New Delhi, May 23: The two day General Session of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind held here last week, though escaped the prying eyes of media, has set an all-encompassing thought provoking agenda. Although, the organization is focused on the well-being of the Muslim community, it has never lost sight of the national and international issues, which is reflective in over a dozen resolutions passed during the meet with a focus on fostering brotherhood among the communities.
Significantly, the Jamiat, which has a track record of having played a frontal role in the country’s freedom struggle, has found a common ground with the prevailing mood in Kashmir regarding the role of security forces and the utility and “misuse” of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and Public Safety Act (PSA). In a separate resolution on Kashmir, Jamiat called for revocation of these contentious laws from Kashmir in addition to raising questions on the role of the security forces.
Although, the General Session confined itself to basic issues concerning Kashmir, the resolution also talks of resolving the “long pending” demands of the people of the region but within the Constitutional framework of the country. There could be perceptional differences on this observation in the Valley but the overview of the prevailing situation vis-à-vis the day-to-day problems faced by the people needs a closer look. Of greater significance is the Jamiat demand for setting up an independent, impartial and transparent commission of enquiry into serious human rights violations and return of the missing youth.
“We share the Kashmiris’ grief as citizens of India and support their rightful demands. Interests of Kashmiris are not separate from the interests of Indian Muslims,” the Jamiat president Maulana Qari Syed Muhammed Usman Mansoorpuri and its general secretary Maulana Mahmood Madni said.
Certain sections of the media has rather sarcastically questioned the Jamiat’s resolution on according rights to women on the plea that the organization has zero representation of the fair sex in its male dominated hierarchical structure. Referring to the significance of women, the Jamiat has reminded that Islam has given unparalleled rights to women. It has demanded inheritance rights for women in agricultural land.
Their thrust was also on women education. Education of women is a matter of great importance. Islam does not propagate gender discrimination on this front but, of course, it prohibits co-education and unveiling, a resolution devoted to women stated.
The Jamiat has also expressed serious concern on what it termed as the fading concept of nationalism. Discourage religious animosity, rise above narrow and sectarian thinking and unitedly fight against all forms of extremism and attempts to divide the society on social, religious and communal lines, was the message.
Despite a raging debate on the efficacy of the demand for Muslim reservation, the Jamiat has made a strong pitch for such a move. Muslims should be provided reservation in all walks of life proportionate to the community’s population, a separate resolution read.
Appreciating the economic growth registered by the country in the recent past, the organization strongly felt that its benefits have not reached the poor and deprived sections of the society.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 23 May 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
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