NEW DELHI: The All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, the apex body of Indian Muslim organisations, condemned the violence unleashed against Muslims, Christians, Dalits and Adivasis across the country. It is said the attacks on mosques, churches, graveyards and dargahs across the country are assault on the basic constitutional rights of minorities in the country. The apex body’s central committee met her today to deliberate over community, national and international issues. Members from across the country participated in this meeting chaired by the AIMMM President Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan.
In a resolution passed by the meeting, the Muslim apex body expressed its utter surprise at the acquittal of all the PAC personnel accused in the Hashimpura massacre of 1987, and asked the U.P. government to form a high-level investigation committee to probe and find out all those in the state and police machinery who destroyed evidences and misled courts. The meeting expressed its anguish against the POTA and TADA-like Gujcoca which gives extraordinary powers to police offices in Gujarat and clearly violates human rights. Another resolution welcomed the notice issued by the Supreme Court against LK Advani and other senior BJP leaders in the Babri Masjid demolition case and expressed hope that justice will finally be done in this case. Another resolution slammed the BJP government’s re-issuing the land ordinance and said that the manner in which this has been done reminds of the Emergency era.
The Muslim apex body said in another resolution that the atrocities against traders and consumers of beef in BJP-ruled states under the guise of stopping cow slaughter will deprive millions engaged in legal meat and leather business of their livelihood. The meeting also passed resolutions about the situation in Yemen, Palestine and Syria. Apart from AIMMM President, Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, the meeting was attended by AIMMM Vice President Mujtaba Farooq, Secretary General Ahmad Rashid Shervani, General Secretaries Mufti Ataur Rahman Qasmi and Masoom Moradabadi, ex-MP Muhammad Adeeb, Kamal Faruqi, Rahat Mahmood Chaudhari, Ilyas Malik, Dr Taslim Rahmani, Dr Javed Jamil, Abdul Khaliq, Anis Durrani, Munir Ahmad Khan (Indore), Abdul Qayoom Khan (Srinagar), Prof. Mateen Ahmad Khan (Bhopal), Abdur Rashid Agwan, Prof. Badruddin Al-Hafiz, Prof. Shakil Ahmad Khan, Rasheed Ahmad Khan (IAS Retd), Suhail Anjum, Shaikh Manzoor Ahmad, Prof. Wasim Ahmad Khan, Begum Nusrat Shervani, Abdul Aziz (Kolkata), Amanullah Khan and Dr. Asim Ubaidd Iqbal (Aligarh) and Muhammad Asim Qasmi (Deoband).
RESOLUTIONS
Low-intensity communal violence
AIMMM condemns the official silence at the consistent low-intensity communal warfare against Muslims, Christians, dalits and adivasis across the country. Small-scale communal violence is taking place on a daily basis in many parts of the country. Mosques, churches, qabristans and dargahs are being attacked. Dalits are beaten up and harassed while the Central government, its PM and HM, choose to look the other way. AIMMM warns that condoning this level of violence will sooner than later lead to violence on wider scale and greater levels. Hindutva outfits’ illegal activities and Central government’s apathy have created an atmosphere in which ghastly crimes like lynching of Muslims in Pune and Dimapur have become possible. AIMMM reminds the government that continuation of communal violence makes it more urgent to enact the anti-communal violence law to provide for a clear legal framework to prosecute the accused, some of whom are now sitting in high places of authority including the Union cabinet of ministers and Parliament.
Cow protection
AIMMM is alarmed by the current efforts by BJP-ruled states to widen the scope of cow slaughter ban by including even bulls, bullocks and calves in the list of cattle whose slaughter is prohibited. At present cow slaughter is banned in most parts of the country. Since Mughal times, Muslims have refrained from cow slaughter in deference to the feelings and beliefs of their Hindu brethren. But inclusion of new animals to the protected list and increasing the fine and imprisonment periods and incriminating even possession of beef by individuals is uncalled for and represents a fascist approach to force others to toe the line of a section of the population in the matter of food preferences. There are indications that the BJP govt at the Centre is planning to introduce a national law on these lines. Such attempts are an attack on Muslims, Christians, Dalits and Adivasis, marginalized communities and many others. Such blanket ban will also hit millions of people who are engaged in meat and leather sectors.
Hashimpura massacre
AIMMM condemns the acquittal of all PAC personnel accused in the May 1987 massacre at Meerut’s Hashimpura locality and considers successive governments in Uttar Pradesh responsible for destroying the evidences and misleading courts during the past 27 years. AIMMM demands the U.P. government to constitute a high-power investigation committee to unearth all facts and evidences of the case as a prelude to appeal against the erroneous verdict in one of the worst cases of state terrorism in independent India.
Ghar wapsi
Since the installation of the BJP govt at the Centre, Hindutva outfits have started a countrywide campaign to lure Muslims and Christians to the Hindu fold using deceit, threats and lure of monetary and state benefits. Ruling party leaders have reacted to protests against this unlawful activity by suggesting a general ban on conversions in the country. AIMMM holds that both the ghar wapsi programme and the general ban on conversions are illegal and unconstitutional. AIMMM supports the right of every Indian citizen to profess the religion of his/her choice without coercion and lure of benefits.
Babri demolition case
AIMMM welcomes the Supreme Court’s decision to reopen the cases closed on technical grounds against top BJP leaders like LK Advani and hopes that justice will be finally done in this crime of the century which changed the political horizon of the country and made hate politics acceptable in the Indian polity.
Dilution of Sachar schemes
Despite its protestations, the Modi government is steadily downsizing and diluting minority schemes initiated as a result of the Sachar report. National Minorities Development & Finance Corporation has been made almost inactive, and Maulana Azad Educational Foundation is on death bed. The Modi government should come clean about its real intentions. It should either properly revive these institutions or announce their closure.
New Tada in Gujarat
AIMMM condemns the renewed efforts of the BJP government in Gujarat to enact Gujcoca on the lines of TADA and POTA where a forced “confession” made to a police officer will be cognisable in a court of law. This is travesty of justice and especially objectionable in view of the utterly communalised Gujarat police force, 16 of whose top officers until recently were in jails for committing fake encounters. Such a law will be a handle in the hands of the biased officials to implicate innocents which they have done repeatedly in the past as in the Akshardham case. AIMMM requests Hon’ble President of India to once again reject this illegal law.
Farmers and land
AIMMM registers its rejection of the changes in the land law and the brazen attempt of Modi govt to subvert the spirit of law and democracy by proroguing the Rajya Sabha only to re-issue the land ordinance. This is murder of democracy and will only lead to an Emergency-like situation where the rulers think that they are above law.
Human trafficking
Trafficking of young women, mostly Muslim, has become a menace in India. Thousands of poor women are regualry kidnapped, lured or purchased and later sold in areas which are suffering from declining sex ratios as a result of feticide and murder of new-born females. The problem is aggravated by the lax attitude of police and administration. AIMMM appeals to the government and society to take this issue seriously to combat both feticide as well as trafficking of young women.
Three-language formula
AIMMM wishes to remind the government and civil society that the “three-language formula” was devised in 1968 as a result of the prolonged agitation for Urdu and to satisfy the demands of south Indians. It was envisaged under this formula that alongwith Hindi, another modern Indian language and a foreign language will be taught in our schools. This was to offer the option of Urdu in many areas where students wanted to learn Urdu. But Sanskrit was imposed instead flouting the spirit of the scheme and now it has come to light that even a second foreign language (German) is being taught in some schools. HRD Ministry should not succumb to pressures and should restore the true spirit of the three-language formula.
Bail and acquittal of criminals
AIMMM condemns the continuous process of acquitting and freeing on bail which is going on in Gujarat since Shri Modi because PM. Dozens of cops accused in encounter and other crimes are out on bail while some have even resumed their duties. Serious charges against Amit Shah have been dropped and CBI has failed to appeal. All this is travesty of justice and will only lead to more lawlessness in the country and will encourage criminals to take the law in their hands in the belief that their position of influence and supporters in high positions of authority will finally shield them from the long hands of law.
Jammu & Kashmir
The PDP-BJP coalition in Jammu & Kashmir is an opportunist measure aimed only at grabbing political power. AIMMM maintains that the people of Kashmir Valley voted for PDP precisely to keep BJP at bay, but after the elections, the PDP leadership saw it fit to extend its hand of friendship to a party which has traditionally harmed J&K, wishes to abolish its special position under Article 370 and insists on retaining AFPSA despite the fact that armed militancy has long receded. AIMMM believes that the PDP-BJP coalition is against the long-term interests of the Kashmiri people. Sooner the PDP distanced itself from BJP the better.
Persecution of Kashmiri students outside J&K
AIMMM takes note of the continuous harassment faced by Kashmiri students in universities and colleges across the country, and warns the civil society and authorities that our misbehaviour with Kashmiri students in our institutions is a crime against the country as it undermines the trust needed to ensure Kashmiris rightful place in India.
Terrorism
AIMMM welcomes Union Home Minister Mr Rajnath Singh’s repeated reiteration of the fact that Indian Muslims do not support terrorism, but it is unable to understand how security agencies continue to arrest Muslim youth without an iota of proof and continue to dub whole areas as dens of terror. If the Home Minister is serious about his assertions, he should rein in forces under his command which have made it their routine to kidnap Muslim youth and level wild charges against them which are years later thrown out by courts of law.
Yemen
AIMMM is concerned at the deteriorating situation in Yemen and cautions that a once peaceful country is fast on its way to become another Libya, Syria and Iraq. AIMMM, while rejects usurpation of power by an armed militia, cautions against foreign intervention which will only complicate the situation, destroy the country and its infrastructure and make a democratic political settlement of the power struggle much more difficult.
Syria
AIMMM reiterates its previous position rejecting one-party and one-family dictatorship as well as rejecting foreign intervention in the affairs of Syria. The prolonged civil war has destroyed the whole country and has opened the window for a more dangerous player, ISIS, to dabble in the Syrian civil war and further complicate the possibility of a peaceful settlement. AIMMM believes that the only way for a settlement acceptable to all in Syria is for the embattled regime in Damascus to implement the first Geneva Conference agreement to open the way for a quick democratic transformation in Syria, fair and free elections and a united effort to dislodge ISIS which is a threat to regional and world peace.
Palestine
While condemning the antics of the Israeli prime minister, his rejection of any settlement of the Palestinian issue and his dabbling in the internal affairs of even his closest foreign ally, AIMMM welcomes Palestinian Authority’s joining several international organisations including the International Criminal Court which will allow the hapless Palestinians some leverage to check the Israel gangsterism and impurity in attacking, destroying and murdering Palestinians at will. The PA should at once stop security collaboration with the occupying power and support resistance in West Bank, Gaza Strip and Jerusalem in order to at least regain the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967. AIMMM reiterates that the only real solution of the Palestine-Israel problem is de-zionisation of Palestine/Israel and creation of a single democratic state for both Arabs and Jews in Palestine.
OBITUARIES
SAIYID HAMID, thinker, educationist, visionary, reformist, leader, activist and a towering member of Mushawarat, died in Delhi on 29 December at the age of 94; B.S. ABDUR RAHMAN, a successful businessman and philanthropist, died at Chennai on 7 January at the age of 88; FAIYYAZUL AZAM, former Lok Sabha MP and former minister of Bihar died on 1 December at the age of 82 year; RAJA GHAZANFAR ALI KHAN, a well-known social worker of Karatpur, district Najibabad and a former minister of UP died on 30 December at the age of 80 years; MUHAMMAD FAROOQ, the oldest litigant in Babri Masjid demolition case, died after a brief illness on 24 December at the age of 100 years; MAULANA MUHAMMAD QASIM, religious leader and scholar of Mewat, rector of Madrasa Darul Uloom Anwaarul Qur’an Firozpur Jhirka, known as “Sher-e Punjab” died on 12 January at the age of 74 years; Dr. AUSAF AHMAD, noted economist and chairman of the Indian Centre for Islamic Finance died in Noida on 22 January at the age of 70 years; MAULANA KHALIL ATHAR ASHRAFI of Rampur, former Chairman of UP Arabic Persian Board, died on 8 February; HAJI MANSOOR AHMAD, Vice President of the West Bengal Unit of AIMMM who died in Kolkata in February, KALEEM “AAJIZ”, renowned Urdu poet and litterateur, died in Hazari Bagh (Bihar) on 15 February at the age of 95; Senior National Conference leader, SHEIKH NAZIR AHMAD, breathed his last in Jammu on February 24 a the age of 78; M A ABDUL QADIR MUSLIYAR, veteran Sunni scholar, president of Samastha Kerala Jamiyathul Ulama, died at Thrikkarippur in Kasargod district on 17 February at the age of 91; HAKEEM ABDUL MOEED, chief trustee and owner of Hamdard Dawakhana and chairman of Hamdard National Foundation died on 20 March at the age of about 80 years; MAULANA ABDUL AZIZ, former Naib Ameer of Jamat-e Islami Hind and milli leader died in Hyderabad on 16 March at the age of 91 years; KHWAJA HASAN SANI NIZAMI, Sajjada Nashin of the Dargah of the Sufi saint Hazrat Khwaja Nizamuddin Aulia, a noted religious scholar and litterateur, died in the early hours of 15 March at the age of 83 years.