Understanding Communalism in India: Justice Katju's Perspective
The Gap Between Constitutional Secularism and Ground Realities
How Hindus and Muslims Contribute to India's Communal Divide
The Indifference Towards Muslim Persecution in India
Explore Justice Markandey Katju's critical perspective on communalism in India. In this article, Justice Katju addresses the reality of religious intolerance, focusing on the indifference to Muslim persecution and the Hindu-Muslim divide in the country. Understand Justice Katju's insights into the ongoing issue of communalism in contemporary Indian society.
Communalism in India
By Justice Markandey Katju
The preamble to the Indian Constitution declares India to be a secular country, and Article 25 provides for religious freedom.
However, the Constitution is just a piece of paper, and the ground reality is very different. If the Constitution had said that India is a prosperous country, with rivers of milk and honey flowing in it, would such a statement make it so?
The truth is that India is a highly communal country, most Hindus ( who comprise 80% of its population ) being communal, and also most Muslims ( who comprise 15% of its population ).
Let me prove this assertion.
1. Most Hindus are communal
To prove this, let us consider these facts :
(a) When a Muslim is lynched in India, most Hindus are indifferent, and some even happy ( one terrorist less ! ). The same happens when a Muslim is beaten up for not saying '' Jai Shri Ram '' or his house is bulldozed. How many Hindus have raised their voice against Umar Khalid''s incarceration in jail on a trumped up charge for 4 years ?.
In the great American writer Mark Twain's famous novel 'Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' there is a scene where a bomb explodes, and Aunt Sally asks '' My God ! Was anyone hurt ? '', to which Huck replies '' No ma'am, only a nigger killed ''.
In other words, a black man was not even regarded a human being then.
Similarly, for many Hindus, a Muslim is not even a human being, but only a devil.
(b) Israel has killed about 40,000 Palestinians, a large number of whom are women and children, in the ongong conflct, and destroyed thousands of homes, hospitals, etc. Yet almost all Indian Hindus support Israel. Why ? Because Palestinians are almost all Muslims. Since 80% Israelis, being Jews, are mostly anti Muslim, and 80% Indians, being Hindus are also mostly anti-Muslim, Jews and Hindus are friends ( on the principle that an enemy's enemy is one's friend ).
A demonstration was held by some leftist parties at Jantar Mantar, Delhi against Israeli atrocities, but very few people attnded.
(Justice Katju is a retired judge of the Supreme Court of।ndia. These are his personal views)
