Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) Andhra Pradesh organised a massive public meeting on “Telangana Garjana” at Nizam College Ground, Hyderabad on February 7.
The meeting started at 2 p.m. sharp with the recitation of the Holy Qur’ān by Qari Iqbal.
Various speakers of the Jamaat addressed the gathering on this occasion. They included Dr. MKM Zafar (City president, JIH Hyderabad), Hamid Muhammad Khan (President Movement for Peace and Justice, AP), Khaja Arifuddin (State secretary JIH AP). All of them stressed the fact that Telangana is not just a regional problem. It is the voice of thousands of wronged and suppressed people of Telangana who have been systematically deprived of their rights for over the past 60 years.
“The demand for a separate State of Telangana has been there fir the past 60 years. However it has been sidetracked and sabotaged time and again by vested interests. The people of Telangana have been pushed back in all aspects of society, viz. political, economic, educational, health, etc. The support for Telangana by JIH is not based on any regional, linguistic, racial, religious or vested motives. It is solely based on the motives of establishing peace, justice and equality which are the cornerstone of Islamic teachings,” the organisation said.
“The huge gathering of 50,000 people (coming from Hyderabad and nine other districts of the region) is a clear testimony to the fact that Muslims are totally in favour of Telangana,” they added.
Other prominent speakers who addressed this massive gathering were Mr. Mahboob Alam Khan (Secretary Anwarul Uloom Education Society), Mr. Maheshwar Reddy (MLA, PRP) Mr. K.M Arifuddin (Secretary Madina Educational Institutions), Mr. Narsa Reddy (MLC, Congress), and Mr. Gadar (a revolutionary poet).
All of them stressed the fact that extreme injustice has been meted out to the people of Telangana, especially Muslims. This despite the fact that Muslims played a key role in developing this region during the rule of Nizam. All the agreements and promises done with the people of Telangana have been highly dishonoured.
“After seeing burqa-clad Muslim sisters coming out in such large numbers, I have no doubt that Telangana will become a reality,” Gaddar said.
Mr. Maheshwar Reddy said the Hyderabad state was the only one in the whole of India to have economic surplus. However, today all the districts of Telangana are among the nation’s most backward districts. All this can be remedied only through the formation of a separate State of Telangana. A declaration by the name “Telangana Declaration” was adopted on this occasion by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind amidst overwhelming response from the massive gathering.
The meeting was concluded by the presidential address of Malick Moatasim Khan (President JIH AP and Orissa).
A huge contingent of the media was also present on this occasion to cover the event.