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| In the name of religion | | Muslim leaders will set better examples if they rise above religion and work for uplift of Muslims instead of frittering away their energies on frivolous. | | By Sunita Vakil
It goes without saying that the fatwa against singing the national song issued by the Islamic clerics at the final day of the three day conference of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind at Deoband in Uttar Pradesh is reflective of the conservative social vision of the Ulema who have failed to make sense of the changing times. Focusing on such symbolic issues other than more substantive ones like poverty, universal education and women’s rights has always been a tactic adopted by Muslim leaders in India to keep the community under their thumb. As much has been reiterated by Arshad Alam, assistant professor at the Center of Jawaharlal Nehru Studies, Jamia Milia Islamia who says “Raising symbolic, non substantive issues is the hallmark of not only the Muslim clergy, but also Muslim political leadership. There is no larger debate on how these will materially benefit Muslims.” This is of a piece with the 23 other resolutions adopted at the 30th General session of the Jamiat-i-Hind that seek to push the community back to the middle ages as well as sow the seed of Muslim separatism. While it is true that the JUH meet mentioned issues like implementation of the Sachar Committee report and backwardness of Muslims. But it is also true that they opposed madrassa reform and endorsed patriarchal control of women. Similarly, asking community members to keep off government run AIDS and polio containment programmes and to avoid cinema or television speaks volumes about the organization’s retrogressive social agenda. It is ironical that even in this 21st century and in a democratic country like India, Muslim leaders are side stepping reforms by creating problems when none exist. Instead of calling upon people to adapt themselves to the changing times and make full use of the opportunities provided by a democratic state they are bringing such irrelevant matter centre stage. Indeed, organizations like the JUH will set better examples if they lift themselves up from the morass of petty communalism. It is also imperative upon Muslim ulema to ensure that they do not allow their attention to drift away from economic and social uplift of Muslims by frittering away their energies as well as national resources on such frivolous issues.
Vande Mataram was conceived and accepted by all just after India gained freedom from British rule in 1947. The most revered leaders like Abdul Kalam Azad, Graffer Khan and others have never objected to it. Interestingly, the Jamiat-i-Hind did not till date have any problem against the recitation of Vande Mataram. It is only after 62 years of Independence that the organization has realized that the national song hurts the religious sentiments of Muslims. The Bankim Chandra Chatopadhayay composition is reflective of the Indian ethos and continues to echo in the heart of every Indian until recently, it has not bred any ill feelings or struck any discordant note between communities. The Muslim league started opposing Vande Mataram in 1908, but liberal thinkers like Madam Cama, Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru and many Muslim leaders appreciated the spirit of the song and its tremendous impact on the freedom struggle. By issuing a fatwa against the national song that acted as a unifying force during the freedom movement the Jamait resolution has in essence insulted the memory of countless martyrs who laid down their lives to attain independence that they also are enjoying with gusto.
Notwithstanding the fact that many political and social organizations in the country have already opposed the Fatwa as something that went against the spirit of nationalism, earlier also the Muslim clergy had made it clear that reciting Vande Mataram was against the tenets of Islam. Also, it is not the first time that the fatwa has been issued against the song. In 2006 after asking tennis star Sania Mirza is stop wearing T shirts and shorts on the court, Muslim clerics in Hyderabad had issued a religious edit against the singing of the national song. They also called upon Muslim parents in the city to stop sending their children to schools where it is mandatory to recite Vande Mataram. Viewed in this context, the Deoband’s fatwa can be seen as just a publicity shunt by the organization to create a controversy and remain in the limelight. This is a pointer to the fact why the issue is still being kept alive by some fundamentalist Islamic groups. Thus it would be fair to say that the JUH is trying to gain political mileage out of the issue.
It needs no reiteration that India has always been the land where foundations of secularism are well preserved and multiplicity of religious thrive. By the same argument, the Jamait resolution is despicable and should be condemned by all those who believe in cultural pluralism. But the very fact that Union Home Minister Mr. Chidambaram was a silent spectator to its passage speaks a lot about the UPA’s minority appeasement agenda and its insidious vote bank politics. His speech at Deoband where he called upon the majority community to protect the minority without elaborating on the duties of minority is akin to supporting the Jamait’s regressive social priorities. It is unfortunate that minorities in India provoke and humiliate majority at every step while our leaders seem to be in cahoots with the perpetrators. It is fairly well known that Muslims living in other countries do not dare raise any issues there. It is only in India that they shout and whine around for no particular reason.
If, as Mr. Chidambaram has said, that Muslims are the honoured citizens of our country, he should also ensure that countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh treat their minorities in the same manner. Yet, tragically, both these countries which had a sizable number of minorities at independence has reduced their number drastically by the policy of religious discrimination.
This should serve as a wave up call for those who seek to communalise India. We are already witnessing minority cleansing in J&K. It is unfortunate that while Srinagar was rocked by violent protests for months for two Shopian girls, not a single finger was raised when thousands of Pandits were exiled from their homeland. When JK Muslims protest Afghanistan bombings by the US it makes one wonder why there was not even a token demonstration condemning the killing and ouster of Hindus from J&K? An incident like Godra can happen only in India but never in Pakistan and Bangladesh. The UPA government which is in its second term has promised to view communalism and terrorism as two equally dangerous aspects of the same challenge. So, it is high time the congress stopped appeasing the minorities and put a lid on its vote bank politics.
Having said that, the issue is not just about singing the national song but about rising above the religion. We need to fight against poverty, disease, illiteracy and ignorance. Important issues like women’s empowerment and eradication of deadly diseases cannot be viewed through the prism of religion. It needs no reiteration that communalism, terrorism & violence have no place in a democratic setup.
Muslim leaders must shed their retrogressive social agendas. They need to come out of the shell of their insecurity and work for the upliftment of their community. It is for them to impress upon people the importance of education rather than just using them as vote banks. As elaborated by Mr. Chidambaram the implementation of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, especially the scheme for providing quality education in Madrassas and infrastructure development in minority institutions and the setting up of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas will go a long way in ensuring quality education to Muslim children. It is only modern education that will liberate Muslims from the influence of obscurantist clergy and communal politics.
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