The Latur Administration in Maharashtra issued notices to the schools in the city directing them to declare two days of holiday citing the occasion of the Islamic evangelical event termed as ‘Ijtema’ organised by Tablighi Jamaat. The notice stated that the schools shall declare two days off allowing all Muslim teachers and students to participate in the event.
According to the letter obtained by OpIndia, the directions were issued by the Education Department of the Latur district administration based on the memorandum submitted by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Vikram Vasantrao Kale, who also is a current member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council. Kale in his memorandum had stated that the Ijtema was being organised in the Ausa town of Latur district and that it was important for all the Muslim students and teachers to attend the event for their ‘intellectual and social growth’.
He added that many Islamic scholars were slated to attend the event organised on December 5 and 6 and that it would be better if the administration declared two days off in all the schools across the district. He also termed the Islamic event as a ‘social awareness program’ and demanded that all Muslim students and teachers be present at the event.
Accordingly, the Latur administrative officials released a notice on December 3 declaring two days off for schools across the district. The officials, including Block Education Officers Vandana Futane and Nagesh Mapari, also said that the schools shall compensate for the holidays by calling the students on Saturdays (weekly off days) for a month. Further, the officials also forced the private school principals to declare two days’ holiday on the occasion of Ijtema which was organised by Tablighi Jamaat.
Ijtema is a show of strength event for Muslims which is all about the moral reform of individuals and is often described as ‘making Muslims true Muslims’. It is termed a religious program in which several Islamic scholars are invited to offer guidance. It is an Islamic gathering organised by Islamic organizations for Muslims. It is considered to be an important aspect of the Tablighi Jamaat all over the world since it claims to have a big impact on the lives of Muslims.
Tablighi Jamaat, of which Tablighi Ijtema is an integral part, is a global Islamic missionary movement that urges Muslims to return to the way Islam was practised during the time of Prophet Muhammad. The focus is on rituals, dress, and personal behavior, and is considered one of the most influential Islamic religious movements of the 20th century. It has become the world’s second-largest Muslim congregation after the Islamic holy pilgrimage of Hajj.
Participation in Ijtema, according to a European Journal, promotes religious authority, prestige, and empowerment, and adds to Muslim identity through the concepts of brotherhood and Ummah.