Farooq Abdullah Speaks on Assam Assembly’s Decision to End Friday Namaz Break
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has expressed his views on the Assam Assembly’s recent decision to end the two-hour break on Fridays for Muslim legislators to offer Namaz. He emphasized the importance of protecting the interests of every religion in India’s diverse society.
On August 30, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that the Assembly would no longer provide a two-hour adjournment for ‘Jumma prayers’ on Fridays. This practice, which started in 1937 under Saadulah’s Muslim League government in colonial Assam, has been discontinued. Sarma stated that both Hindu and Muslim MLAs unanimously agreed to work during this period.
Farooq Abdullah commented, “Jab waqt aayega ye badal jayega. Achi cheeze phir se wapas aajayengi (When the time comes this will change. Good things will come back again). Don’t do this. There is unity in diversity in this country. People of so many languages live here and that is why India is a federal structure. We have to protect every religion here.”
However, the decision has faced criticism. Former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav accused the Assam Chief Minister of seeking “cheap popularity” and claimed that the BJP wants to “bother Muslims in some way or the other.” Samajwadi Party leader ST Hassan also criticized Sarma, saying, “Himanta Biswa Sarma spreads poison in the society. His government is against Muslims.”
According to the new rule, the Assam Assembly will now conduct its proceedings without any adjournment for religious purposes and will commence at 9.30 am every day, including Fridays. The order stated that the amendment was made to eliminate the colonial practice aimed at dividing society on a religious basis.
Doubts Revealed
Farooq Abdullah -: Farooq Abdullah is a politician from Jammu and Kashmir, a region in India. He has been the Chief Minister there, which means he was the head of the government in that state.
Assam Assembly -: The Assam Assembly is a group of elected people who make laws and decisions for the state of Assam in India. It’s like a big meeting where important state matters are discussed.
Friday Namaz -: Friday Namaz is a special prayer that Muslims do every Friday. It’s an important part of their religion, Islam.
Chief Minister -: A Chief Minister is the head of the government in an Indian state. They are responsible for making important decisions and running the state.
Himanta Biswa Sarma -: Himanta Biswa Sarma is the current Chief Minister of Assam, which means he is the main leader of the state government there.
MLAs -: MLAs stands for Members of the Legislative Assembly. They are people elected by the public to represent them in the state government and make laws.
Tejashwi Yadav -: Tejashwi Yadav is a politician from Bihar, another state in India. He is known for speaking out on various issues and is the son of a famous politician, Lalu Prasad Yadav.
ST Hassan -: ST Hassan is a politician from Uttar Pradesh, a state in India. He is a member of the Indian Parliament, which means he helps make laws for the whole country.