Since Americans link Deoband school of thought with the ideologues of Taliban, the Congress party and off late the government have been promoting rival Barelvis, who they believe, follow pluralistic Sufi practices.
Since Americans link Deoband school of thought with the ideologues of Taliban, the Congress party and off late the government have been promoting rival Barelvis, who they believe, follow pluralistic Sufi practices.
This is a marked departure from the position the party has taken for several decades now. Even before independence, the Congress banked on the support of the school to confront Muslim League, keeping in view that most of the madrassas and pulpits in mosques were controlled by Deobandis.
The change of heart has stumped even Muslim faces within the Congress party. A senior Cabinet Minister on the condition of anonymity told DNA that the government agencies were taking a cue from Americans without applying their own mind.
“We get guided by religious scholars, but only in religious affairs. In case of political loyalties and worldly affairs, we take our own decisions, independent of the sects we follow,” said Congress leader Aslam Sher Khan.
Ahead of the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, Congress general secretary Digvjay Singh had roped in Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, a known Barelvi face. Though Congress fared better in the polls winning 20 Lok Sabha seats, the party’s idea of promoting moderation was punctured when Khan openly gave a call for assassinating former US President George Bush.
Backed by the Congress, the Barelvi ulama recently floated an All-India Ulema Mashaikh Board (AIUMB). Its general secretary, Maulana Syed Mohammad Ashraf Kichowchhwi, accused the Deobandis of hijacking all minorities bodies in UP and at the national level. Acceding to his demands, the Congress-led government in Rajasthan recently nominated Barelvis to the Madrasa Board, Urdu Akademi and Rajasthan Public Service Commission.
Samajwadi Party national secretary Kamal Farooqui, says that this is a dangerous trend. “Using differences between the sects, to buttress your political goals would prove counterproductive, not only for the Congress, but to the nation as whole,” he said.
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