By Masood Peshinam for Twocircles.net
A politician knows the value of speaking the truth: at least when it gives immense political benefits. Political narratives are fashioned depending on the exigencies of the situation.
The virtue of necessity does not turn it into a vice, as demonstrated by NCP Supremo Sharad Pawar.
Pawar’s delayed response to the alleged illegal detention of Muslim youths in the name of combating terror must be read in terms of political opportunism to harvest the Muslim vote bank in 2017 Mumbai Municipal Corporation election and the other local body elections. He tried to assuage the bruised sensitivities of Muslims over the alleged targeting of its youths in the name of alleged linkage with the Islamic state. Taking note of the alleged injustice done to Muslim youths Pawar accused the ATS of illegally detaining Muslim youth for probing their alleged links with the banned Islamic state. In a move that’s likely to strike a chord with his secular constituents, Pawar said this having visited Marthwada region recently where leaders of 29 Muslim organisations sought his help to stop the ATS highhandedness. He added that some Muslim youths from Parbhani and neighbouring areas were kept in the illegal detention on the premises of the agriculture department for four to five days and then proceeded in Court as he was informed.
He said that he would discuss the issue with the leaders of the like-minded parties in New Delhi. He equally made it clear that if members of minority community are involved in illegal activities, they should be taken to task, but it should be ensured that innocents are not harassed.
NCP Supremo’s plain-speaking has been welcomed by the Muslims and those concerned with the human right violations despite some quarters investing it with playing the Muslim card on the eve of BMC and other local body elections.
Earlier BSP Supremo Mayawati had also touched upon the persecution of Muslims and Dalits which is also seen as an attempt to revive her political fortunes on the eve of U.P. elections.
Notwithstanding Mayawati’s raising the issue of Muslim-Dalit being subjected to untold sufferings due to the myopic and prejudiced approach of the government there is a difference between Mayawati’s and Pawar’s assertion on the vexed issues. Unlike Mayawati, Pawar is an old-timer and a political heavyweight who was in the Congress Party and held important portfolios like Defense and agriculture.
Pawar would do well to look in the past
The fact remains that Muslims of Marathwada are so much rooted in the native culture that sometimes with their Marathi in local accent and appearance it’s difficult to recognize them as Muslims. In such scenarios, where is the question of their alleged linkage with IS?
The Indian Muslims time and against have expressed their strongest resentment and dislike of the Islamic State. The fierce opposition of Indian Muslims is too well known to need any recounting.
Reacting to the false arrest of Muslims, Dalit leader of Parbhani Vijay Kawade termed it as the conspiracy hatched by the Sangh Parivar. Vijay Kawade even blamed the ATS for the unhappy incidents against the Dalits and Muslims.
Advocate Mujahid Qadar Aligue also questioned the credentials of ATS in targeting Muslims. He asked as to how the seizure panchnama is not made at the house of the accused persons.
Aligue believed that the arrest of Muslim youths forms part of RSS script to gain in Mumbai Corporation and U.P. Elections. The veterans of Parbhani would like the Muslims and Hindus to be united against the onslaught of communal forces.
All these issues concerning the allegedly false arrest of Muslim youths were brought before the NCP Supremo who, comprehending the gravity of the situation, spoke against such arrests.
However, these observations made by Pawar on this count does not tally with earlier stances concerning Muslims.
At the time of protest against Salman Rushdie’s novel Satanic Verses where around 14 Muslims had to pay with their lives, Pawar did not oppose the firing.
His role in the disgraceful demolition of Babri Masjid was questionable and as well he failed to inspire the confidence of Muslims in the worst ever communal violence in Mumbai in the wake of the Babri Masjid demolition.
The track record of his own party which was part of the government earlier with Congress concerning Muslim arrest in the name of terror is equally not comfortable.
In the tenure of Congress-NCP government many a time Muslim delegations met the then Home Ministers Chagan Bhujbal and late R.R. Patil on the question of wrong arrest of Muslims in terror cases but in vain.
It is not known whether Sharad Pawar has spoken against the wrong arrest of educated Muslim youth for any political gain or to refurbish NCP’s ‘secular’ credentials. However political culture in our country is rooted in political opportunism. The politicians wearing humility and smile in public life are fairly arrogant and quite non cooperative the private life. The sympathy card is only for the media and public. The dichotomy in public and private domain, bane of our system is percolated down the line.
No less significant it is to note that Congress-NCP had come to power on the plank of implementing the Sri Krishna Commission which was allowed to lie in the cold storage. The situation got further stressed with the grant of promotion to the police personnel indicted by Sri Krishna Commission. The Congress-NCP combine forgot to implement the recommendations of Sri Krishna Commission which were passionately talked about during the election.
As far as Congress is concerned, it presents a confused picture, confounded with its dubious role vis-a-vis Muslim educated youth’s arrest. It‘s role can be summed up in one Urdu verse quoted by the distinguished MP Tarakeshwari Sinha
The Urdu verse is:
Khub Parda hai chilman se lage baithe hain, saf chupte bhi nai samne aate bhi nai
(What a veil! You are seated at the window in a way that you are neither coming front nor properly hidden)
The parallel of forgetfulness can be drawn with the dramatic scene in the legendary film Mogle Azam. In Mughal-e-Azam, the magnum opus of K Asif, the mother of Anarkali (Durga Khote) came screaming to the emperor Akbar [Prithviraj Kapoor] showing the ring presented by emperor Akbar to seek his help and prevent Anarkali [Madhubala] from being buried in the four walls. Akbar initially failed to remember his promise, but after much persistent insistence, he relented and Anarkali was saved.
The politicians in the country are to take cue from the scene from the movie and remain faithful to the promises and expected to see the larger interest of the Nation than the petty political gains. The primacy of national interest carries more credibility than the opportunistic politics.
It is also important for Muslims to focus on developing essence of character. Only good character can ensure their dignified survival and make people like Pawar to speak against the victimization of the community in the name of terror. In the circumstance Hindu-Muslim unity is also need of the hour.
The author is a lawyer based out of Kalyan, Maharashtra