When sensitive rumours find the support of juvenile politicians and agenda-driven organisations then law and order go for a spin. There cannot be a more apt line than this in explaining what is happening in Maharashtra. Today, the economic activity of the state and freedom of people is sabotaged by organised acts of violence in the name of protests. Nanded, Malegaon and Amravati in Maharashtra witnessed mob violence on rumours of vandalization of a mosque in Tripura. No matter how agonising it sounds, the reality is that such incidents are bound to reiterate as long as political masters give patronage to organisations that preach religious extremism.
Such incidents are a direct consequence of how political figures use religious fault lines to excavate political brownie points. Organisations who thrive on religious extremism often find themselves at the epicentre of such violence. Their sole agenda is to mobilise the masses on their religious sensitivity. Minorities for too long have been sensitised by such organisations and used for political gains. In Maharashtra, the case was of mobilising Muslims by Raza Academy based on rumours in Tripura. Today millions are suffering because of Raza Academy and its extremism. Let’s unravel the Maharashtra violence based on the sequence of events.
In late October, the headlines around the country were filled with news of religious violence in Tripura. Soon fake news started flooding the social media among which there was news of the vandalisation of a mosque. The Tripura police dismissed it as fake news. However, organisations like Raza Academy didn’t let the matter go. On October 30, Raza Academy after a meeting with Ulemas condemned the violence in Tripura and on November 2, after a meeting in Mumbai, Raza Academy demanded President’s rule in Tripura and called for Maharashtra Bandh on November 12.
Raza Academy’s call for a Maharashtra bandh, on 12th November, was very well received by the various Barelvi centres and major figures from local Barelvi centres led the protest in different parts of Maharashtra. The protests soon turned violent in different parts of the state. In Nanded, stones were even pelted on policemen and two officers were injured in the violence. Also, in Amravati and Malegaon, the protestors targeted the shops of innocent civilians. Several shops, as well as police vehicles, were torched. Finally, a riot squad was called in to crush the violence. Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil named Raza academy and stated that the protests for submitting a memorandum to authorities turned violent. This was not a one-off incident for the Raza Academy. Raza Academy has a history of citing religious tension.
Raza Academy started as an education society in 1978. Under the leadership of Saeed Noori, Raza academy was established to print and publish books written by 17th-century Muslim scholar Aalahazrat Imam Ahmed Raza. Soon Raza Academy tried to establish itself as a voice of the Sunni Barelvi movement. Over a period of time, Raza Academy has earned notoriety for religious incitement on various occasions. In 2012, a protest March led by Raza Academy turned violent in which two police personnel were killed. Raza Academy has often sided with religious dogmatism and extremism.
Earlier in the year Raza Academy Chief Saeed Noori condemned the removal of ‘Muslim Only’ boards at Madinah by the Saudi Government. Later he organized a meeting of Ulemas in Mumbai and condemned the decision of the Saudi regime on the opening of cinema halls and other sources of entertainment in Madina. Raza Academy also filed a written complaint against the Tamil Web series ‘Navarasa’ to Mumbai Police Commissioner as it used Quranic verses in the posters.
Moreover, Raza Academy over the past few months have been targeting Wasim Rizvi for publishing edited versions of the Quran. There are many other such incidents that directly exhibit communal bigotry of the organisation. Thus, when Raza Academy called for protests and precedents were to be believed, violence and disruption of communal harmony is not an anomaly. The various Barelvi centres established in different parts of the state respond to such calls of protest by Raza academy. Such protests often turn violent. Supposedly the agenda of the protest was to submit a memorandum which included demands for people like Wasim Rizvi to be arrested for blasphemy and action against Tripura Violence.
Organisations such as Raza Academy use the fault lines in the democratic model to push their agenda and influence people. They play around with the religious sentiments of people. The situation in Maharashtra speaks volumes about their end goal. Organising protests based on rumours leading to an economic loss for innocent civilians and physically hurting police personnel reflects on their ideology of supremacy over Indian law. Organisations such as Raza Academy also receive political patronage from parties indulging in dangerous vote-bank politics. The Academy leaders have in the past met several leaders across party lines and received assurance on the passing of blasphemy law. Even for actions against Wasim Razvi, various political meetings have been held. Raza Academy receives support from various Barelvi scholars. The scholars even push forward their agendas in their various discourses. Even before the recent violence in Maharashtra, few Barelvi scholars highlighted the incidents in Tripura trying to inflame passions. They even gave a clarion call to raise their voice against Tripura violence citing their ‘Muslim brotherhood’. Such religious scholar networks consider themselves as real flag bearers of religion. Protests against allowing cinemas by the Saudi government is a clear reflection of the same.
Organisations such as Raza Academy can be detrimental to the democracy of India. Inflaming religious sentiments and supporting organisations such as Raza academy will be detrimental for political miscreants in the long run. It does nothing but harms the communal harmony of the country. The issue is very serious when it is not a one-off incident but a replication of past incidents. Organisations such as Raza Academy which have led violent protests in the past need to be dealt with strictly. If such incidents are promoted and organisations are given support, it will not only have short term detrimental effects but will also leave long term scars in our democracy.
