Muslim residents of Anandapura in the Sagar taluk of Shivamogga read out the preamble of the Indian Constitution after the Friday prayers at the Jamia Masjid in their village.
Soon after azan call at 12.30 p.m. on Fridays, Moulana Mufti Safeeruddin delivers a religious speech, followed by a talk on the Constitution by Mohammed Zakria, an advocate from Sagar. After the Juma namaz (Friday prayers), everyone assemble with copies of the preamble. They join Mr. Zakria, who read out the script and ask others to repeat after him.
The Jamia Masjid at Anandapura has a long history, spread over four centuries. It was built by the Keladi rulers and Tipu Sultan and the Mysuru rulers had also visited the place in the later years.
“Many hardly know about the Constitution and the rights it guarantees to citizens. This is an attempt to make them understand the Constitution and underline the importance of education among our people,” Mr. Zakria told The Hindu.
Mr. Zakria and his friends thought of this initiative and members of the mosque committee and Moulvi Moulana Mufti Safiruddin supported the idea. “The Constitution treats all equally. But in practice, it is not so. Hence, we people should understand the significance of the Constitution well and protect it from attempts to disregard it,” he said.
‘We respect the land’
Social activist Sadiq Yedehalli said that his religion had taught him to respect the homeland. “We respect the land by bowing our head five times a day. Similarly, we read out preamble of the Constitution to convey that we respect the law of the land as well.”
As the news of this initiative spread, members of a few other mosque committees in Shivamogga district have contacted the organizers and expressed their appreciation. “Many are inviting me to do a similar exercise in other places. I am happy with the response. Anybody can take this forward. I wish in the coming days, the Preamble is read out in many mosques and it becomes part of the routine,” said Mr. Zakria.
