I salute, at the outset, our Quaid-e-Azam, Mr. M.A. Jinnah, for founding an independent county for the Muslims of the subcontinent. He, no astrologer, but possessed of a great foresight as a leader, knew how things would shape up in India for the Muslims post-Gandhi and Nehru. Thank you, Sir.
Indeed, we are still in gross violation of the many ideals of our Quaid, Mr Jinnah. We however do not believe or allow ethnic cleansing at least. Our minority is small but safe. India’s Muslim minority population is more than 200 million almost close to Pakistan’s population, a large minority that is extremely unsafe at the hands of the Hindu majority.
India is a major deception. The facade of secularism it displays to the international community is a major farce. This farce or trickery is achieved through paid social media activists, its various mendacious television channels, and of course, Bollywood. Through these mediums it has to its credit (used negatively here) misled the entire global community. It is a complete false, deceitful and untruthful tactics, they have indulged for so long. The thought of secular India is patently ridiculous.
During the decades, leading from the 1950s to the 1980s, it existed as a secular country, but in a muted state with occasional communal rights. The Congress party was secular due to Nehru and his thoughts and influence that have continued to dissipate since Nehru’s departure both from within his party and from the whole social and political theatre of India.
Thence 1990 onwards, following the carnage unleashed upon the Muslims of Gujarat, by Narendra Modi, the religious hatred has gained dominance over peaceful co -existence of over 1000 years of its history. Cities, towns and villages which never witnessed any communal tensions are on fire today, with the poor and unarmed Muslims being at the rough end. Hindutva dominates today.
The leaders are speaking blatantly about ethnic cleansing. The world community is silent. The Ummah is in deep slumber. The recent reaction by some Middle Eastern countries is at best a slap on the knuckles; which the Indians have rightfully taken to mean that (Muslim nations have no spine to stand up to its international might).
Behind the shining India exists the reality of a dark, deep and fundamentalist India. All along India has given public offices to Indian Muslims, that were mostly meant to be poster boys - the president/Vice President in the Indian constitution constitute as toothless office, with no bite.
Hence these offices are freely given to the Muslims. Star TV, Zee TV - invite a Muslim to their various programmes of competition be it music or otherwise and try and portray that the Muslims are being treated with equality although there is only one of them in the entire group. This is not a true representation of a very large majority that exists today. Another facade is created by the various television channels.
Gandhi and Nehru, never missed an opportunity to portray themselves as secular individuals. Their claim wasn’t totally unfounded. Rafiq Zakaria, in his book on Nehru (published in 1989), wrote that one of the fundamental articles of Nehru’s faith was secularism. Rafiq Zakaria writes as part of his testament, “Today, if India is not a Hindu state, it is mainly due to the efforts of her first prime minister.
Today, if Muslims and other minorities have a certain sense of security in this Republic, it is mainly due to his approach. During the seventeen years that he ruled the country, he never wavered in his antagonism against the dark forces of communalism”.
History proves that Nehru was not ill disposed towards Muslims; during the rioting in Bihar following independence, he rushed there to rescue the Muslims. He is believed to have gone unguarded to the scene of rioting and thundered to the Hindu mob, in Patna, “Kill me before you kill a Muslim”. In January, 1948, addressing students of Aligarh Muslim University, he declared: You are Muslims and I am a Hindu. We may adhere to different religious faiths or even to none, but that does not take away from that cultural inheritance that is yours as well as mine”.
As a student of history, I would trust these words, because Nehru proved for 17 years that he wasn’t a communalist. Nehru died in 1964 and with his cremation all his ideals were put to cremation too. Today’s India is not Nehru’s but of the tyrant, Modi. A Hindu India, a fanatical state, engaged in avenging, self-concocted and fictionalised, history of 1000 years of Muslim rule in the sub-continent.
A couple of days ago, in Allahabad, UP the vindictive Hindu BJP government in retaliation to unarmed and peaceful protest by the Muslims, chose to bulldoze select houses of Muslims under full protection of the bigoted law enforcers and in full view of the cameras. It proves they wouldn’t care less about what the Muslims may think. They find butchering of the cow painful, while killing an unarmed Muslim by a mob is considered a noble act. That’s Hindutva for you.
If the atrocities committed upon the Muslims of Kashmir and Palestine couldn’t awaken the otherwise noble human conscience, it establishes that such inaction serves as a boost for criminals like Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett. They know they are dealing with impotent Muslim leaders who can do no harm to them or anyone else.
The OIC has given a reaction which is not even offensive. It is like a pleading. Why can’t we (Muslim countries) give a strong response by hurting the Banya (trader) Modi, where it hurts; boycott Indian goods and services. Stop issuing visas to Indians, threaten to send packing all Indians working in the Middle East. Only an economic retaliatory response will work. Indians will be on their knees if only the Muslim countries would have the gall to take them on. But alas! Interest, that too vested, drives leadership and its actions.
The tyrant Modi, who has adorned of late an attire of a saadhu has so many daggers of numerous sizes in his hidden cloak. The Satan (shaitaan) cannot mask himself as a saadhu. The venire is so slim, it is coming off in speed. The ugly mind and heart are beginning to reflect in his persona. Gandhi, on the contrary, on hindsight, with all his faults appears as a true Mahatma. They (Modi’s fore runner of BJP-RSS combine) killed Gandhi. They wanted to get Nehru too for his soft disposition towards Muslims.
One Pakistani businessman, admist all this tragic happenings to the Muslims of India, at the hands of the BJP-RSS Nexus had the audacity and gal to demand opening up of trade with India. When reminded about Kashmir, he said ‘it can be put on the back burner, because in four armed conflicts we couldn’t get it; so let’s get on with trade’. Driven by intoxicating urge of profits, such men seem to have lost their balance. Even Maqsood chapraasi cannot make a remittance of such profits to the world you wonder - no hawaala, Hundi will help. There no pockets in the coffin. Only emptiness will be put on the bier.
Each moment as a citizen of this blessed land, I thank Mr Jinnah and his farsighted associates for carving out Pakistan for us - they knew what the future will be of Indian Muslims. Even Maulana Abul Kalaam Azaad must be turning in his grave for the wrongful and misplaced predictions he made. Given a life, he will surely like to re -write the last chapters of his book ‘India Wins Freedom’.
The Indian government must issue an official apology for the blasphemy uttered under the guise of free speech by the BJP official spokesperson. Nothing less than an official and public apology should be acceptable. If we don’t stand up now we will forever be able to, on our knees, bending before injustice. This is the time to be counted.
As Pakistanis, our heart goes out to the Indian Muslims. I can only write about this grave inhuman injustice - but nobody reads and those who do find it of no impact or either their thought or action remains unchanged and unaffected. I, however have unflinching faith in the power of invocation (Dua) and that is in plenty from the people of Pakistan to the Indian Muslims. Victory will be yours.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, your India is dead. Mr Jinnah, your Pakistan lives.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
The writer is a senior banker & freelance contributor
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