When the RSS met the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Premium

A minority outreach programme by the right wing group has kicked off a row

A closed-door meeting between the leaders of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the representatives of various Muslim bodies in mid-January in New Delhi has now triggered a political storm in Kerala.

Though the media in the State got wind of the meeting only a month later, the participation of the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) in the RSS’s minority outreach programme has seemingly acquired a communal colour. The meeting, held at the residence of former Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung, was reportedly attended by leaders of the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, the Darul Uloom Deoband, and others, besides Haji Syed Salman Chisti of the Ajmer Sharif Dargah.

Subsequently, JIH general secretary T. Arif Ali had to clarify that the meeting should be seen positively, and that the discussions dwelt on issues that impacted the Muslim community like mob lynching and bulldozer politics.

Nevertheless, the meeting was opposed by other Muslim organisations such as the Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama, the Kerala Muslim Jamaath, and the Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen (KNM).

Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leaders P.K. Kunhalikutty and M.K. Muneer said that there was no situation for holding talks with the RSS and pointed out that it was dangerous for those who believe in secularism to hold reconciliation talks with the RSS.

It was Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who put the spotlight on the RSS-JIH secret parleys. He wanted the Muslim outfit to divulge the details of what happened behind closed doors. The Chief Minister also wondered if the Congress and the IUML had any role in these talks.

The JIH State leadership hit back by accusing the Chief Minister and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) of spreading Islamophobia. The Assistant Amir of the JIH Kerala, P. Mujeeb Rahman, said various other religious groups and even political parties like the CPI(M) have held talks with the RSS in the past but were never subjected to such hostile grilling.