("Itihaser Prekshapote" The Extent of Muslim Backlash Translated from Bengali)
The Rizwanur case has cornered the CPI (M), made Buddhadev Bhattacharya a political untouchable, aroused hopes of getting justice among Rizwanur's family members. However, there is another dimension to the consequence of this case which is far reaching as well as disastrous.
Hindus and Muslims alike have condemned the murder of Rizwanur. Which is why the clamour for justice has been so vociferous, that the government could not suppress it. How could it use its machinations to dodge the seekers of justice? The party that connives at the constitution, judiciary and legislature has been forced to bite the dust. But in the backwaters of all these, the incident is taking an uglier turn in a different direction.
Despite the unified protest of Hindus and Muslims in the Rizwanur murder case, the Muslims are regrouping themselves like never before on this issue. The media are attaching top priority and highlighting the issue. But Muslim leaders are using the case as a catalyst to reunite all strata of the Muslim community.
Although it is scarcely palpable, the attempt to unify Muslims in the state is continuing for a dozen years. The Muslim community felt embarrassed and helpless in the wake of partition because they voted en masse for the Muslim League on Praja Krishak Party led by A K Fazlul Haque, though there were Muslim candidates contesting the polls on Congress on Forward Bloc ticket. Even Quzi Nazrul Islam had contested the election once, but failed to garner Muslim votes.
After the partition, the Muslims began voting for the Congress en bloc. The communal carnage of 1950 might have scared them to some extent. That the Muslims vote en bloc is known to all. After the 1946 riot, the Muslims unitedly voted in favour of the Muslim League which demanded partition and Pakistan. But partition over, the Congress party emerged as the sole choice of the Muslim community. During the Congress regime, the Muslims successfully carved out a separate identity of their own. Small wonder, in 1967 they unitedly voted against the Congress and brought about the end of their rule.
When the office of the Deputy High Commissioner of Pakistan cast away its old cleavage and changed overnight to the office of the High Commissioner of independent Bangladesh, the documents there of reached the hands of the govt. of India. Then it was revealed how Pakistan used to fund elections in India and issue directives to the mosques to vote for Muslim candidates of its choice on whom funds would be spent lavishly. A little before the 1967 election, Promode Dasgupta himself had visited the Deputy High Commissioner of Pakistan's office from which he had brought instructions stating the names of the candidates who were to be favoured in the polls, a fact that the govt. of India came to know later.
Pakistan did another mischief. They gave Mr. Dasgupta a copy of the cheque which Atulya Ghosh had received, allegedly of a lump sum amount, from a foreign embassy. The CPI(M) divulged the issue at a time when Atulya Ghosh did not have the time to refute and defend himself. In the election Atulya Ghosh, Prafulla Sen and many stalwarts of the Congress were defeated. This paved the way for Jyoti Basu's entry. Later it was revealed that the cheque was counterfeit.
This unity of the Muslims gradually strengthened. The 70's saw the spiraling price of petroleum products. This strengthened the Muslim countries. From that time onwards there set in a flow of cash from the Arab world to build and renovate mosques. The vasectomy drive and razing shanties adjacent to the Jama Masjid in Delhi enraged the Muslim population. The Shah Imam of Jama Masjid Abdullah Bukhari, began to add fuel to the smoldering anger of the Muslims throughout the country. He urged his community to vote against the Congress. In 1977, both Mrs. Indira Gandhi and Sanjoy Gandhi were defeated in the general elections. Pakistan was delighted as they felt cock-a-hoop with a sense of retaliation against the 1972 war, and a also because they had successfully dislodged Mrs. Gandhi from power.
Even the CPI(M) in West Bengal knew that the Muslim vote bank could bring them to power. The CPI(M) professes atheism, but is sympathetic towards Islam. They heckled different Hindu religious institutions such as the Ramakrishna Mission, but never did anything to the detriment of the Muslim religious organisations. Temples they razed to the ground, but never touched a mosque.
The CPI(M) Govt. as well as the govt. of India helped foster a separate identity for the Muslims. They clubbed the Muslims as minority and always made special arrangements for them. This has engendered the belief among the Muslims that in spite of being Indians, they are different from the rest of the Indians. Thus they have successfully cocked a snook at secularism. In the name of secularism, Islam received patronage. Thus the two-nation theory has been re-established.
In the constitution special provisions have been kept for Muslims. Their personal laws are different from that of ours. Even their system of education has been kept different from ours. In this way the Muslims have come to realize that they can demand everything separately for their own. The Muslim leaders openly declare their identity as Muslims primary, their identity as Indian national secondary. The secularity of our constitution is being ridiculed at every step. The Minority Commission has driven the last nail to the coffin. Both in the centre and in the states a Minority Ministry has been formed. The Govt. of India has decided to take care of the Muslims in particular. No less than 28% of Indians live below the poverty line. Most of them are Hindus. There are members of other communities as well. But only the Muslims will be taken care of irrespective of whether they are economically backward or affluent. Any Muslim can pursue higher studies in the field of Engineering, Medicine, Business Management etc. Their expenses will be borne by the govt. Their hostel expenses will also be incurred by the govt. The Hindus will not get these facilities.
Even in our five-year plans, special provisions have been reserved for Muslims. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has categorically said that Muslims will get a share of the national wealth on a priority basis. The banks have been instructed to grant loans first to Muslim applicants. The West Bengal govt. has set-up a special ministry to sanction loans to the Muslims, the CEO of which is a Muslim.
These measures have contributed to the separate identity of the Muslims. For all practical purposes there is one law for the Hindus, another for the Muslims. The Muslims can encroach on significant stretches of main roads for offering namaz. The Hindus are not allowed to congregate likewise. The Muslims have come to realise how sacrosanct their separate identity is and how dearly they will have to maintain it. Even Muslim children are lured with a sense of uniqueness. They are Muslims first, Indians last.
Notwithstanding the collective protest of Hindus and Muslims against the Nandigram carnage, Siddhiqullah Chowdhury is hell bent to galvanize Muslim radicals to form a united forum to press their demands. Buddhadev Bhattacherya invited the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid to counter the tirades of Chowdhury. The Imam obliged, but failed to wean away support from Siddiqullah and will come again.
In this communally charged atmosphere, the Rizwanur case come up. Once again the Hindus viewed the saga as a clash of social status. The poor Rezwan marrying the wealthy Priyanka was not viewed as a Muslim marrying a Hindu. However, the Muslims utilised this to foment fellow feeling among members of their community. The universal condemnation was manipulated and maneuvered to their advantage to generate sympathy for the Muslims. Buddhadev Bhattacherya and his cops are all Hindus like Priyankas father Ashoke Todi. But the Hindu hoi polloi condemns them unequivocally and unbiasedly. The Muslim view is scarcely appreciative of this non-partisan approach. The Muslim leaders are also reaping rich harvest of the extensive media coverage of the case. In this way the Muslim psyche is being unified.
This is one aspect. Deep within is another force gradually at work and gaining momentum. This is the militant jehadi force which is uniting to assert itself. Bangladeshi and Pakistani jehadi groups enter India through West Bengal and spread themselves throughout India to indulge in subversive activities. West Bengal is a safe haven for them. The Khariji Madrasas of this province give them shelter and are breeding grounds of terrorists and jehadis. They have no dearth of funds. Yet Buddhadev Bhattacherya’ss govt. gives generous donations to them. And that too unconditionally.
There are traitors within. In administration, ministry, bureaucracy, police, intelligentsia, almost every rung of powers that be is infiltrated by the agents and stooges of the jehadis. Which is why no jehadi is ever hunted down except under pressure from the centre. For a long time there has been an attempt to create a united Muslim state comprising Assam, Bihar and West Bengal.
Rizwanur case has provided the Muslims the much awaited opportunity to unite under one umbrella and organise the jehad, forces. Being dissatisfied with the note of congress they demanded Pakistan. Now that role is again being played.
(translated from the Bengali Magazine Bartaman, 25th October 2007 ---- Courtesy East India Watch
East India Network
EASTINDIAWATCH.BLOGSPOT.COM
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