By TCN Special Correspondent,
Lucknow: The backward Muslims in the state of Uttar Pradesh have raised a banner of revolt to break free from the tradition of fatwas during elections. The All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz (AIPMM) — an association of backward Muslims — will organise one-day conference on coming Thursday in Lucknow to highlight the issues and problems of the community in the state.
The conference, which will be held at Ravindralaya, will be addressed by Rajya Sabha Member Ali Anwar Ansari, AIPMM chief. “We will not follow the lines of political ‘fatwas’ during elections. For us it is a matter of survival as the backward Muslims are dependent on their traditional craftsmanship. No one takes up their issue, we will concentrate on their economic upliftment,” said state president of AIPMM, Aness Mansoori on Sunday.
Substantiating his claim, Mansoori stated that a large chunk of Muslim community is engaged in tailoring, vegetable vendors, meat business, Moradabad brass trade, bangle making in Ferozabad, lock industry in Aligarh, weaving Banarsi sarees, carpets in Mirzapur. “All of them are backward Muslims and are living in penury. They are not able to earn even Rs 50 per day to meet their needs. Due to the sad state, these traditional crafts are dying and the workers are becoming jobless,” said Mansoori.
He claimed that the convention will raise the voice of these people who have been a victim of step motherly treatment. “Even the Muslim leadership did little to improve our condition. For them we were just numbers who filled the backward class columns in various commissions’ reports. Later, a ‘fatwa’ was issued thus whole community was bargained by them,” he claimed.
The association threatened to take to street if their charter of demands which includes patronage to traditional handicrafts and suitable political representation to the backward Muslims is not met.