Political Parties and Muslims in Telangana
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The International journal of analytical and experimental modal analysis ISSN NO: 0886-9367 POLITICAL PARTIES AND MUSLIMS IN TELANGANA Dr. Mahammad Sharif E.mail: [email protected]. ROOM NO -37. NRS HOSTEL OSMANIA UNIVERSITY. HYDERABAD-500007. TELANGANA INTRODUCTION The social classes in the Muslim community, elitist character of the Indian politics and the domination, cultural or otherwise, of the upper strata in the political arena have given birth to a number of Muslim political parties and groups. These organizations are partly religious and partly political. For them religion is the source of their ideology and political programme. It is the biggest integral element of the so-called identity of the community. It would be wrong to say that entire Muslim leadership belongs to these organizations. But, it exploits and uses their strength in order to consolidate its position within the community as well as outside the community1. With the exception of the Muslims attached to the communist Parties, no section of the Muslim leadership has been critical of the ideology and the programme of Muslim parties and groups.Now a revolution is possible with the change of outlook and change of opinion. it means that Islamic movement has a bright future here2. POLITICAL PARTIES AND MUSLIMS In Telangana State, so many political parties working for befits of the people. The parties fight for the rights and facilities for the below poverty and downtrodden in different parts of the State. Most of the Muslims in the State were under poverty. They don’t have any access to improve their livelihood. They don’t have education facilities in nook and corner of the State. Some villages still are living in the Dark Age. So, the leaders should fight for the facilities and development of the State. The leaders work in different parties with different agendas. Likewise the Muslim communities also fight for their rights and education etc. they supported some parties for their 1 Fyzee, A.A.A: A Modern Approach to Islam, Asia Publishing House, Bombay, 1963,P. 53. 2 Sirajul Hasan: Hindustan Mein Tehreak-e-Islami Ka Mustaqbil, Dawat-Ijtima Number, April 14, 1982, P.69. Volume XII, Issue II, February/2020 Page No:2583 The International journal of analytical and experimental modal analysis ISSN NO: 0886-9367 benefits3. The Muslim voters population in various constituencies in the country are details as follows. MAJLIS-I-ITTIHAD AL-MUSLIMIN: In Andhra Pradesh the Muslim League had no place, but there exist some Muslim parties like the Majlis-e-Ittehad –e-Baimul Muslimeen, the Muslim Majlis-i-Mushawarat and the Majlis –i-Jamea. Of these the Majlis-e-Ittehad-e-Baimul Muslimeen, which means league for the unity of Muslims, “is more active in politics”. It is a pressure group rather than a political party. Its composition and goals testify to the fact that it is a party of the Muslims and for the Muslims. According to the 1971 Census, the Total Population of Andhra Pradesh was 4,33,94,951, out of which the Muslim population was 39,55,545, i.e. 9 percent. The Muslims are clustered in large numbers in some parts of the State like Hyderabad district and the Capital city. In Hyderabad District their population was 7,37,344 and they constitute about 43 percent of the population. So the strength of the Majlis is confined to Hyderabad district and the city4. The Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen was established as early as 1927 under the president ship of Nawab Sadar Ali Jung. It originated as a religious organization for preserving unity among the different groups of Muslims. In course of time a change took place in its objectives; it realized that political strength was required to protect the interest of Muslims. Nawab Bahadur Yar Jung was the first leader who brought about the transformation of the Majlis from a religious into politico- religious organization. On the eve of Indian Independence, Kasim Razvi became leader of the Majlis and the Razakars organization acted as its Para-military wing. The Razakars restored to anti-Hindu activities during Nizam rule. After the Police Action was launched by the Government of India, and the surrender of the Nizam, Razvi was arrested and the Razakars were disbanded, in 1949, the Majlis was dissolved5. The Majlis-I- Ittehadul Muslim or the Council of Muslim Unity party was found in 1927 as a federation of the representatives of Muslim sects and communities. It was the most important organization in Hyderabad city. from 1948-1957, it remained dormant as a result of the changed 3 Aggarwal,J.C & Chowdhary, N.K: Elections in India 1952-96, Shipra Publications, Delhi, 1996,P.198. 4 Moin Shakir: Islam in Indian Politics, Ajanta Publications, Delhi, 1983,P.61. 5 Raghunadha Rao, P: History of Modern Andhra, Op-Cit, P.146. Volume XII, Issue II, February/2020 Page No:2584 The International journal of analytical and experimental modal analysis ISSN NO: 0886-9367 political situation in the erstwhile Hyderabad State after its incorporation in India one year after independence. The Majlis was again revived in 1957, under the leadership of Abdul Wahab Owaisi. After its dissolution in 1949, several Muslims had joined the Congress fold and now they were afraid again of becoming members of the Majlis. Owaisi adapted strategic and persuasive methods and started holding religious meetings. He declared Muslim loyalty to India, but called on Muslims to unite politically so that they might be able to promote their economic welfare. In 1960, the Majlis participated in the municipal elections 30 candidates and won 19 seats. “The electoral performance of the Majlis at the Assembly level has been, relatively speaking, impressive and in about two decades (1962-78) it has managed to increase its Assembly membership from one to three”. The Majlis aims to represent the interest of the Muslim community in the local bodies, the State Legislative Assembly, and the National Parliament6. According to its president Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi: “Muslims withdrawal from politics would be an irresponsible und undemocratic decision. No aspect of life is free from the impact of politics. No one holding power would listen to you unless you can back up your arguments with political muscle. Muslims must have a political platform of their own. Unless Muslims organize politically, and strengthen to defeat electoral candidates through communicating their interests and aspirations strongly, remain the Muslim communities will remains politically orphan”7. The Majlis joined the electoral arena for the first time in 1960 in the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections and contested for 30 seats from a total of 66 seats. In this election the party wins 19 seats. Later the party contested in General Assembly election and sent three members to the State Assembly8. HYDERABAD CONSTITUENCY-AN OVERVIEW Located in the district of the same name and in the adjacent Rangareddy district, the Hyderabad parliamentary constituency comprises seven legislative assembly constituencies, four of which 6 Omar Khalidi: Indian Muslims since Independence, Op-Cit, P.191. 7 Ibid. 8 Ibid. Volume XII, Issue II, February/2020 Page No:2585 The International journal of analytical and experimental modal analysis ISSN NO: 0886-9367 Charminar, Chadrayangutta, Karwan and Yakutpura) are urban and situated in the old city of Hyderabad, and three (Chevella, Vikarabad and Tandur) are semi-urban. In terms of the social composition of the constituency, Hindus comprise 59.4 percent, Muslims 37.6 percent, and the rest 2.1 percent of the total urban part of the constituency in 1981. In the semi-urban part, the social compositions are Hindus 75 percent, Muslims 11 percent and the rest 14 percent9. The Hyderabad District, including the state capital is an educational and cultural centre. It is at the top in the state in educational level, with 45 percent literary, four universities, three medical and engineering colleges, several scientific and defence laboratories and institutes add to the importance of the area. Industrial development in the district for the last four decades has made the region the center of economic activity in the State10. Reflecting the general pattern of Congress Party dominance in Telangana, the Hyderabad constituency constantly elected a Congress MP from the first general elections in 1952 to 1984. Up to 1983 the Opposition was, by and large, weak and fragmented so that the Congress had no effective challenge in the State. In 1983 the Telugu Desam, a regional party came out victorious in the State election ending decades of Congress rule. The following year saw the eighth general election for Lok Sabha in the country, and for the first time, a candidate of the local Muslim Party, Majlis-i-Ittehadul-Muslimeen, was elected to Parliament benefitting from the spilt in majority Hindu votes which were divided between the two major parties, namely the Telugu Desam (TDP) and Indian National Congress (INC). How was the Majlis able to win the seat in 1984 and 1989 and not earlier? An explanation lies in the political dynamics in the State and in the working of the Muslims strategy in Telangana politics11. MAJLIS STRATEGY By winning the hearts of electoral rolls (that is, a list of voters), the Majlis was able to identify Muslim voters in all seven Assembly constituencies collectively comprising the parliamentary constituency of Hyderabad. The numbers calculated to be approximately 35 percent 9 Census of India, 1981, series 2, Andhra Pradesh, Controller of Publication, New Delhi, 1986. 10 David Butler, Ashok Lahiri & Pranoy Roy: A Compendium of Indian Elections, Arnold-Heinemann Publishers, New Delhi, 1984,P.46. 11 Omar Khalidi: Indian Muslims Since Independence, Op-Cit, P.191. Volume XII, Issue II, February/2020 Page No:2586 The International journal of analytical and experimental modal analysis ISSN NO: 0886-9367 of the total voters.