FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK

Thoughts on the 'Future' of the Muslim Indian

Constantly, anywhere I go, I am asked 'Do the Muslims of India have a future"? or "What future lies in store for Muslim Indians"? These questions reflect not only a sense of frustration, insecurity and pessimism, but a fatal lack of 'faith', and self-confidence I say faith because the Muslim Indians - individually or collectively - had no control on being born in India and Allah, in His benign wisdom made them Indians by birth and thus established an unbreakable link between the two. 'Self- confidence, because otherwise a religious community, which is the second biggest in the country and third biggest Muslim community in the world, which is around 120 million strong, thus constituting roughly 12% of the national population, and about the same proportion of the world's total Muslim population should not be questioning its future, its destiny, its role.

Since the advent of Islam on the coasts of Malabar, Gujarat and Sind, much before the Turkish-Afghan hordes galloped through the Khyber Pass, crossed the Indus, took Delhi, established a powerful Muslim state, which sought legitimacy in Islam but which was hardly Islamic, one must differentiate substantially between the ruling cite which were largely of foreign descent and the common Muslims who were local converts or their descendants Muslim India has passed through many ups and downs, many vicissitudes and many territorial fragmentations (the last being in 1947 and 1971), developed much social stratification (look at the numerous baradaris and jamaats), seen sectarian struggle (the current strife between the Sunnis and the Shias in Pakistan is only an extension of the Tazia and the Madh- e-Saheba agitation in Lucknow and elsewhere), risen and fallen economically, commanded and lost high prestige in the Muslim world and passed through both fraternization and conflict within the country. They have faced invasions, massacres, migrations, deprivation, impoverishment, repression, and humiliation. They have sacrificed life and property, faced bullets and gallows with a smile and defended their faith and their mother land with their blood. But they have continued to grow, they have maintained, all said and done, their religious identity and a sense of brotherhood and unity. They have been led astray by false prophets, responded emotionally to real and artificial issues, national and extra-territorial question.

How can a community, so rich in collective experience, feel despondent and question its future? How can a creative community which played a historical role in the evolution of Indian culture and the making of the Indian civilization, indeed, building the country and the nation-state, feel so overwhelmed by one tragic event, or even a series of tragic events over a short period of time, one act of injustice, one thrust of the poisoned rapier, one show of bad manners, one word of abuse, one show of 'Shanti', one look of suspicion, to begin questioning its very survival.

Yes, since the Partition of 1947, it has suffered in many ways; its elite having turned its back for greener pastures across the line drawn in tears and blood, it became a target of discrimination in public and private employment; it was deprived of its due share in the fruits of development, it fell increasingly behind in education, it had to gulp humiliation in religious matters; in the areas in which it was dependent on land and official patronage, it faced pauperization. Above all, the sense of guilt over having supported the demand for Pakistan and the inability to adjust to the politics of democracy in a multi-dimensional society, the psychological shock overwhelmed one whole generation. The spell was broken in 1971 with the emergence of Bangladesh; a new generation appeared on the scene which had no mental hangovers, no chips on its shoulders; it was committed to secularism and democracy. It was prepared to struggle for its rights but also ready to participate in development and to receive due share. Undoubtedly, this assertiveness was not always welcome in a society which had denied equality, justice, freedom and fraternity to the masses for thousands of years. So, there was a hostile reaction - a sharpening of the knives;

But who can wish away the Muslim Indians? They are there and they shall always be there. The option of territorial migration or transplantation voluntary or forced, does not exist. Enough gas chambers cannot be installed. Millions cannot be driven into the Arabia Sea or the Bay of Bengal. Nor can they be assimilated or absorbed - not in the world where suppressed identities are surfacing everywhere.

So, the only solution which is in fact being implemented by all concerned, sometimes consciously, sometimes unconsciously, is political and economic integration with social and cultural autonomy, in a democracy based on rule of law and social justice.

Many trends and tendencies during the last 50 years support this great experiment in composite living, in peaceful coexistence, in creative cooperation, indeed the biggest in the world history and the most massive in the contemporary world, that we have launched. Every identity, religious, linguistic, cultural, racial, regional, every ethnicity is to be accommodated on mutually acceptable and beneficial terms, to create a beautiful mosaic-a model for the rest of mankind.

Human race stands today on the threshold of self- discovery-equality of man and respect for man's multi- dimensional identity. As the twentieth century comes to a close (Bosnia, Rawanda - Brundi, Somalia, Afghanistan, Kampuchea notwithstanding) there is growing consciousness of Human Rights. And increasingly human rights take into account not only the rights of the individual but of the group. There is growing understanding of Minority Rights. The nation-state in a plural society cannot be majoritarian; it has to respect the rights of minority groups and at multiple functional levels, if it has a big area and a large population as it is in our case, to give every group a sense of participation.

Muslim Indians, with few exceptions e.g. the political demagogues who continue to sigh for the lost glory and wait for the Second Coming - have jettisoned the useless emotional baggage the attachment to Pakistan or to pan-Islamism or to Khilafat's revival. There is a sense of belonging to the larger world of Islam but there is no element of political extra-territoriality in their mental make-up. They know that no Muslim state is an Islamic state and none will lift even a finger for them! This has liberated them from old bondage to the arid concepts of yesteryear and made them strive to strike roots in their motherland, identify themselves with the country of their birth which is the only place for them, in life and in death.

Muslim Indians have also been influenced by the emergence of their country as the regional power, pre- eminent in the Sub-continent, and they share the glorious vision of India's role in the New World Order.

Beneath the turbulence of day to day politics, Muslim Indians also see the inexorable, irreversible march towards federalization with decentralization of functions, powers and responsibilities and devolution of matching resources rights down to the Panchayats, at village level. Above all, decentralization and  devolution shall give a sense of participation to every community or sub-community or social group and weave a web of mutual dependence and strengthen the national fabric. There is a social upsurge, the wretched of the earth have woken up and are making demands on the system: This is also a sign of progress towards Social Justice. So is ethnic upsurge which has acquired legitimacy. This will not lead to Balkanization or disintegration, because after their urge for participation and equality has been fulfilled, all the groups, which cannot be separated in space - will have to come together to create a new Society, to build a new India.

Muslim Indians, if they are really anxious about their future must identify themselves with the common struggle of the people for a life of dignity and the fight for equality and justice. They have to guard against apathy and disinterestedness, withdrawal and non- participation. On one hand, they cannot ignore the rise of fascism under the slogans of Hindutva. On the other, they have to strengthen and support and unite the secular forces, by acting as the catalyst and the cement. They have to invest in education and enterprise and acquire proficiency in all modern Indian languages and in English. They have to reduce the areas of conflict and confrontation and manage the interface, in the face of all provocation, through prudence and dialogue and by harmonization. They have a right to empowerment but through political participation and penetration of the institutions at every level - the Panchayat, the Prakhand, the Zila, the State and the Union. They have to strive, through excellence, a place in the mass media and the higher reaches of the bureaucracy and the professions.

A minority group can demand equality but not parity, it can ask for justice but not for privileges.

The Muslim Indians, have the potential of being the most creative Muslim community in the world of Islam. Also, they have the potential of being the most creative community in India - since they have many streams of thought and culture enriching their souls. They are Indians and Muslims and their double heritage is a unique possession.

But the Muslim Indian has to banish baseless fear as well as false motives from his mind, invest in education and enterprise, participate in the political process, work honestly, whatever the field of activity and set an example in personal and collective behavior.

The Muslim Indian has to open the doors and windows of his dark room and look at the shining vista and step out to join the marching millions - towards the Future.

His Future is the Future of India and the Future of India is His Future.

And it is a Glorious Future.

New Delhi,

1 September, 1996                          

(SYED SHAHABUDDIN)