MOHAMMAD NAUSHAD KHAN portrays Jamaat-e-Islami Hind-led joint massive rally at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi against rising atrocities on Muslims, Christians, Dalits and Adivasis.
New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, which receives rallies, big and small, almost on daily basis, witnessed on 23 September a joint massive protest led by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind against the rising lawlessness and atrocities on Muslims, Christians, Dalits and Adivasis. The mammoth rally, with participation from several organisations of Muslim, Christian and Dalit communities, including some civil society groups, demanded ban on cow vigilantes.
Nusrat Ali, Vice-President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, in his presidential address, said we all know we have lived here together since ages; fought for Independence and designed our Constitution together with the objective of justice and equality as well as freedom for all. We worked together for overall progress and development of our country. We thought that the Constitution we conceptualised was aimed to keep us united and we would not be discriminated against nor would our fundamental and Constitutional rights be encroached upon.
Ali argued: Did we ever think of an Independent India where we would be attacked, killed and our women would be raped in the name of cow protection and there would be none responsible and accountable for that. Did we ever think of an independent India where there would be lawlessness and anarchy? Did we ever think of an independent India where there would be jungle raj? Sometimes they say they want Muslim-mukt Bharat and some other times they demand Dalit-mukt Bharat. Will they be able to sink them into the sea or will they be able to drive them out? Remember, these Minorities, Dalits and Tribals are the nerves of this country; and if they are not here, India would be in a very precarious situation.
The learned speaker further said the present regime has created three groups: One keeps on chanting the mantra of Vikas; another group is trying to impose their agenda and ideology on us and also trying to saffronise our education. The third group is very dangerous as it is engaged in attacking and killing, and committing atrocities on Muslims, Dalits and other weaker sections.
The protestors claimed that they have submitted a joint memorandum to the President of India, urging him to intervene because they have lost faith in the present establishment and do not expect any concrete measure from the government, either in states or at the central level, against all those committing atrocities on Muslims, Christians, Dalits and Adivasis at intervals. The protestors also urged the President of India Pranab Mukherjee to play his part effectively in defending and safeguarding the Constitutional rights of people who are increasingly being persecuted under the present regime of NDA government at the centre and BJP governments in some states.
In the memorandum to the President of India, the demands include:
1. Cow vigilantism should be banned and people should be allowed to eat the food of their choice.
2. A commission should be formed to report whether the recent events are part of organised crimes orchestrated by parties to polarise votes for political mileage and to suggest a proper mechanism to prevent deterioration of democratic system by overuse of polarisation tactics leading to vast loss of lives and properties and displacement of people from their cosy homes.
3. Judicial enquiries should be set up in the case of some major events such as that occurred in Dadri, Dingerhedi, Pedda village of Bijnor, Ayyub’s killing in Ahmedabad and the like.
4. Due compensation should be paid by the concerning governments to the victims and their families. A standard method should be evolved for equal compensation to people across the communities and proper rules be devised for immediate relief to the affected families.
5. The role of media in protecting democracy, secularism and equality should be ensured and those media houses should be strictly dealt with which go against these Constitutional goals of Indian society.
6. The Communal Violence Bill should made a law as soon as possible so that communal forces could be suitably dealt with for maintaining peace and law and order in the country.
Er. Mohammad Salim, Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, while addressing the protestors, said that these attacks are not only against Muslims or Dalits but these are attacks on the country, attacks on the Indian society, against the unity of Indian society and above all against Indian Constitution. These are a fascist trend and there have been continuous efforts to divide, to harm the pluralistic nature of our society, to create hatred within the society since 1925 even before we achieved Independence. There have been continuous efforts to impose one set of culture, thought and ideology on others. All that we see today is in accordance with that agenda which is divisive.
Women and children also raised their voice with placards and shouted slogans demanding justice at regular intervals.
Navaid Hamid, President All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, in his address, said if we want to save our country from any chaos and to ensure that it is governed by Constitutional provisions then the all those assembled here will have to play a proactive role in order to safeguard our country and constitutional rights. He asked all the religious and social leaders to become voice of the downtrodden and oppressed and marginalised. “If you are able to come out of your predefined periphery and become the voice of others then nobody will dare to look at you, forget about any further attacks,” Said Hamid.
Representing Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, Maulana Abdul Hameed, General Secretary, while expressing concern over the state of lawlessness, asked: Are we going to make India a country of animals? Politics over cow and the Ganga is very dangerous and pushing our country into a very dangerous situation. According to him, media is no doubt capable of turning any event or incidents in favour of or against any community and all these communities do not have the kind of media to tell their side of the story and that is why stories are turned against us either by fabricating or false reporting.
Maulana Mohammad Hanif, who had come from Alwar, while reminding the role and contribution of people of Mewat during and after Independence, said it is very unfortunate that our people are being attacked and killed by cow vigilantes merely on false rumour. It seems there is a complete absence of law and order and the role of the government machinery and the police are questionable.
The veteran activist, Kishore Lalji, said a revolution has been rekindled and despite some ups and downs it will go on. Lalji also asked religious leaders and political parties to learn some lesson from the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and not to repeat the mistake of the past in the near future. He asked the protestors to evolve an atmosphere of togetherness and it could only become possible with some sacrifice and flexibility.
Laeeq Ahmad Khan, General Secretary Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO), while remembering the death of our soldiers at Uri, asked: Are our soldiers defending our borders so that people can be killed and raped in the name of cow protection?
Other organisations which participated in the protest include Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadees, Lokraj Sangathan, Dalit Federation, AMOD and All India Shia Council.