Jamaat-e-Islami Hind expressed deep concern over the direction in which national politics is moving as manifested by recently held elections and its results. The December monthly Press Conference at the JIH headquarters was addrerssed by the JIH Vice Presidents Prof Salim Engineer and Malik Mohtasim Khan along with Media Secretary KK Suhail. Commenting on the recently held assembly elections in four states, JIH VP Malik Mohtasim Khan said, “We invite both winners and losers of these elections to seriously introspect, ponder, and reflect on the direction that our nation is taking and its impact on our core constitutional values. How communal and polarising tactics were played out, particularly in the Hindi heartland is a matter of serious concern. The party that won the elections in these states did not offer a single ticket to any member of the Muslim community in any state. The rampant use of communal statements by top politicians to divide the electorate on religious lines seems to have paid rich dividends. The Opposition became victims of reactionary politics and displayed a complete lack of seriousness, maturity, and sense of responsibility. Their lack of preparation, wrong selection of campaign leaders, and incorrect ticket distribution exposed their weakness on the electoral front. The defeat of the opposition party in the Hindi heartland and their thumping victory in Telangana, both have many lessons to be learned, the most important being, that the opposition can not win the trust of people unless it shows unwavering commitment to the constitutional values of secularism and equal treatment to all religious and caste groups. The Opposition must also reflect on its failure to arrive at a useful seat adjustment and seat-sharing mechanism. Jamaat advises the BJP to out genuine introspection over its policies and approach towards nation-building and abandon its communal agenda and animosity towards minorities. Jamaat’s message to the Muslim community is to continue having firm faith in Allah and work hard for the development of the nation.”

Talking about the falling Muslim Enrolment in Higher Education, JIH Media Secretary, KK Suhail said, “Jamaat is concerned over the reported decrease in enrolment in higher education among Muslim students in the age group of 18 to 23 years. The representation of Muslim students starts declining gradually from Class VI and is the lowest in Class XI and XII. Of a total (all communities) enrolment of 6.67 crore students at the upper primary level [Class VI-VIII], Muslims make up around 14.42%. At the secondary level [Class IX-X] it slightly decreases to 12.62%. At the higher secondary level [Class XI-XII] it declines to further to 10.76%. The report says that 18.64% of Muslim students enrolled in the secondary level drop out of schools. This dropout rate is 6% higher than the 12.6% dropout rate for all students.Jamaat feels that it is important to provide financial assistance and support to deserving Muslim students from low-income families who struggle to afford the cost of higher education. The government must enhance and increase the number of scholarships, grants, and financial aid opportunities specifically targeted at Muslim students to alleviate their financial burden.”

The Vice President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Prof Salim Engineer briefed the media regarding the Resolutions of the Markazi Majlis-e-Shura (Central Advisory Council) of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) that met in Ahmedabad from 24 to 26 November 2023. Jamaat passed resolutions demanding UN to immediately implement a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, ensure transparency in electoral bonds and urged the government to shun political misuse of bureaucracy.