Unruly Tablighis

The meaning of  Tablighi Jamaat is a group of preachers. A preacher is a person who gives lesson orally or in writing to the society or Jamaat. The moral, character, etiquettes and behaviour coupled with civic sense and discipline etc. have been supposed to be the intrinsic quality posed by a preacher. On this pretext and present scenario anyone who knows Tablighi Jamaat’s act and conduct can easily corroborate with the incident of Tablighi Jamaat illegal assembly of more than 2000 Tablighis after the National lockdown to fight the COVID – 19 pandemic and to maintain and abide the rule of Social Distancing.

It comes to light that more than 3000 people were in the Markaz (NizamuddinTablighi Masjid) between March 10 and March 15. Even on March 22 when authorities shut down its doors and on PMs appeal, it was a complete ‘Janta Curfew’, with about 1500 COVID helpers were still inside the Markaz are caused biggest Corona virus spike in the country. The government claimed that more than 8000 people, including foreigners, visited the Nizamuddin Markaz Head Quarter(HQ) in early March.

It has been established with full scientific study and data analytical team which has revealed on April 18 that approximately 30% of the total COVID – 19 cases in India are linked to the Tablighi Jamaat event held in mid-March.

According to an analysis done by the Government of India, 4291 of 14,378 (cases till April 15) Corona virus cases in the country were found to be linked to the religious event of Nizamuddin Markaz. Their report is so alarming and disturbing that an Indian citizen with the common prudence shall be shaken from head to toe. It further elaborated that 84% cases in Tamil Nadu, 63% in Delhi, 79% Telangana, 59% in UP, 61% in Andhra Pradesh, 91% in Assam, 83% in Andaman and Nicobar was linked to Tablighi Jamaat event.

Luv Aggarwal Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health, told “our doubling rate is 4.1 a day at present on April 3, because of reported cases of Tablighi Jamaat, else the doubling rate would have been 7.4 a day, almost doubled due to these miscreants.

It soon became evident that most of the infected, involving more than 1000 foreigners had travelled to the Markaz before dispersing to different parts of the country of 1.3 billion people.

The icing on the cake was that in a 28-minute audio clip of a Sermon posted on March 19 on Markaziyoutube channel, Jamaat chief Maulana Saad called coronavirus as “ azaab(God’s Punishment)” and asked his followers to run to the Mosques. He also called the assertion that people gathering in the mosque will lead to more infections as “Baatil Khayal (falsehood)”.

On March 31, an FIR has been registered against Maulana Saad under the National Disaster Act under which he was supposed to be arrested immediately. Still, from that day he has been escaping from the eye of the Law and has not answered the two notices of Delhi Police and Enforcement Department also. The South Delhi Municipal Corporation has also issued a Demolition notice of this Markaz building in Nizamuddin New Delhi, which is an 8-storied building without proper sanction plan, completion certificate and requisite papers of the land.

Why are these Tablighis escaping and running from the authorities? Why have these Tablighis been spreading strategically in 24 to 25 states of India? Why they have been not interested in saving their life from this deadly Corona Virus, which has not spared the developed countries and killed more than 2 Lakhs of Humans globally. The simple answer to these questions are since this congregation was illegal, without permission, arranged in the illegal Nizamuddin Building, the foreign participants were without requisite travel documents, many of them were criminals, the illegal Rohingya were also amongst them. Many of them were suspected of having terrorist links. Maulana Saad was having illegal money transactions from the foreign countries so on the above mentioned issues these Tablighis are least interested to get quarantined by the authorities wherever they have been sent, in all the quarantine centers they have misbehaved with the Corona Warriors, have pelted stones on police, doctors, nurses and paramedical staff, even the whole world has witnessed their hooliganism, madness and inhuman temperaments towards the authorities during the quarantine period at different places. These Tablighis threw water bottles filled with their urine, defecation in the open, abused and misbehaved with lady doctors and the female medical staff. This illegal, unconstitutional and un-cultural behaviour of Tablighis Jamaat itself depicts that what sort of teachings they might be giving to Markaz.

It is important to mention that how professor Mohammad Shahid of Allahabad University gave refuge to Jamaatis ad helped 30 people and 16 foreign Jamatis who were arrested on Monday the April 20 night. All have been caught on charges of violating the foreign act, and involvement in conspiracy an. The accused include seven from Indonesia, nine from Thailand, one each from Kerala and West Bengal.

At this delicate point of time when a very sensible, nationalist and disciplined approach is needed from every strata of the society, then this irresponsible, inhuman and fructuous leadership of any religion is to be dealt with iron hands since Chanakya Arthashastra believes:

Means Administration runs through punishment.

The best example for this has been presented by the Central Government on April 22, through an ordinance under which any person who attacks a health worker who is treating COVID-19 cases can be jailed. The ordinance was brought in to amend the century-old Epidemic Act. Main highlights are:

• Attacks on doctors and health workers is now a cognisable and non-bailable offence.
• In serious cases, it can invite a jail term of up to 7 years and fine up to Rs 7 lakh.