By Dr Malik Rashid Faisal,
What an average Indian Muslim youth thinks of the issues concerning the Muslim society at large? This is no small question, the answer of which builds a world where a whole lot of generation can not only survive but move towards a prosperous living. When I was a child, for me the world was nothing more than a game where everyone is playing a role of one’s own choice. There are, perhaps, still no clearly drawn out objectives of Muslim youth, although the earth has been steadily rotating to demonstrate the bitter lessons they could learn.
I used to go to a maktab on the bicycle gifted by my maternal uncle. Some boys of my village traveled to the school on foot. They used the tactic of pushing and pulling my moving cycle to irritate and annoy me. Like wise, Mulsims today are two steps forward and one step back. Unfortunately, today I do not find those boys in any prestigious position. I am told that some of them completed Intermediate with difficulties and some ended up in scraps business in Mumbai. They all are struggling to survive.
A Muslim youth is blamed for pursuing a conservative, fanatic and fundamentalist course of action. They are alleged to be terrorists. I can say without any doubt that their survival is at stake and they can not afford to be a terrorist. They have no energy to think beyond their survival. Had I not studied in Madrasa, I could never have known the actual situation a big population of Muslims is trapped into. A Madrasa student lives like a frog in a well. They do not know the contemporary issues of importance. They read books which do not have any relevance to sufferings of Muslims. The old and irrelevant issues of Islamic jurisprudence are still taught in Madrasas. I remember the day when Babri Masjid was demolished. This sad news was announced in a trembling and emotion laden voice by one of our Maulana after Namaz-e-Asr in the Masjid located in the fore walls of the Madrasa Jamiatul Falah and then a sudden silence enveloped amongst all the students and teachers.
The next day, in the weekly cultural programme of my class, I delivered an emotionally laden high pitched speech raising the slogan ‘Allahu Akbar’ as if I was going to wage a war against the demolishers. The teacher laughed. But it is a fact that the same teachers taught me the way I registered my protest against the demolition. On the other hand, I admit that Madrasas inculcate in students the basic understanding of religion. A Madrasa student at later stage of his growth knows how to deal with religious issues and practices.
But then only 4% of Muslims go to Madrasas. What about the rest of the Indian Muslim youth? Ironically, most of them live a battered life. They have no clear cut thinking about the interests of the society at large. One of many reasons is of course, illiteracy. Many of them are school drop outs. Some get trapped into family business and some join underpaid jobs. They get married and are forced to take care of the well being of the family.
Naturally, if a large section of the society is cut to size and made vulnerable, how would its people join the mainstream and think high for the betterment of society? Today we observe that Indian Muslim youths have no new organizations of their own that works for improving the deteriorating conditions of the Muslims. It may be because of the fear of failure.
The endeavor to start an organization for overall development of the community is something which should be taken seriously. In fact, many Muslim NGOs do exist but they are not performing well and therefore often alleged to be nothing but ill fated. Many of them are purposefully collecting funds for self interests. At this hour of crisis, the energetic Muslim youth could play an important role in promoting the organizations for the development of the community. Unfortunately, they are not showing interest in such an endeavor.
The pathetic attitude of Indian Muslim youths is maligning the whole community. For instance, about 15,000 Muslim students study in Aligarh Muslim University but it is very unfortunate to say that very few of them do something good for the society after completing their education. Most of the Muslim youth join underpaid jobs and live the whole life in conformity. Some of them become burden on their parents. They lack will power to do something great. This is, in my view, on account of inferiority complex and no proper guidance from the parents or the elders of the community.
That is no wonder then, economic, political and social conditions of Muslims are very bad. However, Muslim youths through establishing NGOs and coordinating with each other could do a great job for overall development of the community in all aspects. They need to understand the severity of the problems being faced by themselves and the community. NGOs can play an important role in raising the standard of community in all aspects. Therefore, to think positive and move forward is the only solution of many problems. Youths in any society play important roles and the Muslim community is no exception.
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Malik Rashid Faisal is the Senior Editor of The Sunday Indian (Urdu). He may be contacted at [email protected]