By Dr. Syed Ahmed, for TwoCircles.net,
A Muslim goodwill delegation from Nagaland left for Bangalore and Pune on 22 August 2012 in view of the mass exodus of students, workers and professionals of Nagaland and other parts of North-East from those cities. The delegation team plans to appeal to the people of Pune and Bangalore to maintain peace and ensure security and safety of the people from Nagaland staying in these cities.
The goodwill team comprised members of Muslim Council Dimapur (MCD), Dimapur Muslim Public Forum (DMPF) and Muslim Welfare Society Kohima (MWSK). They plan to meet representatives of various organizations in Pune and Banglore and convince the public and NGOs that the situation in the North-East, especially in Nagaland is peaceful and make fervent appeals to them to ensure that no trouble is made against people of North-East. They also plan to hold discussions the prevailing situation with the respective state governments.
Speaking to media before leaving Nagaland, Ahidur Rahman, the working-president of MCD said the team would appeal to all people to maintain peace and ensure safety of students and professionals from Nagaland, highlighting the secular character of the Nagas. A joint press note released by the Muslim bodies stated that the delegation team would make a fervent appeal to the people of the southern cities to see that no miscreants create any troubles and rumours against the people of Nagaland and other states of the North-East. “The delegation shall also make whole-hearted appeal to all the people to maintain peace and ensure security and safety of the students and professionals from Nagaland highlighting the secular character of the Nagas”, stated the press note.
The seven-member goodwill delegation includes General Secretary of DMPF G.M. Babar, Advisor of DMPF M.A. Ahad Tapadar, President of DMPF Shanwar Shaikh (Munna), Working President of MCD Ahidur Rahman, Joint Secretary of MCD A. Jalil Tapadar, President of Muslim Welfare Society Babar Uddin, and Advisor of MWS (Kohima) Mohd. Minar Uddin.
MCD and MWSK had also earlier condemned any sort of harassment meted out to people from North-East staying in many of the cities of South India, and appealed for communal peace and harmony in the state. The two organizations appealed to the people of the state to maintain peace and harmony among different sections of the people in the state. The organizations also said that there is no logic behind the assault on Nagas as the violence that took place at Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD) in Assam had anything to do with Nagaland.
Ahidur Rahman, the working president of MCD had also expressed to media-persons that Nagaland has a sizeable Muslim population. The Muslim community has been living peacefully with the Nagas for many years, and any one attacking Nagas as a consequence of the violence in Assam would be treated as an enemy of the Muslim community. Rahman also appealed to all not to disturb the communal harmony of Nagaland.