New Delhi, 06 Nov. 2021: All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat jointly with Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, All India Jamiat Ahle Hadees and All India Milli Council today organised a press conference at the Press Club of India, New Delhi on the anti-Muslim violence in Tripura.

During the joint Press Conference , they issued a press note stated that a joint delegation of Muslim organizations recently visited the Tripura’s anti Muslim violence affected areas. The delegation consisted of Mr.Navaid Hamid, President – All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat (AIMMM), Prof Salim Engineer, Vice President-Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), Maulana Shafi Madani JIH National Secretary, Maulana Sheesh Taimi of All India Jamiat AhleHadees, Mr.Shams Tabrez Qasmi of All India Milli Council and Nurul Islam Mazarbhuiya, JIH President for Assam (South). Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO) was also part of the delegation and led by their Tripura President, Mr.Shafiqueur Rahman. Maulana Fareeduddin Qasmi of Imarat-e-Shariah (North-East) also joined.

The delegation reached Agartala on the 31st Oct. and proceeded to the areas that reported incidents of violence and vandalism. Violence was reported from 4 of the 8 districts of Tripura. Maximum violence was reported in Panisagar, Dharam Nagar the district headquarters of Zilla North Tripura. Violence and attacks on mosques and other holy places began from 19th October and continued till the 26th October 2021. Suspected culprits were not large groups but small ones that operated in the dark or when people were absent or where Muslims resided away from the mosque. In total 16 mosques were damaged or burned. The delegation personally visited vandalized mosques. Muslims of Tripura have been terrorized and are living in fear. They informed the delegation that the attackers were unknown to them (were outsiders). It seems that the anti-social elements deliberately ran a communal campaign to instigate hate and violence against Muslims in the light of violence in Bangladesh. Fortunately, the local population were not swayed by this propaganda and they did not support the communalists. However, the people were not able to point out the identity of these mischief-makers. Muslims did not respond to the violence with any kind of aggression, rather they maintained patience and did not take law into their hands even they cooperated with the administration. Fortunately, no loss of life was reported.

Our demands:
1. The police should conduct a departmental enquiry and find out the police officers who committed dereliction of duty. Action should be initiated against those convicted of these charges and who did not prevent the violence. This action against guilty officers will show that the police is an independent institution and should not be used as a tool to further the agenda of a particular political party.

1. We feel that the police and administration is directly under the state government and so the state government is also responsible for the violence in Tripura. The state government is yet to initiate any big action against those who perpetuated violence. This is highly regrettable.
2. We addressed a Press Conference on 2nd November in Agartala in which we demanded that the Tripura government should provide adequate compensation to the victims, repair the mosques that have been vandalized.
3. The government must identify and arrest the culprits behind the dreadful incidents of violence that took place in Panisagar. The police have all the footage of the violence. Those police officers who did not prevent the violence should also be subject to enquiry and action must be taken against them.

Observations:

The Tripura violence has sullied our image. It has showed that the Tripura government is incapable of protecting the minorities and their places of worship.

These incidents of violence and vandalism did not occur spontaneously. They appear to be orchestrated; people were incited and provoked against Muslims. Promoting hate against a community is a big crime.

The police and the administration should have taken timely action against the perpetrators of violence. If timely action were taken, then maybe these incidents of violence and vandalism could have been prevented. The anti-social elements and communal mischief mongers are emboldened by the belief that they will be shielded by the government.

Mosques were especially targeted so that the Muslim community is demoralized and their identity is attacked. They should be terrorized and become victims of fear and anxiety. This is extremely damaging for both Tripura and the entire country.

The delegation stayed in Tripura for three days and met the victims, the local population including non-Muslims. We tried to meet the CM of Tripura. We wrote to him requesting a meeting. The CM kept assuring that he would take out some time but ultimately he did not meet us and we find that quite regrettable. We also tried to meet DG Police. But he also did not meet the delegation. IG Law and Order called us and offered to meet us but it was too late as we had to leave for New Delhi. However, we wrote a letter, addressing to the chief Minister of Trupura, which is jointly signed by the delegation members.

Tripura does not have a history of communal violence and strife but ever since communal people have taken charge of the helm of affairs in the state, such incidents of communal violence and vandalism have started taking place.

We feel that despite the efforts of the communal forces who are trying to create hate and polarize the climate of the country; we should remain calm, avoid being provoked and instigated and preserve the communal harmony between communities. Fake news is spread on social media. We must check that and should not forward such content. In Tripura too, such fake news was created to spread fear and hatred. Islam also teaches us to verify news before spreading it.

Signatories:

• Mr.Navaid Hamid, President – All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat,
• Maulana Shafi Madani, JIH National Secretary,
• Maulana Sheesh Taimi, All India Jamiat AhleHadees,
• Mr.Shams Tabrez Qasmi, All India Milli Council.