Skip to main content

Top rights activist objects to Gujarat PUCL organising celebration of Prophet Mohammad's birthday

Shabnam Hashmi
There is no end to controversy surrounding well-known human rights organization, People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Gujarat. If earlier it drew attention from top Gujarat activists for praising RSS mouthpiece in Gujarat, “Sadhana” for its “fearless” journalism (click HERE to read), now it has invited disapproval over a recent plea it made to NGOs, individuals and mediapersons to be present in a programme to "celebrate" Prophet Mohammad’s birthday on January 4 in Ahmedabad in the name of communal harmony.
Eyebrows were raised, as one of the chief organizers of the programme happened to be Gujarat PUCL chief Gautam Thaker, who forwarded the invitation of what, apparently, was a religious function. 
Of all persons, well-known human rights activist, known for her sustained anti-Narendra Modi campaigns, Shabnam Hashmi, has emailed a rejoinder to Thaker telling him that there is already “considerable overdose of religion all around”, adding, “If civil society also starts doing this then whatever little spaces are left for debate and discussion will also vanish.”
Hashmi, interestingly, has not just sent her objection by email to Thaker alone, but forwarded it to about 100 others, including scribes, to whom Thaker had forwarded the invitation to celebrate Prophet Mohammad’s birthday.
Among invitees were Mirza Hajibhai Cementwala, a municipal councilor, Haji Zaid Ahmedabad, and Haji A Rehman Mithaiwala. The invitation said the programme would be held off Juhupara, near Muskan Garden, Vejalpur, Ahmedabad, and among those who would participate would be “society’s intellectuals, voluntary organizations, leaders of social organizations and social workers”. The main idea of the programme was to promote “communal harmony”, it added.
Housing more than two lakh people, Juhapura is one of India’s largest Muslim ghettos, set up following frequent communal riots in Ahmedabad.
Gautam Thaker
Hashmi’s objection followed an email by a person who was asked by Thaker, to be present at the programme – Yogesh Kamdar or the Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan, Mumbai. Karmdar, in his email, again sent out to all the persons to whom Thaker had invited, acknowledged and thanked for forwarding the invitation. But at the same time, he asked Thaker to hold such type of “communal harmony programmes” on Christmas, Buddha Jayanti, Khordad Sal (birth anniversary of Zoroaster), Mahavir Jayanti, Ram Navmi, and Shiv Jayanti.”
If the invite is any guide, the programme to celebrate Prophet Mohammad’s birthday was to be presided over by Congress leader of opposition in the Gujarat state assembly, Shankarsinh Vaghela, and “main guests” were to include the Mahant of Lord Jagannath Temple, Ahmedabad, Gyani Ratan Singh of Gurudwara Govinddham on Sarkhej-Gandhinagar highway, Milli Council’s Mufti Rizwan, Father Rajeev of St Xavier Social Service Society, Indukumar Jani, editor, Nayamarg, among others.
What appears to have particularly upset Hashmi, who is known to be closely associated with civil society activists across India, including those in Gujarat, is that among the organizers of the religious event was representative of India’s topmost civil rights organization, PUCL, operating in Gujarat under Thaker. Other organizers included a Sarvodayist, Rajnibhai Dave, of the Gujarat Sarvodaya Mandal, apart from a few other social organizations.

Comments

TRENDING

When Pakistanis whispered: ‘end military rule’ — A Moscow memoir

During the recent anti-terror operation inside Pakistan by the Government of India, called Operation Sindoor — a name some feminists consider patently patriarchal, even though it’s officially described as a tribute to the wives of the 26 husbands killed in the terrorist strike — I was reminded of my Moscow stint, which lasted for seven long years, from 1986 to 1993.

Despite Hindutva hold claim, 18% Hindus in US don't want to be identified with Hinduism!

Scanning through news items on the Google News app on my mobile — which is what I do almost every morning — I came across a story published on India.com, which I found somewhat misleading. The headline said, "Muslim population drops significantly in THIS country as over 25% Muslims leave Islam due to…, the country is…"

Tracking a lost link: Soviet-era legacy of Gujarati translator Atul Sawani

The other day, I received a message from a well-known activist, Raju Dipti, who runs an NGO called Jeevan Teerth in Koba village, near Gujarat’s capital, Gandhinagar. He was seeking the contact information of Atul Sawani, a translator of Russian books—mainly political and economic—into Gujarati for Progress Publishers during the Soviet era. He wanted to collect and hand over scanned soft copies, or if possible, hard copies, of Soviet books translated into Gujarati to Arvind Gupta, who currently lives in Pune and is undertaking the herculean task of collecting and making public soft copies of Soviet books that are no longer available in the market, both in English and Indian languages.

Beyond Indus water treaty suspension: A 'nationalist' push despite harsh climate realities

The suspension of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) appears to have pushed the middle classes, at least in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state, Gujarat, further towards what the powers-that-be would consider—a "positive" direction. As usual, during my morning walk, I tried talking with a neighbour about what impact it would have. Ignoring what is widely considered a "security lapse," this person, who had just returned after buying milk, compared the Modi move with Trump.

Adani Group a key player in Indo-Israel defence cooperation: Tel Aviv daily

Said to be one of the most influential Israeli dailies, "Haaretz" (literally: News of the Land) has identified the Adani Group—known to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi—as one of the key Indian business houses engaged in defence cooperation with Israel. Pointing out that India supplied the Israeli military with Hermes 900 drones, the daily reported that this advanced aerial vehicle came off “the production line in a factory set up in Hyderabad, as part of the cooperation between the Israeli Elbit and India's Adani Group.”

A sector under siege? War and real estate: Navigating uncertainty in India's expanding market

I was a little surprised when I received an email alert from a top real estate consultant, Anarock Group , titled "Exploring War’s Effects on Indian Real Estate—When Conflict Meets Concrete," authored by its regional director and head of research, Dr. Prashant Thakur. I had thought that the business would wholeheartedly support what is considered a strong response to the dastardly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Operation Sindoor. 

A conman, a demolition man: How 'prominent' scribes are defending Pritish Nandy

How to defend Pritish Nandy? That’s the big question some of his so-called fans seem to ponder, especially amidst sharp criticism of his alleged insensitivity during his journalistic career. One such incident involved the theft and publication of the birth certificate of Masaba Gupta, daughter of actor Neena Gupta, in the Illustrated Weekly of India, which Nandy was editing at the time. He reportedly did this to uncover the identity of Masaba’s father.

Environmental concern? Global NGO leads campaign urging banks to cut ties with Odisha steel project

A decade after the withdrawal of the South Korean multinational POSCO from Odisha following large-scale protests, questions remain about whether India-based JSW Steel, which took over the project, can successfully revive the 13.2 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) steel plant and coal-fired power plant. POSCO initiated the project in 2005 but exited in 2017 due to sustained local opposition.

Irrational? Basis for fear among Hindus about being 'swamped' by Muslims

I was amused while reading an article titled "Ham Paanch, Hamare Pachees", shared on Facebook, by well-known policy analyst Mohan Guruswamy, an alumnus of the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, and the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. Guruswamy, who has also worked as an advisor to the Finance Minister with the rank of Secretary to the Government of India, seeks to probe, as he himself states, "the supposed Muslim attitude to family planning"—a theme that was invoked by Narendra Modi as Gujarat Chief Minister ahead of the December 2002 assembly polls.

Olympics ready? Overflowing gutters in Amit Shah's high profile constituency: Vejalpur, beyond

A few days ago, I was talking to a close acquaintance who used to live in Bawla, a small town about 35 km west of Ahmedabad. It's an industrial hub with rice processing mills, cotton ginning units, and pharmaceutical companies. The acquaintance, from a very ordinary middle-class background, lived there because his son worked in one of the major pharmaceutical units nearby. However, he recently moved to a housing society in Ahmedabad, and I asked him why.