Jamaat-e-Islami Hind’s political manifesto floated to have fast benefits

None is ready to miss an opportunity to influence national politics at this crucial juncture and so, now it’s the turn of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, reputed, premier Islamic organization in India enjoying brawny global support, and true to form, the Islamic outfit is in the center stage once more with a list of demands to the Indian political spectrum ahead of Lok Sabha election, 2014. Jamaat-e-Islami, in accordance with pundits, happens to be one of the foremost mantles (and no mere representative) of Indian Muslims considering Islam as a complete way of life and not any piddling sect having indigenous or a set of practices to worship. On March 1, 2014, the organization brought forth a 15-point Public Manifesto and as per Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari, president of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, every political party will be contacted in this regard. However, support will be extended to the political parties agreed to better Muslims in the country.

The essence of the manifesto as found in the official website of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind is included in the following lines.

1) “Right to Livelihood” should be recognized as a Fundamental Right through constitutional amendment to ensure food, housing, clothing, education and healthcare to all citizens of the country.

2)   Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission Report should be accepted and implemented.

3)   The concept of Diversity Index as envisaged in Sachar Committee Report should be implemented in both government and private sectors. All government aids and grants should be based on the Diversity Index.

4)  The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) should be amended to guarantee employment for whole 365 days of a year and to cover the urban poor also under the scheme.

5)  The Communal Violence (Prevention, Control and Rehabilitation of Victims) Bill should be passed and implemented honestly.

6)  All central security laws like AFSPA, UAPA should be brought in alignment with the obligations of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Torture, inhuman and degrading treatment of detainees and prisoners should be banned.

7)  An independent judicial commission should be constructed to probe all accusations of terrorist and disruptive activities; the accused should be tried in fast track courts; mechanism should be developed for reparation for victims; and errant officers should be prosecuted.

8)  Private corporations and NGOs should be brought under the purview of Jan Lokpal Bill. Stringent action should be taken against corruptions. E-governance should be implemented to ensure complete transparency.

9)  The recommendations of National Police Commission should be implemented to make Police forces more professional and humane; and to make them more representative and unbiased, 25% quota should be reserved for minorities.

10) A comprehensive policy should be evolved for protecting the dignity and honour of women and for controlling the sex crimes. Culprits should be sternly punished. Education policy should be amended to sensitize the society on moral and sexual discipline, and spread of pornography and nudity through media, films and erotic literature should be checked. Censor laws and rules should also be amended.

11)  In the Union Budget, 8% of GDP should be allocated for education and 5% for health.

12) To rejuvenate agrarian sector, recommendations of National Commission for Farmers should be implemented; the corporate farming and future selling should be discouraged. A fund should be set up on the lines of Calamity Fund to help the farmers in case of loss of crops.

13) Taxes should be increased for super rich classes; the ratio of direct tax should be higher than indirect tax. Budget should be made more responsive to the needs of the disadvantaged sections of society viz. Dalits, Adivasis, Muslims, women, rural population, urban poor and the marginalized. There should be a “Muslim Component Plan” in the Five Year Plan.

14) Interest free finance should be introduced in the banking sector as recommended by the high level Committee on Financial Sector Reforms of the Planning Commission headed by Dr. Raghuram Rajan. There is a need for amendments in the existing laws so that the marginalized sections and minorities get benefit from the enclusive development.

15) The Constitution should be amended to make Parliamentary sanction mandatory for any major international treaty or basic change in Foreign Policy of the country. Good relations with neighbouring countries and South-South cooperation should be increased.

The report reflects common anguishes and also apart from voicing popular demands in the country now, it accentuates the need of Dalit-Muslim axis as well. The same notion was floated by Rezzaq Mollah, aged leader of CPIM but banished from the party now, through his own “Social Justice Forum” of late.