In view of growing intolerance, cast and communal rift, various religious leaders, peace activists, social and human rights activists gathered at the launch of peace and humanity campaign and unanimously agreed to make it a national campaign.
At the inaugural of 15-day nationwide Peace & Humanity campaign on 20 August in the national capital Jamaat honored renowned peace activists like Ram Puniyani (Mumbai), Sandeep Pandey (Lucknow), JS Bandukwala (Vadodara) and Yugal kishore Shastri (Ayodhya) with Sadhbhawana award for their remarkable contribution towards communal harmony.
In his opening remarks, Syed Sadatullah Husaini, vice president of Jamaat and national convenor of the campaign, asked the people and leaders assembled to make it a national campaign and work towards promoting and preserving peace and communal harmony. John Dayal, social and human rights activist said that the gathering here is not against any religion or groups but it is for the sake of unity and emphasized on the reviving the spirit of the constitution.
Navaid Hamid, national president of All India Muslim Majlise Mushawarat, while addressing the gathering cautioned that Sangh is not an institution but it is actually an ideology and we should be careful of people with such ideology in all party. As long as this ideology gaining roots and flourishing, peace and humanity would be a distant dream. Hamid also informed about the dangers of the new education policy and its likely impact on the coming generations
Magsaysay awardee and Renowned social activist and Magsaysay awardee, Dr. Sandeep Pandey asked the gathering not to allow the kind of division in the society in Gujarat post 2002 riots in other parts of the country and urged the communities to live with mix population in order to preserve the unique culture. “One partition took place in 1947 but the second one is now visible Gujarat because in Hindu areas we cannot find Muslims while in Muslim areas there are no Hindu resident,” said Pandey
Ram Puniyani, another peace activist after the receiving the award said socio-political situation of India is alarming and communalism of any religious groups is bad. Peace activist, Yugal Kishore Shastri assured the audience to continue his yatras for the sake of peace and humanity in future also.
In his presidential address the President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Maulana Syed Jalauddin Umari said that the age old notion of keeping religion out of politics is wrong idea and should not be encouraged. Earlier Islamic history and the governance of that time is testimony to the fact that religion and politics should not be separated. Of the total 125 crore even one crore Indians if pledged to raise their voice against injustice against any community there will be no injustice against any community. Umari asked all peace activists, and religious leaders to raise their voice against injustice and atrocities against anyone anywhere.
