AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Muslim organisations, civil society groups, legal experts, and community leaders in Maharashtra have announced the formation of dedicated task forces to support victims of hate crimes and tackle rising communal tensions. The decision emerged from a high-level consultative meeting convened by the Federation of Maharashtra Muslims (FMM) on June 8 at Islam Gymkhana in Mumbai.
The gathering brought together Muslim legislators, lawyers, retired judges, social activists, and religious scholars to deliberate on pressing issues affecting the community, including hate crimes, the recently passed Maharashtra Freedom of Religion (Anti-Conversion) law, and the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC).
At a press conference following the meeting, Jamaat-e-Islami Maharashtra president Maulana Ilyas Khan Falahi announced that a task force would be established soon to deliver immediate assistance to victims of hate crimes. He emphasised that the initiative was not intended as confrontation with any government or political party, but as a constructive effort to find practical and sustainable solutions to the challenges faced by Muslims.
Participants also outlined a 10-year roadmap for the community, focusing on collective responses to communal tensions and alleged administrative discrimination. Key areas of discussion included legal aid, grassroots awareness programmes, enhanced democratic participation, and stronger community coordination.
Author Dolphy D’Souza, associated with the Justice and Peace Commission and ICOR, highlighted plans to launch awareness campaigns to counter misinformation and better prepare communities against hate crimes and discrimination.
Among the major resolutions was a strong demand for the withdrawal of the Anti-Conversion law. Attendees also expressed reservations over the proposed UCC and discussed legal and democratic strategies to address its potential implementation.
Prominent attendees included former Bombay High Court judge Abhay Thipsay, former Rajya Sabha MP Obaidullah Khan Azmi, and several MLAs such as Amin Patel, Sajid Pathan, Haroon Khan, Abu Asim Azmi, Sana Malik, and Rais Shaikh.
The Federation urged minority communities to remain vigilant and ensure their names are properly enrolled in electoral rolls.
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