By Sheikh Khurshid Alam for Twocircles.net
Muslims have a rich history of think tanks or policy institutes. One of the finest examples of this history is the Bayt al-Hikma (House of Wisdom), a major intellectual centre during the Islamic Golden Age. Based in Baghdad from the 9th to 13th century, many learned scholars including those of Jewish or Christian background were part of this research and educational institute. Besides translating books into Arabic and preserving them, scholars associated with the House of Wisdom also made many remarkable original contributions to diverse fields.
In the modern context, a think tank is an organization, institute, corporation, group, or individual that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economy, science or technology issues, industrial or business policies, or military advice. According to the ‘Global Go To Think Tank Index Report (GGTTI) 2015’, India ranks fourth on the list of nations with the most number of think tanks, with nearly 100 new ones taking the country’s total to 280 in 2015. The US tops the list for 2015 with 1,835 think tanks, followed by China and the United Kingdom with 435 and 288, respectively.
Namrata Goswami, a Research Fellow of Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) writes, “…I have come to realise that the world of “think tanks” is quite different from those of academia and journalism and that mixing them up could create dysfunction and encourage false expectations… A think tank is not engaged in teaching; it is specifically focused on throwing light on policy issues, both historical and contemporary from the perspective of states and society. Its role, unlike a university, is more of a public policy institution, an opinion creator, a source of in-depth policy analysis. Think tanks are motivated by social and political agendas in dealing with problems of the world, unlike universities that deal with academic or scientific priorities, dwelling into the world of theory. Think tanks are institutions capable of setting the agenda for policy making; universities ideally like to distance themselves from policy. Furthermore, a think tank’s role is to analyse present state policies, both internal and external, and measure their impact.”
According to a news report, about eight think tanks of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are competing for intellectual space in Delhi. It is not a secret that national security advisor, Ajit Doval, principal secretary to the PM, Nripendra Mishra, additional principal secretary to the PM, PK Mishra and NITI Aayog members Bibek Debroy and VK Saraswat are all products of Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF), the think tank sympathetic to RSS. These think tanks have been on an upswing since the NDA government came to power in 2014. Some think tanks are also having ulterior motives and are systematically corrupting the intellectual space through misleading and false information about the Muslim community and Muslim organisations. Alvite Singh Ningthoujam, Research Associate at VIF, in one of the occasional papers titled “Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and its South Asian Connection: An Indian Perspective” writes on page 12, “…India-based Islamic organisation such as Jamaat-e-Islami Hind reportedly said ISIS caliphate is binding on all Muslims and a similar support was also endorsed by a cleric from Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama.” This type of serious allegation against some reputed Muslim organisations of India is nothing but mischief. Ningthoujam had alleged this on the basis of a report of some website, which had no connection with Jamaat e Islami Hind or Nadwatul Ulama. Whereas prior to the release of VIF’s occasional paper, on 7th Nov. 2014, after the three-day session of Central Advisory Committee (CAC) of JIH in New Delhi on 2 to 4 Nov. 2014, resolutions were released to press which were passed by the CAC of JIH. The resolution under the caption ‘The Disquieting Developments in the Muslim World’ includes the following para: “This session condemns the extremist and violent goings-on in the name of ISIL and appeals to the youth not to get influenced by such misleading slogans and appeals as have been declared doubtful and undesirable by eminent Ulema and movements in the Muslim world.”The full text can be accessed on this
The oppressed people in general and the Muslim community in particular is in an urgent need of founding think tanks conducting social, economic and even political research and producing solutions. In an era of propaganda, deceit and falsehood through intellectual write-ups, it is naive to think that the present resources are sufficient to survive and lead a peaceful live. It is time to learn the art of Tit for Tat.
Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, the famous Muslim theologian from the 19th century, says, “It is proved in the Risale-i Nur that today is the time of community. Collective personality dominates. In olden times, since the corruption came from one person, one genius guiding people to the true faith would suffice. But today, it is a collective personality in the form of a community, so only a collective personality can confront it… “However great the geniuses of the persons are, they may be defeated by the genius of community rising from its collective personality…Yes, if three alifs do not unite, they have the value of three, whereas, if they do unite, through the mystery of numbers they acquire the value of one hundred and eleven.”
The lack of effective think tanks among the Muslim community of India is not due to shortage of intellectuals but due to absence of unity among Muslims. This disunity has led to the crisis of leadership and the crisis of leadership has resulted in victimisation. Such think tanks could focus on numerous subjects, such as education, health, poverty, agriculture, exportation, importation, industry, law, ethics, politics, social unity and solidarity, and could come up with solutions. Think tanks can facilitate ways to make Islam relevant to our children and grandchildren in the years to come and once Islam becomes relevant then it will be the panacea for mankind.
The author is a Member of Calcutta Society for Socio-Legal Research (CSSLR) (www.indiacsslr.org) a non-profit organisation addressing the current and future dynamics of the Minorities of India, overall public-awakening activities and research projects.