The year 2021

New Delhi, 1 Jan. 2022: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) feels that it is essential to look back at the important events and trends of the past year and learn the appropriate lessons therefrom. In the Covid second wave in 2021, we experienced one of the worst crises as a nation in the recent past. Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has been consistently demanding that the government must increase its allocation towards the health sector. It is important to boost our health infrastructure in case there is a spike in corona cases to augment the best efforts of our healthcare professionals and frontline staff. We should avoid huge political, social and religious gatherings. Pandemics give us opportunities to sincerely ponder, analyse, repent and correct our individual and collective behavior. It signals us to embark on the path of course correction and God-consciousness. The other major concern last year was the considerable drop in the country’s GDP due to the pandemic. The government must come out with schemes that help those pushed into poverty and unemployment. The year also saw a spike in atrocities against women, Dalits and minorities. Latest NCRB data says that nearly 4 women are raped every hour while 2 women are molested every 3 minutes in India. According to a report by a Parliamentary Committee, the government spent 80% of funds for the flagship scheme ‘BetiBachaoBetiPadhao’ on media campaigns. JIH feels that the government should learn lessons from the past and focus on growth and development. We hope 2022 will usher in peace and prosperity to our nation and the people will get rid of those who thrive on polarization, discrimination and oppression.

Growing climate of hate against minorities

Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) expresses grave concern over the attitude by some well-organized groups to give hate speeches that are openly ‘Islamophobic’ and targeting a particular community. Attacks on places of worship of minorities are also on the rise. It is very unfortunate, that this politics of hate is practiced to divert the attention of people (especially when elections are around) from the real issues so that the performance of the government and ruling establishment is shifted from development to other emotional issues. We are confident that the people of our country will realize this deceit and not allow it to succeed.

Raising the age of marriage for girls

Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) expresses concern over the government move to raise the legal age of marriage for women to 21. Currently, there is a global consensus that the legal age of marriage for women should be 18 years. This is being followed in maximum countries including many developed countries. Raising the age limit will have no bearing on the current poor health indicators of mothers and infants if poverty and lack of healthcare access remain at existing higher levels. JIH feels that the move goes against the law of nature. It will create psychological, medical, social and human rights issues. It is evident from surveys that some women who become a first time mother after the age of 30, might face a lot of problems. The increase in age limit will also impact on our demographic dividend in the long run, which is currently quite favourable. Once the proposal becomes law, it will negatively affect the tribal communities and subject them to more harassment at the hands of law-enforcement machinery. The government should not pass the law in haste, but evolve a consensus on the issue by initiating a dialogue with community leaders and subject matter experts from the associated domains.

A law against lynching

Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) appreciates the Government of Jharkhand for passing the ‘Prevention of Mob Violence and Mob Lynching Bill 2021. Jharkhand is the third state in India after Rajasthan and West Bengal to have passed a law against mob lynching. Hate crimes and lynching of Muslims and Dalit’s have increased a lot recently. Some well-organized groups and cow-vigilante gangs along with anti-social and criminal elements feel emboldened to carry out lynching’s in broad daylight, filming them and circulating them on social media. They do so with impunity because no serious action has been taken against them by the police and so they have taken this as a signal that the government is not concerned about the safety and security of the minorities and the marginalized. This is creating fear in the common citizens. Jamaat feels that it is the duty of the Central government and the state governments to protect the life of its citizens. Hence, they must take the lead and quickly pass similar ‘Prevention of Mob Lynching’ bills and ensure that lynching’s become history in our country.

Covid and UP elections

Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) is deeply concerned with the fast growth of the Omicron variant of the Covid 19 virus. The upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh are seeing huge political rallies. The leaders of the ruling party who occupy the top positions in the government including the Prime Minister are taking part in these political rallies that are throwing all health precautions to the wind. This abandonment of health and safety protocols after the first wave was responsible for the devastating second wave of Covid. JIH therefore feels that the Election Commission (EC) and the political parties including the BJP should voluntarily avoid organizing these hugely expensive and risky political rallies. They will be doing themselves and the country a huge favour by avoiding the mistakes that may lead to a third wave of the Covid pandemic.