8 July 2008
New Delhi: As Left today withdraws support to UPA government on Indo-US nuclear deal while government is seems to be much motivated to ink nuclear deal on any cost the deal on Tuesday came in for sharp criticisms from various Muslim organisations, which described it as "anti-India", "anti-Human" and vowed to oppose it.
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind along with other Muslim bodies including Indian National League, the All-India Majlis-e-Mushawarat and the Markazi Jamiat Ulama e-Hind condemned the deal, saying it seeks to establish a strategic alliance between India and the US, a relation which "would pose a serious threat to India's sovereignty and independent foreign policy".
At a symposium 'Indo-US nuclear deal and national interest', these rganisations said they would start a movement to oppose the agreement tooth and nail.
"The deal is a covert design to have greater strategic alliance with the US. This will make India subservient to American imperialism. It is not against any particular community or religious group. The entire country's interest is at stake," Zafrul Islam Khan, president of the All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, said. He said nuclear energy cannot solve India's energy needs at all. This will push the country to slavery, Khan added. Seeking that the deal be made nakamyaab (ineffective), Dr Islam said that the deal would bind India to US policies.
Dr SQR Ilyas, editor of Afkar-e-Milli and the convener of the symposium, said efforts have been initiated to unite anti-imperialist forces to fight against the deal. "We will go to the people and make them understand the dangers of the deal," he said.
Mujtaba Farooq, secretary of the Jamaat-e-Islami Hindi too stated that the deal should not be given a communal colour. Remarking that the nuke deal isn't an issue that merely concerns Muslims, he said the real issue is that the existence of the entire mankind is at stake. Further, he alleged that the deal is an attempt by the US to ensnare India as a strategic partner. He also accused Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of trying to sell the country where the deal is concerned. President of Indian National League Mohd Sulaiman said the deal "will open the doors for the Americans to scan our reactors". "NSG is under their control. This will affect our sovereignty," he said.
Addressing on nuclear deal and national interests, the well-known social worker and journalist Seema Mustafa said, "Union government and its allies are dragging the country toward serfdom." Seema Mustafa lambasted the Congress Party and its allies.
Gopal Rai said the government is openly inviting USA to carry on terrorist activities by concluding such deals. Praphul Kumar said people are already disturbed by plethora of problems aggravating in India. He stressed on controlling poverty and unemployment rampant in the country. Taslim Rahmani said the time has come for us to jointly inform Indian peoples about the facts that most of them do not know. Expressing his reaction. Abdul Wahhab Khilji said USA and Israel perpetrated oppression and tyrannies in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine and now preparations are on against Iran. Expressing his concern over this situation, he opposed the deal.
Feroze Mithiborwala, Mumbai based activist and vice-president of the Rashtriya Samaj Paksh (RSP), a party espousing the backward community cause in different states, briefing the topic, pointed out that a deal has been done between Amar Singh and Sonia Gandhi and another between Manmohan Singh and US President Bush at the cost of entire country by sidelining Left coalition and marginalising Muslims and Dalits populations.
Mr Kamal Farooqi, chairman of the Delhi State Minorities Commission, took exception to the meeting being held only by Muslim groups saying "we have been put in a trap by the Leftists". Mr Farooqi said it would be better if Hindu organizations would also participate in today's meet besides Muslim organizations. During the speech Mr. Farooqui was severally criticized for his elaborations and accused of flattering the government. On his part, he argued that he only meant that Muslims will be blamed because of such condemnation programs.
Indeed, many speakers sounded a note of displeasure at CPI-M politburo member M.K. Pandhe's remarks late last month cautioning Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav to "think twice" before supporting the nuclear deal as a large number of Muslims he claimed were against it. While CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat did try and disown the remark by stating that Mr Pandhe's views were not those of the party, it clearly did not go down well with a section of the Muslim leadership who believes that the deal has nothing to do with their community per se. This was evident once again at the symposium.
The President of Indian National League Mohammed Sulaiman felt that there were attempts being made to "communalise" the nuke deal. He said the deal "will open the doors for the Americans to scan our reactors". "NSG is under their control. This will affect our sovereignty," he said. He rued the fact that an impression is being created that only the country's Muslims are opposed to the deal. Describing the PM as napunsak (impotent), Mr Sulaiman alleged that he had made the country's foreign policy impotent.
Former finance secretary S.P. Shukla who also spoke at the symposium warned that the nuclear deal implied a "strategic embrace" with a superpower like the US and this is "dangerous". By doing so, he said India would become a "co-imperialist" and called for a mass movement against the deal.
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