By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net
AJMER: Not only cutting across various sects in the Muslim community, prominent religious leaders of different other faiths were also perched on the dais giving a strong message loud and clear that India’s age old tradition of Unity in Diversity is still alive and kicking.
Massive gathering at the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind public meeting in Ajmer at the conclusion of 33rd general session of JUH
This scenario was on display at the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (JUH) public meeting in Ajmer at the conclusion of the 33rd national general session of JUH on Sunday at the Kayad Vishram Sthali about 15 kms away on the outskirts of historical city.
The stage was decorated with Muslim clerics of all sects, and caretakers of shrine of Sufi saint Hazrat Khawja Moinuddin Chishti (R) who is remembered as “Ghareeb Nawaz” represented by the office-bearers of the Anjuman Syed Zadgan of Dargah Ajmer and Professor Akhtar-ul-Wasey, former trustee of Ajmer Dargah along with Maulana Tauqueer Raza Khan, chief of the Bareilly sect.
Religious heads of other faiths who graced the dais to make the picture perfect were Swami Chidanand Saraswati, Acharya Lokesh Muni, Pandit N. K. Sharma and Dalit leader Ashok Bharti, the chairman of the National Conference of Dalit Organisations, (NACDOR).
The above conglomeration representing the Unity in Diversity was a strong rap on the divisionary tactics of the governments of the day vehemently backed by the saffron brigade which has been busy targeting Muslims, Dalits and Adivasis ever since the BJP-led Narendra Modi’s NDA Government came to power in May 2014 at the centre. If it was earlier “Ghar Wapsi”; “Love Jihad”; Beef politics; “Gaurakshaks”; it is nowadays the melodrama of Triple Talaq and Uniform Civil Code controversy threatening to rip apart communal harmony and peace and thereby severely jeopardise the National Integration of the country.
As such in this backdrop a clarion call was given to forge unity amongst Muslims, Dalits and Adivasis to unite against the injustices being meted out to them and to all the oppressed. A resolution of Muslim-Dalit-Adivasi unity was also passed by voice vote. It also stressed need of forging unity with Dalits and backward classes and asking to all Muslims to maintain cordial relations with members of every section of the society for strengthening the national unity.
Maulana Niaz Ahmad Faruqi while reading the resolution asserted that Jamiat will fight against social injustice meted out to the Dalits and Adivasis.
The eight-point Ajmer declaration warned the Union Government that if Uniform Civil code is imposed on this country or interference made in the Muslim Personal Law, then our status will not be of a free citizen. The declaration also condemned triple talaq at one go and appealed to every sections of the Muslim society to make stride to eliminate this wrong practice.
View of Unity in Diversity: Muslims of various sects and leaders of other faiths hold hands to emphasise unity.
On rising communal incidents in the country since the present government came to power, JUH general secretary Maulana Madani said the Jamiat has been pressing upon the previous governments to pass anti-communal valence law but unfortunately they did not heed this demand.
The resolution states: “Jamiat considers communal harmony as the pre-condition for the security and integrity of the country. It regards incidence of communal riots as a blot on the face of the nation and stumbling block in the country’s progress. It’s the primary duty of the Government to maintain peace and security in the country. It must not allow communal disturbance. Therefore this session of the Jamiat demands from the Central and the state Governments to enact anti- Communal violence law.”
It also expressed deep concern over declining representation of Muslims in different walks of life and made several demands for rectifying the situation including reservations and scraping of religious bar from the Article 341 .
In his presidential address, Jamiat president Maulana Mohammad Usman Mansoorpuri especially touched upon the sectarian differences among Muslims adding that it is a call of time that every sects should be on a common platform on issues related to the nation and community. In the past, he warned that sectarian differences among Muslims have caused harm to the nation and the Muslim world.