Syed Ali Ahmed | India Tomorrow
NEW DELHI, APRIL 13—The hate campaign allegedly launched by a vast section of the TV channels and print media against the Tablighi Jamaat Markaz in Delhi and its activists all over the country has crossed all limits as it has not only resulted in attacks on Muslims by anti-social elements but it has also influenced the minds of those in corridors of power.
The most glaring example of it is a letter written by a member of the Foreigners Tribunal (FT) in Assam for donating money to the Assam Arogya Nidhi for COVID-19 relief fund in the state.
The writer of the letter has identified himself as K K Gupta. Member, Foreigners Tribunal, Baksa, with his email address mentioned as [email protected]. The letter has been addressed to Himanta Biswa Sarma, State’s Health and Finance Minister, and sent to the latter through Debajit Saikia, Additional Advocate General of Assam.
In the letter, Gupta says that a total of Rs. 60,000 was deposited in Assam Aroya Nidhi individually by 12 members of the FT, including himself. He also attached screenshots of all the payments along with the letter.
However, the letter is signed by Gupta himself, and not by any other member.
Gupta has used a very “divisive and communal” language in the letter addressed to the minister. He has said that the particular amount of money raised by the FT members be not used for Tablighi Jamaat members whom he refers to as “Jehadi”, a term currently used to portray Muslims as violence-loving people and “Jahil” (ignorant /illiterates).
“Our prayer is that the help may not be extended to the members of violators Tablighi Jamaat, Jehadi and Jahil. Kindly accept our donations as above for saving the humanity from the clutches of COVID-19 pandemic infection and oblige”, the letter signed by Gupta says.
After the letter was leaked to a local media outlet and published, Gupta accepted that he had written the letter but withdrawn it later on. However, he refused to discuss the contents of the letter.
Another member whose name also appears in the list on the letter said that Gupta did not consult him regarding the content in the letter. He told mediapersons that he did not agree with Gupta’s views.
The list in the letter also includes Mrs. Pompa Chakravarty, who had declared Indian Army Subedar Mohammad Sanaullah as a ‘foreigner’ after 30 years of services in the force. Sanaullah was detained but was granted bail by the Guwahati High Court. His appeal against the FT is still pending before the High Court.
FTs are quasi-judicial bodies, set up to decide who is an Indian citizen or an ‘illegal foreigner’ as per provisions of the Foreigners Act, 1946. In August last year, over 19 lakh people of Assam were excluded from the National Register of Citizens (NRC) owing to one or the other reasons. Now, these excluded people will have to appeal before the FTs to prove their India citizenship. Muslim social activists and leaders say that with people like Gupta’s mindset on the FTs, it will be an uphill task, particularly for Muslims, to get justice.
