Destiny of Indian Muslims

The All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, the apex body of all Muslim organisations in India was formed in the convention of Dar al Ulum in Lucknow on August 8, 1964 to deal with the common concerns faced by the Muslims in the country.

The crisis and the uncertainties of the Muslim minority after the partition led to the birth of the organization. It was formed in the wake of deliberate attempts in 50sand 60s in the north Indian cities to eliminate the Muslims carried out under the guise of communal riots. The Muslim community in India was greatly apprehensive of these Fascist approaches towards them. Leading Muslim organizations like Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, MuslimLeague, Jamaat-e-Islami and the country’s eminent personalities played a significant role in the formation of the organization and have been associated with it ever since. Mushawarat started off with Dr Syed Mahmud as its first president with prominent personalities like Sulaiman Sait, Muhammad Muslim and Moulavi Abu lais Nadvi associated with it. It was able to give a sense of direction to the Muslim society which lacked leadership as well as objectives. The organization was therefore seen as an authentic system that represented the Muslim community before the government enduring the Centre’s ploys to annihilate them. Its establishment will therefore be marked in history as a ray of hope for the weak and hapless minority community.

The golden jubilee celebrations of the organization commenced on August 31in Delhi with Vice President Hamid Ansari inaugurating the historic conference. The function hit the headlines when Ansari’s speech was targeted by the Sangh Parivar. He pointed out the poor plight of the Muslims in India reiterating repeatedly the relevance and scope of Mushawarat. Ansari said that the circumstances under which the organization was formed decades before exists even today and urged the government to take appropriate steps at the earliest to improve the situation. He listed out ‘identity and security, education and empowerment and fair share in decision making as the principal problems confronting India's Muslims’. The Right-wing groups promptly attacked him particularly on social media. This is not the first time the Vice Prez who is known for his elegant personality and in-depth knowledge, was targeted by the Sangh Parivar.

The Centre has not taken any effective steps so far and this sloppiness has led to the adversity of the minorities. The Fascist majority which rules the country asserts that there are no such issues as minority concerns and their usual approach is to see the Muslims as secondary citizens. In such a situation expecting any feasible moves from the part of the government for solving the crisis of the Muslim community would be idiotic. The All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat therefore has a huge responsibility on its shoulders. The initial vigour and enthusiasm has gradually decreased. The country’s Muslim population doesn’t feel the organisation’s active presence in their lives. But there is an urgent need of such a system that represents and stand for the community. Only if it can fulfill its responsibilities and duties do the golden jubilee celebrations have relevance. Several political parties scattered across the country and different cultural organizations carry out the community’s affairs. All these efforts should be united and streamlined so as to achieve the main goals that will contribute towards the growth and progress of the Muslim minority in the country.