Dr. Muhammad Salim Engineer, Secretary-General, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, in a statement on 13 August, called on the citizens to rebuild our great country together. The text of the statement is hereunder:
15th August 2017 is indeed a joyous and propitious occasion for all countrymen. India did not attain independence from British rule without struggle and sacrifice and we respect and cherish the memories of our freedom-fighters who fought the British unitedly with every community playing a valuable role in freeing the country.
After we attained freedom we gave ourselves a Constitution that was based on the values of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. We pledged for working towards social, economic and political justice and assuring people of all faiths in our country that their liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship would be respected and protected. We need to promote equality of status and opportunity for all citizens and assure dignity of the individual.
After gaining independence when we look at our national achievements, to a certain extent we are satisfied with our performance and the various milestones that we managed to achieve. At the political level our democratic institutions have been running successfully. An essential feature of a vibrant democracy is the ability to respect our diversity and differences and learn to tolerate and respect this pluralism. However since the last few years, we see a steady shrinking of democratic space in the public domain, deterioration in the independence of the media, rise in intolerance and mob-violence and sustained efforts by certain sectarian forces who promote “majoritarianism”, denigrate our pluralism and fan the flames of communal hatred.
India has made great progress economically and is now one of the largest and fastest growing economies in the world. However, we must ensure that this growth and economic development should be inclusive. Growth that leads to greater inequality and class struggle is not very helpful in the long run. We must find ways and means to ensure that the fruits of development and economic empowerment reach all sections of society and especially to the socially and economically marginalised like Dalits and minorities.
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind is deeply concerned with the steep fall in ethics and morality in all domains of life. We have failed to follow and put into practice the noble values that we have imbibed through our divinely guided religious leaders. Corruption is pervading our body politic but also penetrating our very souls. Materialism is destroying our spirituality and our “god-fearing” nature. We have lost faith in idealism and stopped seeking guidance from our Creator and Cherisher. Islam, the Last Divine Guidance from our Creator, has given clear instructions in this regard. Jamaat-e-Islami Hind invites all the countrymen to ponder over this serious issue.
On the occasion of the 71st Independence Day, let us pledge to rebuild our great country together. Let us make India a model country that will be an example for others to emulate. Let us build a future that will make our coming generations materially prosperous, spiritually strong and morally resilient. I pray to the Almighty to fulfil our dreams and bless our nation with real success in this world and in the Hereafter and grant us prosperity, freedom, knowledge, wisdom and the ability to discern between the right and wrong.