Prof. M. K. Bhat
The incidents of Love Jihad, forced conversions, utterances by people like Sakhshi Maharaj or Sadhavi Niranjan Joyti, wrong appointments, Muslim demography, the comments by unknown people in the Organiser, a chapter on Hindu mythology anywhere, any change in the education setup, communal riots anywhere in India, attack on a church, rape with a nun, help to the neighbors at the time of earth quake and even friendly relations with SAARC countries is seen through the prism of Hindutva by the secular Brigade. All these things are described as designs of Sangh Parivar promulgated by its ideologically friendly government in power. This paint of Hindutva on everything is a concerted move to malign the image of Narendra Modi government and the beliefs the country carries as a treasure over the years. Modi is being projected as a mascot of Hindutva by certain political and press people. If he remains silent on sensitive issues, people doubt silence as a support to Hindutva elements and if he comments people try to find some negativity in it. This Narendra Modi phobia is created to develop fear among minorities especially Muslims by pseudo secularists so that they can declare themselves as saviors of their faith and belief.
Narendra Modi has been the biggest victim of media trials in the post independence era. These trials have made him a controversial leader ever since Gujarat riots of 2002 despite the clean chit, he got from special investigation team appointed and monitored by the Supreme Court and endorsed by the lower courts. His secular credentials are still doubted by people suffering from Modi Phobia. India’s secular Brigade remains extra vigilant about his moves without analyzing the causes of backwardness of the minority community in the last seven decades of independence. They seem least interested in their actual development.
Those who campaigned against Modi in a negative way, in fact, wrote his success story and helped him to become the Prime Minister of India. These people hardly remember any other riot except Gujarat riots. Their over emphasis made people to doubt their intensions and the biggest question any rational voter put to himself was why Modi is singled out? and it made people to understand the sinister role of media and political opponents in the whole imbroglio. The people rejected the high voltage negative campaign and voted for Modi resulting in a land slide victory for BJP.
The relations between Modi and Muslims needs to be understood from two different perspectives, firstly his image outside India among the Muslim countries and secondly his image with in the Muslims of the country. The big achievement of Narendra Modi in last fifteen months has been the changing perspective of Arab world towards India. His visit to UAE has not only got the heavy investment that UAE government intends to do in India but the stand taken by that government regarding terrorisms is even more valuable. The crown prince not only allowed to make a temple in that country but even resolved to fight terrorism together. The strong 50000 crowd in Dubai, amused to the charms of Modi conveyed a lot to the people back home.
The two countries without naming Pakistan unequivocally attacked it for its terrorist related activities, despite the fact that UAE is a Muslim country. The joint statement condemned the states using religiously motivated terrorism against other states, resonating strongly with New Delhi’s concerns on Pakistan sponsored terrorism.
It may be held that UAE has put a cosmopolitan face of Islam before the world, much contrary to the Jihadistic version of Islam put forward by Pakistan. The former has conveyed coexistence of different faiths which is a distant dream in the latter one.
The second lesson came from Bangladesh which signed land boundary and transport agreements with India. The lesson from Dhaka was loud and clear that things can be sorted out through discussion only, not by force. The agreement pending since the independence of Bangladesh was resolved in an amicable manner by the leadership of the two countries. Although the response of various Muslim countries towards Modi’s visits was quite warm yet the trust reposed by Bangladesh and UAE in Modi’s leadership is remarkable and needed a mention here.
In the domestic front Narendra Modi has been a victim of a high level conspiracy since 2002. Conspiracy, because he is not the only chief minister under whose regime communal riots have taken place. Why to single out only one chief minister when such happenings have been quite regular in this country? The chief ministers at the time of Meerut or Bhagalpur riots are equally to blame and the irony is that those who see foul in Narendra Modi, never talk of Sikh riots of 1984, migration of Kashmiri pundits from their homes or earlier such riots.
It is not only the secular brigade but people within the sangh parivar too contributed in tarnishing his image. The people like Sakshi Maharaj, Sadhavi Jyoti come out with utterances without any meaning after every few days. The various Muslim leaders due to their self interest/narrow outlook want to keep the majority among them away from the mainstream by spreading different rumors. Political parties for their vote bank create fear psychosis among Muslims. These groups try to seek their own self interest rather than the interests of the community.
If the secularists were so much concerned about Muslims then why their ratio in schools, colleges, government jobs and armed forces has been low despite seventy years of our independence. Why Sachar committee found just 2.5% Muslims in Indian bureaucracy whereas they constitute above 14% of the total population of the country? Why the committee found the status of Indian Muslims below the conditions of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes? Why their literacy rate is much low than national averages? Why their percentage in government jobs was much less to their population ratio in Kerla and West Bengal – Communist ruled states at the time of sachar committee report. The position of Muslims stood much better in Gujarat during Modi’s chief ministership as per Sachar committee report.
Muslims comprise a sizeable portion of the country’s population and their development becomes paramount for the development of the country. The community can develop only by involving them in the mainstream of the country rather than showing an overzealous attitude towards them for self interest. Iftar parties or wearing of skull caps (show biz) cannot help them but economic upliftment will.
The attitude of the Modi Government towards minorities is clear from the first day. Its inclusive policies are creating a threat for those who over the years used minorities as their vote bank. Sab ka saath sab ka vikas is being promoted through the various steps being taken for the development of minorities mention can be made of merit scholarships, skill training, and loan facilities for establishing their own units at low rate of interest etc.
(The author is Deputy Director (MAIMS) Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University Delhi)
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