Muslim bodies reject legal sanctity to ‘confessions’ given to police
Bhopal, November 3 (Pervez Bari): The Coordination Committee of Indian Muslims, (CCIM), representing all major Indian Muslim organizations, has rejected the legal sanctity to “confessions” given to the police and making bail applications more difficult for those accused of terrorism. No other law in India makes “confessions” to the police admissible in courts and the anti-terror law too must not be an exception.
The above rejection of legal sanctity to “confessions” is part of 11-point resolutions which was adopted at the end of People' Convention on “Restore the Constitution; Make a communalism- and terror-free India" held at Delhi on Monday. The convention was organized by CCIM wherein a galaxy of national secular political party leaders, journalists and social organizations abhorred the Central and state governments actions of demonizing Islam and Muslim community and associating it with acts of terrorism prevailing the country.
The convention was presided over by Maulana Jalaluddin Ansar Umari, president, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and started with a keynote address by Dr Zafar-ul-Islam Khan, president, All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat.
The resolutions adopted said the Indian police is highly discredited in the eyes of the public because it normally resorts to third degree torture which along with fake encounters, kidnappings and illegal detention amounts to State Terrorism. In all terrorism cases, where the police fails to file charge-sheets within a reasonable time-frame like six months, the accused should automatically get an automatic bail.
"The Indian police is highly discredited in the eyes of the public because it normally resorts to third degree torture which along with fake encounters, kidnappings and illegal detention amounts to State Terrorism. In all terrorism cases, where the police fails to file charge-sheets within a reasonable time-frame like six months, the accused should automatically get an automatic bail," the resolution said.
The other resolutions passed at the convention are as under:
· This People’s Convention, representing all major Indian Muslim organizations and secular forces in the country, resolves to work for the restoration of the rule of law in our country and to make it free from the scourge of terrorism and communalism which threaten our secular and constitutional framework.
· The Convention reiterates that Islam and Muslims are fundamentally opposed to terrorism as Islam and its holy book, The Qur’an, categorically forbid killing anyone unjustly and by unjust means. The Indian Muslim community through umpteen conferences and religious scholars and institutions has issued clear fatwas denouncing terrorism as an act totally forbidden in Islam. The Muslim community is opposed to terrorism whatever its source and shape.
· We declare that the Indian Muslim community and all secular forces are contributing to usher in a terror-free India where all communities and segments of society may flourish and contribute to the progress and welfare of the country. We believe that existing laws are sufficient to deal with the scourge of terrorism.
· We make it clear that the style of provocative searches and encounters is unacceptable in a democratic society. It always smacks of a preplanned conspiracy and betrays the police’s inability or unwillingness to face courts of law. More specifically, we reject the Batla-house style of encounter killings. Since there is widespread skepticism about the police story we demand a high-level judicial enquiry into the Batla House encounter so that all facts may come out.
· This convention registers its displeasure at the print and electronic media which blindly reproduces leaks attributed to unknown security agencies and starts media trial by blaming the Muslim community minutes after any terrorist incident. This leads to instability in the country and ill-will towards the whole Muslim community.
· This convention is relieved to note that at last our fears have been vindicated that a large number of terrorist blasts were conducted by Hindutva terrorist organizations like VHP, Bajrang Dal, Shri Ram Sena, Hindu Munnani, Hindu Jagran Manch, Yuva Hindu Vahini, Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, ABVP and Durga Vahini etc, which are targeting Muslim and Christian communities in a number of states. There should not be double standards when dealing with terrorists.
· Registering our strong displeasure at the utter disinterest shown by the security agencies towards umpteen cases of Hindutva terrorism unearthed during the last few years at places like Nanded, Tenkasi, Kanpur, Thane, Panvel etc., we demand that no partiality should be shown in the investigations to uncover the tip of the iceberg which has come out as a result recent investigations and blasts in which these criminal elements were involved. Any laxity or politicization of this issue will only prolong the agony of the country and make the fight against terrorism that much more difficult.
· This convention registers its deep concern that senior retired as well as serving army officers are involved in Hindutva terrorism. The Union Government should take serious note of this issue and form a committee to purge the army of such dangerous elements who are a threat to national security.
· This convention realizes that Hindutva elements through their acts of terrorism and communal riots aim at polarizing the Indian society on communal lines in order to reap political benefit which is reprehensible and condemnable. We ask all sections of society to oppose this threat to our communal harmony.
· This convention appeals to the people of all faiths and beliefs to unite and strengthen the secular and constitutional framework of the country.
Those prominent personalities who participated in the CCIM convention and also spoke on the occasion included: Mujtaba Farooq, convenor, Coordination Committee & Secretary, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind; Dr. Zafarul-Islam Khan, president, All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat; Maulana Abdul Hameed Nomani, Acting General Secretary, Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind; Maulana Abdul Wahab Khilji, Asstt. general secretary, All India Milli Council; Maulana Mahmoodul Hasan, president, Jamiat Ahl-e Hadees, Delhi Pradesh; Dr. Taslim Rahmani, president, Muslim Political Council; Maulana Zeeshan Hidayati, chairman, Majlis-e-Fikr-o-Amal; Irfanullah Khan, chairman Jamia Nagar Coordination Committee and Maulana Jalal Haidar Naqvi, secretary, Majlis-e-Ulama-e-Islam.
(pervezbari@eth.net)

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