CAB : An exercise of humiliation and intimidation will not succeed
The partition debate has again started in Parliament by Home Minister Amit Shah who said that said Congress divided India and virtually gave a clean chit to both Hindu Mahasabha as well as Muslim league who believed in the two-nation theory.
There is no point to discuss here that Indian leadership was not merely pragmatic but statesman and showed huge maturity in dealing with the issue and that is why a leader like Nehru are born but once.
It is absolutely difficult to be like him if we were living in today’s poisonous atmosphere.
There was
agreement between Nehru and Liaqat Ali Khan related to treatment to minorities
in our respective countries. Pakistan failed in it miserably as its secular
leadership passed away and the country was under the control of the military
after the first decade only. The division of Pakistan and creation of a new
state like Bangladesh happened that religion alone cannot unite people and
nationalities. The situation was so bad in Pakistan that one of the main architects
of Pakistan constitution, Jogendra Nath Mandal had to resign and leave Pakistan
accusing the then leadership of allowing the violence against minorities.
Though Bangladesh became a reality on linguistic nationalism yet in the last two-decade Jamaat-e-Islami and other tehreeks there have radicalised people.
Bangladesh became a hot bed against secular and minorities.
Pakistan has similar conditions though the government in both the countries are now trying to look ‘progressive’ but the extra state actors like Jamaat e Islami and many other Jamaats have destroyed the social fabric in the two countries.
India was
definitely far superior in terms of minority rights and their protection
compare to any of its South Asian neighbours even Muslims here were victims of
state apathy and communal disturbances but things started changing post
nineties after the Sangh parivar launched Ayodhya campaign, targeted Muslim
personal law and started building a narrative which would show that the Muslims
are the real villain. Today’s our anti beef campaign or anti conversion laws, anti-cow
slaughter laws are nothing but very much like the anti-blasphemy laws in the
Islamic societies.
Muslims have paid huge price of the corrupt leadership in major part of the world which took the benefit of religion to justify their act.
As Islam became state policy, rights of the common people became the biggest victim and minorities, atheists and secular became the real target. It is not that all minorities want to come from Pakistan, Bangladesh or Afghanistan. So, when the government put a bill that it welcomes all the non-Muslims from these countries to come India, don’t we think that it put them on higher risk of being levelled as anti-national in their own countries. Like the mischief played by the right-wing Sanghi trolls, there will be hundreds in these countries who will start campaigning against them. I am sure the government in those countries would be happier today looking how India is reducing it to justify the position of Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
Government says that it wants to help those minorities who are in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
Frankly speaking, both Bangladesh and Afghanistan are our friendly nation today and we don’t know what would be their response on this issue but the government has definitely given a propaganda handle to those religious hate mongering groups in these countries who would be happy to throw all the non-Muslims out and snatch their property. Shouldn’t we ask that all the minorities must get equal treatment and protection from the constitution in their countries as per international laws and treaty. Shouldn’t our world leader put pressure on Bangladesh and Afghanistan to ensure that non-Muslim get a fair treatment in their countries.
Frankly
speaking, the biggest victims of the partition are the Muslims as families were
divided and lost touch with their near dear one. One community in three nations
now. Relatives don’t get visa to visit India or Pakistan. Now situation is as
such that people won’t even call because the intelligence will start hunting
them. Even going to the high commissions in both the countries would invite the
intelligence agencies to pounce upon you. A good gesture for families who have
relatives across the border for easy processing of visa would have been much
powerful statement than a citizenship issue.
Understand that government has a ‘right’ motive to help ‘non-Muslims’ as they have got their ‘land’ but along with citizenship we have NRC.
For the non-Muslim refugees, you just want to say that they don’t need anything but for Muslims, you want everything. Now, NRC will be implemented in the entire country. Who is going to get the ‘contract’ for it? We know well every calamity is an opportunity for those who spread hatred. Citizenship bill and NRC going together indicate an exercise of intimidation for the Muslim community. I am amazed to see this that till last year this government was placing in the Supreme Court that Aadhaar is the panacea for everything and called it as national register and claimed that it has covered a majority of India so what is propelling government to start NRC all over the country.
Irony is
that we are creating new problems for ourselves but when the agenda is to
deliberate create a crisis, help the cronies with huge contract then nothing
can be said. The would were getting healed as people had seen the situation
everywhere in our neighbourhood but then the current leadership has shown how
much negative feeling it has got towards Muslims that even after coming to
power it has not been able to shed it. It is not the fault of Muslim citizens
of India but the political leadership of different parties whether they will be
able to join hand before the next election in the greater interest of the
country. Will they ever do? Will we as citizen of the country stand with our
fellow citizens irrespective of their caste or religious identity? The hate
propaganda will continue and we have to see whether we have to just respond to
them or do our own ground work of strengthening the likeminded forces so that
the poison does not spread in our homes.
Vidya Bhushan Rawat
December 10th, 2019
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