Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazagham

Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam (Tamil Nadu Muslim Progress Conference) or TMMK is a Muslim non-governmental organisation established in the state of Tamil Nadu in India in 1995. The TMMK has described itself in news releases as "a mass based" organisation.[1]

Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam
LeaderM.H.Jawahirullah
SecretaryMr. Haja Gani
Founded1995
HeadquartersMannadi, Chennai
Newspapertmmknews / tmmk.net
Student wingSamuga neethi Manavar Iyakkam (SMI)
Youth wingTMMK Youth Wing
Women's wingTamilnadu Muslim Magaleer Paeravai
Party flag
Website
www.tmmk.in

Background

The objective of TMMK is to protect the rights of the Muslim community in a democratic manner.[2] TMMK has its branch offices in all the districts of Tamil Nadu and in several villages of the state. It also has its foreign offices in Malaysia, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and other gulf countries has more than 1 lakh members. It was involved in Tsunami relief work[3] and does social services including blood donation camps,[4] eye camps[5] and free ambulance services to poor. It

Rallies and protests

TMMK invites public to hold peaceful protests and demonstrations for demanding rights of Muslims.[6] In February 2005, the TMMK urged the then-Chief Minister Jayalalithaa Jayaram to direct the Wakf Board to send all its communications only in the Tamil language to the administrators of mosques.[7] A March 2007 rally organised by the TMMK in New Delhi drew support from the Association of Indian Muslims (AIM) of America.[8] The TMMK has campaigned for the reservation of seats in educational institutions and the ear-marking of entrepreneurship schemes for Muslims in Tamil Nadu as per the recommendations of the Sachar Committee.[9] The Tamil Nadu Thawheedh Jamaath (TNTJ) has been termed "a breakaway group" of the organisation.[10]

Every year TMMK observes the anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition in a peaceful manner.[11] These protests draw huge number of people from across the Tamil Nadu state and demand the arrest of 68 perpetrators including Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Balasaheb Thackeray, LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi as implicated by Liberhan commission.[12] The organisation has also stages many protests for the protection Tamil Nadu fishermen[13] and dalits.

Manithaneya Makkal Katchi

In early 2009, a new political party Manithaneya Makkal Katchi was launched after an amendment to the bylaws.[14][15][16][17] The party contested in the parliamentary election the same year in 4 constituencies and polled 68,346 votes.[18] But in the 2011 Assembly election, MMK allied with AIADMK and won 2 of 3 seats contested.

Views on terrorism

TMMK has condemned several acts of terrorism in India and in foreign lands. When the Al-Qaeda released a video related to Indian sub-continent, TMMK condemned it and advised Indian Muslims to ignore such hate messages. The leader of TMMK said “this (message) will only help security agencies in country to further target Muslim youth in case a terrorist act does take place.[19]” In several occasion, TMMK has also condemned Israel for its brutality against Palestinian People.[20] It has also raised voices for UN intervention to stop genocide of Palestinians.[21] Similarly, TMMK has protested the genocide of Tamil people in Sri Lanka.[22]

Criticism

On 6 December 2003, 450 activists of the TMMK were arrested for attempting stage a protest rally.[25] Similar arrests were made earlier in 2000 where TMMK members were implicated.[26]

References
  1. TMMK news release (5 December 2004). "2004: Indian Muslim Statements". The Milli Gazette.
  2. "Navigation News - Frontline". frontline.in.
  3. "When helping mattered most - Hindustan Times". Archived from the original on 28 December 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  4. "Blood donation". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 7 January 2013.
  5. "Free eye camp held by TN Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 31 July 2011.
  6. "Babri Masjid anniversary passes off peacefully at Tiruchi". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 7 December 2012.
  7. Staff reporter (20 February 2005). "TMMK demand". The Hindu. Chennai, India.
  8. Association of Indian Muslims of America news release (7 March 2007). "American Muslims Support Muslim Welfare Rally at the Indian Parliament". Indian Muslims website based in Jupiter, Florida. Archived from the original on 7 October 2007. Kaleem Kawaja, president of Association of Indian Muslims (AIM) gave his organization's support to the rally organized by Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Khazgam (TMMK) which seek to uplift the Muslim community in India... AIM demanded that the central and state governments implement specific and properly funded programs to alleviate the extraordinary educational and socioeconomic backwardness of the Muslims of India.
  9. United News of India (16 June 2007). "TMMK appeals to Centre, state to stick to reservation". Webindia123.com.
  10. Staff reporter (30 August 2006). "Wakf Board takes possession of mosque; tension at Melapalayam". The Hindu. Chennai, India.
  11. "TMMK holds peaceful rally in Chennai against Babri Masjid demolition". TwoCircles.net. TwoCircles.net. 7 December 2009. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  12. "68 people indicted in Liberhan report". IBN. 24 November 2009. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  13. "Fishermen strike enters fourth day". 3 December 2011. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  14. "TMMK, MMK leaders call on Jayalalithaa". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 6 August 2010.
  17. "Manithaneya Makkal Katchi wants more than one seat". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 8 March 2009.
  18. "MMK polled 68k votes across 4 parliamentary seats" (PDF). eci.nic.in.
  19. "Muslim outfits lash out at al-Qaeda video". The Hindu. The Hindu. 10 September 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  20. "TMMK condemns Israel's action". The Hindu. The Hindu. 16 July 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  21. "Parties press for UN intervention to stop genocide of Palestinians". The Hindu. 29 July 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  22. "Tamil Nadu Muslims protest against genocidal Sri Lanka". Tamil News Network. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  23. Tamil Nadu: The Rise of Islamist Fundamentalism, by P.G. Rajamohan, South Asia Terrorism Portal
  24. Behind the Coimbatore tragedy, by T. Subramaniyam, Frontline 15 (05) 1998
  25. Anniversary ends peacefully The Hindu - 7 December 2003
  26. Bandh against attack on mosque The Tribune, Chandigarh - 12 December 2000
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