Srinagar
The Aligarh Muslim University Students’ Union on Tuesday expressed a shock that a socio-religious-political organisation named Jamaat-e-Islami, J&K has been banned in Jammu and Kashmir under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The spokesman of the union in a statement said that nation must be told that Jamaat-e-Islami, J&K runs as per its constitution wherein Article 5, clause 3, clearly mentions that the organisation strives through democratic and constitutional methods. Jamaat is neither an underground organisation, not a “terror outfit”.
It has been part of the electoral process in the state in 1971, 1975, 1977, 1983 and 1987. It is only after mass rigging of elections in 1989 that Jamaat abandoned the electoral process.
Jamaat-e-Islami, J&K is a popular organisation in Kashmir with gross root network of social service support system. Besides taking care of the livelihood of orphans and widows in the state, the outfit offers education through its vast network of schools having over 1, 00, 000 enrolled students.
Jamaat has also done a remarkable job after the 2005 earthquake and 2014 Kashmir floods, which broke the humanitarian crisis in the region.
The statement mentions that after violence broke in Kashmir in the 1990s, the Ameer (chief) Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir Ghulam Mohammad Bhat made it clear in 1998 that the party has no links with any “militant outfit”. Jamaat has continued with it peaceful engagement of socio-religious reform and educational efforts, and there is no evidence in public domain that could lead to an unlawful declaration of the organisation. The government has made a sweeping statement and imposed a ban under UAPA, without considering that utmost care needs to be taken while deciding about parties of political nature.
The AMU students’ Union seeks an urgent review of the ban on Jama’at and demands to strengthen democracy in the state by giving space to the voices of dissent.
