Dear Brothers,
Assalam-alaikum,
I am not sure how you are going to react to this development but you will be surprised for sure or rather shocked to know what perhaps is the most toughest decision of my life.
Having completed 23 years in journalism -- 11 years with Lokmat and nearly 12 with NDTV, I have quit this profession, only to take a plunge into active politics.
I will be contesting for the Maharashtra state assembly elections on MIM ticket from Aurangabad. (I can visualize your shocked faces!!!).
Many people will question why somebody who was working with one of the best television news channels, would want to quit the profession only to enter the so-called big bad world of Indian politics. A genuine question, which even I had to confront for so many days before taking the final call. It was a decision that came from my heart after applying my mind and answering the so many'whys','ifs' and'buts' which my brain was throwing at me and making the decision-making more complex.
But ultimately I did and I owe an answer to each one of my friends, family, well-wishers and people who simply knew me as a journalist. Honestly, it is the current situation in the country with regards to my community and the concerted efforts by all political parties -- the so-called secular ones and of course the communal lot -- which are doing everything possible to ensure Muslims do not get opportunities to enter the state assemblies and the Parliament of this country -- the two most crucial institutions where your voice is raised and laws are enacted.
We have seen the outcome of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, where the community could get just 23 MPs out of a total of 543, down from 30 MPs in the 2009 elections and 34 MPs in the 2004 Lok Sabha. The main point to ponder is that while the population of Muslims is growing in the country, our political representation is simply on the decline and that should be a major cause of worry.
For a healthy democracy to function, political empowerment of all communities - big and small is equally important for the nation to grow and prosper. It should have been an eye-opener for the community but ironically we failed, yet again, to wake up to this harsh reality and come together. I was hoping that when the state assembly elections would come, things would change for good.
I went to Aurangabad, my hometown, the place where I grew up, and I went to so many other places in Maharashtra on official assignments during the past few months. I was under the false impression that my community has woken up to the lurking dangers that political parties are posing at us, the Muslims.
In my 23 years of journalistic profession if there is one question that I have been asked the most anywhere in the country and even outside was, œWhy Muslims do not have good leaders?
So very true. The points are valid. There are so many Muslim leaders in the country and scores of them in Maharashtra but the million-dollar questions were:
* Are these leaders really good?
* Do they care for the community?
* Do they stand up for the community when they are needed the most?
* Do they ever question their government why innocent Muslims in thousands are languishing in jails?
* Do they ever question why after every terror act it's only one community that is looked at with suspicion?
* Do they ever question that why innocent Muslim youth are subjected to so much humiliation by the police and investigation agencies under the garb of questioning?
* Do they ever demand their government to initiate action against the cops who frame these youth on frivolous charges only to be released years later by courts?
* Do they ever tell the public how their properties grow manifold or their source of sudden jumps in income after they become leaders?
The list is endless; the questions are too many but there are no definite answers. Almost in every election now we see the same pattern, the same questions and the same group of people and parties taking us for a ride and after every election we find ourselves back to square one. Nothing seems to change. What irks us the most is that it is only a handful of selfish Muslim leaders who for the sake of money or position for themselves takes decisions on behalf of the entire community.
They have put a price tag on the community's votes, not realising how important it is for good, sincere and honest people from every community to enter state assemblies and the Parliament. Also under the garb of'secularism' the most widely misused word in Indian politics, does it mean that Muslims, Dalits, Sikhs and Christians should not get any share in power and they are meant only to vote?
I know fighting elections in India needs money and muscle-power, which is why good people have refrained from entering this profession. But perhaps the time has come to change all this. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
People could ask me why I did not stand up to all this when I had the power of media? Trust me, I did whenever I could. But even media today has changed and has so many other agendas with real issues having little space. I could not bear it anymore and I realised someone somewhere had to take the lead and I asked myself: if not me then who? If not now then when?
I don't know if I will win or lose but there will definitely be one satisfaction for me personally and for the entire community that at least we all tried. It's not an election that I am fighting; it's a cause that we all will have to fight together.
First I need your blessings, then your vote and financial support too. Insha Allah, your Dua will see us through. Things will change.
Aameen...
Imtiaz Jaleel
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