Mahmood Madani

Introduction

Born on 3 March 1964, young Mahmood named after the spiritual mentor of his grand father, Maulana Mahmood Hasan Deobandi, a freedom fighter stalwart, Islamic Scholar and founder member of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind. He learnt Quran by heart and acquired basic education in Islamic theology at Amroha. U.P. Later he entered Darul Uloom Deoband and graduated from there in 1992. In his final year at Deoband, the heart shattering incident of demolition of Babri Mosque at Ayodhya occurred which affected him most. The demolition was followed by communal riots spreading all over India including the town of Deoband,Curfew was imposed; Food and essentials became scarce for Peoples; In this difficult hour, young Mahmood Madani came out in the street to the aid and relief of victims. He also laid a siege with large number of supporter around the local police and administration offices and forced them to bow down to his demands for immediate justice. This was the first occasion when his natural acumen for leadership, valiance and zeal and fervour for fighting for the weak and oppressed were seen and acknowledged publicly and people started looking at him with expectation as the torch bearer of his distinguished family’s lofty traditions.

After graduation from Darul Uloom Deoband in 1992 he took to business for fulfillment of his economic needs but this didn’t deter him from devoting full time and energy to social and political activities. He started his political career by joining Samajwadi Party of which he soon became All India National Secretary and central Council member. He was elected to Rajya Sabha form U.P in March 2006-April 2012.

Acknowledging his social and political activities, Saharanpur district unit of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, elected him as president. Soon after, he was elevated to the office of Secretary of U.P. State Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind and later as its vice-President. In the year 1997, there was urgent need for secretary organization in the Centre in order to reorganize and rejuvenate Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind at the national level. By then, Maulana Mahmood Madani had already established his credentials as successful organizer and therefore the working committee selected him unanimously to work as Secretary Organization. During his tenure as such, the conferences, meetings and programmes organized in various places proved very successful and drew unprecedented numbers of people running into millions. During Gujarat Earthquake in 2001, and Kashmir earthquake in 2005 his splendid work for relief and rehabilitation of victims and innovative and most constructive projects in the field of social welfare, Health and education, namely children village, mobile dispensaries, child & maternity hospital, women polytechnics and girls hostel won him many laurels from all corners. Relief and rehabilitation work by him in Kashmir was applauded by all and a resolution was moved In Kashmir assembly complementing astonishing work of Jamiat Ulama-i- Hind.

His work made the Jamiat Community all over the country recognize his worth and he was elected to become the General Secretary of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind on 24th Dec. 2001. Since then He has been carrying on as general secretary of JUH till now except for one or two stints when he owing to some reasons opted to relinquish and served the organization as mere its executive member.

His most important recent achievement is the role that he played in launching the anti terrorist campaign through the width and breadth of the country. He has been instrumental in getting Fatwa passed by Deoband Clergy. Besides organizing about 40 anti terrorism conferences all over the country the massive public gatherings in May 2008 at Ramlila Ground of Delhi, in November 2008 at Hyderabad, in February 2009 at Mumbai and in November at Deoband have helped in mobilizing Muslim Masses and Ulema against terrorism. He got world fame in the wake of his brave answer to Pakistani former President Parvez Musharraf. While responding to him in India today conclave 2009, he warned him of not interfering in issues of Indian Muslims as they were capable enough of dealing with their problems. This brave answer won him great appreciation. Recently in his speech in parliament while referring to his dialogue with Musharraf he said, whatever he responded to Musharraf was on the line of his elders who on the time of partition in 1947 opposed tooth and nail the two nation theory based on religion. On the issue of “Has religion destabilized the sub-continent,” he attended as speaker in India today conclave and eloquently asserted that religion is bone for the humanity not burden. He maintained that religion was not the reason behind Partition as perceived by many. "Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was a religious person, but he stood against the separation of India and Pakistan. Muhammad Ali Jinnah was not a deeply religious person, yet he wanted Partition. Gandhiji, who was religious, was against separation of the country on religious lines. Veer Savarkar, who was not deeply religious, demanded a Hindu state," he said. He bravely spoke out against decade’s old injustice meted out to Kashmiri People while reiterating the fact that Kashmir was an integral part of India and Kashmiris were our brothers. Besides holding intellectual discussion on the agony of Kashmiris in Deoband On October 10, 2010, he organized mass agitation at Ram Lila maidan New Delhi on October 31, 2010, thus bringing this much sensational issue to the centre. In the wake of implementation of RTE act 2010, it was the common concern of minorities especially Muslims that their religious institutions guaranteed by the constitution of India would suffer, if the act fully implemented. Therefore He held Conference on challenges of compulsory education at India international centre on August 5, 20102 demanding amendments in RTE Act. Mr. Kapil Sibel, the concerned Union Minister promised in the conference to allay the apprehensions, delivering on his promise, he later issued guidelines and is reported to have been working out framelines to incorporating the same in the law. Besides that he also organized several other conferences on issues such as Muslim Personal laws, auqafs, communal violence and reservation for Muslim community. His consistent efforts for reservation for Muslims and effective law for prevention of communal riots and just and equitable compensation to the victims saw nationwide satyagrah, under the banner “Save the Country and Nation Movement”( Mulko Millat Bachao Tahreek) starting from Kolkata where its first batch of 313 volunteers offered court arrest on May 3, 2010. This (satyagrah) was once again held in Lucknow to reiterate the demand for reservation for Muslims, introduction of communal violence bill and strong law for protection of waqf property. For the same purpose, He several times with JUH delegation called on Prime minister and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi for pressing for the above-mentioned demands that resulted in announcement of to an extent reservation quota for Muslims. In recently concluded JUH Working Committee meeting on Feb.27.2012 he declared this quota insufficient and vowed to fight this movement until the whole demand is accepted. In pursuant to this, Jamiat has decided to organize its 31the general session at Ramlial ground in May, 2012. Beside this, he spoke out against communal violence whenever there was any communal frenzy in the country. From parliament to streets he has without fear demanded to curb communal organizations and stressed need to bring in law fixing responsibly on administration for negligence of duty during communal violence. He has led efforts to provide relief after several natural disasters, in Gujarat and Kashmir after earthquakes, in tsunami-affected areas of the subcontinent; He provided relief to flood victims that ravaged Orissa and Bihar in 2011. He is much concerned about the worsened conditions of waqf properties of India that are meant for welfare of Muslim community. On several occasions he has expressed his concerns and is pitching in to channelize national moment for the protection of billion dollars Muslim properties. He is known to encourage education among Muslim women. Alongside, the 1964-born Maulana Madani is a respected theologian and politician and spiritual mentor to thousands o persons in India and abroad. He is respected by Muslims all over the world and is invited to deliver religious sermons in western countries like England, America, Canada etc. besides Bangladehs, Pakistan and Nepal. Like his elders He feels proud to be true Indian and wants all citizens to be patriotic of this beautiful country. He has said several occasions that no place is better for the Muslims than India, TO his eye, India pulsated in its soil and throbbed in its air, something that has to be felt and cannot be taught through any book. In this short span of his life as short as 47, He has thousands of his disciples all around the world.