Since then, a debate has emerged in the public domain. Our self-styled “left liberal” intelligentsia, otherwise loud in denouncing Hindu majoritarianism, suddenly turned mute when confronted with Muslim right-wing pressure. If a program had been canceled under Hindu Right pressure, the outcry would have been deafening. Op-eds, reportage, and fiery essays warning of fascism’s arrival would have saturated every public platform. But when Muslim clerics strong-arm a cultural body into silencing a poet, silence reigns. Many intellectuals believe that calling out Muslim bigotry amounts to Islamophobia and would endanger an already threatened community. This view is simplistic and cowardly. If the true enemy is oppression, it must be opposed wherever it arises, across communities and within them. What the oppressed deserve is critical solidarity, a support that is constructive, accompanied by food for thought.

The Jamiat’s letter to the Academy, dated August 25, begins with praise but quickly hardens. It “forcefully” appeals that Akhtar not be invited, demanding a “man of integrity” take his place, “of any religion, but not a blasphemer of God.” It threatens “democratic means” if ignored, invoking the precedent of Taslima Nasreen who was hounded out of Kolkata. It expresses confidence the Academy will comply, which it did. The letter denounces Akhtar as a “blasphemer,” unfit for a literary stage.

What is striking is not just the intolerance of the demand, but the attempt to normalize religious authority in public life, where writers and poets must either submit to clerical approval or face ostracism. Mufti Shamail Nadvi, a leading voice of the protest, said he was “shocked” Akhtar was invited. But what is shocking about inviting Javed Akhtar to preside over a mushaira? He is first and foremost a poet, heir to four generations of Urdu literary contribution, the author of lyrics that define the golden era of Hindi cinema, and an uncontested literary figure. Nadvi’s “shock” reveals not moral concern but clerical disdain for a man who openly opposes them. Whom did he want instead? Someone with no claim to poetry but unquestioned theological orthodoxy?

Nadvi later claimed he did not demand cancellation, only that “true Muslims” boycott the event. But a boycott called by clerics is never benign. It lays the groundwork for ostracism and, in volatile contexts, mob violence. Imagine if a Hindu leader called for boycotting an event because the guest was Muslim. It would spark outrage. Yet when Muslim clerics do the same, many Muslims and their media representatives applaud it as a victory. This sets a dangerous precedent: must every intellectual first pass a theological litmus test before entering the muslim public sphere( public space where muslims form a sizable chunk ) ?

Nadvi also proposed a debate with Akhtar on the existence of God, accusing him of defaming religion and promoting atheism. But here the clerics stumble on their own contradictions. The Qur’an itself instructs believers not to insult others’ gods precisely because early Muslims did so and provoked offense. Offense is woven into Islam’s very beginnings. Why then is offense suddenly intolerable when directed at Islam? Will Muslims extend the same courtesy of not offending others’ beliefs? Within Islam itself, sects routinely accuse one another of blasphemy. In Pakistan, Nadvi’s counterparts have hurled the same charge at Engineer Mirza, a fellow Muslim preacher. Even Mufti Tariq Masood, from Nadvi’s own sect, has faced accusations of blasphemy. To brand someone a blasphemer is a political weapon, a tool to reclaim fading authority rather than a defense of truth.

If religion trembles before a single poet, then it is the clerics who insult the faith, not Akhtar. Nadvi insists Akhtar is famous for mocking Islam, when in fact his reputation rests on films, lyrics, and poetry. His atheistic remarks, when they appear, are marginal and occasional. Reducing his legacy to blasphemy is either ignorance or deliberate misrepresentation to score points. Worse, Nadvi’s rhetoric paints a target on Akhtar’s back. By invoking the precedent of Taslima Nasreen and repeating that Akhtar’s presence is an insult, he encourages hostility in an environment where blasphemy accusations can easily invite death  . Calling for a “debate” in such circumstances is a provocation for hardliners to do the job.

Akhtar was invited to preside over a mushaira, not to preach atheism. To object to his private unbelief is irrelevant. Does Nadvi mean to say a godless person has nothing valuable to contribute to literature, culture, or cinema? By that logic Muslims should shun modern intellectual life, where atheism and agnosticism are common, and confine themselves to insular ghettos of their own making. Such isolationism is disastrous. It strangles Muslims’ cultural life and reduces them to a community fearful of thought itself.

For so many years, he has attended thousands of mushairas and public programmes and no Muslim was ever offended by his supposed blasphemy. But suddenly when Nadwi comes out and declares that we should be offended and are offended everyone seems to fall in line. This politics of being offended must stop somewhere.

Meanwhile, Nadvi’s own 26-minute press conference did not cite a single Qur’anic verse or Hadith. It was a pure rant, a bid for relevance. His YouTube channel, once stagnant with 26,000 subscribers, surged to 32,000 after this controversy, with his video on Akhtar becoming the most viewed. The episode is less about defending faith and more about clerics chasing attention.

The Prophet of Islam urged believers to “seek knowledge even if it takes you to China,” meaning even from non-believers. Clerics like Nadvi are unable to come out of their archaic mindset of being offended. They demand isolation, echoing the Hindu Right’s charge that Muslims cannot coexist with others.

The cancellation of Javed Akhtar’s invitation may seem small, but it reflects a deeper malaise: the religionization of Muslim identity, where culture, literature, and art must bow to clerical approval. If unchecked, this mindset will strangle public life, silence intellectuals, and confine Muslims to an ever-shrinking ghetto of thought. The tragedy is not Akhtar’s disinvitation but that in 2025, clerics still dictate what ordinary Muslims are allowed to do, and ordinary Muslims can still be mobilized at the clerics’ whim.

(Osama Rawal is a political science graduate from Elphinstone College, Mumbai. He writes on identity, justice, and global affairs. Passionate about reading, travel, and critical thought. He tweets under @OsamaARRawal)

The post Urdu is not the monopoly of mullahs, nor even the Muslim community  appeared first on SabrangIndia.

It’s clearly not a coincidence that at the recent 3 day convention organised by the Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Hind at the Ramlila grounds in Delhi, has degenerated into another national round of competitive communalism & petty bickering. A convention where religious leaders from the Hindu, Sikh, Jain & Christian communities were invited by the Jamiat to further the cause of communal harmony, was reduced to a spectacle of trenchant disharmony.

Religious leaders from the other communities were clearly not expecting this platform to indulge in a religious debate and thus took offense to certain statements by Maulana Arshad Madni, which were clearly provocative in nature, for an Inter-Faith gathering.

The convention witnessed uncalled for statements by Maulana Arshad Madni who basically went on to say that Manu & Adam were the same, and Manu worshipped a formless Om, and that Om and Allah are one. Essentially he wanted to affirm the superiority of Islam over the other religions. The other religious leaders took offense over this statement by Madni, with the Hindu leaders claiming that Sanatan Dharam was the eternal religion and the Jain Muni challenging Madni to a public debate, and so on. This has once again clearly ignited the divisive and communal Hindu-Muslim debate, which has since taken over the Godi media.

The other danger here is that Arshad Madni seems to be giving a central role to Manu, and thus the Manusmriti, which, as we all know are totally unacceptable to the Phule-Ambedkarite movement. It is also unacceptable to all those committed to the modern Indian Republic and our progressive egalitarian Constitution.

The 3 major issues, amongst others, that pose a grave threat to the Modi regime are namely the Adani crony-capitalist scam, the raids on the BBC, and thus the attack on the freedom of the media, as well as the rising anger of the OBCs, Dalits, Adivasis and Women, over certain insulting verses in the Ramcharitmanas by Tulsidas Dubey, as well as the Manusmriti. In fact the latter poses a far greater social and political threat, as it is leading to a new awakening and the realignment and unity of the OBCs, Dalits, Adivasis, Minorities & secular democratic forces, especially across the crucial Hindi belt in North India.

Mohan Bhagwat himself is facing a grave crisis, when in response to the growing anti-caste struggle, he stated that, “Caste was not created by Bhagwan, but was created by Pandits”. This statement boomeranged on Mohan Bhagwat, as it further confirmed that the Varna/Caste System of oppression was the creation of Pandits/Brahmins and the Hindu scriptures, which they dominated & hegemonised. The Brahmin community too took offense to this statement by Bhagwat.

The Bahujan intellectuals had clearly won the debate on the Varna/Caste issue and the BJP-RSS are in a state of turmoil. The growing demand for the OBC’s to be included as a separate category in the census is also gathering great momentum, with Yogi clearly on the backfoot in UP, and Modi at the centre. The new alliance between the Nitish-Tejasvi led Kurmi-Yadav castes has stymied the plans of the so-called upper castes in Bihar, with consequences far beyond.

The Modi-Yogi-Bhagwat trio thus needed to take the debate away from the growing anti-caste struggle and once again divert the national attention into the confines of the Hindu-Muslim paradigm. This is where the roles of Maulana Mehmood Madni and Maulana Arshad Madni are now highly suspect. Many believe and are openly insinuating that both these Maulanas are closely aligned with the BJP-RSS and it was for this very reason that they converted a convention, ostensibly held to promote communal harmony, into a platform to promote religious supremacism and spread communal disharmony and hatred.

For now, they may have momentarily succeeded to divert attention away from the growing anti-caste struggle, but it will take far more than a Madni or a Bhagwat to derail the Phule-Ambedkarite movement in their quest for respect, self-dignity and equality for the OBC’s, Dalits, Adivasis, Minorities and all those Indians committed to our constitutional democracy.

This author therefore categorically condemns the attempt by Maulana Mehmood & Arshad Madni for misuing their platform to spread communal disharmony and thereby helping the BJP-RSS to divert attention away from the real issues plaguing our country.

We also appeal to all Indians to condemn any instance of religious extremism, hatred and intolerance by any religion or community. Every Indian has the constitutional right to dignity and self-respect and thus we stand with every citizen across all castes and communities.

Let us all unite to defend the plural, inclusive and secular ethos of our country, let us unite to defend our constitution founded on the principles of fraternity, equality and justice for all.

Feroze Mithiborwala is a political commentator

Courtesy: https://countercurrents.org

The post Communal statements by Muslim Maulanas come to the rescue of Modi & Mohan Bhagwat appeared first on SabrangIndia.

“The delegation congratulated the Prime Minister on the steps taken by the Union Government for inclusive growth, socio-economic and educational empowerment of all sections of the society including Minorities,” said the press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.
 

“The delegation was appreciative of the Saudi Government’s decision to increase the number of Haj pilgrims from India, and thanked the Prime Minister for having successfully pursued the same,” the release said.

The members of the delegation included Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi (Chief Imam of India, All India Organisation of Imams of Mosques); Lt Gen (Retd) Zameeruddin Shah (Vice-Chancellor Aligarh Muslim University); MY Eqbal (Former Judge, Supreme Court of India); Talat Ahmed (Vice Chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia), and Shahid Siddiqui (Urdu journalist). Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) and Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Union Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar were also present on the occasion.

“The delegation, in one voice, supported wholeheartedly the campaign launched by the Prime Minister against corruption and black money. The delegation agreed that the fight against corruption will benefit the poor people including the Minorities the most. The delegation congratulated the Prime Minister for his efforts to strengthen relations with the countries across the world and said that today every Indian in every corner of the world is instilled with a sense of pride,” the release from the PMO said.

Members of the delegation also praised the Prime Minister for his efforts towards Swachh Bharat, the press release added.

“The Prime Minister said that youth in India has successfully resisted radicalization, which has affected several parts of the world today. He said that the credit for this must go to the long, shared heritage of our people; and added that it is now our collective responsibility to take this heritage forward. The Prime Minister said that the culture, traditions and social fabric of India will never allow the nefarious designs of the terrorists, or their sponsors, to succeed. The Prime Minister stressed on the importance of education and skill development, which is the key to gainful employment, and upliftment from poverty,” said the release.

Courtesy: twocircles.net

The post Muslim delegation meets PM; thanks him for increasing Haj quota, supports fight against Black money appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Image: Divyakant Solanki / EPA

इन दिनों मुस्लिम पर्सनल लॉ का बहुत शोर है. कभी मुस्लिम पर्सनल लॉ तो कभी दूसरी ओर से भाजपा के नेता मुसलमानों में तीन तलाक़ के रसम को लेकर बयान पर बयान देते रहते हैं। मुस्लिम पर्सनल लॉ के सदस्यों को "ईमान खतरे में" नज़र आ रहा है औरवो मुसलमानों को जान की बाज़ी लगा कर किसी तरह तीन तलाक़ के अधिकार को ज़िंदा रखने के लिए न्योता दे रहे हैं। यानी की मुस्लमान मर्दों को किसी भी हालत में तीन बार तलाक़ तलाक़ तलाक़ कह कर तलाक़ देने से रोका गया तो बस खुदा रहम करे दुनिया से, तौबा तौबा, इस्लाम ही ग़ायब हो जायेगा।

क्या इस्लाम सिर्फ तलाक़ के अधिकार तक सीमित धर्म है? क्या इस्लाम औरतों को यह अधिकार भी नहीं देता की तलाक़ के समय वह अपने पति से यह सवाल काय कि, हुज़ूर मेरी क्या ग़लती है की आप शादी के बाद मेरी ज़िन्दगी नरक बना रहे हैं? और सब बे अहम् यह सवाल है कि क्या खुद को क़ुरान और शरियत की राह पर चलने वाले सऊदी अरब और पाकिस्तान में तीन तलाक़ का अधिकार मर्दों को है या नहीं है? न तो इस्लाम सिर्फ तीन तलाक़ का धर्म है, ना इस्लाम ने मर्दों को यह अधिकार दिया है की वह बिना वजह अपनी पत्नी को तलाक़ दे दे, और ना ही सऊदी अरब और पाकिस्तान जैसे देशों में तीन तलाक़ की रसम को शरई माना जाता है. तो फिर पर्सनल लॉ बोर्ड की ओर से इतना शोर क्यों? इस सवाल का जवाब थोड़ी देर में!

दूसरा महत्वपूर्ण मुद्दा यह है की भाजपा के पेट में मुस्लिम महिला को उसका अधिकार दिलाने के लिए इतना दर्द क्यों हो रहा है? बाबरी मस्जिद ढाने के बाद और गुजरात के दंगों में मुस्लिम नरसंहार करवाने के बाद मुस्लिम समाज में सुधार की इतनी सहानुभूति क्यों पैदा हो गयी है?

साफ़ ज़ाहिर है कि मुस्लिम समाज में सुधार और मुस्लिम औरतों का अधिकार सिर्फ एक बहाना है, निशाना कुछ और है. दुनिया जानती है की आरएसएस और भाजपा का यह खुला एजेंडा है की मुसलमानों से तीन तलाक़ का अधिकार वापस लिया जाये। उनका यह गुमान है की इस अधिकार का इस्तेमाल करके मुस्लमान चार शादियां करता है और इस तरह से उसके यहाँ अनगिनत औलादें पैदा होती हैं। उनके ख्याल में इस तरह हिन्दुतान में आये दिन मुस्लिम आबादी बढ़ रही है और एक समय वो आएगा की इस तरह से हिन्दू अल्पसंख्यक और मुस्लिम बहुसंख्यक में होगा। यानि कि हमेशा की तरह भाजपा और संघ परिवार एक बार फिर से हिंदुओं के दिमाग में "मुस्लिम हव्वा" खड़ा कर के हिंदुओं को इकठ्ठा करना चाहता है।

लेकिन प्रश्न यह है की ऐसी कौनसी आफत आन पड़ी है की भाजपा और संघ हिंदुओं के दिलों में मुस्लिम का भय पैदा करे। आखिर भाजपा केंद्र में गद्दी पर है और मोदी सरकार को न कहीं से कोई खतरा है और ना ही कोई चैलेन्ज का सामना है. कांग्रेस की तरह सभी विपक्ष पार्टियां इस समय बिखराव का शिकार हैं। तो फिर इस समय कौन सी आफत आन पड़ी की भाजपा हिंदुओं को मुस्लिम का भय दिखा कर इकठ्ठा करे?

यह मत भूलिये की कुछ ही महीनों में देश के पांच राज्यों में असेंबली के चुनाव होने वाले हैं. इन पांच राज्यों में एक उत्तर प्रदेश भी है. उत्तर प्रदेश न सिर्फ देश भर में सबसे अधिक जनसँख्या वाला राज्य है बल्कि इसी राज्य से भाजपा को 80 में से 72 सीटों पर पिछले लोक सभा चुनाव में कामयाबी मिली थी। और यह वो राज्य भी है जहाँ मुस्लिम जनसँख्या 25% के आसपास है। बिहार की तरह यहाँ भी मंडल राजनीति यानि कि हिन्दू समाज में जात के नाम पर वोट दिए जाते हैं। बिहार में जात की नीति ज़ोरों पर थी इस लिए भाजपा वहां पिछले असेंबली चुनाव में बुरी तरह हार गयी थी. अगर यूपी में भी कहीं ऐसा ही हो गया जैसे बिहार में जात के नाम पर और उसके साथ मुस्लिम वोट इकठ्ठा हो जाने की वजह से भाजपा हार गयी थी तो फिर यूपी में भी भाजपा का वही बुरा हाल हो सकता है। इसलिए ज़रुरत इस बात की है कि अगले कुछ महीनों में आने वाले असेंबली चुनाव में हिन्दू समाज जात के नाम पर बिखरने के बजाये हिन्दू बैंक इकठ्ठा हो और भाजपा को वोट दे. अगर यह नहीं होता तो भाजपा खतरे में है।

मगर हिन्दू अपनी जात भूल कर हिन्दू के नाम पर इकठ्ठा हो तो कैसे ? मंडल राजनीति के शुरू होते ही भाजपा ने इसका सरल फार्मूला बना लिया है. पहले मुस्लमान  को इकट्ठा करो, मुस्लमान "ईमान खतरे में है" के नाम पर नारए-तकबीर की सदाओं के साथ बड़ी बड़ी रैलियां करे. हिंदुओं को ये लगने लगे कि यह देश तो पाकिस्तान बनता जा रहा है। जाहिर है कि टीवी और हर किस्म का मीडिया पहले बड़े बड़े उलेमा और मुस्लिम रैलियों का लाइव टेलीकास्ट कर मुस्लिम जमघट और नारए-तकबीर में डूबी मुस्लिम रैलियों को खूब पब्लिसिटी देगा ताकि हिंदुओं में मुस्लिम एकजुटी की इमेज बन जाए। जब मुस्लिम एकजुटी का डर अच्छी तरह पैदा हो जाये तो फिर विश्व हिन्दू परिषद् और संघ और भाजपा की दूसरी संस्थाएं मुस्लिम रैलियों से बड़ी जय श्री राम के नारों के साथ रैलियां करेंगी। और इस तरह चुनाव आते आते हिन्दू अपनी जात भूल कर हिन्दू हो चुकेगा और उसको भाजपा हिन्दू "अंग रक्षक" नज़र आने लगेगी. स्पष्ट है कि इन  हालात में वह इकठ्ठा होकर भाजपा को वोट डाल देगा और मुस्लमान डर के मारे घरों में बंद अपनी हिफाज़त की दुआ मांग रहा होगा। और उस वक़्त न मुस्लिम पर्सनल लॉ बोर्ड कहीं नज़र आएगा और न ही ईमान की हिफाज़त में जान न्योछावर करने का दावा करने वाले मुस्लिम मिल्लत के मुंहबोले नेता कहीं नज़र आएंगे।      

ऐसा इस मुल्क के मुसलमानों के साथ एक नहीं दसियों बार हो चुका है. बाबरी मस्जिद और राम मंदिर के तनाव के वक़्त भी बिलकुल ऐसे ही हुआ था। मिल्लत के रहनुमाओं ने बाबरी मस्जिद एक्शन समिति के छाओं में हिंदुओं से पहले ऐसी मुसलमानों की बड़ी बड़ी रैलियां की थीं। देहली का बोट क्लब नारए-तकबीर की सदाओं से गूँज उठा था. फिर उमा भारती जैसे विश्व हिन्दू परिषद् के नेता बाहर निकले थे जिन्हों ने जय श्री राम के नारों से देहली समेत सारे हिंदुस्तान को हिला दिया था। आखिर अयोध्या में बाबरी मस्जिद ढाई गयी और किसी भी बाबरी मस्जिद एक्शन समिति के किसी मेंबर का बाल भी बीका न हुआ जबकि हज़ारों मासूम मुसलमान दंगों में मारे गए। 

तीन तलाक़ के नाम पर एक बार फिर वही मंज़र नामा किया जा रहा है. यह मत भूलिये कि यह सबकुछ एक बहुत सोचे समझे सियासी खेल का हिस्सा है। इस खेल में पहले मुसलमान आगे आगे होगा और उसको टीवी पर पब्लिसिटी मिलेगी। फिर आहिस्ता से कोई दूसरा और नया उमा भारती जैसा भड़काऊ भाषण करने वाला आ जाएगा। बस फिर वही जय श्री राम की गूँज होगी और हिन्दू एकजुट हो चुकेगा और यूपी का चुनाव आते आते चुनाव हिन्दू-मुस्लिम जिहाद बन चुके होंगे जिसमे हिन्दू जात भूल कर हिन्दू बन चुका होगा. फिर यूपी किसके हाथ में होगा यह बताने की ज़रुरत नहीं है। 

इस लिए मुस्लिम पर्सनल लॉ बोर्ड को इस मामले में फूँक फूँक कर क़दम उठाना चाहिए। जज़्बाती नारों और सड़क की सियासत से बिलकुल परहेज़ करना चाहिये। मुस्लिम पर्सनल लॉ का मामला अदालत के सामने है. अक्लमंदी इसी बात में है कि इस सिलसिले में तमाम ताक़त क़ानूनी चारा जोई में लगाई जाए न की नारे बाज़ी में। अगर मुस्लिम पर्सनल लॉ बोर्ड इस मामले में जोश के बजाय होश से काम नहीं लेता तो समझ लीजिये कि वह जाने या अनजाने में भाजपा का सियासी खेल खेल रहा है।      

(उर्दू के 'राब्ता टाइम्स' में छपे ज़फर आग़ा के लेख का हिंदी अनुवाद)
 

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Image: Divyakant Solanki / EPA

Muslim Personal Law is hot news these days. Statements after statements are being issued from the Muslim Personal Law Board on one hand and the BJP leaders on the other concerning the issue of the triple talaq practice prevalent in India. Members of the Board are proclaiming that Islam is in danger, enjoining upon Muslims to be ready to sacrifice their lives if need be to ensure that the right of Muslim men to the triple talaq practice is not interfered with. In other words, Muslims are being told that if men were prohibited from instantly divorcing their wives by simply uttering ‘talaq, talaq, talaq’, it would (Allah forbid!) spell the end of Islam in the world.

Muslims are being told that if men were prohibited from instantly divorcing their wives by simply uttering ‘talaq, talaq, talaq’, it would (Allah forbid!) spell the end of Islam.

Is Islam only about the right to instant divorce? Does Islam deny to Muslim women the right to ask her husband at the time of divorce: “Sir, what wrong have I committed that you are unilaterally damning me to hell in the here and now? And what about the all important question: Do countries like Saudi Arabia and Pakistan which claim to be governed according to the Quran and the Shariah also give Muslim men the right to unilateral, instant talaq?

The fact is that neither is Islam limited to the practice of triple talaq, nor has Islam given men the right to divorce their wives without rhyme or reason, nor do Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia and Pakistan consider the triple talaq practice to be in accordance with the Shariah. Why then is the Muslim Personal Law Board crying itself hoarse over this issue? We will revert to this question a little later.

The other equally important question is this. Why is the BJP so seemingly concerned to ensure to Muslim women their rights? Having demolished the Babri Masjid, having sponsored the genocidal targeting of Gujarat’s Muslims, why is the BJP now losing sleep over the need to reform Muslim society? It is but obvious that reform of Muslim society, gender justice for Muslim women is a mere facade.

The real objective is altogether different. Everyone knows that stopping the practice of triple talaq among Muslims has for long been part of the BJP and the sangh parivar’s communal agenda. It is the contention of the BJP and the sangh parivar that because of this practice Muslim men marry four wives and produce numerous offspring. This is how, according to them, the Muslim population keeps multiplying and the day would soon dawn when Muslims will become the majority and Hindus reduced to a minority in India. Once again the BJP and the sangh parivar have raised the Muslim bogey with the sole intent of prejudicing Hindus and deepen communal polarisation.

The question is: where is the urgency, what has prompted the BJP and the sangh parivar to stir fear of Muslims among Hindus at this juncture? After all, the party is ruling the roost at the Centre. The Modi government faces no imminent threat; there is no real challenge as of today. Along with the Congress all opposition parties are in a state of disarray.

Where is the looming crisis propelling the BJP into rallying all Hindus behind it? Please remember that in the coming months Assembly elections are due in five states, including Uttar Pradesh. UP is not only the most populous state in India with the largest number of voters. It is also the state where in the 2014 general elections, the BJP had bagged 72 of the total 80 Lok Sabha seats in UP. It is also the state where Muslims constitute around 25per cent of the total population.

Further, as in case of Bihar, because of Mandal politics, in UP too Hindu voters tend to vote along caste lines. It’s because of this factor that BJP lost heavily in the last Assembly polls in Bihar. If the same pattern were to repeat itself in UP and Hindu votes are fragmented along caste lines while Muslims votes are consolidated, BJP could face a similar debacle here too.

Therefore in the coming polls in UP a few months from now, it is critical from the sangh parivar’s point of view that instead of fragmentation along caste lines a Hindu vote bank is consolidated in the BJP’s favour. In the absence of this, the BJP’s prospects in UP will remain uncertain.

The issue therefore is this. How to get Hindus to think of religion instead of caste in the run-up to the elections? Ever since the implementation of Mandal Commission’s recommendations for OBC reservations, the BJP and the sangh parivar have hit upon a simple formula. Prompt Muslims to unite. Let them organise rallies after rallies, scream ‘Islam in danger’, chant ‘Allah-o-Akbar’! When that happens Hindus will begin to feel this country too is beginning to look like Pakistan.

As is only to be expected the media will gleefully publicise these rallies, live telecast images of massive Muslim gatherings, project the atmosphere surcharged with cries of Allah-o-Akbar to imprint on Hindu minds the spectre of Muslims uniting on a single platform. Once the anxieties over aggressive Muslim unity is firmly planted in Hindu minds, what is sure to follow are even larger rallies mobilised by the VHP and other sangh parivar outfits with the counter ‘Jai Shri Ram!’ cry filling the streets.

Thus by the time the polls draw close, putting aside caste considerations they will rally behind those projecting themselves as “protectors of Hindus”. Hindus will then turn out in large numbers to vote for the BJP while the by now fear-gripped ordinary Muslims will stay behind closed doors praying to Allah to save their lives. And in that moment there will be no sign either of the Muslim Personal Board or of the self-appointed leaders who had earlier sworn to lay down their lives for the sake of Islam and the Muslim community.

This is by no means an imaginary scenario. The Muslim community has been through this very experience again and again. This is exactly what happened at the time of the Babri Masjid-Ramjanmabhoomi face-off. Leaders of the Muslim community had then organised thousands of rallies across the country under the banner of the Babri Masjid Action Committee. Delhi’s Boat Club then had resounded with cries of the ‘Allah-o-Akbar’. What followed were mammoth rallies mobilised by the likes of Uma Bharti which shook the nation with cries of ‘Jai Shri Ram!’

In the end the Babri Masjid was demolished. While thousands of ordinary Muslims were killed in the communal violence that followed, nothing untoward happened to the leading lights from the Babri Masjid Action Committee.

The same scenario is being reenacted In the name of triple talaq. Please note that what is happening today is the product of a cleverly conceived political ploy of the BJP. As the drama unfolds, Muslims will once again be in the forefront and there will be publicity aplenty by the electronic media. Next, an Uma Bharti type demagogue will emerge on the scene and cries of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ will once again rent the air.

This will unite Hindus by election time and voting will assume the form of a Hindu vs. Muslim jihad. Hindus will leave caste considerations aside and vote as Hindus. It’s not difficult to guess who will then emerge victorious from the polls.

The Muslim Personal Law Board needs to look before it leaps. Emotive sloganeering and taking to the streets should be the last thing on their mind. The issue of Muslim Personal Law is currently pending before the Supreme Court. Wisdom lies in focusing all one’s energy on the legal issues involved and not in organising rallies and raising religiously-charged slogans. If the Board fails to put reason above emotion, the only possible conclusion will be that wittingly unwittingly it is playing the BJP’s game.

(This is an English translation of Zafar Agha's original column in Urdu published by the daily Raabta Times). 
 

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