NEW DELHI (PTI): The Muslim forum, All India Babri Masjid Action Committee (AIBMAC) on Jan.10 gave a call to boycott the republic day on Jan.26 even as it failed to merge with the Babn Masjid Movement Coordination Committee (BMMCC) following differences with the BMMCC convenor, Syed Shahabuddin. The AIBMAC appealed to all “Justice loving and secular minded” people, Muslims in particular, to boycott all official functions on the forthcoming republic day as the government had “failed to protect the constitution and the nulc of law in the country.” The AIBMAC convenor, Zafaryab Jilani, speaking to the news men after a daylong meeting of the committee, said there was no point in celebrating the implementation of the constitution since its sanctity had been “violated by the communal and fascist forces.” He said as a symbolic protest, Muslim leaders would launch “Satyagraha” (passive resistance) on Jan.26 and court arrest. The much awaited formal merger of AIBMAC and BMMCC organizations formed to protect the now demolished Babn mosque al Ayodhya could not take place as the AIBMAC took strong exception to a letter written by the BMMCC convenor, Syed Shahabuddin, to the prime minister.
In the letter Shahabuddin had reportedly said that Muslims might agree to construct a Mosque away from the disputed site at Ayodhya.
Jilani said the proposal of the merger would now be considered only if Shahabuddin withdrew the letter and apologize in public.
Tension prevailed at the AIBMAC meeting as groups of agitated Muslim youth, raising provocative slogans, barged into the AIBMAC head office and indulged in heated arguments with the AIBMAC office-bearers.
The youth, mostly students of Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh and Jamia Milia Islamia University, Delhi, were agitating against the failure of Muslim leaders to come on a common platform to oppose the communal elements in the country.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 15, 1993
