Communities Have To Come Out Of Shells

Recent arrest of Himayat Baig, a Muslim youth in connection with the German Bakery blast has again put the Muslim community in city under scanner. Muslims in Pune have hitherto been living peacefully without any type of scrutiny. The past record of the community also served as a substantial reason for it to mingle with others just as any other community lives. But all this changes two years ago, when Mansoor Peerbhoy, a software engineer was picked up by the Anti-Terrorist Squad in connection with bomb blast in July 2008.

Since then, three young members from Muslim community have fell into police net. After Peerbhoy, Mohsin Chaudhary, a young graduate from Kondhwa made his way into police records as involved in terrorist activities. Himayat made it a hat-trick of sorts.

Himayat's arrest came as a stark contrast to the efforts put up by the Muslims in Pune. Just some months before Peerbhoy was arrested in blast case, Muslim scholars from all over Maharashtra gathered in Pune to deliberate the issue of extremism in Islam. 'Terrorism is anti-Islamic,' proclaimed the scholars.

A Muslim organisation in Pune had taken the initiative to repeat what was hailed as the historic declaration in Deoband in February 2008. An anti-terrorism conference took place in the city. The conference saw many scholars and activists from Muslim community debating the issue deeply.

All Maharashtra Rabta Madaarise Dinia, Pune was the organization which had organized that one day conference. However, it seem some community members have not received the message from that conference. It is upto the community now to take the initiative further.

On this background, it was reassuring that the Pune witnessed an all faith meeting. The meeting was conducted in a Ganesh pandal, which makes it more special. In view of eagerly awaited judgment from Allahabad High Court, the leaders from all communities appealed their respective members to keep calm, whichever way the verdict comes. Pune needs such initiatives.

The communities have to shed their shells and come out in open. In an ideal society, the communities should take backseat and rational or practical thinking should the driver engine. However, it goes without saying that our society is far from being like that. So the building of bridges should be taken into hand by the community leaders. Fortunately, Pune has a history of comfortable co-living, allowing a beneficial dialogue between the groups. We should expect more such initiatives in future, then.

Specially in this environment where a mere rumours about impending court orders are enough to ignite passions, sending government and administrations into frenzy, it is especially binding on the learned ones to come forward and establish an orders in seemingly disordered matters of faith.