Central Board of Dawoodi Bohra Community - Mumbai

Press Release

Why Padma Award to the Most Controversial Late Sayedna

There was a news item in Indin Express dated January 23, 2015 that the government has decided to confer prestigious Padma Bhushan Award to late Dawoodi Bohra High Priest, late Sayedna Mohammad Burhanuddin.

Late Syedna Saheb is known, as a highly controversial personality. He and his establishment is known for repressing with heavy hand those who do not submit to his so-called religious dictates, He and his establishment shows zero tolerance for others views who do not accept his authoritarian regime. The Syedna and its establishment demands absolute obedience in every respect. The eminent human rights activists, legal luminaries and noted academicians, retired high court judges and others had constituted a commission of inquiry to inquire into the violation of human rights of the Bohras at the hands of the Syedna and prepared a detailed report known as the Nathwani Commission Report. It is enclosed herewith for your kind perusal. This was followed by another inquiry by the retired Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court Justice Tewatia. Noted journalist and former member of Rajya Sabha Shri Kuldip Nayer was also its member.

We are the members of the same Dawoodi Bohra Community trying to usher in democratic secular reforms and respect for human rights in the Dawoodi Bohra community which, today is subjected to heavy handed undemocratic rule of the Bohra priesthood who treat Bohras as its slaves. One has to compulsorily follow his dictates not only in religious but also in all secular matters and any dissent is severely punished. The reformists who insist on respect for democratic norms and human rights are often subjected to physical violence. I have been physically attacked several times. In the year 2000 I was not only physically attacked but my house and office were also completely destroyed at the instigation of the Bohra priesthood.

Hundreds of Bohra reformists had been subjected to such violence, particularly from Udaipur. The leaders of the Bohra Youth from Udaipur led a valiant fight against repressive regime of the Syedna and his cohorts. The Syedna and his cohorts. The Syedna and his establishment also collected and continue to collect crores of rupees every year from their followers and refuse to account for it. The Bohras are concerned into paying money to him. Refusal results into different forms of harassment and in much case excommunication.

May we request present government not to disgrace the Prestigious Padma Award by awarding it to a dictator with monstrous power, the late Sayedna Mohammad Burhanuddin.

Yours Sincerely,

Saifuddin Insaf
General Secretary,
Central Board of Dawoodi Bohra Community - Mumbai

Learn more about the Dawoodi Bohra clergy and its stranglehold on the community:
http://www.dawoodi-bohras.com
http://dawoodi-bohras.com/reform_issues/articles/
http://www.dawoodi-bohras.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=1