By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net
Narendra Modi continues to be a sensitive topic for Indian Muslims. An award to a Modi supporter has come under sharp criticism from other Indian Muslims. Modi had his US visa revoked in 2005 as a result of campaigning by various Indian organizations under the umbrella of Coalition Against Genocide (CAG). Two of its member organizations — Indian Muslim Council-USA (IMC-USA) and American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin (AFMI) — are in sharp differences over the award given to a prominent Indian doctor who has previously invited Narendra Modi to the United States.
Dr. Sudhir Parikh among others extended the invitation to Narendra Modi to come to the United States in 2005. A well-organized campaign by CAG in which IMC-USA played a very important role led to the denial of diplomatic visa and a revoke of Modi’s tourist visa to the US.
The news that AFMI, a well respected organization, gave an award to Dr. Parikh came as a surprise to IMC-USA and other secular Indian organizations. President of IMC-USA, Rasheed Ahmed wrote an email to Syed Shahabuddin, former Member of Parliament, and Dr. Khursheed Malick of Indian Muslim Education Foundation of North America (IMEFNA) to formally protest AFMI for this serious lapse. Accidentally, this email was released to some of the mailing lists where it has taken a life of its own and generated some bad blood between AFMI and IMC-USA.
IMC folks are unhappy that while they are in a second campaign to continue pressure on the State Department not to change policy on denial of US visa to Modi, AFMI is awarding someone who was instrumental in inviting and supporting him. AFMI argues that Dr. Parikh has been moving away from Modi and he is trying to clear his name as being a Modi supporter.
Dr.Sudhir Parikh receiving an award from AFMI’s local chapter at the hands of the anti-VHP Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Puri-Swami Shri Adhokshjanand Dev Teerathand and Mr S. Vaghela, President Gujarat Congress Committe at AFMI meeting in LongIsland in NY on Oct 18,2002.
There seems to be an old friendship between Dr. Parikh and a member of AFMI’s New York chapter, as Dr. Parikh received a similar award in 2002. However, the 2008 award for community relations is ironically straining the relations between the two organizations that have worked together on several campaigns.
TwoCircles.net had learned that Dr. Sudhir Parikh had several meetings with Indian Muslims in which he has assured privately that he does not favor the politics of Modi. In media interviews, Dr. Parikh had said that he is secular and he has hosted various Indian politicians and that he invited Modi because he is the chief minister of his home state. He also denied that he is part of BJP, RSS, or VHP.
IMC members that TwoCircles.net spoke to are not convinced that Dr. Parikh has stopped supporting Modi. They point to a January 2008 event in New Jersey where Modi was scheduled to speak via teleconference. The program listed Dr. Sudhir Parikh as one of the attendees.
The award in question was given to Dr. Parikh in New York when AFMI co-hosted the Dalit-Muslim convention chaired by Ram Vilas Paswan. AFMI sources say the award was by a local chapter of AFMI. They point out that all other awards were prepared by the organization’s national office while the award to Parikh was prepared locally. There was no mention of this award in the convention literature.
Insiders in the organization say that now AFMI has decided to implement a strict policy that will make it mandatory for local chapters to seek prior approval from the executive committee before recognizing or awarding anyone.
Dr.Sudhir Parikh getting award from Ram Vilas Paswan at AFMI’s NY convention in July 2008.
Teesta Setalvad and R B Sreekumar, who were awarded in the same event, wrote a strong letter of protest to AFMI. They described Dr. Parikh as someone who is active in pursuing Modi’s agenda. Nishrin Hussain, daughter of Ahsan Jafri, who was also member of the organizing committee, has criticized this award. Apparently, organizing committee was not consulted for this award which came as a surprise.
The award has generated sharp reactions from Indian Muslims but the larger question that this controversy has raised remains unanswered. The question on how to deal with former or current supporters of Hindutva movement has not been answered. A very active Indian Muslim community in the US has made it a point not to engage anyone “tainted” by Hindutva association. Events organized by Indian Muslim organizations carefully screen presenters for their ties to Hindutva organizations.
The response of Indian Muslims in India is quite a contrast. There Muslims have not only joined and won elections on BJP tickets but in some places they have alliances with them either directly (Malegaon) or working closely with one of the BJP partners (Bihar). As Teesta Setalvad in a recent interview with TwoCircles.net pointed out Muslims have no choice but to work with them in places like Godhra and Malegaon where there seems to be no secular force to oppose Hindutva groups.
Of course, situation is different in the US where community is under no such pressure to work with the Hindutva elements. This has created a situation where Indian Muslim organizations have avoided any person or any organization that they see as influenced by Hindutva philosophy. In the absence of common space, Indian Muslim organizations usually prefer to hold their events in masjid. Even though IMC-USA has an impressive record of collaborating with various other Indian organizations, its programs are attended by mainly Muslims.
Starting with 2 MPs in 1984, and even though it has very limited presence in UP and Bihar, BJP has found home in various other states and will continue to be a political force in regional and national politics of India. Even though a majority of Hindus have rejected Hindutva philosophy, it is a fact that it has found a resonance among a section of educated Hindu middle class.
When working for the benefit of Muslims in India, can Indian Muslim organizations in India and abroad afford to treat Hindutva affiliates as pariah? If not, what should be the level of engagement and discourse with these individuals and organizations? And more importantly, what will convince Muslims that a former supporter had a change of heart and now he or she may be willing to do some work that benefit Muslims as well.
These are questions that need to be discussed by Indian Muslims among themselves.