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Diary of a Reporter: Of Tablighi Jamaat and fight against coronavirus

On 8th March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that he would not play Holi. Then on 12th March, the Delhi government by issuing a notice, announced that in government offices and on public places, no sort of gatherings or crowd will be allowed. Just on this day itself, thousands of people all across the countries began to come to join the religious assembly. 

Jayanta Ghosal Written by: Jayanta Ghosal @jayanta_ghosal1 New Delhi Published on: April 07, 2020 12:19 IST
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Diary of a Reporter: Of Tablighi Jamaat and fight against coronavirus

I noticed one of my close editors has posted on Facebook; ‘sectarianism’ is being done regarding corona as well. Modi government is creating an unnecessary religious polarization about Tablighi Jamaat. BJP government has deciphered ‘religion’ even in Tablighi.

At that moment, I felt like replying to this post on Facebook. Then realized, to let go. For Corona’s sake, when I am sitting back at home for now, then during this period of social isolation, I don’t want to get into redundant arguments. Rather, I decided to see what is the issue all about?

Sitting at home, I did a theoretical research about the gathering organized at Nizamuddin. After being familiar with the issue, I am flabbergasted.  I decided to pen it down in the diary pages because the issue is sensitive.

On 8th March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that he would not play Holi. Then on 12th March, the Delhi government by issuing a notice, announced that in government offices and on public places, no sort of gatherings or crowd will be allowed. Just on this day itself, thousands of people all across the countries began to come to join the religious assembly. The total numbers of representatives were 3,400.

By that time, all Indian temples and mosques were shut down. Despite the closure, this meeting did not get postponed. The foreign guests and many others who had arrived had already contracted the coronavirus, still, they didn’t let anyone know. The matter is not so simple! There’s a foreign ministry, it’s them who have provided visas to the guests. There’s Civil Aviation Ministry, there’s Airport authority, then why was the coronavirus test not conducted? Ministry of States in North Block is not too far from Nizamuddin Chisti. Then what were the ‘I&B’ that is the Central Intelligence Ministry doing? Investigators did not try to scrutinize a global assembly like Tablighi Jamaat.

But, how can I support the 42-minute long speech delivered by the organization’s venerable Maulana?

The speech has reached more than 80 thousand people. In the audio, which is also available on YouTube, Maulana had stated that one must not fear. Do not listen to the doctors. If you get infected from Corona by coming over here, then keep in mind that death inside the mosque is a boon from Allah.  Listen to the doctors, which doctors? ‘the one who believes in Allah’.

An FIR was filed against the Maulana as soon as the Kejriwal government came to know about it.

But by that time, the representatives had escaped to various parts of the world. Corona has now proliferated from Kashmir to Andaman. Even after this, it cannot be stated that organization of such gathering was erroneous! I would rather call it a kind of crime.

Beenita Rahman, a reader had informed, around three thousand attendees of Tablighi Jamaat stayed at a place near Nizamuddin Dargah. The dargah is closed now. Tablighi has got nothing to do with dargah. The followers of Tablighi calls dargah, Kufri. According to them, dargah is synonymous to idolatry. Apart from that, sufi-barzakh  (remembrance of Pir) and wahdat-al- wujud (the union of soul and the supreme spirit) is ‘Kufer’ in their language. The proponent of the philosophy of wahdat-al- wujud was Hazrat Mohammad’s grandson Hussein- to whom Navi said, Hussein is my blood and I belong to Hussein- he explained the philosophy of his book ‘Mivat –al- Afreen.  The philosophy of soul and inner soul is not Semitic. At least in three other Semitic religion there is such no mention of the same.

Thousands of educated people had participated in the Tablighi Jamaat. Despite the presence of so many engineers, doctors and educated people, how come did a gathering – so absurd was organised.

Under the advice of National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, Delhi police and intelligence forces by getting in the areas of Nizamuddin fetched out the representatives who stayed back there. Suspicious people were admitted to hospitals or were kept in isolation camps. The most important thing is, before this operation, Ajit Doval went to meet the Maulana. Prior to that, the area was completely sealed by the government. Many Muslim maulavis have even gravely criticized this incident. India’s so-called secular community, who are always strident regarding extreme Hindutva - why are they silent today about this gathering? Not just that, they are even putting the blame on the BJP government.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in past few days has spoken to the presidents of Qatar, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates regarding the Corona catastrophe and confrontation. In fact, since the past six years, he was interested to establish a close relationship with the Muslim empires. This is good!

Actually the issue is not ‘religion’. The issue is ‘politics’. The issue is administrative ineptitude and illiteracy amongst people irrespective of Hindu-Muslim entity, unawareness of the citizen and superstition. Either you’re BJP-Modi or you’re anti-Modi. Either you’re communist, or you’re Trinamool, or Rahul Gandhi’s blind follower.  Meaning, you’re wearing a jersey!

Also Read | Reporter's Diary: Stillness can quicken creativity

Also Read | Diary of a Reporter: A silver lining in the coronavirus cloud

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