MNS-Maharashtra Navanirmaan Sena
MLA-Member of Legislative Assembly
RSS-Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
BJP-Bharatiya Janata Party
Abu Asim Azmi- Leader of a party called Samajwadi Party
LK Advani – BJP Leader
When MNS MLAs slapped Abu Asim Azmi in Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra. I was more than thrilled. Frankly speaking, Abu Asim Azmi deserved a slap, but not this way. Actually, in this incident Abu Asim Azmi got what he wanted. Loads of cheap publicity and tales to tell about his heroism. I was suspicious as soon as Abu Azmi declared his intentions to swear in Hindi instead of Marathi. He cited the reason being, he needs time to learn the language. I don’t understand how many hundred years he wants before he learns the language, because from the past many years, as long as my memory goes, he is living in Mumbai. He has fought many an elections from here and surely enough, Official Language of the city is Marathi.
Anyway, from the time he declared, I understood his intentions to unnecessary heat up the atmosphere. And MNS readily obliged. A war of words and warnings ensued and the end result was nothing short of spectacular. Abu mustn’t have expected a slap though. He very well deserved a slap for his undeterred venomous speeches from long time heating up the religious sentiments. And as far as I remember, once his son was detained for drugs possessions along with some other rich sons, including Dilip Chhabria’s son. He himself doesn’t particularly enjoy a clean track record, going by his lavish properties. But, the only problem is this slap is hit at wrong place and at wrong time. Though, MNS did achieve what they wanted, going by some of the reactions that I received from acquaintances, rational thinkers would differ. For me, an ultra cynic, Abu was gifted with the cheap publicity, just at the cost of a slap. Cheap Deal indeed!
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Now, I want to turn to a complex issue. As now-a-days, I am obsessed with Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, I am reading anything that I can find about him. Two days back while reading some of his quotes, I found this piece of quote interesting and I tweeted it, “A ruler who needs a religion is a weakling and weaklings should not rule.” While I posted it, I attached “…so true” as my opinion to this. As soon as I posted it with a clean mind and admiration for the man, I realized what I had done. As those who know me know, I am generally a BJP supporter and used to be devout some time back, I understood that some bites would follow and there it came. Sensing this, I had started to figure out how exactly I will answer this.
The answer is BJP as we it today is confused and directionless. If you look at the agenda that BJP had in its heydays, it consisted of an important term – Common Civil Code. RSS, the parent organization of BJP still advocates it. Now, as for explaining the sudden rise of BJP on national scene, I always hear that BJP started it with demolition of Babari Mosque. I want to ask them, can I say that Congress started it by allowing the division of the nation? Can I say, that Congress started it, first with Operation Blue Star (interestingly is the symbol of Judaism) and then with mishandling of situation in Kashmir? No, I cannot say that, because that would make me Communal. The basic definition of Communal is at fault, because it actually doesn’t have a definition. RSS since its birth has always been a reaction. Its very birth was a reaction to Muslim League. The demolition of Babari Mosque was a result of many factors, such as LK Advani’s oratory skills, mob fury but most importantly, Hindu Insecurity. Everybody asks questions, but no one has found the answer as to why, on such a large scale, did the majority community became insecure? And the reaction to demolition of a mosque was? Serial bomb blasts in Mumbai. What else you expect to follow? Blindly all the exasperated voters turned to saffron labeled outfit. Of course, there were and there are opportunistic and hot headed leaders, but terming BJP as a whole as religious affair is injustice to the very purpose of its formation.
Right from its birth BJP has fought for Common Civil Code. And what is Congress doing for all these years? All I want to ask is when you say, “A ruler who needs a religion”; do you only mean he advocates a certain religion? Can’t it also mean he uses the weapon of religion? Like Marx said, Religion is opium. Tell me when did BJP say it wants to create a Hindu Rashtra? (Except for it iterates to reinstate Ram Mandir, which is an entirely different and complex issue and needs hours of writing) Instead, it was actually BJP regime, when strained relations in Indo-Pak started to loosen. But Nawaz Sharif was toppled and all the efforts went waste. Further, BJP never enjoyed complete majority in Parliament, thus could not apply its Agenda to the fullest. Further, those who claim they came to power because of religious sentiments, then just tell me, the Babari Mosque was demolished in 1992, and the reaction bomb blasts occurred in 1993 followed by riots and BJP came to power in 1995. How could the religious sentiments sustain for this long. I agree religious sentiments did play some part, but it had a lot to do. The violence had resulted in anti-incumbency sentiments and further, the religious tagging was long before Babari was demolished. Terming, BJP’s rise to power as solely the result of Babari demolition and religious outburst, is like self deceit. Actually it was Congress, which before independence played the Religion Card, in Khilafat Movement and after independence it used the minority concessions to actually deceive Muslims. Otherwise can you explain how a community, which was the ruler in Moghul empire and favoured in British Raj is still poor according to much touted Sachchar Commission Report? And BJP’s fall was a result of amateur behaviour of its front leaders and nothing to do with suddenly matured voters.
So, people that’s my answer to the question.
Moreover, it is entirely amateur to equate the statement of great man so squarely. He made the statement in context of Ottoman ruler and his statement did have deeper meaning. But if it is being thrown around, just for the sake of argument, it indeed shows the gross immaturity. Because, Indian Polity is far more complex than people usually are made to believe.
For any further brickbats I am always available.
P.S. – Today is Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s 71st Death Anniversary! My salute to his memory!