Hyderabad ulema call for active Muslim community participation in Census

Religious leaders in Hyderabad are urging the Muslim community to actively participate in the Census. Highlighting risks of underrepresentation, ulema stressed awareness through mosques and community support, especially as the self-enumeration deadline approaches.

Hyderabad: For a change, religious scholars and ulema in Hyderabad are taking an active civic role by urging the Muslim community to participate in the ongoing Census exercise.

At a meeting of Imams and khateebs held at Masjide Darul Irfan, Red Hills, the other day, Moulana Mohammad Shah Jamalur Rehman, Amir-e-Shariah of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, emphasised that religious leaders must go beyond safeguarding Shariah and also protect the shahriyat (citizenship) of the people.

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He called upon mosque leaders to use the pulpit to spread awareness about the importance of Census participation, warning that negligence could have serious consequences in the future.

A large number of ulema attended the meeting, where speakers expressed concern over the lack of enthusiasm within the community regarding the enumeration process. With the last date for self-enumeration set as May 9, leaders stressed that time was running out.

After this deadline, government enumerators will begin door-to-door data collection. Speakers cautioned that the exercise should not be taken lightly, as Census data could potentially be linked to processes like the NRC or NPR, even if not officially stated.

Moulana Obaidur Rahman Athar, Khateeb, Teenposh Masjid, noted that inadequate participation can lead to underrepresentation, which in turn affects access to government schemes and welfare programmes. According to the 2011 Census, Muslims constitute 14.2 per cent of India’s population, but leaders believe the actual figure could be much higher if participation improves.

The meeting proposed using the mosque network to spread awareness. Imams were urged to highlight the importance of the Census during sermons. Additionally, educated youth familiar with digital tools are to be engaged to assist families with the self-enumeration process.