By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
All India Minorities Forum is hardly all over India or represent all minorities but its president Mr. Idris Ali has claimed his 15 minutes of fame by calling a protest demonstration that lead to violence in Kolkata. It may be the first time in history that Indian Army was called to do a flag march to quell violence where there was no loss of life and that too in a matter of hours.
Idris Ali is advocate by profession and knows how to get his names printed in newspapers by filing public interest litigations. Over the years he has raised emotive issues to appear to be leader of Muslims of Kolkata and West Bengal.
In 1996 when Calcutta High Court imposed restrictions on use of loudspeakers for azaan, Mr. Idris Ali championed this cause and according to a Bengali newspaper he in a public meeting called Muslims to disobey the order. Some mosque in Kolkata refused court orders and notices and continued using loudspeakers for azaan. High Court found Mr. Idris Ali contempt of court and a petition against it was dismissed by the Supreme Court.
Mr. Idris Ali established All India Minorities Forum (AIMF) in 2002 when he found his earlier organization the Muslim Front did not gain a wide support. Even with the changed name his issues are mainly Muslim issues and that too issues that will generate emotional response.
He was in the Congress before joining the Trinamool Congress. While Muslim leadership of Bengal is Urdu speaking, Mr. Ali is a Bengali speaker and he uses this to his advantage. His statements are carried by Bengali newspapers and according to local media he can be seen making rounds of all newspapers whenever he have something to say about an issue.
His detractors in Kolkata say that he is not intellectually strong and not fit to lead a movement. Talking to TwoCircles.net someone who is familiar with Kolkata politics said that it is possible that idea of violence was not Mr. Ali, it seems either AIMF’s protest was hijacked by CPI(M) goons or the Muslim anger did spill through as a result of police highhandedness.