Modi phobia and Muslim Intelligentsia

BY: RANBIR MANHAS PUBLISHED ON APRIL 16, 2020

For past few months, my posts have been drawing considerable criticism with some friends accusing me for ‘spreading communal hatred’. Their threatening comments suggest that they want to throttle my voice of conscience and stop me from writing truth, which they conceive as bundle of falsehood. However, for me their abuses are like flower petals, which I accept as a reward believing that had Socrates succumbed to threats from Orthodox Church of that time, his ‘Justice Theory’ would not have seen light of the day?

While reacting to one of my recent posts wherein I had asked as to why Muslim scholars were defending an absconding Moulana when their Hindu counterparts did not defend few ‘Babas’ who were put behind the bars few years ago, some of my friends responded as under:

“Answer is growing insecurity among Muslims in the present regime. No one from the Muslim intelligentsia or liberals would have come to the rescue of Tableegi absconders in the past regimes including that of Atal Jee, as there was no targeting, no persecution, no intolerance or interference as is being done in this dispensation. So, Muslims have united as never before and keep supporting each other for their survival. This is a fact and there are no qualms about it. You asked for an answer and I have given it to you. No argument, ifs, buts or debate will help or convince a Muslim barring a few hundred that BJP has rewarded suitably. So, what can be done to change this mindset? I think you know the answer and so does BJP, but that entails deviating from the fundamental ideology that has brought them to power for successive terms. Hope I answered you and as a person of good intellect, you should ponder over it rationally and fairly. This is how I perceive. You may or may not agree but then both of us have right to our opinion and we should respect it” observes Israr Khan a former DIG of J&K Police and incumbent treasurer of National Conference.

Yet another comment reads like this:

“What a comparison! Most innocuous Moulvis who were never touched even at the height of militancy wherever they went in hundreds. They have no anti-national antecedents …try n find from any investigative agency …if u find one tell me.

Many thought this was created to counter pro Pak Jamat-e- Islami.

Just sit with any of them or else send any of your Muslim friend ….if u are able to hear any objectionable or anti national or any criminal bent of mind charges against them or any hate propaganda against other religion from them I will reward you.

Shun this extraordinary hatred towards one community. It’s so impossible to eliminate 20 crore people. Please tell your media to have some standards…they are at the lowest ebb of extreme backwardness of ideas and at the height propagation of hatred,” claims Dr. Khairat Butt.

Historically speaking, Indian subcontinent is a conservative society where self-styled semi gods of all religions play an important role in shaping the mindset of their followers. Besides promoting blind faith, these semi gods also motivate their ignorant followers to have faith in ‘janter-manter’ instead of depending on medical science with the fall out that people hide their children from vaccinators and spit on Doctors. In this backdrop, it may not be out of place to quote famous Sudani Muslim scholar, Hakeem Luqman who says, “Whim has no cure “and unfortunately, my friends seem suffering from this notional disease.

Although, I do not question their integrity, I have more than one reasons to believe that when educated people also become zelots, instead of pulling people from the deep dungeon of ignorance, they push the society deeper in the well of blind faith.The situation becomes merky when a pinch of politics is also added to it. Wonder, how emancipated peope of Israr Khan and Khairat Butt’s caliber could feel insecure in a liberal society where majority community has already upheld the rich tradition of Live and Let live!

The fear psychosis my friends are suffering from has two reasons behind – whim and political exploitation. Since whims have no cure, discussing them would be a futile exercise. However, the issues of political exploitation can bedebated even if it yields no result.

My friends accuse Modi government for persecuting and targeting Muslims in India. Can they enlighten me by citing a single evidence to justify their allegation? No! They cannot because not to think of Muslims migrating to Pakistan or becoming Hindu from any other part of India, not a single such case is reported from even Kashmir, which has been demonized as the worst example of State terrorism under this ‘anti-Muslim’ regime!

Their assertion that Modi was anti Jammat, also holds no water because had he been so, he should have sealed its headquarters and banned its activities the day he came to power six years, ago! Let me make it clear to my friends that the anger actually is against Jammat leaders for their irresponsible attitude in case of Corona crisis. If Modi is anti-Muslimms then Arvind Kejriwal should be number one enemy of Muslims who, in his daily breifings has been accusing Jammat for spreading the deadly virus in Dehli! Problem with Muslims scholars is that they always play victim card to forge unity in their community in the name of Islam unmindful of the fact that others could also unite as a matter of reaction. They may not agree but fact of matter is this that barring those few who thrive on foreign funding, Hindus of all hues have united today as never before.

Rationally speaking, there is no danger to Indian Muslims. The only endangered community in Modi regime, are terrorists and infiltrators who have waged a proxy war against India in the name of Jehad. If intellectual Muslims also associate themselves with enemies of the country then their claim of being nationalist is nothing but hypocrisy, which stands exposed, now.

Politics is also an important factor responsible for the existing Modi phobia. As is evident, certain political parties and persons who have lost the scope of enjoying special privileges, which they used to enjoy in past at the cost of a common man, are now trying to stage a comeback by creating a condition of chaos and confusion amongst the gullible masses. Projecting PM, Narindera Modi as enemy of Muslims is a part of this obnoxious game plan.

Before concluding, it may not be out of place to quote a comment of relevance, which came as a response to those of my critic.

“If somebody holds that 2 plus 2 is not four and he has not to listen to any logic then you do not have any educational system to help him. That is why there is always a support for madarsa as Educational institution even by those who had either themselves studied or have sent their wards in good English medium schools,” observes Professor, Dr. Mohinder Jyoti of Jammu University.