By Syed Ali Mujtaba
11 January, 2012
Thanks IDEAS AVANAM and Countercurrents.org
The news of Pakistani flag being hoisted by some miscreants in Sindhagi town, some 60 kilometer from Bijapur in Karnataka, was shocking. The flag was hoisted during midnight celebration of the New Year 2012 on the flag post of the government office premises.
The incident led to angry protests by Hindu organizations that called for strikes in a number of towns around Bijapur. Hundreds of youth gathered at the spot, set tyres on fire, blocked the road and the stoned a Muslim prayer hall.
One hear Pakistani flag being hoisted in Kashmir and understands the reason as the political undertones there, but such a thing happening in a remote place in a south India is something unreasonable.
Why such a thing is happening nearly 64 years after the Partition of India and the creation of Pakistan is something unimaginable. Definitely, there was more to the story then just what was reported in the media.
The mystery was unraveled when six members of a right-wing Hindu group were arrested for such dastardly act. Those arrested belong to the Sri Ram Sena, a fringe Hindu group that has a history of creating disharmony in the society.
This was confirmed by the police that miscreants who hoisted the Pakistani flag did so with the prime motive of breaching the communal peace in an area where there was a sizable Muslim presence.
Its not the first time the needle of suspicion has taken a 180 degree turn. The first was the Samjutha Express blast in 2007 which many Pakistani nationals was killed.
The act was blamed on Indian Muslim terrorist organization but investigation later reveled that Hindu terrorist group were behind the train blast. The poor Muslims of India were vilified for the act of which they had no clue.
The Mecca Masjid blast in 2007 has similar story. After the initial blame game and the arrests of Muslim suspects the investigation turned around and it was Hindutva forces that were believed to be behind the blast.
The 2008 Malegoan blast at a Muslim graveyard is another episode in the chain events that again blamed on Indian Muslim organization. Later, it was found out that it was the handiwork of some Hindu terrorist organization.
In this backdrop when the news report of the Pakistani flag is being hoisted in Sindhagi town, it evoked suspicious response among the Muslim circles. The news report could not stand to the test of reasons. Why do south Indian Muslims would do such an act was a common question.
Speedy probe into the case that led to the arrest of six college students cleared the dust over this mystery. It also defused the communal situation that had all the ingredients of developing into a communal riot.
Speedy probe into the case that led to the arrest of six college students cleared the dust over this mystery. It also defused the communal situation that had all the ingredients of developing into a communal riot.
Investigation later revealed that the Pakistan flag was made at the home of one of the accused in this case and it was done so by the activists of Sri Ram Sene.
Sri Ram Sene, is a break away from the Bajrang Dal, an affiliate of the long-standing Hindu nationalist organization, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
In 2009, Sri Ram Sene had claimed responsibility for attacking women outside a pub in the coastal town of Mangalore, saying that allowing females in pubs was against Indian culture.
A few years ago, Police arrested members of Sri Ram Sene for the desecration of a mosque in Mysore where a carcass of a pig was thrown near the prayer hall. The act triggered a major riot between Hindus and Muslims there.
The founder of the Sri Ram Sene Pramod Muttalik, who always likes to remain in the center of the controversy, has claimed that the arrested youths in the case of hoisting Pakistani flag were not members of his outfit. He claims that Sene does not have any students’ wing in the state points that the arrested person belonged to the Sangh Parivar.
Irrespective of the fact, whether it’s Sri Ram Sene or Shiv Sena or Bajrang Dal, that are behind such acts, the fact remains that these outfits have been guilty of creating communal divide in the country.
The political protection given to such outfits has emboldened them to commit such heinous crimes time and again.
The political protection given to such outfits has emboldened them to commit such heinous crimes time and again.
The irony is the blame is put on the poor Muslims and when it comes to profiling they most bear the burnt of being vilified. There are stereotype that’s being dished out, such as: all Muslims are not terrorists but all terrorist are Muslims!
The likes of Sri Ram Sena or Shiv Sena or Bajrang Dal have a national immunity in such profiling because they have the benefit of doubt and they get away under the garb of patriotism.
A Hindu can never be a terrorist is an often hared cliché in India. The statement is rationalized by giving some hackneyed explanations. Hindus are vegetarians, they worship several gods, they are more god fearing etc, and other such theories that has become banal now.
Those who call Muslims ‘Babar ki Aulad’ are in fact sham creatures. They do so because they have deep rooted animosity against the Muslim that has come through the systematic act of brain washing. The anger, jealousy and hatred prompt them to do some mischievous acts. They do so in order to create a communal wedge in the society to keep Muslims on the back-foot all the time.
They have few aces up their sleeves and hoisting of the Pakistani flag is one such ace. The others being AMU minority character, Urdu language, Kashmir, Pakistan, Haj subsidy, cow slaughter, etc are to name a few. These issues are propped up to create acrimony in the society especially when the forces of communal harmony gains accent.
Apart from the deep rooted hatred against the Muslims, there is always an element of politics into such incidents. Hatching such conspiracy is duly driven with the greed to garner Hindu votes by making them treat the Muslim community with suspicion.
The above incident proves beyond doubt that Hindutva characters are prepared to do anything for cornering power. It’s apparent that such fissures are being done to ignite frictions between Hindus and Muslims to garner Hindu vote bank. The most ironical part is that such characters are not even ashamed of stooping so low to deceive people.
How long Indians are going to be fooled by such bandicoots is something that is hard to understand. These bunch of murder gangs are out there on a mission to destroy this country. Its only of they are dealt with the harshest punishment only then some sense can be enthused in our democracy.
Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba@yahoo.com
No comments:
Post a Comment