IIPM makes business education truly global: As Jamiat contends that Kashmir is an integral part of India, it is a bold first initiative taken by any Indian Muslim organisation

IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management

Troubled valley: Deoband ruffles Kashmir's separatist feathers

"Not only Kashmir but Kashmiri people are also an integral part of India,"

was the one-line message that came out of the Kashmir Conference convened by Jamiat-e-Ulema Hind in Deoband recently. On the need and purpose of the conference, Rajya Sabha member and leader of Jamiat-e-ulema Hind Maulana Mehmood Madni told TSI, "It is the history of Jamiat-e-Ulema Hind that it has always raised its voice against injustice and oppression. This conference is also a voice against the injustice being meted out to the Kashmiri people." He further added, "Excessive use of force is not a solution for any problem. It further complicates the problem."

The largest Muslim organisation of the Sunni school of thought, Jamiat-e-Ulema Hind, took an unusual decision of holding a Kashmir Conference in Deoband, thousands of kilometres away from the troubled Valley.

People in Deoband raised questions over this conference but the organisers were upbeat about the response. Kamal Farooqui, member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), said, "The decision to hold this conference was not a spontaneous and sudden one. We deliberated at length and even sent a delegation comprising several people including Swami Agnivesh and Mazhar Hussain to know the ground realities and get the feel."

He told TSI that "It is a very bold step of Jamiat-e-Ulema Hind because Indian Muslim organisations have always feared to take up the cause of the Kashmiri people." He further says, "The situation in Kashmir is totally different from the past because earlier there was the involvement of Pakistan-based ISI but now things have changed. There are certain issues which can be addressed within the framework of Indian Constitution."

On the question of the Kashmiri people having not welcomed the conference and that Valley people talk of nothing less than independence, Kamal Farooqui said, "The reaction that is coming from Kashmir with regard to Deoband conference is very positive. As far as the question of independence is concerned, the meaning of autonomy is nothing but independence only. The government has already given them some autonomy which means there is a scope for further negotiation. Thus, the things can be sorted out within the framework of the Constitution of India".

Throwing light on Jamiat’s role in the country's freedom struggle and praising the latest initiative, senior journalist M.J. Akbar, in his address, warned, "Any further partition of the country would be very dangerous for Indian Muslims because it is the Indian Muslims who have suffered maximum due to partition." Noted scribe Aziz Burney said, "This conference would send a message that atrocities on Kashmiri people should end." Former BJP leader Dr J. K. Jain said, "Every patriotic Indian is concerned about the developments in Kashmir and the Kashmiri people should not talk of a separate homeland because Kashmir is an integral part of India and Kashmiri people are our brothers." Secretary of Jamiat-e-Islami Hind Mujtaba Farooq said, "There is a need to win the hearts of the Kashmiri people without which this issue cannot be addressed."

Echoing similar sentiments, AIMPLB spokesman Dr Qasim Rasool Ilyas, said, "The beautiful face of Indian democr

acy has been tarnished in Kashmir." He added, "We are proud that we live in a democratic country and the Kashmir issue should be resolved through negotiations." In his address, Maulana Aijaz Ul Hasan Qasmi of Kashmir asked the audience: "What is the fault of the Kashmiri people? They only want which was promised by the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, at various forums. Prominent activist Swami Agnivesh demanded that an enquiry commission should be set up to probe the deaths of 110 people in the recent violence in the Valley. He further demanded, "Troops should be withdrawn from the Valley. If the number of police personnel in the state is less, then recruit local Kashmiri youths."

On the question that how fruitful this conference would be in restoration of peace in Kashmir, a resident of Delhi, Iqbal Zafar, said, "It is a complicated issue but it is a welcome initiative." He further said, "Instead of demanding independence, Kashmiri youths should ask for development, better educational facilities, more job opportunities and welfare of the common people."

At the end of the conference, an 11-point resolution was passed demanding restoration of peace in the Valley. An appeal went out to Kashmiri leaders and protestors to abjure the violent path and instead adopt peaceful democratic means for voicing their grievances. Jamiat sent a very strong message to the Kashmiri people that it stands with them and supports their lawful demands.

Though the Jamiat-e-Ulema Hind, which enjoys the largest following among Indian Muslims, played a very important role in India's struggle for freedom and is always ready to take up Muslim issues, it has always steered clear of commenting on Kashmir. Two years back, the organisation condemned acts of terrorism but like other Muslim organisations, it was scared of speaking on the Kashmir issue. That way this initiative is indeed a bold one. They have already started feeling the heat because anti-Jamiat voices from the Valley have already started making themselves heard.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Arindam Chaudhuri: We need Hazare's leadership
Run after passion and not money, says Arindam Chaudhuri
IIPM BBA MBA B-School: Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize To Irom Chanu Sharmila
Award Conferred To Irom Chanu Sharmila By IIPM
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm - Planman Consulting
IIPM Lucknow – News article in Economic Times and Times of India

Labels: IIPM, Indian-Muslim-organisation, Jamiat-e-ulema, Kashmir