New Delhi: Top Muslim leaders of the country including Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari, Ameer (National President) of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and Maulana Mahmood Madani, General Secretary of Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind on Monday met Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and expressed their deep anguish over the communal riot in Muzaffarnagar which has left scores of people dead and more than one lakh homeless. Ameer-e Jamaat was accompanied by Jamaat’s General Secretary Nusrat Ali and National Secretary Mohammad Ahmed.

The delegation of Muslim leaders comprised several leading personalities of the community including Kamal Faruqi, Member, Working Committee, All India Muslim Personal law Board, Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, President, All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, Maulana Ataur Rahman Qasmi, Chairman, Shah Waliullah Institute, Maulana Muhsin Taqawi, President, National Council of Shia Ulama, Dr Zafar Mahmood, President, Zakat Foundation of India, Dr Taslim Rahmani, President, Muslim Political Council, Maulana Abdul Wahab Khilji, Member, All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Maulana Asghar Ali Imam Mahdi Salafi, General Secretary, Markzai Jamiat Ahl-e Hadees, Navaid Hamid, General Secretary, Movement for the Empowerment of Indian Muslims, Abdul Khaliq, Member Working Committee, All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat.

The delegation drew PM’s attention to the wave of communal violence sweeping across a number of states, especially in north India – the most serious in these recent flare-ups is the violence in and around Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh. The leaders said that many of them have extensively toured the camps of the uprooted and feel that a “mini-Gujarat” has been inflicted upon Muzaffarnagar and its adjoining areas.

Talking to Prime Minister, Ameer-e Jamaat Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari raised various points related to riots taking place at regular interval in different parts of the country. He categorically said that not only states central government too has not shown much concern to check these riots.

“I clearly told him that in the last few years several riots have taken place in different parts of the country including Assam, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. In Assam, over 50 thousand people were rendered homeless and Jamaat-e-Islami is still working for the relief and rehabilitation of the people. But the central government did not show much concern on any riot. I told him that because one particular community is getting affected by these riots that’s why the governments neither state nor central are seriously working to curb the menace,” said Ameer-e Jamaat.

While leaving the venue when the PM was shaking hand with every member of the delegation, Ameer-e Jamaat asked him to take initiative to create an atmosphere of peace and communal harmony in the country. Ameer-e Jamaat also offered Jamaat’s full support to such initiative of the PM.

Ameer-e Jamaat was accompanied by Jamaat’s General Secretary Nusrat Ali and National Secretary Mohammad Ahmed. Giving his impression about the meeting, General Secretary Nusrat Ali said Ameer-e Jamaat clearly said that the central government did not act as it should. “The first incident happened on 27^th August. Since then the situation was getting tense. Students of madrasas were being attacked in buses and trains. Provocative CDs were being distributed. It is true that law and order is state responsibility but the centre too was aware. It woke up when the riots erupted,” said general secretary Nusrat Ali.

“As a solution to the riots we asked him to immediately enact communal violence bill which is pending since 2005. If centre had will it could have passed it long ago. It got several bills passed in the parliament including wakf bill and food security bill. But if centre is not working to pass the communal violence bill it means it is not serious to check the communal riots in the country,” he added.

About the reactions of the prime minister, Jamaat general secretary Nusrat Ali said the PM did not make any clear commitment or assurance. He silently heard our points and expressed concerns. He said he is convening the meeting of National Integration Council, but he did not give any clear assurance about the communal violence bill.

Though the violence has abated now but stray incidents are still taking place every day. An estimated one lakh people (all Muslims) have been uprooted. Some 65,000 are living in around two dozen camps run in madrasahs, Eidgahs etc. or are sheltered in hundreds of houses in other villages. Others have gone to live with their relatives. Even now no proper relief measures have been taken and no serious documentation is being made and no FIRs are filed.

The delegation made the following demands:

a.      Proper relief of ration and other necessary needs of life to those living in camps as well as with relatives.

b.      Urgent documentation and preparation of lists with all details of names, losses and people responsible for the carnage as per the victims.

c.      Filing of FIRs at the earliest so that the legal process could start to punish the guilty.

d.      Compensation of all losses suffered by the victims in terms of life, loss of cattle, houses looted and burnt and crops destroyed/looted etc.

e.      Construction/repair of burnt/demolished/damaged houses, mosques, madrasahs etc.

f.       Construction of houses at other locations for those who do not wish to return to their villages (we found that no one is willing at least now to return to his/her village).

“We take this opportunity to impress upon you to ensure that the Communal Violence (Prevention) Bill is urgently passed or, if need be, brought in as an ordinance, in order to rein in and send a strong message to the forces trying to polarise and destabilise the country for political gains,” said the delegation in their memorandum submitted with the Prime Minister.