By M A Siraj
Our struggle to project identity as the main issue has led to communalisation of politics and counter polarisation among the majority community which is providing a firm electoral bulwark for the BJP. Now the BJP would like the Muslims to even more enthusiastically pursue the identity agenda. So even if there are no such issues, it would pay some of the traditionally orthodox Maulvis from the Indo-Gangetic plains to take up such issues and draw out Muslim voters from the traditionally secular parties. So they bring such clerics to TV debates and pay them to assume a rabid and raucous tone to raise the Muslim viewpoint.
We must understand that in a plural society the democracy would have a generally majoritarian flavour. The minorities should learn to accommodation within by subtly shifting their weight from one side to another. This needs a high degree of sophistication and talent which is conspicuous by absence in the clerics.
It is time we promoted leaders with secular image and all-embracing acceptance. Take for instance, Jaffer Sharieff, Farook Maricar (former CM of Pondicherry and twice LS member) and another Muslim MP who won from Warangal seat four times in a row. Their constituency had no Muslim majority but they had acceptance among all and they were skilled enough to keep up touch with their constituents regardless of their faith.
One example of identity being the supreme position in our priorities could be seen in there being all India organisations for religious collectivization of Muslims not for promotion of education, employment, entrepreneurship, among them. We appear keener to invite others to Islam but less inclined to keep our flock together by fighting against poverty, disease, unemployment, illiteracy et al. In fact these maladies are taking away more from among us to other faiths than the so called Dawah is bringing the numbers to our ranks. The recent instance of Muslim girls being married away to Hindus in a Nari Niketan speaks of absence of social infrastructure.
It is time we shifted away from identity to empowerment to excellence. This will be possible only through modern education, skills, grooming of younger generation with civilities, niceties, proprieties and Islamic character. Mere training in rites and rituals and symbolism (beard, hijab, festivals, rosary beads, etc.) is not going to take the community anywhere. This agenda has to be pursued for next 60 years in order to remove the backlog of underdevelopment and come up as a community to be looked up to as a model.
Muslims in five South Indian States have shown some progress on the development rather than identity agenda for the last four decades and have achieved some success
Dear brother,
Your advice that Muslims should cease to look like Muslims, behave like Muslims and get lost in the majoritarian democratic tectonics of India for fear of life and limbs. Remember Ehsan Jafri of Gujarat, Shabuddin of Siwan, Abdullahs of Kashmir? They danced at tunes of their slave masters and ended up either losing their lives, being incarcerated or being dethroned. There is something called faith in Allah , He alone we worship. Please don’t scare yourself and others. 200 Million can change the face of the earth let alone India. Resurge, reclaim!
Agree with Brother Siraj !
“Excellence” is the only cure for the current predicament of Indian Muslims!
Excellence in education, excellence in love and brotherhood, excellence in business and charity and humanity, excellence in following Quraan and Sunnah, excellence in removing misconceptions and hatred of Islam due to ignorance, excellence in daily family life, excellence in history and political understanding, refraining from mere tokenism and undue display of piety in outside world, excellence in humility and well-wishing for everyone, excellence in generating sincere and brave leaders with equal competence in Deen/religion and Duniya/worldly matters and having the foresight of the rightly-guided Caliphs in understanding of politics, need of the hour of removing divisive fanatics by forging brotherly alliances with well-wishing majoritarian citizens, Dalits and also other marginalised and downtrodden sections in India.
Author is well aware of current political situation.my basic question is
Why do u always want to be in reserved condition?
Do u have any hidden agenda in this country?
Are u not a citizen of this country?
Do Islam is a political tool or a religion where people understand and accepts?
Are u doing coverup?
‘Road ahead’ for Muslims; strategy for Muslims and now what should be ‘Muslim agenda’.All Bakwas news.
All these news have subtle anti stand with BJP, as if they are requesting Muslims not to vote for BJP. Are Bhai itna ghuma phira ke kyon kehte ho. Seedhe seedhe bolo ki BJP ko vote Nahi dena hai.
BJP ki chinta naa karo, hum Hindu hai BJP ke support liye. Nahi chahiye mullo ka vote!
I like what I see here. Time is overdue to own the predicament. Shift the emphasis from entitlement to empowerment. To achieve that, I humbly submit to work for personal power wherever we spend our awake hours, be it lowly mailroom shops or coveted boardroom environments. Think honestly. Act sincerely, consistently and strategically. Success will follow.
Growth of Brahmins were severely hampered bcos of reservations.This anger has been diverted towards Muslims by politicians and this forced them to tilted towards rightwing.
But basically they are not rightwing.
Do anybody here listen to Brahmins. They r in the need of reservation.
If am right this can be added to our election agenda.
My comment may look odd.this is also reality.
This happened long time ago after 1857. Many dedicated and committed Muslims decided to shun English language, dress, education. They believed Muslims have gone away from pristine Islam and they need to go back and live like pious Muslims of the past. Hindus adapted themselves and surged ahead.
The 21st century is the age of knowledge. Knowledge includes all kinds like medicine, technology, industry etc.
Our ideal Muslim is a person who keeps beard, covers his head and prays all the time. So the result is obvious.
One Hadith quoted many times by a Pakistani journalist is:
Momin Apney Ehad sey hum ahang hota Hey
It means that a true Muslim is synchronized with his times. In this lies everything. Are Muslims synchronized with 21st century?
Like 1984 anti Sikh India wide riots, if anti Muslim riots erupt all over India then relief camps of Muslim will be in Pakistan.
Today there is no Gandhi, no British Army, no Muslim army or Muslim Police, no Nawabs.. what are you guys talking about. Look into neighborhood, how Myanmar and Chinese are dealing with Muslim separatism. If referendum is held today then majority of indian majority community does not even consider you indian. Frankly, Indians see no difference between stone pelting muslim in Kashmir and agitating Muslim in India. I think Muslim are suggesting creating. another Pakistan for themselves remember, we live in interesting time and it is Muslim ban or Muslim banish era.
The simple immediate agenda is to vote so as to defeat BJP and like minded allies of it. Vote for that candidate who is very likely to defeat the forces of darkness.
My forthright advice would be to vote according to your conscience irrespective of the party, caste, creed, religion. Choose the one who has the personal power to change from worse to bad, if not better. It is wishful, I know.
Halwa hai kya BJP ko defeat karoge !! Hum hindu chupchaap baithenge kya ? Tum mullo ko vote nahi dena hai toh mat de ,tera vote chahiye bhi nahi samjha !
kuch na kar payenge BJP ka .. Modi ke samne hai kaun 🙂
Bhai im Akmal my family members and my friends are BJP supporters don’t thought that Muslims have not support BJP we support for our country and we love our country
Day is not far when muslim will rush to vote for BJP for damage control and course correction, but it would have been too late by that time.
Post-midterm 2002 election results have stirred the pot of radicalization against “crusade” and/or with/against us mentality a la GWB. And re-enforced by the election of PMNDM in 2014, in 3rd-world India, followed by even worse Trump in 2016 in the US. May God help in bringing them sense.
Don’t assume that you are 2nd class citizens and don’t depend on other parties or individuals will come and rescue you. Please stand up and emerge as a strong political power within the frame work and constitution of India, Be a responsible and respectful citizen of this country and contribute all our efforts, will and don’t hesitate to get your rights in terms as citizen of this country. Afterall we built this country as beautiful as Taj, as tall as qutab Minar and as wealthy and precious as Kohinoor, and as tolerant and peaceful as Islam and Muslim.
I think this is the vision of AIMIM the party of Owaisi of Hyderabad.
What happened to AIMIM in last election through out India? If at all the impossible takes place and muslims unite how many MLA and MLC and MP do you think Owaisi ji will win? Those who win will only raise muslim issues like Owaisi ji or rather much less not being very educated like Owaisi ji and matter will end there as other political parties will not him for the sake of the people who don’t vote them. Also their joining in case the impossible happens will only boost Owaisi ji and his party to the detriment of joining parties. None will commit this political blunder. Like BJP, secular parties will write off muslims from their mind.
Muslims will lose more than when they remain with secular parties. BJP wants Owaisi to keep winning for the same purpose of achieving muslim isolation from all Hindu parties secular or non secular..
So stay with the secular while electing a few of MIM in every state as pressure group to highlight muslim problems so that secular feel they need to do something.
If the matter come to vote for a change other than congress then the issue of if and then arises ?
Since independence in last 70 years Muslims voted for congress and other regional parties, in return what Muslims get ? Poverty and label of untrusted community.
Unless Muslims emerged as political strong, they can’t get anything except a hope that someone will take your hand and get your lost position.
Don’t live in dreams and hopes come and change the future of ourselves and the other needy people, that brings only you.
Muslim should demand Migration Quota (Visas) to their beloved Pakistan.
Modi or India discusses visas to Indian and visa related issues with Americans and British all the time. Then why not for Muslims living in India, who feel suffocated and bring out Pakistani flags whenever they get a chance, enjoy killing cows, love triple talaq, love Halala, hate India or Hindus, could legally go to Pakistan?
Every Muslim residing in India has a God Given Birthright Right to go to either Pakistan or Bangladesh with his or full family. Just as North Korean has right to citizenship in South Korea. See how desperate are Kashmiri Muslims who daily chant Pakistan, Pakistan. I think Muslims in India a little shy. Indian Army must help at least Kashmiri Muslims and offer them ride to their homes in Pakistan. How quick was Burmese Army to help Rohingya Muslims to go home in Bangladesh.
Also, why not Indian Government could send a Muslim and his whole family to Pakisan if a particular Muslim has been redicalized and does not believe in Secularism?