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Jamiat Ulama - I - Hind

Telphone Number 0044 750106217

www.hamarasamaj.com

Report by Hazrat Maulana Amirul Hind Margoobur Rahman Sb. Jamiat 01-05-2008

M.Muzaffa

 

Jamiat back under Darul umbrella

Zia Haq, Hindustan Times

New Delhi, April 06, 2008

Just as the Congress had feared, the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind on Saturday ratified the removal of its pro-Congress president Maulana Arshad Madni, replacing him with Qari Mohammad Usman, who is vice-rector of the powerful Darul Uloom, Deoband.

With this, many believe the last pro-Congress pillar of the wide-reaching Jamiat has fallen. Its reins have also slipped back directly into the hands of its parent organisation, Darul Uloom, after a gap of several decades.

The Jamiat is the country’s oldest Muslim organisation, which had played a major role in the nation's freedom struggle. It has electoral influence in several states, including UP, Assam, West Bengal and Bihar. In Assam, for example, state Jamiat president Maulana Badruddin Ajmal has 10 members in the Assembly.

The 70-year-old Maulana Arshad was in the throes of a power struggle with his nephew and current Jamiat general secretary Maulana Mahmood Madni, a Rashtriya Lok Dal MP. His exit is a clear signal that the organisation is drifting away from the Congress, which it had traditionally been supporting thus far.

In a deft move, the Maulana Mahmood camp on Saturday convened an emergent meeting of its entire governing council of 2,785 members from various states. A "verbal vote" was held followed by a signature campaign, in which an overwhelming majority of state presidents ratified the decision to oust Maulana Arshad. The vote was held in presence of four independent observers, including former high court judge Naseemuddin Siddiqui and Safdar Hussain Khan, senior general manager of the Indian Trade Promotion Organisation.

The ouster of Maulana Arshad assumes significance because of the impending general elections, as key Darul officials and Maulana Mahmood are clear about not supporting the Congress.

"I respect Maulana Arshad Madni but he was creating problems by dissolving duly elected state Jamiat committees. It's clear that he was being misguided," Maulana Mahmood told the HT without naming any political party.

The Maulana Mahmood camp has been accusing the Congress of trying to engineer a split in the Jamiat. "The Congress offered Maulana Arshad a Rajya Sabha ticket from Assam in return for a promise to help in the general elections," a Jamiat source told HT.

 

BACKGROUNDER

 

The meeting of Central Managing Committee of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind

Held on 5th April 2008 at New Horizon Public School Campus,
Nr. Humayun Tomb, Hzt. Nizamuddin (E), New Delhi-25
 

Importance of the Meeting of Central Managing Committee:

This meeting will not only decide who will be the President but it will deliberate on much wider and important issues. It will settle issues on which the survival of the organization and its future policies depend.

·                     Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind will be a democratic organization or will it be dominated by particular individual or family;

·                     Who will have the upper hand? Organization or Individual;

·                     Will an individual how ever highly placed he may be have the right to impose his wishes or the Working committee and the Managing committee will have the right to question;

·                     What will be the relation of the organization with the government and any political party? Can an individual mortgage the organization to a particular party;

·                     What will be mechanism to restrain the organization form being high jacked;

·                     Would there be transparency in the structure of the organization, its administration and accounts or not? The control would be institutional or individual?

·                     The meeting wills settle in one sentence whether there will be democracy, transparency and reckoning in Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, the oldest and largest organization of Indian Muslims or would it become personal property?

 

Central Managing Committee, the Most Powerful Body:

Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind is the largest and 90 years old organization of Muslims. It has played leading role in the freedom movement and thereafter, it has been in the forefront to raise the issues and challenges facing the community and country. It is a constitutional organization and its organizational structure is based on democratic principles. Its managing committee is the supreme body. It has right not only to formulate policies and programmes (Article 55A) but it can also reject or approve the resolution of the Working committee of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind Article 55(C). This body can amend, add or abrogate the constitution (Article 89). As the managing committee has been made all powerful precaution has been taken to keep it safe from the domination of any individuals. Therefore, its members are elected by the local units at the lowest level who reach the Central Managing Committee through elections at district and state levels.

 

How the Members of the Central Managing Committee are elected?

First of all the local unit consisting of minimum hundred or more members elect members from the district level. The district level Managing Committee elects its members for the State level managing committee which sends one third of its members to the Central Managing committee. Thus the Central Managing Committee is constituted through elections under Article 43. The elected president has power to nominate 51 eminent persons to the Managing Committee under Article 54.

 

Review of the Constitution of Present Managing Committee:

Keeping in view the above mentioned organizational structure we would review how and when the present managing committee was constituted and how far and at what level it represents its electoral college.

There are seventeen state level units of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind. The election process has been completed in fourteen of them where in total 54 lakh 54 thousand 823 primary members have been enlisted. 1008 local units were constituted. They elected 216 district level managing committees and in turn they elected 8355 state level members. Out of these 2785 members were elected to the Central Managing Committee. The chart giving below presents the organizational structure and electoral process. In this meeting delegates from 14 states are participating.  

Name of the State

No. of Members elected to Central managing Committee

Name of President

Uttar Pradesh

790

Maulana Hayatullah Qasmi

Andhra Pradesh

206

Hafiz Peer Shabbir Ahmed

Uttarakhand

17

Dr. Mohammad Islam Qasmi

Assam

170

Maulana Badruddin Ajmal

Orissa

27

Maulana Mohammad Jabir

Tamil Nadu

35

Maulana Ahmed Kabir

Tripura

55

Mufti Tayyabur Rahman

Delhi

174

Mufti Zafiruddin

Karnataka

125

Mufti Iftikar Ahmed

Gujarat

290

Maulana Habibur Rahman

West Bengal

237

Maulana Hisamuddin

Maharashtra

240

Haji Shamsuddin

Manipur

23

Maulana Said Ahmed Qasmi

Haryana-Punjab-HP

396

Maulana Mohammad Ilyas

 

Why this meeting has been convened:

Since Maulana Arshad Madani continuously took steps repugnant to the policy of the organization, he dissolved elected units, disintegrated the democratic organizational structure and tried to establish personal rules, the working committee of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind took strong notice and expelled him on 6th March 2008 and he was replaced by Maulana Qari Syed Mohammad Usman, who was declared interim president. Maulana Mahmood Madani remained its General Secretary.

Since Central Managing Committee is the supreme body the working Committee referred its resolution for ratification and thus this meeting was convened. Its agenda is as under:

1.                  Reading and ratification of the resolutions of the previous meeting;

2.                  Secretary Report;

3.                  Ratification of the decision of expulsion of Maulana Arshad Madani and election of Maulana Qari Syed Mohammad Usman, Dy. Rector of Darul Uloom Deoband as the president of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind.

4.                  Disciplinary action against members involved in anti party activities;

5.                  Resolution on Terrorism;

6.                  Election of two vice president and treasure;

7.                  Deliberations on Sachchar Committee and Ranganath Commission report;

8.                  Reservation for Muslims and demand for bill to prevent communal riots;

9.                  Dalit-Muslim unity;

10.              Protection of Muslim Aukaf;

11.              Islamic identity and social reform;

12.              Resolution against Israel aggression in Palestine;

13.              Budget and Accounts;

14.              Condolence Resolutions;

15.              Other matters.

The procedure for the ratification of the expulsion of Maulana Arshad Madani and election of Maualan Qari Syed Mohammad Usman. A completely transparent procedure has been adopted. All the participating delegates will vote in writing whether they agree with the decision of working committee or not. They will further express their choice through voice vote in the presence of the following panel as well as media. 

1

Hon’ble Justice (Retd.)

Mr. Naseemuddin Siddiqui

Observer

 

2

Mr. Safder Hussain Khan,

Sr. General Manager, ITPO

Observer

 

3

Mr. Ahteshamul Haq,

Legal Consultant, ITPO

Asst. Observer

 

4

Mr. Shakil Ahmed Syed, Advocate, Supreme Court of India

Election Officer

 

5

Mr. Tayyab Khan, Advocate,

Supreme Court of India

Asst. Election Officer

 

 

 

 

Maulana Badruddin Ajmal opens his mouth on Jamiat crisis

 
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter

Mumbai: Breaking his silence on the dispute over leadership in Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, Maulana Badruddin Ajmal Qasmi, president AUDF and Assam unit of the Jamiat, has urged all concerned to find out solution within the constitution of the organization.

In a statement issued on 11th March, Maulana Ajmal backed the proposal given by Maulana Marghoobur Rahman, director Darul Uloom Deoband and senior member of the Jamiat working committee, to solve the problem which began on 6th March when Jamiat president Maulana Arshad Madani faced a no-confidence motion against him in the working committee meeting. He walked out of the meeting and Qari Usman was appointed caretaker president.

Maulana Ajmal urged all parties of the dispute to accept Maulana Marghoobur Rahman’s proposal wherein he had said that a compromise should be find out in light of the Jamiat constitution. If any section of the constitution needed explanation during solution finding process, a committee comprising a group of reverend Ulama should be constituted, he had said.

Maulana Ajmal requested all three leaders of the organization –Maulana Arshad Madani, Qari Usman and Maulana Mahmood Madani to accept Maulana Marghoobur Rahman’s proposal. To solve the crisis is the pressing need of the time as the Muslim community in India is standing at a critical juncture of its history, Maulana Ajmal said.

===============================================================================================================================

MUMBAI: Jamiatul Ulema-e-Hind (JUH), one of the oldest organizations of Indian Muslims, is on the verge of a split. Factional fights between the two groups, headed by Jamiat's president Maulana Arshad Madni and his nephew Maulana Mehmood Madni, seem to have struck a heavy blow to the premier organisation of nationalist ulema in the country.

With its split, observers feel, the recent declaration against terrorism from Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband may lose direction as JUH virtually controls the Darul and its huge network of madrassas across the country.

The differences between the two camps reached a flashpoint on March 6 when the Jamiat's Working Committee — at its Delhi meeting — elected a new temporary president, challenging the authority of Maulana Arshad Madni. The new president's election will be formally ratified on March 26. Both Arshad Madni and Mehmood Madni blamed each other for undermining the organization's constitution.

"Maulana Arshad Madni has run the organization like a dictator ever since he took over reins after my father Maulana Asad Madni's death last year. The working committee is not happy with his style of functioning and it has elected a new president (Qari Mohammed Usman of Darul Uloom Deoband)," Mehmood Madni said.

Dismissing the charge that he himself eyed the post and wanted to dethrone his uncle, Mehmood Madni claimed he would never become Jamiat's president. "I am not interested in any post in the organization though I will always be its worker. Let them make me a chowkidar in the organization and I will readily accept it," Maulana Mehmood, general secretary of the Jamiat, said.

But Maulana Arshad said he still headed the real Jamiatul Ulema-e-Hind. "The majority of the working committee members are with me. Mehmood Madni is misguiding people and the media when he claims that I have lost the confidence of the majority," the septuagenarian said. He still enjoys the support of many senior clerics, including Maulana Marghoobur Rehman, rector of Darul Uloom at Deoband.

Founded in 1919 during Mahatma Gandhi-blessed Khilafat Movement, JUH galvanised Indian Muslims for the freedom struggle

Way out from Jamiat Crises is in Maulana Marghoobur Rahman's Suggestion: Ajmal

Press Release

Guwahati: (March 11). The present divergent crisis in Jamiat Ulama-e Hind (JUH) is painful for all— Jamiat workers, its well wishers and those link with Deoband school not only in India but also all over the world. I am totally in agreement in both letters and spirit with the suggestions put forwarded by the respected rector of Darul Uloom Deoband Hazrat Maulana Marghoobur Rahman Saheb who is also Ameerul Hind (leader of the believers in India ). His suggestions were published in yesterday's Urdu newspapers asking both the groups involved in the crises to sit along the discussion table with the existing constitution of Jamiat as only way out of the dispute. It is my humble request to Hazrat Maulana Syed Arshad Madani, Qari Mohammad Usman and brother Syed Mahmood Madani to take practical note of our elder Hazrat Maulana Marghoobur Rahman Saheb's advice and make the constitution of Jamait Ulama the only means to solve the present deadlock condition within India 's prestigious Muslim organization. It is surely the only way out for us, the sooner we resolve it the better it will be for all Muslims. Muslim Ummah around the world is in pain, it is time to draw an end to the existing indifferences in Jamait and let people feel in peace.

I also request to all well the wishers of Jamiat Ulama-e Hind, Muslim intellectuals and ulama who have either personal or social relationship with any of the disputing groups to please use your contact to resolve the issue. Ask both the parties to fully respect what suggested by honourable Muhtamim Saheb of Darul Uloom Deoband to take Indian Muslims out of a panic stricken condition and help make the plot of anti unity forces ashamed.

It is noteworthy, however, that I have been neutral in this dispute from the very beginning, I am and will Insha'Allah ever remain neutral. May I also request all who know us round the world to pray for a better peaceful solution of the existing crises in Jamait Ulama-e Hind.

Mohammad Badruddin Ajmal Al-Qasmi

 

One of frontline Muslim organisations, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind today split vertically when a meeting of the ''working committee'' expelled its president Maulana Arshad Madani for anti-party activities.

A resolution to the effect was moved by General Secretary Maulana Mahmood Madani, who is also the nephew of Maulana Arshad Madani. The resolution was passed by a majority of 24 members out of 32 present in the meeting. The meeting also ''unanimously'' appointed Qari Mohammad Usman, vice-rector of Darul Uloom Deoband, as the new president of the Jamiat.

Maulana Arshad Madani staged a walkout from the meeting with his supporters terming the step ''against the Jamiat constitution''.

He also in turn expelled General Secretary Maulana Mahmood Madani and six of his supporters, claiming he was still the president under section 66 of the Jamiat Constitution.

The elevation of Qari Usman, who is a special invitee to the working committee, to the post of President would be formally announced at the General Council meeting to be held on March 26, Mahmood Madani told a news conference.

''Arshad Madani was working against the constitution of Jamiat and was trying to divide the party by annulling organisational elections in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh,'' he charged.

Maulana Arshad Madani took over the reins of the organisation after the death of Jamiat patron Maulana Asad Madani. A power struggle was on between Arshad and Mahmood Madani ever since.

A working committee meeting had been called on February 28 to resolve the differences between the two top leaders of the Jamiat but it ended inconclusive. The very next day Arshad Madani sacked 20 special invitees to the working committee and also annulled the organisational elections in Karnataka.

 

Friday  06-07-2007   www.hindustanexpressdaily.com

Thursday  05-07-2007  www.hindustaneexpressdaily.com

Tuesday 19-06-2007     www.hindustaneexpressdaily.com

Monday 04-06-2007  www.hindustaneexpressdaily.com

Sunday 03-06-2007  www.hindustaneexpressdaily.com

Saturday 02-06-2007         www.hindustaneexpressdaily.com

Friday 01-06-2007   www.hindustaneexpressdaily.com

Thursday 31-05-2007   www.hindustaneexpressdail.com

     

 

Jamiat Ulema scuffle comes to a boil

Posted May 29th, 2007 by Editor                                                                                                                                                                                         Indian Muslim

By Two Circles. net staff reporter

New Delhi :  The tussle between Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind president Maulana Syed Arshad Madani and its general secretary Maulana Syed Mahmood Madani had been simmering and simmering since the day, nay much before, the former was named the organisation's president under an agreement between the two following the demise of then president and father of Mahmood Madani last year. But it has now come to a boil when Arshad Madani chose to nullify the said agreement at a meeting of Jamiat's working committee held at its headquarters here Monday.

The meeting reportedly convened to contain the rising popularity of Mahmood Madani, was attended by only 7 out of the 20 members of the committee and 4 out of 21 special invitees. 13 members of the committee, including Ameerul Hind Maulana Marghoobur Rahman and Assam UDF leader Maulana Badruddin Ajmal and some other members from Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Delhi did not participate in the meeting.

A report published Tuesday in Urdu daily Hindustan Express argues that Maulana Arshad Madani was named Jamiat president under an agreement and not through any electoral process. When he has got the agreement annulled, there is no question of his continuing to function in the capacity of Jamiat president.

The report also questions the very legality of the meeting of the working committee, for the quorum of the meeting was completed with Mufti Abdur Razzaq of Bhopal against whom the Jamiat was probing the allegation that he had openly supported Bhartiya Janta Party in the last election. "The question is whether an accused can sit in judgement of his own case. If this cannot be, why was the quorum completed with Mufti Abdur Razzaq?" the report questions.

In one resolution adopted in the meeting, the Jamiat withdrew the enquiry against Mufti Abdur Razzaq. The report claims that much of the decisions made in the meeting has not been released to the media. The Hindustan Express, in a front page lead story published Monday, had reported that Maulana Arshad Madani got the windowpane of Maulana Mahmood Madani's office broken just after Fajr prayer Sunday and sent a person inside the office through the broken window to search his office. The report alleged that he took this extreme step on the advice of his special adviser Qari Hammad. The paper also carried a clubbed photograph showing a person mounting a ladder and another person breaking the window. The Urdu daily Akhbar-e-Mashriq also carried a UNI report of this sad development. The paper, in a front page lead report published Tuesday, said the division in the 75-year old Jamiat is nothing new. When Maulana Syed Asad Madani was named president of the Jamiat after the demise of Maulana Hifzur Rahman, a group led by Mufti Ateequr Rahman Osmani launched a separate Jamiat. Then Maulana Syed Ahmad Hashmi and Maulana Waheeduz Zaman Kairanvi separated from the Jamiat to launch their own Milli Jamiat Ulema.

Monday 28 - 05 - 2007    www.hindustanexpressdaily.com

Sunday 27 - 05 - 2007    www.hindustanexpressdaily.com

Saturday 26 - 05 - 2007     www.hindustanexpress.com

Hyderabad - May 21, 2007 

Mahmood A. Madani, MP and General Secretary of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind called on the Chief Minster Dr. Y.S. Rajashekhara Reddy and urged upon CBI enquiry into the incidents of Friday in and around Makkah Masjid, Hyderabad. He also demanded stern action against the police officials who opened fire on the mob protesting the blast in Makkah Masjid.

The Chief Minister heard the representation patiently and assured all possible help to the victims including Ex-Gratia payment, House and employment to the eligible member of the bereaved families. Maulana Madani thanked the Chief Minster for his gesture and appealed for immediate action against the erring police personnel. He expressed the hope that the Chief Minster will not try to shield the erring police cops or the real terrorists. He said that after his return to New Delhi he will meet the Chairperson of UPA Smt. Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minster Dr. Manmohan Singh and demand to release instructions to A.P. Government to initiate the process of CBI inquiry into the incident at the earliest.

Maulana Mahmood Madani who arrived last evening, called on the victims of the bomb blast and police firing he also visited Makkah Masjid and various hospitals in the city and enquired about the condition of victims. He expressed his heartful sympathies with the families of those killed in the Friday incidents.

Maulana expressed his anguish over non action against the police officials who demonstrated barbarism and cruelty by targeting the protesters. He said that it is natural for follower of any religion to protest against the incidents of bomb blast or desecration a blot on the face of any secular country and civilized society. He demanded that the cops responsible for this brutality must be brought to book immediately. They should be suspended, arrested and prosecuted for targeting innocent civilians. Maulana Madani expressed his anguish over the state of affairs said that if the rulers continue to support and patronize the terrorism by police and administration, then they should understand that they are not able to rule any more.

ON THE RECORD

Maulana Mahmood Madani, Gen-Secy of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind

‘Muslims are worse off in W Bengal than in any other state, yet we don’t want the Left Govt to be voted out’

Posted online: Monday, April 16, 2007 at 0000 hrs
 

  Hello, I’m Shekhar Gupta, and welcome to Walk the Talk. I’m in front of Masjid Abdul Nabi, a great Islamic institution, built more than 500 years ago. And my guest this week is a very young maulana, 39-year-old Maulana Mahmood Madani. Welcome to Walk the Talk.

Thank you.

You are young, maulana, and you represent one of the most liberal streams of Islam. You have so much of work pressure but people do not understand that. People do not understand that your party was responsible for the resistance in Nandigram in West Bengal. Sadiqullah belongs to your party.

He’s the state general-secretary of the party and the state unit took the lead on the issue.Whenever such issues have come up, Jamiat Ulama has a history of taking on a leadership role. Jamiat Ulama played a leading role even in the freedom struggle. Jamiat was formed in 1919 and in our first meeting we took a resolution on attaining complete freedom.

So you were even a step ahead of the Congress?

The Congress used to talk only about internal independence, but at that time Jamiat demanded complete independence.

And even during the time of Partition, your party was against Partition?

This was the only Muslim organisation making such a demand and Maulana Asad Madani, my father, made such a demand not for political reasons but on the basis of religion. He said our religion does not allow us to divide people on the basis of religion.

The booklet carrying your father’s sermons says that one should love his country first.

I am a Muslim and if I love my country then it is so because I am a Muslim. If a person is not a real Muslim then we can get suspicious whether he is a friend of the country or not. Those who practise religion can never be enemies of the country because our religion teaches us to love our country.

But now some people are saying that those who led in Nandigram did so because they got support from the US. So now there is an allegation that you are friends with America.

Here, he (Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee) is not just a chief minister but a dictator as well. So when he saw such a big obstruction he started accusing people without any evidence. During George Bush’s visit to India we had staged a demonstration which nobody did in the country. Even Bardhan Sahab had participated in that. So when we opposed Bush’s visit to India, we did so because we were his (Buddhadeb’s) friends!

But Bengal says that Sadiqullah met some high officials from the US administration, who directed Sadiqullah to take this step.

That’s their version. People from different backgrounds visit us. We never say no to anybody. We are even ready to meet Buddhadebji.

So you must have read about this new development: Bengal claims it is a conspiracy. They say it’s an Islamic-American alliance, or rather, a Jamiat-American alliance.

This is the thinking of the communists. This is so because they are realising that nothing is in their hands and they are feeling helpless. And this is not a Muslim issue in Nandigram, it’s a public issue. And the Bengal government has been defeated as it could not achieve what it wanted. And in future too it will be defeated if it does not change its attitude. If they change their attitude, we will be their best friends.

But not many people know that Bardhanji participated in the demonstration which you staged against Bush’s visit to India.

It was covered by media. Everybody watched it. Last week, in an interview a journalist was mentioning that I have been friends with communists. And that, together with Bardhanji and other communists, I had staged a demonstration. I said we didn’t do a combined demonstration. He participated in it, and also addressed us.

So for you it’s a tough choice. On the one hand you have America and on the other you have communists.

No, we don’t share any relation with America. And neither do we intend to keep one. We just stress on the fact that the public should not suffer.

But it’s a big thing that Buddhabedji visited you, and he came because he is troubled by your party. But when he came to you, what did he say?

He did not talk much on the main issue. He said he had done a lot for the minorities. He also said that if some other party comes to power in West Bengal, then things would go haywire. But a new party coming to power in the states is nothing new. It happens all over India. We are not bothered with whatever party comes to power. But if some good work has been done by Buddhadebji or by Jyoti Basuji, it is not counted as their obligation. It is a fact that the condition of Muslims is the worst in West Bengal, be it socially, economically or educationally. Nowhere in the country is the condition of Muslims so bad as in West Bengal.

Are you serious in saying this?

Yes, I am very serious. And in spite of this we never wish that his government is voted out of power.

Why so?

Because when it comes to communal harmony, we do not put them on the same platform as some other parties.

For example, the BJP.

Yes.

But Mamata is an ally of the BJP?

So we can never accept her.

You don’t see any difference between Mamata and the BJP?

Because Mamata is an ally of the BJP, we cannot talk or discuss anything with her. And we are not a political organisation.

But you are a Member of Parliament?

That’s another point. But Buddhadebji’s attitude and the way he wants to rule . . . During Jyoti Basu’s time we never had any major conflict. Jamiat had organised a big rally for the protection of madrasas, which I had also attended. We passed a resolution against the W. Bengal Government and even Biman Basu participated in that rally.

So did you tell Buddhadebji that the condition of Muslims was so bad in his state?

He said that Sachar has not included certain points and we are trying to incorporate those points. So he started finding faults with the Sachar Committee.

Do you follow the Sachar Committee report or you go on your own report?

We have our own report also. And that shows our condition to be worse than what Sachar Committee report has to say.

But why so? But CPM is secular. Then why is the condition of Muslims in Bengal so bad?

It’s very difficult to answer this question. We follow the middle path.

But spiritually you are Deobandi?

Basically, the Deoband school of thought follows the middle path.

But a new reputation has come up that Deobandis are extremists, they are Taliban.

This has been projected by the Taliban. This is their regional conflict.

Do you consider the Taliban to be Deobandis.

They claim they are Deobandis. And we cannot go against their claims.

But does the work done by them come under Deobandi ideology?

This is a matter related to their region.

Did they come up with any resolution for a reconciliation on this topic?

They said we can discuss the matter. I agreed with that. But Jamiat is leading a group of 29 organisations and most of them are non-Muslims. We have to discuss the matter with each organisation.

But Jamiat, BJP, Mamata Bannerjee and Naxalites — all have a mixture of ideologies.

These parties are following their own way of fighting for an issue. That’s why we don’t have any alliance with BJP or Mamata. All these 29 non-political organisations have come together and they are fighting for a cause.

But you are ready to talk?

Yes. The best way to solve all problems is to talk. I have had a talk with him here, and if needed I can go to West Bengal also.

So you are going there?

At the moment it has not been decided. First, we will hold talk amongst ourselves.

Did Buddhadebji express regret for whatever happened in Nandigram?

Yes. He also took the responsibility for the incident.

Did you feel that there has been a change of heart in him?

I don’t know about that. But he’s surely under external pressure.

Did you ask him why he is accusing you of being an American agent?

His statement calling the Jamiat a terrorist and a fundamentalist organisation was published a few days back. And anyone who’s aware of Jamiat’s history would have never done so. So our members questioned him (Buddhadebji) why Biman Basu visits us and why he sends messages to us if we were terrorists and fundamentalists. In response, he said he did not know about it and was wrongly quoted. We said that in such a case you should have contradicted the statement.

What do you dislike the most, being called an American agent or a fundamentalist?

We feel bad when we are linked with the terrorists. In fact, I do not mind being called a fundamentalist. Rather, I feel proud that I am attached to the roots.

Your fundamentalism is of a different kind.

Yes, for us it’s a case of tolerance. According to the Quran, you follow your own path and I will follow my own path. It talks about a society where we don’t fight over this issue.

When I read your father’s speeches, the collection of which will be released by the Prime Minister, it talks mostly about education.

Yes, our basic aim is to impart education.

But another central point is that if we look at our country’s situation at the moment, especially in Bengal, where we have small holdings and all areas are over populated, then we don’t have any other option except for industrialisation.

Nowhere do we have any other option except for industrialisation. We need industries. But for setting up industries, will you kill our men? Keeping the public in view, we should chalk out a middle path.

So if the public was persuaded in Nandigram, then we could have had industries there also?

Yes, we should follow a proper procedure, along with a proper rehabilitation project.

Can you suggest a way of proper rehabilitation in a place like Nandigram?

The people of the area where you are setting up a project should be taken into confidence. And once the talks begin, a special kind of relationship develops, in which you respect each other’s demands. But if somebody doesn’t listen to you then make him a partner in the project. I don’t oppose SEZs on any ideological ground. But there should be some changes in the SEZ policy, especially in the Land Acquisition Act. And I also agree with

Sitaram Yechury that the government should first take up government industrial areas, ones where industries have been shut down. Then they should acquire wasteland, and the option of going to the farmers is always there.

But there is hardly any wasteland in West Bengal. If the government goes to the people once again . . .

At the moment I can’t say anything about Nandigram till we talk to everyone there. We don’t oppose SEZs on the basis of any ideology. I’m not against industrialisation. But it shouldn’t be done by force. There was a time when, in terms of industrialisation, West Bengal was in the top slot. But the Left ruined everything. They shut down all the industries. And now they want to revive industries. That’s something really good. I congratulate them for this. But they are still trying to follow the Hitler way of working, which is not good.

After the talks do you think they have learnt a lesson?

I can’t say that. But they were reasonable while talking. But the CPM cadre in Bengal is still harassing our people there. For example, in madrasas and schools. They are threatening our activists in villages. Harassment and talks cannot go hand in hand.

Did you tell him about this?

I received this information after the talks. I will talk to Yechuryji about this. But I told him that your people are threatening to kill us.

Didn’t he tell you that your workers also used weapons.

When did we use weapons? This is an allegation. We used the biggest weapon given to us by democracy. The weapon to bring about a revolution, which was used even by Gandhiji.

But he says that you removed all their party workers, and now they are staging dharna to be sent back.

This is not true. In fact rapes were committed by CPM workers. But I won’t say much in public now. I don’t want to indulge in a blame-game. They are accusing us to only to save their face.

There is a lot of confusion in the media about Jamiat’s identity. Some consider you a Naxalite, some consider you a Taliban, some consider you an American. So there is ignorance.

Apart from ignorance, it’s also according to convenience. He understands everything but he tries to make the people understand according to need of his story.

But while going through your organisation’s literature and your father’s book I found they mention about a great India and her great qualities. Such an aggressive nationalism is not very common.

It’s not so much found even in non-Muslims. My grandfather stressed on composite nationalism on the basis of the Quran. He even wrote a book on composite nationalism and Islam.

Yeah, I have read that book. And you had strongly opposed the idea of Partition.

We are just against dividing people on the basis of religion.

And you think that Muslims of the subcontinent have suffered due to Partition.

Hindustan, Muslims, Hindus, the entire subcontinent has suffered due to Partition. We could have been a superpower.

According to you, what will happen to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh in the next 15-20 years.

According to me, we should have a confederation with simple visa procedures. When Atalji was the prime minister, I got his permission and had called Maulana Fazlur Rahman, the chief of Pakistan Jamiat.

Interestingly, some reporters mentioned your Jamiat as the Indian chapter of the Jamiat, which is actually the original.

Yes. But we don’t have any direct relation with them. Jamiat rules in the North West Frontier today. During independence, the Muslim League lost in the elections from there and Congress won. They wanted to be a part of India. Even today, they share the same ideology as of India only because the Jamiat and the Deobandi school of thought had a hold in the region. They were also against Partition. And till today they are paying for that. There is no development work done there as compared to other districts.

And you will say that Muslims of India also have had to pay a price because they did not support the Muslim League during Partition.

Muslims who stayed back here always had an option of going to Pakistan. But instead of respecting them for staying back, they are treated as criminals. When we go out, we are called Hindi, Hindustani. But we are proud of it. I want to give a message to the new generation of this country. I want them to set up a new India where there is industrialisation, equality, education for all, modernisation, there is no discrimination on the basis of caste.

You don’t support orthodoxy, and you don’t have anti-industrialisation ideology.

No. In fact, I support industrialisation. Without that we won’t be able to attain our target.

Thank you for talking to us.         Thank you.         Press Release

 

 

MAULANA MAHMOOD MADANI

JAMIAT ULAMA I HIND

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