Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO) in association with some other organisations and associations including Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat (AIMMM), Welfare Party of India (WPI), Jamia Students Solidarity Forum (JSSF) and Alliance for Social Justice, Delhi University, staged protest marches against illegal and arbitrary arrests of Muslim youth, in New Delhi and in State Capitals on November 22.
Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO) expressed its deep concern over the continued chain of detaining and arresting of innocent Muslim youths in the name of counter terrorism across the country since a long time. On one side, the police and the government agencies arrest innocent Muslim youths under serious charges and on the other, the media projects them, much before their trial in courts of law, as masterminds and terrorists. As a result, their lives and the lives of their families are ruined. When these cases are heard in courts of law, the police and investigating agencies fail miserably to prove the allegations they level against these innocent Muslim youths. After suffering incarceration and ignominy for as long as over 20 years, the courts declare them innocent and acquit them.
In the past decade, hundreds of Muslim youths arrested under charges of terror plots have been declared as innocents and released from jail. In many cases, courts have castigated the police and intelligence agencies for filing false cases and fabrication of evidence. But during this period, the best years of the life – of arrested youths – are ruined, their houses and families are shattered, and their relations and friends are estranged. In these circumstances, the acquitted Muslim youths face only a dark future ahead.
SIO expressed its firm belief that infiltration of communal elements into police and intelligence agencies is responsible for all the agonies faced by innocent people in terror related cases. It is bringing shame to the law enforcement structure of the country while the real culprits of most terrorism related cases roam freely, thanks to the self-deceiving approach of the concerned authorities.
SIO said that there is a tendency among investigating agencies to search and fix some suitable ‘scapegoats’ and declare a case solved, to cover someone else’s crime directly or indirectly and to wilfully target educated Muslim youth in terror related cases.
SIO viewed with concern the way police levelled false charges against innocents, and adopted illegal ways and character-assassinated with baseless statements. These are enough to show that the bid to arrest youths under concocted charges in different parts of the country seems to be part of a planned conspiracy to defame Muslims, tarnish their image before the masses.
It is reported that many youths working abroad are on the hit list of security agencies. The well-qualified and professional Muslim youths go abroad in search of jobs but there too, the long arms of our security agencies are out to grab them for harassing and ruining their peace by levelling concocted charges.
SIO expressed its feeling that now it is the time for the government and justice-loving citizens in the country to think how long this atmosphere of terror against Muslims and the ongoing move to defame them would continue.
Moreover, it has been usually seen that the sensational stories floated in media quoting ‘intelligence’ and ‘police’ sources and the self-boasting, smart police work in the field hardly stands to reason and legal defence and the courts generally found police investigation nothing but ‘concocted’.
SIO also submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister for urgent consideration. The memorandum has urged the Prime Minister to consider its following demands:
1. Free and fair investigation and end bias in law enforcement agencies;
2. Stop custodial torture and use of third degree methods by police and intelligence agencies;
3. Compensation and rehabilitation must be given to innocents who have been wrongly booked under terror charges;
4. All terror related cases must be tried on a day-to-day basis so that the innocents get released soon;
5. Strict action must be taken against police personnel and investigating agencies personnel who are responsible for fabrication of evidence against innocents;
6. Repeal all draconian laws including Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), MACOCA, sedition laws and Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). Any law for curbing terrorism must conform with International Human Rights Standards; and
7. Intelligence Bureau must come under the audit of the Comptroller and Auditor General.
PEOPLE’S MARCH IN BANGALORE
Students Islamic Organisation of India along with various other organisations staged a rally (People’s March) in Bangalore on November 22. Hundreds of people from various sections of the society took part in the massive rally against the arbitrary arrests of innocent youths in the name of terror.
The rally commenced from Chikka Lalbagh (Thulasi Park) – Majestic to Town Hall, which was followed by a Public Meeting at Town Hall, Bangalore. The rally was organised to raise the demands to stop the arrest of innocent youths, to have a free and fair investigation and to stop the bias of law enforcement agencies and the custodial torture by police and intelligence agencies, to have a provision for special fast track courts for speedy trail of terrorism cases to settle the cases within a year, to compensate and rehabilitate the innocent, to take action against the personnel of investigation agencies responsible for fabrication of the evidence against the innocent, to remove all draconian laws including Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA).
Mr. Manohar Elvarthy (Member – Praja Rajakiya Vedike), Mrs. B.T. Lalitha Nayak (Former Minister – Government of Karnataka), Mr. Muhammad Kunhi (Manager – Shanthi Prakashan), Mr. B.T. Venkatesh (Senior Advocate – Bangalore), Mr. Abdullah Javed (President – Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Karnataka), Mr. Ashfaq Ahmed Shareef (President – SIO of India, Karnataka), Mr. Umar Shareef (President – Discover Islam Educational Trust) and many others addressed the gathering.
The rally was jointly organised by Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO), People’s Union for Civil Rights (PUCL), Praja Rajakiya Vedike , Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Jamiat-e-Ulema, Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), Karnataka Dalitha Mahila Vedike , Karnataka Muslim Mutthahida Mahaz (KMMM), Karnataka Sexual Minorities Forum (KSMF), New Socialist Alternative (CWI-India), Open Space, People’s Democratic Forum (PDF), Samvada, Discover Islam Educational Trust (DIET) and many more civil society groups.
MUMBAI POLICE CANCELS DHARNA
SIO Mumbai successfully organised a Press Meet at Marathi Ptrakar Sangh at 3 Pm on November 22. Mr Aslam Ghazi (Jamaat-e-Islami Hind), Mr Feroz Mithiborwala (Bharat Bachao Andolan), Mr Kishore Jagtap (Bharti Vidyarthi), Mr Anwar Shaikh (SIO Maharashtra) and Mr Tariq Qazi (APCR) addressed the media persons and responded to their queries.
Mumbai Police did not give permission to stage a dharna at Azad Maidan on November 22. This protest was part of Nationwide Protests and March by SIO for unjustified frequent arrests of students and youths in the name of counter terrorism who are later acquitted without guilt. SIO is highlighting how the lives of many students and youths have been ruined due to such attempts by law enforcing agencies.
Muslims marching to Parliament in protest against illegal arrests of innocent Muslim youths
Muslim youth marching in Bangalore
SIO and JIH leaders marching in Jaipur
SIO president Mohd Azharuddin addressing the protest march