POLITICAL DIARY

New Delhi, 21 March 2009

Hypocrisy Of Secularism

HATE TALK OR MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING?

By Poonam I Kaushish

Much ado about nothing? Or a hate speech? All depends on which side of the secular-communal coin one is. Either way on looks at it, the ‘other’ Gandhi scion, Varun who is making his electoral debut from Pilibhit in UP has pole-vaulted into a political maelstrom.

Leading to the Election Commission ordering the Pilibhit police to register a case against him under the IPC and the Representation of the People Act for violating the model code of conduct. A polity, including the ‘main’ Gandhi’s (Aunt Sonia and cousin Rahul), attacking him as communal and a frenzied media condemning him to the gallows. Exposing as never before the hypocrisy of secularism.

At the outset, unlike my fellow tribesmen, I really don’t understand what the brouhaha is about. Don’t get me wrong I am no Hindu fundamentalist nor do I hold a brief for Varun but I intend playing a devil’s advocate. To be fair to the young lad, what is so intemperate about his language that other politicians including seasoned ones have not said before. One can fault him on his harsh language, innuendoes, call it too blunt for the political palate or dismiss it as him being as brash as his late father Sanjay Gandhi.

Questionably, if a candidate who states “Agar kissi galat tatv ke aadmi ne, kisi Hindu pe haath uthaya ya yeh samajh key ki yeh kamzor hain, unke peeche koi nahi hai mein geeta ki kasam khake kehta hoon ki mein uss haath ko kaat daaloonga. (If somebody lifts a hand against Hindus, or thinks they are weak, there is nobody behind them, I swear on the (Bhagvad) Gita that I will cut off that hand) is elected would it tantamount to the death of democracy? That is juvenile to say the least. The voter is not stupid who could be swayed by electoral speeches.

Remember, the UP Minister who promised a reward of Rs 50 lakhs to anyone who beheaded the Danish cartoonist who showed the Prophet in bad light. Why were our secular leaders mum? Recall, the hullaballoo by the Samajwadi Party known for its soft corner for the minority community calling the killing of the Indian Mujahideen terrorists in Delhi last October by a police braveheart as a’fake encounter’? And why our the pseudo-secularists silent when Varun’s aunt Sonia called Narendra Modi “maut ke saudagar” during her poll campaign during the Gujarat Assembly elections last year.

Besides, one fails to fathom what is objectionable about Varun asserting, “Agar koi aadmi aapko thappad maare, to saale ka haath kat do ki kisi ko phir thappad nahi maar paaye baad mein.” Yet when NC’s Omar Abdullah said: “Woh hamari zameen (Amarnath) ka muddha tha. Hum apni zameen ke liye ladhe. Aur hum marte dum tak apni zameen ke liye ladhenge,” Sonia Gandhi was seen leading her brood in congratulating him.

Not a few wonder why Indira Gandhi’s grandson taking baby steps in politics needed to unnecessarily rake up a controversy when he would have comfortably sailed through and won. Given that Pilibhit has been well-nursed by his mother Maneka who has been elected four times from there.

With a population of over 70% Hindus, many of Varun’s sympathizers state that he was trying to restore confidence in the community “living in fear” and “under siege” as three temples had been vandalized. Which Party does not make sweeping statements about their vote-banks being marginalised, they assert.

In fact Varun has exposed the pseudo-secularism espoused by various parties when he said: Kya yeh sach nahin hai ki agar kisika naam Bimla Devi hai, to usko kahaa ki dekhenge, sochenge... pehle paanch hazaar rupaye do... aur agar uska naam hai Saira Bano ya Begum Hukum Begum toh ushe paisa diya jaata hai…”

It is no secret that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been doling out innumerable freebies to the minority community over the last 5 years. From asserting that Muslims had the first claim on the country’s resources, down a multi-sectoral development plan at a cost of over Rs 4,000crore for 90 minority districts, Rs 80-crore for pre-matric scholarships and over Rs 45 crore for modernizing madrassa education et al.

Take a 360 degree turn anywhere and minority appeasement hits you in the face. All in the garb of improving their quality of life (sic) which translates into “please give me your vote.” Be it the Congress, Laloo’s RJD, Paswan’s LJP, Mian Mulayam’s Samajwadi etc.  Yet, when Varun espouses bettering the lot of the Hindus he is accused of giving a hate speech and dubbed anti-secular. Not only that. All parties chose candidates according to the creed-caste break-up in a constituency.

Further, aapne gaon mein jao aur halla karo ki saara Hindu ek tarfa ho jao, chhetra ko Pakistan hone se bachao!” [Go to your villages and give the call that all Hindus must unite to save this area from becoming Pakistan…] True, the language may be at variance but Varun has said nothing different from what the Student Islamic Movement of India’s  (SIMI) goal is: To create an Islamic state in India. Are we taking action against it? No. And what about Raj Thackeray’s diatribe against UPwallahs and Biharis in Maharashtra and his vow to banish them. Why was the ruling Congress-NCP silent then?  Are we losing all sense of proportion?

Also, the 29-year old author of the ‘Otherness of Self’ outpourings are no different from the former Governor of Assam Gen Sinha’s grim warning of how the border State was being slowly turned into an Islamic Bangla Bhoomi by the so-called illegal migrants. With 8 districts already boasting of a Muslim majority. The difference being that the minority community is dubbed as ‘illegal migrants’ from Bangladesh. It is no secret that many terrorist have used the garb of “illegal migrants’ to spread mayhem in the country.

Or a worried neighbouring West Bengal which has upped the security ante over the mushrooming of innumerable mosques and madrassas on the border with Bangladesh. Why is it only singling out mosques? More. Not many are aware that a former senior bureaucrat had submitted a preliminary finding to the Union Home Ministry of a large number of Muslims coming from Pakistan and settling in the border areas in the North. All at the behest of Islamabad’s ISI.

And how does one explain that Varun made his speech on 5 March but the CD of his diatribe was released on 16 March? After 12 days?  Was the CD being “doctored” and is he a victim of a political conspiracy, the Gandhi scion alleges. Given that he claims the voice on the CD is not his and neither the words. Certainly, it did not set the Ganga on fire nor has it sent communal temperatures soaring between Hindus and Muslims.

Undoubtedly, all Muslims are not terrorists but it is a fact that all terrorist have been Muslims. Be it those who perpetrated 9/11 in New York, 7/7 in London and 26/11 in Mumbai. The obverse holds true too. No quarter should be given to the goons of Ram Sena, Bajrang Dal and other rabid Hindu fundamentalist outfits.

Needless to say, this ping-pong over who is secular and who a communal is scary. When selfish vote banks politics dictate our polity’s political ideology and their attitude and stance is fashioned according to the electorate’s diktat then all stand tarred by the same brush. Importantly, no quarter should be given to those who fan hatred among people and communities. Be it a Hindu fundamentalist or a Muslim militant. Both are destroyers of the State, which has no religious entity.

Importantly, our moral angst cannot be selective but should be just, honourable and equal. We need to bear in mind that India is a big country with a big heart. There is room for all to live in peace and goodwill. Most important we need to answer: Are we Hindu Indians or Indian Hindus? Muslim Indians or Indian Muslims? Tragically, our netagan in their frenzied pursuit of political nirvana through separatism are confusing the voter and pushing India towards brazen communalism.  Suffice to say we are Indians! --- INFA

(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)