PREFACE

Popular Front of India is a social movement which has always been in the forefront for the protecon of people’s rights. As a responsible social movement we believe that it is our duty to oppose policies which are an people and against the idea of India. We always aim to be steadfast in our struggle to oppose any aack on the fundamental values of our constuon. Popular Front has always been very vocal in expressing our stand on various issues.

This is the 7th issue of “Issues and Views” which is a collecon of all the press releases, resoluons and statements issued by Popular Front on various issues in the year 2019. This document will help readers to understand the mission, objecves and policies of Popular Front.

M. Mohammed Ali Jinnah General Secretary, Popular Front of India

INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL Popular Front of India condemns New Zealand mosque killings

Popular Front of India chairman E Abubacker has expressed deep sorrow and shock over the gruesome killing of believers on Friday that took place at two mosques, the Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Mosque, in Christ church city in New Zealand. As many as 50 people have been reported to have died and so many people got injured. The vicms are all innocent unarmed defenseless Muslim worshippers including children gathered for Friday prayers.

“Our heart goes out to the families and friends of the vicms. We pray God that they be granted easy relief and respite. The aack was inspired by hatred for Muslim, Islam and immigrants. Major and minor incidents of similar nature are becoming roune in the West. It is undeniable that this growing hatred corresponds to rise of right wing, white supremacist pares and leaders across Europe and America. An-Muslim campaigns threaten the very public life of Muslims in these countries. Not only fringe racial groups, even mainstream polical pares in many countries are promong such crimes.

E Abubacker hoped that let this latest and worst incident of Muslim hate would prompt the sane elements in Europe and America to defeat polics of Islamophobia. He also expressed concern about the report that among the vicms of these terror incidents, there are few Indians and people of Indian origin. He urged Union Minister of Foreign Affairs to extend needed support to them and to ensure safely of Muslim Indians living in New Zealand and Australia. (16 Mar.2019) Serial blasts: Popular Front of India joins the grief of Sri Lanka

Popular Front of India has strongly condemned the serial blasts on Easter day in Sri Lanka which took away more than 200 lives and le about 500 people injured. Popular Front expresses solidarity with the people of our neighboring naon and share their grief at this hour of mourning.

The details of the serial explosions carried out in churches and hotels are not known. It is hoped that Sri Lankan Government agencies would be able to find out those forces that acted behind these terrorist aacks without any me lapse. Whosoever be the terrorists master minded the Colombo mass murders, whatsoever be their moves in acng so heinously, the whole incident is undoubtedly a crime against humanity. E Abubacker, the chairman hoped that as we have

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 06 INTERNATIONAL witnessed in the case of recent New Zealand mass firings, the vicms of Sri Lankan blasts would receive both domesc and internaonal support by all means. (22 Apr.2019) Popular Front expresses solidarity with Gaza against Israeli airstrikes

Popular Front of India has expressed its solidarity with the people of Gaza against the Israeli airstrikes.

It is deeply saddening and outraging that yet another air campaign launched by Israel has killed dozens of civilians including a pregnant woman and her fourteen-month-old niece and injured several others. The sporadic aacks and siege is part of the ongoing genocide of people of Gaza. The world watched when the Israeli aacks in the past years starng from 2006 took thousands of lives and le several thousands permanently disabled. The siege has literally made the Gaza strip world's largest open jail. Mere ceasefire is far from a relief to Gazans, it is the immediate end of the siege and the ongoing illegal selement that is going to lead to a lasng soluon.

Popular Front called upon the UN Security Council and the world leaders to take urgent steps to get the siege on Gaza lied. (07 May. 2019) Abandon silence on Uighur Muslims: Popular Front

Popular Front of India Chairman E Abubacker has urged world leaders, human rights organizaons, and world Muslim community to abandon their silence on the injusce and gross human rights violaons being commied by the Chinese government against Turkic Muslims and other ethnic minories in China.

Shocking reports have been emerging from China of systemac aempts by the government for ethnic cleansing of Muslim minority communies, especially the Uighur Muslims. People are sent to concentraon camps if they are found to be involved in anything that is remotely religious like greeng salam, abstaining from alcohol or even speaking their mother tongue. Nearly two million people are reported to be detained in such camps that are reminiscent of Nazi concentraon camps.

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 07 INTERNATIONAL Bowing to Chinese pressure, the world leaders including leaders of neighbouring Muslim countries are largely silent on the issue. When it comes to the issue of torturing Uighur Muslims, the US and their western allies are reluctant to impose any sancons against China. It is ironical that Pakistan which is always vocal on issues of Muslims in some other countries are maintaining a criminal silence on this issue in order to appease the Chinese government, one of its strategic allies. Popular Front called upon all people across the world who respects human rights and freedom to condemn Chinese government's inhuman treatment of minories and to demand their respecve governments to put pressure on China to end the shameful oppression. (11 May.2019)

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 08 HUMAN RIGHTS HUMAN RIGHTS Curb violence against Kashmiri students and traders: Popular Front

In the wake of news coming from some parts of the country about the mounng aacks on Kashmiri students and traders, Popular Front of India chairman E Abubacker has urged the central and state governments to protect their lives and properes. He has demanded stringent acons against the perpetuators of violence. It is sectarian and hysteric to hold the people in Kashmir and Kashmiris studying and working elsewhere responsible for the act of a suicide bomber in Phulwama. Any sustainable soluon to the crisis prevailing in Kashmir is possible only by taking the Kashmir people into confidence. The official level atude of a Kashmir without Kashmiris must be abandoned. There can be an end to bomb blasts and gun shots and return of peace in Kashmir through dialogues and negoaons only. He reminded that the wounds created due to the an-Sikh riots following the assassinaon of Indira Gandhi sll remain unhealed. (18 Feb. 2019) Leaders visit families of youth killed in police custody in Bihar. Families demands Justice, not Money

Muzaffarpur: A delegaon of Popular Front of India visited the families of two Muslim youth killed in police custody, who lived in Ramdeeha village of Chakiya police staon. Chairman of Almomineen Foundaon Sharfuddin Qasmi, SDPI Muzaffarpur district secretary Javed Iqbal, Popular Front Muzaffarpur president Ehsham Tabish, Bihar General secretary Riyaz Marif, Dr Asif, Master Mumtaz, Mohammad Aziz, Mohammad Irshad and others were in the delegaon.

Popular Front fact finding team in a statement issued aer the visit said that the killing was pre- planned. The villagers told that 7 vehicles including 5 police vans arrived at house of Gufran s/o Munawwar Ali on 5th March night at 12 30am 8 policemen were in uniform and others were in civil dress. They all had pistols and were led by Chakiya police staon in charge Sanjay Singh. They went to Gufran's house and picked him up without any warrant. Aer that they reached to house of Tasleem s/o Mohd Mulazim, broke the door and entered in his house, but didn't get him as he was sleeping in Madarsa. So they took 3 mobiles, 6 emergency lights and Rupees 12500 from the house. They also behaved badly with women in the house. Tasleem's father who had fracture in his leg and waist, was laying on a bed. They kicked him off the bed. Also they misbehaved with the neighbours. Then they picked up Tasleem from the Madarsa without any warrant. In the

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 10 HUMAN RIGHTS morning, their family members and villagers went to the police staon, but the staon in charge Sanjay Singh treated them badly and said that the arrested persons were not there. At last, people reached Sadar hospital in Seetamadhi, where they were stopped by the police and said that postmortem was going on. The police went through postmortem without informing the families and took the bodies to their houses. The bodies had clear sings of brutal beang and nails were fixed under their feet. The relaves told that the vicms were also given electric shocks. They made it clear that monetary compensaon will not end the maer and they are ready to fight ll jusce is delivered. The visited delegaon promise all possible support in their legal fight. (13 Mar. 2019) Compensation to Bilkis Bano: Popular Front hails the Supreme Court order

Popular Front of India has hailed the Supreme Court order direcng the Gujarat government to pay compensaon of Rs 50 lakhs and government job to Balkis Bano. Chairman E Abubacker stated that the court order is a slap on the ugly faces of BJP top brass who were in power in Gujarat during the dreadful days of an-Muslim riots in 2002.

Bilkis was 21 years old and pregnant when she was gang-raped and her family members including her three year old child was mob lynched. The SC also directed the Government to provide her accommodaon at a place of her choice, aer nong that she had been living a nomadic life since 2002. The court has rejected the stand taken by Gujarat government that it has taken appropriate measures including acon on guilty police officers and the offer of Rs. 5 lakh to the vicm. (23 Apr.2019) Hailakandi violence must be investigated by High Court Judge: Popular Front of India

Guwaha: Popular Front of India Assam State Commiee has condemned in strongest terms the violence outside Marwari Po Masjid in Hailakandi while Muslims were offering Tarawih prayer at night, on 10th May. In a press conference, leaders of Popular Front of India demanded a high level invesgaon into the incident under the supervision of a High Court Judge. They also demanded that the role of Police superintendent of Hailakandi Manish Mishra, DSP Noyan Mani Burman and in-charge of Town Police Tinku Goswami also should be invesgated. They also demanded that the culprits involved in the incident must be idenfied and given proper

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 11 HUMAN RIGHTS punishment. They stated that, the first incident of violence on 9th May was reported to District Magistrate and police superintendent no acon was taken. This negligence caused bigger violence the next day. But later, the police randomly opened fire on the public on the street that le a man dead and several others seriously injured. And they are not taking any acon against those who have been trying to engineer riots in various ways, the leaders said. They added that on 17th February, some Bajrang Dal goons aacked organisaon members of Hailakandi while they were celebrang Popular Front Day.

The press conference was addressed by president of Assam State commiee of Populer Front Aminul Haque, secretary of Barak Valley district commiee Faizur Rahman and leaders like Shahidul Islam, Sarimul Islam, Habeeb Ahmad, Mujahidul Islam, Shakul Ahmed, Kabir Ahmed, Mahidul Islam. (16 May. 2019) Popular Front expresses concern over the surge of Hindutva mob lynchings

Popular Front of India of India Chairman E Abubacker has expressed deep concern over the surge of an-Muslim violence in different states from the very beginning of the new BJP government.

Despite the assurances given by Prime Minister immediately aer the declaraon of elecon results about removing fear from minories and winning their trust, mob lynchings by Hindutva goons in the country are alarmingly on the rise. Aer BJP's landslide victory, aacks and killings of Muslims commuters and labourers are repeatedly reported from various states. Muslims are picked up, abused and aacked.

Hindutva fanacs who carry out these aacks are highly organized, armed and enjoy impunity and protecon of those in power. The culprits force vicms to chant Jai Shriram. The government which is usually very quick in responding to even minor accidents is completely silent when it comes to the Hindutva aacks on Muslims. When Modi immediately responded to the collapse of a Ram Katha pandal in Barmer in Rajasthan, he maintains studied silence about repeated mob aacks on Muslims.

On other hand, the opposion pares also hesitate to address the Muslim security issues thereby betraying secular principles.

E. Abubacker warned that it is the constuonally mandated duty of a government to ensure the safety of all cizens, and in its absence, the enre country will be pushed into chaos. (24 Jun.2019)

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 12 HUMAN RIGHTS No further amendment; Repeal UAPA: Popular Front

Popular Front called on the Union Home Ministry to abandon the aempt to further amend the draconian Unlawful Acvies Prevenon Act and instead repeal the law immediately.

The Unlawful Acvies (Prevenon) Amendment Bill 2019 introduced in Parliament by Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy seeks to empower the governments to designate individuals as terrorists. This law has been so far misused by successive governments to ban opposing organisaons aer pung terrorist tag on them. Now due to the proposed amendment the scope of this threat has been extended to even on an individual whom the government considers a threat to it. Such an amendment can lead to all kinds of misuse.

The 2008 amendment of UAPA has already become highly controversial. It provided the governments ample powers to act against cizen's fundamental rights. As it was feared by civil right organizaons from the very beginning, law was widely misused predominantly to target minories, Dalits, human rights acvists and people with dissenng voices. Several cases have been reported in recent years that innocents implicated in false cases had to spend years behind bars because of the provisions of UAPA charged on them and to be acquied later. Thousands are sll languishing in jails as under-trials without bail. Amending the law again by adding more draconian provisions will only make it an even more dangerous for a democrac country. He appealed opposion leaders and human rights acvists to convince the parliament members and put pressure on the central government to refrain from bringing more draconian amendments. (09 Jul.2019) Muzaffarnagar mass acquittals: Popular Front seeks Supreme Court monitor re- investigation

Popular Front of India General Secretary M Mohammed Ali Jinnah has expressed disappointment over the reports that culprits were acquied in 40 of total 41 cases of Muzaffarnagar riots in which verdicts been delivered by the courts. Only one case in which there was convicon, the accused were Muslims. He sought re-invesgaon of all Muzaffarnagar cases under direct supervision of Hon'ble Supreme Court.

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 13 HUMAN RIGHTS The 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots were largest an-Muslim violence witnessed by the country since 2002 Gujarat genocide. At least 63 people were killed in the violence, houses were set on fire, women were raped and many thousands were displaced. Though mulple factors have contributed to such a large scale acquials, in many cases police helped escape culprits through deliberate lapses in inquiry. The witnesses, mostly the relaves of the vicms, were threatened and bribed into turning hosle in the courts. Those who refused to budge were further aacked.

Mohammed Ali Jinnah appealed rights groups and voluntary organizaons to come forward to stand with the families of the vicms to fight the cases again. He also called on the prosecuon to carry the cases forward to higher courts and ensure that every culprit is punished and every vicm gets jusce. (05 Sep.2019)

Acquittal in Pehlu Khan Case verdict erodes trust in criminal justice system

Popular Front of India Chairman E Abubacker has expressed disappointment over the acquial of six accused in Pehlu Khan lynching case by the trial court in Rajasthan's Alwar.

The lynching of dairy farmer Pehlu Khan by right wing Hindu fanacs in April 2017 was an incident that happened in broad daylight. The perpetrators video-recorded the heinous act and circulated throughout social media while the world watched it with their naked eyes. However, to the disappointment of all those who eagerly waited for jusce, all the six accused involved in his killing have been acquied by a trial court in Rajasthan. It appears that police and prosecuon, through deliberate procedural lapses, have helped the powerful criminals go scot free. The state government is also blameworthy in not pursuing the case with due diligence, especially when the Supreme Court has issued noces to Rajasthan along with four other Indian states and to the central government asking for acon, and even new legislaon, against mob lynching. While the court had technical reasons to cite for its decision to absolve the criminals, it does not make the facts go away that an innocent was brutally lynched to death while the world watched and that the perpetrators are supporters of the ruling class.

E Abubacker sought the intervenon of the higher judiciary in the country to establish jusce in Pehlu Khan Case and to avoid such a travesty of jusce from happening in future. He also asked the state government to pursue the case seriously and ensure that jusce is served in its full spirit. (16 Aug.2019)

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 14 HUMAN RIGHTS Defeat UAPA Amendment Bill: Popular Front General Secretary writes to Rajya Sabha MPs

Popular Front of India General Secretary M. Mohammed Ali Jinnah has today requested the all non-NDA Rajya Sabha MPs to defeat the UAPA Amendment Bill passed by Lok Sabha, by vong against it in the Upper House. He reminded that the mistake commied by them by allowing to pass the controversial NIA Amendment Bill, in spite of clear majority of non-NDA pares in Rajya Sabha should not get repeated. The message was conveyed to MPs individually via E-Mail. (25 Jul.2019) NEC Resolutions

The Naonal Execuve Council meeng of Popular Front of India held in Calicut, Kerala on 3rd & 4th August has stated that BJP is misusing the dominant majority the party has in the parliament for repressive legislaons that infringes basic democrac rights. A number of legislaons with long term impact like UAPA Amendment Bill 2019, NIA Bill 2019, RTI Amendment Bill 2019 and Triple Talaq Bill were passed by the parliament in a maer of days. The nature of the bills and the hurried manner they were passed without parliamentary scruny and without giving any consideraon to the grave objecons raised against the bills are alarming signs that BJP is misusing its majority against the spirit of democracy. Opposion pares stand on the bills deceiul

The meeng also quesoned hypocrical stand of the opposion party members in the parliament regarding the Bills. Many members of the opposion pares were highly vocal against the bills and they complained that 14 bills were rushed through in short period without scruny. However, when these bills came for vong, most of them voted in favour in both houses. BJP managed to get the bills passed in both houses in spite of the fact that the party sll does not have majority in RajyaSabha. These members, except a few, have proved to be either insincere or inmidated by BJP. BJP trying to finish opposion pares

The meeng expressed concern over the polical depravity of BJP which is buying MLAs and MPs of other pares and creang polical crisis in states that are not ruled by the party. It is shameful

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 15 HUMAN RIGHTS that not only BJP, those who are being sold out from opposion pares have also betrayed the people and principles. They have brought down an elected government in Karnataka. In other states too MLAs and MPs of other pares are defecng to BJP for money and other gains. Through this hijacking of people's democrac aspiraons by taking advantage of the power- hungry leaders, BJP is proving that they would go to any extend to destroy other pares. It wants to create a crippled democracy without viable opposion. The meeng asked other pares to resist and defeat BJP's vicious taccs by strengthening and elecng leaders who are commied to people and principles rather than power and pelf. Assam NRC: Stop maladministraon leading to humanitarian crisis

As only weeks le for the Supreme Court set deadline for publishing NRC final list, the Assam situaon on the ground shows that the state is headed to a humanitarian crisis with lakhs of people officially losing their cizenship. According to the reports 3.9 lakh people have not yet been able to file their claims and objecon to be included in the list. Meanwhile, reports are flowing in from many places that people who are already in NRC list are being called in large numbers for re-verificaon of the cizenship records. In other words, if the publicaon of the final list takes place as scheduled, there will be lakhs of people without a country and civil rights. The NEC of Popular Front appeal the Supreme Court of India to come up with a more humane soluon to the problem to avoid a civil war like situaon being created in Assam. Kashmir: Save the situaon going worse

The NEC meeng of Popular Front has expressed anguish and disappointment over the worsening situaon in Jammu & Kashmir. Recent escalaon of clashes and killings, deployment of addional armies, suspension of Amarnath Yatra, vacang students and tourists etc have created panic in the state. There are reports that all major polical pares and the people rallied behind them have turned more hosle towards the central government. The meeng pointed out that the issues in Kashmir can be ulmately solved only by taking the people there in confidence. A permanent soluon to this decades long complex problem cannot be reached by mere show of military might. The meeng reminded that, instead, the real polical wisdom lies in returning to the dialogue process by involving all genuine secons of people in Jammu & Kashmir.

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 16 HUMAN RIGHTS Welcomes Supreme Court order in Unnao rape case

The meeng welcomed SC order in Unnao case. SC intervenon for a rape vicm who is fighng for jusce against powerful criminals is a highly hopeful. The grave injusce suffered by a girl and her family in Yogi Adityanath led Uar Pradesh is a proof that the law and order situaon in the state is in shambles. Even the Supreme Court has taken note of it and transferred the case to Delhi. The apex court has even ordered CRPF protecon to the girl. It means that court is distrusul of the UP government and police. In the light this judgment, we demand UP government to refrain from promong atrocies and protecng the criminals. Decries U S war cry over Iran

The NEC meeng observed that strengthening hoslity towards Iran by U S and allies is part of the aempt to destabilize and destroy yet another naon in the region. While there are ample opportunies for peaceful resoluon of the issue through negoaons, the unilateral US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal and re-imposion of economic sancons on Tehran is an indicaon that the US does not want peace. The capture of ships by Britain followed by Iran has led the enre region to an atmosphere of war. We call upon the world leaders to work for peaceful resoluon of the issue to prevent another round of bloody destrucon in the region. (05 Aug.2019)

CSDS survey proves the dangerous depth of Muslim hate in police forces

Popular Front of India Chairman E Abubacker has stated that the 'Status of Policing in India Report' published by CSDS is proof of the dangerous depth of RSS ideology of Muslim hate among police personnel. In the light of the new findings, he underlined the need of our police force to be made more inclusive and unbiased.

It is extremely disturbing to learn that every other police personnel surveyed by CSDS researchers thinks that Muslims are likely to be naturally prone to comming crimes. The finding that 35 percentages of them supported Goraksha violence should open our eyes. Indian psyche is not free of its share of supersons and deeply internalized hatred for people they deem other. BJP polically capitalize on this fear and hatred.

The CSDS report is a tesmony, how far fanac forces have managed to extend their roots in the police force.

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 17 HUMAN RIGHTS

In such a situaon, the alienated people, parcularly Muslims cannot hope for jusce from police. The report explains the everyday experiences of Muslim community with police and proves how the community remains over-represented in jails and undergo custodial tortures. It also speaks why in cases where Muslims were brutally lynched in broad daylight, the culprits walk free. A recent report revealed that because of the holes in police story and lack of enthusiasm on their part, culprits walked free in 40 of the 41 cases related to Muzaffarnagar riots in which judgments were passed. And in the only one case in which there was punishment, the culprits were Muslims.

E Abubacker stressed that solving the issue of Muslim under-representaon and police educaon and training to eliminate unfounded noons and biases are primary steps required in order to regain the lost dignity of the police forces. (30 Aug.2019) Condemns lynching of tribal Christians in Jharkhand

Popular Front in a statement, condemned the Gorakshak aack in Jharkhand that killed a tribal man and seriously injured two others.

In yet another incident of brutality in the name of cow, Gorakshak gangs have killed an innocent man and seriously injured two others in Khun district of Jharkhand, around 50 km from state capital Ranchi. This me the vicms happen to be tribal Chrisans. The state of Jharkhand is becoming horror of a place for minories with rampant hate crimes, grave human rights violaons, Gorakshaks enjoying impunity under the BJP government. It was in June that 24 year- old, newly married, Tabrez Ansari was brutalised in similar fashion in the state, leading to his death. Jharkhand government and police are yet prove that they have any intenon to stop this madness. In fact their inacon and negligence is the primary factor that emboldens criminal and communal elements to go on targeng innocents belonging to minories and weaker secons.

Along with Muslims, Chrisans, Dalits and Adivasis are also targets of the ideology of hate carried by mob lynchers. ( 25 Sep. 2019)

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 18 HUMAN RIGHTS Extra judicial killings never acceptable, not a solution to atrocities on women

New Delhi: Popular Front Naonal General Secretary M Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in a statement, has quesoned the encounter killings of the rape accused in Telangana.

Naon is deeply saddened by the news of the brutal rape and murder of the young veterinarian in Hyderabad last week. There cannot be two sides that the culprits must be brought to jusce as per law. The incident should also be an eye-opener for both the government and the society at large to the pathec state prevailing in the country with rewards to the security of women. We join the grief of the family and friends of the vicm.

Meanwhile, the way Telangana police dealt with the four accused arrested in connecon with the incident is shocking. The police shot all the four dead, allegedly to prevent their aempt to escape from the custody. Not only that the official version is seriously flawed, but no enough quesons are being asked about the police story. It is noteworthy here that Telangana police have a track record of orchestrang fake encounters. Popular Front has always been of the view that extra judicial killings or punishments should never be tolerated by a democrac society. Killing the accused without due process of law is not the soluon to the problems of women but a dangerous problem in and of itself. This incident should be viewed as an unholy aempt to gain acceptability to police excesses using the peculiar emoonal atmosphere and popular outrage generated by a gruesome crime. Popular Front demand a thorough invesgaon into the incident and bring out the truth of the killings.

We are also outraged to hear death of another woman, a 23-year-old rape survivor, in a highly unfortunate circumstance. She was aacked and set on fire by criminals including the rapist in Unnao, Uar Pradesh. The level of cruelty commied to the girl is beyond comprehension. We extend our deep condolences to her family. Popular Front condemns the rape and the aack demand that culprits be brought to jusce. (07 Dec.2019)

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 19 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES NEC Resolutions Face the Lok Sabha elecon with an alternate pro-people manifesto Popular Front urges Non-BJP pares

A resoluon passed by the Naonal Execuve Council meeng of Popular Front of India has urged the Non-BJP opposion pares to face the people in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elecons with a an alternave manifesto as against the an-people, corporate and communal agenda of Narendra Modi government. The meeng pointed out that the suffering masses are not just looking for a change of pares and leaders that run the government, but a New India of jusce and peace to all cizens and classes.

The country currently witnessed one of the worst central governments post independence. The Modi government has proved to be disastrous in every aspect of governance. It has not only failed miserably in improving the quality of life of the people, but also in providing security to their lives, especially of the Minories and Dalits. There are clear signs that naon's economy is in ruins. Any form of dissent is met with exceedingly authoritarian and an-democrac means of repression. All the above factors make the next Lok Sabha elecon most crical in the history of the country. Such a situaon warrants close assessment not only of the present ruling party but also the opposion pares as to how well they have performed their democrac duty. Unfortunately, other than mere hollow rhetoric and unrealisc promises just like what BJP did before 2014 elecon, we are yet to hear from the opposion pares any clear and compressible alternave to the current pro-rich, an-people and communal polics of BJP. The weak and poor secons of the society are concerned of an alternate polics. They deserve to know how post BJP India is going to be different from the BJP ruled India.

The Congress in the past has shown many things in common with BJP. During the Congress rule too communal fanacs in the country enjoyed impunity on different occasions. From the demolion of Babri Masjid to scores of an-Muslim riots, many assaults occurred during Congress rule. Most of the draconian laws like UAPA and AFSPA and repressive agencies like NIA were introduced by Congress. If it was Congress led governments that opened country' door for corporates through their neo liberal policies, BJP is now championing it further. When BJP introduced 10% economic reservaon for general category, an idea that destroys the foundaons of affirmave acon in India, almost all major opposion pares including le pares and regional pares rallied in support of it.

If Congress or other pares are seeking merely a government change without any fundamental change in their policies, they lack the moral right to present themselves as the alternave to BJP.

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 21 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES This way, they will never be able to prevent the country falling again in the grip of fascist deep state, nor will they improve the economy and lives of the people in the country. The meeng demanded all opposion pares other than BJP and its allies to come up with a clear and comprehensible manifesto that undertakes to improve the life of the common people and ensure equal jusce and security to all depressed classes and minority communies. Ayodhya land acquision

Central government peon is a backdoor aempt to construct Ram temple

Another resoluon adopted by the NEC of Popular Front of India said that the new peon filed by the Central Government before the Supreme Court seeking release of the superfluous land adjacent to Babri Masjid area is part of a plan to start Ram temple construcon surrounding the site of demolished Babri Masjid. Following the Babri Masjid demolion in 6 December 1992, the Supreme Court had acquired the enre land in order to prevent any illegal construcon there ll the court give final judgement in the land ownership case. Other than the electoral compulsions upon the ruling BJP, there is no emergency situaon whatsoever to restore the land acquired under Acquision of Certain Area in Ayodhya Act of 1993. It can only be done aer the judicial resoluon of the longstanding dispute. The meeng appealed to apex court to reject the polically movated government plea on the eve of Lok Sabha elecon and maintain the status quo in the area ll its final verdict in the tle suit. Central Budget just an eyewash and deceit

The NEC meeng of Popular Front of India termed that the high promises contained in the Budget presented in the parliament are just eyewash and cheang exercise because the Modi government will expire within next four months. The heavy flood of sops itself is an indicaon of the turmoil in BJP camps about the backlash they expect from people in forthcoming LS elecon. Popular Front appealed the people to reject such elecon gimmicks of ruling BJP and look into the failed performance of Modi government. Renewal of SIMI ban unjust, undemocrac

The NEC of Popular Front of India has observed that the renewal of ban on Students Islamic Movement of India is unjust, undemocrac and repeon of polical vendea. SIMI was first banned by the then BJP government in 2001 and it was extended seven mes by all successive governments. There was no terror accused case against the organisaon at the me of ban. Most of the SIMI members who were later booked in criminal cases were acquied. More over many blast cases that were first put on former SIMI members like Malegaon, Ajmer and Makkah Masjid

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 22 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES were later found to be handiworks of Hindutva groups. But none of those Hindutva ouits has been banned so far by any government. Further, any terrorist incidents were not aributed to SIMI during the past five years aer the last renewal of the ban on it. The meeng called upon the civil society to raise their voice against the unjust and undemocrac connuance of SIMI ban.

Awareness Campaign against Cizenship Amendment Bill

The meeng decided an awareness campaign all over India against the democrac and constuonal violaons inherent in the Cizenship Amendment Bill passed by the Lok Sabha. The bill excludes Muslims only from the ambit of granng cizenship for refugees from certain neighbouring countries. It is an overt aempt at smashing the very basic ideal of Indian constuon that is the rejecon any discriminaon on the basis of religion. Various programmes like posters, pamphlets, gatherings, protests etc will be organised in across India. The meeng called upon all Non-BJP polical pares to be in the forefront of the campaigns and agitaons that have emerged against the bill from among the religious, linguisc and cultural minories in different regions. (05 Feb.2019)

Economic reservation shatters idea of representative democracy

Popular Front opined that the central government move to introduce 10% quota for economically backward people of general category is an act that shaers the very idea of representave democracy and is detrimental to the efforts for social jusce.

Arcle 15 and 16 of the constuon clearly spulates reservaon only for socially and educaonally backward classes. When central government makes a constuonal amendment to make economic reservaon possible, it is against the very raonale behind the idea of reservaon. The quota reservaon in public services is not a poverty alleviaon programme. It was brought into being as means to end systemic deprivaon of power suffered by the weaker secons based on their caste or community for thousands of years, and to ensure the adequate representaon for the such deprived secon of the society in government services. Unlike caste and community, the economic status of Individuals doesn't remain constant and it keeps fluctuang. Therefore it is not raonal to provide reservaon based on economic criteria. Besides, even poverty in our country is sll largely caste based. The present move is against 1992 Supreme Court judgment in IndraSawhny case which has rejected reservaon based on economic criteria. On the other hand, it is the responsibility of the government to alleviate

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 23 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES poverty of the people irrespecve of caste and community through various welfare measures. This has to be achieved without dilung the present community quota reservaon system. (08 Jan.2019) Prevent communally prejudiced citizenship bill becoming law

A statement issued by M Muhammed Ali Jinnah, the General Secretary of Popular Front of India, has said that the new Cizenship (Amendment) Bill passed by Lok Sabha is expression of the communal bigotry of the central government and asked all non-BJP members of Rajya Sabha to prevent it from becoming a law.

The bill is openly discriminatory to Muslims and against the basic principles of the constuon. It allows migrants belonging to the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Chrisan religious communies from Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan to gain permanent cizenship in India, while excluding Muslims. It is shameful and outright injusce that religion is made a major factor for the conferral of cizenship in our country. (10 Jan.2019) Prevent BJP misusing religion: Popular Front appeals Supreme Court and Election Commission

The Central Secretariat meeng of Popular Front of India has in a statement said that the comments and remarks coming from the Prime Minister and Union ministers on Ayodhya issue are not prompted by any sincere commitment to the naon and its constuon; rather, they are polically movated aempts to pressurize and unduly influence on judicial decisions.

Union Minister Ravishankar Prasad recently expressed his unhappiness over the Supreme Court delay in the case. He said that the case has been pending for over seven decades. At the same me he also expects a judgment in favour of Ram Temple. That obviously is not reflecve of his concern for delayed jusce, rather a polical gimmick which is not different from the provocave and hateful uerances made by other SanghParivar leaders on various occasions, challenging the supreme status of the apex court.

Of course delayed jusce is the concern of all the cizens especially the vicms of Babri Masjid

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 24 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES demolion. From the installaon of the idol inside Babri Masjid in 1949, to its opening for idol worship in 1986, to its demolion in 1992 and subsequent erecon of the makeshi temple on its site, Muslim community has been at the receiving end of the delayed jusce. It is great to know that the Law Minister has faith in judiciary and that he is concerned about the delay. But he owes an explanaon to the naon why the leaders of his party and Sangh Parivar ouits never expressed their faith in judiciary when they demolished the Masjid. And they never had this concern for the delayed jusce while the case remained pending from 1949 to 1992. Several leaders of BJP and allied ouits connue to demand immediate construcon of Ram Temple irrespecve of the fact that Supreme Court order is sll pending. Uar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has recently threatened that if the Supreme Court is unable to pronounce a favourable order, they themselves can build Ram Mandir within 24 hours.

Babri Masjid - Ram Mandir issue now before the Supreme Court is basically a tle suit which is to be decided on the basis of historical facts and official records, and not based the senments or beliefs of either religious group. Even the fact that a make shi temple is allowed on the same site aer the criminal act of Masjid demolion cannot be a point of consideraon. The difference in situaons before and aer the Masjid demolion also is not relevant in a land ownership case hearing.

What we see now is a government, failed in all aspects, with nothing to offer to people in terms of development, trying to capitalize senmental issues to gain majority votes in the forthcoming LokSabha elecons. BJP is cheang and exploing the Hindu majority by making Ram temple construcon just an elecon tool. The Central Secretariat has repeated its earlier appeal to the Supreme Court as well as the Elecon Commission to prevent BJP and other SanghParivar ouits from humiliang judiciary and misusing religion for electoral gains.

The meeng decided the capon 'Defeat polics of hate' as the theme of the Popular Front Day which will be celebrated on 17 February. Various public programmes will be held on the day in different states. (30 Jan.2019) Congress leadership responsible for imposing NSA in cow slaughter and transport cases

The Central Secretariat meeng of Popular Front of India has expressed deep disappointment and anger over invoking stringent Naonal Security Act on Muslims allegedly involved in cow slaughter and cow transportaon by the Congress government of Madhya Pradesh.

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 25 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES

Cow polics has been a Sangh Pariwar tool, which they used to win Hindu senments. This cow polics gave rise to the horror of cow vigilansm. Over the past few years, dozens of innocent Muslims lost their lives by the hands of Gorakshaks constued of Sangh Pariwar ouits. It created a situaon in the country that, mere accusaons, whether right of wrong, of holding beef or transporng beef, became sufficient reasons for geng brutally lynched in public. The state of Madhya Pradesh also witnessed many such incidents. Minories in the state looked at the winning of Congress with relief thinking that they would end this lawlessness and bring the Goraksha criminals before law. It is quite disappoinng that the opposite is happening. State government is acng to fulfill the agenda of Gorakshaks. By linking cow slaughter and cow transportaon to naonal security, the Congress government led by Kamal Nath has shown his closeness to RSS percepon of naonalism.

Though some Congress leaders have expressed their disapproval of this grave misuse of law, the party failed in correcong their chief minister. The Central Secretariat meeng reminded the Congress naonal leadership that by not prevenng such misdeeds by M P government, Muslims and other religious minories are geng more distanced from the party on the eve of general elecons.

In another resoluon, the Central Secretariat meeng of Popular Front cricized the misuse of power in dealing Muzaffarnagar riots cases. Uar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adhithyanath is reportedly all set to withdraw 131 cases related to Muzaffarnagar riots in which dozens of innocents, mostly Muslims were brutally killed, women were raped and houses were set on fire. The cases to be withdrawn include serious charges against local BJP leaders including murder cases. Obviously he is trying to save his party men and supporters accused of the killing, raping and arson. This is clearly an act of discriminaon where the culprits get punished or let free based on their religion and polics.

The meeng hoped that the judiciary will prevent such a large scale degeneraon of law and order under U.P. government. (11 Feb.2019) Popular Front joins the grief of the nation in the death of CRPF personnel

Popular Front of India chairman E Abubacker has expressed shock over the terror incident in Kashmir on Srinagar-Jammu highway in which at least 37 CRPF personnel lost their lives. He conveyed deep condolences to the bereaved families. He said: “We have lost our brave soldiers

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 26 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES in this aack which is strongly condemnable.” He further stated that there is an unprecedented increase in the number of violent incidents in J&K in recent years and it is a maer of serious concern. In the present incident, it is more serious that there were serious security lapses in spite of intelligence inputs.

E Abubacker demanded that instead of misusing the incident for polical advantage in view of forthcoming elecon, the whole maer should be invesgated thoroughly and remedial measures taken so that similar causalies are not repeated in future. He has also reminded that it is high me to iniate a permanent soluon to Kashmir problem through appropriate polical steps. (15 Feb.2019) Lok Sabha Election: Popular Front to hold Muslim Political Conclave

In the context of upcoming LokSabha elecon, Popular Front of India will convene a 'Muslim Polical Conclave' in the naonal capital on 6th April 2019 to submit a 'Peoples Charter of Demands' on behalf of the minority community before the contesng polical pares. Muslim scholars, acvists and leaders invited from different states will discuss the current naonal and state situaons and prepare a charter reflecng the concerns of the community for the interested polical pares to include in their elecon manifesto. This decision was taken in the Naonal Execuve Council meeng of Popular Front of India held at Malappuram in Kerala.

The meeng observed that, though 2019 LokSabha elecon is being viewed as of paramount importance in the history of the country, the existenal and developmental issues of minories have been largely sidelined in the polical discourse of the major polical pares who have tradionally used the community as their vote banks. The present central government is characterised by its extreme an-minority nature and the resultant rise of violence against Muslims in parcular. In lynching incidents, mostly Muslims were killed in the name of beef consumpon and the cale trade. According to one survey, it is found that hate speeches by elected leaders increased by five mes since BJP came to power in 2014. According to a report of Human Rights Watch, in most of the mob lynching cases culprits remain unpunished.

In Babri Masjid case, the central government is doing everything to prevent jusce and ensure Ram Mandir construcon on the Babri land. The non-BJP opposion has relegated Babri Masjid case into a non issue and has forgoen the promise of reconstrucon, made to the naon when it was demolished in 1992. Through the introducon of 10% quota in government jobs on

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 27 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES economic grounds, when the central government tried to destroy the constuonal foundaon of reservaon, both Congress and Le pares supported this upper caste agenda. And they keep silence over the recommendaon of Jusce Ranganath Misra Commission to provide 15% reservaon for religious minories.

It is to be remembered that it was UPA government which introduced the draconian UAPA, now widely being misused by Modi government against minories and for silencing voices of dissent. The constuon of NIA, another agency which is misused against Muslims, is also a Congress government contribuon. No previous secular government at the centre bothered to remove the oppressive sedion clause from our penal laws.

There is a visible reluctance on the part of major pares even to address Muslims in this changed polical circumstance. They oen distance themselves from core quesons of Muslims and backward minority secons and at mes even compete with BJP by championing Hindutva polics even openly. In short, these pares have proved them incapable of standing by the aspiraons of the minories and marginalized secons of this country. The situaon demands realisc evaluaon of the present situaon in the country and effecve strategizing on the part of Muslim community for its own future and the future of the country as a secular democrac naon. The proposed Muslim Polical Conclave is an aempt at enabling the opposion pares to address the LokSabha elecon on the basis of core secular values enshrined in the Indian constuon. (21 Feb.2019)

Popular Front demands Rahul Gandhi to explain Congress position on Ayodhya

Popular Front of India, chairman E Abubacker has sought an explanaon from Congress president Rahul Gandhi on the remarks by AICC General Secretary Harish Rawat about building Ram temple.

Mr.Rawat has claimed that Congress would try to build Ram Temple in Ayodhya if the party is voted to power in the upcoming LokSabha elecon.

Such an objeconable statement to come from a top leader of the largest secular party in the country is both shocking and disappoinng. Since it is the second statement from him of the same nature, it cannot be viewed as a mistake. It is sll not clear whether the Congress party endorses or rejects the remarks by its general secretary. (25 Feb.2019)

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 28 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES Popular Front opposes crackdown on Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir

Popular Front has quesoned the ban and the ongoing crackdown on Jamaat-e- Islami Kashmir in the state.

Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir has been a strong presence in the state since decades and enjoys popular support through their socio- polical and educaonal acvism. The movement is not known involving in any violent acts against the country and the charges levelled in the noficaon of the Union Home Ministry are vague. This is denial of polical freedom. This kind of shrinkage of democrac spaces pushes people to the extremes. Popular Front is of the view that ban is not the proper way in a democrac country to deal with polical differences. If there are evidences against them of involving in any unlawful or an-naonal acvity, they can be prosecuted as per the law. He asked the central government to review the decision and restore the freedom for democrac polical acvism in the state.

E Abubacker also condemned the shameful way Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari's photograph was misused by Republic TV. Maulana Umari is the Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and a respected scholar in the country. The fact that his photo was presented as that of a terrorist leader points not the appalling level of ignorance of Republic TV journalists, but the channel's charecsc hatred for Muslim community. They have been indulging in this type of charcterassainaon about other Muslim organisaons and leaders on many occasions. Hence even an apology alone should not be the end of the maer. A posive percepon change about Muslims in India is the ulmate and only honest soluon. (04 Mar.2019) Muslim Political Conclave

In the context of forthcoming LokSabha elecon, Popular Front of India has convened Muslim Polical Conclave at New Delhi on 6th March 2019. The conclave was aended by intellectuals, scholars and community leaders belonging to different social and polical backgrounds and represenng different states. They took stock of the current polical scenario, discussed the issues before the naon and resolved to forefront the concerns of the minories, parcularly Muslims. The conclave concluded with adopng a charter of demands which covers the developmental, representaonal, educaonal, cultural, security and other issues pertaining to Muslim community.

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 29 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES The conclave urged all polical pares who are concerned with minority rights to respond posively and include those demands in their elecon manifesto. The conclave also appealed to the people, especially minority community voters to watch and evaluate the response of contesng polical pares and candidates to this Charter of Demands, while exercising their franchise in 2019 LokSabha elecon. As a follow up of the Conclave, efforts will be taken to include this Charter items into the agenda of polical pares and to make the voters alert about their rights. A work plan is being prepared for an intensive campaigning through distribung pamphlets, convening people's convenons etc in 100 LokSabha constuencies where minority votes are more than 20%.

The Charter pointed out that under the present NDA government led by BJP and controlled by RSS; the religious minories were targeted and discriminated. Instead of polics of jusce to all, polics of minority hate was the policy of the ruling regime. Hence a change of government with the coming elecon is in the interest religious minories. At the same me, the existenal and developmental issues of minories have been largely sidelined by major non BJP paries also, who tradionally depends on Muslim votes. Hence, a mere change of ruling party or coalion without a change of governance policy is not the desired alternave. In order to become the right alternave to BJP, the policy of other pares should be replaced with a pro-people and secular approach to various issues.

The charter cites several issues such as Babri Masjid, representaon, an-people laws in which the opposion pares either extend so support or maintain studied silence on par with the communal and casteist approach of BJP. Total 73 demands under 25 schemes pertaining to burning problems of the people, parcularly minority Muslim community are listed in the Charter. These demands are mainly related to Sachar Commiee and MisraCommission recommendaons, minority welfare schemes, skilled workers and arsans, repressive laws, NRC exercises and Cizenship Amendment moves, encounter killings, under trial prisoners, proporonate representaon, reservaon to religious minories, minority instuons, Muslim personal law, places of worship, Waqf, women empowerment etc.

Popular Front Chairman E. Abubacker presided over the conclave. E.M. Abdul Rahiman was the moderator. Dr.Taslim Rahmani presented the dra of charter of demands. M. Mohammad Ali Jinnah welcomed the gathering and Abdul Wahid Sait gave vote of thanks. (07 Mar.2019)

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 30 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES Ayodhya dispute: Popular Front welcomes mediation; but seeks to reconstitute the panel

The Central Secretariat meeng of Popular Front of India held at its headquarters, in a statement issued aer the Supreme Court order today on Ayodhya dispute, has welcome the court monitored mediaon process. But it has expressed strong reservaons about the inclusion of controversial figure Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in the three member panel. The meeng hoped that it would have been more meaningful if the Hon'ble Chief Jusce himself headed the panel, instead of a rered judge.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is known as an open campaigner for construcng Ram Mandir on the site of demolished Babri Masjid. He was repeatedly demanding Muslims to give up their claim of Babri Masjid and accept the Masjid outside Ayodhya. He is reported to have once threatened Muslims that if they don't give up their claim on Ayodhya India will become Syria. On another occasion he told to media that if the court rules against the temple, there would be bloodshed and the government might not be able to implement the court order. It is heartbreaking to note that a controversial person with such a background of openly insgang violence is being deputed to play the role of a mediator. The meeng appealed the Supreme Court bench to modify the order by removing the name of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar from panel.

Since the past seven decades, Ayodhya issue has been a source of violence and chaos in the country. In the interest of jusce and for long lasng peace and harmony among the two major communies in the country, it is essenal that the tle suit is seled immediately by the Supreme Court. If mediaon will help to resolve the issue, it can be given its chance. At the same me, in the past too there were aempts for mediaon, but they failed due to Hindutva groups trying to influence the outcome for polical gains. The meeng viewed the present mediaon as different from previous aempts, because it is under the watch of the apex court. Popular Front reiterated the view that whether it is in the court or on the mediaon table, the maer should be examined and adjudged not on the basis of religious belief and mythology, but purely on the merit of records and facts.

Popular Front Central Secretariat also suggested the Supreme Court to instruct the panel to start the mediaon process only aer LokSabha elecons, by way of amending its order. The meeng expressed apprehensions about urgency being sought in the maer to coincide with LokSabha elecons, since there is chance of polical misuse. (08 Mar.2019)

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 31 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES Samjhauta train bomb blast case: Acquittal of all makes justice a mockery; NIA again proves itself as an unfair agency

Popular Front of India Chairman E Abubacker has stated that the NIA court judgment acquing Swami Aseemanand and three others in Samjhauta Express bomb blast case is a mockery of jusce. He further stated that the suspicious role played by Naonal Invesgaon Agency (NIA) in the invesgaon of the case, has once again proved it an unfair agency submissive to government pressure.

The bomb blast in the Samjhauta Express train running between India and Pakistan 12 years ago was one of the deadliest aacks in our country, carried out by Hindutva terror groups in which 68 innocent people were killed. Despite the confession of Swami Aseemanad before a magistrate, the fact that NIA failed to get him punished raises suspicion regarding the efficiency and credibility of the agency. NIA Court had earlier absolved him and many others in the Hindutva terror aack cases of Ajmer Sharif and Hyderabad Mecca Masjid, and in Malegaon. NIA has not shown any interest in collecng evidence against the criminals in any of these cases, as it has does with cases in which the accused carried Muslim names. All these cases have become examples of how terrorist acts get different treatment in our country based on the religion of the accused. Our courts were very keen in punishing the accused in certain blast cases where the accused happened to be from Muslim community.

E Abubacker remembered that the Samjhauta verdit of punishing none of the accused came on the same day of another verdict in similar Godhra train blast case in which an accused was awarded life term punishment. Though the reason for this double standard can be the difference in prosecuon atude, it brings disgrace to administraon of jusce in our country. (21 Mar.2019)

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 32 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES Defeat BJP to save the idea of India: Popular Front

A resoluon passed by the Naonal Execuve Council meeng of Popular Front of India has appealed to the people to defeat BJP in the upcoming LokSabha elecon to save the secular democrac future of the country.

For the past five years, we are having the worst government in our history. The NDA government is an uer failure in every aspect of governance. Never in the history of our country have people suffered so much merely due to the wrong policies of the government and its support to divisive forces. It has failed miserably in proving security to the lives of minories, Dalits and of those who are opposed to the polics of hate. Several people who quesoned Hindutva polics were murdered by hit squads that enjoyed impunity under the government. Many Muslims have been brutally lynched. Process of communalizing educaonal instuons and the aempts to rewrite history in accordance with Hindutva narrave point to a bleak future.

On the other side, every single promise Modi had made before 2014 elecon was proved to be hollow. Coming to power offering 'Ache Din', he has destroyed the livelihoods of millions through the policies like demonezaon and GST and literally brought the country's economy on the brink of collapse, destroying reputed instuons like Reserve Bank of India. Only corporates and communal fanacs benefited from Modi rule. For the very survival of the country as a secular democrac naon, this nightmare of a government must be thrown to the dust bin of history.

At the same me, the opposion and secular forces in general, even while asking people to unite for saving democracy and constuon, remain weak and divided. Their reluctance to come together and their fight against one another are making things easy for the BJP. Even in the face of a grave threat, they have not been able to evolve a joint elecon strategy to defeat fascism. However, the presence pares like Social Democrac Party of India that promote an alternate people's polics against fascism is an encouraging sign.

Popular Front appeals people of India to vote for SDPI wherever their candidates are present. In other constuencies, the meeng called upon the voters to defeat fascism by collecvely vong for the secular candidate with highest winning chance. NEC has made it clear that Popular Front would have a lead role to ensure the defeat of communal fascism in all possible constuencies. (08 Apr.2019)

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 33 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES Lok Sabha Election: Learning lessons from setback, strive to build an inclusive India

The Central Secretariat meeng of Popular Front of India, in a statement issued in the context of the LokSabha elecon result trends, has said that the the victory of BJP led alliance does not reflect the ulmate defeat of secular polics in India. Rather it has only proved the success of vehement communal propaganda and the failure of secular pares in taking appropriate steps to counter RSS-BJP strategies. The meeng pointed out that in spite of these failures, the idea of India as an all inclussive secular democrac socialist republic will survive. The victory of BJP, despite leading a government that was a failure in all fronts, demands close scruny. The fact that the BJP managed to win the support of a considerable secon of Indian society even aer five years of an-people rule shows the triumph of communal hate over developmental issues in India. It must be acknowledged that the secular pares repeated the mistake they had commied in 2014 by not leading a joint fight leaving aside differences, selfishness and pey ego clashes among leaders. On the other hand, along with communalizaon campaign at the grassroots level, NDA has tried to take all available regional pares into their fold. In states like UP and Delhi, instead of fighng each other, if opposion pares joined hands, the result would have been different. Ironically, their step to form a broad alliance by declaring a new 'Secular Democrac Front' came only aer the conclusion of polling. Once again the responsibility of defeang BJP has been given to minories only, while the secular forces, by fighng each other in many constuencies, has put even the minories in a difficult situaon.

The meeng reminded that the elecon should serve as an eye opener to all. Democracy can survive only with an accountable government and a responsible opposion. Both groups are duty bound to protect people's rights and guard the constuonal and democrac values.

Those secons of the society that have always been at receiving end of the communal polics and have cherished a regime change doesn't have to fall into despair. The marginalized and vicmized secons have to connue their efforts of empowering themselves by aligning with all posive elements in the country. As a permanent soluon to save the naon and its people from the clutches of authoritarianism, capitalism and communalism an ideologically commied and strategically sound new polical force and leadership should emerge. Popular Front has reaffirmed its resolve to polically empower the toiling masses to enjoy equal jusce and rights enshrined in the Indian constuon. (23 May.2019)

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 34 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES Prevent the new surge of atrocities against minorities

Popular Front of India General Secretary M Muhammed Ali Jinnah has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to act upon his new promise of inclusiveness by prevenng the atrocies on minories.

Within hours aer the LokSabha elecons results, incidents of aacks by Hindutva fanacs were reported in various states. A group of 3 innocents including a Muslim couple was brutally beaten in Seoni, Madhya Pradesh by Goraksha gangs aer falsely accusing them of carrying beef. In Gurugram, Haryana, a Muslim youth was forced to remove his skull cap and chant Jai Shriram. Gorakshaks shot dead another innocent man in Chinab valley in Jammu Kashmir. A youth in shot at in Begursarai district of Bihar. Such shocking instances of communal tension are being reported from various parts of the country.

Aer the sweeping victory of his party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to work towards a 'strong inclusive India'. He has also spoken about removing fear from among minories. Ironically, it is his party men who are behind these aacks. If Mr.Modi is sincere about his promises, it is to walk his talk, to stand by the words with acons. Mohammed Ali Jinnah has reminded that the created fear among Muslims will only be removed when they are guaranteed social security and the perpetrators of violence are brought to book and served jusce. (27 May.2019) Welcomes Kathua case judgment

Popular Front of India Chairman E. Abubacker in a statement has welcomed the judgment of the Pathankot fast track court in Kathua case, the brutal incident of rape, torture and murder of a young girl aer keeping her sedated for days in village temple in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir. The court found six of the 7 accused guilty and awarded life sentence to three and the other three, who are police officers who were found guilty of sabotaging the case, were sentenced to five years. It is a collecve victory of the family, the lawyers, conscienous individuals and groups who came in support of the family in their bale for jusce and people who voiced for jusce across the country. (11 Jun.2019)

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 35 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES Defeat Citizenship Amendment Bill and Extension of NRC across the nation

A resoluon passed by the Naonal Execuve Council meeng of Popular Front of India has urged all cizens and pares to defeat the re-introducon of controversial Cizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) and to resist the aempts to extend the Naonal Register of Cizenship (NRC) process that is currently being implemented in the state of Assam aerwards planning to all parts of the country.

The Cizenship Amendment Bill under consideraon by the central government is openly discriminatory towards Muslims. The Bill which allows migrants belonging to all religions except Islam to obtain cizenship in India is a vile move that undermine the constuonal principles of secularism and democracy and an official move to alienate Muslims. Postpone NRC deadline in Assam :

The meeng appealed Supreme Court to extend the deadline of Assam NRC. As July 31, the deadline set by the apex court for filing claims and objecons about those le out of the Assam NRC is approaching, the reports from the ground show the complicated process is failing many from fulfilling the process. A tragedy of tens of thousands of people losing their cizenship and being reduced to prisoners without civil rights in the country where they were born, lived and fought for, merely due to procedural lapse must be avoided. We appeal the Apex Court to take the seriousness of the situaon in consideraon and extend the present deadline to a fairly convenient date, giving enough me for the smooth compleon of the process.

The meeng expressed strong objecon to the aempts to expand NRC across the country. The Amendment made by the Union Home Ministry to the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order,1964 on May 30 can have far-reaching ramificaons on the lives of minories. It empowers state governments, district administraons and even district magistrates in all states to constute tribunals and refer cases to decide on cizenship issue. Once the authencity of a person's cizenship is being quesoned, the concerned individual has to prove that he/she is a legimate cizen. In Assam itself, lives of legimate cizens parcularly that of Bengali speaking Muslims have been shaered due to the wrong implementaon of NRC and prejudiced funconing of Foreigner Tribunals. Seen in the light of the Amit Shah's elecon promise of driving out “infiltrators” belonging to “foreign religions” from all states, it can lead to polical misuse of powers, creang an Assam like situaon in other states too. The meeng cauoned unless such a move is not resisted tooth and nail; it will create an atmosphere of tension and turmoil throughout the country.

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 36 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES

Indian vote in favour of Israel is betrayal of Palesnian cause :

Another resoluon adopted by the NEC meeng of Popular Front cricized India's increasing level of support to rogue state of Israel. Our government decision to vote in favour of Israel in the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to deny the Palesnian non-governmental organizaon 'Shahed' the observer status is a deviaon from our long held stand of supporng Palesnian cause. From the formaon of Israel state itself, India has taken a principled stand on the issue. It has opposed Israeli occupaon of Palesnian lands and supported Palesnian people's struggle for freedom and self determinaon. But Modi government's decision to unjustly support to Israel in the UN amounts to betrayal of Palesnian people.

Be alert against mysterious groups :

In another resoluon, the NEC of Popular Front cauoned Muslim youths against mysterious groups reported as funconing in some parts of the country. There are some reports of extremist groups luring young people through social media and by other means. If these reports are to be believed, their plans of indiscriminate and mindless violence on innocents go completely against the universal principles of Islam. Also such methods cannot be tolerated in any democrac and plural society. Popular Front had indenfied the issue since the very beginning and me and again has educated and instructed the community to not get into their traps. This message was conveyed to the public on different occasions. In the wake of the new reports, the meeng pointed that out that the community has to remain all the more alert against mysterious groups. (18 Jun.2019) Sanjiv Bhatt victim of Political vendetta

Popular Front of India General Secretary M Mohammed Ali Jinnah has said that the verdict sentencing former IPS officer Sanjiv Bha to life imprisonment is the result of polical vendea against him.

Sanjiv Bha had filed an affidavit in 2011 in the Supreme Court stang that while he was serving as the Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence in the Gujarat State Intelligence Bureau, in the wake of Godhra train tragedy, the chief minister instructed top police officials in the state to allow Hindu mobs to vent their anger on Muslims. He had also claimed that his concern about the spread violence and the threat to the life of Congress leader Ehsan Jafri was also ignored by the state government. Bha had also accused the govt, before the Supreme Court appointed Special Invesgave Team (SIT), formed to probe the communal carnage, of covering up a larger conspiracy.

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 37 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES

It seems that Sanjeev Bha is paying huge price for the bold and principled stand he had taken. He was suspended and subsequently removed from his job. He was arrested and released on bail in 2011. Gujarath government had tried to keep him behind bars objecng his bail. He was again arrested in September 2018 in connecon with a 1996 drug planng case and has been behind bars ever since.

The present custodial death case in which he was awarded life sentence by Jamnagar Sessions Court in Gujarat dates back to 1990, when he was the Assistant Superintendent of Police in Jamnagar. There is every reason to believe that he is being pursued by powerful people who find him a threat to their communal agenda.

Jinnah cauoned that the silence over such persecuon will only contribute to the dictatorial tendencies already strengthening in the country. (20 Jun.2019) Popular Front seeks changes in Draft National Educational Policy

The Central Secretariat meeng of Popular Front of India has sought drasc changes in the new Dra Naonal Educaonal Policy released by the Government of India Ministry of Human Resource Development, stang that it is a roadmap to an educaon system serving mainly the polical and economic vested interests.

The meeng pointed out that while some of the key reforms recommended in the dra overburden the students some others indicates government's intenon to ghten its hold on educaon.

The impact of the shi from present annual examinaon system to eight-semester system for students between 9th and 12th classes is a maer of concern. The academic working days are very less for these classes and the schools are already facing severe shortage of teachers. Without solving these issues, a change into semester system will overburden students.

The proposed Rashtriya Shiksha Ayog or Naonal Educaon Commission to be constuted is going to be the supreme body to govern educaon. The constuon of this body is governed by polical interests than academic interests. Only half of the members will be elected according to their eligibilies and the remaining members to be selected by the cabinet. The proposal of 50 % of the members of the commiee from the parliament is a clear indicaon that the body will be highly policized to suit the interests of the government in power.

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The imposion of Hindi as a mandatory third language is also an undemocrac move. Hindi is not a language spoken by all in Indian states. The imposion of Hindi Language upon all language populaons will damage the growth India's diverse local languages and cultures.

The most generous concessions granted for the entry of autonomous and private sectors are an indicaon of government's withdrawal and colluded privazaon of educaonal instuons. And such colleges are granted the freedom to decide the fees, course and curriculum. These reforms under the pretext of brining internaonal quality will undermine the public educaon system and strengthen private boom, which ulmately lead to the exclusion of disadvantaged secons from the scene. While the dra emphacally discusses quality and merit, it conveniently ignores the constuonally mandated reservaon for the disadvantaged secons.

'Mission Nalanda' and 'Mission Takshashila' point to an unbalanced devoon to ancient knowledge in place of promong raonal thinking and scienfic atude. This urge to restructure higher educaon modeling on a tradion supposedly existed thousands of years ago is part of the regressive aempt to saffronize educaon.

The meeng called upon the polical pares, academics and students to resist the aempts to policise, commercialise and safronise our educaon system by the ruling class. (20 Jun.2019) NIA Amendment Bill 2019: Opposition parties betrayed people

Popular Front of India Secretary Abdul Wahid Sait in a statement has said that the passing of NIA Bill in both houses with nominal opposion is a proof that Indian parliament is geng tuned to authoritarian agenda of deep state. Only a few had the courage to queson and vote against highly objeconable NIA Amendment Bill 2019. The opposion pares were tamed and inmidated regarding the Bill with the warning of Home Minister under the pretext of naonal security.

The track record of Naonal Invesgaon Agency is enough to prove AmitSha's assurances against misuse of NIA to be hollow. With exisng powers, it has proved highly parsan and prejudiced against Muslims and weaker secons in the country. It oen served the interests of those in power and has been incompetent in dealing with cases of Hindutva aacks in the country. The present amendment conferring addional powers to such a corrupt agency is therefore not merely a concern of minories, but a concern of the whole naon.

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 39 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES By vong in favour of the Bill, pares like Congress, SP and BSP have betrayed people who voted for them. Indian Union Muslim League decision to abstain from the vong on the Bill was also highly irresponsible. It was an opportunity for the party which claims to represent the persecuted Muslim community to convey community's true senment by vong against it. Sadly, it chose to be on the wrong side and proved its impotence when it came quesoning authoritarian agenda.

Abdul Wahid Sait appreciated the courage expressed by parliament members belonging to AIMIM, CPI, CPM and Naonal Conference who upheld their principled stand by vong against the Bill. It takes moral courage and true sense of democracy to tell truth even when you are massively outnumbered. Abdul Wahid Sait added that the stand taken by opposion pares in the parliament is enough to queson their claim as the real alternave to BJP. (18 Jul.2019) Suggests changes in NEP 2019

Popular Front of India General Secretary M Mohamed Ali Jinnah has submied observaons and suggeson to the Dra Naonal Educaonal Policy 2019.

He pointed out that the Dra Naonal Educaon Policy 2019 which was shared with the people of the country by Union Ministry of Human Resource Development is an effort by way of assessing and revising the exisng system of educaon in the country to meet the challenges of the me. When going through the dra in the backdrop of this objecve, some of the changes that the government seeks do not carry feasibility and validity. Though access, equity, accountability, affordability and quality are the claimed foundaonal principles of the dra, quesons and apprehensions exist about many of the suggesons, recommendaons, and omissions in the dra. The dra should be revised and be made inclusive by recognizing the contribuons of visionaries and thinkers of not just ancient India but also that of Medieval and modern periods. Mohammed Ali Jinnah asked government to take into account the following suggesons submied by the organisaon while preparing the final dra.

Promoon of Indian languages is definitely a worthwhile step, but it should not be done in a compulsory manner. Students should be given the freedom to choose languages they want to study beside their home language and the language of the medium.

3-language formula should not be made mandatory and the choice should be le to the students.

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 40 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES The policy should include ongoing affirmave acons spulated by the Constuon for integrang underprivileged secons to naonal mainstream seriously and ensure their right reservaon is protected in educaon sector.

The infrastructure from primary educaon to the higher educaon must be established in rao of the populaon. And priority is to be given to backward areas of the country.

As enshrined in our constuon and further made statutory through Right to Educaon Act, providing educaon to all cizens between the ages 6-14 is a state responsibility. Hence, provisions leading to more privasaon of educaon are to be avoided and govt sector must be strengthened.

In pursuance of its emphasis on bringing the educaonally weak secons of the society in to the naonal educaon mainstream, the exisng criteria for admission in to undergraduate and post graduate classes in colleges and universies, which is purely academic merit, should be amended. Instead, academic merit should constute only 60% of the candidates' eligibility criteria. In the remaining 40%, the candidates' backwardness should be measured on the basis of backwardness of the district, backwardness of the community and low income of the family.

The government recognized Madrasas are intra community educaonal ventures and have long been doing yeoman service to supplement the naonal educaonal efforts. The Madarsas should be adequately represented/covered in the constuon of Proposed Rashtriya Shikhsa Ayog, its sister bodies and in the naonal educaon framework. (30 Jul.2019) Changes in Jammu Kashmir status violate Democracy and Constitution

Popular Front of India chairman E Abubacker has stated that the decision of Central Government to change the status of Jammu & Kashmir State and the way it was brought in violate the spirit of democracy and Indian constuon. He said that the decision to abrogate Arcles 370 and 35A pertaining to Jammu & Kashmir state is not in the best interest of our naon and its people.

Along with the some other recent laws passed by the parliament such as NIA, UAPA, RTI etc the present move to downgrade the status of J&K which was a state with special constuonal status, now as two Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh heralds the dark days to come for democracy and civil rights.

An act of taking away the special constuonal status provided by Arcle 370 and Arcle 35A for

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 41 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES J&K, enjoyed by the state ever since the dawn our republic, is not something that can be done without discussing the stakeholders. A calculated polical decision, it looks very strange that the BJP government is not even bothered about adequate discussion and scruny at parliament level. The government should have tabled the bill at the beginning of the session, made it public and listened to all voices. Instead, it was issued as a presidenal order in a created dramac atmosphere, with least respect for democracy.

BJP can boast that they had gone in the way of fulfilling the promise in their 2014 and 2019 Elecon Manifestos. But keeping the stake holders in Kashmir away from the process and detaining the democracally elected previous chief ministers before the announcement show polical arrogance and vendea, something unheard in the history of our country. This also amounts to betraying those polical forces and leaders including former BJP alliance partners who always stood with the Indian government. And the large scale military deployment and creaon of a terror situaon throughout the state will only further alienate the Kashmir people from rest of India.

The claim in the government noficaon that it is being issued in concurrence with the government of Jammu & Kashmir is nothing more than a joke. J&K is now under President's rule and the assembly elecon was not deliberately held along with the LokSabha elecon though it was then due. If the consent of a state governor appointed by the central government is taken as that of state government for even changing the constuonal posion of the concerned state, this fate of federalism can fall at any me on other Indian states also. It is also noteworthy that Kashmir is not the only state in Indian Union which enjoys special constuonal status under Arcle 370. In future such radical changes would be brought in other states also without even aempng discussion, debate and consensus.

E Abubacker stated that the new tragic turn in Kashmir strategy is enough to sasfy the communally frenzied mob psyche influenced by Sangh Parivar ideology of hate. But peace in Kashmir can be achieved only through dialogue, taking the Kashmir people in confidence. He requested the civil society to undertake the responsibility of saving the secular and democrac space in the country, which is shrinking day by day due to the arrogance of ruling party and opportunism of most opposion pares. (06 Aug.2019)

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Dialogue with media persons

Popular Front of India organised a dialogue session with media persons today at Constuon Club, New Delhi. The programme was aended by a group of journalists who discussed the role of media in the currents polical scenario. Popular Front Naonal Secretary Abdul Wahid Sait moderated the session. SDPI Naonal Secretary Dr. Tasleem Ahmed Rahmani iniated the discussion. The parcipants shared the view that the media should play a proacve role in preserving our secular democrac system as envisaged in the Indian Constuon. It was suggested that when people's faith in the legislature, execuve and even judiciary is geng eroded, social organisaons and independent media should work together for addressing the challenges.

Popular Front Naonal Execuve Council member E M Abdul Rahiman made the concluding remarks. (18 Aug.2019)

Let the nation discuss adequate representation: Objects to the RSS plan to open discussion on reservation

Popular Front of India Chairman E Abubacker has quesoned the call made by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for a 'harmonious discussion' among communies on the issue of reservaon. Chairman stated that it is not community quota reservaon available to Dalits and OBCs, but the constuonal requirement of adequate representaon that is to be open for discussion.

There is nothing new about the demand now made by RSS chief for so called conversaon over the issue of reservaon. It is just part of the upper caste an-reservaon conspiracy that RSS and BJP have been towing since the very beginning. It should be seen in the light of the earlier an- reservaon uerances made by Bhagwat and RSS. It was only a few months back that BJP government undermined the very raonale of reservaon by allowing 10% quota on economic grounds. Sangh Parivar idea of India is to reinforce the social and polical structure based on caste system in which leadership is dominated by Brahmins at the cost of empowerment of untouchable and backward secons.

The Constuon unequivocally states that the objecve of the reservaon is adequate representaon of the socially and educaonally backward secons in government services and

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 43 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES educaon sector. Studies and aer studies have shown that the SC-ST, OBC and religious minories like Muslims remain massively under-represented than their populaon share in the country not only in government jobs and educaonal instuons but in every sphere of power. He reminded that the above marginalised secons are not in need of quota reservaon as a favour, if they are given representaon proporonate to their populaon share. He has advised Mohan Bhagwat to start this process of re-allocaon in the decision making upper bodies of RSS, BJP and Modi.02 cabinet.

E Abubacker called upon the Dalit and backward community groups, pares and their leaders in the country to make it clear that there shall be no debate on the issue of reservaon unl the constuonal objecve of adequate representaon is achieved. (21 Aug.2019) Arrest of Chidambaram politically motivated

Popular Front has called the acons against former home minister and top Congress leader P. Chidambaram polically movated and an abuse of power. He pointed out that BJP is misusing central invesgaon agencies in its aempt to break the backbone of the opposion by targeng top leaders. (23 Aug.2019) Stop strangulating democracy; bring back transparency in governance

The Naonal Execuve Council meeng of Popular Front of India has observed that the undemocrac and oppressive way the central government is funconing is aimed at diverng people's aenon from grave issues including the economic slowdown being faced by the country.

Almost all economic indicators show that Indian economy is facing an unprecedented slowdown. It is clear that this situaon is the direct result of the brainless intervenons of the first Modi government like Demonezaon and GST. Economists suggests that things are going to get even worse in coming months with millions losing their jobs and companies shung down and downsizing. Instead of recognizing the situaon and facing it with integrity, the central government is using an iron fist way of governance, unheard in the past.

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 44 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES Controversial laws were amended making it more draconian without any regard for the concerns raised against them. Sectarian bills were passed in hurry without parliamentary scruny merely to appease the senments of polarised populaon. Power was abused to target top figures in the opposion and inmidate voices of dissent.

The meeng called on the government to immediately put an end to inhuman lockdown in Kashmir. Reports are coming out that it is having a catastrophic effect on the lives of people. As per the reports because of the communicaon and transportaon blackout people are running out of basic necessies including medicines. While Indian media are not allowed to deal with the real situaon in the state, internaonal media report arrests and tortures of people by forces. This is a very disturbing situaon not just for Kashmir but for the rest of India too. The enre country is being denied of their right to informaon and are forced to believe only 'the official version' of the story. While the government claims that everything is normal, even top leaders of the naonal pares are sent back from Srinagar without allowing to land or meet people there. The NEC of Popular Front demanded immediate halt to this inhuman deprivaon and restore democrac and civil rights denied to Kashmir people and the naon at large in the name of Kashmir.

While the country has been showing all these signs of authoritarianism, the opposion has been distressingly inefficient. It failed miserably in exposing the government and upholding the constuonal principles. The meeng opined that the current situaon demands a new people's movement which is neither inmidated by iron fist governance nor tempted by pey polical gains, but truly commied to our people and secular democrac values of the naon. (27 Aug.2019) Assam NRC: Procedural lapses and prejudices left out genuine citizens

Popular Front of India Central Secretariat in a statement issued aer the release of the Assam NRC final list has said that the exclusion of nearly two million people was tragic and that procedural laspes and prejudices have le genuine Indian cizens out of the list. The statement quesoned the official claim that the process was carried out objecvely and transparently.

Though the NRC excercise was Supreme Court monitored, norms of natural jusce were violated at ground levels. Aer the final list, in several cases, members of same families got divided as two categories of cizens and non-cizens. In many cases father is cizen while children are not, while

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 45 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES brother is cizen, sister is not. Widespread complaints had come up about the process which has declared about 6% of the state populaon non-cizens. The fact that even people served in government services and armed forces found their name excluded from the list speaks of a process riddled with error and bias. Hence the tall claims about the objecvity are mere hoax.

The assurance that those who have been le out from the final list will be given the opportunity to prove their cizenship in Foreigner Tribunals and higher courts and that they will not be treated as foreigners is not sufficient. The quality of FT judges and professionalism in their funconing were cricised as of very low level.

There is no clarity regarding interim status of those who are not in the list; whether they will have their civil rights including electoral parcipaon unl their cases are decided.

While the authories ask people not to be panic, strong aprhensions exists among people and civil rights acvists that those le out of the list might face not only disenfranchisement but also jail me or deportaon, specially when the government has announced its plan to build 10 more detenon centers. Reports say that nearly 1,000 people are currently lodged in six detenon centers.

Popular Front appealed the Indian civil society to be alert not to allow such a large scale humanitarian tragedy to take place in Assam. (01 Sep.2019) Popular Front calls upon people to oppose NRC outside Assam

In the wake of voices being echoed in the country about an imminent implementaon of Naonal Register of Cizens (NRC), Popular Front of India has called upon all secons of people to Oppose NRC outside Assam. The Naonal Execuve Council meeng of the organisaon held at Calicut in Kerala for three days to deliberate on current naonal situaon was concluded by adopng few more resoluons. The meeng expressed deep concern over the growing inmidaon aempts and assaults on ligants and lawyers appearing for Babri Masjid in the Supreme Court. Another resoluon cricized the criminal negligence on the part of police and prosecuon that has helped criminals to escape from punishment in some gruesome mob lynching incidents that shocked the country.

Not only fanac Sangh Parivar leaders who are movated by their hatred for religious, linguisc and ethnic minories, but also some leaders who speak on behalf of Muslim community which is the primary target of naonwide NRC, has come forward to welcome the move for the

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 46 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES naonwide implementaon of the process. Even before any such official noficaon in this regard, some groups are planning NRC help desks as if to keep cizens ready to face an imminent cizenship test. While the minories have to struggle hard in order to overcome the insecurity surrounding them, these hues and cries about another imminent threat throughout the country has created a new wave of NRC FEAR.

For the Bengali speaking minories in Assam, NRC has been four decades of havoc that drained them of not only their resources but every moment of peace and happiness in their lives. Moreover, at least few lakhs of people who will be finally kept out of NRC have to face detenon centres that are under construcon in various parts of the state. Those leaders who uer short sighted words about a naonwide NRC, knowingly or unknowingly, are paving way for creaon of years' long panic ending up in such concentraon camps in enre country. NRC is shame on a naon that claims to be secular and democrac. Enough is enough. Let NRC be put to end in Assam itself. The meeng asked people and pares to resist tooth and nail all and any discourse of expanding NRC outside the state of Assam.

Economic slowdown is creaon of BJP government

The Naonal Execuve Council meeng of the Popular Front of India, in another resoluon, quesoned government steps in addressing the disastrous economic slowdown. Finally the government has come to accept that Indian economy is having an unprecedented crisis. However official responses show that the government is either unwilling to accept or sll in the dark as to how we have come to this situaon and how to overcome it. The downward-spiral in macroeconomic indicators is not merely because millenials stopped buying cars. It is an indicaon of more severe depression that has been happening in the unorganized sector and agriculture which has broken the backbone of rural economy of the country. The NEC of the Popular Front is of the opinion that recent steps announced by Union Finance Minister will not repair the heavy damage caused to the economy by the shock and awe techniques used by Modi Government during 2014-19, like demonezaon and the convoluted GST. These cosmec steps will not restore confidence in the ability of Indian economy to come out of the black hole of zero growth created by Modi regime.

On the other hand the Government is sll going behind absurdies like cow-dung cow-urine economy. BJP led central and state governments plan to spend crores of rupees to finance the cow protecon schemes and pay the so called Gorakshaks whose life mission is creang terror in the name of cale.

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 47 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES Condemns inmidaon aempts on Babri ligants and lawyers

The NEC of Popular Front expressed deep concern over the growing inmidaon aempts and assaults on those fighng for Babri Masjid in the Supreme Court. Mr. Rajeev Dhavan, senior Supreme Court advocate, received several threats from communal forces for represenng Muslim pares in Babri Masjid case. Dhavan had filed contempt peon against two persons for threatening him for appearing for Muslim pares. His clerk was also accosted and ridiculed. Mr.Iqbal Ansari, a main ligant in the Babri Masjid dispute, was physically assaulted at his house by two people. They even threatened to kill him if he did not withdraw the case. Even Supreme Court has taken the maer seriously and issued noce to the accused. The Court has also agreed to look into the aack on Iqbal Ansari.

These people resort to their primive methods of inmidaon and physical violence, because they don't believe in delivery of jusce, and fear defeat if a true and just bale is fought in the highest court of law in the country. Popular Front reiterated its solidarity with those fighng for truth and jusce in Babri Masjid case and appealed the apex court to take necessary steps to ensure the safety of all pares those have come under threat.

Criminal negligence of police and prosecuon obstructs jusce in mob lynching cases

The NEC of Popular Front stated that criminal negligence on the part of police and prosecuon has helped the accused to escape punishment in gruesome mob lynching incidents that shocked the country.

India has seen a stark rise in the incidents of lynching of innocent people. In fact it has become such serious maer that apex court has even suggested new legislaon against it. However, the way police and the prosecuon dealt with the issue, as it became evident in a number of recent cases, underline a criminal negligence on the part of police and prosecuon. The Jharkhand police has dropped murder charges against the 11 people accused of lynching 22-year-old Tabrez Ansari. It is the latest example how police is working hand in glove with murderers in cases of mob lynching of innocent Muslims. Serious quesons have been raised against the way police treated the case. Despite the fact that Tabrez sustained serious head injury, he was taken to custody instead of providing proper treatment. The complaint was filed only aer his death. Though the enre country watched the brutal beang of Tabrez Ansari and asking him to chant Jai Shri Ram, the police say that the murder charge will not hold up in court. Similar was the fate of Pehlu Khan lynching case. While acquing six of the accused named by the vicm in his dying

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 48 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES declaraon, the trial court in Alwar pointed out serious negligence on the part of Rajsthan Crime Branch which failed to produce the crucial evidence before the court, including the video of the lynching.

This constutes a serious crisis that brings the integrity of the criminal jusce system under queson. The meeng appealed the higher judiciary to use their power to reform jusce delivery system in the country to weed out corrupt elements got infiltrated in the system. (18 Sep.2019)

Hate and fear can only be fought with united struggle

“The spectre of hate and fear engulfing the country can only be fought with a united struggle against fascism. We should not be foolish enough to dream that fascist forces can be tamed by appeasing them, if we can learn lessons from the past and present. Building alliances with those forces against communal fascism will be recorded in history as the wisest mission undertaken by our generaon.”

The above vital observaon was made by Anis Ahmed, Naonal secretary, Popular Front of India, while delivering the keynote address in the day-long People's Rights Conference organised by North Zone of Popular Front of India here in the Indira Gandhi Stadium on Sunday. Anis Ahmed pointed out that the BJP had relied on fake promises for coming to power in 2014 but it sought votes in 2019 only by polarising Hindus.

M Mohammed Ali Jinnah, naonal general secretary read out the nine-point New Delhi Declaraon.

In his inaugural speech E. Abubacker, the chairman, said that hate environment is pervading the country following the fascist policies of the present government. At present the Hindutva forces have created hate among caste Hindus against Dalits, and among Hindus against Muslims. Abubacker said that ever since Modi Government came to power, we have been hearing big slogans. At one me it was Congress Mukt Bharat. Now it is One country, One party. Later on, it will turn to be One party, One Ruler.

He also came down heavily on the slogans of one naon and one language and one naon and one law. We are witnessing the dire consequence of such slogans, in what is happening in Kashmir aer the abrogaon of the Arcle 370, Abubacker pointed out.

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 49 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES Dr. Mui Mukarram Ahmed, Shahi Imam, Masjid Fatehpuri, Delhi, said aempts have been made to cow down the Muslim community but they won't succeed in it. He underlined the sacrifices and contribuons of Muslims in building the country. He said unity and harmony cannot be achieved by ignoring minories and weaker secons.

Mahant Yugal Kishore Sharan Shastri from Ayodhya said Hindutva terrorism is the real danger to unity and integrity. Cricizing the mob-lynching incidents, Yugal Shastri suggested that said we should resist mob-lynching. He also cricized the government acon on Kashmir saying it has alienated the people of Kashmir further.

Prof. Baljinder Singh (Khalsa College, Amritsar) cricized the government for the revocaon of the Arcle 370 and Arcle 35A. He said the arcle 370 was the bridge between Jammu and Kashmir and India but the rulers scrapped it without realizing its consequences.

Others who spoke on the occasion included Anis Ansari, Zonal Secretary (Welcome speech) A.S Ismail, Zonal President (Presidenal Speech); Ms Lubna Minhaj Siraj (Vice President, Naonal Women's Front); Adv. Sharafuddin Ahmed (Naonal Vice President, SDPI); S.M. Anwar Hussain (Ex. President, AMU Students Union); M S Sajid (Naonal President, Campus Front of India); Ashok Bhar (Principal Advisor, NACDAOR); Ms Mehrunnisa Khan (Naonal President, Women India Movement); Mui Hanif Ahrar Qasmi (N. Gen. Secretary, All India Imams Council); and Mohammad Ilyas, Syed Khalilur Rahman Sajjad Nomani (Spokesperson, AIMPLB) spoke through video conferencing. (29 Sep.2019)

Home Minister makes mockery of Constitution

Popular Front of India Chairman E Abubacker has quesoned Union Home Minister Amit Sha's remarks made at BJP seminar in West Bengal which indicated that cizenship would be granted based on religion excluding Muslims. He said that the Home Minister who took oath of office to abide by Indian constuon had made mockery of it. Our constuon rejects religious discriminaon and upholds secularism as one of its foundaonal principles.

Amit Shah says that Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist refugees will get Indian cizenship once the Cizenship (Amendment) Bill is passed, which, he assures, will happen before implemenng naonwide NRC. It officially underlines the fact that the sole intenon of behind the whole exercise of NRC and Cizenship Amendment Bill is to discriminate Muslims. He doesn't even bother to explain how is it possible that when foreigners living India belonging to other religions

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 50 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES automacally become refugees, only Muslims become infiltrators on account of their religion. The country has never witnessed such an open and blatant expression of religious hatred from someone holding such high posion in the ruling party and government. Popular Front is of the opinion that tolerang this degree of hubris and unaccountability to the constuonal principles is ulmately going to destroy, not just Muslims, but the whole country and its people irrespecve of religion. If the oath of allegiance to the constuon Amit Shah took while assuming office as Home Minister does not mean anything to him, he no longer has the moral right to represent it.

E Abubacker also stated the latest statement of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat that India is a Hindu Rashtra also conveys the same message of religious discriminaon.

RSS may have managed to come to power with the mandate of minority of the Indian voters. Majority of the country has never accepted RSS's Hindu Rashtra nor have they voted for BJP yet. He reminded it is only a maer of me that the minority that voted BJP to power thinking they would bring development and progress to the country too rejects their failing governance. (03 Oct.2019) Babri Masjid case: Popular Front looks up to a just verdict based on facts and records

The Naonal Execuve Council meeng of Popular Front of India has expressed hope that the verdict of the apex court in Babri Masjid tle suit will be fair and imparal based on facts and records and not on mythology.

There have been clear aempts from communal forces to pressurise and influence judiciary and inmidate lawyers and ligants. However our hope is that such devilish taccs will fail and truth and jusce will ulmately prevail. The Babri Masjid case is not merely about the ownership of the land. The verdict in the case would be illustrave of whether the judiciary of the country is capable of ensuring the people the constuonal guarantees of secularism, equality before law and freedom of faith. The meeng appreciated ligants and the lawyers from Muslim side who relentlessly stood in defence of truth and jusce despite all odds.

In another resoluon, the NEC of Popular Front demanded the central government to end the ongoing oppression of people in Kashmir. Since the dictatorial move of the abrogaon of Arcle 370 on 5August, the enre populaon of Jammu and Kashmir has been made prisoners by deploying more armed forces and denying them all civil rights that people in the rest of the country enjoy. The lockdown on the people in the region, cung off all communicaon lines, restricng movement and arresng policians and common people for more than two and a half months is a brutal collecve punishment

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 51 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES unheard in the past. It is high me that all people and pares across the country raised their voice for Kashmiri people. NEC of Popular Front demanded immediate withdrawal of the armed forces, release of the imprisoned people and restoraon of democracy in the region.

Referring to the report of the Naonal Crime Records Bureau (2017), the meeng condemned aempts to manipulate naonal data to serve polical interests of the ruling party. The exclusion of certain category of crimes such as mob lynching and crimes by influenal people from the report shows that government is reluctant to recognize even the existence of such organised crimes. This denial of truth is despite the fact that Supreme Court of India has suggested special legislaon against mob lynching.

The meeng quesoned the move to accord the highest civilian award Bharat Ratna to V D Savarkar. He is recorded in history as a man who betrayed the freedom struggle and played instrumental role in dividing Indian people on religious lines. His mercy peon to Brish rulers for walking out of jail speaks volumes about his enmity to motherland and loyalty to Brish Raj. NEC of Popular Front has pointed out that honouring such a traitor with Bharat Ratna is insulng real freedom fighters who laid their lives to free this country. (25 Oct.2019) Babri Masjid: Popular Front appeals for peace and harmony

Popular Front of India Chairman E Abubacker, in a statement issued today, appealed to all cizens and groups to maintain peace and harmony following the Supreme Court verdict on Babri Masjid tle suit. He also reiterated faith in higher judiciary and hoped that the verdict would be delivered based on facts and records.

The naon is expecng the verdict of Supreme Court in coming days in the decades-long issue that has torn off our social fabric in many ways. The demolion of Babri Masjid in 1992 by sheer vandalism was an assault on the very foundaons of our naon as a secular and democrac republic. There were also recent aempts from communal forces to inmidate lawyers and ligants involved in the case. Now it is the hope of the naon that the issue will have a peaceful and permanent selement with the forthcoming Supreme Court verdict and it will open a new era of coexistence and inclusiveness in the country.

While remaining commied to jusce, it is the responsibility of all secons to uphold the rule of law and sancty of judiciary. Popular Front Chairman requested everybody to refrain from highly charged expressions of joy or anger in case the verdict is favourable or unfavourable. (04 Nov.2019)

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 52 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES RSS to prove commitment for peace and harmony in deeds, not in words

Referring to the promise and advice given by RSS leaders in their meeng with a group of Muslims, reportedly iniated by the Ministry of Minority Affairs, Popular Front of India General Secretary M Mohammed Ali Jinnah has stated that RSS cannot win the trust of religious minories unless they withdraw their basic ideological documents and apologise for their historic wrongs. He also stated that RSS has no moral right to remind Indian Muslims about communal harmony and respect for judiciary because the community does not carry a history of going against naonal interest.

The RSS leaders have repeatedly asked Muslims to accept the outcome of the Supreme Court verdict in Babri Masjid case and to maintain peace and harmony. While Popular Front strongly believe that any efforts for peace and communal harmony from any corner must be welcomed by all, it seems that RSS wants everybody to overlook the role played by them in taking the Babri Masjid issue to the present tragic level. No one can make the country forget that on 6 December 1992 it was by people associated with SanghPariwar that Babri Masjid was deliberately razed to the ground in broad daylight. That organized crime against not only Muslims, but the whole country and its people, was commied in blatant violaon of the court orders to maintain status quo in Ayodhya.

While RSS leaders lecture before Muslim leaders about respecng judiciary and rule of law, they have to be reminded that all these years since the forceful and illegal installaon of idols in Babri Masjid, before and aer the Babri Masjid demolion, the Muslim community has kept its trust in judiciary, and they sll stand by the same faith and confidence. Had RSS and its affiliates followed behaviour of the Muslim community, a situaon of mutual trust would have been created and hundreds of lives would not have been lost. The rhetoric that the top RSS leaders didn't say anything against Muslim community is not going to help build up trust because facts and records speak volumes against it. For the community to take the gesture seriously, the RSS has to prove that their words hold water by acng upon it.

Mohammed Ali Jinnah asserted that RSS will be able to build bridge with Muslim community only by abandoning its supremacist ideology and violent methods.

The general secretary has added that if the central government and its Ministry of Minority Affairs is serious about winning the trust of minority communies, the task pending with them is to address the existenal and developmental issues of minories, rather than facilitang the public relaons agenda of RSS. (07 Nov.2019)

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 53 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES

Babri verdict is denial of justice

The Supreme Court judgement in the Babri Masjid tle suit is unjust and hence unacceptable. It is against freedom of religious pracces granted to minories as a fundamental right. Moreover, this verdict is also against all democrac principles and constuonal values. Also it degrades people's faith in our judicial system and its high esteem and credibility even at internaonal level.

The apex court has handed over the enre Babri Masjid land for the construcon of Ram temple. And the Muslims are allowed to build Babri Masjid only in an alternate land. Though the apex court has reiterated the facts that Masjid was not constructed aer demolishing any temple and agreed that the placing of idols in the Masjid and demolion of the Masjid were violaons of law, the operave part of the verdict is contrary to these approved facts. In essence, the ownership rights of the original owners of the encroached and demolished Masjid land are totally rejected and the encroachers and law breakers are allowed to construct Ram temple on the same site.

The world was witness to the various incidents of organised vandalism against Babri Masjid ulmately leading to its demolion. The promise by the then Prime Minister that the Masjid will be rebuilt in the same land sll remains unfulfilled.

This not merely a Masjid- Mandir dispute. Instead of basing on records, this judgement has given more weight to majority faiths and religious claims. The verdict has gone beyond even the prayers of the ligants in the original tle suit. The majoritarian interests are given priority over principles of jusce. Hence, with the Supreme Court verdict the issue is not geng seled, but it may strengthen many more issues regarding Hindu temple claims of minority religious places. RSS created an atmosphere of fear and silence and employed various pressure taccs for the same, well in advance of the verdict. RSS has themselves projected itself as the sole representaves of Hindu rights.

The dissent is a democrac right and civil responsibility. All systems of democracy have to get corrected, including the judiciary, when they go wrong. In this situaon, Popular Front of India calls upon the people to break silence and speak up for jusce. (10 Nov.2019)

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 54 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES Babri Masjid Case Verdict: Welcomes Muslim Personal Law Board decision to file review petition and reject alternate land

New Delhi: The Naonal Execuve Council meeng of Popular Front of India has welcomed the decision of All India Muslim Personal Law Board to file review peon against the Supreme Court verdict in Babri Masjid case and to decline the five acres alternate land offer in the judgement.

The Supreme Court verdict direcng to build temple on the site of demolished Babri Masjid was a clear travesty of jusce, discriminaon against Muslims and a blow to constuonal principles. No cizen of conscience can accept such an order from an apex court. By deciding to go against the verdict through a review peon and by the rejecng the offer of five acres of land, the Muslim Personal Law Board not only reflects the senment of the Indian Muslims community and the Indian society at large , it also performs a historic duty to the naon.

The NEC meeng of Popular Front discussed details of the Supreme Court judgment and found it strange that it failed to come to a just decision based on its own findings. The reputaon and credibility of Indian judiciary is seriously damaged by the untenable verdict. No instuon is infallible and the onus of restoring the lost credibility of Supreme Court of India rests with itself. Popular Front reiterated its view that the Supreme Court has delivered a polical verdict and that amount to blatant denial of jusce.

The meeng called upon the people to connue speaking against injusce and keep the memories of the demolished Babri Masjid alive through democrac and peaceful programmes. The NEC of Popular Front renewed its pledge to stand in the forefront in struggles for restoraon of jusce to Babri Masjid. (17 Nov.2019) Reject nationwide NRC move

Popular Front of India General Secretary M Muhammed Ali Jinnah has condemned Home Minister Amit Shah's move for the implementaon of Naonal Register of Cizenship across the country.

Amit Shah has announced in the Rajya Sabha that the government is preparing for a naonwide NRC exercise. While he claims that no one from any religion should worry about the proposal, it is

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 55 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES clear that his assurances are meaningless as seen in NRC process in the state of Assam. It literally became a collecve punishment that lasted several months and wreaked havoc on the people of Assam rendering about two million Indians stateless, pushing them to penury and state of fear. There is not a single jusfiable reason for preparing a Naonal Register of Cizens other than diverng aenon from the economic abyss the country has fallen since 2014.

Along with NRC, the government is also going ahead with controversial Cizenship Amendment Bill, a bill that denies cizenship to only to Muslim refugees. This open discriminaon based on religion constutes a blatant aack on the constuonal principles of secularism and equality before law. It also pooh-poohs internaonal laws against discriminaon on the basis of religion.

Unfortunately, there is a general indifference and apathy towards such authoritarian moves in the country. Not much quesons were raised from the opposion or other secular pares. Popular Front calls upon the people of the country to reject such exercises and put a united struggle for saving the cizenship rights and constuonal values of the country. (22 Nov.2019)

Maharashtra politics exposed BJP conspiracies to hijack democracy

Popular Front has stated that the polical developments in Maharashtra post Assembly elecon has exposed conspiracies to hijack power by using all means at the disposal of BJP.

The dramac incidents unfolded aer breakup of BJP-Siva Sena alliance, the late night swearing in of Devendra Fadnavis.

Chief Minister and subsequent resignaon following the Supreme Court order for floor test clearly showed the level of depravity expressed by the RSS governor of the state, the Prime Minister's office, the BJP Chief Amit Shah and even the President of India. In fact the Supreme Court order issued on the birth anniversary of Indian constuon thwarted their coup aempt. The order by the Supreme Court direcng Fadnavis government to face a floor test has not only helped avoid another aempt to impose a government without majority, but also upheld the spirit of the constuon.

With the collapse of the government before the floor test, Prime Minister's Office and Home Minister Amit Shah are bound to explain their involvement in the conspiracy. Governor of Maharashtra who acted as mere tool of BJP in this betrayal of democracy has no moral right connue in his posion. Maharashtra is not the first case of Modi government hijacking people's will and also it not first me the judiciary striking down their misadventures. ( 27 Nov.2019) ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 56 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES Popular Front terms the Citizenship Amendment Bill unconstitutional; calls upon the secular forces to prevent the passage of the bill in Parliament.

New Delhi: Popular Front has called up on the Union Cabinet to recall the decision to table the Cizenship Amendment Bill and appealed to the secular and democrac forces to come out against the proposed amendment which is against the basic tenets of the constuon. In a statement issued by Muhamamd Ali Jinnah ,the Gen Secretary was responding to the clearance given by the Cabinet to table the controversial and parsan Cizenship Amendment Bill. This move has once again proved the uer disregard shown by the BJP led Government towards the spirit of the constuon.

The amendment paves the way for the Hindus, Chrisans, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsees and Jains from the neighbouring countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh to acquire Indian cizenship denying the Muslims this privilege. The BJP government has shown its true communal colour by effecvely leaving out the Muslims from this list. The government's claim that only persecuted religious minories are given this opportunity doesn't stand ground, as the Rohingya Muslims are the most persecuted ethnic minories as per United Naons, the statement connues.

Religion cannot be a criterion in granng cizenship and by doing so the BJP government has gone against Arcles 5 to 10, Arcle 15 and Arcle 29 of the Indian constuon which detail various categories of persons who are entled for cizenship. The move is also against Arcle 14 which guarantees equal rights to all.

The Bill which was passed by the previous NDA government in January 2018 in Lok Sabha, was not tabled in the Rajya Sabha, due to opposion from the North eastern states including the allies of BJP. The opposion for the Bill sll remains in those regions but the government is hell bent to table the Bill again. ( 04 Dec.2019)

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 57 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES Anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition: Keep memories alive and fight together for justice

Popular Front in a statement issued on the eve of the anniversary day of Babri Masjid demolion, has asked all people of conscience and collecves to keep memories of Babri Masjid alive. He also urged all Muslim ligants, leaders and groups involved in Babri case to move the review peons on Supreme Court verdict jointly under All India Muslim Personal Law Board. 27 years have crossed since the demolion of Babri Masjid on 6 December 1992. The verdict of the Supreme Court pronounced on 9th November makes this year's commemoraon all the more sad. The court, despite its findings that no temple was destroyed for building the Masjid and the acts of placing of idol in 1949 and the destrucon of the Masjid on 6 Dec 1992 were illegal, have unilaterally decided to give it to Hindu groups for building Ram temple. This verdict is in effect legimising the terror aacks on Babri Masjid and it will enable such criminal groups to lay claim on worship places of one or other religious communies and forcefully capture them.

The queson sll remains unanswered that if the demolion was a crime, why the criminals are sll roaming free. It is a maer of shame for the naon that the criminal cases against top SanghParivar leaders who led Masjid demolion are pending decision even aer the unjust Supreme Court verdict for temple construcon on the masjid site.

Memory is the first step of resistance against fascism. Popular Front expresses its solidarity with all the groups and collecves who are fighng to keep the memories of BabriMasjid alive in the minds of people through various programmes. Popular Front is organizing various acvies in this regard in coming days like poster campaign, handbill distribuon and house visits in different states.

While Muslims pares are going ahead with their plan of filing a review peon against the present judgment, unfortunately there are some unhealthy signs visible among them. Senior advocates like Rajiv Dhawan who stood by Muslims for jusce throughout the struggle should never have been made to feel excluded. Popular Front is of the strong view that only a united effort on behalf of the vicms of injusce, not fragmented efforts , will come to fruion. (04 Dec.2019)

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 58 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES CAB turns India into a fanatic anti-Muslim land: Popular Front

New Delhi: Popular Front of India Naonal Secretary Anis Ahmed, in a statement, has observed that the passage of Cizenship Amendment Bill has turned the country into a fanac, an- Muslim land. The bill is a significant step in downgrading our democrac and secular state in to an authoritarian and racist naon by singling out Muslims as second class cizens or even non- cizens without any civil rights. More than a Hindu Rashtra, a kind of Muslim Virodh Rashtra (An-Muslim Fanac Country) is being created by law with the passing of the new bill.

It must be a maer of concern of every Indian cizen that not only Muslims but all the people including those whom RSS and BJP boast to protect will suffer from the social unrest and civil strife triggered by the passage of the bill. Earlier Modi-Shah government had set people of Kashmir against the country by brutal oppressive measures and deprivaon of human rights. Now similar measures are also being tried in North East region where the new law will have more immediate consequences. Nothing construcve can be expected from such legislaon which can only create chaos. Anis Ahmed congratulated all the members of both houses of the parliament and their pares who opposed the bill. They have truly upheld the spirit of Indian constuon and natural jusce at a crical me. Meanwhile he condemned those MPs from non-BJP pares who colluded with BJP thereby betraying the people who trusted them, the constuon and the oath they took in its name.

Anis Ahmed hoped that Supreme Court will ulmately struck down this draconian alteraon of the very concept of cizenship which has demolished the basic structure of Indian constuon. (12 Dec.2019) Popular Front Calls Upon The People to Maintain Law and Order

New Delhi: Popular Front of India Naonal Secretary Abdul Wahid Sait, in a statement issued in the backdrop of a few reports of violence related to the protests against the Cizenship Amendment Act (CAA) called upon the people to maintain law and order and to keep peace and harmony; along with remaining steadfast in the fight for restoraon of democrac rights.

It's a welcome sign that different social organizaons and acvists groups are voluntarily coming

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 59 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES forward and organizing protests in different parts of the country against the an-constuonal act of communalizing the very concept of cizenship. These protests demonstrate the anger of the people irrespecve of religious affiliaons, against the BJP government led by the divisive RSS ideology of hate. In the interests of the success of the protest the agitaons should not go violent and out of control at any cost. There are chances of aempts to divert the agitaon through agents provocateurs to suit the polical agenda of those forces that need division of people for their survival. Their double standards and ulterior moves are well reflected in the efforts of protecng the Assam Chief Minister and while trying to oust the CM of West Bengal, though the situaon is worse in Assam . The reports of police provocaon and high-handedness in certain incidents also underline the need of people to move ahead with sufficient cauon and vigil. (15 Dec. 2019)

Popular Front Condemns Police Brutality in Jamia Millia Campus

New Delhi: Popular Front of India North Zone Secretary Anis Ansari and Delhi State President Pervez Ahmed strongly condemned the police brutality in Delhi Jamia Millia Islamia campus including indiscriminate firing on the students.

In a statement they have accused the police of showing unprecedented level of high-handedness on the campus. The police in large numbers forcefully entered the campus at night and assaulted students including girls and aacked them in the library, mosque and the hostels. Available visuals prove police were deliberately firing on students. They entered the campus without permission of the university authories and inflicted atrocies without reason.

Popular Front leaders demanded an immediate end to the police violence and urgent measures to protect the JMI campus community. (16 Dec.2019) Attempts to crush students protest will not succeed: Popular Front

New Delhi: Popular Front of India Vice Chairman O M A Salam cauoned the government that aempts to crush student agitaons for protecon of cizenship rights by using police force will not succeed as they carry the aspiraons of the country and its people. He strongly condemned the police brutalies on agitang students in Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 60 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES on the night of 15th Dec.

The police forcefully entered the JMI campus at night without seeking permission of university authories and assaulted students including girls and chased them in library, mosque and hostels. There are visuals that show that police was deliberately firing on the students. A video clipping that shows police set to burn a vehicle also is in circulaon. The circumstances sufficiently points to the possibilies of hosle elements including those in police have played foul to insgate violence in order to put the blame on students. O M A Salam demanded an imparal judicial probe about the role of police in JMI incident.

Many students of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) were injured in police acon at the University gate during the protests against the Cizenship (Amendment) Act. The police entered the campus and used batons and tear gas against protesng students. They were raising slogans and the police acted without sufficient reason.

Thousands of students irrespecve of religious and ideological affiliaons, by raising their voices for democrac and constuonal rights are opening a new chapter in the great tradion of student acvism during the freedom struggle. He warned the fascist forces and their government that it is beer late than never to learn lessons from history. The Vice-Chairman expressed solidarity with students agitang on campuses and on streets in various universies in the country. (16 Dec.2019) Strongly condemns suppression of Citizenship agitations and arrests of leaders and protesters

Statement Issued in Media Conference at Press Club of India, New Delhi

The opposion of the Indian cizens to the Cizenship Amendment Act is geng wide- spread day by day all over the country. They are coming to streets in large number and expressing their anger and frustraon through various modes of protest against this unconstuonal act. Except a few incidents of police brutality, the agitaons are peaceful and democrac everywhere. All secons of people, organisaons, pares, women and students of the country, regardless of their differences, have joined this expression of democrac dissent against the very demolion of secular concept of cizenship.

The reports flowing in from different parts of the country, especially the BJP ruled states show

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 61 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES that the BJP governments at the centre and in states have started suppressing the peaceful agitaons by use of brutal force. In many states prohibitory orders are applied, atmosphere of terror is created and local leaders and acvists and taken into custody. Even renowned scholars, prominent acvists and naonal leaders of polical pares are arrested in order to prevent them from leading the protests.

In the naonal capital, followed by police brutality on students of Jamia Millia, the Red Fort March called by various civil society groups and secular pares today is disturbed by mass arrest of the parcipants. This highly condemnable act of repression proves that the BJP is hosle to expression of polical dissent even when it is lawful and peaceful. CPM leader Sitaram Yechuri, CPI leader D Raja, SDPI leader Drs Tasleem Rehamani etc are also among hundreds of protesters who have been taken into custody in Delhi today. Moreover, many metro staons are closed and internet is disconnected in many parts of the naonal capital in an aempt to contain people's anger against the government. As per reports, 130,000 security forces are being deployed to crush peaceful protests.

In Bangalore, most renowned historian Ramachandra Guha was arrested. In Assam, with the move of communally dividing the agitaons, Popular Front state president Aminul Haque is booked in false cases and raids were held in offices and residences. In UP, they have imposed prohibitory orders and acvists including Popular Front local leaders are being taken into custody in different places.

We condemn all repressive measures by the BJP central and state governments that are undemocrac, unlawful and unconstuonal. We also warn the power centres that people's voices for the protecon of cizenship rights cannot be curtailed by any such moves as it is the response of the naon, irrespecve of other differences, against the divisive agenda of RSS and BJP. We demand the government and all forces that control it to withdraw from such moves including the new amendment to cizenship right.

Adv Sharfuddin Ahmed, Naonal Vice President, SDPI Mohammed Shafi, Naonal General Secretary, SDPI E. M. Abdul Rahiman, Naonal Execuve Council member, Popular Front of India A. S. Ismail, North Zone President, Popular Front of India Pervez Ahmed, Delhi State President, Popular Front of India (19 Dec.2019)

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 62 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES Nation-wide protest against CAA: Demands end to police brutalities in BJP ruled states; Seeks immediate Supreme Court intervention

Statement issued in the joint press conference in New Delhi aended by leaders belonging to various social organisaons, polical pares and acvists groups. ND Tiwari Bhawan, ITO, New Delhi.

More and more people are joining the ongoing protests against Cizenship Amendment Act day by day in all parts of country. The people are expressing their opposion through various modes of protest against this unconstuonal act. It is learned that the huge masses parcipang in street protests and their leaders are taking every care to cooperate with authories in maintaining law and order. Hence these democrac agitaons are peaceful in all states with excepon of some states that are under BJP government. The onus of turning the agitaons violent is only on the respecve state governments because no untoward incidents are being reported from non-BJP states, though the protests are equally strong there also.

The reports flowing in from different BJP ruled states show that they have decided to suppress the peaceful agitaons by use of brutal police force. In many states an atmosphere of terror is created, curfew is imposed, raids are conducted and local leaders and acvists are taken into custody. The police in collusion with infiltrated RSS-BJP agents are creang provocaons, beang the protesters without reason and even resorng to indiscriminate firing on the mobs. The uniformly violent approach of the BJP state governments in suppressing the democrac struggle points to the fact that they are implemenng the decision of the Modi-Shah Government and the RSS-BJP leadership.

While what happens in the naonal capital is well highlighted, many brutal incidents in different states are not reaching media because of informaon blockade there. More reports of unreported police violence are coming from states likes Uar Pradesh, Karnataka and Assam through various sources. At least 12 deaths in police firing have come to light so far. We have informaon that at least 9 people in Meerut and 12 people in Kanpur are severely injured in firing. Contrary to the official denial of any police firing, there are such reports from more places. In Bijnore alone about 400 people were arrested. In Meerut 24 acvists are in police custody for days. There are reports of police crackdown and mass arrests from cies like Lucknow and Banaras also. Unlike other places those who are taken into custody while protesng are not released later. In some places Hindutva communal goons also roam free with police targeng

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 63 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES minories. Thus Uar Pradesh is converted into a police state by the Yogi Adityanath government.

In Karnataka the police crossed all limits and fired at peaceful protesters causing 2 deaths and injury to many people in Mangalore. There the police have taken hundreds of Muslim youth to illegal custody out of polical vengeance. In Assam also acvists and leaders belonging to Muslims community are parcularly targeed by police though the lead role in agitaon is not played by Assamese ethnic groups. We condemn all repressive measures by the BJP central and state governments that are undemocrac, unlawful and unconstuonal. Let them remember that people's voices for the protecon of cizenship rights cannot be curtailed by any such moves as it is the response of the naon, irrespecve of other differences, against the divisive agenda of RSS and BJP.

In this situaon we demand the following: 1. At this me when people's unrest and opposion is at an unprecedented level, the Supreme Court of India and respecve High Courts, instead of clinching to technical and procedural maers, should fulfil their constuonal obligaon by effecve and immediate intervenon. 2. The central and state governments run by BJP must urgently stop all forms of repression including police brutalies, withdraw all false cases, release all detained persons and stop obstrucng democrac protests against CAA and NRC. 3. As it is beer late than never, the BJP government by realising their folly has to abandon the new Cizenship Amendment Act and withdraw their plan to implement naonwide NRC. 4. Finally we call upon all civil society groups that lead these agitaons and all cizens who are in the forefront to take every care to see that they are peaceful and not turning violent either due to hyper emoons or by purposeful infiltraons.

Parcipants in the press conference: 1. Dr.Tasleem Ahmed Rahmani( Naonal Secretary, SDPI) 2. Birju Naik( Lok(Raj Sangathan) 3. SQR Ilyas (Naonal President, Welfare Party of India) 4. A. S. Ismail ( President, Popular Front of India North Zone) 5. Prakash Rao,( Spokesperson, Communist Ghadar Party of India) 6. MS Sucharita, (Member, AIC ) 7. Bhanu Partap Singh (Naonal President, Rashtriy Janhit Sangharash Party) 8. Ateekur Rahman ( Naonal Treasurer, Campus Front of India)

(21 Dec.2019)

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 64 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES Demands immediate withdrawal of CAA; condemns brutal suppression of democratic rights in BJP ruled states.

New Delhi: Popular Front of India Naonal Execuve Council meeng in a resoluon has demanded withdrawal of the discriminatory Cizenship Amendment Act and ongoing oppression of democrac agitaons against CAA in BJP ruled state.

The massive popular agitaons erupted across the country following the passage of CAA has proved that majority of the people, regardless of all their differences, has rejected the idea of cizenship based on religion put forward by the Central Govt. Millions of people who marched against the law in the cies and villages proclaimed that they are not ready to accept the aempt to divide the country once again on religious lines. The fact that the government has been forced to publicly abandon the idea of naonwide NRC and deny the existence of detenon camps are major blow to the arrogance of Modi and Amit Sha and a great victory to the people. It is also highly hopeful that 11 state governments have refused to implement NRC.

The meeng condemned the inhuman way the democrac protests were suppressed by the police in BJP ruled states. Despite the massive size of the demonstraons, people were peaceful and never resorted to violence anywhere. However, police in BJP ruled states are treang them in a manner reminiscent of military ruled autocrac governments. Police violence at AMU was more harrowing than that happened in Jamia Millia. A fact finding team who visited Lucknow and surroundings reports that nearly 27 have died in Uar Pradesh alone and 800 people have been injured in the violence unleashed by the police upon innocent people both in the cies and villages. Videos and other evidences surfaced from the state show that police were at the forefront of the vandalism and they used indiscriminate violence against the protesters. Reports are coming out that leaders of various organizaons and human rights acvists arrested on false charges are being subjected to brutal torture under police custody.

The NEC also pointed out that there is a clear conspiracy against the Popular Front of India by the BJP government in Uar Pradesh. State ad-hoc commiee convener Wasim Ahmed and members Qari Ashfaq and Mohammed Nadeem who were arrested earlier from Lucknow are now alleged with serious charges and being depicted before media as masterminds behind the violence. Two of them were seen brought before the media by police aer covering the face to add a terror tag to the whole episode. These arrests are part of a vicious conspiracy to tarnish and suppress the ongoing mass agitaons portraying them as some sort of extremist acts. People joined hands regardless of all their differences and came out in large numbers across the country

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 65 SOCIO-POLITICAL ISSUES against the discriminatory and divisive CAA and the plan for naonwide NRC. And now in order to divert public aenon the governments are fixing innocents. NEC makes it clear that any such aempts will be fought through democrac and legal means. The meeng also decided to support the vicms of the violence unleashed by UP police and Sangh Parivar. The meeng also cauoned that the move for Naonal Populaon Register approved by the parliament is just a backdoor effort for implemenng naonwide NRC and appealed people of the country and state governments to reject the process.

Vice Chairman OMA Salam presided over the meeng which was also aended by General Secretary M Muhammed Ali Jinnah, Secretaries Abdul Wahid Sait and Anis Ahmed, Naonal Execuve Council Members E M Abdul Rahiman, Prof. P. Koya, Adv. A Yusuf, AS Ismail, Muhammed Ismail, KM Shareef, YaMoideen, etc (25 Dec.2019) NPR preliminary step towards NRC; to be rejected: Popular Front

New Delhi: Popular Front of India Naonal General Secretary M Muhammed Ali Jinnah has stated that the cabinet cleared Naonal Populaon Register is nothing but the preliminary step towards the preparaon of Naonal Register of Cizens.

The central government does not contend that NPR is a comprehensive identy database of every usual resident in the country. Since this database seeks to collect demographic as well as biometric parculars of the individuals, it will be an all inclusive data collecon which makes it totally different from usual census survey. Reply in Rajya Sabha by Kiran Rijiju, Minister of State, in November 2014 and the Annual Report of the Central Home Ministry 2017-18 and 2018-19 disclosed that NPR is the first step towards NRC. The endeavour of NPR does not pertain to usual census pursued as per the Census Act of 1948. The home page of the official website of Census Registrar also exhibits an NRC window. All these point to the sinister agenda behind the preparaon of NPR, a dubious way of launching controversial NRC. There is something fishy behind expedited move for the NPR in the wake of the naonwide agitaons against Cizenship Amendment Act and NRC. Mr. Jinnah has called upon the central govt. to revoke the decision to implement NPR, and appealed to the cizens of the country to reject this process. (25 Dec.2019)

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 66 ORGANISATION ORGANISATION Condemns the unconstitutional and undemocratic attitude of the Jharkhand BJP Government that hinder the educational empowerment of the poor

Popular Front condemns the unconstitutional and undemocratic attitude of the Jharkhand authorities which puts blockades before even the scholarship distribution to poor students. Scholarship Scheme is one of the flagship projects of the organisation which was carried out throughout the nation for more than seven years.

The scholarship distribution program planned by the Jharkhand Popular Front today in Pakur Town Hall was as a part of the national project. It was disturbed by denying entry to the hall at the last minute. All the legal procedures including hall booking and police permission were completed well in advance. Besides, there happened calculated steps to foil the programme and it happened to know that authorities denied entry in to the town hall due to pressure from higher officials. Hence we were forced to distribute the scholarship in open place. It is unfortunate that the State government still continues with its negative attitude towards developmental activities of the Organisation aiming the uplift of the marginalised and the minorities.

The duty of a State government is to protect the interest of the common people and their democratic and constitutional rights, rather than imposing political agenda of the ruling Party. The High Court order in favor of the organization upholds the fundamental rights and natural justice in a democratic system. The Popular Front appeal the authorities to give up the negative attitude and to support people's endeavours to develop educationally and socially.

Calls on people of Jharkhand to unite for the protection of the fundamental rights and against the denial of natural justice.

(Released in press conference held on 21 January 2019 at Pakur, Jharkhand) (24 Jan.2019 )

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 68 ORGANISATION Reports of ban on Popular Front in Jharkhand undemocratic and unconstitutional, says General Secretary

From the news carried by a section of media, we came to know that as per a notice issued by the State Home Department today, Jharkhand Government has banned Popular Front of India in the State. We strongly condemn this undemocratic decision of the Jharkhand Government, which has imposed the ban on Popular Front for the second time. The allegations as quoted in the Home Department notice are baseless, completely unreliable and misleading. Popular Front will not be cowed down by such repressive measures and we will fight this injustice through legal and democratic means.

The High Court of Jharkhand on 27th August, 2018 had quashed the previous ban imposed on Popular Front by the same Government on 21st February 2018. The court had made it clear that the State Government has failed to prove the charges it made against Popular Front.

This ban should also be seen in the context of the legal victory achieved in the lynching cases supported by Popular Front in Jharkhand. It is evident that the real motive behind such vendetta against Popular Front is to stop the culture of legal defense and democratic struggle that has been advanced by Popular Front.

Popular Front of India has utmost trust in the Judiciary of the country and it is convinced that once again it would be successful in defeating this ban through democratic and legal measures available. (12 Feb.2019)

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 69 ORGANISATION Maulana Wali Rahmani demands withdrawal of Popular Front ban in Jharkhand

Maulana Muhammad Wali Rahmani, leading Islamic scholar and head of Imarat-e- Shariah Bihar, Jharkhand & Odisha in a statement issued here today expressed his disapproval of the state ban put on Popular Front of India in Jharkhand.

He said that the Jharkhand Government has again imposed ban on false, fabricated charges. The earlier ban was quashed by the High Court of Jharkhand. Now the ban is imposed again just to suppress the voices of those people targeted and victimized by acts of state terrorism. This ban is aimed to stop that support.”

Maulana Wali Rahmani termed the state government action as highly condemnable, anti- People, anti-constitutional and against the justice for all. (13 Feb.2019)

“Defeat the politics of Hate”: Popular Front Day celebrated across the country

Members and supporters of Popular Front of India across the country celebrated February 17 as Popular Front Day. The day marks the 12th anniversary of the formation of the movement. The celebrations started at unit level, with the unit members hoisting the tri-colour of the organization. Wide varieties of programmes followed with the slogan "Defeat the politics of hate", including volunteer parades, people's marches, public meetings, seminars and blood donation camps. Several grand mass gatherings were held at different parts of the country, which were attended by tens of thousands of people including women and children.

Chairman E. Abubacker received salute of the volunteer parade held as part of the Unity March at Nadapuran in Calicut district and inaugurated the subsequent public meeting. He asked Government of India not to misuse the ghastly attack against the army in Pulwama for cheap political gains. He said that Popular Front, after 30-year-long journey through the length and breadth of the country, has finally come back to visit its place of origin Nadapuram. It is this soil

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 70 ORGANISATION that gave birth to NDF, the predecessor of Popular Front. We believe we have never allowed this candle to be snuffed out by any storm that came its way in the last 30 years and have made it into a full glowing sun. On this occasion I remember the sacrifices of our brother and sisters, especially the martyrs who laid their lives in this path. When Sangh Pariwar let loose their criminal gangs on innocent people, this organization was there in defence of the people against them. But it is not Sangh Parivar alone that is cause of the suffering of Mislim, Dalits and the marginalized. Poverty, morbidity and illiteracy also are threatening their lives. There too this organization has made its presence felt. We took over poverty stricken villages and took them to the path of empowerment.

Unity March was held at two centres in Karnataka state. National Executive Council member KM Shareef inaugurated the programme at Hoskote in Bangalore. National Secretary Anis Ahmed and State President Mohammad Shakif also addressed the programme. At Shahpur, Karnataka State General Secretary of Popular Front Yasir Hassan inaugurated the march and the public meeting.

In Bihar, Public programmes were held at two places, Bihar Shareef and Purnia. Public meetings and flag hoisting were held at dozens of places in Andra Pradesh. At Nandhyal Social Democratic Party of India National Secretary Mehboob Awaz shareef inaugurated the programme, which was also addressed by Afsar Pasha, Popular Front Zonal President, Sridhar Reddy, TDP State secretary, NK Jayanna, General Secretary, Samachara Hakkula Parirakshana Samithi AP and Abdul, Latheef State General Secretary of Popular Front. At Yammignur, SDPI State President Abdul Warids inaugurated the programme.

The rally and public meeting held in Tonk district of Rajasthan was inaugurated by Jamiyat Ulema e Hind leader Mufti Adil Amir, Social activist Javed Boxer, Indian National Congress state leader Mohsin Sheik etc. addressed the gathering. Flag hoisting and public program was held at Shaheen Bhag in New Delhi.

Popular Front National Secretary Abdul Wahid Sait, SDPI National Secretary Dr. Tasleem Ahmed Rahmani, Popular Front Maharashtra State President Yusuf Sadth etc addressed the seminar held at Mumbai as part of Popular Front Day. Public programmes were also held in states such as Manipur, West Bengal, Assam and Goa.

Despite the repressive moves from governments and vicious vilification campaign carried by a section of media against Popular Front, there was a huge popular participation in the programmes. The spirit and enthusiasm of the people is proof that they have endorsed the message of empowerment and fight against fascism being conveyed by the organization. The programmes also became a warning that any attempt from any quarter to stifle the advance of the organization is not going to bear fruit any soon. (18 Feb.2019) ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 71 ORGANISATION

Popular Front denies media reports about activities in Jharkhand

Popular Front of India general secretary M. Mohammed Ali Jinnah, in a statement issued today, denied the reports appeared in certain local news papers that Popular Front of India activities still continue in some parts of Jharkhand even after its ban in the state. He further stated that all members at all units in Jharkhand were directed to stop the activities of the organisation with effect from the date of new ban. (18 Mar.2019) Madras High Court grants permission for Unity March

The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has set aside the police order that rejected permission to hold Unity March (volunteer parade) on Feb 17, 2019 Popular Front Day.

Popular Front of India has been celebrating its foundation day on 17th February since many years. The Unity March with the volunteers' parade would be the highlight of the celebration in the three southern states. "Defeat Politics of Hate" was the theme of the Unity March 2019.

Despite the governments of Kerala and Karnataka allowing the programmes, the Tamil Nadu Police denied the permission at the last moment. A Writ Petition was filed before the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court by J. Mohamed Ali, the district president of Popular Front of India to quash the impugned order (rejection) as illegal and consequently to permit the organization to conduct the procession of Route March (Unity March) and public meeting. (18 May.2019)

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 72 ORGANISATION “Live without Fear, Live with Dignity": Popular Front Campaign against hate crimes

The Central Secretariat meeting of Popular Front of India announced the launch of the nationwide campaign with the slogan, “Live without Fear, Live with Dignity” highlighting the need of collective efforts for providing security to the lives of minorities and weaker sections vulnerable to ongoing Hindutva mob attacks and hate crimes in the country.

The meeting pointed out that immediately after the election results, the Prime Minister promised that there would be new steps for removing fear from minorities and winning their trust; 'Sabka Sath Sabka Vishwas' as he himself called it. However, it soon became clear that either his assurances were mere rhetorics or even his own BJP workers or RSS cadres did not bother to heed to his words. From parliament to streets, they are enforcing 'Jai Shri Ram' chant on others. What BJP MPs had done in parliament, discrediting the name of Shri Ram, has become a motivation for Hindutva goons to repeat it even in remote town and villages. Countless incidents of attacks against Muslims and Dalits have been reported across the country since the Modi Government took over. It is now a daily occurrence where any Muslim or Dalit can be brutally lynched anywhere, citing one flimsy reason or other. Even children and elderly people are not spared by the communally and racially frenzied mobs. (17 Jul.2019) Popular Front condemns disruption of press meet in Meerut

As part of the campaign, Live without Fear, a press conference was scheduled in Meerut (UP) today. But the police disrupted the conference without any reason. Later, the organizers arranged the meet at the SDPI (Social Democratic Party of India) office in Meerut and there also the Police detained its organizers and prevented the event.

Abdul Wahid Sait, national secretary condemned the highhandedness of the police administration wherein organization leaders were not even allowed to peacefully conduct their programme, even in a private office. It should be noted that there is nothing objectionable in the campaign and a similar press conferences were held all over the country, including in Press Club of India in Delhi on 22-Jul-2019.

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 73 ORGANISATION

The national secretary said that this is an indication of the deteriorating human and civil rights situation in the state of UP and it is time to question this unlawful and unconstitutional action by the police.

Abdul Wahid Sait urged civic society and human rights activists to rise to the situation in defending civil liberties and democratic values enshrined in our Constitution. He also demanded immediate release of the leaders detained by police. (23 Jul.2019)

Higher Education Scholarship - 2019

Popular Front of India has announced its Scholarship Programme-2019 in New Delhi today. This scheme supports poor and meritorious students who wish to pursue higher studies after completing the Higher Secondary (12th).

Popular Front began the scholarship programme in 2011-12 academic years at the national level. So far 7.78 Crore rupees worth of scholarships have been distributed to 12545 students (6,024 boys and 6,521 girls), across India's 13 states. (31 Jul.2019)

FLOOD RESCUE AND RELIEF Popular Front Chairman's appeal

The chairman called upon all social activists, groups and masses to act together in serving humanity, keeping at distance all their differences and preferences to help the flood victims of states like Assam, Bihar, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, etc. (09 Aug. 2019)

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 74 ORGANISATION Independence Day Message from Chairman

This anniversary day of our independence from Brish colonial rule is more than an occasion of celebraon. Because of independence, the people of India are bestowed with the democrac system built on a strong constuonal foundaon. Though the democrac spirit of our constuonal system was challenged and threatened many mes in the past, it has never been put to test as severely as it is today. The steps taken by newly sworn central government within a short period is indicave of their disrespect to democrac and constuonal values. The parliament has witnessed erosion of values while draconian and sectarian laws were enacted in a hurry even by violang procedures. While the government is determined to implement their sectarian agenda in a calculated manner, our naon also witness gradual death of a responsible opposion. Many opposion pares and leaders are either in a confused state or geng ready to serve Hindutva polics. This crical juncture in the history of independent India demands from civil society a second independence movement. I call upon all responsible cizens in our country to join hands for saving the Idea of India. (15 Aug. 2019)

In memory of Syed Shahabuddin, Popular Front institutes Award for Outstanding Contribution to Society

Popular Front of India has announced an award to be given every two years for outstanding contribution to society. The award is instituted in memory of late Syed Shahabuddin who was a leading politician, Member of Parliament, diplomat, community leader, thinker, columnist, editor and writer. This award will be given to a prominent Indian citizen, institution or organisation which has a record of outstanding contribution to society in any service field.

The award constitutes an amount of Rs.100000 (Rupees One Lakh only) along with a certificate of recognition and appreciation.

A jury is constituted to select the recipient of the award with Moulana Muhammad Wali Rahmani (General Secretary, AIMPLB) as chairman and Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan (Chairman, Delhi State Minority Commission), Ms Parveen Amanullah (Ex Bihar State Minister, Daughter of Syed Shahabuddin) Mr. Ravi Nair (Director, SAHRDC), Prof P Koya (General Secretary, NCHRO), Dr

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 75 ORGANISATION Haseena Hashia (Professor, Jamia Millia Islamia), Abdul Wahid Sait (Secretary, Popular Front of India) and E M Abdul Rahiman (Convener) (21 Aug.2019)

Community Leaders Convention calls for grass root level alliance building to prevent rights violations

As a step towards uniting people in endeauvors for protecting their fundamental rights and maintaining a peaceful atmosphere free from fear and hatred, Popular Front of India convened “Community Leaders Convention” on 7 September 2019 at N.D. Tewari Bhawan in New Delhi. The programme was attended by more than 200 delegates drawn from Delhi and adjacent states representing different local organizations and institutions.

After deliberation on the current socio-political situations prevailing in the country, the convention resolved to build grass root level alliances to prevent right violations that are on the rise in certain parts of the country. The meeting called upon local communities to adopt constitutional and legal measures to ensure punishments to the culprits. Resolutions were also passed on various issues like amendments to UAPA act and NIA act, abrogation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, extension of NRC etc.

The leaders coming from different political and social backgrounds spoke on this occasion and expressed their views and suggestions.

Popular Front chairman E. Abubacker said in his inaugural speech that this government's moves are not only against the Muslim community, but against all citizens of this country. “The fascist forces think that they are a well organized majority, but history makes it clear that many of the well organized majorities have been defeated by minorities”, he said. He said that NRC is to be thrown in Ganga-Yamuna. In his keynote address, Anis Ahmad, National Secretary of Popular Front said that you can't change the agenda of fascism by appeasing them. He called for a new resistance movement against authoritarian rule as the country has witnessed during emergency period.

Justice B G Kolse Patil, Sayed Sarwar Chishti (Gaddi Nashin Ajmer Sharif),Javed Ali Khan (Member of Parliament), Adv. Sharfuddin Ahamed (National Vice President, SDPI), Dr. Taslim Ahmad Rahmani (National Secretary SDPI), Ashok Bharti (National President, All India Ambedkar

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 76 ORGANISATION Mahasabha & Jan Samman Party), Adv. N D Pancholi, Raghvan Sreenivasan (National President, Lok Raj Sanghatan), Adv. Bhanu Pratap (National President, Rashtriya Janhit Sangharash Party), D C Kapil (National President, All India Dalit Muslim United Morcha), Harminder Singh Ahalwalia (Convenor, United Sikh Mission) were among the dignitaries who attended the convention.

M Mohammad Ali Jinnah, General Secretary, Popular Front presented the resolutions which were approved by all delegates.

A S Ismail, President, North Zone, Popular Front presided over the convention. Anis Ansari, Zonal Secretary welcomed the guests and Dr. Mohammad Shamoon gave vote of thanks. (08 Sep.2019) People's Rights Conference New Delhi Declaration

We, the delegates coming from different states and regions, interacting with various sections of people across the nation and involved in the defense of the constitutional values of India hereby declare that

1. The country is taking a downward journey to despair, destitution and fear psychosis which unless stopped forthwith will undermine the composite and plural nature of the republic. Since 2014 when the Hindutva regime came to power there have been sporadic lynching incidents in the name of cow and dozens of people have been butchered in broad daylight. There is a pattern in this madness tacitly promoted and encouraged by the higher-ups in the government. The police in the BJP ruled states have booked the culprits only when there is popular pressure;

2. A clueless government has helped destroy the economy of the country through foolhardy decisions like midnight demonetization of the high value currency notes on the shaky grounds of black money and terror funding. This measure has driven millions of people to extreme poverty and desolation. The convoluted GST introduced by the government in a hurry has also ravaged the economy. The unemployment in the country has reached an all time high rate and the GDP has fallen down to an all time low rate.

3. The hasty steps taken by the Ministry of Home Affairs to make inoperative Article 370 and 35A and massive deployment of security forces in Jammu and Kashmir and demotion of the autonomous state to mere union territory have made the province into an open sky prison. Reports coming from the Valley say that thousands are in jail including children, and that the security forces are conducting night raids and picking up people and torturing them. The officially condoned violence in the valley has morphed into myriad forms unreported by the

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 77 ORGANISATION submissive Indian media;

4. The National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam has already made lakhs of people stateless with nowhere to go. The vindictive state government is building up detention centres for those who are left out of the list. As the first phase of the exercise has ended in anti-climax, the regime is planning to make amendments to the law granting citizenship on the basis of religious affiliation, a patently discriminatory act in a secular democracy. Despite the havoc wreaked by the NRC in Assam, the Ministry of Home Affairs is indicating to extend this exercise to other states. Such acts are intended to divert attention from the government's failure to address the economic and social crises in the country. Clandestine forces want to eat away the freedom and liberty enjoyed by the people and then turn the country into one party state serving the divisive and monotone ideology of the RSS;

5. The amendments passed in the first session of the parliament under Second Modi government have provided the draconian law UAPA and the biased investigation agency NIA much more powers to terrorise people. Now the government is vested with powers to ban not only organisations, but individuals also by declaring them as terrorists. These amendments also infringe the spirit of federalism and powers of the states. These enactments are serious threats to people's rights guaranteed by the Indian constitution;

6. The Babri Masjid was built in Ayodhya by Muslims in 1528 and they were offering prayers till the forceful and unlawful installation of deities in the Masjid in 1949. The ongoing Ayodhya case in Hon'ble Supreme Court is to decide the ownership of the Masjid property which was later illegally demolished by Hindutva forces in 1992. Hence justice lies in rebuilding the Babri Masjid on the same site and punishing all the culprits responsible for demolition. As in the case of any other title suit, this case has to be adjudged on the basis of facts on record and not on the basis of the religious beliefs and sentiments of either party. According to religion and law of Islam, it is learned that no individual or group has authority to hand over a Masjid property, the ownership of which originally belongs to Allah alone;

7. The country is also witnessing an unprecedented disunity among the opposition parties which are expected to defend the constitutional rights of the people. Corruption and nepotism have made many opposition leaders fearful and silent as they have many skeletons in their closets. In parliament they are mostly silent if not submissive and raise their hands in support of the hasty anti-people legislative acts;

8. It is time that the people of the country come together and join hands to fight the menace of fascism and creeping autocracy. Silence and fear imposed by the covert and overt actions of the regime will only worsen the situation. It will work as democracy's enemy within. Indian democracy can be brought back to health only through collective action of the people of the

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 78 ORGANISATION country. This great democracy can't be allowed to be destroyed by cynical and power-hungry machinations of the religious right; and

9. This People's Rights Conference demands the government to withdraw from all moves that infringes people's rights, discriminates among people and denies justice to minorities and weaker sections. This conference reminds all sections of the society of their fundamental right to Live without Fear and Live with Dignity and of their responsibility to join hands to defeat communal, fascist and sectarian forces. (30 Sep.2019) Dalit-Muslim Dialogue resolves to strengthen social alliance building efforts

The delegates who attended a Dalit-Muslim Dialogue hosted by Popular Front of India resolved to take steps for building grass roots level social alliance and to evolve joint strategies to address issues common to Dalits and Muslims.

The day long round table discussion held at Indian Social Institute, Bangalore on 12 October 2019 was participated by leaders and intellectuals invited from different states along with national leaders of Popular Front.

The programme was inaugurated by prominent Dalit writer and founder editor of 'Dalit Voice' V T Rajashekhar. Popular Front General Secretary M Mohammed Ali Jinnah welcomed delegates and secretary Anis Ahmed presented the key note paper. Popular Front National Executive Council member E M Abdul Rahiman was the moderator. (13 Oct.2019)

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 79 ORGANISATION Babri Masjid verdict is unfair, disappointing

The Central Secretariat of Popular Front of India expressed deep disappointment over the judgement of Supreme Court delivered today in the Babri Masjid title suit. As per reports the apex court has handed over the Babri Masjid land for the construction of a temple. And the Muslims are allowed to build Masjid in an alternate land to be allotted to them.

The secretariat has pointed out that the apex court has reiterated the facts that Masjid was not constructed after demolishing any temple and agreed that the placing of idols in the Masjid in 1949 and demolition of the Masjid in 1992 were violations of law. But unfortunately, contrary to these approved facts, the entire land of the demolished Masjid is handed over for temple construction. The court direction to give alternate land to Muslims for Masjid is insignificant and doesn't serve no justice.

This judgment by the apex court has serious repercussions not only on the minority rights but also on the very foundational principles enshrined in the Indian constitution. World was witness to the various incidents of organised vandalism against Babri Masjid ultimately leading to its demolition. The promise by the then Prime Minister that the Masjid will be rebuilt in the same land still remains unfulfilled.

The secretariat has said that all democratic and legal means would be resorted for justice to Babri Masjid and would stand with All India Muslim Personal Law board and UP Sunni Waqf Board in their future struggle for restoration of justice. It also called upon all sections of people to maintain peace and harmony all over the country at this crucial juncture. (09 Nov.2019) ANI story about Popular Front plot baseless, ill-motivated and highly objectionable

In a statement, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the general secretary of the Popular Front of India has said that a defamatory news has been circulated by the news agency ANI alleging that a plot has been hatched by the organisation against Supreme Court Justice Abdul Nazeer and his family. The General Secretary M Mohammed Ali Jinnah has strongly denied the said allegation and termed it an attempt to malign the organization. Such slanderous reports are totally unacceptable, he

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 80 ORGANISATION said. It is very unfortunate that none of the ANI reporters or the editorial staff members bothered to contact the orgnisation to know our stand before publishing such a serious allegation. “Though we immediately contacted the agency, it has not corrected or withdrawn the false mention about us in their news. On the other hand, some other news portals and papers subsequently carried the same without seeking our version”.

Quote from report: "According to an official communication accessed by ANI, security forces and local police will "immediately" provide 'Z' category security to Justice Nazeer and his family members in Karnataka and other parts of the country in view of the threat from PFI and other quarters, as reported by the security agencies". Since the report has not named any specific govt. agency or official as source of "the official communication" they accessed, the onus of the report solely vests with ANI and other media that copied the same.

Mohammed Ali Jinnah demanded an immediate withdrawal of the allegation with an unconditional apology. (18 Nov.2019)

Babri Masjid Verdict: Review Petition filed

Challenging the Constuon Bench judgment of the Supreme Court in the Babri Masjid tle suit, North Zone Secretary of Popular Front of India Anis Ansari filed the review peon in the Supreme Court on Monday 9 December 2019. NEC had decided to file review peon in its meeng held on 15 & 16 of November. (10 Dec.2019) Popular Front condemns arrest and raids in Assam

New Delhi: Popular Front of India Central Secretariat has strongly condemned the illegal custody of its Assam state president Aminul Haq by alleging involvement in violence related to people's agitation against Citizenship Amendment Act. Aminul Haq was taken to custody yesterday and he has not been released. Assam police has also conducted illegal raids in Popular Front state office and residences of some state leaders.

These repressive actions of police are totally biased as the fact is that no Popular Front leader or member has indulged in any violent activity. The police actions started when a state minister falsely accused Popular Front of being among those behind the incidents. The Central Secretariat

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 81 ORGANISATION has termed the allegation baseless and ill-motivated. The Central Secretariat also demanded immediate release of Aminul Haq.

The Secretariat said that the BJP agenda behind isolating and targeting Popular Front is to turn the ongoing ethnic agitation of Assamese people into an anti-Muslim protest ultimately to break and defeat the present agitation. The Central Secretariat has appealed to all, especially people of Assam to be cautious about the divisive politics of BJP government and raise voice against the injustice being done to Popular Front in Assam. (18 Dec.2019)

Central Secretariat condemns police conspiracy against the organisation in Uttar Pradesh; demands immediate release of arrested activists

New Delhi: The Central Secretariat meeting of Popular Front of India has condemned the ongoing conspiracy of the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh against the organisation by falsely implicating its associates in the incidents connected with people's protests against CAA and NRC. State ad- hoc committee convener Wasim Ahmed and members QariAshfaqu and Mohammed Nadeem who were arrested earlier from Lucknow are now alleged with serious charges and being depicted before media as masterminds behind violence. Two of them were seen brought before the media by police after covering the face to create a terror background to the whole episode. This police action in fact seems to be a follow up of the baseless allegation levelled by state Deputy Chief Minister that Popular Front is behind all untoward incidents. The Central Secretariat demanded the state government to stop political vendetta, withdraw all false charges and immediately release the arrested leaders.

Perturbed by the popular anger against anti-people policies of the central government, BJP ruled state governments are using inhuman violence and other oppressive measures to deter people's agitations. The arrests are part of a vicious conspiracy to tarnish and suppress the ongoing mass agitations portraying them as some sort of terrorist acts. People joined hands regardless of all their differences and came out in large numbers across the country against openly discriminatory and divisive CAA and the plan for nationwide NRC. Only in BJP ruled state they were met with brute force by police. Nearly 18 people including an 8 year old child have died, most of them from police gunshots, in Uttar Pradesh alone. Such large scale police violence on innocent people has never been witnessed before. Videos and other evidences surfaced from the state show that

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 82 ORGANISATION police was in the forefront of the vandalism and they used indiscriminate violence against peaceful protestors. And now in order to divert public attention they are fixing on innocents.

The statement vowed to fight the fanatic UP government tactics through democratic and legal means. The meeting also appealed to people of all sections to raise their voice against the suppression of the democratic protests and illegal arrests of innocent people in BJP ruled states, particularly in UP. (23 Dec.2019)

Rubbishes UP police accusations, condemns repressive moves

New Delhi: Popular Front of India National General Secretary M Muhammed Ali Jinnah has, in his latest statement, called UP Police accusations about the organization absurd and a face saving act.

The country witnessed one of the largest popular agitations since independence against the discriminatory and anti-constitutional Citizenship Amendment Act. People joined hands, regardless of all their differences, and marched against the legislation in cities and villages across the country. It was only the BJP ruled states that tried to suppress the protests by calling it violent. In most of the states the police were respectful of people's democratic rights to dissent. Only in Yogi Adityanath ruled Uttar Pradesh, police brazenly turned protests into bloodbath and destruction. As per the latest report, UP Police chief has revealed that the UP state has sought ban on Popular Front of India from the centre. We condemn this move, which is nothing but a 'face saving act'. We would like to tell them that their cold blooded killings and maiming of innocents and the destruction of properties lay bare to the entire world. Every child in the country knows what happened. The democratic consciousness of the country will make them pay for their crimes.

The move against Popular Front is yet another authoritarian step by Yogi Police against democratic activism in the state. All the democratic forces in the country should come forward and voice against it. We will fight this political vendetta through legal and democratic means. (31 Dec.2019)

ISSUES AND VIEWS | Page. No: 83 CONDOLENCES CONDOLENCES Dr. Mohamed Morsi, a brave martyr of democracy and freedom: Popular Front

Popular Front of India Chairman E Abubacker in a statement issued today has called Dr. Mohammed Morsi, a brave defender of democracy and freedom till his last moments.

"We are deeply saddened by the news of departure of Dr. Mohamed Morsi, the only democratically elected president in history of the most populous Arab country, Egypt," he said. According to Egyptian media, Morsi collapsed and died during a court session trial in a Cairo courtroom on Monday. There are serious accusations including from organizations like Human Rights Watch against Egyptian military regime of severe medical negligence and mistreatment which have contributed to his unfortunate death. On behalf of Popular Front of India, E Abubacker has conveyed deep condolence to the family, friends, colleagues and the Egyptian people. (18 Jun. 2019) Condoles demise of Maulana Esa Fazil Manba'i

Popular Front of India Chairman E Abubacker has expressed deep condolence on the demise of Maulana Esa Fazil Manba'I, the Kerala state president of All India Imam's Council and a veteran Islamic Scholar in Kerala.

In statement issued today E Abubacker said that Maulana Esa Manba'i has passed away after leading an accomplished life, both as a scholar and as an activist. A renowned Alim in south Kerala, he has a large number of students from various parts of the state. Maulana never confined himself to mere scholastic exercise and remained active for cause of empowering Imams for empowering the community to his last breath. He belongs to the great tradition of scholars who fearlessly spoke truth to the power and lived the life of a believer who, as Prophet (PBUP) said, dies with sweat on their forehead. His life is a role model both for Alims and laymen, the chairman continued. (05 Mar.2019)

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