Indian Pseudo-Secularism: Gujarat Scene

by Dr.Abdul Ruff Colachal

(August 08, New Delhi, Sri Lanka Guardian) Indian Muslims, both educated and illiterates, rich and poor, eat insults reserved for them by Indian majority peoples, their governments, media and other agencies, mostly silently! Those who protest do so only by ruining themselves in this Indian "secular democracy". Indians proudly say they could now finish off any resistance from Indian Muslims and they control the lives and minds of Muslims and the Muslims cannot afford to raise any objections in India at all. They do have a point. That is great India as seen through Jammu Kashmir where its military is engaged in genocides and destruction activities. Indian state terrorism in Kashmir is the root-cause of regional tensions and UN and UNSC are not yet bothered to ask occupying Indian government to vacate Kashmir. There is not even one state or region where Muslims are safe and less terrorized. However, some states are notorious for their anti-Muslim resolve and actions.

ONE

World does not require any introduction to Hindu atrocities committed on defeseless Muslims and destruction of Mosques in the country. Genocides of Muslims and destruction of their properties is recurrent phenomenon in Gujarat, the birth state of Gandhi who influenced Muslims to be passive against aggression from strong majorities.

It is a known fact that Muslims are targeted every where in India and they are attacked by Indian security forces as a regular matter even at dam sites where the Muslims go for site-seeing like any other groups or individuals. But now they are insulted and driven away from these tourist spots. In the name of security for the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Narmada district, the Gujarat police at the dam site stopped and turned away groups of Muslim holiday-makers from the popular picnic spot on 03 and 04 July. One can call this treatment as Indian way of secularism Gujarat is being ruled by Hndutva major party BJP and the chief minister Modi is keen to garner more Hindu votes and snatch them form Congress vote bank.

TWO

Rich among Muslims don’t bother about the poor among themselves is a different matter altogether. But it is not rich alone who visit tourist spots any where. The Muslim tourists, including a Chartered Accountant and his family and a visiting London-based NRI family, were shooed away after they entered the dam site, precisely because patrolling cops found they had Muslim names. Among those turned away was Imtiaz, a Charted Accountant from Vadodara. With him were eight family members. "We were given entry passes and allowed to cross the check-post to the spot. Then a police Inspector, Ravish, patrolling at the dam site, spotted us and asked my name. As soon as I told him my name, we were asked to go away." That is India.

THREE

The Muslim visitors are both pained and shocked. "Vadodara is around 100 km from the Sardar Sarovar, and I had taken my family to show them the beauty of the place. I am sad that I am still identified by my name, not my nationality". It is a common practice for Hindus to call Muslims as Pakistanis or Pakis, not as a mark of respect or affection but in the opposite sense. .

Ismail from Bharuch had gone there with his extended family including his visiting London-based sister Yasmeen and her husband. "We were a group of 13 members and had completed all formalities to enter. But once we did, the police officials came up to ask our names. My NRI brother-in-law, Shabbir, was even questioned about his origins." "Shabbir told them he was originally from Kosamba area, and the cops remarked : 'Abhi abhi toh wahan se bomb mile hain'(Just now bombs have been found there)." That is to say the police are torturing the Muslims branding them as terrorists.

Belif, currently in Mumbai, managed to videograph the conversation with policemen on his mobile phone. "The cops asked Belif to show his driving licence, and his sister and husband, their passports. They did not carry their passports. They immediately asked these Muslim visitors to get out of the site. Belif's family friend Zuber says they asked the grilling cops for the phone numbers of local police authorities to sort out the misunderstanding. "But we were given wrong numbers and clearly misguided," he says. Obviously, they are there not help the Muslims.

Since the visitors have the capacity they contacted the “people” concerned and the matter was brought up publicly. Then senior police officers said they would make amends. "We will invite back all those who were turned away to visit the place," said SP Ahmed. Tadvi, Deputy Collector in charge of Narmada district said the issue will be taken up soon with SSNNL Chief Executive Engineer since the SSNNL tourism department has lodged a complaint with us. "A report regarding ill-treatment of Muslim tourists has been submitted to me by the SSNNL Public Relation Office. I will order an inquiry soon," he added.

This incident comes after Godhra police called 52 local clerics and asked them to disclose who funded the local madrasas and what kind of training went on there besides being asked to "disclose" details of the funds they received from Pakistan.

Leaders of several prominent local Muslim religious organizations who took part in the "community watch meeting"' presided over by Godhra Town Inspector MS Patel are now fuming over the humiliation. Top police brass in Bharuch has sought to disown the event. Godhra Superintendent of Police Mothalia says he had "no clue” about any such meeting.

Godhra carnage

Godhra carnage and the genocide of Muslims are still fresh in public memory. Even police in Gujarat is against madrasas and they some how link them with Pakistan , country which could be cited the other side of the Gujarat map across the Arabian sea and Hindutva forces have made the maximum use of Pakistan to secure political victory in the state and kill Muslims there with Hindu support. Not only Gujarat, all states on the Arabian Sea belt have been under the ill-influence of Hindutva forces.

A Word

Of course, in India any thing could be done to Muslims and the thrashing and turning them away in public view is nothing new and only the Muslims who live under illusion of democracy and secularism and vote for the candidates as per instructions form their Muslim leaders who work as vote-bank agents in areas where Muslims are in good numbers.

It is a known fact that Muslims are targeted at Dam sites and other tourist places, like Bhakra Nangal dam lying between Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. At Bhakra nangal it is a regular feature to witness the security fellows thrashing Muslims and telling the people who gather around that they are Pakistanis. Even police is informed that "these Muslims are illegal Pakistanis". That is the usual tactics of invoking "Pakistan", employed by Indians when they commit illegal actions, including murders and thrashing of Muslims in India and Kashmir. That solves the problems of Indian terrorist security forces.

Considering the fact that the Muslims could even be beaten up and put to jails, if the Hindu government so desired, the Narmada dam atrocity could even be a weak case. Bu, is there any special reason why the Gujratis have not done so and only insulted and chased the Muslims away form dam site?

( Dr.Abdul Ruff Colachal , Research Scholar, School of International Studies, Delhi )
- Sri Lanka Guardian