By Rehan Ansari, TwoCircles.net,
Mumbai: The latest inflammatory demand of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray to ban burqa and mosque loudspeaker seems to have come out of depression he and his sena are in for last some time. The demand is a move to catch his fast losing popularity and ground of the party.
In the recent editorial in Samna, his party’s mouthpiece, ageing Thackeray demanded ban on burqa in the context of an incident wherein a burqa clad woman was caught stealing a baby from a city hospital. The reason he presented in support of burqa ban is very illogic. Otherwise what would he demand to ban in the case of a sadhvi caught for more sinister crime in the category?
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Yes, the day Samna published the editorial, a sadhvi named Sadhvi Binaji Maharaj was arrested in Khanpur area of New Delhi for running a gang of child kidnappers. The city police arrested the 57-year-old sadhvi along with six others for kidnapping minor children and then selling them to childless couple. The gang used to operate in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
And what did Shiv Sena demand to ban in the case of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur? Going by Thackeray’s logic all Sadhvis should be banned from wearing the specific saffron attire as Sadhvi Thakur, who hatched conspiracy for terror attacks found involved in bomb blast cases in Malegaon, would wear the same saffron attire.
In fact, Shiv Sena and its ageing chief are depressed lot these days. The last state assembly election pushed them to No. 4, even behind BJP and the faction Maharashtra Navnirman Sena of Raj Thackeray has fast taken over their lost ground.
Bal Thackeray’s demand of banning burqa and loudspeakers in the mosque seems to be an attempt to get down to its old Muslim bashing policy. It might also be an attempt to move away from the pressure of Raj Thackeray in the coming civic body election.
In the old game of saffron leaders to provoke Muslim community, the role of media has once again come into question. After all, what moved news agencies, newspapers and media houses to highlight the sensational, provocative and illogical demand of Thackeray, ignoring its adverse impact in our plural society?
Apart from mainstream media, every Urdu newspaper in Mumbai made “Ban Burqa” editorial of Thackeray as their lead or the second lead story on October 20, which is highly irrational and counterproductive for the Muslims who had just suffered the setback from the Allahabad High Court verdict on Babri Masjid-Ramjanmbhoomi dispute.
All the time, Muslims fall into such trap of reactionary approach and they are never left to think about their proactive role in the society. On the other hand, it creates a rift between Hindus and Muslims and makes them rivals instead of friends who can work together for a better and more humane society.