Another assembly of Muslim intellectuals to brainstorm solutions to address country’s deteriorating situation

New Delhi, 28 May 2022 [Fik/News Sources]: Within a week Delhi on Sunday (May 29) will witness another all-India level conference by a Muslim body to discuss the “subjugation” of the second largest religious community and the deteriorating situation of the country following ascendancy of fascistic Hindutva forces on the national scene.

The organizers of the meet announced that a collaborative platform called the Indian Muslim Intellectuals Council would be launched, which might be a precursor to the formation of a parallel Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat.

Briefing about the details of the  convention billed as “‘the Indian Muslims Intellectual Meet’, former MP Mohammad Adeeb, along with former member Planning Commission Syeda Syedain Hameed and others, said that the day-long congregation of over 300 Muslim intellectuals and eminent citizens would brainstorm on the pressing issues and lay out a roadmap to address these challenges.

He listed out the challenges before the community and the country.

“Attempts by a segment of the society to tear away the secular fabric of the country and the Constitution, the growing hatred against the Muslim community, rampant misuse of governmental institutions and a highly communized atmosphere amidst an alternative scenario where jobs have been lost, incomes has reduced and the country is facing challenges on several other fronts.”

These issues will be top on the mind of the intellectuals from the Muslim community when they collect on Sunday the 29th to discuss and ponder upon topic of ‘The condition of the country, challenges before the Constitution and our responsibilities’ at Aiwan-e-Ghalib Auditorium, Delhi, said the former MP.

He pointed out that in recent years India has been plagued by a low-grade communal fever.

“We’ve arrived at a point where people may be seen celebrating over the cruelty being meted out to members of minority communities, particularly Muslims. Many concerns have been created to harm Muslims, ranging from cow vigilantism and beef consumption leading to mob lynching to love jihad, to peaceful protests against the NRC-CAA being labelled as anti-national”.

He also alleged that the Union government and several BJP ruled states were complicit in these nefarious activities.

“Many state governments have become complacent or complicit bystanders rather than enforcing the law on a variety of topics, including the hijab, halal meat, the muezzin’s azaan, The Kashmir Files, and genocidal calls from saffron-clad saints at several dharma sansads”.

The clear change from the past is that there has been an increased radicalization of the general population even when elections are not on the horizon. It is low intensity violence embedded at the ground level, he added.

When pressed why another assembly is needed just a week after the All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat had a convention? Adeeb quipped he was no longer a member of the Mushawarat as he was expelled from the organisation.

“They (Mushawarat) have not passed a resolution against the current regime in the last six years, nor have they held any conventions to debate the community’s dire predicament. They planned the convention when we initiated some activities in this direction,” he added.

He further said, “We did not extend any invite to community organizations as it is a meet of concerned Muslim individuals with varied experience of various fields in Government and public life like retired Civil Servants (IAS/IPS, etc.), retired judges, armed forces veterans, legal experts/lawyers, technocrats, teachers, religious scholars, journalists, practitioners of politics and human rights activists.

They will converge to deliberate on the issue of formulating an appropriate strategy and approach towards the resolution of the vexed problem both in short term and long term perspective, and keeping the interests of the Nation foremost, said Adeeb.

Various speakers in the Press Conference not only touched upon these issues in general but also form the core component of the Vision Document released during the Conference.

The focus of the meeting will be to examine the current situation and devise a strategy for combating the aggressive and cruel communal forces that are influencing public discourse and endangering our country’s ideals, averred Dr Syeda Hameed.

We will try to offer out-of-the-box answers to the community, rather than following the path that most community organisations do, she added.

Former IAS officer Syed Masood Hussain and former AMU Students Union president Dr Mohammad Azam Baig also addressed the media.

The India Muslim Intellectual Meet’s Vision Document was also released at the press conference. During the Meet on Sunday, an Indian Muslim Intellectuals Council is likely to be constituted.

The proposed council may be a prelude to parallel organization to Muslim Majlis-e- Mushawarat. Adeeb said the Council will be formed from the grass root level.