Thousands vow to fight against fascism in Popular Front of India’s conference

By Muslim Mirror News

NEW DELHI: : Thousands of activists belonging to Popular Front of India  thronged  Indira Gandhi  Stadium to participate in People’s Rights Conference and  vowed to fight unitedly against fascism in order to protect  constitutional rights and the pluralistic culture of the nation on Sunday.

‘We should not be foolish enough to dream that fascist forces can be tamed by appeasing them, if we can learn lessons from the past and present. On the other hand, building alliances with those forces that are against communal fascism will be recorded in history as the wisest mission undertaken by our generation’ said  Anis Ahmad, National secretary, Front , while delivering the keynote address in the day-long conference organised by Front.

Anis Ahmed pointed out difference between 2014 elections and 2019 stating that the BJP had relied on fake promises for coming to power in 2014 but it sought vote in 2019 only by polarising  Hindus.  Referring to Triple Talaq bill, he said, the government is not sincere about the women safety citing the recent rape cases against BJP leaders.

Prof. Baljinder Singh (Khalsa College, Amritsar)addressing the conference.

In his inaugural speech E. Abubacker, chairman of Popular Front of India, said that hate environment is pervading the country is  following the fascist policies of the present government. At present the Hindutva forces have inculcated hate among caste Hindus against Dalits, and among Hindus against Muslims. Abubacker said that ever since Modi Government came to power we have been hearing big slogans. At one time it was “Congress Mukt Bharat”. Now it is “One country, One party”. Later on it will turn to be “One party, One Ruler”.

He also came down heavily on the slogans of “one nation and one language” and “one nation and one law”. We are witnessing the dire consequence of such slogans, in what is happening in Kashmir after the abrogation of the Article 370, Abubacker pointed out.

Abubacker touched upon a host of pressing issues and policies including lynching, polarization, hatred, NRC, Kashmir, Babri Masjid and draconian legislations etc. He said the economy is going downward while the government has failed on each fronts.  He said the government has no clue how to overcome the economic crisis.  He said we do not need to worry more about the fascist regime as the politics of polarization and Hindutva is on the wane.

Dr. Mufti Mukarram Ahmed, Shahi Imam, Masjid Fatehpuri, Delhi, said attempts have been made to cow down the Muslim community but they  won’t succeed in it.  He underlined the sacrifices and contributions of Muslims in building the country. He said unity and harmony cannot be achieved by ignoring minorities and weaker sections.

Mahant Yugal Kishore Sharan Shastri from Ayodhya said “Hindutva terrorism is the real danger to unity and integrity.”  Criticizing the mob-lynching incidents, Yugal Shastri suggested that said we should resist mob-lynching. He also criticized the government action on Kashmir saying it has alienated the people of Kashmir further.

Sikh community representative, Prof. Baljinder Singh (Khalsa College, Amritsar) criticized the government for the revocation of the Article 370 and Article 35A. He said the article 370 was the bridge between Jammu and Kashmir and India but the rulers scrapped it without realizing its consequences.

S.M.Anwar Hussain ex president of AMUSU said ‘Untill 4th August we Indian used to say that Kashmir was ours Kashmir is ours and Kashmir will remain ours, but on 5th August after the abrogation of 370 and 35A, we as Indians lost our legal and moral claims over Kashmir.Kashmiris shouls be given their political rights.

Other prominent persons  who spoke on the occasion were Anis Ansari,  A.S Ismail, Ms Lubna Minhaj Siraj (Vice President, National Women’s Front); Adv. Sharafuddin Ahmed (National Vice President, SDPI); S.M. Anwar Hussain (Ex. President, AMU Students Union); M S Sajid (National President, Campus Front of India); Ashok Bharti (Principal Advisor, NACDAOR); Ms Mehrunnisa Khan (National President, Women India Movement); Mufti Hanif Ahrar Qasmi (N. Gen. Secretary, All India Imams Council); Mohammad Ilyas, Programme Convener, (Vote of thanks).    Meanwhile, Syed Khalilur Rahman Sajjad Nomani (Spokesperson, AIMPLB) spoke through video conferencing.

During the People’s Right Conference a  nine-point  declaration was announced by M. Mohammed Ali Jinnah and passed by the audience.

This People’s Rights Conference demanded the government to withdraw from all moves that infringes people’s rights, discriminates among people and denies justice to minorities and weaker sections.  “This conference reminded all sections of the society of their fundamental right to Live without Fear and Live with Dignity and of their responsibility to join hands to defeat communal, fascist and sectarian forces.”

The Declaration said the hasty steps taken by the Ministry of Home Affairs to make inoperative Article 370 and 35A and massive deployment of security forces in Jammu and Kashmir and demotion of the autonomous state to mere union territory have made the province into an open sky prison. Reports coming from the Valley say that thousands are in jail including children, and that the security forces are conducting night raids and picking up people and torturing them. The officially condoned violence in the valley has morphed into myriad forms unreported by the submissive Indian media, the Declaration stated.

The Declaration also said the Babri Masjid was built in Ayodhya by Muslims in 1528 and they were offering prayers till the forceful and unlawful installation of deities in the Masjid in 1949. The ongoing Ayodhya case in Supreme Court is to decide the ownership of the Masjid property which was later illegally demolished by Hindutva forces in 1992.  Hence justice lies in rebuilding the Babri Masjid on the same site and punishing all the culprits responsible for demolition. As in the case of any other title suit, this case has to be adjudged on the basis of facts on record and not on the basis of the religious beliefs and sentiments of either party. According to religion and law of Islam, it is learned that no individual or group has authority to hand over a Masjid property, the ownership of which originally belongs to Allah alone.