Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Karnataka organised a state-level convention and discussed the various problems confronting the country as well as the community. During the convention, it adopted some resolutions on the confronting issues on 10 February.
The JIH convention affirmed that Islam teaches every Muslim to be a well-wisher and positive contributor to the welfare of his country. “We shall stand together towards the general well-being of our country, raise our voice against oppression and keep reminding our government about its Constitutional responsibilities as part of our Islamic duties,” one of its resolutions said.
In response to the situation prevailing in the country pertaining to women, and a deteriorating state of gender relations, the JIH convention felt it improper on the part of government “to completely ignore the causes that have promoted atrocities on women and to be satisfied with symptomatic treatment while leaving the disease itself untreated”. The treatment of women as objects without feelings in the film industry, in advertising, in fashion shows and in pornography must be immediately stopped by Government Ordinance and moral training, it maintained.
Likewise, the convention strongly demanded implementation in word and spirit of the Directive Principle of our Constitution to prohibit alcohol that is now more freely available than water even in the remotest Indian villages. The convention, while agreeing to the Justice Verma Commission report on its recommendations regarding AFSPA, and disagreed to it and asserted that non-consensual intercourse within marriage is not rape and must be dealt with separately. “We shall strive to seek dignity and honour for women, provide security and liberty and preserve their modesty as part of our Islamic inspiration.”
The convention commended the government on its pro-people, pro-poor implementation of Vajpayee Arogya Shree and Sakala, on its successful conduct of panchayat elections and its good maintenance of law and order. However, it took serious note of the spread of corruption under the current government and the fall of moral standards in its political discourse. It was anguished by the unacceptable treatment meted out to Muslim youth under the garb of fighting terrorism. “We demand fast track justice and fair treatment for these youth until the law reaches its logical conclusion. However in case they are proven innocent, these youth must be apologised to, must be compensated for and must be rehabilitated. The police officers who frame innocents must be punished equally strongly as terrorists themselves should be,” it said.
A democratic government is a government of the people and not of a party or of a community or a particular caste, as it seemingly appears to be the case in Karnataka. The JIH convention demanded a fair representation and a fair share in government and its resources for all and especially members of the Muslim community which remains unrepresented. “The institutions like Lok Ayukta, the State Human Right Commission, and the Minority Commission appear to be on life-support. We demand that these guardians of democracy be restored in word and spirit,” a resolution said.
This convention took with serious concern the growing influence of the corporate world in government policies that have become pro-rich and anti-poor leading to massive displacement of weaker sections and small land-holding farmers. The recent eviction of slum dwellers in Ejipura is a case in point.