Prof. M. K. Bhat
Shaheen Bagh agitation came in prominence after student of Jamia Millia Islamia University confronted with Delhi police and continues with its theatrics from last 52 days in New Delhi. Its replica was quickly created in various other cities like Mumbai, Aligrah, Bangalore etc. This agitation has been unique in many ways some people term it as freedom of expression while as others denounce it as anti national activity carried out by Tukde Tukde Gang. Some journalists are given a rousing reception by agitators and others are made to listen ‘ go back’ and not allowed. The tricolor flies high, national song is being sung , big cutouts of various national leaders are on display along with placard/slogans like Jinah wali Azadi, Free Kashmir, the relation with India is of lai illa ilala, lectures uniting Muslims for jehad , demarking Assam from India , and of course curses for Amit Shah(Home Minister) and Narendra Modi (Prime Minister). There are a few hundred people blocking the road for millions and enjoying food under a big tent. The police is patiently watching the things, politicians across board are turning violent to encash one or the other section of people and the commuters feel the brunt because they have to chase some other route for their daily commuting. Guns are displayed in air even shooting takes place, funding to the protest is suspected from dubious sources and the sinister design of anti India elements is not being ruled out. Women with children stay on strike, listen to the lectures against India/Indian Government/Indian Army and to the highly sentimental appeals to Muslims to unite against the present regime. Lies are spread without any hesitation. No one is ready to believe what is written in CAA they believe what they have been told by their leaders. Even when you confront them with the fact that there is nothing to fear for resident Indians in CAA, or NRC has not been even put for discussion, they least accept, rather believe in the false presumption. The protesters seem to have no faith in the institutions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has mentioned umpteen times that there will be no problem with any citizen of the country but the agitators are not ready to accept this assurance.
The agitators seem using CAA as a mask for playing with Muslim sentiment/ anti Modi and even anti India propaganda . They fail to realize that every country has a right to know about its citizens. National population register helps in targeting poor for the welfare schemes. The agitation has attained egocentric position for the agitators. They feel their truth is the only truth and be accepted; all other opinions carry no weight. This undemocratic gesture of knock down, if yielded, may encourage people to come out with more such flimsy agitations in the days to come. It worked during Shah Bano case but cannot be acceptable to a responsible government.
Shaheen Bagh has now turned totally political and various antisocial elements have gripped it with their anti India propaganda. It has become the epicenter of Delhi politics. The elections are getting polarized around Shaheen Bagh. There are political parties supporting it and at the same time the videos of those delivering hate speeches against the nation/majority community are getting reactions from people. It has become the hub of Modi haters. Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Communists, Congress and JNU students etc have expressed their support for Shaheen Bagh agitators while as the uploading of videos of people like Shreejal Imam ,anti majority sloganeering is doing wonders for those who oppose the agitation .It has become Modi v/s Rest in Shaheen Bagh and the drama is expected to continue till elections in Delhi.
Dissention is good in democracy but anti national speeches /slogans cannot be tolerated at any cost. They should be treated as sedition otherwise it will encourage others to speak anything for cheap publicity. The manhandling of news persons, anti India sloganeering or brandishing of pistol etc is quite deplorable but are a part of this agitation.
It becomes imperative to study why agitators mostly Muslims doubt their citizenship when CAA does not talk of taking away citizenship from any Indian? The answer lies in the fact that those who reaped a good harvest through appeasement policy feel their fringe benefits at stake. They used average Muslim as a Pawn in their hands in the last seventy years of independence. There has been a deliberate attempt to keep Muslim majority away from mainstream. Certain political parties used them as fodder for elections by projecting themselves as their saviors. This was done in league with Muslim clergy and few elites in the community. This developed an alien feeling in the majority of the Muslim community and provided a fertile ground to all anti social elements to propagate against the law of the land. This frustration makes sometimes anti India outbursts and envelopes even peace loving Muslim masses within its ambit. India as per constitution belongs to all, so self developed inferiority complex cocoon in any community needs to be demolished by the community leaders themselves. BJP’s policy of help to all and appeasement to none and its effort of involving common Muslims in the mainstream is turning soar in the eyes of established creamy layer of the community so they manipulate things for the worse.
In India, the two big communities have lived side by side since centuries and there is no scope of Islamophobia. The happenings in Muslim countries and the attitude of America and Euroupe towards Muslims has its role in the radicalization of Muslims in India and it gets reaction from the majority community. This further alienates them and makes them a suspect in the eyes of majority. This is the bitter fruit of pseudo secularism where appeasement was for gaining votes. The community intellectuals/leaders must denounce separatist attitude of sick minds rather they shall teach sharing and caring for others as Sufis did. They must awake Muslims for good education of their children, employment and health facilities like any other community. These intellectuals should think of socio economic development of the community rather than making use of their sentiments for their own ulterior motives.
It is not only Muslims but communists too are fighting for their survival in Shaheen Bagh brand agitations by exploiting Muslim sentiments. Communist politics has ended almost worldwide and in India too it has been rejected by people in West Bengal and many other states. In order to have their survival they are adopting anti majority postures and instigate weaker sections of the society against others .They fully know that CAA talks of citizenship for the persecuted minorities of three Muslim countries who are mostly low caste Hindus and poor people. By instigating Muslims and Dalits, they want to create their political existence as scientific development has made class struggle redundant for people.
In democracy, no one can snatch anyone’s freedom to agitate but post Shaheen Bagh, agitators damaging public property were charged in certain states perhaps for the first time in free India and certain Governments even rewarded agitators. It is for people to decide what they want for themselves.
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