Irtif Lone
The rhetoric has started, and is probably gaining the momentum. India is taking off the veil of being a secular state. They have always sought a Hindutva nation, and what better time than this to initiate it officially. The government has the majority. They can do as they like for the next five years. The Prime Minister, who spoke about anything and everything in election rallies, has taken a cue from his predecessor to keep mum. Not even a twitter message to condemn or condone the happenings.
In the run up to the elections, probably in February, the then BJP president and the Home Minister of India, Rajnath Singh asked Muslims to give BJP at least one chance . “Please note that whenever, wherever if there has been any mistake and shortcoming on our part, I assure you that we will apologise to you by bowing our heads,” he said while probably referring to the Gujrat violence in 2002. “Try us once. If we don’t come up to your expectations, don’t look at us ever again,” he said to the Muslims then. But, that was election time. Since then the government has been formed. And all the ‘one chance’ rhetoric seems to have fallen flat on the face. Not that there were any more expectations. But within hundred days, these kinds of statements being made and such incidents taking place has been a blow to the sentiments of the minority community.
This all started with the killing of young techie in Pune, who was killed even though he had no role promoting the pictures which had caused some hurt to the majority community. But he was targeted by the right wing Hindu’s for wearing a skull cap and supporting a beard. And the statements threatening the minority community have been making their way since. In one of the interviews, Ashok Singhal said that tables have been turned on Muslims. “If they keep opposing Hindus, how long can they survive?” he remarked in his statement.
In days after Ashok Singhal made the comments, Pravin Togadia VHP leader issued a warning to the Muslims, saying they may have forgotten the 2002 Gujarat riots but would remember the Muzaffarnagar riots of last year. In both these incidents scores of people, mostly Muslims were killed. And, to hit the lowest of lows a couple of days back a Muslim caterer serving at Maharashtra Sadan was force fed by a Shiv Sena MP even though he was fasting during the month of Ramadhan, most revered month of the Muslim calendar.
All of these might be individual events and incidents, but the summing up of the situation sends a strong and threatening message to the minority communities. It’s high time that the BJP led NDA government starts to act against the hate mongers because while in office they don’t only run the government, they have to run a Nation which is summation of various other religions as well. And it is very necessary to save the secular fabric for the well being of the Indian state.
