Mulnivasi Muslim Manch to march 763 km from Pune to Nagpur from November 15

The Mulnivasi Muslim Manch will hold a 763-km 'Samvidhan Samman Long March' from Pune to Nagpur. According to the Manch, its demands are the protection of the values of the Indian Constitution, religious freedom, social justice and the safeguarding of the constitutional rights of minorities.

The march will begin on November 15. On reaching Nagpur, a peaceful demonstration will be held in front of the Vidhan Bhavan during the winter session of the Assembly. A memorandum of various demands will then be submitted to the Chief Minister.

Manch president Anjum Inamdar shared the details at a press conference. Those present included Lukas Kedari, Nadeem Mujawar, Sadiq Shaikh, Altaf Shaikh, Mehboob Shaikh, Munaf Shaikh and Rafique Turk, among many others.

Mr Inamdar said the march is being held to draw the government's attention to issues such as religious tension, hate speech, mob violence, disputes over places of worship, cases registered on charges of religious conversion, and a growing sense of insecurity among minority communities. He clarified that the march is not against any religion or community but to protect constitutional values, mutual brotherhood and social harmony.

The march will begin at 11 am on Sunday, November 15, with garlanding of the statue of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar in front of the Collector's office in Pune. Former Rajya Sabha member Mohammad Adeeb, former judge B.G. Kolse Patil, religious leaders of different faiths, MLAs Vishwajeet Kadam and Abu Azmi, and Kerala MLA Chandy Oommen will be present, along with office-bearers of several political parties and social workers.

To ensure transparency in the election process, the Manch will demand that elections be held with ballot papers instead of EVMs. It will also demand that the SIR process be scrapped and the voter lists from before 2025 be restored.

The memorandum will also include demands for strict action against hate speech, protection of places of worship, an end to mob lynching incidents and compensation for victims. It will also seek wide consultation with representatives of all religions, social organisations and legal experts on the Uniform Civil Code, protection of waqf properties, and a fair investigation of cases involving conversion allegations.

The Manch will also demand a special investigation team (SIT) to probe alleged 'love jihad' cases, and compensation and rehabilitation for people acquitted of terrorism charges.

The march will pass through Pune, Ahilyanagar, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Chikhli, Khamgaon, Akola, Badnera and Amravati before reaching Nagpur. By covering the roughly 763 km on foot, the Manch hopes to draw the government's attention to its constitutional demands.

Mr Inamdar said, "This struggle is not against any religion or community, but against injustice. Our stand is that all citizens of the country, rising above religion, caste and creed, should get equal justice and dignity."