It is happy to note the students gathered here are associated with Tehreek, draw inspiration from the teachings of the Qur’ān and Sunnah and are equally enthusiastic to work for the growth and development of society, community and the country. They are important asset of the country and the community and the country should benefit from them in reconstruction of society and nation building,” said Syed Jalaluddin Umari, president Jamaat-e-Islami Hind while presiding over the inaugural session of All India Conference of Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO) held at the sprawling campus of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind in New Delhi on 23 February.
“You are our future; you will decide the future of the country,” said the Jamaat chief to over ten thousand students participating in the three-day conference.
While speaking on the theme of the conference, “Reclaiming Dignity Designing Future,” Syed Sadatullah Hussaini, Vice president of JIH, said the topic of the conference is the real message. We have come here not only to talk about the issue but to find solutions. We will try to build the foundation for a new future and contribute wholeheartedly. The two possible factors that can help work in bringing about desired changes are “push of discomfort” and “pull of hope”. Hoping that these students will be our leaders, bureaucrats and hold important positions in governance, the JIH leader added, “If the students are able to stop malpractices in educational institutions, we can think of corruption-free India and if we are able to stop eve teasing in the educational campuses then we can think of safe India for our women.”
Dr Wael Albattrekhi, Deputy Ambassador of Palestine in New Delhi, while addressing the huge gathering of students assembled from the nook and corner of India, thanked the government, Muslim organisations, and students for their continuous support for the Palestinian people and Palestinian cause and struggle. He urged the international community to help them fight injustice against Palestinians. America, much against international norms and the community, has announced Jerusalem as the capital but the fact is that Jerusalem will always be the part of Palestine.
Mr Nahas Mala, president SIO of India, addressing the students, said: “You are the people with whom SIO is conceptualising reconstruction of society in India. You all are the people whose sacrifice can bring peace in the country. Your contribution will help India get rid of corruption and hatred and communalism. Your struggle can help remove the darkness for a new and brighter future. The 35 years long journey of SIO since its inception in 1982 has been a journey of struggle and sacrifice and lakhs of SIO cadre have contributed their potential and valuable time to the service of society and will continue to do so.
In his welcome address, Khaleeq Ahmed Khan, General Secretary of SIO, said, “We are here not only to protect our dignity but the dignity of all people including Dalits, weaker sections, minorities and all marginalised sections.” The inaugural session started after the flag hoisting ceremony. After the first session an Exhibition depicting the present turbulent atmosphere and some riot incidents was inaugurated by JIH president Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari. Before the conclusion of the first session books written by Syed Jalaluddin Umari, Mujtaba Farooque and Maulana Muhammad Farooque Khan were released.
Masihuzzama Ansari, Ex-National Secretary of SIO, while setting the tone of the second session of day one, said the symbols of Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb which formed our identity of unity in diversity until yesterday like beard, skull cap, Tika and Tilak have now become symbols of hatred, communalism and casteism. “All those assembled here will tell the groups who want to spread hatred what is love and life of hatred may not last long. We are here to make sure that despite our ideological differences we can work for social reconstruction the way SIO has assembled all students groups here despite ideological differences on the common ground of reclaiming dignity and designing future,” he said.
Speaking on “Resistance, Dignity and Youth Opposition – Undoing Mainstream Narratives,” Nadeem Khan, leader of United against Hate, said that hatred was there in the past too but when hatred reaches the hearts and minds of people and when it becomes a weapon and political tool and an important mechanism to hold power and governance then it becomes our duty to raise our voice against hatred.
Mashqoor Ahmad Usmani, President AMU Students Union, said the issues and problems Indians are facing today have compelled them to raise another opposition political group. “The real opposition today is not in Parliament but on streets, in colleges and universities. The theme of today is reflecting the pain of the youth and demanding answers from the students leaders about their line of action,” he averred.
Mehdi Hasan Aini Qasmi, president AMI Deoband, stressed the need for unity within the community for the Islamic cause; booth level door to door campaign is necessary to make people aware of the game-plan against them and the way-out in such a situation. Another student leader, Umar Khalid, leader BASO, said if we keep aside our ideological differences there are 90 per cent issues on which we all can work despite differences.
Rahul Sonpimple, leader of BAPSA; Ansar Abubakar, President FM; TP Ashraf Ali, National President MSF; Mateen Ashraf, Cabinet Member AMU SU; Fasna Mian, General Secretary GIO Kerala; and Heba Amed, President YFDA JNU also addressed the session.
SIO President Nahas Mala, while presiding over the session, said Dr Ambedkar in his last speech in the Constitution Assembly had said on January 26, 1950, we are going to enter into a life of contradictions. It is so because on this day we gave every citizen a vote, right to vote. It means every citizen is equal to one vote and one vote is equal to one value. Apart from the political right so long as we are not able to give the citizens a social and economic right we will continue to live a life of contradictions.
In the third session on Judiciary under Trial, Education at Crossroads, Jignesh Mevani, MLA Vadgam, Gujarat said, BJP cannot rise above love-Jihad and we have to think beyond Modi because his time is over. “Innocents are being killed and conspiracy is also being hatched to kill me in encounter. However, I will continue to fight for Muslims and Dalits till my last breath,” he added.
In this session presided over by T. Arif Ali, Vice President JIH; Ambarish Rai, National Convenor, RTI Forum; and Suhail KK, Director Quill Foundation also addressed the audience.
The fourth session themed as Mission, Values and Self Actualisation witnessed Labeed Aliya, National Secretary SIO; Khan Yasir, Faculty, IIIS; Dr. Hasan Raza, Director, IIIS; Dr. Inayatullah Subhani, renowned author and scholar; Mrs. Atiya Siddiqua, Secretary JIH; and Dr. Mohd. Rafat, Professor Jamia Millia Islamia addressing the audience while Syed Sadatullah Husaini, Vice President JIH, presided over it.
In the fifth session on Democracy, Public Conscience: Fostering Alternative Media Spaces, Syed Azharuddin, National Secretary SIO, set the tone of the session. Addressing the session, Ajit Sahi, a senior journalist, suggested to the youth to have a media of their own to raise their voice. Sahi said Indian media were singing paeans to Donald Trump Jr. who was on a business trip to India the other day. Donald Trump Jr, son of US President Donald Trump, on Friday said he loves the Indian media as it is “mild and nice” compared to the “aggressive and brutal” American media. “This is a smart slap on the Indian media,” Sahi commented.
Another eminent journalist Amit Sengupta; Abdussalam Puthige, Founder and Editor-in-Chief Vartha Bharati; and Ejaz Ahmed Aslam, Editor-in-Chief Radiance Viewsweekly also addressed the audience.
Presiding over the session, Nusrat Ali, Vice President JIH, said dissent is necessary. “If some values of democracy are not visible then it is no democracy. It is true that dissents are being crushed but still, democracy is alive in India. Media creates perception and it is more effective than facts and no organisation can ignore media,” he said.
Barrister Assaduddin Owaisi, MP Hyderabad, while speaking on Manifesto of Indian Muslims during the sixth session of the conference, said, “If 70 years earlier our elders and leaders had decided not to take part in politics then things would have been certainly different today. He asked the students to take active participation in politics because all political leaders in the past have used us only as vote bank and did nothing concrete for Muslims.”
Speaking on the occasion, Mohd Salim Engineer, Secretary General JIH, said as Muslims it is important to think of our responsibilities in the present situation and the threat that we see now is not only on Muslims but on the very existence and foundation of the country. “As long as the values of Equality, Justice, Liberty, Fraternity, Freedom, Pluralism, Secularism and Democracy are there India’s existence and its essence cannot be threatened. We have to remain alert from the conspiracies that are being hatched to effect divide between Hindus and Hindus as well as between Muslims and Muslims. We want to categorise people of our country into the oppressor and the oppressed. The oppressors today are in minority and the oppressed are in majority. A small group is hell-bent upon oppressing Dalits, minorities, Sikhs and Christians and weaker and marginalised sections. We have to set the agenda and move on.”
The President of All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, Mr. Navaid Hamid said, “By looking at the enthusiastic students here, can anyone say that Muslims are apprehensive and are in anxiety and their future is in uncertainty. You all are the future of the community and the country. It is expected of you to play a positive role in the reconstruction of society.”
President Welfare Party of India, Dr. S.Q.R Ilyas said, “We have to be in the decision making process from the lower level to higher, where policies are framed and designed. We have to actively participate in the democratic process by taking part in elections. We have to encourage students and prepare them to excel in every filed be it education, economics or politics to be in the decision-making process and in governance; then only we can serve the purpose.”
35 Years of SIO: Reflections, Road Ahead was the theme of the seventh session. In this session, former SIO Presidents Muhammad Jafar, Muhammad Ashfaq Ahmed, Taufeeq Aslam Khan, Abdul Jabbar Siddiqui, S. Ameenul Hasan, Muhammad Azharuddin, Syed Zameer Qadri, Ashfaq Ahmad Shareef, Dr. Malik Faisal Falahi, Suhail KK, Iqbal Hussain, Bishruddin Sharqi, Malik Moatasim Khan and Syed Sadatullah Hussaini participated in this introspection session of the conference. PC Hamza, President of SIO in the third term, could not reach New Delhi due to his ill health; however his message was read out to the audience.
In the eighth and last session, Maulana Muhammad Farooq Khan, renowned Islamic scholar, author and translator of the Qur’ān into Urdu, was awarded by Islami Sahitya Trust for his invaluable services to the cause of Islam through his in-depth writings.
In his concluding remarks, JIH president, Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari said we should rebuild ourselves on Islamic footings so that we could be in a position to present the message of Islam to the world. The biggest achievement would be to become a challenge to the society. We should produce experts in the various fields, scholars and intellectuals who can be referred to on any given subject.
Touseef Ahmed, National Secretary, SIO was the convener of this All India Conference on Reclaiming Dignity, Deigning Future, and vote of thanks was extended by Abdul Wadud, another National Secretary of the organisation.