Over 180 NGOs working to engage Muslim voters and raise awareness

MUMBAI: At least 180 NGOs and organizations have been working among Muslim voters for several months to increase voter turnout in the community, an effort that has yielded positive results in the Lok Sabha polls. The organizations say turnout in the assembly elections will be similarly high.

Muslim-majority districts such as Shivaji Nagar, Mumbadevi, Byculla and Malegaon Central reported higher turnout than their adjacent assembly segments in the Lok Sabha elections. The organizations attribute this to unrest among Muslim voters and the awareness it has generated among voters over the past year.

The Marathi Muslim Seva Sangh has joined hands with over 180 NGOs and organizations working among Muslims to engage and create awareness. The organization held meetings and information sessions with voters throughout the state. “This has led to an increase in voter turnout in the Lok Sabha elections to over 60%, which is about 15% higher than the average in the previous elections,” said Faqir Mehmood Thakur, head of the organization. “We urge Muslims to support secular candidates and vote in the interests of the Constitution. We have joined forces with other organizations and religious chapters to better respond. We held more than 200 meetings across the state and it helped increase voter turnout.”

Thakur said fear among Muslim voters over central government moves like the Citizens Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens also contributed to the high voting percentage among Muslims and added that these issues also remain in the state polls.

Shakir Sheikh, coordinator of the Maharashtra Democratic Forum, said the forum has held at least 70 meetings in the state in the last two months, including 18 in Muslim areas of Mumbai. “Until recently, awareness and voter turnout among Muslims was very low,” he said. “Some issues like CAA, Uniform Civil Code and Waqf Bill have motivated people to come out and vote. The awareness raising and registration drive helped in achieving high turnout in the Lok Sabha elections. We have registered at least nine lakh new voters in Mumbai and the response has been very positive.”

BJP politicians like Kirit Somaiya and Nitesh Rane have termed the massive Muslim vote in favor of the opposition as “vocal jihad”. Denying this, the Sheikh noted that “jihad” in Arabic means “holy struggle.” “If the community is voting for change, what’s so wrong with that?” – he objected. “If Muslims vote for non-Muslim candidates, how can that have anything to do with religion?”

Sarfaraz Arzoo, editor of the Urdu daily Hindustan, said such allegations did not stop Muslims from voting. “Muslims have realized the power of their voice, the results of which were visible in the Lok Sabha polls,” he said. “In Muslim-dominated constituencies, the communal votes added to those of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress voters have led to the defeat of parties that constantly vilify the Muslim community. And the anger against BJP politicians like Nitesh Rane for his derogatory words against Muslims continues. This will lead to renewed high turnout in the assembly elections.”

Hasina Khan of the Bharat Jodo Abhiyan has also worked among Muslim voters. “We signed up hundreds of them before the last day of recruitment,” she said. “People stood in long queues under the scorching sun during the Lok Sabha elections and I am sure the percentage will be equally high in the assembly elections.”