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http://www.indiatomorrow.net/eng/meet-the-man-who-stood-up-spoke-out-before-prime-minister
Meet the man who stood up, spoke out before Prime Minister
31 Jan 2014 07:01 PM, IST
By Mumtaz Alam, India Tomorrow,
New Delhi, 31
Jan 2014: The man who made Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Congress
president Sonia Gandhi speechless for a while on 29 Jan at Vigyan
Bhawan was speaking normally to his patients today when I and my
colleague Abu Zafar entered his clinic at House No. 1202 in Jafarabad
area of the national capital. The 500-srong audience had got stunned
when soon after the PM finished his speech and turned to his seat Unani
medical practitioner and RTI activist Dr Faheem Baig stood up on his
seat and started complaining, in a loud voice, about non-implementation
of minority welfare schemes.
Interview:
What forced you to stand up and speak out at PM's program?
Dr Faheem Baig:
First let me clear an allegation levelled in some media reports that I
protested against our Prime Minister. I want to clarify that I did not
oppose our prime minister; I just tried to strengthen our democracy
which gives right and freedom to a common man to talk to their leaders
and prime minister.
For
last four years I have been making efforts that Prime Minister's Office
listens to me. I sent queries highlighting problems of our area and
seeking information about schemes being implemented in our area. I did
not get any response from his office. I asked his office to fix an
appointment to enable me to highlight several issues including
education, health and sanitation of this Muslim dominated area in Delhi.
I got no response. Then I started a campaign of letter writing - I
wrote 150 letters - one letter every day. Leave aside a response; I did
not get even an acknowledgment from PMO. I telephoned and faxed to his
office. Once an officer picked my call to only say that the PM has no
time to meet me, whenever he will have time, I will be informed. I was
very disappointed that when our prime minister cannot meet an educated
citizen of his country then how he will be thinking about common people
-daily wagers and labourers.
Yet,
I continued striving. I took the route of RTI - I filed several RTIs
with departments of health, education, planning and social welfare
seeking information about if any scheme under the Prime Minister's 15
Point Program has been implemented in our area since 1980 when the
program was first launched. I was informed that this program is not
under implementation in my area. This also disappointed me.
When
I got to know that the PM is going to announce a new program (National
Wakf Development Corporation) for the welfare of the Muslim community. I
thought in my mind that when a program has not been implemented for
last 30 years, then why the PM is going to announce a new program. I
stood up after his speech at Vigyan Bhawan only to request him not to
announce any new program. It is better he first implements the earlier
schemes launched at the time of Indira Gandhi. The Sachar Committee set
up by this government itself has documented that how Muslims are lagging
in every walks of life be it education, health, sanitation.
You
come from Jafarabad area in North-East Delhi, the only minority
concentration district in Delhi and one of the 90 such districts in the
country. What are the major problems of your area and district?
Dr Faheem Baig: Muslims
are facing almost same problems everywhere. We are back in education
and health; we don’t have many opportunities of employment. Most of the
diseases of the country are found in Muslim areas for lack of sanitation
and drainage facility and due to malnutrition.
You shouted for about a minute after the PM's speech at Vigyan Bhawan. Do you think your shouting has paid?
Dr Faheem Baig: Let
it be clear. I had to shout and speak in a louder voice because Prime
Minister was far away from me – he was about 25 rows ahead of me. Had he
been near to me I would have conveyed to him my grievances silently. I
had no option other than shouting. I had no intension to protest against
him.
On
behalf of Prime Minister, Minority Affairs Minister K Rahman Khan
talked to me after the program. He said why I didn't put my points
before him before the program. I told him I have already conveyed my
points to his predecessor Salman Khurshid. I met Khurshid twice with the
issue when he was minority minister and presented him with a
memorandum. But no action was taken. Then I tried to meet PM but failed.
I had got tired and disappointed and thought that when none have done
anything what you can do for me. Mr. Khan, however, assured me that he
will take me to the PM and I can put my queries and issues before him.
Do
you think you have done a great job by standing up and speaking out
before PM, Sonia Gandhi and others or you disturbed a big program for a
while?
Dr Faheem Baig:
No, I did not disturb the program. I followed the entire schedule of
the event. I did not raise a voice when K Rahman Khan, Sonia Gandhi and
PM Dr Manmohan Singh spoke. I stood up and spoke only after the PM
finished his speech and turned towards his seat. The program was almost
over at that time. I did not disturb the program. I raised my vice only
after the program was over.
With
your act, have you sent a message to the 15 crores Muslims in India to
stand up and put up their grievances before the government?
Dr Faheem Baig:
No, No, Not at all. I want to tell all countrymen and all members and
youths of my community not to take it so lightly. First they should work
on the ground as I did. I gathered all documents and exhausted all
means -- letters, RTI, meetings with officers to put up my points. After
doing all formalities and all efforts, when I got failed and
disappointed that my voice is not being heard then only I took this
step.
It
will be wrong if any youth tries to make noises and shouting at such
events because if the constitution of India has given us right to
freedom and to express it also asks us to respect other's freedom and we
have to execute our duties first. Even as the last resort, one should
put their grievances while being within the constitution and laws as I
did.
I
want to tell all Muslims in the country and all the poor people that
they should first use all means to put up their grievances before the
authorities. When they fail to get any response from the system, then
only in a civilized way and with wisdom they should put up their issues
before the prime minister or any other authority of the country
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