By Tarique Anwar, TwoCircles.net,
Patna: In the holy month of Ramadan wherein Muslims observe fast, political parties and leaders organize Iftar parties to woo Muslims. But given the flood-caused devastation in northeastern Bihar, political leaders are not willing to throw such Iftar party this year.
Almost all major political parties organize Iftar party and invite people from different sections of the society including politicians, bureaucrats, media persons and common people. Lakhs of rupees are spent on such parties which have become a status symbol and a means to exhibit, and in their own thinking to raise, the popularity of the party among the people.
Last year also Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) of Lalu Prasad Yadav, Janata Dal United (JD-U) of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Lok Janashakti Party (LJP) of Ram Vilas Paswan threw grand Iftar parties which were participated by thousands of people including politicians and heads of religious organizations. Besides, Governor and Chief Minister also organize Iftar parties.
Slide show of political iftar parties:
But the situation is completely different this year and not favorable for such parties since northeastern Bihar is badly affected by the devastating flood in the Kosi River, which the state never witnessed in its history. While lakhs of people have been evacuated and taken to safer places, lakhs of others are feared still trapped in flood water in the affected areas. They are starving and waiting for relief.
Instead of spending huge amount on such parties, which are aimed at gaining political benefits, the government, political parties and political leaders should spend this amount in relief works for flood affected people who badly need food and other relief materials.
To know what the government and political leaders think about the idea, TwoCircles.net contacted Shahid Ali Khan, minister for science and technology and minister for minority affairs (additional charge), Government of Bihar.
Shahid Ali Khan said humanity does not allow us to organize Iftar party this year when our brothers are badly affected by the devastating flood and need relief and rehabilitation. “Our government is not going to give any Iftar party this year. Our top priority is to provide all assistance to the flood victims and to save their lives,” he said.
He, however, denied that Iftar parties are organized for political purposes. He said these parties are aimed at improving government-public understandings and are a way to improve communal harmony by taking food sitting together leaving all kind of religious differences.
Naushad Ahmad, senior JD-U leader and chairman of Bihar State Minority Commission, echoed Shahid Ali Khan. He said: “We cannot divert out attention from relief and rescue works.” Lakhs of people in the affected region are still not getting food and water, Naushad admitted while talking to TCN. “We are very much concentrated on relief works and have not planned any Iftar party so far.”
He further said that the time also does not allow us to do so because this is the time to come forward to save the lives of our brothers instead of arranging this kind of political Iftar party. He said Islam has no concept of any political Iftar party.
Like political leaders, common people are also not in a mood to support or attend such Iftar parties.
Talking to TCN Hasan Ahmad, a bank official in Patna, rejected the idea of any Iftar party to be organized by political parties for a particular advantage. He explained Iftar is meant only for those Muslims who observe fast the whole day.
This is the time for relief and rescue work for the flood victims and in this time all organizations and political parties should together work for the people who are bound to live like animals in the Kosi affected regions, he said.
He further added that Islam prohibits any kind of showoff. The Iftar parties organized by the political parties are only for the sake of political benefits. He strongly opposed it saying that we and our religious representatives should never take part in such parties.
Like Hasan Ahmad, Naqueeb Ahmad in Delhi is also not in favour of political Iftar parties. “These Iftar parties are just party power show and are aimed at attracting Muslims,” says he who hails from Mahua in Vaishali district and works with leading software company HCL in Noida.
“Rather than throwing Iftar parties this year when lakhs of flood affected people are in dire need of food, political leaders should go to each relief camp and provide food and relief materials to the flood victims who have been robbed of their belongings by the Kosi River,” said 24-year-old Naqueeb to TCN on Sunday when was collecting clothes in Jamia Nagar area for Bihar’s flood victims.
(With inputs from Mumtaz Alam Falahi of TwoCircles.net in New Delhi)