By Manzar Bilal, TwoCircles.net,
In first week of February I was in Kolkata to attend the 3-day vehicle rally jointly organized by West Bengal unit of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind (JUH) and Public Democratic Conference of India (PDCI) to campaign for reservation for Muslims. This rally was backed by several social, religious and political parties.
First day in Kolkata, one of the busiest cities in India, we saw a little number of people showing interest towards attending the rally. I think the main reason behind it was like other big city of the country Muslims of this city are also divided into various groups and one does not care of other’s call seriously though it is in the favor of whole community. But, yes, this unique kind of campaign succeeded to draw the attention of people to at least think about the issue. In many places people not only Muslims but also non-Muslims appreciated Maulana Siddiqullah Chaudhry who was leading the rally.
When this rally reached to villages of 24 Paragana, Bashir Hat, Howrah and Hoogly, it was welcomed by people in large numbers who were eagerly waiting for the rally at different places. This showed the root strength of JUH in rural areas of West Bengal.
Indeed Maulana Siddiqullah Chaudhry, General Secretary of the state JUH, spent energy and time to strengthen the JUH in West Bengal. Therefore, Bengali Muslims have lot of respects for him. JUH has a long history in West Bengal, it is here that former JUH president and freedom fighter Maulana Hussain Ahmad Madani imparted religious education and worked for Muslims for years from the platform of JUH during freedom struggle.
Though three Muslim organizations-JUH, All India Milli Council and Mojaddidia Foundation- have organized their conferences separately in Kolkata to raise voice for Muslim reservation in last week of January, but it was JUH which succeeded in bringing a sea of people to the state capital which gave a big jolt to the state government. Almost all leading Urdu, English and Bengali newspapers and news channels gave full coverage of the JUH program.
For Maulana Siddiqullah gathering lakhs of people or getting media attention is not the goal. He got into the task of mobilizing people through out the state by launching a state wide contact rally. He believes mass mobilization is the democratic way to get one’s demand fulfilled in a secular country.
This movement gave state government sleepless nights and the state government hurriedly announced to give 10% reservation to Muslims in employment, a major victory for the Maulana and Muslims of West Bengal.
It was not the first time when Maulana Chaudhry emerged first to make government accountable before the community but he has done this at different time including standing up against state government for snatching the land of poor people in Nandigram. He held nearly 100 big and small programs and united many social and religious groups as well as political parties for the issue which forced the government to withdraw its decision.
A simple Muslim cleric with extraordinary enthusiasm, Maulana Siddiqullah Chaudhry is a well-known name in West Bengal among Muslims as well as in political circles of the state.
Besides being head of the JUH he is president of Rabita Madaris-e-Islamia Arabia of West Bengal which supervises 750 Madarsas of the state and holds state level exam every year for students of these madarsas. He is also associated with many religious and social organizations which puts him in a favorable position among both common Muslims as well as Ulema.
Like other JUH leaders he was also a Congressman but he learned from long years of experience of working for the society that to have own political platform is essential to solve community problems. To take part actively in politics he with the help of some other people Muslims and non-Muslims formed a political party People Democratic Conference of India (PDCI).
In fact he is a pious and sincere man who wants to uplift the downtrodden people and to fight against discrimination again the Muslims and other downtrodden communities. Because of his services he is considered respectful leader by Muslims of the state. Though he has been able to gather large crowd to Kolkata but somehow he is not able to translate this street cash to political capital.
Maulana Siddiqullah Chaudhry
Though Maulana Siddiqullah Chaudhry believes that community problems cane be solved by collective efforts. That is why on several occasions he invited community leaders to sit together to think over community issue. But he failed to unite the community leaders to a potent political force. His dream to get political empowerment has seen some success in panchayat elections but nothing beyond that.
TwoCircles.net talked to some Muslim leaders to know their opinions about Maulana Siddiqullah Chaudhry, though some criticized him but most of them appreciated his efforts and wished to see him as a successful leader in the future.
Advocate Abdur Rab Bin Ismail, president of Indian National League, West Bengal, was critical to Maulana Siddiqullah Chaudhry saying that all his activities are just to establish himself politically in the state.
“No political party has harmed Indian Muslim as much as Congress, Chaudhry was Congressman but did not leave the party or raised the voice against the atrocities of the party,” he said, adding “Yes, at the time when Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi became the president of West Bengal Congress Party, Chaudhry was expected to be given the post of general secretary but it did not happen which made him quit the party.”
“All what he is doing are not for the Muslim Ummah on the contrary these are political gimmick and he is trying to make his political career” he charged.
“Being head of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind he has good name among the community. He is making efforts for the cause of community. On reservation issue he has brought many leaders from different groups on one platform which, no doubt, left a good impact” told Rahmat Ali, Amir of West Bengal unit of Jamat Islami Hind.
“In politics he is yet to gain strength. So far, his party does not have much of hold. But if he contests election as allies to any existing political front he may get some seats. Otherwise it will be difficult,” he added.
“It is true that one can not justify the book just seeing the cover. So, what he is doing in the state is appreciable and in the favor of community but whether it is for political gain or just for the service of the community I can not decide, Allah knows best” said Shamim Ahmad, a social activist.
“Though he does not have much effect among Urdu speaking Muslims but he is a grand man among Bengali Muslims who are 96% of total Muslims of the state. So, he may come out with good result in next assembly election,” Ahmad offered.
Working the streets
While giving his remark on Siddiqullah Chaudhry, Mr. Zaidul Haq, editor Aponzone, a Bengali weekly, said that undoubtedly he has a clean image among the people. He also said that as JUH leader he has more fans but not because he is PDCI chief. Therefore, many of his fans are still supporting CPIM or Congress instead of supporting PDCI.
“On reservation issue he raised voice effectively and when state government announced 10% reservation for OBC Muslims he welcomed that saying something is better that nothing but at the same time he demanded government to extend it to all Muslims. But unfortunately he was misquoted by some local newspapers that he is fully in agreement with government proposed reservation,” he said.
Acknowledging the role that Chaudhry played on Nandigram issue, Haq said, “Indeed he was the hero of Nandigram movement. He alone made government sleepless. At that time when I visited Nandigram people of the area including non-Muslims were giving credit to Maulana Chaudhry for successful movement. But at last moment Mamata Banerjee joined the issue and by the virtue of political manipulation she put Chaudhry aside.”
“In last LS election his party was about to win 2-3 seats but due to some mistakes its votes got split. They also failed to choose appropriate candidates that fit for the constituencies and also it was blunder to contest under the banner of AIUDF flag because it divided PDCI workers and supporters,” he added.
Nevertheless, he hoped that Maulana Chaudhry may emerge as crucial factor in next assembly election. “His party may get success in 8-10 seats in Assembly election because these are stronghold of PDCI and Maulana Chaudhry has an edge in that” he expressed.
India has a long tradition of religious leaders who also jumped into the political field. Maulana Abul Klam Azad, Maulana Mohammd Ali, Maulana Shaukat Ali, Maulana Hasrat Mohani and Maulana Hussain Ahmad Madani were practical Islamic scholars and simultaneously they were successful and accepted politicians. A new breed of Ulema such as Maulana Badruddin Ajmal Qasmi, Maulana Asrarul Haq Qasmi, Mufti Ismail Qasmi have actively participated in the politics and entered Parliament and Assembly. Will Maulana Siddiqullah Chaudhry be able to add his name to this esteemed list? We have to wait till next state assembly election in 2011.
[All photos: TwoCircles.net]