The Central Committee (Markazi Majlis) of the All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, the umbrella body of Indian Muslim organisations, in its meeting held in the Capital on December 12, under the chairmanship of the national president Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, discussed a number of community, national and international issues including the right to education bill and the threats to implement OBC quota in Jamia Millia Islamia. The President apprised the members of the AIMMM efforts to restore Jamia Millia Islamia’s minority character and to thwart the danger of the implementation of the OBC quota which will further complicate the institution’s minority status issue. It was resolved that the AIMMM should step up these efforts involving other Muslim organisations.
The meeting passed a number of resolutions as well as reiterated the resolutions passed last month by its Working Committee.
In a resolution the AIMMM expressed its relief that finally the Liberhan Commission Report has been tabled in Parliament but it rejects the clean chit given by the Commission to the then prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao. It demanded the government to take the logical steps against all those accused by the report to be behind the Babri Masjid demolition. The AIMMM asked the government to order the initiation of criminal cases against all the culprits and take legal action against their organisations which should be banned for preaching hate, breaking solemn pledges to the country’s apex court and hurting the communal atmosphere of the country for political ends. It also demanded that the persons found guilty of exploiting religion and vitiating communal atmosphere for political gains should be barred from political life for a sufficient period of time.
Further, the AIMMM asked the government to make sure that it is made mandatory to accept the recommendations of commissions of enquiry appointed by the government and notes in this context that no action has been taken yet in the Srikrishna Commission Report on the 1992-93 riots in Mumbai which are closely related to the Babri mosque demolition. The AIMMM asked the Indian Muslim community to offer no compromise on the title issue and to fight the legal case vigorously.
The AIMMM noted that the central cabinet has approved the communal violence bill which aims at preventing and checking communal carnage and its provisions include setting up of special courts for the speedy trial of riot cases. It hoped that the government will take into account the objections which have been raised and the deficiencies pointed out and that the new text will be placed in the public domain soon in order to facilitate public discussion. The AIMMM also hoped that the bill then will be passed soon through Parliament and implemented in letter and spirit to curb certain political forces’ tendency to use communal violence for political gains.
The AIMMM is alarmed at reports that 2700 nameless graves have discovered across J&K which contain 2900 bodies of unknown victims. It is high time the civil and military authorities in J&K come clean on the systematic kidnapping of people and keeping them in unknown jails and torture houses. According to an estimate, there are over ten thousand people who have simply disappeared after their arrest by various agencies in J&K. The AIMMM called for an early revocation of AFPSA which allows the army and security forces to commit such crimes in the name of security. The army in J&K should be withdrawn from villages and towns and sent to the borders and LOC.
The AIMMM welcomed the reconstitution of the National Integration Council and feels that it should meet at least once in a year and that it should have appropriate representation of all communities.
The AIMMM welcomed the central government’s announcement that the Mishra Commission Report will soon be tabled in Parliament. The AIMMM hoped that appropriate discussion of the same will be allowed and that its recommendations in full will be implemented at the earliest.
The meeting was attended by Maulana Jalaluddin Umri, Janab Mohammed Jafar, Janab Syed Shahabuddin, Prof. Shafiq Ahmed Khan Nadwi, Dr. Neyaz Rasool Siddiqi, Janab Ahmed Rashid Sherwani, Prof. Hakim Syed Zillur Rahman, Maulana Shafi Moonis, Janab Amanullah Khan, Dr SQR Ilyas, Janab Navaid Hamid and Janab Abdur Rasheed Agwan.