We are ready to give the Modi govt more time: Maulana Mahmood Madani

Interview with Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind chief

Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind chief Maulana Mahmood Madani is considered to be the moderate face of the conservative Islamic clergy in India. G Sreedathan spoke to the Muslim cleric on wide-ranging topics, including his expectations from the Narendra Modi government. Edited excerpts:

We hear that leaders of some prominent Muslim organisations, under your leadership, met recently to deliberate on ways to enhance the scope of engagement with the Narendra Modi government. However, the move did not take off due to opposition from some sections within the community...

This is not correct. There has not been any such initiative so far. Still, I can say that the executive council of our Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind has taken a decision that if some issues relating to Muslims come up that require the prime minister's intervention, then we would approach him.

So, when are you going to meet him?

As I told you, so far no such issues have come up that we think require the prime minister's intervention. When any such issue comes up, we will seek his time and meet him. After all, he is the prime minister of the country.

So, does that mean you are going soft on Narendra Modi? Are you changing the strident anti-Modi stance that was witnessed during the general elections?

We are reasonable people. Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind has never undertaken any anti-Modi campaign, even during the elections. Jamiat is a non-political, socio-cultural organisation.

But certain Muslim organisations still consider Modi untouchable. What do you have to say about that?

If they view Modi from the perspective of the Gujarat riots, they may be right. But now, Modi is the country's prime minister.

As you said, now that Modi is the prime minister and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the ruling party, should Muslims shed the anti-Modi stance and engage with the government?

I don't know. It is the people in his party who are issuing threats. The prime minister knows everything. Why should we take it up with him? It is an issue that concerns the country and he should see to it that the trouble-makers are reined in.

Now, 10 months have passed since Modi came to power. In your assessment, how is the government performing?

India is a vast country and has many problems. No man can solve all these problems overnight. So, we are ready to give him time.

So are you ready to wait?

Yes, we are - and so is our community and the country, for that matter.

That means you are willing to give Modi a long rope. Are you happy with the way the government is functioning?

In India, in any democracy, for that matter, the job of the Opposition is just to oppose everything the government does. This is very unfortunate. When the current ruling government was in the Opposition a few months ago, it was opposing many policies. But now, it is pursuing the same policies more vigorously. Not as the Opposition, but as a common Indian citizen, we have reservations about certain policies of the government. However, at this juncture, it is difficult to say in which direction the government is moving.

Can you elaborate on the reservations you have with the current government?

First, the way in which the government is trying to bring in the land acquisition Bill. We believe this is not good for the country. Farmers and poor sections, which are the backbone of the country, will be badly affected. Second, if our society is divided along communal lines, if one section feels threatened by another, especially the minority groups, it will increase the alienation of minority communities. This could prove to be harmful for the country in the short term as well as the long term.

But the BJP, including the prime minister, has been making all the right noises. Home Minister Rajnath Singh has made a statement in Parliament praising Indian Muslims.

I wish I could have welcomed the home minister's statement. And, honestly, I feel it should be welcomed. But the kind of language being used by some of his colleagues is causing grave concern among minorities. Certain organisations are trying to communalise the society. Unless the government takes a clear stand on them (rabble-rousers), the world will not come to know what is in their (the government's) mind. In that context, how can I say anything?

Are you talking about ghar wapsi and 'love jihad'? But proponents of ghar wapsi say Hindus do have a right to reconvert those who were converted to other religions. Otherwise, India should bring in an anti-conversion law.

To convert to a religion of choice is the fundamental right of an individual. There are laws against using force or coercion or other deceptive ways to convert people. Now, if a person wants to convert, he should be free to do so. There is no need for a new national anti-conversion law.