By Ubair Ul Hameed

Srinagar: Tuesday, three former Ameers (chiefs) of Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir, in a statement said that the charges against the banned organisation are false. The statement came in reaction on mass raids on the banned Jamaat functionaries and cadres conducted by the National Investigation Agency on 8th August 2021.

“Jamaat never believed in agitational politics and had never employed any such methods which might cause any least disturbance in the law and order situation or any kind of strife on the earth. Jamaat always employed propagatory methods, verbal as well as written, to carry forward its mission, programmes and policies which were beneficial for the entire human society. But despite this fact, it was banned and declared as an ‘unlawful association’ a number of times without any rhythm or reason levelling such allegations which had no basis but were all against the facts in total ignorance of the real situation i.e., the tremendous social services in economic and educational fields besides the splendid moral-building activities wherein Jamaat widely propagated against the social evils of dishonesty and extravagance, drug addiction and immoral practices, etc. All these public services were altogether ignored without giving any weightage thereto and on some flimsy and concocted allegations, it was restricted from continuing its selfless noble services to the society at large,” the statement read.

Former leaders of the organization said that the party never indulged in any illegal or immoral activities or practices in order to gain public support as is vogue in modern-day political trends.

“Jamaat always upheld transparency in all its fields of functioning and never employed any deceitful method to gain public support or to grab power. The people associated with Jamaat always demonstrated their higher moral standard wherever they worked and established examples of honesty and dedication and at times, became role models for their co-workers and other companions,” the party said in the statement.

“This fact is once again brought to the notice of the people as well as the state-machinery that Jamaat (now banned) was established in the Indian subcontinent in 1941 and in Jammu and Kashmir, then an independent state ruled by the Dogra dynasty, in 1945 before the partition of 1947. So, it had no role in the creation of the Kashmir issue. And as a lawful organisation, adopted its party constitution in 1953 wherein its aims and objectives are written in unambiguous terms and language and the methodology for achieving its set goals is also clearly mentioned which is peaceful, democratic, upper ground and transparent restricting the use or employment of any illegal or underground method which may cause any kind of strife on earth. Jamaat is meant for the spiritual, moral and social reformation of the society at large by the means of propagation of its teachings in a democratic way,” the statement further read.

Jamaat, in the statement, said that it had nothing to do with the militancy and whenever it was allowed to function, it demonstrated its regard to the democratic and lawful means and methodology and never indulged in any activity which could be remotely called even an “untoward activity”.

“…but despite this fact, this organisation became the most harassed group by the state machinery as well as some political vested interests. The wrong and baseless information against this peaceful and democratic organisation on the basis of which, without verifying the veracity of those concocted allegations, the Jamaat had been banned time and again which was quite against the very spirit of the fundamental freedoms, e.g., freedom to form associations, freedom of speech, freedom of practising, professing and propagating any religion or faith, and freedom of personal liberty, guaranteed both by the U.N. Charter of Human Rights as well as the Constitution of India,” the party said.

In the statement, the party said that it was was as such a socio-political group in J&K with peaceful and democratic agenda having a tremendous public-friendly peaceful record of more than seventy years since its inception in 1945.

“Jamaat has a great record of social services in J&K particularly during the periods of natural calamity and disaster e.g., earthquakes, inundation, fires, etc,” the party said in the statement.

“Jamaat always respected all the human rights regarding the life, property and honour of all human beings and never violated any of these rights. Jamaat never believed in any violence or violent methods but always remained peaceful and supported peaceful democratic methods,” the statement further read.

Jamaat said that it hoped that the ban on it will be lifted forthwith thereby allowing the organisation to work freely for “the cause of humanity so that it is able to continue its social services for the benefit of the society at large in this small region of Jammu and Kashmir”.

The former Jamaat leaders who issued the statement include Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, Sheikh Mohammad Hassan and Mohammad Abdullah Wani.

The statement comes after over two years of the ban on the organisation under the anti-terror Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

NIA raids on Jamat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir

The NIA on August 8 conducted searches at 56 locations across all 10 districts of Kashmir and four districts of Jammu in pursuance of an order from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs relating to alleged separatist and secessionist activities of Jamaat.

The NIA had claimed that the members of the banned organisation have been collecting funds domestically and abroad through donations purportedly to further charity and other welfare activities but the funds are instead being used for violent and secessionist activities.

“The funds raised by Jamaat are also being channelised to proscribed militant organisations such as Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and others through well-organised networks of Jamaat cadres. Jamaat has also been motivating impressionable youth of Kashmir and recruiting new members (Rukuns) in J&K to participate in disruptive secessionist activities,” the NIA said in a statement.

The NIA also said that during the searches, various incriminating documents and electronic devices were seized from the premises of the raided suspects.

Ban on Jamat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir

The Government of India on February 28, 2019, had declared Jamaat-e-Islami as an “unlawful association” for five years under anti-terror laws on grounds that it was “in close touch” with militant outfits and was likely to “escalate secessionist movement, support militancy and incite violence in the country”.