BHIWANDI: While the Muslims in this power loom town are by and large opposed to the Bharatiya Janata Party making the Mandir Masjid issue to electoral plans they display their tremendous confidence in the leadership of former prime minister and Janata Dal leader V.P Singh.
A random survey carried out in this town reveals that the Raja of Manda rides the crest of popularity wave among the Muslims who account for nearly 55% of the 3.78 lakh-odd population. The Muslims here look upon Mr V.P Singh as the only political leader who can protect the interests of the minorities and support him whole heatedly on his stubborn stand on the Mandal and Ayodhya issue. They make no bones about their lack of faith in the Congress(I).
Mr Singh’s popularity among the Muslims in the town can be judged from the fact that a crowd of more than one lakh people turned out for his public meeting held late last year. Even as an elderly Hindu resident of Bhiwandi and a director of the Bhiwandi Power-loom Owners Association D.K.Karve admits it has been the biggest public meeting in the history of the town. “Nearly 95% of the people who attended the meeting were Muslims says Mr Karve. Meny of the Muslims say that they do not attach much importance to the Lok Sabha polls in their constituency of Dahanu.
Their lack of enthusiasm notwithstanding the politically-conscious Muslims do not mind discussing the various national issues particularly the Mandir-Masjid issue Mandal Commission report and the Congress (I)’s stability plank.
Chastened as they are by the two worst communal riots which the town witnessed in 1970 and 1984 the Muslims here are strongly against any more communal strife’s and are all for harmony with the Hindu community members. A majority of the Muslims repose confidence in their Janata Dal MLA Parshuram Taware because of his secular outlook.
Says Dr R.R.Momin a 30-year old doctor practicing in Jaithanpura locality of the town: What is happening is bad. Religion should not be brought to politics. The BJP should not have made the Mandir issue a poll plank. As far as the issue is concerned it will be good in the interest of both the communities to wait for the Supreme Court verdict.
Dr Momin is in agreement with Mr. V.P Singh on the Mandal issue An admirer of the Raja he says that the minorities are safe in the hands of Mr. V.P Singh He does not believe in the talk of the Congress (1) being able to provide a stable government He is however realistic enough to aver that no political party including the Janata Dal will be able to get a clear majority at the hosting’s and that there would be a hung parliament.
Aftab Alam 30-year old power-loom worker who migrated to this town from his home district of Azamegarh in Uttar Pradesh nearly 12 years ago and Mohadi Mohammed a power-loom contractor both working in the vicinity of the Quarter gate Masjid Naka also speak against the politicians trying to wedge a rift between the Hindu and Muslim communities. Mohadi also a migrant worker from Ballia district in Uttar Pradesh holds Mr Rajiv Gandhi responsible for the dimension the Mandir-Masjid issue has taken now. Had the Rajiv Gandhi regime not allowed the opening of the entrance locks of the religious place at Ayodhya there would not have been a controversy.
Mr Mushtaq Ahmed Ali Khali Momin a former vice-president of the Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Council who owns 16 power-looms says; “I entirely agree with the stand taken by the Election Commission that no party should be permitted to make Ram Mandir-Masjid issue a poll plank.
When questioned about these political affiliations Mr Momin admits that he is associated with the Janata Dal. He however is quick to point out that his opinion should not be viewed from the point of view of his political affiliation. He accuses the BJP VHP and some Muslim organisations including the Mandal League for trying to derive political mileage by keeping the Mandir Masjid issue alive. He justifies the stand taken by V.P Singh on the Mandal issue. He wonders as to how the Congress (I) can provide stability when the Rajiv Gandhi government failed to deliver goods despite its 414 members in Lok Sabha in its tenure between 1984 and 1989
Hanif Mohammed a 40-yearold worker at a power-loom unit located at Damankar Naka and several other Muslim power-loom workers and owners in the surrounding localities speak about Mr V.P Singh in glowing terms.
However a few Muslims engaged in petty and middle scale business do not show much enthusiasm talking about neither the poll issues nor its prospects. Says Mohammed Ali Khan who owns a cycle shop in the vicinity of Kalyan Road naka I am not interested in who wins or who loses. All I can say is that we want a government which will ensure communal harmony in the country. Similarly Mohammed Ayub a tailor with his shop near Quarter-gate naka admits that he does not know what to say on the poll issues.
Ms Sayeed Mohammed Habib a 32-year old housewife living in the Jaithunpur locality laments that the political parties are not talking much about the price rise.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 26, 1991
