Jamiat Ulema-I-Hind says NPR is a "big threat" to Muslims

The Jamiat Ulema-I-Hind (JUIH) on

Thursday opposed the upcoming National Population Register (NPR) exercise, saying it is a "big threat" to Muslims, who have been living in the country for centuries.

The NPR exercise will be carried out across the country along with the house listing phase of the Census 2021 from April 1 to September 30, 2020. It is mandatory for every usual resident of India to register in the NPR.

The objective of the NPR is to create a comprehensive identity database of every usual resident in the country.

JUIH president Maulana Syed Arshad Madani said they do not have any problem with the NPR if it is conducted in a way that is similar to Census since 1951, but it has now acquired a different form and meaning.

 

Addressing a press conference at the Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh here, Madani alleged the central government is engaging in "politics of hate" for the past few years.

"The world knows the government is sowing the seeds of hatred for the past eight years. We have a threat from the survey officer of that government as we will never get our rights," he said.

Madani said the NPR-NRC project is part of the Central government's communal agenda to transform India into a Hindu nation.

"The NPR-NRC is part of a larger communal agenda to isolate and alienate Muslims and make India a Hindu nation. They want to polarise the society," he said.

"When the Constitution guarantees equal rights to all citizens, irrespective of their religion, caste, language, region, the agenda behind the CAA-NRC-NPR is very clear," the JUIH chief said.

He said the NPR is a "big threat" to Muslims and also some other communities, including Dalits.

"The way Muslims have faced problems in Assam, if they face them in the other parts of the country also, it will be hell-like situation for them," said Madani.

Highlighting that under the NPR, survey officers can write 'D' (meaning doubtful) in front of anyone's name and this is problematic, he said.

Madani said they do not have any problem with the conventional form of population Census.

He said people cannot escape from the NPR exercise even if it is assumed that CAA and NRC will be scrapped.

"(Union Home Minister) Amit Shah and (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi are not talking the NPR. They are talking about the CAA-NRC.

"The CAA is against the country's secular fabric. Crores of countrymen will face major problems due to the NPR and not the CAA," Madani said.

Highlighting the reasons for opposing the NPR, he said, "They have two major issues. First, people will have to produce birth certificates of parents and second, surveyors can write doubtful remarks in front of anyone's name."

Madani said his organisation has already filed a petition against the NPR in the court.

Asked whether they are going to boycott the NPR update process, Madani said the JUIH will discuss the issue at its general body meeting beginning in Mumbai on Friday.

Religious, social and political issues will be also be discussed at the meeting which will end with a rally on Sunday, he said.

JUIH, formed in 1919, is one of the leading organisations of Islamic scholars belonging to the Deobandi school of thought.