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Team Anna has, for long, been
suspected of working for something else than its stated goal. The
expulsion of Maulana Shamoon Qasmi from the team has only
strengthened this skepticism.
Maulana was the Muslim face of the Team Anna. Though not popular
among the community, his skull cap, long beard and kurta have the
ability to attract Muslims to any organization he is associated
with. What common people see is only that someone belonging to the
respected religious community is supporting any movement, so they
also start showing sympathy with it. Maulana’s presence in the
core committee of the Team went against the common perception
among a section of the society that the team is reluctant to take
with it the representatives from non-Hindu communities.
But, now Maulana is no more a core committee member of Team Anna.
Rumours are doing round that Qasmi was expelled as the Team Anna
did not tolerate even a Muslim face with it. While the other
leaders of the team say that he was expelled as he stealthily
recorded the proceedings of the private meetings and then leaked
it to others, Qasmi maintains that he himself resigned as the team
was turning anti-Muslims. One is surprised that only now could Maulana know this fact. The allegations of the kind leveled by
Qasmi are as old as the anti-corruption movement led by Anna.
In an interview Maulana Qasmi explaining how the team Anna has
become anti-Muslim said, “Tell me one thing Kejriwal or any of
Team Anna members have done to unite the Muslim community with the
movement. I have been pointing out since the beginning of this
movement that we need to take steps to bring in the Muslim
community to work with us. Give me one example when Kejriwal has
done anything for the community. In fact, Kumar Vishwas even stood
up in the meeting today (April 22) and said the movement will not
be successful unless and until we get the Muslims together with
us. Kejriwal said to him that he (Kumar Vishwas) was acting as the
middlemen for chief ministers. Kejriwal said 'CM ki dalali kar
raha hai'.”
When Annaji started his dharna with an image of Bharat Mata in the
backdrop and later praised Modi skepticism surrounded his movement
and the common belief prevailed that Annaji was working for
something/someone else. Had he been eager to really put an end to
corruption, he would have taken people from all sections with him
and avoided any gesture that could repel even a single Indian from
his movement. The absence of lower caste people and
representatives of all faiths presented Anna movement as an
exclusive one. It was dominated by upper caste Hindu leaders,
people perceived. If even then it got support of aam aadmi it was
only because it was championing a noble cause.
Since India is rippled with corruption with the citizens having to
bear the brunt, aam aadmi can easily be swayed by any
anti-corruption movement. The gathering around Team Anna did not
come due to any charismatic personality—including also Annaji as
he was not known to public before his movement— instead it was the
noble cause forwarded by the Team which attracted public. Every
community regardless of caste, creed and religion is a staunch
supporter of putting an end to corruption. But it was surprising
to see that influential people around Annaji belonged to a certain
majority community.
As anti-corruption movement was started at a time when the BJP was
in abysmal condition and it had no issue to attack the UPA
government, there are many takers of the view that it was but to
make a favourable atmosphere for the RSS’s political wing. Had
Team Anna tried to take in confidence people of all faiths and
communities, it would have got a larger group of street supporters
and thus avoided what it was a flop show in Mumbai.
The reason cited for Qasmi’s expulsion is hilarious. The alleged
espionage by Qasmi should have not been a cause of so much worry
for Team Anna that it had to show him the way out as a preventive
measure to not let the minutes of close door meetings known to
others. He could have been admonished. Behind closed doors, Team
Anna is not hatching any conspiracy against the government or the
nation, one duly expects. Then why this fear of getting exposed?
In fact, the expulsion of Qasmi on the flimsy ground smacks of
something rotten in the minds of Team Anna members. Qasmi has
flatly claimed that some certain members have been using simple
and noble Annaji for their unstated interests. A member of India
Against Corruption Maulana Qasmi has also objected over four, five
people turning authoritarian.
Maulana Qasmi while accusing Team members of hijacking the
anti-corruption movement for their individual interests maintains
that Annaji is a simple man and the cause of the movement is
noble. It is so that Qasmi is still ready to support the cause.
Qasmi said that he did not agree with the points of view of
Arvind Kejriwal and the others. “Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia
openly attack democracy and Parliament. I have great faith in
these institutions. I feel they have their personal ambitions and
they are promoting themselves in the media now.”
He also complained that only few members were projecting
themselves to the media and asked why others were not allowed. For
the time being, Qasmi too has grabbed media attention. Is the
whole game a trick to earn name in the media? Again to repeat,
until a few days ago few people were aware of Maulana Shamoon
Qasmi. Has this whole drama been staged to let people know that
Team Anna’s core committee had a Muslim face too? Qasmi may be
reinstated as a core committee member.
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