Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan [BMMA] along with Bharat Bachao Andolan, Police Reforms Watch, Vidyarthi Bharti, Phule-Ambedkar Manch and Jagrut Kamgaar Manch at a press conference on 21 October protested against the increasing harassment of Muslim youth in Mumbai and the increasing intolerance towards the Muslim community. It cited a few instances that took place there in the last few weeks.
Danish Shaikh and Asif Shaikh were picked up by the Bandra West police station and thrashed and were told to go to Pakistan.
Two Muslim youth were picked up from their industry at Indira Nagar pipeline, Bandra East for ‘verification’ with no reason given for taking them to Nirmalnagar police station.
The Mohalla Committee Movement Trust in its last meeting refused to take any complaints against the police, saying that anyone wanting to complain must not come for the meeting at all.
In addition, there are instances of growing intolerance towards the Muslim community and towards minorities:
1. One Muslim woman was not allowed to enter the Navratri celebration at the Kherwadi Housing Board.
2. Six thousand names from Behrampada and 370 names from Bharatnagar voters list have been removed.
3. Small children were denied entry into the Oberoi Mall in Goregoan east and Phoenix Mall in Kurla west on the occasion of Eid-al-Adha, citing discomfort from other customers.
These and many more instances of intolerance and hatred towards the community are being observed.
The organiser of the conference said, “We as members of the minority community and as concerned citizens of this wonderfully diverse country are appalled at the state complicity in inciting and supporting violence against minorities. The seeds of hatred sown by right wing groups have reached a stage where innocents are lynched, writers are intimidated and killed, artists hounded and rights of women trampled upon. No community and no country can progress in an environment of intimidation and state terror.
“There is an attempt at demonising and therefore deliberately profiling the Muslims because it is easy later on to make out they were doing something suspicious or it’s okay to profile them as terrorists and criminals because the public will believe it.
“Muslims and other minorities are as much part of the national life as any other citizens. Muslims particularly have no affinity to Pakistan as is made out to be. It is a country like any other country. The right wing groups appear to be more in awe of Pakistan than the Muslims. It is time that all citizens demand equality, freedom and democracy and the right to dissent and to criticise the state. The fundamental freedoms ensured in the Constitution are there for all citizens and they have to be guarded by all. The state cannot tamper with them and trample on the rights of its people.”