By TCN News
Mumbai: Coinciding with the festivities of Bakri-Eid or Eid-ul-Adha, the Muslim community on Wednesday came out to support the drought-affected people of Marathwada region of Maharashtra. Clergymen and intellectual too have joined NGOs and volunteers to help the scarcity-hit people.
The Social Education and Welfare Association (SEWA) has taken the initiative to support the famers who are in need of support and protection and held a prepatory workshop in Mumbai’s Islam Gymkhana, which was chaired by Hazrat Maulana Moin Miyan Saheb, chief of Jamia Qadariya Ashrafiya.
Maharashtra has been facing the worst drought of its time. In the last five decades the state never came across such grave water scarcity. Farmers are forced to leave their villages and migrate to cities or commit suicide. Beed district is one of the worst affected in the state. The situation is extremely critical. Due to acute water shortage maintaining cattle has become a daunting issue for the locals. Managing meal for the children has also become an issue. Along with tackling current drought issue steps also have to be taken to avoid such situations in future. In such a grim scenario, SEWA has come ahead to help and support the reeling peasants.
While expressing his concerns for farmers SEWA president Advocate Yusuf Abrahani said, “Due to drought hundreds of farmers of Maharashtra have committed suicide and numbers are still on rise. The farmers feed us but today they are reeling for food because of drought. In such a situation its our moral due to come ahead and support them.”
Advocate Abrahani further added that SEWA is issuing its account number to collect funds for the farmers. He requested Muslims to pray especially for farmers in their Eid-ul-Adha prayers and donate some amount to help them.
Mufti Manzoor Ahmad said, “There are several Hadith of the Holy Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be upon Him) that directs Muslims to help the poor people who are in need irrespective of the belief they follows.”
Maulana Mustaqeem Azmi, president of Jamiat-e-Ulema, Maharashtra while congratulating Advocate Yusuf Abrahani and SEWA for their initiative said, “This is the quality of Islam that it teaches to help everyone irrespective of their religion. This is a noble initiative taken by SEWA and everyone should join it. I am pleased to see that affluent people of Mumbai have taken the responsibility to support the farmers, may Allah be please with them and benefit them and the farmers who are actually in need”.
Aamir Edresy, the President of Association of Muslim professionals (AMP) while announcing his support said, “AMP is supporting SEWA in its noble initiative and soon a team will be visiting the villages of Latur, Beed and Usmanabad districts to provide financial support to the needy farmers. Also we are consulting and coordinating with other NGOs who are already working in the field.”
The programme that was attended by hundreds of scholars and intellectuals from the city was concluded with the heart-wrenching prayers of the Maulana Moin Miyan Saheb. Who also appealed Muslims to come ahead and support the farmers and to arrange special prayers in mosques for the said cause.