The Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind is one of countless organisations that claim to represent Muslims in India. However, unlike most others, the Jamiat stands out because of its track record. It was at the forefront of the freedom movement and vehemently opposed the country’s partition. More recently it played a leading role in rallying Muslims against terrorism, even getting the clergy to issue a fatwa against terrorism.
The emerging Jamiat leadership in the form of Rajya Sabha MP Mehmood Madani held out great hope to those looking for a new leadership to shift the community’s focus from non-issues and take it forward. He showed great courage in getting the clergy to take a clear and unequivocal stand against terrorism, thereby depriving terrorists from camouflaging their nefarious activities under the garb of religion.
But the Jamiat appears to have undone much of its good work and disappointed liberal-minded Muslims like me by needlessly raking up the Vande Mataram issue and passing retrogressive resolutions, particularly those aimed at stifling the growth of women.
The Vande Mataram issue is not something that exercises the Muslim mind anymore. It was settled long ago, after two controversial paragraphs were removed from the song. Though it’s not compulsory to sing it, many proud Muslims, me included, see no harm in singing it when required. I fail to understand the point in raising the issue at this juncture, except that it gives some people a chance to point a finger at the community.
Equally irrelevant and archaic is the Jamiat’s resolution calling on the community to avoid watching cinema and television. In a day and age in which connectivity and knowledge are buzzwords, asking the community to stop watching TV cannot be a step forward by any yardstick.
What the community needs is leaders and organisations with a vision and an agenda for the future. It requires a leadership that focuses on issues like education, employment, security and health care. Not a leadership that reinforces its persecution complex and fears. A leadership that is prepared to show the way forward, not backwards.
