We strongly condemn the demolition of the statue of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad at Kakinara in North 24 Pargana (West Bengal) on 27 Mar 2018 by the Bharatiya Janata Party cadres as reported by media including the Citizens Bureau.
Maulana Azad was a renowned freedom fighter, India’s first Union Education Minister and one of the founders of Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.
Those, who demolish statues – whether that of Buddha at Bamiyan in Afghanistan, Hindu Temples in Pakistan and Bangladesh, Lenin, Periyar and Maulana Azad in India – or meticulously planned and executed the demolition of Babri Masjid and burnt Churches in Odisha, are all criminals and subscribers of hate and division. It is the extreme intolerant and reactionary ideology that, in order to divide the people and take their attention away from the basic issues of health, education and employment, prepares ground for, and resorts to, all sorts of violence.
It is unfortunate, but not surprising that the Jamia Chancellor Madam Najma Heptullah who, all her life, has gained political mileage through her claimed relationship with Maulana Azad, and is presently with the Bharatiya Janata Party has not issued any condemnation of this ugly incident by the Hindutva brigade. Other political parties including the congress have equally been conspicuous by their silence. Notably, the Jamia Administration, Jamia Teachers’ Association (JTA), Jamia Administrative Staff Association (JASA), Alumni Association of Jamia (AAJMI) have also been a mute spectator to this violence.
Let us come together to further condemn this violent and criminal act, and pledge to follow the Maulana Azad’s secular and progressive ideas, ideals and values.
Ghizal Mahdi -Founder of Jamia Alumni Scholarship Program in Jamia School and the University -Ex-President, Jamia Millia Islamia Alumni Association, Riyadh
First of all I take this opportunity to appreciate com Ghizal Mahdi for having initiated this timely and courageous step to condemn the barbarian act of demolishing the statue of the great freedom fighter, statesman and educatiionist Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad by the communal BJP and their allies .
Actually it is a shame for all the Indian community especially the democratic and secular forces living across the country and the world over.
It may be noted that ever since the assumption of office of the Prime Minister of India by the RSS stalwart Narendra Modi, the communal forces of hindutwa had startled raising their heads across the nation to distroy the secularist structure of India by declaring war against the minority communities especially the Muslims who always stood for the defence of the secular and democratic set up Offer the nation.
It is also unfortunate that the authorities of the Jamia Millia Islamia of which Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad was a part of its founding fathers has also been keeping a blind eye towards this barbarian act of the Hindu fundamentalists.
It is high time that all the democratic and secular forces irrespective of their political allianations to come together and join hands to condemn this sort of acts by the rightist and communal fundamentalist forces and protect the secular and democratic structure of the nation.
United we stand divided we fall.
Long live Secularism. Long live Indian Democracy.
K.S. Gopa Kumara Panicker
Formerly Secretary of English Literature Association of Jamia Millia Islamia & Founder Secretary of the erstwhile Jamia Cultural Forum &
Founder Secretary’ of Jamia Millia Islamia unit of AISF & formerly Vice-President of Delhi State Committee of AISF.