AMN / THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) has asked the Kerala government to clarify confusions over National Population Register (NPR) before implementing census in the state.
Speaking at a press conference here on Wednesday, JIH Secretary-General T. Arifali he said that there were growing apprehensions that the census data might be used for NPR and so, the Kerala government was bound to clarify its stand and allay all fears before moving forward with the census procedures.
“While it is appreciable that the Kerala government has taken the lead in stopping the NPR procedures as part of NRC, we need to be wary that the campaign to blend the NPR and census are spreading and that we need a more effective approach in combating it,” he said.
He cited that the nation-wide protests are aiming for an inclusive India and such struggles must continue with more vigour. He added that crackdowns on and arrests of those who are protesting are not weakening the movement but rather strengthening it.
Mr Arifali stressed that JIH has been part of the protests from the beginning itself and it is playing a leading role in it by resisting community polarization, directing peaceful approaches and forming a larger alliance of like-minded organizations.
As part of this alliance, protests have been organized all across the country. There have been instances where JIH has been excluded from such protests in Kerala and such exclusion is part of petty party politics and limited to Kerala alone. “Our aim is the revocation of CAA and NRC and we feel that such unnecessary debates will only serve to weaken our objectives and hence, we desist from being party to such discussions”, he said.
The protests were inspired by and are being led by students from various universities across the country and not by political parties or religious leaders. There have been remarks about Muslim women’s participation from certain quarters of the Muslim community, but such remarks have little impact on the protests led by women and students across India.
Jamaat-e-Islami Kerala Assistant Ameer P. Mujeeburahaman, H. Shaheer Moulavi and Samad Kunnakkavu attended the press meet.