Communal hatred spouted right at Jantar Mantar but govt remains quiet

Hate and hatred-laced speeches and slogans have reached right up to New Delhi’s Sansad Marg. All out in the open. Last weekend several Hindutva goons and their promoters and organisers reached right up to that significant central spot of this capital city and rendered anti-Muslim hate filled slogans and speeches. In fact, this was a repeat of what took place a week back at Delhi’s Dwarka locality where a Hajj House is coming up.

Such blatant, targeted and horrific unleashing against the largest minority community of the country took place and yet not a single ruler shed a tear or two! Not even those crocodile tears! Perhaps it should not to be even expected because the basic underlying fact cannot be overlooked that the rulers/members of the present Right Wing government carry RSS backgrounders to them; several former pracharacks and mahapracharacks are now part of the government.

I have been hearing communal comments for the last several years. And as an Indian Muslim I find these obnoxious comments not just humiliating and painful but highly disgusting and dangerous! They are the forewarnings of eerie build-ups!

And in these recent years there’s only been an acceleration in the number of the Right-Wing brigades and the communal thoughts stuffed in them and the communal poisoning that’s been made to spread around.

Surely this communal unleash cannot be taking place without the direct or indirect support of the present day Right-Wing government in power! And who on earth can fight those who are governing, with all possible official machinery and ministries under their control?

In fact, in these recent years I have been focusing on the grim and painful realities spreading out, but does the establishment care? Apparently not!

Horrifying communal propaganda has been going on in full scale against the Muslims! Today the very governmental machinery looks at every second Muslim as a potential trouble maker if not a potential or an upcoming terrorist! Nobody even bothers to question or query - how could ISIS or the Al-Qaeda or any of the much- flaunted terror outfits survive or exist without the support of the Right-Wing lobbies and the superpowers of the world?

The tragedy is that today, nobody even bothers to question the very authenticity to the terror outfits; fed that we are on a heady dose of outrageously prejudiced propaganda against the Muslims.

Do the political men and the administrators and planners realize what this ruthless and communal attitude would lead to? What’s left of our democracy? If the situation continues to be like this, a day could soon come when each one of the liberal progressive citizens would have to carry an ID card or a placard with this one liner scribbled on it - ‘I’m a Muslim / Dalit / Christian/ Sikh/ Tribal / Leftist / Marxist / Trade Unionist …but not terrorist!

Also, one will have to think a hundred times before uttering the K word (Kashmir) or the M word (Musalmaans) or I (Islam) or D (Dalits) or R (Refuge-seeker).

Recently an Indian Muslim uttered these introductory lines to his very existence : "I’m a Musalmaan-Dalit, trying to survive in a Hindu Rashtra ruled by a bunch of pracharacks and maha pracharaks. Don’t know till about when I can survive before I’m lynched and murdered by the ruling political mafia, on any given pretext - cow trader, beef consumer, Talaq giver or taker, Azaan-lover, mosque-goer for Namaaz!"

Mind you, a Muslim’s anger is not against the Hindu but against the fascist communal forces. I would in fact not hesitate in saying that whatever little chance of survival holds out for the Indian Muslim community is because of the liberal and progressive Hindus and Sikhs and Christians and Atheists and Parsis, who refuse to be part of the Hindutva brigades. Today hundreds and thousands of non- Muslims are taking on the fascist Hindutva brigades. They are risking their lives and livelihoods and careers, by taking on the communal characters. Yes, today it is a clash between the non- Sanghis and the destroyers of this land!

True nationalists are all those who are striving against all possible odds to see to it that the fabric that binds this country together isn’t ruptured, and we continue to co-exist and live on.

Academic and activist VK Tripathi’s recent visit to the Kashmir Valley and his observations!

Last month, the New Delhi based former IIT Physics Professor turned activist, VK Tripathi, visited the Kashmir Valley. He told me in detail about some grim aspects that came to his notice.

To quote him on this, “I visited Kashmir for 4 days from July 6 to July 10. I met a cross section of people in Anantnag and Srinagar. After August 5, 2019, the Valley has been mostly in lockdown fully or partially and the economic activities have been at a very subdued level. Schools and colleges have remained closed. IT graduates and other professionals told that new jobs have not come up. Tourism has come up in last one month but at a low level. A meeting with dozens of taxi men in Anantnag revealed that eight months ago, 250 taxis were hired by the District Commissioner for DDC (District Development Council) for BDC elections. Their dues (Rs. 40,000 and above per taxi man) have not been paid as yet while they are in deep financial hardship due to prolonged lockdown. Next day I went to Lt Governor’s residence to request him to intervene but could not get appointment; I left a letter for him. It reflected there is no channel to communicate peoples’ grievances to the government as there are no peoples’ representatives, no democratic process.”

Tripathi also told me that the Kashmiris feel extremely hurt by the fact that though they receive all tourists with immense warmth but when they travel here, to our towns and cities, they are looked upon with suspicions and distrust.

To quote him on this- “Two and a half days, I met people in Anantnag and Srinagar. I felt the pain of people and was touched by their intrinsic truthfulness, simplicity and love. Their inherent desire is that people of the rest of India love them the way they (Kashmiris) love them… One major concern that emerged in our discussion was that Kashmiri masses welcome visitors from other states with an open heart. The people of Kashmir also deserve to be welcome in Delhi and elsewhere without suspicion and restrictions. August 5, 2019 order has heightened the wall of suspicion and alienation. This, I consider to be the foremost problem of Kashmir, besides the restoration of their democratic rights and phasing out of army from civilian areas …I met people seeking Azaadi from repressive regime in Delhi but they hardly had clarity on what Azaadi meant. I suggested concretize freedom and change the imperialistic character of the regime (government plus administration). The probable course for it is non-violent action.”

MY Tarigami's take on the present situation in the Kashmir Valley:

MY Tarigami, well-known political figure of J&K and the spokesperson of the PAGD, had a lot to state on August 4, 2021.

I am quoting an excerpt from what he said: “August 5 marks the completion of two years since the unprecedented assault on the Constitution of India which was to nullify article 370 of the Constitution - thereby damaging the very bond of our relationship with the Union of India. By demolishing the constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, the government has crossed all the limits of constitutionality …J&K remains as far from Delhi and from the Dil/ heart as it has ever been. Rather the distances are further widening and dismay is deepening. We earnestly appeal to all sections of our people in each region and community to remain united and not fall prey to the false and slanderous campaigns and divisive attempts aiming at dividing and disarming our people. We are sure that at this time of serious crisis we shall not succumb but continue our struggle in defence of our rights, using every opportunity through peaceful and legal means.”

Views are personal