By Abdul Hannan Siwani Nadvi,
There is a common notion, escalated across the country, that Indian Muslims always criticize the government and use the ways to pressurize it, instead of focusing on their education and to get the advantages from government’s schemes aimed to provide governmental assistance in reducing the poverty and illiteracy in Muslim community.
When we call India a democratic country, then criticizing the government or expressing the objection over government’s decisions cannot be termed anti-national. Why we forget it that nation’s development lies in a special help of government, as it has power, resources, reasons, and wealth. Building of hospitals,
establishing of Schools and Universities, maintaining peace, cleaning the streets, providing electricity to every city and villages, making the arrangements to build sewer lines and supervising it to be cleaned time to time and providing a safe and a good environment to every community are the work of the government, whether it is in state or in centre. These projects remain incomplete if government’s intention is not to carry it out.
When we visit the areas where Muslims live, or where they are in majority, we find endless problems dominate those localities. The existence of these problems causes various kinds of disease that are a serious threat to life to everyone who lives in that environment.
Patna Muslim Women demanding representation in Parliament and Assembly on March 13, 2010
What young Muslims do when they find themselves on a crossroad where every way is closed on them? Insecurity, fear to be arrested by police on terror charges, poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and costly education overwhelm them.
Muslim’s anger goes on high when government’s move, directly or indirectly hurt their religious sentiments or asked to change their Muslim identity instead of concerning onto their real problems.
Their mother tongue Urdu is on a way to be a forgotten language as it is not linked to employment. Urdu teachers and its students find no place of work in government and private offices. Urdu Newspapers, magazines and various monthly magazines are weeping on their fate, as they are not getting much assistance from government as other newspapers in other languages are getting ads and other
financial help. It seems that these Urdu newspapers have been left to die for highlighting the
problems of Muslims.
Now, news is coming that UGC has removed Urdu language as Urdu medium for NET exams. This decision will affect directly hundreds and thousands of Urdu medium students and will make their future prospects bleak. This is an effort to sideline the Urdu language and reduce its students in order to make it a dead language.
The condition of Muslim areas is worse than one can imagine. Their areas are away from all basic fundamental needs which are very essential for a human being. Lack of drinking water, electricity,
roads, hospitals and lack of cleaning or such other needs which are basic part of a society where human being lives, represents the real picture of Muslim areas in most parts of India.
On the other side, there are various localities, colonies and areas where Muslims are not in majority or they do not live there, but all facilities exist there. Only one bird’s eye view picture will be enough to understand the difference between two areas.
Why these differences? Is Muslims’ fault or is it not the failure of India? If we accept that Indian Muslims represent a largest minority community then is the illiteracy and unemployment of this minority could not be a great loss for a largest democratic country?
If Indian government or other Hindutva organizations think that their march towards development will continue after pushing the largest Muslim minority community into marsh of poverty, illiteracy and unemployment so this kind of idea is based on imaginary thoughts.
The future of this country lies with Muslims. Is it not true that every single vote of Muslims is enough to change the fate of state or central government? If it happens so, then seeing a dream to become a great India is impossible without educational and economical development of Muslims.
Are there efforts to shut down these voices too? Muslims are not begging from the government. They are struggling to overcome on their endless problems to which Indian government itself feels helplessness in solving it.
Their condition is better now. If assistance and chances given to them, the skills, power and ability to face the challenges, whether the atmosphere is supportive or not, would prove their hidden skills.
If the Constitution granted some rights to Muslims, and they hold the government accountable for its implementation, and if the government is hesitating over its implementation, then it is the responsibility of Muslims to use all ways which are allowed in a democratic country to remind it about its accountability toward Muslims.
If someone understands that targeting the government or holding it responsible for Muslim’s condition is wrong so I think that such kind of organizations and Muslims are the victim of inferiority complex, or if they understand that government will place their rights as it is then this thought is based on misunderstanding
too.
If Muslims wish to live in India with their all Islamic identities, then they must be aware what is happening around them and try to bust every conspiracy being played against them, as well as, they have to check what the government to which they make it with their votes, did for their advancement and what not, and
for this no need to fear.