COORDINATION COMMITTEE OF INDIAN MUSLIMS, representing all major Indian Muslim organizations organized a PEOPLES’ CONVENTION today, Monday, 3rd November, 2008 on “Restore the Constitution; Make a communalism- and terror-free India at Delhi.
Speakers included Shri Deve Gowda, former Prime Minister of India, Shri AB Bardhan, General Secretary, Communist Party of India, Shri D Raja and Shri Atul Anjan, secretaries of the Communist Party of India, Shri Sita Ram Yachuri, MP and leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Shri Shahid Siddiqui, MP and General Secretary, Bahujan Samaj Party, Ms Seema Mustafa, senior journalist, Shri Tej Singh, President, Ambedkar Samaj Party, Shri Arshad Azmi, President, National Loktantrik Party, Shri Muhammad Sulaiman, President, Indian National League, Maulana Abdul Hameed Nomani, Secretary, Jamiat Ulama-e Hind and Shri BishiruddinSharqi, President, Students Islamic Organisation. The conference was presided over by Maulana Jalaluddin Ansar Umari, President, Jamaat-e Islami Hind and started with a keynote address by Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, President, All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat.
Following are the resolutions passed by the conference:
PEOPLES’ CONVENTION
On “Restore the Constitution;
Make a communalism- and terror-free India
Monday, 3rd November, 2008
Held by the
COORDINATION COMMITTEE OF INDIAN MUSLIMS
At Aiwan-e Ghalib, Mata Sundri Lane, Near ITO, New Delhi
RESOLUTIONS
1. This People’s Convention, representing all major Indian Muslim organizations and secular forces in the country, resolves to work for the restoration of the rule of law in our country and to make it free from the scourge of terrorism and communalism which threaten our secular and constitutional framework.
2. The Convention reiterates that Islam and Muslims are fundamentally opposed to terrorism as Islam and its holy book, The Qur’an, categorically forbid killing anyone unjustly and by unjust means. The Indian Muslim community through umpteen conferences and religious scholars and institutions has issued clear fatwas denouncing terrorism as an act totally forbidden in Islam. The Muslim community is opposed to terrorism whatever its source and shape.
3. We declare that the Indian Muslim community and all secular forces are contributing to usher in a terror-free India where all communities and segments of society may flourish and contribute to the progress and welfare of the country. We believe that existing laws are sufficient to deal with the scourge of terrorism.
4. We clearly reject giving unlimited authority to the police. We, in particular, reject the legal sanctity to “confessions” given to the police and making bail applications more difficult for those accused of terrorism. No other law in India makes “confessions” to the police admissible in courts and the anti-terror law too must not be an exception. The Indian police is highly discredited in the eyes of the public because it normally resorts to third degree torture which along with fake encounters, kidnappings and illegal detention amounts to State Terrorism. In all terrorism cases, where the police fails to file charge-sheets within a reasonable time-frame like six months, the accused should automatically get an automatic bail.
5. We make it clear that the style of provocative searches and encounters is unacceptable in a democratic society. It always smacks of a preplanned conspiracy and betrays the police’s inability or unwillingness to face courts of law. More specifically, we reject the Batla-house style of encounter killings. Since there is widespread skepticism about the police story we demand a high-level judicial enquiry into the Batla House encounter so that all facts may come out.
6. This convention registers its displeasure at the print and electronic media which blindly reproduces leaks attributed to unknown security agencies and starts media trial by blaming the Muslim community minutes after any terrorist incident. This leads to instability in the country and ill-will towards the whole Muslim community.
7. This convention is relieved to note that at last our fears have been vindicated that a large number of terrorist blasts were conducted by Hindutva terrorist organizations like VHP, Bajrang Dal, Shri Ram Sena, Hindu Munnani, Hindu Jagran Manch, Yuva Hindu Vahini, Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, ABVP and Durga Vahini etc, which are targeting Muslim and Christian communities in a number of states. There should not be double standards when dealing with terrorists.
8. Registering our strong displeasure at the utter disinterest shown by the security agencies towards umpteen cases of Hindutva terrorism unearthed during the last few years at places like Nanded, Tenkasi, Kanpur, Thane, Panvel etc., we demand that no partiality should be shown in the investigations to uncover the tip of the iceberg which has come out as a result recent investigations and blasts in which these criminal elements were involved. Any laxity or politicization of this issue will only prolong the agony of the country and make the fight against terrorism that much more difficult.
9. This convention registers its deep concern that senior retired as well as serving army officers are involved in Hindutva terrorism. The Union Government should take serious note of this issue and form a committee to purge the army of such dangerous elements who are a threat to national security.
10. This convention realizes that Hindutva elements through their acts of terrorism and communal riots aim at polarizing the Indian society on communal lines in order to reap political benefit which is reprehensible and condemnable. We ask all sections of society to oppose this threat to our communal harmony.
11. This convention appeals to the people of all faiths and beliefs to unite and strengthen the secular and constitutional framework of the country.
Mujtaba Farooq, Convenor, Coordination Committee & Secretary, Jamaat-e Islami Hind
Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, President, All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat
Ml. Abdul Hameed Nomani, Acting General Secretary, Jamiat Ulama-e Hind
Ml. Abdul Wahab Khilji, Asstt General Secretary, All India Milli Council
Ml. Mahmoodul Hasan, President, Jamiat Ahl-e Hadees, Delhi Pradesh
Dr Taslim Rahmani, President, Muslim Political Council
Ml. Zeeshan Hidayati, Chairman, Majlis-e Fikr-o Amal
Irfanullah Khan, Chairman Jamia Nagar Coordination Committee
Ml. Jalal Haidar Naqvi, Secretary, Majlis-e Ulama-e Islam
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