By Tariq Hasan for TwoCircles.net
The first reaction to Prime Minister Modi’s rather belated words of condemnation of the spiralling incidents of the lynching of Muslims in different parts of India is: better late than never. Without going into the possible factors which compelled the Prime Minister to express his concern over this grim scenario, let us move forward.
The first step the PM should take is to prepare a white paper on all the lynchings which have taken place since his government came to power. This paper should make public the Action Taken in all such cases. A circular should be issued to all state governments to take necessary steps for preventing any such incident in future.
The final step should be to draw up a new law for making it punishable for any person who is complicit in such crimes.
If the Prime Minister does not take such follow-up measures, then we will be compelled to presume that his words of anguish uttered at Gandhi Ashram were just hollow rhetoric.
This year, when you offered Eid greetings to your Muslim friends you could not have failed to notice a palpable tinge of anguish. For the Muslims especially in North India, the voyage of despair began with the public lynching of Mohammed Akhlaq on the suspicion of storing beef in his home at a village just adjoining the nation’s capital. In less than two years it has brought them to the doorsteps of yet another dubious milestone — this time with the public lynching of sixteen-year-old Junaid in a crowded train compartment again barely a stone’s throw from New Delhi. This time, however, the victim’s only mistake was that he was wearing a skull cap. His lynching was watched by 100-odd passengers; not one of them raised a whimper on this cold-blooded murder.
Yes, India is changing. If anybody has any doubt still that India is going back to the medieval ages, let them search their heart today.
Even if official figures are accepted, the death toll from public lynchings of Muslims during the past two years has crossed twenty. During this entire period, there was not a single unequivocal condemnation of this medieval form of ” instant justice ” from the country’s Prime Minister till last Thursday.
Welcome to the new era of ” digital India”. What are we being served for “lynch”: this Eid Muslims are sarcastically asking each other this June.
When the Modi-led extreme right-wing rode to power in the summer of 2014, there was a growing section of Muslims who started genuinely believing in Modi’s promise of “Sab ka saath, sab ka vikas.” But by the time winter set in, some Hindutva groups owing allegiance to the ruling party launched their “love jihad” campaign to further tarnish the image of the Muslim youth. It had become painfully clear to them that if they wish to survive in the new India, they would have to accept their status as second-class citizens.
By boycotting the President of India’s official ” iftar” this year, the members of Modi’s cabinet have sent a clear message to the rest of the world — we care a damn for our 20 crore Muslims. Take us or leave us.
As if this was not enough, UP CM Yogi Adityanath rubbed more salt into the wounds of his Muslim subjects by breaking half a century-old tradition of not attending the traditional Eid program at Lucknow.
It would be untruthful to totally absolve Muslims from bearing the responsibility of their present travails. Seventy years after India became a sovereign democratic country committed to the ideals of a modern secular state, the very idea of India as envisaged by her founding fathers is under threat.
The shadow of Pakistan, the ” Muslim Zion” was always looming in the neighbourhood and it took a sizeable section of the Indian Muslims nearly a quarter of a century for it to finally dawn upon them that Pakistan could never be their saviour. Rather, it would always remain a millstone around their neck. They have paid a heavy price for this.
The Muslims compounded their woes by trying to lead an insular existence. The upper crust was aloof and the proliferating middle-class Muslim preferred to wallow in their self-made ghettoised environs. Failing to catch up with others in the field of education, they preferred to show little inclination for getting enthused by issues related to empowerment of other marginalised groups. This was a fatal error and by the time they saw reality following the outbreak of the Babri mosque – Ram temple issue the plot had been lost. The Muslim community went into a corrective mode but by then the saffron groups had become too strong to be easily dislodged.
Perhaps the biggest failure of the Indian Muslims was their inability to throw up a strong, forward-looking leadership from their own ranks.
Instead, they threw their lot in the hands of false Gods like Mulayam Singh Yadav or their very own Maulana Bukhari. All proved to be leaders with feet of clay. Not a single, so-called secular leader barring those from the Left have, in a strong voice, condemned the menacing culture of public lynching. The intriguing silence of the Muslims latest favourite Akhilesh Yadav is deafening. The lesser said of the Congress party’s ambivalent secularism, the better it is.
As far as the leadership within the community, including honourable members of the Muslim clergy: the ulema with a few notable exceptions are more concerned about protecting the right to triple Talaq than issues of “lesser importance “like the right to live and the right to livelihood.
I am frequently asked to spell out the options open to the Muslims today. There are no easy options. The first thing which strikes me is that Muslims should play a limited, low role in politics for the next few years. The reason is that they have become victims of negative politics in today’s polarised world. The party which seeks their support tends to lose out on other sections. In any case, their options are rather limited. On one side are the pseudo secularists and on the other side are opportunists like Asaduddin Owaisi.
It is far better for them to get involved in constructive social programs for all marginalised sections and actively participate in all mass based issues related to social empowerment. Whenever a natural disaster strikes, they should be the first to participate. Secondly, whenever injustice occurs they should be ready to stand up and take all legal and constitutional steps to stand by the aggrieved.
Finally, they should realise that there is a small but very courageous group of Hindus who are staking everything to stand by them. People like Ravish Kumar, Pronoy Roy and Apoorvanand are standing up for Muslims and are far more committed to their cause than any so-called secular politicians. it is these individuals who can stand for the constitution and the rights of all underprivileged sections.
If there is no immediate remedial step, there is an ominously rising possibility that Muslim youth would fall prey to extra-constitutional options which grow in the fertile soil of fear hatred frustration and anger. Radical Muslim groups in different parts of the world are rubbing their hands with glee as saffron groups prepare a fertile soil for them to strike roots in India.
We have watched in horror the scene unfolding in the Kashmir valley. We the people of India — Hindus Muslims Sikhs and Christians will never allow this to happen even if we have to pay with our blood. This is our commitment to the founding fathers of India. No Indian worth his salt can allow the wages of indifference to imperil our Nation.