BY ABDUL BARI MASOUD
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NEW DELHI: The All India Milli Council (AIMC) has deplored the government attitude of treating only minority concentrated areas as “communally sensitive”. It has expressed deep concern over the heavy deployment of security forces in Muslim areas.
Council made strong plea to the centre and state governments to remain impartial while performing duty to maintain rule of law, not only on September 24 but for all time to come.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, Chairperson, UPA, Home Minister, Finance Minister and Defence Minister, the Council general secretary Dr Manzoor Alam asked: “Who is the enemy against whom such a big security mobilization is going on?” he said that it looked funny in the light of the fact that all major Muslim organisations have declared to respect the verdict and seek further legal redress, if necessary.
He said that the much- delayed Allahabad High Court judgment on the Babri issue was another test of the country’s credibility as a cohesive, law-abiding nation. Dr Alam said the term, “communally sensitive”, was bad reflection on our collective thinking, as it referred to areas where Muslims form 20 percent or more of the population. “It smacks of the Indian State (Union and State) treating the minorities as the hostile added”.
Coming down heavily the double standard of the government, Dr Alam said: “We have the example of the Sangh and its myriad offshoots that have taken political mileage out of the destruction of the Babri Masjid and the accompanying violence and hatred. Like always they are speaking with a forked tongue: some paying lip service to rule of law in big cities, while others are spreading communal poison in Uttar Pradesh”.
He urged the government that it should not confine any thoughtful action “for September 24 or October 24, but for all time to come” in the interest of peace, prosperity and integrity of the country. Expressing grave apprehensions about the future shape of things as indicated by the current drift of events and the general sense of loss, Council secretary general, Dr M. Manzoor Alam said the way things have been drifting on economic front (uncontrolled prices, farmers’ privations, unemployment and floods), the total mess in CWG preparations and the political failure in J&K and on Naxal issue, uncontrolled epidemics, seems to have put the country in an unenviable situation.