It is really disturbing to see some of us, non-resident Indians, showering praises on visiting Indian ministers. The problem with many Indian Muslims based in the Gulf is that they are completely oblivious to the ground reality in India. Yes, there are some exceptions.
Most of the NRIs are basically interested in showing off their access to the ministers and other leaders by organizing grand receptions for them. The visiting leaders also find it very easy to get certificates of approval from these NRIs.
As a matter of fact Minority Affairs Minister K. Rahman Khan has not done anything with regard to the arrest of innocent Muslim youth in India.
I can say with some amount of authority because I along with some of my friends and politicians have been fighting over this issue for the last six months.
We have launched a campaign called People’s Campaign Against the Politics of Terror and so far we have held three national conventions — two in Delhi and one in Hyderabad. InshaAllah, we are going to organize a national convention in Lucknow next month. Forget about the arrest of innocent Muslims, the current government has not done anything substantial for the community even after the tabling of the Sachar Committee report six years ago.
The latest follow-up report compiled by Abu Saleh Shariff, member secretary of Sachar Committee, highlights the dismal performance of the government. Leave aside any improvement, he says not even the declining trend in major social indicators has been arrested.
So my dear friends in the Gulf, please do check the actual status before handing over certificates of excellence to these worthless politicians and ministers.
Iqbal Ahmad
New Delhi
