NATIONAL POLITICS
Harihar Swarup on Muslim Response to Congress Overtures
The UP unit of the Congress has been propounding a very dangerous theory of alienation of Muslims from the party that Pakistan's ISI has spread its net in the most populous State of the union and are inciting Muslims to adopt an anti-Congress stance.
It is a serious matter if the belief of the UP-Congress leaders is corroborated by reports of intelligence agencies.
Compared to the plight of "Mohajirs" (in Pakistan), the Muslims in India have been better off. They enjoy all the rights and privileges, have equal opportunities in educational institutions, government and private jobs, politics and the judiciary. The Congress party has been repeatedly accused of pampering the minority community. Muslims have a say in the affairs of the State, having representation in State and Central Ministries. Added to this, there is a demand for reservation in jobs for "backward class" Muslims.
Whatever may be the basis of the UP Congress leaders' fears about the role of the ISI, the coming elections may see the worst-ever communalization of BJP: Views of M.M. Joshi on Muslim Indians politics. A frenzy is already building up which will Varanasi and Mathura are not on agenda of the BJP inevitably be reflected in the campaign. Sadly, some of today. For the Ram temple we have our own strategy for the prominent Muslim leaders in the Congress have been it. We have always said we will build it through a legal playing the worst type of the communal card for petty process. There has been an acquisition (of the land) and and short-term gains. Muslim communalism will fuel cases are pending in the Supreme Court. We have to Hindu sectarianism and this type of situation has the make a statute for it. The BJP resolution has always potential to take the country on a disastrous course been either through mutual consent or by legislation, but There was a time when the Congress and other secular not through litigation. parties had Muslim leaders of stature who could rise above petty and sectarian considerations. But there is a big void now.
Muslims rightly feel aggrieved at the destruction of the Babari Masjid, which might have been saved, had the Centre acted decisively. Regrettably, even after the decade's worst vandalism neither the government nor the Congress took convincing steps to assuage the hurt feelings of the Muslims.
There was also sharp differences among the senior leaders on the question of tendering an apology to Muslims. While Mr. Arjun Singh called for such a gesture, Prime Minister Narasimha Rao, Home Minister 5.D. Chavan and several members of the working committee were opposed to seeking forgiveness of the minority community.
In the absence of any perceptible step to heal the wounds, the Muslim community gradually moved away from the Congress. The non-BJP parties, instead of assuaging the feelings of the Muslims, further fanned them. This is, perhaps, the reasons that repeated attempts of the Congress leaders to woo Muslims fail.
Concerned at the apathy of Muslims, the Congress leaders have decided to draft three Union Ministers Ghulam Nabi Azad, Salman Khurshid and Sibte Razi - to visit minority-dominated areas and try to assuage the hurt feelings. The Ministers would have to face the wrath of
the community but it would be a big achievement if they can win over a section of Muslim votes. They would do well to talk more about the Congress ideology and its commitment to secularism rather than eulogize the Prime Minister. Muslims react sharply the moment they shower praise on Mr. Rao.
A high-powered committee, headed by Mr. Karunakaran, set up by the AICC to go into the reason of the party's debacle in 1993 UP Assembly elections, has made certain noteworthy revelations. It reached the conclusion that "the perception of Congressmen is that the Central leadership is not interested in reviving the party in the State".
But for whom would Muslims vote? Obviously, they are not going to cast their votes for the BJP candidates, though their anger, at the moment, is more against the Congress. They may prefer Mulayam Singh Yadav's party or the new alignment which may soon emerge in UP.
(Source: The Patriot, 7 January, 1996)
BJP: Views of M.M Joshi on Muslims Indians
Varanasi and Mathura are not on agenda of the BJP today for the Ram temple we have our own strategy for it. We have always said we will build it through a legal process. There has been an acquisition (of the land) and cases are pending in the Supreme court. We have to make a statute’ for it. The BJP resolution has always been either through mutual consent or by legislation, but not through litigation.
Muslims in India do not worship Ram as a god, but they consider him their hero. How can any Muslim in this country say Ram does not belong to this country or that he does not respect Ram? Even Iqbal said he is Imam-i- Hind. Every Indian shares the heritage of Shri Ram. It is one of the monumental blunders of Indian political leaders to teil Indian Muslims that they have no relation with Ram and they have relations with Babar.
Every Indian shares the heritage of (the country). right from the Vedas down to today. Muslims are part and parcel of the great Indian heritage. I do not consider them as minorities. The biggest blunder which has been committed by politicians, and which Muslims have accepted, is that they are minorities.
On October 12, I addressed a conference of our minority cell, in Aligarh, right on the doorstep of Aligarh University. I said here is an institution which spread this concept, that Muslims are a different nation. I am here again to say that they are not. They are part and parcel of this great nation, they are Mohammediya Hindus. Large numbers of Muslims have realized that a serious mistake has been committed by their leaders. It is not a question of what percentage of (Muslim) votes I expect. I am more interested in (making) Muslims consider themselves part and parcel of this great national heritage, that they do not consider themselves minorities.
(Source: The Sunday Observer, 19-25 November, 1995)
