By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
Jamaat Ulama-e-Hind, not to be confused with Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (JUH) is contesting two Muslim-dominated Lok Sabha seats in Delhi. Sohaibuzzafar Khan Qasmi, president and founder of the organization, talks to Mumtaz Alam Falahi about Jamaat’s decision to contest elections, its winning prospects and mushrooming of Muslim political parties.
Why has Jamaat Ulama-e-Hind decided to contest elections?
Even 60 years after Independence, Muslims could not become a political power. Incompetent and undeserved people from the community have reached Parliament and Assemblies. They are not able to lead the community. They fight elections in the name of the community but soon after victory they put issues and problems of the community and the Millat at the backburner and their personal benefits and interests become their primary concern.
Jamaat Ulama-e-Hind wants to end the political deprivation of the Muslim Millat. Until there emerges a true leadership for the Millat, their problems will remain unsolved. We have more problems today than we had in 1947. Politicians could not solve any of our problems. Nor did Muslim political representatives make sincere efforts for the resolution of the community issues. They are more loyal to their party and party leaders than to the community. This is the background in which we have decided to contest elections.
For the same purpose, more than a dozen Muslim political parties have come into existence in the last few months, and are going to contest coming Lok Sabha elections. Do you think so many Muslim parties could be helpful for the community?
True, many Muslim parties have been formed, and it is likely some more will emerge. Jamaat Ulama-e-Hind is the first political organization under the leadership of Ulema. No movement of the community can succeed unless it is led by Ulema. This is the first political party in the leadership of Ulema, which is fast being embraced by people.
We have decided to field candidates only in two Lok Sabha seats. We will contest North-East Delhi and East Delhi seats. This is because we want to concentrate our attention and ensure our victory. We want to prove wrong the perception that Muslim political party cannot succeed in elections. With the huge support we are getting, we can say that Jamaat Ulama-e-Hind will be fighting national party candidates from the front.
How do you think you are going to win North-East Delhi and East Delhi seats?
In North-East Delhi there are about 33% Muslim votes. If there is triangle contest then a candidate can easily win by getting even around 28%. Besides Muslims, we are getting support from non-Muslims also. We are very much hopeful to get the votes enough for our victory.
Likewise, East Delhi is also a Muslim-dominated seat. Here they are around 30%. We are trying to ensure that we get most of the Muslim votes. We hope we will win both seats.
Don’t you think there should have been some efforts to unite all Muslim political parties so that they could fight elections under a single banner?
Such efforts were earlier made also. These parties have been formed after their leaders could not get tickets from their parties. When these leaders cannot get support from their constituency (the reason why they were denied tickets), how can they give a state-level or national-level leadership. Most of these people have been tested. They are incompetent. They have failed. And just to hide their failure they have formed Muslim political parties. The Millat cannot be befooled again.
If you win the two seats, who will you be supporting – UPA or NDA – because it is most likely that the next government will also be a coalition government?
We have issues and problems of the Millat. We have an agenda. We will decide about it keeping in view of our manifesto. The group, which will be more supportive to our agenda, will get our support.
Will you support BJP-led NDA if they agree to your agenda?
Whether Third Front is going to form government or Fourth Front will be clear only after elections. It is possible that Third Front may form the government. As for the Congress, BJP, SP or BSP, we do not consider them as secular parties or leaders. Neither Mulayam Singh is secular nor Mayawati nor Congress nor BJP. They are parts of the same coin. They all are anti-Muslims. The sixty years history of the country is witness to this fact.
Link:
http://www.twocircles.net/2008jul14/jamaat_e_ulama_e_hind_it_attempt_exploit_jamiat_ulama_i_hind_crisis.html