Mushawarat Voices on Muslim Issues

The Markazi Majlis-e-Mushawarat of All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, in its meeting held at its headquarters on October 20, adopted resolutions on the various issues confronting Muslims.

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June 13, 2022
The Markazi Majlis-e-Mushawarat of All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, in its meeting held at its headquarters on October 20, adopted resolutions on the various issues confronting Muslims.
In a resolution on the Government’s inaction on Sachar and Mishra Reports, the Mushawarat noted with deep regret and disappointment that the Mishra Commission Report was not tabled in the Parliament during the monsoon session, nor did the Parliament hold a discussion on measures for the uplift of the Muslim community in the light of the Sachar and the Mishra Reports. It also regretted that no central mechanism has been put into place to monitor the progress of Prime Minister’s Revised 15-point Programme in various states and ministries.
The Mushawarat also noted that so far there has been no progress towards effective implementation, even of the decisions taken by the Cabinet in May 2007 and placed before the Parliament in August 2007 in the Follow-up Report by the Minister of Minority Affairs. It considered that the pace has been slowed down or reduced to token action by the threat of ‘Hindu backlash’ which has paralysed the government. It also felt that at this pace no substantial gain shall reach the community in the near future and that this will hurt the credibility of the government in the next general election.
The Mushawarat called upon the central organisations associated with the JCMOE and other state and local Muslim organisations and institutions to step up the mobilisation campaign, with the help of secular forces, at all levels, in order to force the government to table the Mishra Report in the winter session of the Parliament and to report on the progress of implementation of agreed measures.
In another resolution on demonisation of Muslim community for terrorist acts, the Mushawarat took serious note of the fact that from Malegaon to Ajmer the police and intelligence authorities have been systematically and deliberately pointing at Muslim involvement in acts of terrorism in religious places, detained and tortured many Muslim youth to extract ‘confession’ and virtually put Muslim localities under siege.
“This has further aggravated the siege complex and the feeling of alienation in the community, diminished it in the eyes of the country and generated distrust and hatred against it,” the resolution said.
The Mushawarat also noted that the mass media and anonymous spokespersons of the authorities are trying to rationalise their accusation by highlighting long standing but minor points of theological differences among various Muslim sects and attributing terrorism to their mutual hostility, thus trying to divide the Muslim community. The Mushawarat regretted that such a vicious exercise has been undertaken before completing investigation and without any credible evidence.
The Mushawarat appealed to the government that the intelligence and police authorities be directed to desist from playing this game; first to complete the investigation expeditiously from all possible angles including the role of Hindutva terrorism and then name the culprits or the organisations responsible.
In a resolution on slow progress in investigation and presentation of Gujarat cases, the Mushawarat deplored the snails’ pace, with which even after the Supreme Court’s intervention, the criminal cases relating to Genocide-2002 in Gujarat are moving and requests the Supreme Court as well as the Central Government to expedite the cases and monitor them effectively.
On slow progress in investigation of Bombay cases, the Mushawarat reiterated its earlier plea for transfer of all cases relating to Bombay Disturbances, 1993 to the CBI for investigation and the transfer of these cases to other states for expeditious implementation of the recommendations of the Justice Srikrishna’s Report.
The Mushawarat welcomed the Draft National Policy for Rehabilitation and Resettlement of the Displaced, or likely to be so, in the process of development but regretted to note that the Draft Policy does not cover those displaced in communal disturbances or other man-made disasters or the victims of natural disasters. The Mushawarat proposes that the ambit and scope of the Policy should be extended to cover these two categories.
The Mushawarat regreted to note that there has been no progress after the first round of talks between the Central government and political parties in Jammu and Kashmir and, apart from extension of ceasefire, neither has there been any progress in bilateral talks with Pakistan towards CBMs and final settlement. The Mushawarat reiterated its view that the settlement of the Kashmir problem on terms which are acceptable to all parties concerned shall create a new ambiance of peace and friendship in the subcontinent as well as promote rapid economic development.
The Mushawarat requested the government to resume negotiations with political parties in the state in order to develop a consensus on reshaping the relationship between the Centre and the State. In this connection, the Mushawarat also proposed the withdrawal of the Armed Forces from towns and villages and vacation by them of public buildings, private homes and orchards and requested the state government to establish a Commission of Inquiry to examine all claims of involuntary disappearance and custodial killings.
The Mushawarat welcomed the establishment of the Second National Commission on Centre-State Relations and the inclusion in its terms of reference exploration of possible central intervention in situation of communal violence and of the creation of a federal police as well as for further administrative decentralisation. It also appealed to the Muslim organisations and intelligentsia to present their views to the Commission.
The Mushawarat reiterated its plea for the establishment of the Second State Re-organisation Commission for creation of small state and small districts.
On closure of Aligarh Muslim University sine die, the Mushawarat expressed its concern at recurring indiscipline and violence in the campus of the AMU and the consequent closure of the University, causing great inconvenience and academic and financial loss to the students. It welcomed various measures adopted by the AMU to expel criminal elements from the campus, to control access by non-students to the University and to put into place a standard system to contain and control situations of violence.
Welcoming the grant by the Government of Jharkhand of the status of Second Official Language to Urdu, the Mushawarat requested the Ministry of Human Resource Development to convene a meeting of all Chief Ministers of states with 10% or more Urdu speaking population for the revival of the Three-Language Formula so as to give Urdu its due place as a medium of instruction at the primary level and to provide unconditional facilities for its teaching through school. It also requested the Central government to review the curriculum of the Central School System to provide due place for Urdu and other minority languages of various states in the language curriculum syllabus for secondary level.
In a resolution on the situation prevailing in the Middle East, the Mushawarat appreciated the visit of President Vladimir Putin to Iran at a critical stage as it has to a large extent removed the fear of imminent US invasion of Iran on any pretext to fulfil its strategic objectives and to serve the purposes of Israel.
The Mushawarat called upon the Government to press for withdrawal of foreign forces from the Middle East, particularly from Iraq and Afghanistan and to resume negotiations with Iran and Pakistan on gas supply and avoid being sucked into the US strategic orbit.
The Mushawarat condemned the attack on alleged nuclear facilities in Syria and called upon the members of the UN Security Council to call upon Israel to explain its action and to account for its own stockpile of nuclear weapons.
In a separate resolution on the situation in Palestine, the Mushawarat welcomed fresh move by Hamas for dialogue with Al Fateh for eventual establishment of a national government in Palestine. Convinced that the current talks between Israel and Al Fateh leadership are not likely to produce any meaningful outline to serve as basis for negotiations at the international conference sponsored by the USA, the Mushawarat called upon the Palestinian people to reject any peace plan which reduces the state of Palestine into a set of disconnected Bantustans and does not give it access to Jerusalem, lead to vacation by Israel and the Jewish settlements from the Occupied territories and an equitable solution of the refugee problem.
The Mushawarat advised the government not to participate in the Conference, if invited, unless unanimously requested by all Arab States.
The Mushawarat also expressed its deep sorrow at the demise of Maulana T. Abdul Azeez Maulvi, 76, President of Kerala Nadwatul Mujahidin on August 12 in Mallapuram, of Mr. Md. Shamim, prominent journalist and film critic, 78, on August 31 in New Delhi, of Prof. Abdul Aleem Khan, eminent Arabic scholar on September 15 in Aligarh, Maulana Mohd. Naim, 92, former Shaikul Hadith, Darul Uloom Deoband, on September 23, and of Mr. Haroon Rashid, 86, former Chairman of Bihar Minorities Commission in Patna on September 24.  It also took note of the statements of condolences issued by its Central office on the demise of well-known litterateur, Qurratul-ain-Haider and eminent religious leaders Maulana Mokhtar Ahmad Nadwi and Maulana Abdul Karim Parekh. The Mushawarat paid its tribute to all of them and prayed to Allah for their maghfirah.