By Badre Alam Khan for TwoCircles.net
With elections at the India Islamic Cultural Centre (IICC) just a day away, the concerned candidates spent the whole week mobilising voters through conferences and symposium and putting their elections agenda on social media. In this context, a meeting was also organised at the Jamia Milia Islamiya Campus in Delhi on January 4 at the Ansari Auditorium. Veteran Congress leader Salman Khurshid supported the penal led by Arif Mohammad Khan, while others spoke and shared thoughts while putting their election agendas and demanded the support from members. For the first time in the history of IICC, one cannot deny the fact that current election has become more ‘crucial’ and caste, region, political lines, personality cults etc are indirectly involved in mobilising the voters. However, unlike earlier elections when Seerajuddin Qureshi defeated Khurshid for the post of president, it is interesting to note that this time both presidential candidates–Arif Mohammad Khan, belonging to upper caste and Serajuddin Qureshi, coming from the Pasmanda caste–are considered pro-Narendra Modi. In short, unlike earlier, this time both candidates are somehow ‘sympathetic’ or at least not so critical to the Modi’s government on various issues. At a time when the Muslim community and most of the political parties, ranging from Congress, Left forces and regional parties are opposing the recent ‘Triple talaq Bill’, both candidates don’t have a very different view from that of the Modi government. Arif Khan, at least in the past, was more vocal and often made a strong critique of the ‘fundamentalist forces’ for keeping Muslim backward through interpreting Islam in a very orthodox manner. In the same way, Qureshi (who is contesting for the post of President this time) had also recently organised a talk on the book ‘Exam warriors’ written by PM Modi.
However, for the post of president, caste factor, personality cult, political background may work more than other issues. Before coming to the present discussions, it is important to understand the core objectives and activities of the India Islamic Culture Centre.
Since the inception of IIIC in the late 1980s, it has been seen as a platform for the conducting seminars, academic conferences and organising public lectures concerning national and international issues. Moreover, the IICC is also the centre for promoting the ‘Interfaith dialogue’ by inviting the different religious communities’ leaders and thereby prompting ‘communal harmony’ amongst the various communities. Besides, IICC was also the centre for preparing the various exams for Muslims and non-Muslim young student mostly belonging to the socio-economic marginalised groups. They have also provided and conducted workshop mainly related to the English communications skills and other educational and social activities.
The main thrust of the centre is conducting programmes and activities from the lens of Islamic ethos and teachings of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). In short, the centre has also tried to give the ‘real Islamic’ teaching in the context of the India society. To put it differently, the task of the centre is to cherish the larger ‘Indian composite culture’ and civilizations and try to reconcile with Islamic culture, inscribed in the Islamic philosophy and teachings of the Prophet based on the Quranic Text.
It must also be noted that the IICC objectives are not supposed to promote any particular sects or Masalak. Its members include representatives of different schools of thoughts within the Muslim community and outside the community from varied backgrounds such as community think tanks, senior IAS and IPS officers, politicians, businessmen etc. Besides, IICC’s founding members were committed to raises the minority issues related to research and development, focus on the problems of confronted by minorities in this country. Secondly, the centre should also stand for protecting the fundamental rights of the minority as mentioned in the Indian constitution.
Keeping these objectives in mind, the meeting was held at JMI last evening which was conducted by the Shakeel Uzzma Ansari in which Arif Mohammad Khan (who is considered as a strong contender for the post of president against the incumbent Serajuddin Qureshi this time) reiterated and stressed that if he got the support from the members, who currently number more than 3,200, he will perform according to IIC objectives and keep the welfare of the larger humanity in mind. During the conference, Salman Khurshid requested concerned members to vote and support Arif Mohammad Khan and his panel which include the former DGP and MW Ansari, former secretary, Maulana Azad Education Foundation.
The voting is expected to take place on Sunday, January 6 from 10 am to 5 pm. The result of elections is supposed to be declared late evening after all the votes have been compiled.
The author is a PhD candidate at the University of Delhi