JIH Caravans for Peace and Justice Make 10-Point Demands
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) has launched two All India Caravans – Caravan for Peace and Justice – in the wake of unprecedented havoc created in the country in the name of terrorism and communalism. The Caravans started on November 10 and will conclude on November 26. These Caravans are led by President JIH Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari and Secretary-General JIH Mr Nusrat Ali. Both the caravans were flagged off following a public programme held in New Delhi on November 10.
The caravan led by President JIH will pass through Lucknow (Nov. 10, 11), Azamgarh (Nov 13), Patna (Nov 14), Guwahati (Nov 16), Kolkata (Nov 17, 18), Hyderabad (Nov 20, 21), Bangalore (Nov 22), Mangalore (Nov 23, 24), and Ernakulam (Nov 25). The caravan led by Secretary-General JIH will pass through Jabalpur (Nov 11, 12), Nagpur (Nov 13), Bhopal (Nov 14), Indore (Nov 15), Mumbai (Nov 16-18), Ahmedabad (Nov 19, 20), Baroda (Nov 21), Kota (Nov 22) and Jaipur (Nov 23, 24).
The JIH is highly concerned about communal conflicts which are once more becoming frequent in the country. Innocent men and women are being brutally killed. The result is bitterness and divisions in society. Unfortunately, India has become haven for all kinds of horrible acts. We are witnessing disruptive activities in different states, mindless bombings and explosions in trains and at public places, genocides and state supported carnages, brutal police firings, encounters, tortures and custodial deaths.
Moreover the menace of regional prejudices and hatred is once again trying to disturb peace, integrity and federal structure of the country. The communal, castist and regional hatred, and disruptive acts by individuals, groups or state have diverted our attention from pressing issues that the country and the common man is facing i.e. unequal distribution of resources, poverty, corruption, inflation, illiteracy, inaccessibility of educational and health facilities to the poor and marginalised sections of the society.
The JIH believes that the system is to be blamed for failing to provide justice and equality. “It has failed to inculcate the noble values of compassion, tolerance, honesty, integrity, and human brotherhood in our men, women and young generation. The politicians and law enforcing authorities are equally responsible for aggravating the situation,” it said.
Minutes after the blasts, the police comes out with a standard preconceived statement blaming the ‘foreign hands’ and Muslim-sounding organisations. Later they start arresting Muslim boys indiscriminately and creating terror in Muslim localities. On the other side, despite clear leads against the extremist Hindutva groups, either action is not taken at all or it is taken half-heartedly. Different yardsticks are used based on community and political affiliations,” it added.
In the caravans, sponsored by Jamaat, prominent religious scholars, social activists, legal luminaries, journalists and thinkers are participating. They include Maulana Asghar Imam Mehadi, Maulana Abdul Wahab Khilji, Swami Onkaranandji, Swami Agnivesh, Sardar Paramjeet Singh, Dr John Dyal, Fr. Dominic Emanuel and Swami Amarender Muniji. Prominent social activists and thinkers include Mr Sandeep Pande, Mr. Khairnar, Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan, Ms Medha Patkar, Mr Amaresh Misra, Mr Ajit Sahi, Mr. M. H. Muchala, Maulana Fuzauil Ahmed Qasmi, Dr. Saiyid Hamid and Dr. M. Manzoor Alam.
Apart from these two national caravans, state units of JlH have also launched state caravans in their respective states.
In these caravans, JIH has raised the following demands:
1) All riots and disruptive acts of the last decade should be probed into by an independent high powered commission to identify the actual culprits and the report of this enquiry should be made public.
2) Reforms should be initiated in the Police and Law Enforcement machinery and the recommendations of National Police Commission should be immediately implemented. At least 25% Police personnel at all levels should belong to minority communities residing in that state.
3) Effective legal mechanism should be evolved to check and curb Police atrocities, illegal detentions, fake encounters, tortures, custodial deaths and fabricated accusations.
4) Harassment of relatives and well wishers of the detainees should be stopped and a whole locality should not be targeted or victimized.
5) Confidential reports and confessions extracted under duress must not be leaked to the media. Effective regulations and legal mechanism should be enacted to ensure fair and unbiased reporting in media.
6) All initiatives for undemocratic and unjust legislation should be stopped and all those legislations in various states should be cancelled wherein confessions in police custody are made admissible in courts or which allow police to keep persons arrested without filing charge sheets or which violate human rights in any way.
7) Measures should be adopted to promote human values, respect for human life, tolerance and co-operation so that we can build a hatred free and peaceful India.
8) Justice should not be delayed. Comprehensive reforms in the judicial system should be initiated to ensure speedy delivery of justice. All those residing in jails for more than five years, pending a judgment in their case; should be immediately released. All those who are eligible for bail, but lack financial resources, should be granted bail and released from custody.
9) The horrible conditions in jails should be changed through comprehensive measures of jail reform.
10) As pact of its anti-Muslim stand, the erstwhile NDA regime had imposed an unjust ban on SIMI. The present central government should honour the Justice Gita Mittal tribunal’s judgment in this matter and immediately lift the unjust ban on students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).