I think we are missing the point here. The article seems to say Islamic fundamentalist organizations have not had much headway in Assam. that should be a good think. what about AUDF which has come up recently for fighting elections based on minority plank?
Umesh --- Ram Sarangapani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Barua, > > I agree. The Assam Tribune is not being consistent. > They have been changing > the official names of many organizations and yet not > their one. > > --Ram > > > On 9/3/06, Rajen & Ajanta Barua > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > *>The Assam Tribune > > >Editorial, August 29, 2006 > > >Muslims in Asom: estrangement or engagement* > > ** > > *>United Liberation Front of Asom* > > > > Hypocritical litikai Assam Tribune is changing the > name of Assam to Asom > > for everybody except for own. > > RB > > * > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > * > > > > > > > > *The Assam Tribune > > Editorial, August 29, 2006 > > Muslims in Asom: estrangement or engagement > > *Abu Nasar Saied Ahmed > > The much-quoted statement of British Prime > Minister Benjamin Disraeli > > (1804-1881) There is no gambling like politicsis > putatively relevant to > > Indian politics. The recent developments in Muslim > politics in Asom tend to > > confirm it in unmistakable terms. > > > > The Muslim politics in Asom took a turn towards > particularism soon after > > the historic verdict of the Supreme Court > invalidating the controversial > > IM(DT) Act. A new political outfit appeared in the > scene ostensibly to > > protect the Muslims from unnecessary harassment > that might be meted out to > > them on mere suspicion to be Bangladeshi > nationals. This putative fear > > together with an undiplomatic and hard-hitting > statement of the Chief > > Minister provided the political rationale behind > the formation of the AUDF. > > It did not take time to see the changing contour > of the new political > > outfit, which had limitless political ambition to > play the role of the > > kingmakerand occupy the driversseat of governance > in the State. The > > speculative political equations were based on > certain quick and > > business-like assessment of the political scenario > in the State. A totally > > shattered and vertically divided regional party, > the AGP, despite the tall > > claims made by its president, was too weak to > secure absolute majority in > > the Asom Legislative Assembly. Similarly, the BJP > despite its graduated > > expansion in its support base was unlikely to > strike magic in the election > > performance in a communally harmonious State like > Asom. Therefore, > > Badaruddin Ajmal, the president of the AUDF, > appears to have calculated that > > his new party would be able to accomplish a > political engineering to erode > > the traditional Congress base and reduce its > strength substantially. In > > other words, Asom would experience a hung Assembly > and in such a situation > > his party would be in the drivers seat in the > formation of government. His > > calculation was based on certain hard factual > data. Out of 126 Assembly > > constituencies there are 23 constituencies in > which the Muslims constitute > > 50 to 90 per cent of the electorate, in 7 > constituencies they share 40 to 49 > > per cent votes. It means that out of 126 > constituencies Muslims play a > > decisive role in 30 constituencies. In a changed > situation, he might have > > speculated that his party would be able to capture > almost all these 30 > > seats. In the process he would be the kingmaker. > If things proceeded > > according to his assessment of the political > situation, he would be able to > > not only unseat the Congress from power but also > settle a score with the > > Chief Minister. > > > > Political calculations are different from > commercial ones. As Harold Laski > > once commented that in politics it may so happen > that 0+0+0+0=4. That is why > > Ajmals calculations eventually turned out to be > miscalculations. It was > > obviously wrong to assume that the Muslims in Asom > have an electoral > > collectivism. The long experience of electoral and > legislative politics in > > Asom since 1937 abnegates the idea of unity of > political action of the > > Muslims. It was a trivialisation or > oversimplification of the political > > maturity of the Muslims of Asom to assume that > they were morbidly terrified > > at the verdict of the Supreme Court on the IM(DT) > Act, and therefore, would > > rally under the umbrella of a newly formed party > to find a protective shield > > under it. There has been erroneous construction of > a thesis that the Muslims > > of Asom constitute the dependable vote bank of the > Congress. Although they > > constitute 30 per cent of the total population of > the State and a > > significant force to reckon with in the electoral > politics in Asom, more > > than one party shares their votes as they rally > behind various political > > parties and have set an example of unseating the > Congress from power more > > than once. It is true that in certain > constituencies the Muslims vote en > > bloc and en mass which makes the electoral > situation visibly different. But > > at the same time, a political party emerging out > of a personalised agenda > > cannot really muster sustenance for a long time. > More importantly, the > > post-colonial political setting did not testify to > the survival of a Muslim > > based communal party. Although the AUDF has been > trying its best to disabuse > > its comnmunal face by fielding non-Muslim > candidates in the last Assembly > > elections of 2006, it is yet to secure peoples > acceptability as a secular > > party. Its credibility as a truly secular and > democratic party will heavily > > depend not on words and the manifesto but on its > activities and programmes. > > > > The history of Muslim politics in Asom in the > post-colonial period does > > not suggest a bright future of a communal-based > party. It is true that in > > the early part of the last century, the Muslim > League as a communal party > > could enlist the support of a sizeable section of > the Muslims. But at the > > same time it is also a fact that many of them > joined the national mainstream > > under the banner of the Indian National Congress. > Soon after Independence, > > Sir Syed Saadullah, who had been the Premier of > Asom for five times, turned > > down the position of the Governor of East > Pakistan, decided to stay in this > > country and join the Congress along with his > followers. On the floor of the > > Asom Legislative Assembly soon after Independence > he made an eloquent speech > > reaffirming his commitment to the Constitution. He > said ...Now the Muslims, > > who have been placed either by accident or birth > or domicile under the > > Constitution, we are all ready to extend our hand > of cooperation and loyal > > services...Since then the Muslim approach to > particularism or estrangement > > disappeared and got themselves engaged in the task > of nation-building, > > notwithstanding the fact that there were shuttle > attempts at reviving > > particularism in some form or other. In February > 1975 an organisation called > > the Asom Muslim Parishad was formed at the > initiative of Syed Ahmed Ali and > > Omaruddin to struggle for the common interests of > the Muslims.It was not a > > political party but a pressure group, which did > not last even for a year. In > > a meeting held on March 8, 1977 at Haji > Musafirkhana, another organisation > > named the Eastern India Muslim Associationwas > formed. It also met with the > > same fate. It is needless to remind the readers > about the emergence and the > > end of UMF. In a multicultural society as in Asom, > it is extremely difficult > > to keep a communally charged political plank, > despite its secular and > > democratic nomenclature, alive and sustained, for > particularism, even > > theoretically conceived does not stand on a > permanent footing. The political > > expediency in the State does not subscribe to an > impression that a Muslim > > communal framework will survive on the floor of > the Assembly on any issue > > facing the Muslims. > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > assam mailing list > > [email protected] > > > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > assam mailing list > [email protected] > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > Umesh Sharma 5121 Lackawanna ST College Park, MD 20740 USA Current temp. address: 5649 Yalta Place , Vancouver, Canada 1-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone] Canada # (607) 221-9433 Ed.M. - International Education Policy Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Class of 2005 weblog: http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/ ___________________________________________________________ Securitys tight. Get leading Spam and virus protection with the new Yahoo! 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