BOMBAY: The 20-odd Muslims from Bombay who met Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray on March 21 ostensibly to seek his help “in building Hindu-Muslim unity,” have since come in for severe tongue-lashing. The reason for the widespread Muslim outrage against those who carried a “mercy petition” to the Sena chief can be summed up in one sentence. Though badly bruised during the Bombay riots and subsequently, Muslims had refused to bend before any- one. The delegation members have tried to barter away even the community’s “dignity and self-respect,” it is felt.
The delegation included, among others, politician-scholar Rafiq Zakaria, secretary of the All India Muslim.. Personal Law Board Abdul Sattar Shaikh, Urdu Journalists Hasan Kamal and Sarfaraz Arzoo and general secretary of the Khilafat House MA Aziz. The Ulema Council has denied that any of its members were part of the delegation. As nothing agitates Indian Muslims more than repeated demands on them to prove their loyalty to the nation, the delegation’s attempt to get a “patriotism certificate” from the Sena Chief- that is how Dr. Zakaria’s statement to a daily after the meeting is being interpreted- has incensed the community.
Several Muslims this correspondent spoke to agreed that there is nothing wrong if, at an appropriate moment, a representative delegation of Muslims meets either Chief Minister Manohar Joshi or any other member of the democratically constituted Government to discuss issues confronting the minority community.
What is being questioned is the “haste with which the self-appointed delegation “rushed to give legitimacy to an extra-constitutional authority who makes no secret of his hostility to Muslims.” The mood of the community is also evident from the fact that the initiative of Dr. Zakaria and others has been castigated by both the Urdu dailies published from Bombay -Urdu Times and Inquilab. While the =latter has limited its criticism to the “manner of functioning” of the delegation, the former saw nothing but personal mortification in the “self surrender,” of Zakaria and others be- fore Thackeray’s “arrogance and Fascist views.””Bhaao in barda faroshan se” (Beware of these slave-traders) read the headline of the editorial splashed across six columns of the Urdu Times of March 23, the day after reports of the meeting appeared in some city papers.
“Not even 15 days have passed since the change of Government,” said the = editorial. “Yet, Dr. Zakaria and the man who claims to lead the All India Muslim Personal Law Board Abdul Sattar Shaikh, have gone and fallen at the feet of Thackeray. Until two weeks ago, both were moving around with a begging bowl among Muslims, pleading for votes for the Congress. But with a change in Government, without even waiting to gauge the attitude of the ruling alliance, they have gone and placed the entire community at the feet of a person who has no remorse for his role in Bombay’s riots. Warning Dr. Zakaria in particular not to try “to elevate his position by lowering the dignity of the community,” the editorial concluded: “The resolve of the Muslims to help the Congress in the elections also means that Muslims are not frightened either of Thackeray’s thunder or the BJP’s lighting..No one needs to bother him- self with making any clarifications on behalf of the community.”
The Inquilab said: “In the present political situation in Maharashtra, Muslims need neither be afraid nor seek anyone’s assurance that their lives and properties will be safe. The security of citizens is the obligation of any Government. It is clear from the recent elections that any Government which fails to fulfill this responsibility has to pay for its lapse. To assume that we will not get justice and to start mourning prematurely is a reflection of the fact that, leave alone others, we no longer have any faith in ourselves.” Addressing the Muslim community the Inquilab editorial bemoaned that “our collective character has not just deteriorated, we have no character left at all.” Both the Urdu Times and Inquilab editorials said it was evident from Thackeray’s sermons to the Muslim delegation that the Muslims’ loyalty to the nation is still suspect in his eyes. Three office-bearers of the Ulema Council, have spoken in diver- gent tones on the question of meeting the Sena chief. Denying that any of- fice-bearer of the Ulema Council was part of the delegation which met Thackeray on March 21, general secretary Maulana 1. Ahmed Qasmi said in any future meeting to discuss the community problems, the Council would prefer a meeting with Joshi rather than Thackeray.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 31, 1995
