Lockdown: Jamaat-e-Islami Comes to the Aid of Needy from Kashi to Ayodhya

0
550

Masihuzzama Ansari | India Tomorrow

NEW DELHI, APRIL 9— The government’s decision for a ‘Janata curfew’ and a subsequent 21-day lockdown because of Coronavirus outbreak created a natural crisis of ration and food for millions of families across the country.

At this time of crisis, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) has been providing ration in Uttar Pradesh and other states to all the families of poor and migrant labours from Kashi to Ayodhya. JIH is the biggest Muslim socio-religious organization, which has been working in the country for the last several decades for the spread of Islamic education, religious-social upliftment and mutual love and harmony among the people.

Relief kits have been delivered to 15 thousand families by JIH in different cities of Uttar Pradesh and the work is still going on. Similarly, in Delhi, 40,000 food packets have been distributed. The relief works of the organisation have helped lakhs of people across the country to cope up with the lockdown.

Despite government efforts, innumerable families were facing a crisis over lack of ration. Taking note of this drastic situation, the organisation has pledged to distribute food and essential goods to all those needy families through their activists, irrespective of religion and faith.

Jamaat has delivered ration kits and other essential items to millions of families across the country, including people of all religions, after the lockdown.

After the lockdown was announced, Jamaat asked its workers across the country to look for people in need and provide ration to all the families.

Asadullah Azmi, the President of Varanasi unit of the Jamaat, while speaking to India Tomorrow, said, “After the lockdown, Jama’at Islami made a list of the needy to help the people and then all of them were distributed ration kits.”

On the question whether this ration kit is being distributed to people of a particular religion, Asadullah said, “No, that is not the case at all. We are not distributing ration by asking for their religion but by we go by need.”

He said, “Our workers are distributing ration even in Ramnagar, situated on the banks of the Ganges, where the Muslim population is very less. We are trying to reach our countrymen everywhere where there is any needy and where the government assistance is not reached. ”

Advocate Mohammad Sajid Khan, who has been distributing ration kits with his colleagues for the past one week in several villages along the border with Banaras and Chandauli, told India Tomorrow that they have distributed ration kits to the needy of all communities in many villages in collaboration with the Jamaat.

Sajid Khan said: “We are distributing ration kits at many stages. First, we surveyed to know who is needy. I have identified 130 families in the village near to mine (urging not to write the name of the village) of which there were 30 Muslim families and 95 Hindu families. In the first phase, we distributed ration to these 130 families with the help of Jama’at Islami. ”

Advocate Najmussakib Khan, Secretary, JIH, Uttar Pradesh East, giving details of the relief work being carried out by the organisation in UP, said, “We have reached every area, from Kashi in Banaras to the villages of Ayodhya. ”

“We have also distributed 100 ration kits in Faizabad with the support of the administration during the lockdown and our workers are trying to help the people by identifying their need.”

Major activities of the organisation in different cities of Uttar Pradesh East

Varanasi

Relief food items were distributed to 200 families in Banaras (including flour, rice, sugar, lentils and gram). Food kits were distributed mainly in the regions of Konia, Nakkhi Ghat, Jalil Pur, Padao, Dulahi Pur, Dubakia, Kavva Pura, Chopra, etc.

All these materials are being distributed in collaboration with Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and other allied institutions like Maryam Foundation, Mohammad Aslam Khalifa of Banaras and Muslim Javed etc.

Gorakhpur

Mohammed Rafi, a member of the JIH in Gorakhpur said that after the lockdown was announced Jamaat identified needy families and distributed rations to them. Talking to India Tomorrow, Jamaat Islami Gorakhpur District President Shamsuzzama Nadvi said: “Since the lockdown, we have been able to deliver ration to 500 families and this work is still going on .”

Chandauli

As many as 600 families have been identified and helped by the Jamaat in different villages of Chandauli.

“We have identified 130 families since the lockdown, out of which 30 are Muslim families. The remaining 95 were Hindu families. In the first phase, we distributed ration to these 130 families in collaboration with Jamaat Islami,” explains Sajid, an advocate of Chandauli.

Fatehpur

The Fatehpur Help Desk, formed in Fatehpur with along with other Islamic organizations, has so far distributed ration kits and medicines to more than 200 needy families with the help of a helpline number +91 8858877468, +91 9151541129.

Fatehpur Help Desk (FHD) is headed by Dr Rafiq Ahmad, President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Fatehpur. He said, “This assistance will continue door to door for the poor and needy without any social discrimination as usual by volunteers authorized by the Fatehpur administration till lockdown ends.”

Faizabad & Ayodhya

Similarly, ration kits were distributed to 100 needy families in Faizabad and Ayodhya with the help of district administration.

Along with this, in the cities of Kanpur, Allahabad, Bahraich, Basti, Gonda and many other cities of eastern Uttar Pradesh, the ration and food kits are being distributed to the people without any religious discrimination.

At a time when Coronavirus has spread across the country and a large part of the media is targeting the Muslim community through fake news, Jamaat-e-Islami is providing relief with no religious discrimination across the country. A new example of humanity is being set up by distributing ration kits to millions of families.

(The article was originally written in Hindi by Masihuzzama Ansari and translated into English by Afsal Rahman)

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here