By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s much awaited condemnation of religious violence and sectarian tensions prevailing in the country is being viewed by minority community leaders as mere image makeover after the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) suffered a debacle in the Delhi assembly elections.
Speaking at a function two days ago organised by the Catholic Church in New Delhi to celebrate the elevation to sainthood of Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Mother Euphrasia, Modi had said, “My government will ensure that there is complete freedom of faith and that everyone has the undeniable right to retain or adopt the religion of his or her choice without coercion or undue influence.”
Narendra Modi
“My government will not allow any religious group, belonging to the majority or the minority, to incite hatred against others, overtly or covertly,” he had added.After this comment, the Muslim Political Council of India urged him to pass communal violence prevention Bill immediately and prove that he is serious in protecting minorities in the country.
Dr T A Rehmani, national president of the Council said: “If PM Modi is really interested to make India a communal tension free country and want to take whole of 125 crore citizen together, he must come out to pass the long pending communal violence protection Bill pending in the parliament since 2005.”
Terming Modi’s remarks as “belated” and made under tremendous pressure post US president openly criticising the government of India for communal divide, Rehmani demanded action over speech, “Breaking his nine month old silence on prevailing communal tension in the country created by his own party colleagues and other allied saffron organisations may not be enough until he takes effective steps to silence such voices and heinous activities.”
Modi rarely attends events organised by minority communities and his decision to speak at the conference has created doubts in the minds of critics after the BJP’s bruising defeat in the recent Delhi election. BJP won just three seats in the 70-member house at Delhi while AAP swept the rest.
Another thing to have increased misgiving behind Modi’s such remark is that he had remained silent so far on religious tensions in the country despite mounting criticism over growing intolerance of Hindu hardliners and the recent Delhi attacks that fuelled concerns that religious minorities were being increasingly targeted after the BJP-led NDA came to power at the Centre.
Akhlaq Ahmed, national coordinator of the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) believed Modi’s statement was an attempt of “damage control” after the defeat in Delhi assembly polls.“At a time when whole country wanted him to break his silence over growing religious intolerance, he kept quiet and now after terrible defeat in Delhi elections, he condemned religious intolerance. This itself clearly indicates that his actual intention is to rebuild faith in him than to really protect minorities,” he said.
“Why was he quiet when a number of Muslims were converted to Hinduism under the disguise of providing ration cards? Why did he not say anything when the matter of ‘love jihad’ was raised by Hindu radical outfits?” he asked.
Alleging that Modi never rebuked right wing radicals who are spreading hatred in the society, Ahmed said “If he is really serious (in protecting minorities) then we shall need to wait to see his words convert into implementation.”
Maulavi Nisar from Maharashtra’s Vidarbha claimed Modi has said nothing new and it is the responsibility of every government to safeguard constitutional rights of the citizens of the country. “What he said, is already there in the Constitution of India. Mere words are of no use. If Modi wishes to uphold peoples’ belief in his government, then he should take effective steps and deliver results,” he said.
Aslam Gazi, secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (Maharashtra) welcomed Modi’s comments but questioned his long time silence on the crucial issue. “The whole country wanted him to condemn communal programmes – Ghar Wapsi, Love Jihad, Hindu Rashtra et al – undertaken by radical outfits but he remained silent. At a time when Obama countered and the western media ridiculed his silence over growing intolerance, he said such a statement,”
Gazi said.Saying that minorities will not take his words on its face but would wait till it is implemented, he said, and added, “Those who are creating communal hatred should now be booked and put behind the bars. And programmes such as Ghar Wapsi should be banned.”
While most questioned the actual intention of Modi’s belated statement, few are questioning its timing. Abdul Wakil, 60, a political observer from Mumbai said, “When opposition parties wanted Modi to condemn religious intolerance in the Parliament, he did not utter a word although that caused two weeks of dead lock in the Parliament. Now that he is not being compelled by anyone, why is he now making such statements? Obviously, to gain something else.”
He, however, did not indicate what that could be.
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