Eminent Muslim leaders call for introspection at Lucknow meet
LUCKNOW : A conclave on ‘Constitution and Civil Rights of Indian Muslims’ featuring Muslim leaders, including former governors, chief ministers and Union ministers, was held in Lucknow where the community leaders while claiming the minority voice was getting sidelined also called for “introspection.”
“If community is not aware of its rights, leaders like us too are to be blamed,” former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Farooq Abdullah said at the conference organised by Indian Muslims for Civil Rights — an organisation thought to be the voice of minorities.
“What are the clerics doing now? Is their conduct above board? But, it’s time to keep the faith. Don’t let despondency grip you. Keep the faith, times will change,” Abdullah added.
At the conference, many leaders like Farooq Abdullah and IMCR chief Mohammad Adeeb, a former Rajya Sabha MP, even broke down while making their speeches. The leaders also said the community and its leaders too were to be blamed for the “sad state of affairs it finds itself in today”.
“This country is where our fathers and forefathers lived, fought for our freedom and now lie buried. We stand for communal amity and it hurts if we are subjected to derogatory remarks, called names,” Adeeb said. Some leaders also cautioned against “Mukhbir” (the word means informer but it was said in the context of black sheep)” within the community.
Former Union minister and Congress veteran Salman Khurshid said, “We have to ponder over why Muslims have rejected us by not voting for us? But then we want to be the voice of all the oppressed and downtrodden.”
Congress leader and social worker Tariq Siddiqui said, “The community leaders are not being able to guide us well. We need to understand the reality.” Former deputy speaker, Rajya Sabha, K Rahman Khan said: “The biggest mistake of Muslims is that they continued to believe that the government will give everything... We didn’t focus on education and educating the community.”
Former U.P. governor Aziz Qureshi, said, “We must use Gandhian method to oppose all anti-constitutional methods that are being adopted. We have a great legacy. Don’t forget that during Raj days, it was the Deoband ulema that had given the fatwa against the British.” Former U.P. DGP Javeed Ahmad said it was essential to make the community aware of its civil rights.