By Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: In a move which is being regarded as late, one of the leading organizations of Muslim clerics Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind has asked the government of India that “the long pending legitimate demands of Kashmiri people must be accepted within framework of the Constitution of India.”
This was the main theme of the second conference on Kashmir organized by the Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind here at Ramleela Maidan on 31st October. The first conference was organized on 10th of October in Deoband.
“We won’t allow oppression of Kashmiris from either side of the borders, referring to the violence done to the people of Jammu and Kashmir by Indian armed forces and the Pakistan sponsored terrorism” said Mahmood Madani, one of the main leaders of the organization seen traditionally tilted towards the Indian National Congress.
Addressing a gathering of tens of thousands of Muslim clerics who had come from across India, Mr. Madani pointed out that “democracy is not possible without winning the hearts of Kashmiri people.”
Demands from the Govt
Highlighting the fact that justice and law and order are interdependent, Mr. Madani, who is also Member of Rajya Sabha (the Upper House of Indian Parliament), put a series of demands “on behalf of Indian Muslims to the government of India, if it all it is sincere to solve the decades old Kashmir issue and restore democracy in the state.”
Withdrawing the armed forces and the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), release of all the protesters, setting up of independent Commission of Inquiries into serious violations of human rights and compensation to the victims were few of the demands which the massive crowd clerics and Muslim leaders hailed and approved.
Mahmood Madani speaking at the conference
But the leaders who spoke at the occasion also emphasized the fact that “Kashmir is an integral part of India and any solution to the issue will be within the Indian Constitution.”
First such initiatives by Indian Muslim
The conference is one of the first initiatives by any pan Indian Muslim organization on a delicate issue like Kashmir which has traditionally been considered untouchable by Muslim organizations.
View of gathering
Very late move
But the initiative is also being widely criticized for many reasons. Many civil society members believe that as it usually happens with Muslim organizations, they wake up very late to the urgency of any situation, this move also is a very late step.
Kashmir issue is more than 60 years old and hardly has it happened that any Muslim organization ever dared to go public with its protest against human rights violation and “oppression” of Kashmiri people by the armed forces and the Indian state..
Separatists slammed JUH stand
Another criticism comes from Kashmiri separatist leaders who reacted strongly to Jamiat’s stand on Kashmir issue.
When the first Kashmir Conference was organized on 10th October, separatist leaders had slammed the Jamiat’s stand that “Kashmir is an integral part of India” saying that the organization had no locus standi to make such remarks
Syed Ali Shah Geelani had accused the religious leaders at Deoband of feigning ignorance about the “historical reality” of Kashmir dispute.
Moulana Kalbe Sadiq and Swami Agnivesh on the stage
Almost echoing the same line, JKLF supremo Yasin Malik had said the Muslims in India should not take a political position on Kashmir. Mr. Malik had further said that it would be better if the Muslims in India do not offer a political solution to Kashmir.
Today’s conference saw a variety of Muslim leaders like Kalbe Sadiq, Vice-President All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Mujtaba Farooq, leader of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, law expert and ex-minority commission chairman Tahir Mahmood, besides several human rights activists and civil society members like Swami Agnivesh, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, senior journalists MJ Akbar and Aziz Burney among others coming together on one platform to discuss Kashmir issue.
Conference demands:
1- The long pending legitimate demands of Kashmiri people must be accepted within framework of the constitution of India and democratic civilian rights and institutions should be allowed to function freely.
2- Promises of Special economic package must be fulfilled.
3- Armed forces must be withdrawn and barricades lifted from civilian areas.
4- Armed Forces Special Power Act and Public Safety Act be lifted.
5- Establish an independent, impartial and transparent commission of enquiry into serious violations of human rights, for tracing and returning of thousands of lost and missing youths and ensure fair compensation to victims.
6- Protesters and agitators nabbed without viable reason be freed forthwith.
7- Lethal methods of crowd control must be avoided and humane and modern techniques and equipments should be adopted.
8- This Conference of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind appeals to the protesters and agitators to apply peaceful and democratic methods for their constitutional rights, abjure violence and actively demonstrate Islamic, moral and human values.
9- We would like to assure the people of Kashmir of that we as citizen of India share their grief and anguish and support their rightful demands and we do not consider the interests of the Kashmiri people are separate from the interests of Indian Muslims.
10-We appeal to all like-minded organizations, associations and people of the country irrespective of religion and caste to begin effective campaign for establishing peace in Kashmir, securing justice for victims and thwarting the mission of enemy forces bent upon disintegration of Kashmir.
11-This conference of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind announces its firm intent that it would continue to spearhead its campaign in collaboration with other countrymen for establishment of peace in Kashmir.