CRY-CRY MY BELOVED COUNTRY MOTHER INDIA

Also read http://swarajyamag.com/politics/the-rise-of-fascism-from-indias-tv-studios/
by Tufail Ahmad Director, South Asia Studies Project at the Middle East Media Research Institute, Washington DC.

recd from devasamaroo@hotmail.com

CRY-CRY MY BELOVED COUNTRY MOTHER INDIA
- Dr. Mrs. Hilda Raja hilda raja pachake@yahoo.com

I an in a reminiscent mood I think of the sad plight of my beloved country.-my motherland. This reminiscence takes me to the reasons that make me sad. There is a narration in the Bible which says that a father had two sons. The younger one demanded his share and left the father’s house. He squandered and wasted and was forced to live in pigs styles and eat the food of the pigs. He was remorseful and thought of his father and the rich life and the abundance of food. He then regretted and decided to go back to his father’s house. His father who was every day looking out for his son who had left him was filled with joy when his son returned. The son fell at his feet and begged pardon. The father embraced him and called the older son and ordered him to slaughter the fattest hog and prepare a feast. The older son was flabbergasted. This son who took his inheritance and wasted everything- you want to welcome him and feast his return he queried. The father told him, ‘Son you were always with me. But this son I lost but has come back. He is remorseful of what he did’. It is but in the fitness of things that we celebrate the return of this lost son. This does not quite reveal the Partition of my country. But it does have significance because the two sons are one and lived peacefully with their father. India’s partition is entirely the opposite. Here it is the demand to have the cake and eat it too. The Muslims who are in India and who stayed back want more than the share of the Hindu brethren. In fact they refuse to accept  this country as a Hindu Rastra while welcoming the Muslims to live in India the Hindus cannot and will not allow their rights to be trampled.

I was wondering if this would in any way be an analogy for the partition of my beloved country. In a way yes, and in many ways no.  The Muslim leaders convinced the Indian leaders like Gandhi and Nehru that the Muslims will not be able to integrate with the Hindus hence they demanded  a separate country to live according to their religion. It was then that they were given a part of the country. It is then legally and politically compulsory that all Muslims should take their inheritance share and leave Hindustan. But it is in this aspect that Gandhi and Nehru failed the Indian people and betrayed this country’s interest. They generously allowed the Muslims who wanted to stay back to remain in India. In the case of the prodigal son which I narrated above, he returned with remorse. But here the Muslims wanted the cake and eat it too. And those who stayed back now make it evident that the Hindus cannot live according to their beliefs and finds it hurtful. Even that can be taken in our stride but they fail to respect the beliefs and the ethos of this country. Nobody forced them to stay back-nobody asked them to accept the rites and rituals of the Hindus. But on no basis can they have any objection if these are public manifestations and/ or private way of life. It is the duty of the Muslims  not only to  accept to these but to show sensitivity to the religious sentiments and expressions of the Hindus.. They surely have no right to object .But on the other hand they find it irksome and disturbing if the Hindus make public their way of life. One would think that the Muslims would respect the Hindus and their beliefs. Would not in any way find it hurtful because in this Hindu rastra it is their right of the Hindus to uphold their culture and their beliefs.This may be in the forms of worship or any other aspect .Can the Hindus or the Christians go to any one of the Islamic country and fulfill their religious duties-worship and uphold the demands of their religions? Then why are the Muslims so intolerant to the Hindus and hurt their religious sentiments? I have in mind the cow .It is sacred to the Hindus. Hence the ban on slaughtering the cow.If one needs to stay in this Hindu rastra then one has to peacefully co-exist respect the and not hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindus. Take for example depicting Allah. Will the Muslims allow it or tolerate it? Depiction of Allah even in the best form is forbidden. The Hindus are called upon to respect this. But does it not follow that the Muslims should also extend the same to the Hindus? Can they demean and denigrate the Hindu gods and goddesses? It is civil and necessary to respect the sentiments and the feelings of other religions. Why does this not be followed by the Muslims in India? It is this that has many a time troubled and angered the Hindus. Who in their turn wanted to retaliate?

The Muslims are also called upon to respect the laws of the land-the Constitution of India and uphold it. They cannot be under the Sharia law for civil matters and adapt the Indian penal code for criminal offences. If a Hindu/Christian defies the Koranic law in any Islamic country the culprit is not judged according to the offender’s law but by the Koranic law.Hence an eye for an eye-beheading-lashing in public etc.But here in India the Muslims want their double law system.-they   refuse to come under one Uniform Civil code-to demand more than what is their due and worse to demand that they have more rights and the Hindus cannot assert their rights-built their Ram temple for example is a bit pushing the Hindus to a corner. May I then ask where must Ram temple be built?

Of course all the politicians of every hue will proclaim that all have same rights. This for the vote bank purpose .Towards this vote bank strategy the Hindus are reminded that this is a secular country. So what is the meaning of secular may I ask? If the different religious people cannot integrate-cannot accept the ethos of the Hindus? What is wrong if one calls this country a Hindu country? Do we not have ‘Christian’ countries Do we not have ‘Islamic’ countries-why only India must not call itself a Hindu country. Even the restriction of the rites and rituals of the Hindus are enforced. Take for example the Ganesh idol immersion- the routes must not be in the vicinity of any mosque. The temple lands come under the government supervision which has the Hindu religious Endowment Board. Then why not the Wafk Board lands and the church lands also come under government control? If one has to be fair then at least let the Hindu temple lands be governed by the Hindus. That is secularism. But to pamper only the Christians and the Muslims and allowing then to manage/mismanage their assets and lands does not indicate ‘secularism’. The same goes for the Minority Rights.If education institutions can be administered and managed by the Muslims and the Christians why not extend the same to the Hindus. Let them manage or mismanage-it is their business. Education is a powerful tool and today it is only a money making enterprise. Allowing the Christians and Muslims to mismanage with no control or supervision does not make this country secular. Either you treat all the same but to prove the secularism of this country does not call in for unequal rights and more rights to the minorities. Let every one be equal-that is a Fundamental right. Look at the effect of this Minority Rights. The Madrassas are government financed-why so? The Muslim children are groomed in ghettos and not allowed to learn and grow with others. No wonder the Muslim leaders plainly told Gandhi and Nehru that they cannot integrate with the Hindus. But why should the people’s tax money go towards this fundamentalism and this pampering at the cost of great risks to the nation? One can go on pointing out the discrimination and the mismanagement of the Minority Institutions-All with the tax money of the people. The salaries and pensions are paid by the government. The admission policy is their own.

 It is relevant in this context to note that Justice Sachar and other Muslim leaders pointed out to the Muslims’ backwardness-both economically and educationally. They seem to blame India and its leaders for it. This is far from truth. The Muslims want to live in ghettos. It must be also noted that Justice Sachar’s survey was not very scientific .If one goes to the by lanes and the shanties it will be only poverty that one will see. The same can be said of the other communities. But Sachar forgets that the Muslims in the Film world-the leather industry, in marketing etc have enormous wealth. They too have a Azim Premji and many like him. Did Justice Sachar reckon with this? If so then the spread of wealth will negate the poverty that the Muslims are in. You can find what you want in a survey .Have they not education institutions in which they can admit all their own irrespective of the marks. So why should they be illiterate and uneducated. Having got more than their share why now exhibit the poor condition-the unemployment, the poverty etc in which they are seeped. Is it not their own making? They beget large families. Recently an English paper gave the story of a couple having 16 children and still looking forward to beget more till they get a male! So what do they want from the rest of the people? Why do they want the Hindu majority’s tax money to go down the drain for Justice Sachar to lament how they are neglected?

 It has become the fashion of political leaders to state that we have more Muslims in India than in Pakistan.Is that a great achievement? But it is true. Where does the resource come from for all the subsidies? Why have they not accepted Family Planning? When I visited Mallapuram in Kerala as a Consultant I asked the women why they have not restricted the size of the families.Most of the men  were working in the Middle East and they have cash and jewels and land.Their priorities are different. Yet Mallapuram has been declared a Backward district-thus eligible for all the development programs. When I asked the women’s groups why they have not adopted the FP the reply I got was, ‘Our ‘Palli’ authorites will not allow it’. Then ask your mosque authorities to finance you I stated at a public meeting.This large family size has repercussions on development and is definitely not secular. Mercy to some will be injustice to all. Now the demand is for reservation for the Muslims.I would blame the political leaders. For the sake of the vote bank politics they mortgage the country and its development. All said and done the Muslims in India are better off in Human Resource Index than in Pakistan.Then why scream oneself hoarse that Muslims are neglected and even justify terrorism on poverty and unemployment? Does all the other communities youth who are unemployed become terrorists. I am actually fed up with the utterance that all Muslims are not terrorists. That is true, but all terrorists are Muslims. Exceptions do not make the rule. So the UPA government was all out to detect ‘Saffron’ terror. As though that will justify the horror of terrorism both from within and cross border. So by giving part of my motherland-by trying to share the inheritance what have we bargained for? Coming to Partition we have brought this terrorism by the creation of Pakistan. It is going to be a constant risk and worry for India. Look how that country shelters Dawood Ibrahim.Look at its constant violation of the LOC? Look at its perception of the Kashmir issue. See how Kashmir has been populated and by whom. Hence it is with a purpose they demand along with some other countries for a Referendum. Can any one political leader of any one party vouch that Pakistan will cease to be a threat to India….How will the Muslims here in India react to Pakistan and its aggressive violations? Why have the Muslims on many occasions raised the Pakistani flag? Will this be tolerated in any other country? What do you call such an act?

Upholding the truth and speaking out will amount today to ‘instigation’ and causing unrest. Is it not fair and just to demand Equal Rights-Is it not fair and just to demand that all communities be subject to the rules and regulations of the country. Why does religion come in the picture? Why this ‘Minority’ and why this differential treatment for minorities. Let all be citizens of this country and be treated so. Let the Minority Rights be deleted from the Constitution and let there be Equality as the supreme yardstick for all.

It is but reasonable to take extra care and concern and be sensitive to the economically backward-but not on religious basis and not on caste basis. After 67 years if we still hold on to Reservation then one must accept the simple truth that Reservation has not benefited the down trodden. Who uses the reservation? This is like free electricity for the farmers-Who benefits from this- those who have land.But not the rural laborers and the marginal farmers. This is one example to show how the government’s schemes are highjacked. Does it not mean that Lalu Prasad Yadav‘s children are eligible for reservation. Once P.Chidambaram did confess that he used the reservation quota….Similarly former President KR Narayanan’s daughter got her posting using the SC tag. How fair are these. I know a family in Chennai-with father and brothers all IAS and doctors-using the reservation quota for jobs and admissions. Should we not put a stop to this plunder of the exchequer?

Coming to secularism-The political leaders cannot and should not use this against the Hindus. Because secularism is the very intrinsic makeup of the Hindu dharma .Hence Sanatana Dharma-Vasudeva kudumbum etc.It is the secular inbuilt of Hinduism that allowed all religions to flourish in India.Hinduism welcomed all religions-Is it not a fact that world religions evolved, flourished and spread in India. If the Hindu religion had not secularism at its core then it could have easily vanquished the others.Did it ever resort to violence for conversion and then like Pope Francis now ask forgiveness and get applause! Whose ‘ parampara’ is conversion through violence –Were the Hindus not persecuted –butchered and converted. Were their temples not destroyed? It is easy to say that it is the past. What you reap what you sow. Yes, it is the past but the history of a country is linked to its past and along with the present moves to the future. It has an impact. Why now call for banning ghar wapsi? One has to go to Tamilnadu and witness the scale of conversions.

So let us stop blaming the Hindus-calling them the ‘fringe groups’ and making it look that they are intolerant and fundamentalists. Are the other religions not Fundamentalists? How long can the Hindus be subjected to this insult and abuse of their ethos and their culture and suppression. So it is not for the political class to preach down to the Hindus of secularism because the kind of secularism which is being upheld by the Netas are vote bank garnering strategy. In the name of secularism one cannot and should not deny Hindus their legitimate rights in this Hindu rastra.I wish some of the NGOs and Human Rights activists try their brand of secularism in any one of the Islamic countries. Nay even in other countries the world over. Here religion takes priority and Christians have their headquarters outside India-either in Germany,Rome and England. While Muslims have their own fatwas.What has religions to do with headquarters outside the country to appeal to the Indian voters for whom to vote and for whom not to…One must learn from China. The fact is that the children of the Book have divided loyalties-one to their religious headquarters and directions and the other here in India. This often clashes and the people (read minorities) are at a loss ….I am not saying this from hear say but was present in a church when the pulpit was used to direct the congregation whom to vote for…..Why has the Muslim religion to ensure fatwas .Is this secularism? What if all the temples regularly congregate and give such instructions .But the point is Hindu religion is not ordered and disciplined that way. Each one is free to make his/her choice. Now when pushed to a corner it also reacts then the hackles are raised and the saffron and fringe groups are blamed. Modi is asked to rein in them. What about reining in the Christian funded NGOs? It must be noted that every action has a reaction. How long can the Hindus be at the receiving end? Is it not time to assert their own rights in their own country? Can they do this in Islamic countries and no Human Rights groups-no world organizations take note of the human rights violation in these countries. Is there freedom of religion in any Islamic country? Why then this silence. Now look at the film writers, the Sahitya Akademic award winners-the scientists have joined them against the intolerance that is showing its head in India…Who is instigating them? Which political power and vested interest are behind all this? One has only to watch the English TV channels and then even if one’s IQ is low it will be easy to identify the bias and the jaundiced visions.It is clear that most of these channels are owned by church and foreign persons. It is time that the government steps in. China would not allow this. If the BJP government steps in then it will be said that the voice of the people are being throttled. But the people are being throttled by these channels. One has only to listen to Arnab Goswami and now Zakk Jacob is following his example.   Can we not detect the tone and tenor and the bias.If it is Bakhra Dutt it is so evident her bias and her carefully crafted queries. We can easily notice that the group she assembles as viewers is carefully selected and the answers are what the anchor wants to hear. This is brain washing. Should this not be stopped? So it is again shutting the voice of the people-freedom of expression at stake. It was fine when the Emergency was imposed. The party which imposed Emergency today pretends to be the great freedom of expression champion. What with the likes of Mani Shankar Iyer who went to the extent of saying that Modi will never win the elections-if he wants he can come and serve tea in the AICC. Such arrogance he has. And this is the man who cannot and will not win a single election.But must stay put in New Delhi for this he must speak of the Nehru-Gandhi Family . So these people cannot stomach the idea of Modi being at the helm of affairs and still worse cannot relish the fact that he is doing well. It is Nehru-Gandhi family alone which they think has the Divine Right to rule this country. That much for democracy, secularism and pluralism. Cry my Beloved Country

 Dr Mrs Hilda Raja,