By Kaleem Kawaja,
In recent weeks some Muslim activists have made statements requesting Narendra Modi to consider the plight and backwardness of Indian Muslims and do something about it. That is very insulting to the 150 million Indian Muslims who have faced continual brutalities for 30 + years at the hands of BJP. It is insulting for the entire Muslim community of Gujarat that has faced brutal deaths of 2000 Muslims, police and govt brutalities for 11 years in various aspects of life.
Some other Muslim activists are saying that if Modi apologizes to Muslims and retires from public life Muslims will pardon him and let him rehabilitate himself in society. Why are these Muslim activists making such statements and on whose behalf are they speaking?
Modi has committed horrible crimes against humanity; he must be brought to trial before a court in India and given appropriate punishment according to the laws of India. Why should Modi not be tried and punished like his henchmen Maya Kodani and Babu Bajrangi? His crimes are more severe than those of these two criminals.
All over the world many oppressor rulers have been tried and punished. Hitler, Mussolini, top Nazi generals and leaders were tried in Nurenberg at the end of WW II and punished. Saddam Hussain was tried and punished. President Gen Pinochet of Chile was tried and punished. Milosevic of Yugoslavia did not get a safe exit. Why should Modi be given a safe exit and pardon, why not tried and punished like other murderers like him.
The people of India did not give safe exit to Afzal Guru or Dawood Ibrahim or Tiger Memon. Sikhs did not give safe exit to those who masterminded the murderers of the 1984 genocide of Sikhs. Why should we give safe exit to Modi?
The answer is that Indian Muslims and the large number of secular Hindus and Indians will not give safe exit to Modi. We will wait and keep on banging on the doors of India’s justice system until Modi is tried in an Indian court and punished appropriately.
(The writer is a Muslim community activist. He can be reached at: [email protected])