Progressive Dawoodi Bohras

The Ninth All World Dawoodi Bohra Conference had taken place in May 1995, which was organized with the help of our reformist friends in Aurangabad, particularly Janab Zulfiqar Husain and his colleagues. Apart from prominent personalities of Aurangabad many prominent persons from other parts of India also participated in the conference. Justice Hospet Suresh, the retired Bombay High Court Judge, inaugurated the Conference.

More than 400 delegates from Udaipur, Bombay, Aurangabad, Hyderabad, Surat, Ahmedabad, Lathi, Bhopal, Neemuch, Indore and several other places participated in the conference. Our friends and supporters from UK, Kuwait, Dubai, and USA also took part. We received enthusiastic support from intellectuals, academics, journalists and social activists from Aurangabad. The major newspapers from Aurangabad carried reports giving it prominent display. The national newspapers also carried the report.

The Conference had passed number of resolutions. Some resolutions concerned government authorities and some pertained to the Kothar. One resolution was on the programme of action. The resolution pertaining to the government authorities were directed to them. Those pertaining to the Kothar sent to it and the one concerning the programme of action was taken up for implementation. Shabbir Husain Madraswala, the then Vice-Chairman, took responsibility for implementation of the resolution on programme of action. The resolution was moved by him and was passed unanimously.

I must say that Shabbirbhai put his heart and soul for implementation of the resolution. According to the resolution different committees were formed i.e. the womens committee, the youth committee, the student, the finance committee etc. Shabbirbhai wrote letters to all the convenors of various committees to convene meetings of their respective committees.

He, in addition, had taken responsibility to be the convenor of the finance committee. But, by way of introspection and self-criticism it must be added that the convenors did not respond and did not fulfill their responsibilities. Shabbirhbhai himself tried hard to mobilise finances but did not succeed. Those who had committed to collect finances did not put in required efforts.

The committees were formed with great enthusiasm and it was decided to push the movement forward with new dynamism. However, we found to our dismay that those who make commitments at the time of the conference do not work with the same sense of commitment later. The lack of finance is also a great stumbling for the movement. Despite strenuous efforts made by Shabbirbhai, nothing much could be achieved due to lack of enthusiasm on the part of the others. There is need for serious introspection on this and to bring about more dynamism in our movement. We must own collective responsibility for this. Our youth also has to play greater role in the movement.

Critical reflections required

In August 1995 there were important development in Ujjain. There was a great turmoil among the Bohras and because of his persistent arrogant behaviour and increase in the sabil tax several times, the Amil of Ujjain was attacked by some Bohras. His son was also allegedly involved in extra- marital affairs with a woman and he was also beaten up. Immediately we requested Mr.Saifuddin Insaf to go to Ujjain and see whether the Bohras there would take interest in the reform movement. Insaf received good support. It was decided to hold an underground meeting there. Insaf contacted several people and a tentative date was also fixed.

Insaf visited Ujjain thrice in this connection to establish the base for the reform movement. I also once visited Ujjain and met some concerned people. But, as it often happens, the fear gripped the Bohras of Ujjain and they slowly surrendered to the Kothar. Some of the leaders developed cold feet and surrendered. Thus the movement in Ujjain could not strike roots.

We had made efforts earlier during the seventies and eighties to launch underground movement throughout India. As usual there was enthusiastic response from several places and a number of underground meeting were held in Indore, Madras, Calcutta, Ahmedabad etc. But after initial enthusiasm the movement died down and despite great efforts did not revive. There is need for all of us to give a serious thought to this. Of course it happens in all the movements but still we must do some critical reflection on the issue.

Supreme Court case

The Supreme Court case was filed in 1986 and has been pending ever since. We have persuaded our lawyers to mention it before the Supreme Court to take it up early. But the main problem is that our review petition requires to be heard by a seven-judge bench and such a bench is not frequently constituted. Two years ago our lawyers informed that the nine-judges bench had been constituted and it is likely to come up soon.

Meanwhile we had received the reply of our petition filed by the Kothar. We filed the reply to this Kothars affidavit in 1996. However, the case is still pending before the Supreme Court. We keep on reminding our lawyers for expediting the case. But until the Supreme Court forms a seven-judge bench the case will not be taken up.

Here it must be said that the Kothar is panicky about the Supreme Court case. It is putting pressure on those who had filed affidavits in our favour to retract and file another affidavit saying that it was filed under pressure from reformists (sic!). Those who have surrendered recently to the Kothar are being pressured to submit such an affidavit.

This clearly shows that the Kothar is highly worried about the result of the Supreme Court case. Our lawyers told us that the Kothar has taken inspection of all the documents and noted down the names of those who have given affidavits in favour of the petition. The Kothar is trying hard to sabotage the whole case. Let us hope the Kothar does not succeed in its moves. We are pitted against the proverbial Goliath who has all the manpower and financial resources. We have none. But we have our moral assets. Truth is of course on our side.

Sayedna's Udaipur visit

Another most important development took place from October 1997 onwards. The Kothar threw bait. The reformists Bohras of Udaipur were not allowing the Sayedna to visit Udaipur, as he was not allowing them to visit Galiakot. The bait was that the Kothar allowed the reformists to visit Galiakot. Thus it became a moral imperative for the reformists to allow the Sayedna to visit Udaipur.

The Dawoodi Bohra Jamat, Udaipur, passed a resolution to this effect. The reformists visited Galiakot and the Sayedna was allowed to visit Udaipur. Before Sayedna came to Udaipur, the Kothar through some reformists initiated a move who were won over before, to give misaaq and surrender. And it was said that the Kothar would allow full freedom for reformists to function.

This was, of course, a trap. This naturally caused great turmoil among the reformists world over, and particularly those in Udaipur. A C.E.C. meeting was convened on 11th November 1997 in Ahmedabad chaired by Mr.Ghulam Husain, the then Chairman of CBDBC. In this meeting there was unanimity (only Ghulam Husain differing) among the participants of the meeting not to give misaaq under any circumstances and to remain firm.

A resolution was passed with long term and short-term approach. The resolution said, among other things, that any negotiation with the Kothar should be between properly authorized representatives from both sides and the discussions be minuted and signed by both sides.

Next day a general meeting was held in the Rasulpura Masjid in Udaipur which was attended by very large number of people. The resolution was read out and was enthusiastically adopted.

The Kothar announced the date of the Sayednas visit in March 1998. A meeting of the committee which was appointed in the Ahmedabad meeting to deal with the situation was held in Udaipur on 1st March, 1998 and a programme was drawn up to meet the situation when Sayedna visits Udaipur. Again a meeting was convened in Rasulpura Masjid and every measure drawn up was explained to them and an appeal was made by all speakers to remain firm.

Those handfuls of people in favour of surrender tried all tricks up their sleeves to liquidate the reform movement in Udaipur. The Kothar also had false confidence that once Sayedna visits Udaipur the reformists will fall at his feet and give misaaq. However, it proved to be a serious miscalculation. We must congratulate all our sisters and brothers in Udaipur that they remained firm and seriously rebuffed the Kothar.

The Sayedna had to go back greatly disappointed from Udaipur. Initially some 140 persons gave misaaq but next day more than half of them regretted their move and joined the reformists back. We must congratulate particularly Janab Mohammad Husain Haidari Saheb for his firm leadership. He undoubtedly played an important role in this unprecedented crisis. The Central Board deputed Mr. Saifuddin Insaf to Udaipur to coordinate activities between the Udaipur Jamat and the Central Board. He also performed his role successfully.

Later the Sayedna visited Aurangabad and Patna in quick succession in the month of September 1998 to try his luck at breaking the reform movement there. He chose Aurangabad and Patna because two stalwarts of the movement Janab Zulfeqar Husain and Shabbir Husain, vice-chairman and chairman of the Central Board respectively are located there. I must say with great sense of pride that entire machinery of the Sayedna failed miserably in bending down these two stalwarts. They indeed did us proud. They showed that the might of wealth and power couldn't break the resolve of those wedded to truth. We salute them. Shabbir Husain organised a good press campaign in Patna and the Sayedna had to draw flak from the press. Number of articles also appeared questioning the Sayedna's religious credentials and his human rights record.

Spreading our cause

I as usual did my humble best to spread our cause from all available platforms. I keep on attending seminars, conferences and workshop on Islam, on human rights and inter-religious events nationally. I spoke on the Bohra movement wherever possible in these meetings, conferences and workshops. The countries I visited during this period, among others were U.K., Jordan, USA., Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Germany, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Malta, Italy, France and several other countries.

In these countries wherever there are Bohras I met some of them or held their meetings wherever possible. I was in U.K. in September 1996 and a meeting of reformist Bohras was held in London where I explained the latest developments on the reformist front. On another occasion a meeting was organized in Leicester, U.K. which was attended by reformist friends in Leicester, Birmingham etc. I also addressed a meeting of reformist friend in Canada on 14th November 1998. In other countries like France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Thailand, Malta, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, etc. I presented our case before eminent Muslim and non-Muslim writers, intellectuals and human rights activists.

I am a member of the human rights group comprising Muslims and Christians set up by World Council of Churches. This group meets in different European and Muslim countries and to discuss human rights situation. I always make it a point to bring our case before them as to how our human rights are being violated. Similarly in our country I speak in numerous gatherings throughout India on our problem and receive whole-hearted support. That is why our case is widely known today and Sayedna no longer receives the kind of welcome he used to receive earlier.

I would also like to draw the attention of this august gathering to the fact that our case is now widely know even in the Arab world because of some articles we wrote in an esteemed journal of Kuwait. This journal is widely read by the intellectuals of the Arab world and hence is quite influential among the political circles in these countries. An Arab friend from Saudi Arabia told me that these articles were widely read in Saudi Arabia and also that the Sayedna has lost much ground there. He even invited me to Saudi Arabia to give lecture on the subject. I must thank Mr. Abdeali Untalawala from Kuwait for arranging to get these articles published in the said journal.

All our CEC meeting were held regularly every six months. Our organ The Bohra Chronicle has also been coming out regularly now thanks to the efforts of Saiffuddin Insaf. The Chronicle was earlier being published fortnightly but because of phenomenal increase in prices and our lack of financial resources we had to reduce its periodicity from fortnightly to monthly. We wish to make it fortnightly if resources are made available. The Chronicle is a very important source of information about the reform movement and has wide international circulation. Our friends and supporters wait for it quite eagerly. From Udaipur also now a publication All World Bohra Journal is being brought out under the editorship of Saleh Muhammad Naib which is read chiefly by our Hindi knowing friends.

We also published during this period a number of booklets on various problems pertaining to the reform movement and with a view to educate our people. These booklets were circulated to our foreign friends also. These were also translated from English in to Gujrati for wider dissemination. We publish such booklet almost every six months.

We also launched a website on the Bohra reform movement. This Website is being visited by hundreds of Bohras from several countries like Kenya, Kuwait, USA, U.K., Canada, Australia, India etc. The Website has very wide reach indeed and we are quite thankful to the organisers of this website. Our supporters as well as opponents enter numerous comments in the guest book and the message board of this website.

Wherever any event has taken place the national and local press has given prominent coverage. The Bombay Samachar, despite several problems, has been publishing a weekly column on our movement. We are highly thankful to Russi Cama and Shri Daruwala for this. We highly appreciate their gesture.

Asghar Ali Engineer
General Secertary
Central Board of Dawoodi Bohra Community