Ambition can be arduous, even instructive. It often makes the mighty stoop in their quest to conquer. Fond of holding forth, the new Chairman of BJP’s Campaign Committee, for once, had to listen.
In his own state capital, perhaps for the first time, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was made to listen to the plight of the 2002 Gujarat riot victims, who are living in sub-human conditions in Ahmedabad and the way his party has excluded Muslims in its vision and the hatred it preaches towards
In a closed door high profile meeting of 200 “strictly invited only” youth that included some Muslims, Gujarat Chief Minister came in for some brickbats from the President of Zakat Foundation of India and onetime Officer on Special Duty to the Prime Minister’s Office, and member of Sachar Committee, Dr. Zafar Mahmood.
While media was barred from the event, Zafar later told the media that his first instinct was to refuse this invitation, but he later spoke to several people, thought over the matter and agreed to accept the invitation. “I must say I spoke my mind and Modi heard patiently. He said that he has heard me and noted what I said”, he said.
“I also spoke about where BJP had failed Muslims,” Zafar said, adding that he had even shown Modi pictures of Citizen Nagar in Ahmedabad where around 200 families live near a garbage dump apart from pointing out how BJP has been negative about Muslims and had failed to fulfil the promises made in their manifesto.
While the organizers of the event had earlier claimed that Islamic scholars from Darul Ulum Deoband and other places would attend the event, the Mufti from Darul Ulum, as well as Moradabad chose to give the event a miss, though others like Maulana Mohd Hussain Qasmi and Maulana Omar Abedeen Madani from Hyderabad were present.
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One of the principal organizer of the event Zafar Sareswala however was enthusiastic about the response of the Muslims and said that for the first time Muslims have expressed themselves so clearly on a public forum. “I have always told them that you speak behind a closed doors and no one listens to you. Here is a platform that you have where you can speak your heart and I am happy that many used the opportunity,” Sareswala said adding that Narendra Modi heard the concerns raised by the Muslims with rapt attention.
The event also figured former President of India APJ Abdul Kalam, who spoke on the topic, “Economically developed India: How to realize?” Kalam remarked that every party must practice 70% and 30% of developmental and party politics, respectively, to reiterate his stand on inclusive governance. He cited Gujarat, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala as some example states of progress being made through developmental politics.
On his part, Modi attended the entire daylong event and interacted with the young delegates before laying down his agenda on “inclusive development”.
