Cremation of tolerant India—I

For a very long time, India has mischievously hoodwinked the world regarding its perception. To the global audience, since 1947, when Pakistan was carved out as a ‘Muslim State’, India in contrast has projected itself as a ‘secular ‘ country. Far from truth. This theme was meant to showcase Indian society as a tolerant and peace-loving country.

The diversity in religion, creed, caste, colour and language that India had and continues to have was submerged in the active narrative of its being a secular country, where all of its citizens, despite diversity, had equal rights. The population inclusivity principle remained its strongest selling point; however, distorted in reality it was, at least it was, till the departure of Jawaharlal Nehru to the yonder.

In a very small measure, the claim of secular attitude was near to some truth. Following Gandhi’s assassination at the hands of the RSS- inspired Hindu fanatic or more appropriately in today’s parlance, Hindu terrorist, Jawaharlal Nehru represented the Gandhian thought of “Ahimsa”, and he actually practiced it.

In the communal riots that came in the wake of the Partition, Nehru, at least publicly, stood with the Muslims of India. It will be historical injustice if the secular mindset of Gandhi and Nehru, wasn’t recognised; their consistent attitude and behaviour of goodwill towards the Muslims is evidenced in history sufficiently. They were humane.

The Congress party and other political parties had members who possessed the regressive mindset. Their brains were on fire to seek and avenge the Muslim rule over the Indian sub-continent of over a thousand years.

The person who is credited with creating a cohesive Indian Union of States is Sardar Vallabhai Patel, a man known for his meanness, duplicity and deviousness, and who never masked his anti-Muslim feelings.

He was uncontrollable by Nehru. His association with other freedom fighters gave him advantage, which he used most unfairly and unfavourably against the Muslims minority. Patel successfully architectured with deceit and deception the swallowing up of Hyderabad state, Junagadh and Jammu & Kashmir into the Indian Union.

It was Patel who brought communalism to the fore in the Indian social setup. Later years, his protégés and admirers like LK Advani and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the latter to a lesser degree, and more recently, Narendra Modi (whose hatred for Muslims and other minorities has never been below the zenith mark) have today come to represent the Hindu India.

Pakistan and India have been in conflict several times over, yet the man on the street, on both sides of the fence, doesn’t carry as much ill will and distrust for each other as do the governments. Only two days back, in the cricketing arena, we all witnessed a great camaraderie between the Pakistan and Indian cricketers: Shadab tying the shoe laces of Hardik or Virat sharing a joke with Babar and Afridi were great sights.

That perhaps instilled hope for a durable peace, but for Modi, the “Butcher of Gujarat”. Congress party has traditionally been an ally of the Muslims, while BJP has always positioned, expressed and demonstrated pathological hatred for Muslims and other minorities.

The government of the “Butcher of Gujarat” has unleashed upon the Muslims the worst form of violence, with new heights of persecution.

The Christians, Sikhs, Dalits and what they inhumanly refer to as “untouchables” haven’t been spared. The seven sister states of the Northeast India are brewing with separatist demands for independence. This powder keg that New Delhi is sitting upon will most likely blow up in their faces, sooner than they expect.

The ruthless massacre of innocent citizens in Mizoram, Assam, Nagaland, Tripura, etc., reflect the communal mindset of Modi and his handpicked minister of interior, Amit Shah, nay the terrorist, Ajit. Women, men and children are killed in Kashmir and other states with impunity and total disregard to basic human expectations of justice and respect.

Men are butchered in the presence of their families. Men are made to watch helplessly their mothers and daughters being picked up by the lawless enforcement agencies. The plight of the Kashmiri women is a scar on the face of humanity and world conscience.

There is nothing wrong with Hinduism as a religion; like most religions its teachings are based on love, tolerance, peace and goodwill towards all. How the “Hindutva” version of Modi distinguishes from true Hinduism was best explained by Mani Shankar Iyer in an interview with renowned TV journalist Karan Thapar.

Mani Shankar Iyer had served as Indian Consul General at Karachi during early Zia years. While comparing Ziaul Haq’s Islamisation programme with Modi’s Hindutva, he made a remarkable comment. Said he, Zia’s programme was meant to invite Muslims to lead an Islamic life; it wasn’t directed against any religion, culture or caste; while Modi’s Hindutva programme is directed towards creating enmity with the Muslims in particular, and generally with all other religions. This vicious enmity in the last nine years of his rule has taken the form of extreme hatred, leading up to justifying the killings of innocent Muslims.

Muslims are facing ruthless state-sponsored terrorism at the hands of the Modi’s government. The saffron-draped butcher represents no nobility associated with the attire in Hindu culture.

(To be continued on Wednesday)

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023