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By Najmuddin Ahmad Farooqi
YESTERDAY – Teaches ; TODAY – Thrive and strive & TOMORROW – Hope
Indian Muslims are passing through a trying and testing time the fact not hidden any more. The community’s behaviour and the response to the situation is satisfactory and admirable.
Out of the number of articles written by me in the past, the focal point have been the history of Hindu-Muslim conflict. Hindu Muslim riots also have a long history and more often the socio economic factors play key role in the communal flare ups.
Barring exceptions loss of life and property sustained in those riots, belonged to Indian Muslims proportionate to their population corresponding to the period used to be much higher than the people from the Hindu community. Ironically much higher the number and the percentage of people arrested, also belonged to the same Community.
The plight of Indian Muslims has reached to a flash point now widening the gulf between the communities. The post emergence of nationalism during the late 19th century the balance of communal harmony never returned to a normal for longer durations.
Today it has entered in state of conundrum disturbing and disgraceful to the very Idea of India and also clash with the spirit of Constitution. The people of India have never seen before nor could have ever imagined about the level of anti Muslim hatred and the bias as it is existed in the country today.
The ten years BJP rule has taken the Indian Muslims by surprise, especially the youth never ever witnessed before and also the people lacking knowledge in the history of ever intensifying growth of rightist ideology and finally those who had taken the system and the majority community for granted.
Ignoring the perpetual growth of hindutva political ideology a large population of Indian Muslims remained complacent and relishing the comfort of the cozy beds laid out by the past regimes especially the regional political parties obviously now those people are the worst victims of Stockholm syndrome.
Expert of utilising every window of opportunity the BJP think tank branded the policy of regional parties as Muslim appeasement. The program was well orchestrated and the absence of sharp rebuttal from opposition parties had made it more conducive for the BJP to eventually encash the dividend in the form of winning with comfortable margins the later held elections.
According to Manu Smriti the creator of humankind is Brahma and the first and the non biologically born human was “Manu”. Ever since then the human race progressed through biological birth.
The daughters of Manu were born biologically from his wife. Similarly in Semitic religions after creation of first human being “Adam”, the following human race progressed only from biological birth. So as the animals and Plant kingdom.
Similarly Cow belongs to the animal kingdom. The Cow has usually been contentious in Hindus-Muslim conflict and at times ignited clashes. Nowadays it has taken a centrestage of controversy and become a precious political commodity.
The competitive Hindutva goons anywhere in the country attack public place spontaneously attack beat up or kill Muslims in the name of carrying cow meat or selling a cow. Adding insult to injury the goons brazenly and fearlessly record the incidents and circulate the videos on SM.
The Cow (Gau Mata) is no doubt sacred to Sanatan belief, the government make shelter homes for their better care. Over a century ago Ulema e Hind issued Fatwas in the favour of protection of cow, not to kill and not to eat cow meat. The Fatwas are valid even today.
I am absolutely fine the Indian Muslims must respect the feelings of Hindu brethren، never harm the cows and take necessary possible care. I appreciate Sanatan Dharma for taking care of the gentle animal. But in the same breath following questions start disturbing me:
1) While driving a car suppose a person has only one choice either save the cow come in front of the vehicle or the driver’s own life, what will the driver do ?
2) Suppose under a given circumstance a person driving a car has only one choice either save own Mata ( or any other person for that matter sitting in the car ) or the Gau Mata came in front of the vehicle, whom do the person save ?
3) Suppose in a medical emergency a person has one choice either to take own Mata (or any other person) to a hospital or a seriously ill Gu Mata, what will the person do ?
4) Undoubtedly it’s good, taking care of Gau Mata and to make shelter homes for them. But on the contrary what about a home of an accused bulldozed by authorities immediately after the alleged crime, here what about the “Mata” of the accused where will she go ?
5) What about trauma of “Mata” of innocent Muslim arrested or languish in jail on flimsy ground or for a petty offence though the charges framed under IPC sections invite major punishment ?
6) The hindutva groups have the licence to kill an Indian Muslim allegedly carrying cow meat or transporting a cow and the list goes on and what about the same Hindutva groups defame the Holy Qur’an calling to kill kafirs (though that is absolutely untrue) ?
7) Ex-gratia payments to the legal heirs of the people killed or injured during a communal riots, by the BJP governments is unfairly distributed, much more to a Hindu and much less to a Muslim. Question is this unequal distribution defies the “sab ka sath sab ka vikas and sab ka vishwas” or not ?:and also does it violate the natural justice or ont ?
Today’s atmosphere disturbs a Muslim youth, questions come to their minds:
•Has their destiny disrupted if yes when and what are the factors ?
•Religion hinders ?
•Socio psychological factors responsible ?
•Number of religion’s schools of thought play a role ?
•All or more than one of the above factors responsible ?
Future possibility of change;
•Are the doors shut and not much is left for Muslims in India ?
•Is this not an opportune time for socio cultural reforms ?
•A new era is in the offing, no giving up, cease the opportunity and excel to succeed ?
•For a better future, is that feasible for Indian Muslims to constructively tackle the communal problem and if so how can they contribute ?
We may notice a silver lining today as the data suggest, Indian Muslims are performing better than the other minorities almost in all areas despite lagging much behind the poor scheduled caste in terms of per capita income.
There is need for consideration on priority of socio economic and cultural reforms in the areas obstructing under the present scenario the development and growth of Indian Muslims.
The reforms not in contravention to sharia are to be taken up. I don’t believe in the criticism of the seminaries and the lives of past and the present Ulema e Hind whose contribution in the field of education and service of the nation is exemplary and unforgettable.
The reforms can’t achieve unless bridge the gulf between Clergy and the social leaders, scholars, intellectuals and especially the people with scientific temper forming a common think tank followed by brainstorming. If need be the brainstorming may continue for days or months, dialogue to go on until consensus is arrived and resolution is adopted for a “common minimum program”.
That may follow formulating the road map for on the ground implementation of the program. Inter-religion dialogue and good neighbourly relations with non Muslims should also have under our special consideration
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