Maulana Ghulam Mohammad Vastanvi, former mohtamim or head ofthe prestigious Islamic seminary of Deoband, is the second most sought-afterperson in the Gujarat election after Chief Minister, Narendra Modi. His actionsare carefully watched and words scrutinised to give interpretations that suitpolitical players.
While the maulana is quite wary of his new found importance,he is not unnecessarily perturbed. In one of his latest utterances at a meetingof the Congress's minority cell in Surat, Vastanvi clarified that he neverexonerated Modi for alleged inaction during the 2002 riots. The maulana citedscriptures to reaffirm his point that even Islam does not allow exoneration ofa zalim (tyrant). Little did the maulanarealise that his words would trigger a fresh controversy. The BJP took thematter to the election commission (EC) on charge of using religion and incitingcrowds, but the EC case against the maulana was summarily dismissed.
Sitting in his office of the Jamia Institute of Education atAkkalkuwa in Maharashtra, on the Gujarat border, the amiable mauala seemed tohave had the last laugh. “I am amused by the fact that each time I speak eitherthe BJP or the Congress rushes to interpret my words to their advantage. Lasttime I spoke on Gujarat in my capacity as head of Deoband dar-ul-uloom, the BJPwas elated. Now it is the turn of the Congress,” Vastanvi, who hails fromVastan village near Surat, tells Governance Now.
“I am least interested in politics, and I am not going tocampaign for any party in Gujarat. I am totally engrossed in my mission ofconstructing a society that can strengthen the nation,” Vastanvi said. There islittle doubt that the chain of educational institutes he has built is a silenttestimony to his perseverance, dedication and commitment.
After nearly a decade of teaching, the maulana startedmobilising resources to build an industrial training institute. “So far we havetrained over 20,000 youth and most of them are gainfully employed in differentparts of the country.” Akkalkuwa has become an educational hub for localstudents and the chain of institutes run by the maulana offers a variety ofcourses ranging from unani medicine and pharmacy to engineering, management andmodern medicine.
By all accounts, the maulana's is a success story in Gujaratand parts of Maharashtra. But he could barely last in the prestigious Deobanddar-ul-uloom. Asked why his stint as mohatmim at Deoband was unsuccessful, themaulana points out that his liberal and pragmatic approach to education forMuslims was perceived as inimical to the interests of those firmly ensconced inthe politics of the Islamic seminary. "The fear was unfounded as I wouldnot have changed the curriculum of religious education," he says.
Asked whether he still maintains the view that issuesrelating to Muslims in Gujarat and Maharashtra are distinctly different fromthose relating to Muslims in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, Vastani replies inaffirmative. " Muslims in Hindi heartland are much more politicised thanin Gujarat and Maharashtra, where economics and trade take precedence overpolitics," he explains.
He also clarifies that his statement on the riots wastwisted out of context. "I have never exonerated Modi. I am no one to doso," he says, adding that he had merely emphasised that the issuespertaining to Muslims should not always be seen from the prism of 2002.
According to him, development certainly benefits allsections of society. "What I stated were bare facts known to all but itwas deliberately twisted to interpret in a different manner."
Obviously the maulana now knows too well how his words arebeing scrutinised.
in association with Governance Now
