Law and order have two enemies: the Full Truth and the Complete Lie. When people realize the truth, they start revolutions. When they are fed lies they begin meaningless riots.
- M.J. Akbar, 1979
A leader is one who leads by example and does not follow in the footsteps of his followers and disciples but Lal Krishna Advani, country’s eager Prime Minister-in-waiting, is an exceptional political entity. He used to lead by example in his infamous Rath Yatra days but the addictive taste of Delhi’s political power has changed his mindset. No wonder he is blindly advocating a theory originally propagated by a small fish in the dirty pond of India’s communalism – the notorious Narendra Modi.
Modi had recently said, “Attacks like 26/11 couldn’t have happened without local support… The UPA Government is quiet on this aspect because of vote-bank politics.” In other words, it simply means that the attack could not have taken place without the active help of Indian Muslims. Modi’s statement was much appreciated within the BJP and Sangh Parivar. Advani, whose eyesight is fixed on 7 Race Course Road (Prime Minster’s residence), realized that it was time that he broke his dignified silence to please saffron souls lest they think Modi is their natural leader! It is in this context Advani raised the issue that local angle “could not be ruled out”, and demanded a “thorough” judicial inquiry covering “this aspect of the conspiracy as well.”
Winston Churchill once said, “The nation will find it very hard to look up to the leaders who are keeping their ears to the ground.” Had Advani kept his ears to the ground, he would have certainly broadened his approach but he didn’t. A man who desperately wants to be India’s next Prime Minister should have demanded a “thorough” judicial inquiry of Batla House, Mecca Masjid, Samjhauta blast and Malegaon blasts etc. That would have made him a man of all seasons but alas he is a man of saffron reason!
If Advani’s eyes are on the 7 Race Course Road, his ears are paying attention across the border. He is desperately seeking votes in Pakistan! The ad featuring on many Pakistani websites reads, ‘It’s possible, Advani for Prime Minister.’ Does Advani want to become Prime Minister of Pakistan? Advani’s adventurous ambition will bring much needed relief to Iftikhar Yusuf Raza Gilani, Pakistan’s current Prime Minister!
For a change we must give Advani benefit of doubt. If his “local angle” concern is indeed genuine, let’s try to apply this logic in totality. What would be the reaction of government and politicians if any political leader of Malegaon tries to raise the “local angle” involvement in September 29 2008 blast? What if he repeats the exact words of L.K. Advani only replacing 26/11 with Malegaon blast? He would be branded as a “communalist”, an “anti-national”. The police department will sing a song of law and order problem. It is quite possible that he would be booked under some sections of Indian Penal Code for making provocative statement of the communal nature.
This classic Indian duplicity is not a gift of British Raj but it’s a product of hate-preachers who still see Indian Muslims as “outsiders” and “invaders”. This tendency emanates from none other than the right-wing ideologue Golwalkar who put it quite bluntly, “Ever since the evil day, when Muslims just landed in Hindustan, right up to the present moment, the Hindu nation has been gallantly fighting on to shake off the despoilers.”
It is altogether a different matter that this kind of rabid rhetoric has been replaced by soft Hindutva because in an era of coalition politics, BJP can not form government on its own. Adopting the same kind of language will cut short Advani’s Prime Ministerial dream.
The duplicity and hypocrisy of L.K. Advani is nothing new. He has been accused of a criminal conspiracy to demolish Babri Masjid. Advani first blamed Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao and, next, acclaimed the event as a historic one. In front of Liberhan Commission, he has repeatedly said that December 6, 1992 was the saddest day of his life although Advani had said in Ayodhya that, “Aaj (December 6) kar seva ka akhiri din hai, kar sevak aaj akhiri kar seva karenge.” (It is the final day for the kar seva today. The kar sevaks will be doing the final kar seva today). And when the demolition of the mosque was in progress, he also told that the Central forces were moving from Faizabad towards Ayodhya, but they were not afraid of it and instructed the public to block the national highway straightway so that forces do not reach Ram Janam Bhoomi. This was reported by Indian Express and later documented by noted lawyer and commentator A.G. Noorani. Jaswant Singh said that the demolition should not have happened in the sense that the BJP was one of the participants and BJP has direct responsibility. Ashok Singhal was more blunt. He told a gathering in London that “Kar sevaks had removed a stigma attached to the Hindu community. This was a matter of pride for Hindus the world over. It was like Hanuman setting fire to Lanka.”
A.G. Noorani has beautifully described BJP’s confession and denial thus, “The BJP wants to run with the hares and hunt with the hounds. It simultaneously acknowledges as well as denies its involvement in the crime.”
Advani’s autobiography (My Country, My Life) is full of lies and contradictions and there is ample evidence of his “Muslim phobia” in it. It is an attempt to portray Advani as a “nationalist” leader and pave way for his Prime Ministerial dream. Perhaps the last word must be left to Noorani: “If Advani succeeds in fulfilling his 20-year-old ambition, this book will rank as the Fuhrer’s Mein Kampf. If he is defeated in 2009, it will be remembered for ever as the swansong of a man who wanted to be Prime Minister of India too badly.”
Photo: LK Advani
Milind,
Unfortunately there are many Khwaja Yunus but the early India as a whole recognises the status of being a ‘Police State’ for the weaks, better.
The study of income of Muslims is not sufficient. The moot question is overall equality which is lacking. Nobody asks a Christian which church he visits and so is the case with a Sikh and a Hindu, but sadly when in Mil Service the so called intelligence people used to ask you first hand. Was it an efficient way or the fellows use to complete just the paper work? You guessed it right. The demotivating factor is practised inequality which is the product of a seige mentality. We as a nation are being made a ‘ghetto’ state with US of A promoting the same sighting Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh et al. The change in Maldives was also analysed using the same prism. Now, we as a nation are falling into the trap and we need to fast catch up opposing the standard news that a Sikh is attacked in West for being an Arab/Muslim. Now, by any standard, nobody is sanctioned to be murdered just like this, but no, no media treated this way in India as if Muslim needed to be killed!! Same went in the Republican campaign against Obama, where being Muslim (mid name Husain) was a crime, openly which most of the commentators at IM missed to pick. The same lot wishes an Indian to be the next candidate because next, it would be a Republican’s turn and that the India is a governor and that he is a Christian as well. All positives, we know!!
Sanjay,
The Sachar committee findings are one of the best indicators of the disadvantage Muslims are in terms of employment.
I will give you findings in terms of economic indicators as well.
And the idea is to state the reality, not make people agree with me.
milind,
Indians don’t have to win against BJP. They need to win against communalism/castism whichever party it is.
“He can unhesitatingly be eliminated in an encounter. She cannot.”
you are wrong. Not she cannot. she wasn’t.so many Naxals were. One pragnya and one purohit that’s it. If there were many of them same would happen to them. too many assumptions about other’s acts. Say she resisted arrest and started attacking police, will they leave her?
The argument that since muslims are under represented in one area , they must be given advantage/preference to make representation according to numbers is flawed. That can be done only if proven that this is so because of discrimination. Where is that ? All state must ensure is there is equal opportunity for all citizens irrespective of riligion/caste, etc. There is no proof that muslims are under represented due to discrimination.
RamK,
Pragya and Purohit are just foot soldiers. They have handlers, and have masterminds too looking after them.
The time is not far off when a lot of things will come to light. However, I am confident that Indians will fight communalism, come what may.
Milind
Something I fished out from a myriad of resources that may be interesting:
“According to the Sachar report, only 3.2 % of Muslims aged 20 and over are graduates compared to the national average of 6.7%, which clearly diminishes the appropriately qualified applicant pool among Muslims. Sunil Jain clearly points this out in Business Standard (Dec 02): “The fact is that despite the high-decibel campaign launched by the media on leaks from the Sachar Committee Report, as in the case of the OBCs, there is no sign of any systemic discrimination against the Muslims when it comes to jobs; the problem lies in the enrolment levels of Muslims in schools. The 1999-2000 NSS data show, for instance, that while Muslims comprised 12.2 per cent of the country’s population, their share in those who had passed school was just 7.2 per cent. The rest then follows from this number—so, the Muslims formed just 6.5 per cent of the proportion of those enrolled in college, though they still managed to get 9.7 per cent of the total number of “professional, technical and managerial” jobs in the country.”
Poverty is quantified by several direct measures like the per capita income and the mean per capita expenditure (MPCE) which defines the consumption expenditure of individuals.The all India average for the MPCE (Sachar report) was Rs 712. The figures for Muslims, OBC’s and SC/ST’s were 636,645 and 520 respectively. The MPCE for Muslims is only Rs 76 off the national average amounting to a negligible difference of Rs 2.50 per day; not something earth shattering as some of our columnists have been making it out to be. Further by this criterion, Muslims are better off than SC/ST’s (31% of Hindus) and almost on par with OBC’s (43% of Hindus): certainly not at the bottom of the heap.
But what was even more striking was that Muslims were more affluent than the combined Hindu community in 10 of the 21 States surveyed by the Sachar commission and in Tamil Nadu, Muslims even outdid the Hindu upper castes in terms of economic prosperity. Additionally for the period 1993-4 to 2004-5, rural Muslims recorded the highest rate of economic growth with a HCR drop of 12% compared to an 8% decline for Hindus. This clearly suggests that the rural Muslims at least are not a disadvantaged lot in comparison to other socio-religious groups.
Urban Muslims, on the contrary, do come out poorly with an HCR of 38.4% with SC/ST’s close on their heels at 36.4%. In only four of the 21 states, urban Muslim poverty matched that of Hindus.
Let me quote data from another source to indicate that Muslims are not the only underprivileged sect. According to a more scientifically done study (Brahmins of India by J Radhakrishna, published by Chugh Publications) 55% of the Brahmins in a district of Andhra Pradesh live below the poverty line compared to a national average of 45% at that time. This is not an isolated instance of Brahmin penury. Brahmins in Karnataka register a per capita income of Rs 537 compared to a figure of Rs 794 for Muslims.
Milind,
“The Sachar committee findings are one of the best indicators of the disadvantage Muslims are in terms of employment.”
I am not denying the data. But at the same time, I will be the last man to push Muslims in the cosy and comfortable regime of reservations. Rather, I would exhort Muslims to stand up and face competition heads on. By putting them in the regime of reservation means taking out their full potential.
Do Muslims really need reservations or help?? No, I feel.
Look around and see that whenever a muslim individual takes it on to himself and decides to go for it, he leaves others far behind. Just look at Muslim actors, musicians, artists, sportspersons etc. In these areas, they come in droves and dominate the stage.
They lack whereever studies are required, whereever you have to drown in the Books. (Strangely, their religion starts with the Book and ends in the Book and they are so indifferent to Books. The first word which Angel Gabriel uttered to Prophet Mohammed was “Read” and the muslims have stopped reading(or studying)!!!!!).
On the other hand ,hindus have learnt from them that ultimately it is the book which can lead a person to God. So they lap up books like anything.
During early years, Islam gave the finest philosphers,poets and writers. Today, it has turned elsewhere. Muslims have to revert back to their basics i.e. “reading of a Book” and everything will be alright.
It may be a slightly long way but thats the permanent way.
Regarding reservations, give it on economic condition basis. Muslims will be automatically benefitted.
@Sudie,
Replying to you will require a lot of reference and data. I shall do it in a bit.
@Sanjay,
I agree with you regarding what you have stated and I find the propositions coming from a position of knowledge.
Unfortunately, you have seen the lot of Muslims who have grown up in relatively better conditions. There are, unfortunately, teeming millions who live in conditions where they cannot even have 3 meals a day. We will need to address this.
I understand your point regarding economic criteria for reservation, but the question is whehter this will be administered efficiently and transparently.
Milind,
“There are, unfortunately, teeming millions who live in conditions where they cannot even have 3 meals a day. We will need to address this.”
When you talk about the teeming millions, then why do you segregate the people. Hunger is the same for everyone. So we have to reach out to these people and think about upliftment of all of them.
70% of our population is still poor and uneducated. So far the thrust had been to give them doles like reservations, cash compensation in the name of employment etc. But that has not worked. We have to strike at the root. It is a big task but unfortunately, nobody is paying heed to it. Eveyrbody is interested in grabbing as much as possible. Yes, muslims are at disadvantage here in grabbing.So if we want to benefit the muslims, we, the majority community has to change first.
“I understand your point regarding economic criteria for reservation, but the question is whehter this will be administered efficiently and transparently.”
Definitely if such schemes are not suggested by politicians and they are suggested by social scientists and economists. Everything can be tackled by making proper systems, checks and balances. close monitoring and course correction.