Ram Puniyani
(Asian independent) The killings of 26 tourists in Baisaran near Pahalgam were one of the worst tragedies in recent times. Baisaran is a lovely spot reachable only on horses or by walking in the uneven terrain. The killings left the whole nation in deep grief. While the terrorists killed tourists after confirming the religion of the victims, one Muslim, the local person escorting the tourists, tried to resist and was killed. Kashmiri porters also carried the tourists to safe places and opened their houses and Masjids for the guests. Kashmir observed Bandh and many processions giving the slogans of ‘Hindu Muslim Unity’ were taken out, while all over the country Muslims and other groups took out the candle marches and offered condolences for the martyrs.
Mr. Modi was due to be in Kashmir at that time but just a few days prior he cancelled his Kashmir trip. He was in a gulf country when the attack took place. He cut short his trip and headed back home and rather than going to Kashmir, he went to Bihar to attend a rally where he gave a powerful warning to terrorists. The message that terrorists were Muslims and victims were Hindus was the undercurrent of the whole narrative which was circulated.
The ceasefire has been declared by Mr. Donald Trump, while Mr. Modi has a different interpretation of the cease fire. Meanwhile the Godi media had the heyday spreading hate and different channels reported winning over different cities of Pakistan while sitting in their plush studios. The Godi media fell to unimaginable lows, had a further fall in smashing the ethics of journalism, long abandoned by them.
The worst outcome has been the increase in hate against Muslims. Islamophobia, gripping the country with increasing intensity is reaching unimaginable heights. In Latur a Muslims was labeled as Pakistani, Kashmiri and beaten black and blue. Humiliated by this he committed suicide. The Kashmiri students in an Uttrakhand hostel were thrown out in the middle of the night and they had to stay put up in front of Deharadun Airport. The worst of this was seen when Vijay Shah, a minister in BJP’s MP Government called Colonel Sophia Qureshi, the military spokesperson of the Indian army, as ‘sister of terrorists’. For the sake of face saving he did apologize for this.
Mithila Raut, who works with Center for Study of Society and Secularism, Mumbai, in an article in Dainik Loksatta (Marathi) enumerates the number of Hate incidents as reported in the papers. As per her article, there have been many incidents of anti Muslim incidents after the Pahalgam attack. In one of the shocking incidents in UP, Shamli’s Toda village one Sarafaraz was attacked by Govind. Govind stated that you have killed our 26; we will kill your 26! In Punjab’s Dera Bassi in Universal group of Institutes, Kashmiri students were attacked in the hostel.
One Shabbir Dhar, a Kashmiri living in Masoori had a shop selling shawls. He was attacked along with his shop assistant and was threatened as the culprit of Pahalgam killings and was threatened not to come back again. In Haryana’s Rohtak village the Muslim residents were threatened to leave the village by 2nd May.
These are some of the incidents which have been culled out from selected newspapers. How the atmosphere of Hate has been intensified is very clear from these incidents. The atmosphere of the society has been gradually worsening. The Hindu rightwing has already created an atmosphere against Muslims. Initially it was created by use of medieval history, where the training in RSS shakhas, the Godi media and social media created an enemy image for Muslims. Formation of Pakistan gave another major pretext to the communal politics to assert that Pakistan has been formed by the Muslims. This is a totally distorted version of the account of History, as the formation of Pakistan was a combination of three factors, British Policy of Divide and rule, Muslim communalism and Hindu communalism. Two Nation theory was first articulated by Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savakar.
After the formation of Pakistan, the propaganda was that partition took place due to Muslims and this became an additional point of Hate. As such it was the formation of two states simultaneously, India and Pakistan. Pakistan was to be in Muslim majority areas. The add-on to anti Muslim propaganda came from the complex Kashmir issue. The exodus of Kashmiri pandits in 1990 was yet again used against Muslims. Exodus of Pundits happened when the V.P.Singh Government supported by BJP was ruling at center and pro BJP Jagmohan was the Governor of Kashmir. Ignoring all that, the anti Muslim angle in Pundits emigration was the central point around which the hate against Muslims was exaggerated.
So step by step more issues have been used to torment the Indian Muslims. The voices of amity have been muted and every occasion now is turned into adding to the prevalent Hate against Muslims, every occasion is used to vitiate the hate which is used by the RSS-BJP to intensify its agenda of Hindu nation.
The issue of Pahalgam has also brought to fore the change in the nature of Indian diplomacy. As per Shlmla agreement (1971) between Indira Gandhi and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto the India Pakistan issues were to be sorted out in bilateral manner, without mediation from the third party. With Donald Trump dominating the scene and Modi unable to confront him, the equations seem to be changing. Globally not many countries came to side with India.
The core point is to solve the Kashmir issue based on Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s Doctrine of Insaniyat, Kashmiriryat and Jamhooriyat (Humanism, Democracy). We need to live in peace with our neighbors, as Vajpayee again said; ‘Friends can change but not neighbors’. The reflections of Hate Pakistan as is the wont of Hindu Right wing supplemented by the loud mouthed and hate spewing Indian God media, directly reflects badly on Indian Muslims. It vitiates the possibility of an amicable atmosphere at home, in the country.
The intensification of communal problems due to the Pahalgam issue needs to be grasped and war and Hate mongers have to be negated for peace and prosperity of our country. So far Pakistani was main abuse for Muslims, Kashmiri has been added to the hate point.
