Vision 2026 is a holistic project aiming at the uplift of marginalised and backward Indian Muslims. This project was launched as Vision 2016 in 2006. In an interview with Basheer Thrippanachi, Prof Siddique Hasan, former Naib Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and prominent among the founders of this project, elucidates its history and present status.
Relief and rehabilitation in conflict and disaster prone regions have been on the agenda of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind since its inception. What was the reason behind the long term planning and formation of Vision 2016 going beyond such relief and rehabilitation activities?
Kerala is different from all other states. The peaceful social, cultural and political environment along with the high-pitched growth in educational and economic fields sets Kerala apart from other states. In such favourable scenario, Jamaat-e-Islami in Kerala could execute many exemplary projects successfully in social, educational and relief and rehabilitation fields. Due to unfavourable conditions in many other states, Jamaat-e-Islami couldn’t possibly make such an impact. Soon after Dr Abdul Haq Ansari became the National Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, he asked Kerala Jamaat to formulate projects in the fields of social, educational and social service at the national level on the lines of Kerala. He called me to Delhi, keeping this in mind.
In 1989, along with K M Riyalu and O Abdulla, I had paid a visit to Bhagalpur after the riots. The situation was heartrending. People from a particular community were targeted and massacred. When we visited, we saw many spots in the agricultural fields where dead bodies of those brutally killed were buried. It was live images of savagery all around. There I wished to do something for those people. Afterwards, during my many visits to Delhi, I got a grasp of the backwardness prevailing among North Indian Muslims in general. These experiences of North Indian Muslims appeared in our memories when Dr Abdul Haq Ansari asked us to replicate the Kerala model by formulating projects at the national level. Hence, we were determined from the initial stages to go beyond mere projects and formulate a holistic well-planned programme with long-term vision.
Before chalking out the programme, we visited different states, especially rural areas along with the state leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. We could see the congested worm like existence of lakhs of human beings in the states of Bihar, West Bengal and Assam. Thousands without shelters or even ration cards. Most of them didn’t have documents to prove their nationality. Many of them were victims of being branded Bangladeshis and terrorists, and subjected to tortures meted out to them by the State. A shelter over their heads, a decent meal, primary education and basic health facilities were just a dream for majority of them. In the wake of our visits and Indian experiences of penury, and with the help of experts, a programme was devised and submitted to Ameer, Dr. Abdul Haq Ansari in 2006. With his approval of the project, Vision 2016 came into existence.
What were the contents of the first project under Vision 2016? How was it implemented on the ground?
We realised during our visits that the major reason of backwardness among North Indian Muslims was lack of education. Poverty and unemployment were to an extent related with lack of education. Hence, the main focus of our first project was educational schemes and awareness. Other initiatives included skill training, distribution of equipment, shelter construction projects, Civil Rights Protection Forums for legal assistance and Disaster Management facility to tackle emergency relief operations. Disaster Management teams were first responders in many areas afflicted by riots and natural disasters. It was also very usual in many states to brand innocent Muslim youth as terrorists and jail them indiscriminately. To provide them with legal assistance and fight against such injustices, Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) was made part of Vision 2016.
A trust by name Human Welfare Foundation was registered and many NGOs were formed under it to implement various projects under Vision 2016. Human Welfare Trust in the health and social service sector, Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) for civil rights and legal protection, Society for Bright Future for relief and rehabilitation activities, Sahulat to undertake and supervise microfinance projects, Medical Service Society for the doctors’ collective are a few NGOs formed to carry out activities in various sectors. In the last ten years, in different parts of the country, various projects were initiated under education, health, small-scale loans, entrepreneurship, skill training, human rights struggles and relief-rehabilitation activities. For women empowerment, a special project was also envisioned under Vision 2016, but it couldn’t take off in right spirits.
Could Vision 2016 as a public project aiming at empowerment of Indian Muslims rise above the tag as projects implemented by Jamaat-e-Islami? How was it possible to take it beyond the organisational level?
Before the preparation of various primary projects of Vision 2016, going beyond organisational line, we met experts of all regions and sought their advice and suggestions. And they cooperated positively. For the project at such a massive scale, finance and funding was imperative, and from the conceptual stage, we engaged, involved and made all of them part of Vision 2016. Many prominent social activists from Delhi and other regions wholeheartedly supported Vision 2016. Saiyid Hamid, Former Vice Chancellor, Aligarh Muslim University and Siraj Hussain IAS were among them. Saiyid Hamid was the first Chairman of Vision 2016. His guidance and support helped materialise the projects of Vision 2016. From Kerala, Gulfar Mohammed Ali, Dr. Kunnel Basheer and Dr. Mubarak Pasha were on the frontlines of Vision 2016 since its inception. In all educational and livelihood projects, subject experts experienced in respective fields were approached and they became part of the projects. Moreover, Keralites belonging to various groups and Malayalees in Middle East and Gulf countries became major participants in all projects. Gradually, everyone embraced the projects of Vision 2016 as their own and it became the driving force behind its progress.
Many influential organisations are actively working among Muslims in North India. Could the backwardness of Indian Muslims gain a place in their agenda?
All North Indian religious organisations work specifically on carrying out Deeni agenda. It’s doubtful if they have even thought about programmes beyond religious and community based issues. Only exceptions are the minor relief activities during riots or natural disasters. These organisations don’t even own primary schools except madrassas. A few existing schools and vocational training centres are run by Jamaat-e-Islami. Even Jamaat doesn’t have higher educational institutions. There is a change in this field after Vision 2016. A number of schools, hostels, vocational training centres and educational scholarships have been launched under Jamaat in various states.
Even a decade after the launch of Vision 2016, couldn’t it influence the agenda of other Muslim organisations?
It is seriously felt that Vision 2016 couldn’t make a major influence in the agenda or priorities of North Indian Muslim organisations. They still revolve around religious and community based agenda. Even educational empowerment of Muslims hasn’t become their agenda. Ignoring the poverty and hunger that persist, they are engaged in learning and teaching the traditional Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh). Only exception is the move by Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind to come forward to legally fight for those falsely implicated in terror charges. Even after that, they aren’t prepared to take up the empowerment of Muslims in education, social service and livelihood sectors. Likewise, Vision 2016 couldn’t garner expected support from rich Muslims of North India. The backward status of the poor and destitute Muslims of North India isn’t a significant issue for them. But, it’s notable that a few non-resident north Indian Muslim collectives have come forward to support this mission. Meanwhile, the projects of Vision 2016 have great influence on Muslim organisations and institutions in Kerala. These organisations and institutions have initiated many projects in North India.
Under Vision 2016, one of the major completed projects is New Delhi based Al Shifa Multi-Speciality Hospital. What was the driving force behind this initiative in health sector?
Health and medical facilities are very rare among Muslim pockets in North Indian villages. In case of illness, they approach the registered medical practitioners, hardly qualified like the old compounders in Kerala. In case of continued illness, they would approach the government primary health centres located far from their villages with limited facilities. As they lack resources as well as awareness beyond that, treatment ends there itself. Either, they get cured by luck or face death. Al Shifa Super-Speciality Hospital is an attempt to bring a change in this situation. Vision volunteers bring cases from villages for specialised diagnosis and treatment. It has also helped in setting a role model in health service delivery in Delhi by giving access to common man to better medical facilities at minimal charges.
What role does Sahulat play in Micro-Finance and Small Scale Loan under Vision 2016?
Sahulat was formed with the objective of establishing interest-free small scale micro-finance cooperatives throughout the country. One of the highlights of Sahulat is that it provides villagers with interest-free loan of ₹5,000 to ₹10,000. Other entrepreneurial projects are also run under Sahulat. On the lines of Alkhair Cooperative Credit Society functioning in Bihar, such societies were formed in various other parts of the country. Presently, such societies are functioning in 36 places. Vision 2016 aims to make it beneficial to more villagers by gradually increasing the number of such societies. Sangamam (Kerala, Puducherry), Khidmat (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana), Sahayata (West Bengal, Assam), Unity (Maharashtra, Gujarat) and Alkhair (Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand) are such registered micro-finance societies functioning under the supervision of Sahulat. Prominent economist, Dr. Arshad Ajmal is the Chairman of Sahulat. It was his commitment and vision that led to a major leap in this sector.
There are funds under three-tier Panchayati Raj System and other government schemes for rural development projects. Whether Vision intends to utilise such resources? Do Vision projects get financial assistance from government?
The Delhi government under Sheela Dixit had sanctioned ₹30 lakhs for Al Shifa Hospital in Delhi. For another such project, ₹10 lakhs was sanctioned from MPLAD fund of Shri Pranab Mukherjee. Beyond this, I don’t think Vision projects have got any substantial financial support from the government. But, it’s notable that the Vision projects haven’t faced any obstruction or hindrance from the government or authorities. In North Indian villages, projects or developmental works by the government or local self-government agencies are very negligible. In fact, there is widespread ignorance among villagers and elected representatives about such schemes.
Moreover, funds from MP or MLA never reach Muslim dominant regions, though funds are available there too like here in Kerala. It gets lapsed and remains unutilised. This matter has been deliberated in respective forums of the Vision. One of the focal areas of Vision 2026 is to make such funds and schemes available for rural development and empowerment. Vision also plans to create awareness about such schemes and funds among villagers and their elected representatives. It has been noted as a major focal point of Vision 2026 that serious efforts will be made to make such government announced schemes reach the beneficiaries. To achieve this goal, funds from MPLAD and MLA development funds will be harnessed and made available to the beneficiaries. Vision intends to politically educate the common man about the funds that get lapsed due to non-utilisation.
Vision 2016 has grown into Vision 2026. Compared to the backwardness of the marginalised groups of Indian Muslims, how much progress have Vision projects achieved?
Vision will be further extended. Projects will have to be continued beyond 2026. The backwardness of North Indian Muslims cannot be eradicated in a decade or two. We cannot terminate Vision projects. We can only plan projects every ten years and execute them. After every stage, planning must be done for the next level.
Vision projects are just a drop in an ocean compared with the backwardness of Indian Muslims and the problems they are facing. It cannot be termed as a solution to the problems of Indian Muslims. It can be termed as a humble beginning and a small model to attempt solution. Vision is a model project. Vision workers are trying to demonstrate to the government, other organisations and collectives that such attempts are possible. Vision also intends to prove to the government and other agencies that projects with long term planning and vision can solve such backwardness.