the farmers… so I have travelled more than a thousand kilometres to join the agitation,” he added.
Incidentally, Ashok by profession is a cobbler… that is the reason he is referred to as ‘Mochi’ and not Ashok Parmar. Well his latest move has also attracted many netizens. CPI (M) leader and former MP Mohammed Salim also tweeted a picture of Ashok. Salim captioned the picture in Bengali: “His name is Ashok Parmar (alias Ashok Mochi). The infamous face of the Gujarat mass killings. Now 1,000 kilometres away from Ahmedabad, he has joined the farmers’ protests.”
See Link: https://twitter.com/salimdotcomrade/status/1339285431733559296/photo/1
Ashok however, has always claimed that he is innocent as far as the Gujarat riots are concerned. He also said that he did not commit any acts of violence during the 2002 Gujarat riots. However, the picture depicts a different story. Currently however, he carries a sober look. May be with the passage of time he has turned mature. But whatever it may be, Ashok Mochi is once again hogging the limelight.
