Where to find Muslim leaders?
Badruddin Tyabji, Rahimtulla M. Sayani, Nawab Syed Muhammad Bahadur, Syed Hasan
Imam. Hakim Ajmal Khan, Maulana Mohammad Ali, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Dr.
M. A. Ansari. These all were Congress presidents.
From the first session of Congress in 1885 to 1946, there were as many as eight Muslims
who served as President of Indian National Congress. After 1946 till today a Muslim has
never been president of the Congress. Is it possible that a party that could find so many
good Muslim leaders to trust India's independence can not find any
Muslims trustworthy enough to lead a national political party?
Is it really the dearth of leadership among the Muslims of India that is making it difficult
for Congress to find a Muslim capable enough for the leadership roles? Why is it that a
community that gave 8 Congress presidents to the political party fighting for India's
independence can not find anyone amongst them for the leadership of national political
party?
Then where are the Muslims leaders, our friends in Dalit movement, environmentalist,
peace activists, members and movements of all hues and persuasion are looking for
Muslim representation in their movement but they fail to find any leader that seems to be
of some stature on the national scene and credibility within his or her community. All
leaders of national stature are either attached to a political party that has tasked them for
delivering Muslim votes on Election Day or they are member of a religious organization
that doesn’t allow enough flexibility to reach out to other movements and organizations.
Going back to the example of Congress, it seems that there is another factor at play in
development or lack of Muslim leadership. Only those leaders are promoted in Congress
who can deliver the Muslim votes to Congress’s door steps, there is hardly any
attempt by Congress to develop the genuine leadership of Muslims. Doing that, they
know, will make them accountable to the lack of their service to the Muslim community.
How will they explain the sliding backwardness of the community while it ruled India for
most of that time?
So here we are, India’s population of 15 percent having no leader that it can trust, who
can present its case on the national level, who can fight for its demands, who can look
after the community’s needs when decision and policies are discussed at the national and
state level. A leadership that is vibrant enough to look beyond it’s immediate vicinity and
community needs to develop alliance and relationship for people fighting for their own
legitimate rights so that a broad social justice movement can take shape.
Dalit movement like other social justice movements have been looking for Muslims
partners for a number of years and are disappointed with the lack of response. They have
been looking at the wrong place. Muslim leadership do exist but you will not find it at the
national level, not even at the state level. The overwhelming political machinery works
overtime to ensure that no genuine leadership emerges from any section of downtrodden
and backward social group.
To find Muslim leaders you have to go in search of them in the streets, look for them in
the play grounds, you will find them in the masaajid, grab them in colleges and
universities where you will find them keeping a low profile so that they don’t have to
defend their patriotism. Yes, they can defend their patriotism but defending after a few
hundred times takes its tolls, saps their energy and when odds are overwhelmingly
against them, they prefer to lay low and strive to succeed in one or the other competitive
exam doing their best to boost the morale of the community the only way that they think
they can.
These are the leaders that our friends in Dalit movement should look for, seek them out,
encourage them, and you will find the best partner for your fight for justice. To lead a
united front against oppression for the development and progress of all Indians regardless
of their gender, caste, and religion.
Imam. Hakim Ajmal Khan, Maulana Mohammad Ali, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Dr.
M. A. Ansari. These all were Congress presidents.
From the first session of Congress in 1885 to 1946, there were as many as eight Muslims
who served as President of Indian National Congress. After 1946 till today a Muslim has
never been president of the Congress. Is it possible that a party that could find so many
good Muslim leaders to trust India's independence can not find any
Muslims trustworthy enough to lead a national political party?
Is it really the dearth of leadership among the Muslims of India that is making it difficult
for Congress to find a Muslim capable enough for the leadership roles? Why is it that a
community that gave 8 Congress presidents to the political party fighting for India's
independence can not find anyone amongst them for the leadership of national political
party?
Then where are the Muslims leaders, our friends in Dalit movement, environmentalist,
peace activists, members and movements of all hues and persuasion are looking for
Muslim representation in their movement but they fail to find any leader that seems to be
of some stature on the national scene and credibility within his or her community. All
leaders of national stature are either attached to a political party that has tasked them for
delivering Muslim votes on Election Day or they are member of a religious organization
that doesn’t allow enough flexibility to reach out to other movements and organizations.
Going back to the example of Congress, it seems that there is another factor at play in
development or lack of Muslim leadership. Only those leaders are promoted in Congress
who can deliver the Muslim votes to Congress’s door steps, there is hardly any
attempt by Congress to develop the genuine leadership of Muslims. Doing that, they
know, will make them accountable to the lack of their service to the Muslim community.
How will they explain the sliding backwardness of the community while it ruled India for
most of that time?
So here we are, India’s population of 15 percent having no leader that it can trust, who
can present its case on the national level, who can fight for its demands, who can look
after the community’s needs when decision and policies are discussed at the national and
state level. A leadership that is vibrant enough to look beyond it’s immediate vicinity and
community needs to develop alliance and relationship for people fighting for their own
legitimate rights so that a broad social justice movement can take shape.
Dalit movement like other social justice movements have been looking for Muslims
partners for a number of years and are disappointed with the lack of response. They have
been looking at the wrong place. Muslim leadership do exist but you will not find it at the
national level, not even at the state level. The overwhelming political machinery works
overtime to ensure that no genuine leadership emerges from any section of downtrodden
and backward social group.
To find Muslim leaders you have to go in search of them in the streets, look for them in
the play grounds, you will find them in the masaajid, grab them in colleges and
universities where you will find them keeping a low profile so that they don’t have to
defend their patriotism. Yes, they can defend their patriotism but defending after a few
hundred times takes its tolls, saps their energy and when odds are overwhelmingly
against them, they prefer to lay low and strive to succeed in one or the other competitive
exam doing their best to boost the morale of the community the only way that they think
they can.
These are the leaders that our friends in Dalit movement should look for, seek them out,
encourage them, and you will find the best partner for your fight for justice. To lead a
united front against oppression for the development and progress of all Indians regardless
of their gender, caste, and religion.
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