Mangalore: Failure to Work for Community - Abubakker Slams Muslim Leaders
Pics by Spoorthy Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Mar 13: “Popular Front of India (PFI) has been spearheading a campaign to create awareness about the need for creating reservations for the Muslims in the country. In the meanwhile, Samjawadi Party leader, Mulayam Singh Yadav, and Rashtreeya Janata Dal leader, Lalu Prasad Yadav, have been demanding separate reservations for candidates from scheduled tribes and castes within the reservation meant for women candidates. It is regrettable, that the Muslim political leaders have not been showing even the level of conviction and concern these leaders have been showing for the general welfare of the people,” criticized E Abubakker, national president of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). He was delivering the main address at the public convention organized by Popular Front of India at the Nehru Maidan here on Friday March 12, demanding for reservations for Muslims.
“The Muslims of the country have remained very backward, socially, politically and economically. Various governments had appointed commissions to go into the problems faced by the Muslims, but none have implemented the reports of these commissions. While the so-called secular parties like the Congress and the CPM have been following the policy of appeasing the Muslims, the BJP and Sangh Parivar have been charging the Muslims with treason. There is a need for every one to understand that the Muslim youths have been strengthening the hands of SDPI through PFI for defeating these tactics,” he added. He also questioned the Congress, the BJP and the CPM as to how much representation they have given for women in their respective parties.
Abubakker accused the political parties, which take credit for being secular, of trying to ward off issues like the need to set aside sub-reservations for the Muslims, Christians, dalits and the backward classes. He lamented that the successive governments have not taken interest in implementing the suggestion mooted by the Justice Rangnath Mishra Commission to earmark 15% reservation for the minorities with a share of 10% for the Muslims.
PFI national general secretary, K M Shariff, alleged that the Hindutva protagonists have been trying to follow the policy of break and rule, which was once followed by the British to divide the Hindus and the Muslims, through malicious campaigns. He felt, that the main aim of the fundamentalist elements is to set up communal clashes in the country with the sole aim of projecting the Muslims as anti-national. “The government, instead of protecting us, has been supporting the Hindutva exponents. Unless sub-reservations are created, there is a risk of the women from the higher classes of the society gaining an upper hand in politics,” he warned.
Deekaiah, who is heading a social transformation agitation, pointed out that the people in the past, frustrated over their exploitation, had converted into Islam or Christianity. However, the fundamentalists are again trying to break the backward classes by hogging emotional issues like cow slaughter, he alleged. He strongly felt that there is a need to sort out political issues rather than concentrating on religious and cultural ones.
Priest of Udyavar Church, Fr William Martis, said that the Muslims and Christians living in India are the natives of the country and said that there is a need to throw out the Aryans, who had immigrated to the country from outside, and have been enjoying the positions of power.
PFI state president, Iliyas Mohammed, presided. Udupi district president of PFI, Ameer Hamza, Chikmagalur district president, Akbar Ali, SDPI district president, Hanif Khan, PFI leaders Abubakker Karnad, Aslam Hassan etc., were present. PFI Dakshina Kannada district president, Anwar Sadat, welcomed, while the party’s Puttur unit president, Hyder Neersal, proposed vote of thanks.