ABDUL REHMAN, DARUL ULOOM NADWATUL ULMA, NADWA, LUCKNOW-226 003
I remember your visits here to meet the late Moulana Hasan Ali Nadvi (Ali Miyan). You were introduced to Ali Miyan by Moulana Jaffer Ali of Bangalore who represented the Karnataka unit of Payame Insaniyat started by Ali Miyan. Payame Insaniyat also did not take off like your Dalit-Muslim unity. Our world famous head of the Nadwatul Ulma, Ali Miyan, was a great supporter of Dalit-Muslim unity movement that you started in Bangalore over 20 years ago.
“DIRTY” DALITS
Why your movement and also Ali Miyan’s Payama Insaniyat did not catch up? May be the elite Muslims did not support it. Upper class Muslims, particularly the UP elite Muslims, did not like to join the “dirty” Dalits. They preferred to go with Brahmins and other upper castes.
The poor masses of Muslims, most of them converts from Dalits and BCs, would have very much liked to join your movement but the strong pull of religion exercised by the Moulanas did not allow them to go with you.
The masses were not even made aware of your movement though Dr. Ram Nath’s book in Hindi and Urdu made its impact here and there.
LACK OF MEDIA
Ali Miyan also hesitated to support your movement fearing opposition from the influential upper class Muslims.
Another reason for the failure of your movement is the lack of media. You were propagating your movement, which is the only weapon to check the rising Hindu nazism, through Dalit Voice. Being in English, it had no effect on the masses of Muslims who knew only Urdu and Hindi.
Dalit-Muslim unity movement alone could check the Hindu nazi bid to hinduise the Dalits and then use them to kill Muslims. Theoretically it sounds perfect. How to give it a practical shape?
Immediately after the Babri Masjid demolition, I remember your visit to Nadwa and how you were in tears while speaking to Ali Miyan. I was present and then I accompanied you to your hotel where you explained the movement in detail and the need for a “media centre” to propagate the movement.
NAWABI MUSLIM
Yes. The Muslim leadership failed to support you. Not that they did not understand you. They understood you full. They found that your movement threatened their very existence,
If the poor, oppressed Dalit masses joined hands with the equally oppressed Muslim masses, new forces would be released giving birth to new leadership. The existing Muslim religious and political leadership will be washed out.
This fear is genuine. They were only praising you on your face but did nothing to further the movement.
Syed Hamid, whom you had described as a Nawabi Muslim in your recent writings, was at least honest enough to question your theory (Nation & the World editorial April 16, 1999). This opinion of Syed Hamid is held by all upper class Muslims but they will not say it before you.
That does not mean there can be a second opinion on the Dalit-Muslim unity movement of which you are the architect and hence you will go down in history as a great philosopher. Islam and its scriptures have full support to your movement.
BLEAK FUTURE
You have the support of history. You have the support of the entire oppressed masses. There is no doubt that Dalit-Muslim unity will end the menace of Hindu nazism. But the task before you is super-human.
To conclude, I am sure the Gujarat genocide will now make the entire Muslims to rethink on your formula and force them to give it a practical shape. Or else, Muslim future is bleak in India.
Why not come to Nadwa again to discuss changes in Madrasa education as suggested by you? (DV June 16, 2002 р.6: “Madrasa syllabus must include social science & history“).
ROLE OF UDIT RAJ
Everytime you met Ali Miyan, he used to direct you to Moulana Parekh of Nagpur but he too is ill. Who will take up your cause from the Muslim side? Will the Shahi Imam of Delhi do it? I can’t answer these questions. However, Udit Raj of Delhi is giving a political twist to your movement and I wish it all success.
