Women protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) at Idgah ground in Deoband since January 27 spurned the appeal of clerics to end their stir on Friday. They greeted a delegation that tried to convince them with slogans of ‘go back’ and a few angry women also threw bangles at them.
Aamna Roshi, president of Mutahid Khawatin Committee that is heading the protest, said “Ulema have nothing to do with our protest. It’s a movement of the people and we will accept only their decision.”
She said that a single wrong action ‘would make us responsible for the dark future of the coming generation.’
“Our children will question us if we fail to secure their future,” she said. Roshi admitted that members of the delegation were greeted with slogans of ‘go back’ and some angry women threw bangles at them.
To be sure, Mohatmim (vice chancellor) of Islamic seminary Darul Uloom of Deoband appealed to the protesting women to end their protest in view of the government’s response that no decision had been taken yet to implement NRC in the entire country.
Mohatmim Mufti Abul Kasim Nomani addressed a meeting of a peace committee held in Deoband on Thursday. In a video, the Mufti was seen sitting with Ulema and others while cops were standing behind him.
{{/usCountry}}Mohatmim Mufti Abul Kasim Nomani addressed a meeting of a peace committee held in Deoband on Thursday. In a video, the Mufti was seen sitting with Ulema and others while cops were standing behind him.
{{/usCountry}}Mufti mentioned the speech of Nayab Mohatamim Maulana Abdul Khaliq Madrasi and said, “I do agree with his views but it would not be appropriate to direct them (women) to completely end their protest. Instead, it would be easier to ask them to end their protest for now in view of the government’s response that no decision was taken yet to implement NRC in the whole country.”
Mufti said that many people were not convinced with the words ‘until’ and ‘yet’. But it showed that for now the government had promised to not implement NRC and it should be seen as an achievement. He said such issues were also in courts and if they were resolved, then there would be no need to protest. Otherwise legal options always remained open to people.
Mufti said he belonged to an educational institute which had no direct right to ask women to end their protest. So some influential and respected people should convince the protesting women to end the protest.
Subsequently, a sub-committee of 15 people was formed to this end and 5 to 6 members approached the protesting women. However, the protesters not only rejected their appeal but also shouted slogans against them.
Aamna Roshi reiterated that accepting the appeal of the Mufti and other clerics would send a wrong message across the country and weaken their movement. “Therefore we have decided to continue our movement until the government announces roll back of CAA,” she said.
Darul Uloom clarification
Darul Uloom of Deoband later distanced itself from the appeal issued by its cleric. In a statement issued on Friday evening, Darul spokesperson Ashraf Usmani underlined that it has not appealed to women to end their protest against CAA. Darul’s spokesperson Ashraf Usmani said that the views expressed by the Mohatmim (VC) during a meeting of peace committee convened by the district administration, were his conditional and personal views and should not be seen as views of the Darul Uloom.
It said Darul Uloom had already given its memorandum to the Government of India and the Chief Justice of India and believed that the nationwide movement against CAA and NRC was to protect the Indian Constitution and its spirit.
The release reiterated that Darul Uloom was not satisfied by the government’s statement in which it said that it had no plan till now to prepare nationwide NRC. “It is a very serious issue and it must not be taken lightly. We should continue our peaceful struggle by exercising our constitutional right until the CAA is withdrawn and NRC gets cancelled forever,” the release said.
(This report has been updated to reflect that the appeal by the Darul Uloom cleric was directed at women protesting CAA at Deoband)