Shahi Imam writes to PM Modi on lynching :‘Youth might get out of your and our control’

New Delhi, Aug 01: The Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid Delhi Syed Ahmad Bukhari has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek an end to the lynchings of Muslims and Dalits in the name of cow protection.

“The prevailing social condition of the country compels me to establish direct contact with you. When you came to power in 2014, all units of the country supported you and relied on your promises. But my immediate concern is for the incidents of mob lynching perpetrated against Dalits and the Muslims and the loss of human lives, therein.”

“The Koran in one hand and the Science in the other”, this message of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan given to the Muslims of India more than a  century ago, got reverberated in 2014, when you said, “The Koran in one hand and the Computer in the other’.

“You made the promise of treating 125 crore Indian with equality, irrespective of their religion and ethnicity. And to achieve this you gave the slogan, “sab ka saath sab ka vikaas’, but, unfortunately, the ground reality is not only contrary to this, but is a cause of concern for every civilized Indian citizen,” Bukhari wrote in the letter.

“Gullible Muslims, trading cattle on crossroads, are murdered by the organized mobs of Gau rakshaks involve din mob violence, in full view of the people. Deprived of any strict action on such atrocities, only tears have become the fate of hapless Muslims. So far about 64 incidents have come to the knowledge on the national level.”

In the letter, Bukhari wrote that nothing has changed on the ground despite the PM criticizing the mob violence in the Parliament and the elements involved in it.

“Respected Prime Minister! You have severely criticised mob violence in Parliament as well on many occasions and have also condemned the elements involved, therein; to the extent of calling the 80 per cent of the so-called Gau rakshaks as anti-social elements. But despite this noting on the ground has changed.

Bukhari claimed that the government, instead of reigning some ministers and members of parliament and state assemblies who “hurt us” by “calling us names”, was encouraging them.

“The BJP talks of the formation of a riot free and fearless society but today everything is being weighed in a Hindu-Muslim perspective. “Whom should the Muslims approach for their security and should they have expectations of? Where would this sense of deprivation lead them to deliberation should take place on this also, lest the youth may get out of your and our control. That day would be of pain and concern for us.”

“Where is the state? Where are the institutions? Where is the respect for the constitution? And to top it all, where is your leadership?

“Time has come today for the state and its leadership to prove its impartiality with its words, deeds, moves and their implementation. Even today I have faith in the state and hope that the Indian state would allay the uneasiness prevalent amongst the 250 million (25 crore) Indian Muslims without any delay.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Kashmir Monitor staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)