NEW DELHI: With Jamia Millia Islamia having been in news recently because of the arrests of a few of its students as “suspect terrorists,” following the Batla House encounter (Sept. 19), viewed as fake by many, the issue of terrorism dominated the university’s annual convocation on Thursday.
Addressing as the chief guest at the convocation, U.R. Ananthamurthy said that “Let us not forget that Gandhiji was killed because he was perceived to be a friend of the Muslims, and an enemy of Hindus while he strived against the violent actions of both Hindus and Muslims.”
It is time, the noted Indian writer said, that “Muslims and non-Muslims alike, did a serious exploration of what constitutes the fundamentals of Islam. This is necessary to understand the core of Islam, and, more importantly, to extricate Islam and Muslims all over the world from clutches of religious bigots, protect it from misrepresentations of Western media and its lackeys, and to highlight the dynamism of Islam as religion and philosophy.”
Amid the backdrop of Indian authorities’ anti-terrorism drive having taken a new turn, marked by recent arrests of certain Hindus for their alleged role in Malegaon blasts, after the convocation, Arab News sought Ananthamurthy’s opinion.
Did their arrests suggest a positive change? He categorically said: “No. Whether Hindus or Muslims, names of people arrested on grounds of suspicion should not be revealed.”
When asked for his opinion on recent arrests of radical Hindus as suspect terrorists, Asghar Ali Engineer, writer and scholar on liberal theology of Islam, replied: “This could be a politically motivated drive.”
Engineer told Arab News: “The arrests (of Hindu radicals) may be linked to an attempt of authorities to try and improve their image among Indian Muslims.”
“We (Muslims) cannot afford to keep quiet any more,” according to Iftekhar Ahmed, director, Mass Communication Center, Jamia Millia Islamia. Expressing astonishment at apathy shown by government toward the role of police in “encounter cases,” Ahmed said: “The government (apparently) prefers remaining quiet so as not to demoralize the police force. But it forgets that the same attitude contributes to entire Muslim community feel demoralized.”
Ahmed pointed out to only “madarsas” being targeted as breeding ground of terrorism.
“What about schools run by ‘Saffron Brigade’, with communal agenda being taught there? Why isn’t any action being taken against them?”
