Muslim activists in Gujarat condemn Vastanavi’s praise of Modi

By TCN Special Correspondent,

Ahmedabad: Muslim social and human rights activists in Gujarat have come down heavily on Maulana Ghulam Muhammed Vastanavi for his praise of Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

Vastanavi, after getting nominated as Mohtamim of Daul Uloom at Deoband had said that Muslims were not facing discrimination in the state as far as development was concerned and they were also marching ahead in the business and trade along with other communities under the leadership of Modi.

But his comments have attracted sharp criticism. Noted human rights activist and president of Peoples’ Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) Prof. J S Bandukwala said: “It is highly morally irresponsible for Maulana Vastanavi to speak in praise of Modi who was allegedly behind the massacre of Muslims in 2002 but also put a black spot on the Hindu community’’.

He said that Gujarat was always know as the land of Mahatma Gandhi having propagated non-violence and co-existence but “it is now known as the land of Modi because of the violence perpetrated against Muslims under his chief ministership in 2002’’.

“It did not behove the Mohtamim of Darul Uloom of Deoband to speak like this’’, said Bandukwala, who himself is a victim of 2002 anti-Muslim riots. His house was attacked in a pre-dominant Hindu locality in Vadodara, and he and his daughter had to take shelter in a neighbour’s house to save their life. He later on sold out that house and shifted to a new locality.

Bandukwala said that a communal riot on such a large scale engulfing almost the tnrie state was not possible without consent of Modi having a strong grip over the state administration.

“Modi has not apologized and is also not ready to say sorry for it and hence, he cannot be condoned for it’’, commented Bandukwala.

He said that Modi government had also not implemented the central government’s scholarship scheme for minority students launched since 2005.

Another activist Mahfooz Saiyed said that Vastanavi had virtually given a clean chit to Modi by praising Modi for the development.

“It will harm the cause of fight for justice for the riot victims’’, said Saiyed.

He said that Adolf Hitler involved in mass killing of Jews was also a very good administrator. “But Hitler is remembered for killing of Jews in gas chambers, not for his administrative skill’’, commented Saiyed.

Dr. Hanif Lakdawala, who directs NGO Sanchetna and works for upliftment of poor slum dwellers in Ahmedabad and other cities, said that Maulana Vastanavi did not seem to have the knowledge of the ground realities about Muslims in Gujarat.

“Let him come to the Muslim localities in Shah Alam area and Juhapura in Western Ahmedabad to see the condition in which Muslims are living. While Vejalpur, a Hindu-dominated area adjoining Juhapura, has grown into a posh locality Juhapura has remained a slum with no basic civic amenities like drinking water and metalled roads though both the localities had come into existence simultaneously’’, said Dr. Lakdawala.

“If this is not discrimination, what else is this?’’, asked Dr. Lakdawala.