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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