FOCUS
ARE MUSLIMS
MARGINALISED IN INDIA?
Commenting on challenges of SIMI’s hate politics, the Hindu, had written in its editorial of April, 1, 2008, that "when in 2001, Safdar Nagori proclaimed in an interview that he was ‘very bitter about being Indian,’ he was voicing and exploiting the rage of a generation. Embittered at being denied social and economic equity and justice by a rising tide of communal prejudice and angered by a brutal succession of riots, massacres and pogroms that scarred the 1980s and 1990s, thousands of young people saw in Nagori’s calls for jihad the promise of justice - or at least a kind of retribution."
There are millions of Indians, in tribal hamlets, in rural India, in the slums of cities and towns, who are living a hand to mouth existence. They earn a $ or less a day. They are deprived of all those state benefits which are meant for them but siphoned off by well heeled civil society. They are desperate but are resigned to their fate. Programmes of self-help did make some inroads, but not a discernible difference.
This is how the good part of Indians are. They are poor, but do nothing to help themselves. But then they do not wage war against the nation. Of course some have become naxalites. However, none of them say that they are bitter being Indians. This man called Safdar Nagori, who complaints of bitterness of being Indian is a traitor and anti national. World is a huge place, he can go anywhere he wants to go. There were Indians who tried to seek asylum stating that they were persecuted. Similarly this Nagori can try asylum in say Pakistan, or middle-eastern countries or even some of the Far-Eastern Islamic countries. People like Nagori are poisonous and have vitiated the SIMI movement. Kind of hatred that Nagori and his band of activists can only bring about greater divide in the society. This will surely not help the Muslim cause and the editorial like the one in the Hindu, shall only keep the divide widening.
The SIMI, which probably was started to look for possible solutions to the problems, the youth of the community is facing, certainly must have deliberated the ways to reach its goal of bettering the community youth. If violence is the way it thought as a means then they are grossly mistaken. They will never succeed. But the point is, for any activity there is a need for money. And this SIMI is getting money from different sources including NRIs and Arab financiers.
The community could have done very well, if this money was used for education and other socially relevant activities, which they didn’t. They went hate mongering and that has only helped negatively the community, in enlarging the divide.
Coming to the question of marginalisation, we have published an account of an individual, probably a Hindu, who despite born into marginalsed fishing community pursued his education despite being an average student and advanced in his life steadily and is already helping the society around him. He claims to be a proud Indian, inspite of not taking anything from the system or the government as a benefit, due to his birth or the social position. In free India life is open for all. And I am sure there are many among Muslims who have made it good and big by sheer perseverance and hard work. And lot of them grew up without complaint and with positive contribution to the community at large and are proud of being Indian.
But look at the editorial of the Hindu, and there are many like them in the media and in public life who would brag and write that the ‘community is embittered at being denied social and economic equity and justice’. Here it is important to recapitulate. What Dr. Irfan Habib, the eminent historian had to say. "Muslim communalists had the preservation of Muslim seperatism, rather than the end of Muslim backwardness, as their basic aim", and had called for a conscious ideological struggle against the forces of Muslim communalism.
Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, is born to a little educated boatman owner, Jainulabdeen in Rameshwaram. Family of Jainulabdeen was of ordinary means. However parents of Abdul Kalam were determined to give proper education to the young Abdul Kalam. Of course as the life unfolded itself, Abdul Kalam not only grew in years but also grew in stature to grow into one of the best scientific brains not just of India but internationally speaking. The ‘rocket scientist’ that he grew up to be called, propelled him to be the Bharath Ratna in an India which took immense pride in making him the 11th President of India on 25th July 2002. In an India, where 80% of the population consists of Hindus, A.P.J.Abdul Kalam was the 3rd Muslim president.
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was born into a humble background and yet he made it to the highest office of the land. So was Shri K.R. Narayanan, travelled from the unlettered existence of Wayanad to the Viceregal palace via the famed London School of Economics. By sheer dint of application and hard work these two gentlemen achieved the pinnacle of success. The deprivation and problems faced by them as they grew up in difficult times did not make them call their country by name. They were, every inch, proud Indians and made every Indian proud by their clean and exemplary life.
Dr. Kalam writes in his epochal work of thoughts ‘WINGS OF FIRE’ that he inherited honesty and self discipline from his father and from his mother he inherited faith in goodness and deep kindness. He speaks about his three friends, all from the orthodox Brahmin families. So also the respectful friendship of his father and the father of one of his friend, who also was the chief priest of the Rameshwaram temple.
He recollects an incident involving him and a teacher, who asked him to sit on the back bench instead of the first bench which greatly hurt him and his Brahmin friends. He also recollects how the chief priest of the Rameshwaram temple, Lakshmana Shastry, asked bluntly, the teacher, to apologize or leave the school for trying to vitiate the school atmosphere by bringing in intolerance into minds of young children. He recollects how his science teacher, an orthodox Brahmin, but rebel all the same, took keen interest in his studies and one day invited him home for a meal. Although in the first instance, wife of the teacher refused to serve young Abdul Kalam, the second time she had changed completely, after seeing the ritual he observed while and after eating.
One day Abdul Kalam had to leave Rameshwaram to Ramanathapuram for higher studies. He recollects how his father told him that "our love will not bind you nor will our needs hold you," and how he convinced his mother, quoting Khalil Gibran, "Your children are not your children. They are sons and daughters of life’s longing for itself. You may give them your love but not your thoughts. For they have their own thoughts". And mind you Khalil Gibran was an Arab Christian.
Abdul Kalam recollects the homesickness he had in Ramanathapuram and the absence of coherence and harmony of Rameshwaram. He writes "I was determined to come to terms with the new environment because I knew my father had invested great hopes in my success. My father visualized me as a collector in the making and I thought it my duty to realize my father’s dream, although I desperately missed the familiarity, security and comforts of Rameshwaram".
Of course the rest, as the cliché goes, is history. Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam grew into one of finest human beings of his time, so also probably the greatest Muslim this country produced. Can we compare this iconic personality with that of Safdar Nagori, a traitor and a terrorist, who has, as the Hindu editorial informs "is very bitter about being Indian". Instead of saying how ‘India is bitter about having sons like Nagori,’ this Hindu editorial tries to mollicoddle him and his ilk. In the context of constantly evolving India, this journalistic attitude is dangerous. The newspapers have an obligation and responsibility to write on positive subjects like life and philosophy of people like Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who is an icon every Indian can be proud of. And he grew without any clamour for rights or reservation and without any political help like Sachar Committees. Isn’t he the one who said that "COUNTRY IS GREATER THAN THE INDIVIDUAL"?! For the kind of massive contribution that Dr. Kalam has made for the missile technology, a grateful nation recognized him as ‘BHARAT RATNA’. Shouldn’t the whole community rejoice, not merely on his being coronated Bharath Rathna, but also as the 1st citizen of the country. Shouldn’t the media highlight the positive standards Dr. Kalam has set for any future President of India ? He had paid his own money as deposit for the election to the office of the President of India. He reduced greatly the massive use of consumables in the Rashtrapathi Bhavan. He even paid back every pie that Rashtrapathi Bhavan spent for his family, who visited probably only once in all the five year term, and stayed in the presidential palace. His record is impeccable. Our history books in schools must include his life story for the younger generation to read and feel inspired.
If you have at one extreme characters like Safdar Nagori at the other extreme there are inspiring souls like Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Then you have media created spokespersons like Dr. Shahid Badr Falahi, an old SIMI hand and academicians like Prof. Mushirul Hassan, the current V.C of Jamia Millia Islamia. These two gentlemen were recently interviewed by the WEEK for whatever it was worth. The academecian said "ban Bajrang Dal," when pointedly asked that question. But the interviewer didn’t pointedly ask a similar question if SIMI should be continued to be banned. The other person only spewed the SIMI venom, "Hindu fascists want to malign SIMI". Both persons tried forcefully to put the onus of the current problem in the country on Hindu outfits. The suspicion of a veiled agenda in presenting the views of these two spokespersons, is not entirely misplaced. While its indeed very difficult to exhonerate Hindu outfits of any wrong doing, but for Dr. Falahi to say that there is nothing wrong with SIMI, is a total negation of truth. At this point it is pertinent to quote what S. Ahmed Ali of Times of India had to say. Writing on ‘Terror Money from Mid East’ he informs that, "two of the hawala operators were from Pipe Road, Kurla (Mumbai) where SIMI’s office was earlier located and kingpin Riyaz Bhatkal used to live. It was here that two Bhatkal brothers-Riyaz & lqbal- became strong SIMI members and ran the office until Maharashtra Government sealed it in 2001?". This has completely rubbished all that which Dr. Falahi had said. Dr. Falahi was asked three questions Q) 1. Those arrested for Mumbai & Delhi blasts had SIMI links- 2. Is SIMI behind the blasts? 3. Is it true that the accused in the blasts are SIMI members? For all these questions, Dr. Falahi had same answer that they are not SIMI members and the blame is the creation of police and BJP. Question here is ‘what was the need to present the interview of this hardcore SIMI man’? Aren’t we lending credibility to these people?
Besides Dr. Falahi is a practicing doctor and how does he become marginalized? Could he be an Islamic radical instead?
This brings Hamid Dalwai, an intensely thought provoking writer from Ratnagiri in Maharashtra. His stimulating book ‘MUSLIM POLITICS IN SECULAR INDIA’ gives an absorbing account of the problem of Muslim communalism in India. He came as a meteor and vanished as a meteor. During these troubled times, his would have been a voice of sanity. He died young at the age of 44 years. Being a socialist at heart, he devoted himself to Muslim Social Reforms, especially to Muslim Women’s Rights. Muslim Satyashodak Mandal was his creation, due to which he faced many personal problems.
According to Dalwai, the tragedy of Indian Muslims does not lie so much in the backwardness of a vast majority of them in relation to the Hindus, as in the unwillingness of educated Muslims to undertake a critical reappraisal of their heritage. Same is not the case with Hindus, he opines. Beginning with Raja Ram Mohan Roy to Jawaharlal Nehru, there have been many intellectuals among Hindus who spoke and tried to influence the Hindu thought process. And all of them were accepted by vast section of Hindus as their leaders. Commenting on the historical perspective Dalwai says "It is an old habit of Indian Muslims to blame Hindus for their woes. However, the Indian Muslim intelligentsia has never really been critically introspective."
History, according to Dalwai, which has bred prejudices and animosity is a hindrance to all of us. All of us have to come out of the grip of our prejudices which originate in our past. It is not the fault of the young Brahmins of today that their ancestors gave inhuman treatment to the untouchables, and todays Indian Muslims are not responsible for the oppression to which Mahmed Ghaznavi or Aurangzeb subjected the Hindus. Fortunately, there is a class of Hindus today which bears the burden of its ancestor’s sins and tries to undo the damage by embracing social equality as a fundamental value. Similarly there has to emerge a class of Muslims which would accept the sins of Aurangzeb and, to undo the damage, would therefore embrace the concept of secular citizenship. The emergence and sustained growth of such a class of modern, secular dynamic liberals is the only effective answer to the Hindu Muslim communal problem.
Thus, it was clear to him that with all the problems within the Hindu community there is a forward looking approach among them, which is lacking among Muslims, and therefore needed, in the greater interest of both, in the days to come.
Its true that he has gone on with many aspects of the Muslim mind, which may not be needed here to be recounted. However, nowhere he spoke about the marginalisation of the community, due to which younger generation should feel agitated with the government and the non-Muslim part of the society. But the most important reason for him to write the book was, ‘to invite my Muslim brothers to do some necessary critical introspection so that they might start the discussion in a frank and systematic manner.’
Thus there appears no apparent reason for the bitterness expressed by the likes of Nagori and lunatics like Hafiz Mohd Saeed. Of course one of the enlightened souls of India Shabhana Azmi had reportedly observed that its true that Muslims do have problems renting houses in Mumbai. But then this statement was roundly refuted by Nasiruddin Shah, another blessed soul of India.
Both are right and both are wrong, which means partly they are right and partly they are wrong. There have been instances where non-Muslim landlords have refused houses to Muslim families. But what is important is the reluctance of the community to try to understand, the reasons for refusal. While some can be plain bias, all are not based on bias. There is a lurking fear of uncertainty among non-muslims when it comes to dealing with the community. Ask a credit card company or a bank. Most of them have said that they have difficulty in recovering dues from them. While there are many instance that can be quoted. Two of them require no confirmation. A man and his wife were so badly beaten that husband, succumbed to the injuries and wife still limping after many years. They are Hindus, and their only fault was asking for the money they lent to a man called Younis Khan. Then you have this case of Pooja Bedi applying for a credit card and the banks reservation in issuing it to her. The story had appeared in Times of India, in one of its Sunday editions some years ago. At that time she had married somebody by name Ebrahim and had applied as Pooja Bedi Ebrahim. The credit card issuing bank had asked if she could change her application to only Pooja Bedi, to which she refused. However, she wanted to know why. Answer was we have ‘instructions’. Of course, it may not be blanket ‘instructions’ but then reservation is not ruled out. That’s the scenario. Can this be called marginalisation or a crisis of credibility?
Thus there lies a huge scope for confidence building measures emanating from liberal Muslim leadership, suo moto, where surely liberal Hindu leadership shall be more than willing to spare its efforts to join hands for the mutual benefit of the society as a whole. This may have multiplier effect in advancing the over all cause of society in general and Muslim community in particular. Like Mr. Kadar Kukkady, a Mangalore based liberal Muslim thinker has stated, "one thing is crystal clear, in a country like India, the minorities who constitute just 20% of the population can never hope to survive unless they gained the goodwill of the majority. On the other hand, Hindus should realize that this country cannot dream of peace and progress if, as many as, 20 crore minority people are antagonized and radicalized by discrimination."
At this point it needs to be emphasized that this family of Kukkadies who are merchants, have among them in the family, highly placed professionals with a very liberal outlook, who have merged with the mainstream to such an extent, any communal upheaval always left them untouched in all the 61 years of free India. They stand mirror to a responsible/responsive social living. Something their co-religionists have to learn and progress.
When it comes to marginalisation, it needs to be appreciated that Indian Muslims, being Muslims, certainly have better opportunities, to travel to middle eastern counties, mainly due to the policy encouragement offered by these muslim countries for Muslims per se. And a good percentage of Indian Muslims have availed this opportunity and economically improved themselves. But the economic clout they earned did not go as much as, it should have gone, to improve the socio-economic or even educational position of their other less fortunate brethren. In fact, they contributed to the social disharmony. The reference made by the then Chief Minister of Kerala, AK. Antony, one of the most upright contemporary politician, to the Marad controversy in the north Kerala, is a case in point. Mr. Antony had gone on record stating that ‘minority community is playing politics with their money power.'
Thus, to make a blanket statement that Muslims are backward or marginalized and then order a study of their socio-economic status by a retired judge is nothing but under playing problems of other backward communities in India, who hardly have opportunity of traveling overseas to find better pastures.
Harken! Is somebody listening in New Delhi?
I&C Feature
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Are Muslims marginalised in India ?
P.A. Khader Kukkady
To put the above question in the right perspective it must be noted that the Muslims are not the only section, that has been marginalized in India. As a matter of fact, certain other groups like the Dalits, the Tribals and above all the countless crores of the rural and urban poor are more marginalised than the Muslims. However, it is true that the rift between the Hindus and Muslims makes for more news because it often expresses itself in violent conflicts and attracts international attention.
Moreover the Muslim alienation seems to be a post Independence phenomenon. Of course the seeds of mutual hatred were sown by the British in terms of their policy of ‘divide-and-rule’. During the previous so-called Muslim period in Indian History, the relations between the two communities were apparently peaceful. Of course there were wars between Hindu and Muslim rulers, but they were political conflicts-not religious ones. The fact that even the Muslim emperors did not seek to impose an Islamic regime in India is proof enough for this assertion. Secondly, it must be noted that during the Medieval Age, there were frequent wars between Hindu Rulers and between Muslim Rulers inter se. Yet another evidence of ‘secularism’ during the period was the fact that there were substantial numbers of Hindu ministers and Hindu military commanders in Muslim Kingdoms and Vice-Versa.
The present day animus between the two major communities can be traced to the original sin of vivisection of India in 1947 and the formation of Pakistan. In their haste to gain Independence, leaders of the Freedom Movement accepted the partition of the country ignoring the protest voiced by Mahatma Gandhi. What ensued was a veritable blood bath in which thousands of innocent men, women and children perished in violent riots. Millions more suffered the trauma of cross-migration between India and Pakistan. All this tragic drama had left an indelible print on the psyche of the people of the sub-continent in the form of Hindu-Muslim divide.
After Independence, the single most disastrous event that played havoc on Hindu-Muslim relationship was the demolition of the Babri Masjid and the subsequent holocausts and terrorist attacks in various parts of the country. Certain cynical politicians, in their single-minded pursuit of power, are still engaged in the mischief of vote-bank politics playing one community against the other. Consequently sporadic communal riots and terrorist attacks are not only hampering the progress of the nation but also tarnishing the image of India abroad.
No doubt, the majority of our country men are steeped in poverty, ignorance and superstition. But, like all common people in the world, they abhor violence and injustice. In reality it is only some of the leaders who instigate the masses by false propaganda. The solution therefore lies in the suppression of all anti-social elements without discrimination.
Both short-term and long-term measures are called for to tackle the problem. In the short-term, firm and impartial action must be taken by the law-enforcing authorities to curb communalist or mischievous propaganda and nip all riots and terrorist activities in the bud. Political leaders must rise above parochial considerations and selfish agenda. In the long-term, our educational system must be purged of communal prejudices and religious superstitions Text books and teachers infected by the communalist virus must be eliminated. It is a pity that community and caste-based educational institutions are coming up because of the failure of the government to schools and colleges.
Apart from the politicians and educators, the intellectuals have to play a crucial role in promoting the values of rationalism and secularism. It is heartening to note that there is no dearth of such leaders, thinkers, writers and artists in our country, but their voice seems to have drowned in the din and bustle worked up by petty-minded elements in the print and electronic media. Unless the mischief being played by the public media is reined in by the government, the future seems to be black indeed.
In short, all that is required to be done to curb communalism and promote national integration is to sincerely and effectively put into practice the values of secularism, socialism and democracy as enshrined in our constitution. What is coming in the way of this task is lack of will on the part of the political leadership and the ineptitude of the law-enforcing machinery. It must be noted that the basic solution for all our problems lies in establishing a just society-not a theocratic state.
One thing is crystal clear: In a country like India, the minorities who constitute just 20% of the population can never hope to survive unless they gained the goodwill of the majority. On the other hand, the Hindus should realize that this country cannot dream of peace and progress if as many as 20 crore minority people are antagonized and radicalized by discrimination.
To conclude, there seems to be no cause for despair. Let us hope that wisdom will prevail because the majority of stake holders are still in the camp of secularism.
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Are Muslims marginalised in India ?
"NOT REALLY"
To present a more representative views on the subject, I &C caught up with ever busy former Chairman of Karnataka Minority Development Corporation Mr. Anwar Manippadi. He is known for liberal views. We have presented here with question and answer session with him.
Q: It is true that vast majority of Muslims have not done well educationally and therefore employment wise. But so are Dalits and Tribals. What has failed them? Are Muslims in India really marginalized?
A: No, not really. No doubt there is educational and financial backwardness among a large section of Muslims. But historically it was not so. In 1947, there were 33% Muslims educated and 53 years of Congress rule helped it become 9%. During 1947/48, 27% Muslims had government jobs which came down to 7%. Congress really made Muslims scapegoats. They only got lip service. However, for whatever reasons, employment of Muslims in government jobs increased to 16%. and literacy to 17% during NDA regime.
Q: It is probably true that SIMI consists of moderates as well. But how can they bring about change by violence?
A: No, SIMI was never liberal and I do not think there were moderates among SIMI activists. Surely violence has no place in modern life and SIMI is increasingly being isolated by Muslims as well.
Q: We keep blaming Pakistani groups for terror attacks. Can they strike at will without local supports?
A: Surely, without local support, however miniscule, terrorism in India cannot sustain.
Q: There is a growing divide between Hindus & Muslims How do we address it?
A: All political parties should stop appeasement of Muslims. Lip service like promising moon should stop. Both congress and JD (S) have always opposed to have common civil code, which will truly unite India. Look at Goa, it has universal civil code, and there are very few problem in that state.
Q: What is your take on SIMI or Indian Mujahideen? So also Bajrang Dal and Shri Ram Sene.
A: You have to ban both SIMI and Indian Mujahideen. They are anti national. In fact SIMI and Indian Mujahideen are one and the same. Their members destroyed the fair name of Islam. As for Bajrang Dal , we cant paint them as bad as SIMI. Their loyalty to the country is beyond doubt. May be there are some unruly elements. But there are Congress supporters who masquarade as Bajrang Dal members to bring bad name to it. As for Shri Ram Sene, they are frustrated bunch of people being supported by opposition politicians in Karnataka.
Q: There is a realization that there are moderates among Muslims but they are not asserting themselves. Hence Hardliners are having a field day. What do you say?
A: It is quite true, Its time that they group themselves and assert and openly work against perpetration of violence.
Q: There is this Safdar Nagori who has said that he is ‘very bitter about being an Indian’. What have you to say on this? How representative is this view within the community?
A: If he has said that, he is definitely a traitor and should be tried accordingly. But I can assure you there is only a small lunatic fringe like Nagori, and vast majority of Indian Muslims are Indians thru and thru.
Q: Hafiz Mohd. Saeed, the Lashkar e-Thoeba man, has reportedly promised in 1999 at a rally that he "would not rest until the whole India is dissolved into Pakistan"
A: He is a mad dog, talking thru ‘his hat’
Q: What is your reaction on Sachar committee appointment and report?
A: Standing example of appeasement. Why only Muslims what about poor people in other communities? To bring up have nots, economic criteria should be the only basis.
Q: In the U.K and Europe veil has been controversial? How do you look at it?
A: Hijab as mentioned in Quran and as practiced in India are diametrically different. Its very primitive and shows the backwardness of our people. To protect one’s honour you don’t need a black robe to cover whole of your body. In fact hijab is misused by many criminals to escape the law by concealing their identity. Sometime even men misuse it for illegal purposes. There fore the community should think about reforming this code of dressing by Muslim women folks.
Q: We are a pluralistic society. How do you feel about it?
A: Yes our secular credentials are damaged. And political parties are the culprits, mainly the Congress party.
MARGINALISED IN INDIA?
Commenting on challenges of SIMI’s hate politics, the Hindu, had written in its editorial of April, 1, 2008, that "when in 2001, Safdar Nagori proclaimed in an interview that he was ‘very bitter about being Indian,’ he was voicing and exploiting the rage of a generation. Embittered at being denied social and economic equity and justice by a rising tide of communal prejudice and angered by a brutal succession of riots, massacres and pogroms that scarred the 1980s and 1990s, thousands of young people saw in Nagori’s calls for jihad the promise of justice - or at least a kind of retribution."
There are millions of Indians, in tribal hamlets, in rural India, in the slums of cities and towns, who are living a hand to mouth existence. They earn a $ or less a day. They are deprived of all those state benefits which are meant for them but siphoned off by well heeled civil society. They are desperate but are resigned to their fate. Programmes of self-help did make some inroads, but not a discernible difference.
This is how the good part of Indians are. They are poor, but do nothing to help themselves. But then they do not wage war against the nation. Of course some have become naxalites. However, none of them say that they are bitter being Indians. This man called Safdar Nagori, who complaints of bitterness of being Indian is a traitor and anti national. World is a huge place, he can go anywhere he wants to go. There were Indians who tried to seek asylum stating that they were persecuted. Similarly this Nagori can try asylum in say Pakistan, or middle-eastern countries or even some of the Far-Eastern Islamic countries. People like Nagori are poisonous and have vitiated the SIMI movement. Kind of hatred that Nagori and his band of activists can only bring about greater divide in the society. This will surely not help the Muslim cause and the editorial like the one in the Hindu, shall only keep the divide widening.
The SIMI, which probably was started to look for possible solutions to the problems, the youth of the community is facing, certainly must have deliberated the ways to reach its goal of bettering the community youth. If violence is the way it thought as a means then they are grossly mistaken. They will never succeed. But the point is, for any activity there is a need for money. And this SIMI is getting money from different sources including NRIs and Arab financiers.
The community could have done very well, if this money was used for education and other socially relevant activities, which they didn’t. They went hate mongering and that has only helped negatively the community, in enlarging the divide.
Coming to the question of marginalisation, we have published an account of an individual, probably a Hindu, who despite born into marginalsed fishing community pursued his education despite being an average student and advanced in his life steadily and is already helping the society around him. He claims to be a proud Indian, inspite of not taking anything from the system or the government as a benefit, due to his birth or the social position. In free India life is open for all. And I am sure there are many among Muslims who have made it good and big by sheer perseverance and hard work. And lot of them grew up without complaint and with positive contribution to the community at large and are proud of being Indian.
But look at the editorial of the Hindu, and there are many like them in the media and in public life who would brag and write that the ‘community is embittered at being denied social and economic equity and justice’. Here it is important to recapitulate. What Dr. Irfan Habib, the eminent historian had to say. "Muslim communalists had the preservation of Muslim seperatism, rather than the end of Muslim backwardness, as their basic aim", and had called for a conscious ideological struggle against the forces of Muslim communalism.
Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, is born to a little educated boatman owner, Jainulabdeen in Rameshwaram. Family of Jainulabdeen was of ordinary means. However parents of Abdul Kalam were determined to give proper education to the young Abdul Kalam. Of course as the life unfolded itself, Abdul Kalam not only grew in years but also grew in stature to grow into one of the best scientific brains not just of India but internationally speaking. The ‘rocket scientist’ that he grew up to be called, propelled him to be the Bharath Ratna in an India which took immense pride in making him the 11th President of India on 25th July 2002. In an India, where 80% of the population consists of Hindus, A.P.J.Abdul Kalam was the 3rd Muslim president.
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was born into a humble background and yet he made it to the highest office of the land. So was Shri K.R. Narayanan, travelled from the unlettered existence of Wayanad to the Viceregal palace via the famed London School of Economics. By sheer dint of application and hard work these two gentlemen achieved the pinnacle of success. The deprivation and problems faced by them as they grew up in difficult times did not make them call their country by name. They were, every inch, proud Indians and made every Indian proud by their clean and exemplary life.
Dr. Kalam writes in his epochal work of thoughts ‘WINGS OF FIRE’ that he inherited honesty and self discipline from his father and from his mother he inherited faith in goodness and deep kindness. He speaks about his three friends, all from the orthodox Brahmin families. So also the respectful friendship of his father and the father of one of his friend, who also was the chief priest of the Rameshwaram temple.
He recollects an incident involving him and a teacher, who asked him to sit on the back bench instead of the first bench which greatly hurt him and his Brahmin friends. He also recollects how the chief priest of the Rameshwaram temple, Lakshmana Shastry, asked bluntly, the teacher, to apologize or leave the school for trying to vitiate the school atmosphere by bringing in intolerance into minds of young children. He recollects how his science teacher, an orthodox Brahmin, but rebel all the same, took keen interest in his studies and one day invited him home for a meal. Although in the first instance, wife of the teacher refused to serve young Abdul Kalam, the second time she had changed completely, after seeing the ritual he observed while and after eating.
One day Abdul Kalam had to leave Rameshwaram to Ramanathapuram for higher studies. He recollects how his father told him that "our love will not bind you nor will our needs hold you," and how he convinced his mother, quoting Khalil Gibran, "Your children are not your children. They are sons and daughters of life’s longing for itself. You may give them your love but not your thoughts. For they have their own thoughts". And mind you Khalil Gibran was an Arab Christian.
Abdul Kalam recollects the homesickness he had in Ramanathapuram and the absence of coherence and harmony of Rameshwaram. He writes "I was determined to come to terms with the new environment because I knew my father had invested great hopes in my success. My father visualized me as a collector in the making and I thought it my duty to realize my father’s dream, although I desperately missed the familiarity, security and comforts of Rameshwaram".
Of course the rest, as the cliché goes, is history. Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam grew into one of finest human beings of his time, so also probably the greatest Muslim this country produced. Can we compare this iconic personality with that of Safdar Nagori, a traitor and a terrorist, who has, as the Hindu editorial informs "is very bitter about being Indian". Instead of saying how ‘India is bitter about having sons like Nagori,’ this Hindu editorial tries to mollicoddle him and his ilk. In the context of constantly evolving India, this journalistic attitude is dangerous. The newspapers have an obligation and responsibility to write on positive subjects like life and philosophy of people like Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who is an icon every Indian can be proud of. And he grew without any clamour for rights or reservation and without any political help like Sachar Committees. Isn’t he the one who said that "COUNTRY IS GREATER THAN THE INDIVIDUAL"?! For the kind of massive contribution that Dr. Kalam has made for the missile technology, a grateful nation recognized him as ‘BHARAT RATNA’. Shouldn’t the whole community rejoice, not merely on his being coronated Bharath Rathna, but also as the 1st citizen of the country. Shouldn’t the media highlight the positive standards Dr. Kalam has set for any future President of India ? He had paid his own money as deposit for the election to the office of the President of India. He reduced greatly the massive use of consumables in the Rashtrapathi Bhavan. He even paid back every pie that Rashtrapathi Bhavan spent for his family, who visited probably only once in all the five year term, and stayed in the presidential palace. His record is impeccable. Our history books in schools must include his life story for the younger generation to read and feel inspired.
If you have at one extreme characters like Safdar Nagori at the other extreme there are inspiring souls like Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Then you have media created spokespersons like Dr. Shahid Badr Falahi, an old SIMI hand and academicians like Prof. Mushirul Hassan, the current V.C of Jamia Millia Islamia. These two gentlemen were recently interviewed by the WEEK for whatever it was worth. The academecian said "ban Bajrang Dal," when pointedly asked that question. But the interviewer didn’t pointedly ask a similar question if SIMI should be continued to be banned. The other person only spewed the SIMI venom, "Hindu fascists want to malign SIMI". Both persons tried forcefully to put the onus of the current problem in the country on Hindu outfits. The suspicion of a veiled agenda in presenting the views of these two spokespersons, is not entirely misplaced. While its indeed very difficult to exhonerate Hindu outfits of any wrong doing, but for Dr. Falahi to say that there is nothing wrong with SIMI, is a total negation of truth. At this point it is pertinent to quote what S. Ahmed Ali of Times of India had to say. Writing on ‘Terror Money from Mid East’ he informs that, "two of the hawala operators were from Pipe Road, Kurla (Mumbai) where SIMI’s office was earlier located and kingpin Riyaz Bhatkal used to live. It was here that two Bhatkal brothers-Riyaz & lqbal- became strong SIMI members and ran the office until Maharashtra Government sealed it in 2001?". This has completely rubbished all that which Dr. Falahi had said. Dr. Falahi was asked three questions Q) 1. Those arrested for Mumbai & Delhi blasts had SIMI links- 2. Is SIMI behind the blasts? 3. Is it true that the accused in the blasts are SIMI members? For all these questions, Dr. Falahi had same answer that they are not SIMI members and the blame is the creation of police and BJP. Question here is ‘what was the need to present the interview of this hardcore SIMI man’? Aren’t we lending credibility to these people?
Besides Dr. Falahi is a practicing doctor and how does he become marginalized? Could he be an Islamic radical instead?
This brings Hamid Dalwai, an intensely thought provoking writer from Ratnagiri in Maharashtra. His stimulating book ‘MUSLIM POLITICS IN SECULAR INDIA’ gives an absorbing account of the problem of Muslim communalism in India. He came as a meteor and vanished as a meteor. During these troubled times, his would have been a voice of sanity. He died young at the age of 44 years. Being a socialist at heart, he devoted himself to Muslim Social Reforms, especially to Muslim Women’s Rights. Muslim Satyashodak Mandal was his creation, due to which he faced many personal problems.
According to Dalwai, the tragedy of Indian Muslims does not lie so much in the backwardness of a vast majority of them in relation to the Hindus, as in the unwillingness of educated Muslims to undertake a critical reappraisal of their heritage. Same is not the case with Hindus, he opines. Beginning with Raja Ram Mohan Roy to Jawaharlal Nehru, there have been many intellectuals among Hindus who spoke and tried to influence the Hindu thought process. And all of them were accepted by vast section of Hindus as their leaders. Commenting on the historical perspective Dalwai says "It is an old habit of Indian Muslims to blame Hindus for their woes. However, the Indian Muslim intelligentsia has never really been critically introspective."
History, according to Dalwai, which has bred prejudices and animosity is a hindrance to all of us. All of us have to come out of the grip of our prejudices which originate in our past. It is not the fault of the young Brahmins of today that their ancestors gave inhuman treatment to the untouchables, and todays Indian Muslims are not responsible for the oppression to which Mahmed Ghaznavi or Aurangzeb subjected the Hindus. Fortunately, there is a class of Hindus today which bears the burden of its ancestor’s sins and tries to undo the damage by embracing social equality as a fundamental value. Similarly there has to emerge a class of Muslims which would accept the sins of Aurangzeb and, to undo the damage, would therefore embrace the concept of secular citizenship. The emergence and sustained growth of such a class of modern, secular dynamic liberals is the only effective answer to the Hindu Muslim communal problem.
Thus, it was clear to him that with all the problems within the Hindu community there is a forward looking approach among them, which is lacking among Muslims, and therefore needed, in the greater interest of both, in the days to come.
Its true that he has gone on with many aspects of the Muslim mind, which may not be needed here to be recounted. However, nowhere he spoke about the marginalisation of the community, due to which younger generation should feel agitated with the government and the non-Muslim part of the society. But the most important reason for him to write the book was, ‘to invite my Muslim brothers to do some necessary critical introspection so that they might start the discussion in a frank and systematic manner.’
Thus there appears no apparent reason for the bitterness expressed by the likes of Nagori and lunatics like Hafiz Mohd Saeed. Of course one of the enlightened souls of India Shabhana Azmi had reportedly observed that its true that Muslims do have problems renting houses in Mumbai. But then this statement was roundly refuted by Nasiruddin Shah, another blessed soul of India.
Both are right and both are wrong, which means partly they are right and partly they are wrong. There have been instances where non-Muslim landlords have refused houses to Muslim families. But what is important is the reluctance of the community to try to understand, the reasons for refusal. While some can be plain bias, all are not based on bias. There is a lurking fear of uncertainty among non-muslims when it comes to dealing with the community. Ask a credit card company or a bank. Most of them have said that they have difficulty in recovering dues from them. While there are many instance that can be quoted. Two of them require no confirmation. A man and his wife were so badly beaten that husband, succumbed to the injuries and wife still limping after many years. They are Hindus, and their only fault was asking for the money they lent to a man called Younis Khan. Then you have this case of Pooja Bedi applying for a credit card and the banks reservation in issuing it to her. The story had appeared in Times of India, in one of its Sunday editions some years ago. At that time she had married somebody by name Ebrahim and had applied as Pooja Bedi Ebrahim. The credit card issuing bank had asked if she could change her application to only Pooja Bedi, to which she refused. However, she wanted to know why. Answer was we have ‘instructions’. Of course, it may not be blanket ‘instructions’ but then reservation is not ruled out. That’s the scenario. Can this be called marginalisation or a crisis of credibility?
Thus there lies a huge scope for confidence building measures emanating from liberal Muslim leadership, suo moto, where surely liberal Hindu leadership shall be more than willing to spare its efforts to join hands for the mutual benefit of the society as a whole. This may have multiplier effect in advancing the over all cause of society in general and Muslim community in particular. Like Mr. Kadar Kukkady, a Mangalore based liberal Muslim thinker has stated, "one thing is crystal clear, in a country like India, the minorities who constitute just 20% of the population can never hope to survive unless they gained the goodwill of the majority. On the other hand, Hindus should realize that this country cannot dream of peace and progress if, as many as, 20 crore minority people are antagonized and radicalized by discrimination."
At this point it needs to be emphasized that this family of Kukkadies who are merchants, have among them in the family, highly placed professionals with a very liberal outlook, who have merged with the mainstream to such an extent, any communal upheaval always left them untouched in all the 61 years of free India. They stand mirror to a responsible/responsive social living. Something their co-religionists have to learn and progress.
When it comes to marginalisation, it needs to be appreciated that Indian Muslims, being Muslims, certainly have better opportunities, to travel to middle eastern counties, mainly due to the policy encouragement offered by these muslim countries for Muslims per se. And a good percentage of Indian Muslims have availed this opportunity and economically improved themselves. But the economic clout they earned did not go as much as, it should have gone, to improve the socio-economic or even educational position of their other less fortunate brethren. In fact, they contributed to the social disharmony. The reference made by the then Chief Minister of Kerala, AK. Antony, one of the most upright contemporary politician, to the Marad controversy in the north Kerala, is a case in point. Mr. Antony had gone on record stating that ‘minority community is playing politics with their money power.'
Thus, to make a blanket statement that Muslims are backward or marginalized and then order a study of their socio-economic status by a retired judge is nothing but under playing problems of other backward communities in India, who hardly have opportunity of traveling overseas to find better pastures.
Harken! Is somebody listening in New Delhi?
I&C Feature
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Are Muslims marginalised in India ?
P.A. Khader Kukkady
To put the above question in the right perspective it must be noted that the Muslims are not the only section, that has been marginalized in India. As a matter of fact, certain other groups like the Dalits, the Tribals and above all the countless crores of the rural and urban poor are more marginalised than the Muslims. However, it is true that the rift between the Hindus and Muslims makes for more news because it often expresses itself in violent conflicts and attracts international attention.
Moreover the Muslim alienation seems to be a post Independence phenomenon. Of course the seeds of mutual hatred were sown by the British in terms of their policy of ‘divide-and-rule’. During the previous so-called Muslim period in Indian History, the relations between the two communities were apparently peaceful. Of course there were wars between Hindu and Muslim rulers, but they were political conflicts-not religious ones. The fact that even the Muslim emperors did not seek to impose an Islamic regime in India is proof enough for this assertion. Secondly, it must be noted that during the Medieval Age, there were frequent wars between Hindu Rulers and between Muslim Rulers inter se. Yet another evidence of ‘secularism’ during the period was the fact that there were substantial numbers of Hindu ministers and Hindu military commanders in Muslim Kingdoms and Vice-Versa.
The present day animus between the two major communities can be traced to the original sin of vivisection of India in 1947 and the formation of Pakistan. In their haste to gain Independence, leaders of the Freedom Movement accepted the partition of the country ignoring the protest voiced by Mahatma Gandhi. What ensued was a veritable blood bath in which thousands of innocent men, women and children perished in violent riots. Millions more suffered the trauma of cross-migration between India and Pakistan. All this tragic drama had left an indelible print on the psyche of the people of the sub-continent in the form of Hindu-Muslim divide.
After Independence, the single most disastrous event that played havoc on Hindu-Muslim relationship was the demolition of the Babri Masjid and the subsequent holocausts and terrorist attacks in various parts of the country. Certain cynical politicians, in their single-minded pursuit of power, are still engaged in the mischief of vote-bank politics playing one community against the other. Consequently sporadic communal riots and terrorist attacks are not only hampering the progress of the nation but also tarnishing the image of India abroad.
No doubt, the majority of our country men are steeped in poverty, ignorance and superstition. But, like all common people in the world, they abhor violence and injustice. In reality it is only some of the leaders who instigate the masses by false propaganda. The solution therefore lies in the suppression of all anti-social elements without discrimination.
Both short-term and long-term measures are called for to tackle the problem. In the short-term, firm and impartial action must be taken by the law-enforcing authorities to curb communalist or mischievous propaganda and nip all riots and terrorist activities in the bud. Political leaders must rise above parochial considerations and selfish agenda. In the long-term, our educational system must be purged of communal prejudices and religious superstitions Text books and teachers infected by the communalist virus must be eliminated. It is a pity that community and caste-based educational institutions are coming up because of the failure of the government to schools and colleges.
Apart from the politicians and educators, the intellectuals have to play a crucial role in promoting the values of rationalism and secularism. It is heartening to note that there is no dearth of such leaders, thinkers, writers and artists in our country, but their voice seems to have drowned in the din and bustle worked up by petty-minded elements in the print and electronic media. Unless the mischief being played by the public media is reined in by the government, the future seems to be black indeed.
In short, all that is required to be done to curb communalism and promote national integration is to sincerely and effectively put into practice the values of secularism, socialism and democracy as enshrined in our constitution. What is coming in the way of this task is lack of will on the part of the political leadership and the ineptitude of the law-enforcing machinery. It must be noted that the basic solution for all our problems lies in establishing a just society-not a theocratic state.
One thing is crystal clear: In a country like India, the minorities who constitute just 20% of the population can never hope to survive unless they gained the goodwill of the majority. On the other hand, the Hindus should realize that this country cannot dream of peace and progress if as many as 20 crore minority people are antagonized and radicalized by discrimination.
To conclude, there seems to be no cause for despair. Let us hope that wisdom will prevail because the majority of stake holders are still in the camp of secularism.
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Are Muslims marginalised in India ?
"NOT REALLY"
To present a more representative views on the subject, I &C caught up with ever busy former Chairman of Karnataka Minority Development Corporation Mr. Anwar Manippadi. He is known for liberal views. We have presented here with question and answer session with him.
Q: It is true that vast majority of Muslims have not done well educationally and therefore employment wise. But so are Dalits and Tribals. What has failed them? Are Muslims in India really marginalized?
A: No, not really. No doubt there is educational and financial backwardness among a large section of Muslims. But historically it was not so. In 1947, there were 33% Muslims educated and 53 years of Congress rule helped it become 9%. During 1947/48, 27% Muslims had government jobs which came down to 7%. Congress really made Muslims scapegoats. They only got lip service. However, for whatever reasons, employment of Muslims in government jobs increased to 16%. and literacy to 17% during NDA regime.
Q: It is probably true that SIMI consists of moderates as well. But how can they bring about change by violence?
A: No, SIMI was never liberal and I do not think there were moderates among SIMI activists. Surely violence has no place in modern life and SIMI is increasingly being isolated by Muslims as well.
Q: We keep blaming Pakistani groups for terror attacks. Can they strike at will without local supports?
A: Surely, without local support, however miniscule, terrorism in India cannot sustain.
Q: There is a growing divide between Hindus & Muslims How do we address it?
A: All political parties should stop appeasement of Muslims. Lip service like promising moon should stop. Both congress and JD (S) have always opposed to have common civil code, which will truly unite India. Look at Goa, it has universal civil code, and there are very few problem in that state.
Q: What is your take on SIMI or Indian Mujahideen? So also Bajrang Dal and Shri Ram Sene.
A: You have to ban both SIMI and Indian Mujahideen. They are anti national. In fact SIMI and Indian Mujahideen are one and the same. Their members destroyed the fair name of Islam. As for Bajrang Dal , we cant paint them as bad as SIMI. Their loyalty to the country is beyond doubt. May be there are some unruly elements. But there are Congress supporters who masquarade as Bajrang Dal members to bring bad name to it. As for Shri Ram Sene, they are frustrated bunch of people being supported by opposition politicians in Karnataka.
Q: There is a realization that there are moderates among Muslims but they are not asserting themselves. Hence Hardliners are having a field day. What do you say?
A: It is quite true, Its time that they group themselves and assert and openly work against perpetration of violence.
Q: There is this Safdar Nagori who has said that he is ‘very bitter about being an Indian’. What have you to say on this? How representative is this view within the community?
A: If he has said that, he is definitely a traitor and should be tried accordingly. But I can assure you there is only a small lunatic fringe like Nagori, and vast majority of Indian Muslims are Indians thru and thru.
Q: Hafiz Mohd. Saeed, the Lashkar e-Thoeba man, has reportedly promised in 1999 at a rally that he "would not rest until the whole India is dissolved into Pakistan"
A: He is a mad dog, talking thru ‘his hat’
Q: What is your reaction on Sachar committee appointment and report?
A: Standing example of appeasement. Why only Muslims what about poor people in other communities? To bring up have nots, economic criteria should be the only basis.
Q: In the U.K and Europe veil has been controversial? How do you look at it?
A: Hijab as mentioned in Quran and as practiced in India are diametrically different. Its very primitive and shows the backwardness of our people. To protect one’s honour you don’t need a black robe to cover whole of your body. In fact hijab is misused by many criminals to escape the law by concealing their identity. Sometime even men misuse it for illegal purposes. There fore the community should think about reforming this code of dressing by Muslim women folks.
Q: We are a pluralistic society. How do you feel about it?
A: Yes our secular credentials are damaged. And political parties are the culprits, mainly the Congress party.
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