By Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net
As the lynching and violent incidents in the country are on the rise, various human rights organizations and civil liberty activists have raised questions on the silence on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has not spared a single word on the scenario. On the contrary of what he was supposed to be doing, Narendra Modi made claim in his recent US visit that his government has been ‘stainless’ in the three years after the formation.
But President of All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat Navaid Hamid has written a letter to PM Modi to bring his attention to the development in the country. Mushawarat is the umbrella body of all the Muslim organizations of India.
The letter reads, “Your vision of good days for all Indians has been sullied by an environment of distrust and fear that has created by various organized groups, some of whom are affiliates of your party and its parent organizations, the RSS.”
The letter also tries to bring PM Modi’s attention towards recetn conclave happened in Goa in which more than 150 Hindutva organization took part and a common demand arose to declare India as a Hindu country.
Navaid Hamid also puts an interesting analogy between non-vegetarian foods and vegetarian foods when it comes to daily required dietery protein intake. Hamid, in the past, told TwoCircles.net, “Government thinks that vegetables are cheap source of the protein but when you compare the price of one kilogram of Chicken to one kilogram of ordinary lentils, it will be easier to figure out that tribals, poor Muslims and dalits cannot feed on vegetables and lentils, because with the policies, that is made practically unavailable to them.”
In his letter written to PM Modi, Hamid has mentioned, “While the cow slaughter ban emerges from our constitutional duties, the excesses being committed against your own statements have resulted in all forms of buffalo and other meat products being discouraged. This has resulted in the snatching away of available forms of cheap protein from poor Adivasis, Dalits and other marginalised sections including minorities – an overwhelming majority of whom lives below poverty line.”
The full text of the letter can be read below :
Dear Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji
I write this letter to you with great hope amidst tremendous anguish and despair. There is much that is happening in our great country that is disconcerting and disappointing.
Just on the eve of Eid, an innocent student, 16 years old Junaid who was on vacation and was returning after Eid shopping from Delhi to his home in Ballabhgarh by EMU train was lynched just for being Muslim in running train, which unfortunately is not a new trend in the country now.
Your vision of good days for all Indians has been sullied by an environment of distrust and fear that has created by various organized groups, some of whom are affiliates of your party and its parent organizations, the RSS. Their agenda is so obviously going against the path you have set for the country, given your clear focus on development and “Sab Ka Vikas”. It must be equally distressing for you to see your attempts at creating a stable and enabling environment for business in India get derailed by fringe elements that breed fear and hatred in the country.
I must bring your attention to the Hindutva conclave in Goa and the dangers of the agenda being propagated from there. The incessant violence in the name of ‘Cow vigilantism’ has spawned fears of a collapse of the agrarian economy. While the cow slaughter ban emerges from our constitutional duties, the excesses being committed against your own statements have resulted in all forms of buffalo and other meat products being discouraged. This has resulted in the snatching away of available forms of cheap protein from poor Adivasis, Dalits and other marginalised sections including minorities – an overwhelming majority of whom lives below poverty line.
What is ironic is that while small downstream and upstream businesses are being closed down due to the action against slaughter houses, large corporate houses are being encouraged to get not only into lucrative export business but also being encouraged to enter domestic market by launching packed frozen meat. Various state governments have clamped down heavily on poor traders in UP, Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand. Vigilante squads are being allowed to run riot and dispense with kangaroo court style justice in blatant violation of your own statements against such illegal activities, which you made after attacks on Dalits by cow vigilantes, some time back.
The administration too is showing no alacrity and is in fact either watching helplessly or is silently encouraging the goons as this ring of violence spreads far and wide.
Alarmingly there has been no action taken against organizers of “Armed Training Camps” openly being run by Bajrang Dal in BJP ruled states under the patronage of the state governments. On the other hand, activists and leaders who dare to raise voice of dissent are being falsely implicated whenever they seek to raise any these issues. Those of us belonging to marginalised communities are particularly targeted. The arrest of Chandershekhar of Bhim Sena in UP who was working to create awareness amongst Dalits is one such example of attempts at harassment to curb any voice of dissent or protest atrocities.
At other places Trishuls are being distributed in an open expression of hostility and incitement to violence on part of so called Gau rakshaks (cow vigilantes). “Goon Squads” masquerading as anti Romeo squads and “Cow Protection Committees” are collecting protection money and creating serious
law and order problems. The morale of the police force is suffering as these illegal groups are working under orders from senior ministers in state governments and powerful party men.
The heartening bit of news is that the honorable Home Minister in your Cabinet, Mr. Rajnath Singh has so categorically declared that Indian Muslims have not been attracted by ISSI or any other terror organization’s propaganda. However, you will agree that there is much that needs to be done to ensure that our restless youth are kept away from such dangers. The continuous and unchecked atmosphere of distrust, discrimination and violence against them would be dangerous for peace in country. It is critical for them to see that our nation protects the rule of law, like you have yourself stated several times. At the moment the rule of law stands severely tested. The ruling in Mohsin Shiekh (another young asset) lynching case in Maharashtra and the refusal of the public prosecutor to appear for the government in this case is such an unfortunate declaration of bias and prejudice.
Finally, Mr. Prime Minister, this lynching of poor Muslims has now become far too frequent and predictable. The horrible act of mob violence resulting in the death of the martyred DSP Ayub Pandith in Srinagar was barbaric and utterly condemnable. The same is going on relentlessly, even in the country’s capital. On social media, people who you follow are encouraging and condoning this lawlessness. In this unfolding environment of distrust, assault and violence, Indian citizens are bound to ask your government to fix a monthly quota of lynching of innocent Muslims. Should we simply accept this as a reality under your rule and accept the sordid fact that we are now citizens of the new Republic of Lynching.
The mandate the country gave you in 2014 and most recently in UP in 2017 puts a great responsibility in your shoulders. Your promise of serving the country and all 125 crores citizens awaits redemption. The Constitution that you so solemnly swore by three years ago is the book that we all have faith in and hope will be upheld by your government in the days to come.
With regards and best wishes
Yours sincerely
Navaid Hamid