Leaders of various political parties and Muslim groups gathered at Ghalib Institute in the Capital on 2 September at the releasing ceremony of Urdu weekly Mission to take stock of the shift in the national polity after change of guards at the Centre and to chalk out strategy to keep the spirit of the Idea of India intact.
Dr. Taslim Rahmani, president Muslim Political Council of India, while addressing the gathering, said that since Independence, India has been ruled by different governments and the only difference between one set of government and another was the change of hands of the ruling establishment; but now, the manner in which things are moving seems that along with the change of hands in the 16th Lok Sabha, the mindset that leads to governance has also changed; this is very dangerous. This mindset had been there since ages in one or the other form but the people of India had always rejected that mindset in the governance.
Majeed Memon, MP NCP, while speaking at the programme, said that the institution of law and judiciary is in its position and safe till today. The apprehension that the party after getting two-third majority will amend the law and the Constitution and put it in the dust bin is a foregone conclusion and all efforts will be made to preserve it in its present form and all requisite measures needed to safeguard it will be taken. Even though the government has completed its 100 days, it does not have the courage to impose Uniform Civil Code or anything which is against the Shari’ah. Judiciary is perfectly in its pace and despite the majority achieved by the government, the Judges of the Supreme Court or the High Courts are not that inspired by Modi that they have started to give partisan judgements. There are people in the judiciary who will thwart any such game plan if it is in the pipeline. We have to have good faith with judiciary and secular non-Muslims to defend any wrong move by the government.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his first maiden speech in Parliament had said that in the run up to the path of development, the government will ensure that the last man sitting in the last row will not be avoided. I am leaving this venue with the expectation that the minority of this country will certainly find their place in that last row,” Memon said.
Most of the speakers were reminding of the dangers ahead if the people with divisive mindset and with their own ideology are at the helm of affairs in the governance with absolute power. Dr Zafarul Islam Khan, president All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, said efforts should be made for proportional representation because parties with more than 69 per cent votes do not have any say in the governance.
In the programme, an Urdu weekly Mission was also released with the objective of keeping people aware of the changing trends and the need to wake up to meet those challenges. It would be in the midst of the people with a mission. KC Tyagi, general secretary of JDU asked the political parties with secular bent of mind to form a bigger alliance on the pattern followed in Bihar lest they should end up giving all the seats to the BJP in the upcoming elections.
Joginder Shamra, Polit Bureau Member of CPM, in his address, said that earlier the corporate used to fund political parties but now they have started to make investment so therefore it is most likely that these corporates will do all in their capacity to get maximum return and that is why Narendra Modi has so far acted as a businessman and talking always in business terms at all places in India and abroad. He further said that he is optimistic because he feels that the youth that voted for Narendra Modi will not wait for long to get their aspirations fulfilled.
The programme was also addressed by Mr K Danish Ali, Gen Secretary, JDS; Abdul Wahab Khilji, Exec Member AIMPLB and Mujtaba Farooq, President, Welfare Party of India.