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Madani, New Terror Face?:STOP DIVISIVE POLITICS, by Insaf, 6 Sept, 2010 Print E-mail

Events & Issues

New Delhi, 6 September 2010


Madani, New Terror Face?
STOP DIVISIVE POLITICS

By Syed Ali Mujtaba


Abdul Nasser Madani alleged to be an extremist Muslim political leader from Kerala is once again in the news. This time arrested for his complicity in Bangalore’s serial bomb blasts on 25 July 2008 in which a woman died and many sustained injuries.  
Previously, too, the Muslim leader was charged for making inflammatory speeches and suspected of organizing terrorist activities. He was arrested for masterminding the Coimbatore bomb blasts in 1998, which killed 58 people. An allegation that could not stand scrutiny in the trial court and the Supreme Court exonerated him of all charges. 

His arrest now is based on the custodial confession of an accused who reportedly told the police that he met Madani before the blasts and discussed plans for recruiting Muslim youth as terrorists, a charge that Madani vehemently denies. 
There was heavy build-up of his supporters at the Muslim leader’s native place Kollam when the police came to arrest him. Given that Madani is the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party and is popular among the Muslim minority and people of lower castes.

In fact, Abdul Nasser Madani is the new icon of an extremist political leader in India who is hailed as a hero in some Muslim pockets of Kerala.  He represents the forces of fundamentalism, a short route to come to political limelight in the country. He draws his strength from the streets, cashing upon the negative sentiments of the people. Notwithstanding, non-Muslims eye him with suspicion, a rabble-rouser.


His story represents the down side of Indian politics, a tale of mobilization of the masses based on hate and radicalizing the society. Although he is a Muslim leader, it would be wrong to see Madani’s action as an act of religion. The issue is more complex. Wherein, Madani is just a cog in the wheel of this new format of the Indian political system where many take pride in being called an extremist leader.


He follows the trail of notorious radical extremist leaders like Shiv Sena’s Bal Thackarey, his nephew MNS’s Raj Thackarey, BJP’s Narender Modi, Hurriyat’s Syed Ali Shah Gilani and Vishav Hindu Parishad’s Praveen Tagodia. Like other leaders, Madani too publicly denies being engaged in any type of fundamentalist activities, accusations of terrorism and proclaims to be a secular leader. But acts in an exaggerated way in public and private life.


Clearly, people like Madani are a cancer in Indian politics. They emerge with different labels at different times and different places with a common purpose to espouse the cause of divisive politics with the sole purpose of capturing power. In the process they, wield considerable authority, and even perpetuate it to future generations.

Needless to say, India has a long history of nurturing divisive politics. The first spark appeared in Tamil Nadu during the 1960s via the language movement which the DMK used as a vehicle to capture power.  It continues to enjoy popular support in the State. The Shiv Sena in Maharashtra shot into limelight by resisting “outsiders” from Tamil Nadu, Bihar and UP to Mumbai. Today, the outsider tag encompasses all non-Marthai speaking people. Its diatribe was then extended to oppose Muslims to increase its vote-banks among the majority community.


This concept was repeated in Assam during the seventies with the Assam Student Union (AASU) launching a broadside against outsiders garnering huge political support. The movement took a bloody turn resulting in the Nellie massacre of over 1000 Muslim Bengalis. Later AASU crystallized into a political outfit, Assam Goan Parishad contested elections and captured power. Many leaders till date enjoy popular support.

In 1980’s Punjab saw the rise of Bhinderwalen who showed that power could flow from the barrel of the gun. Using religion as his trump card he eventually challenged the might of the Indian State and dreamt of carving an independent Punjab. Eventually, he was silenced through the power of the gun. 

 

Even before the slogan khoon ka badla khoon (blood for blood), unleashed the pogrom against the Sikh community in New Delhi following Indira Gandhi’s assassination, another divisive issue struck roots, centred around the Ram Janambhomi movement. That Ayodhya’s Babri Masjid was the birthplace of Lord Ram. Thus creating a wedge between the majority and minority communities.

 

The movement left a trail of bloody destruction and established a precedent for future political leaders to test this formula at another time and place in their quest for power. From the womb of the Ayodhya movement emerged the Bahujan Samaj movement that launched a campaign against tilak (Brahims) tarajoo (baniyas) and talwar (Rajputs), the three symbols of oppression in India since time memorial which fetched political dividends. The Party stormed to power thanks to its captive Dalit vote-banks.


With the dawn of the 21st Century the Maoists are the new challenge to the India State. Their huge movement centred around the marginalised section of society seems to be getting out of control with no resolution in sight.


The common thread among all the above mentioned movements is that the forces of division, hate, intimidation and fundamentalism are having a field day, while those working for moderation and restraint are being marginalised. There is no denying that there is only a diminutive way out from this cul-de-sac, but we need to nip all divisive politics immediately. In sum, all political leaders who harp upon divisive agendas should be banished from the political scene. Unless this does not happen, there is every chance that many characters like Madani might loom large in the country. ---- INFA

 

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)

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