Your mission is always close to my heart. Being on the same wavelength, in thought and emotion, spiritually we are invariably united. We have faced a host of problems during this time. Prof. Alif-ud-Din Turabi is suffering from heart ailment since last eight months. He is bedridden. The Oct.8, 2005 earthquake has caused widespread devastation in Azad Kashmir and Pakistan. Members of our Kashmir Information Center have also suffered losses in the form of destruction and death of the properties and near and dear ones. Situation was handled through determined efforts but rehabilitation will take very long time.
I have been invited by Allama Iqbal Open University Islamabad to submit a research proposal on “Contribution of Dalit Voice and Dalit literature in support of Dalit movement in India”. In this context, I will need your guidance and support, when the proposal is accepted and actual research work gets underway in real earnest.
That Igbal University has asked Brother Bashir to do research on DV work is a great news. But in India no Muslim religious organisation or university has thought of such a thing. Revolutionary Muslims in different parts of the world love DV and our books but the elite Muslims in India do not share our thoughts. But the Muslim masses love us. We were the founders of the Dalit-Muslim unity movement which is over 30 years old. We have published a book itself on the subject, translated even to Urdu. Moulana Hasan All Nadvi, India’s most famous Muslim saint who released the first issue of DV 25 years back, was a great supporter of this movement. We went round the country many times lecturing to Muslim audience on the need for such a unity but the elite Muslims say they like the idea but take no practical step. If the Dalits (20%) and Muslims (15%) join hands-even a quarter of them-Brahmins will simply melt away. Hope your research in Pakistan will Inspire the Muslims of India to follow your noble example – EDITOR.
