The monthly press meet organised by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind on Nov 5, 2011, was addressed by its Amir (National President) Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Omari accompanied by Engineer Muhammad Salim and Mohammad Ahmad, secretaries of the Jamaat. Engineer Salim welcomed the journalists.
Maulana Omari began his press brief by discussing some international issues. He described the wave in favour of democracy which is blowing in the Muslim world as a positive event. The possibilities of Islamic movements participating in elections are opening up.
The national issues discussed related to Waqf Amendment Bill, Reservation for minorities, Communal Violence (Prevention) Bill, food Security Bill and Lok Pal Bill. The Jamaat demanded that all these issues should be addressed in the Winter Session of Parliament commencing on 22nd November, 2011as these relate to interests of the minorities, deprived sections and general public.
Regarding Awqaf Maulana Omari raised the issues of illegal possessions and control by vested interests and misutilisation of their income. He said that this can only be addressed by doing a survey to assess correct position and strong administrative and political actions. This is imperative on the government to act accordingly.
On the issue of reservation for Muslims Maulana Omari talked about the recommendations of Justice Ranganathan Misra Commission Report including the need of annulment of the Presidential ordinance on section 341of the Constitution. Maulana Omari emphasised the basis of reservation should be the economic and educational deprivation.
On communal violence (Prevention) Bill the Jamaat demanded that the Bill as proposed by National Advisory Council be tabled in the Winter Session of Parliament. It was a long pending demand of the various commissions, civil society movements and minorities to enact an effective law to contain communal violence. The proposed Bill of the Central Government, after passing through several stages, is now in the final shape as concluded by the NAC. Despite certain defects and weaknesses therein, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind takes it, from many aspects, as an effective law. However there is need to make the National Authority and the State Authority, proposed under this law, powerful. In the present shape, its status, like that of National Human Rights Commission, is of a mere recommendatory institution. Similarly, as regards to compensation and relief, there should be equal provisions for the entire country and for all sections of society.
The recent wave of communal violence in the various parts of the country has once again brought the need and importance of this law into limelight. BJP and other communal elements are dishing out the misleading propaganda that this proposed law is against the Hindus and that it has been pre-conceived that riots begin from the majority side. This is a baseless propaganda. First, this law is related to all minorities in the country, not Muslims alone; in certain States in the country even Hindus are in minority, i.e. in Jammu & Kashmir and certain North-Eastern States. Secondly, the canvas of this law expands to SCs/STs. Thirdly, it has been acknowledged in the United Nations Charter and the Constitution of India that minorities need constitutional and legal protection. Therefore, this law is in strict accordance with the spirit of the Constitution. Further, minorities have been made to bear the loss of life, property and dignity during communal riots one-sidedly, right from 1947 till now, the proof of which is there also in undeniable evidences, police records and reports of commissions. Therefore, people need not get influenced by this mischievous and misleading propaganda.
Food Security is an important issue and it is a promise of the UPA Government made during its first stint. Jamaat-e-Islami Hind feels that the Bill proposed by the National Advisory Council in this regard fulfils this need to a great extent. Therefore we demand that it be tabled in the Winter Session of Parliament, and passed. Jamaat-e-Islami Hind supports the NAC proposal that equality should be effected in the Ration Distribution System so that the need of food for every citizen of the country may be fulfilled. Escalating prices and inflation have made a hell of human life.
Recently, the Planning Commission, by filing an affidavit in the Supreme Court fixing Rs. 26 (for a family consisting of five members) daily earning for rural areas and Rs. 32 (for a family consisting of five members) daily earning for urban areas as poverty level, stunned the country. It was to the Government, if a 5-member family earns Rs. 26 a day in rural areas and Rs. 32 a day in urban areas, the family is above the poverty line and does not fall in the category of poor families, and would be deprived of all welfare schemes. It is enough to envisage how serious the Government is about alleviation of poverty. Our country is reckoned as one among the developed countries of the world; but it is a painful reality that more than half of the hungry, homeless, diseased, destitute and hapless in the world consist of Indian citizens.
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind demanded that Right to Livelihood be accepted as a Fundamental Right, and the Government guarantee that every citizen would get facilities for healthy food, dress, home, low-priced and proper medical treatment and basic education.
The case of Lok Pal Bill is that the increasing popularity of Anna Hazare movement against corruption has proved that the citizens of the country do want an effective law that can root out corruption from the society. Despite having difference of opinion with the methodology of India Against Corruption movement, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind agrees to its objectives. The Jamaat demands that the Government table an effective Lok Pal Bill in the Winter Session of Parliament to root out corruption. Every type of corruption should fall in the pale of this law; however corruption in judiciary should be left to the Judicial Commission.
A lively discussion on the deliberations of the Amir Jamaat commenced after his address. One of the issues raised related to the methodology adopted by the Anna group. Amir Jamaat explained that no action that undermines and disturbs the role of judiciary, parliament and the rule of law should be encouraged.