– Vidya Bhushan Rawat
The partition debate has again started in Parliament by Home Minister Amit Shah who said that said Congress divided India and virtually gave a clean chit to both Hindu Mahasabha as well as Muslim league who believed in the two nation theory.
There is no point to discuss here that Indian leadership was not merely pragmatic but statesman and showed huge maturity in dealing with the issue and that is why a leader like Nehru are born but once. It is absolutely difficult to be like him if we were living in today’s poisonous atmosphere.
There were agreement between Nehru and Liaqat Ali Khan related to treatment to minorities in our respective countries. Pakistan failed in it miserably as its secular leadership passed away and the country was under the control of the military after the first decade only. The division of Pakistan and creation of a new state like Bangladesh happened that religion alone can not unite people and nationalities. The situation was so bad in Pakistan that one of the main architect of Pakistan constitution, Jogendra Nath Mandal had to resign and leave Pakistan accusing the then leadership of allowing the violence against minorities.
Though Bangladesh became a reality on linguistic nationalism yet in the last two decade Jamat-e-Islami and other tehreeks there have radicalised people. Bangladesh became a hot bed against secular and minorities. Pakistan has similar conditions though the government in both the countries are now trying to look ‘progressive’ but the extra state actors like Jamat e Islami and many other Jamats have destroyed the social fabric in the two countries.
India was definitely far superior in terms of minority rights and their protection compare to any of its South Asian neighbors even Muslims here were victims of state apathy and communal disturbances but things started changing post nineties after the Sangh parivar launched Ayodhya campaign, targeted Muslim personal law and started building a narrative which would show that the Muslims are the real villain. Today’s our anti beef campaign or anti conversion laws, anti cow slaughter laws are nothing but very much like the anti blasphemy laws in the Islamic societies.
Muslims have paid huge price of the corrupt leadership in major part of the world which took the benefit of religion to justify their act. As Islam became state policy, rights of the common people became the biggest victim and minorities, atheists and secular became the real target. It is not that all minorities want to come from Pakistan, Bangladesh or Afghanistan. So, when the government put a bill that it welcome all the non Muslims from these countries to come India, dont we think that it put them on higher risk of being leveled as anti national in their own countries. Like the mischief played by the right-wing Sanghi trolls, there will be hundreds in these countries who will start campaigning against them. I am sure the government in those countries would be happier today looking how India is reducing it to justify the position of Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
Government says that it want to help those minorities who are in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Frankly speaking, both Bangladesh and Afghanistan are our friendly nation today and we dont know what would be their response on this issue but the government has definitely gave a propaganda handle to those religious hate mongering groups in these countries who would be happy to throw all the non Muslims out and snatch their property. Shoulnt we ask that all the minorities must get equal treatment and protection from the constitution in their countries as per international laws and treaty. Shouldnt our world leader put pressure on Bangladesh and Afghanistan to ensure that non Muslim get a fair treatment in their countries.
Frankly speaking, the biggest victims of the partition are the Muslims as families were divided and lost touch with their near dear one. One community in three nations now. Relatives dont get visa to visit India or Pakistan. Now situation is as such that people wont even call because the intelligence will start hunting them. Even going to the high commissions in both the countries would invite the intelligence agencies to pounce upon you. A good gesture for families who have relatives across the border for easy processing of visa would have been much powerful statement than a citizenship issue.
Understand that government has a ‘right’ motive to help ‘non Muslims’ as they have got their ‘land’ but along with citizenship we have NRC. For the non Muslim refugees you just want to say that they dont need anything but for Muslims, you want everything. Now, NRC will be implemented in the entire country. Who is going to get the ‘contract’ for it. We know well every calamity is an opportunity for those who spread hatred. Citizenship bill and NRC going together indicate an exercise of intimidation for the Muslim community. I am amazed to see this that till last year this government was placing in the Supreme Court that Adhar is the panacea for everything and called it as national register and claimed that it has covered a majority of India so what is propelling government to start NRC all over the country.
Irony is that we are creating new problems for ourselves but when the agenda is to deliberate create a crisis, help the cronies with huge contract then nothing can be said. The woulds were getting healed as people had seen the situation everywhere in our neighborhood but then the current leadership has shown how much negative feeling it has got towards Muslims that even after coming to power it has not been able to shed it. It is not the fault of Muslim citizens of India but the political leadership of different parties whether they will be able to join hand before the next election in the greater interest of the country. Will they ever do ? Will we as citizen of the country stand with our fellow citizens irrespective of their caste or religious identity ? The hate propaganda will continue and we have to see whether we have to just respond to them or do our own ground work of strengthening the like minded forces so that the poison does not spread in our homes.
