India: Interaction of Hindus in power with Muslims

Categorized | Current Affairs, India CA

India: Interaction of Hindus in power with Muslims

Posted on 26 November 2008. Tags: Hindus, Kavita Srivastava, Muslims, Yogi Siskand

Hindus in power have little personal engagement with Muslims: Kavita Srivastava By Yoginder Sikand, TwoCircles.net,

Based in Jaipur, Kavita Srivastava is the President of the Rajasthan chapter of the Peoples’ Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL). She and her comrades have been consistently working in Rajasthan for the cause of human rights, particularly for the state’s Muslims, Christians, Adivasis and Dalits, and have taken up the issue of targeting of Muslims by agencies of the state and the media in a major way. She discusses this and more in this interview with Yoginder Sikand.

Q: How do you see the way in which the state in Rajasthan is responding to acts of terror that have rocked the state in recent years, most particularly in the aftermath of the deadly blasts that shook Jaipur earlier this year?

Kavita Srivastava

A: The situation is indeed grim. Muslims are being readily branded as terrorists, and this is how many government officials view them. So, soon after the blasts large numbers of innocent Muslims were wrongly suspected or branded as terrorists. They were arrested and interrogated by the police, and many of them were subjected to cruel torture. The police somehow automatically assumed that Muslims were responsible for the blasts, without having any proof. Almost a fourth of those who died in the Jaipur blasts were Muslims, although Muslims account for just about a tenth of the city’s population. But still the dominant view was that Muslims had killed Hindus in the blasts, without, as I said, this being proved at all.

Anti-Muslim bias in agencies of the state is mounting today. Just one instance of this is how some of the Muslims picked up by the police were treated. They were asked if they believe in the Quran or in the Indian Constitution, this ridiculous question reflecting the entirely erroneous notion that a religious and observant Muslim somehow is a traitor or a potential traitor to India. Then, of course, were the large numbers of Muslims who were picked up and thrown out of their homes in Jaipur, accused of being Bangladeshis, their miserable hutments being bulldozed over. All this suggests that there are powerful forces at work that seek to push Muslims to the wall.

And then there is the media. They simply parrot the police version of any Muslim whom it picks up as a terrorist, and when it is found that this person is innocent and is subsequently let off, the media chooses not to say anything about it. So, in this way, the image of large numbers of Muslims is being deliberately tarnished. Many of them have lost their jobs because of this, and are tainted in society for the rest of their lives although they have nothing to do with terrorism. I could cite several instances of this, people whose cases we have taken up. This is really a very worrying development.

Q: Why is it that the media, the police and the investigating agencies often jump to the conclusion that blasts must be the handiwork of Muslims soon after these occur even before any investigation has been conducted?

A: Unfortunately, that seems to be the case in large parts of country, including Rajasthan. Obviously, it is possible that some terror attacks might have been done by some Muslim elements, just as it is possible that they might be the handiwork of, say, Hindu extremists. But surely the agencies of the state and the media should not rush into concluding anything before a detailed investigation. Sadly, that does not seem to happen in most cases. So, they generally begin with the premise that any blast must be the handiwork of Muslims, and that obviously influences or determines the conclusions that they reach. They start with this premise probably, or at least in part, because there seems to be this widely-held, though erroneous, image in society of Muslims as somehow inherently and congenitally programmed to be prone to violence and terror. And so Muslims and their behavior come to be seen in an essentially criminalized way, not just by the police or media but also in the wider public domain.

“Kashmiris chant azadi & Jeevay Jeevay Pakistan in equal numbers and with equal intensity” “There was a green flag on every lamp post, every roof, every bus stop and on the top of chinar trees. A big one fluttered outside the All India Radio buildin

Q: And why do you think this sort of image of Muslims is so deeply-rooted?

A: One major reason is that most Hindus, especially those in positions of power, have little, if any, personal engagement with Muslims. So, being unable to relate to them as real, flesh-and-blood people, they tend to see them in the form of sinister stereotypes and cruel caricatures. The only source of information about Muslims they might get is from the media, large sections of which, of course, are communalized and are getting increasingly more so.

Take television, for instance. You won’t find a single programme set in a Muslim household. It’s almost always set in an ‘upper’ caste, upper or middle-class Hindu family. Hindi cinema-or Hindustani cinema actually-once had considerable space for Muslims, although they were generally presented in stereotypical terms, as decadent feudal lords luxuriating in comfort, or as burkha-clad women or singing, paan-chewing qawwals or whatever, not as ‘normal’ human beings. But even that space has vanished, and now numerous Bollywood films clearly and explicitly demonise Muslims in a very carefully planned manner. In addition to all this is the poisonous anti-Muslim propaganda of the Hindutva forces. So, all this combines to colour the public domain and the public perception of Muslims in an increasingly negative light. As members of the wider society, it is not surprising that many people in the police, the courts and the media are also influenced by this way of thinking.

That said, let me also say here that the Rajasthan police must be distinguished from its Gujarati counterpart, which is far more anti-Muslim. At the same time, the Rajasthan police seem to be acting on the same premise as the Gujarat police does when it comes to Muslims, often regarding them as behind each and every terror attack and ignoring the possibility that some non-Muslim elements-say radical Hindutva groups-might be behind terror acts.

Q: There are now demands being voiced to make anti-terror laws even stricter as a means to counter terrorism. How do you see this demand?

A: What some people, such as the Hindutva right-wing, some police officers and pro-establishment media persons, are so forcefully advocating today is for a change in the law or a new law so that statements given by the arrested before the police can be counted as evidence against them. Now, we all know that this would lead to the further hounding of innocent people picked up by the police, who might torture them to make false ‘confessions’, which would be used as ‘evidence’ to falsely implicate them in cases for which they were not involved in, and which would let the real culprits go free. This would be a major assault on democracy.

Under the proposed draconian ‘anti-terror’ laws that some right-wing hawks are proposing, even human rights groups taking up the case of people wrongly accused of being terrorists could be arrested. Anyone who criticizes the wrong role of the police, the judiciary or any other branch of the state could then be easily branded as a criminal or terrorist sympathizer or abettor.

In other words, if such a draconian law comes into place, if you even think differently from the state you could be booked. Anyone who even talks of state terrorism could be labeled as a ‘terrorist’ or ‘anti-national’. If you take up the rights of oppressed people who are being suppressed by the state, as is happening with human rights activists working with Adivasis in Chhatisgarh, for instance, you could be branded as an enemy of the state and thrown into jail. Or, as is happening in Orissa, activists protesting against multi-nationals grabbing Adivasi lands, backed by the state, can be arrested, but no action will be taken against the Hindu mobs, backed by Hindutva fascist outfits, which have left tens of thousands of Christians in the state homeless.

And now there is talk of the need for a new ‘anti-terror’ law according to which any person can be arrested if he or she even simply intends to support any banned group. In that case, how would the government presume that it can judge anyone’s intentions? Obviously, this would make a complete mockery of any claims to democracy.

In other words, with these sorts of new laws that are being put into place or are being so vociferously advocated day in and day out, I fear India may be moving in the direction of a ‘police state’ run by intelligence agencies so that the state and the ruling classes can do whatever they want without any opposition whatsoever. These represent the sinister agenda of forces that are bent on destroying whatever little democracy we already enjoy.

Q: What, then, do you see as the way ahead?

A: This is a political issue, and for this we need a political struggle. It concerns not just Muslims, who might be among the worst targeted by such draconian laws, but all oppressed and marginalized social groups, communities and classes. It is a major threat to democracy, and so all democratic forces need to come together to stiffly oppose these draconian laws.

Kavita Srivastava can be contacted on kavisriv@gmail.com
–
Sukhia Sab Sansar Khaye Aur Soye
Dukhia Sahib Kabir Jagey Aur Roye

The world is ‘happy’, eating and sleeping
The forlorn Kabir Sahib is awake and weeping

Check out my blogs: www.madrasareforms.blogspot.com
www.islampeaceandjustice.blogspot.com

Valmik says:

April 27, 2010 at 4:50 am

Indian muslims enjoy following things in India

1) They can have as many children they want
2) they can marry as much wives they want
3) They get subsidy for HAAJ trip
4) back ward class muslim has quota in govt jobs.
5) Muslims have been top post at civil & administrative levels except prime ministership
in India
6) You can hear azaan on loud speakers at lamost every city in India

Muslims what they do in India

1) one can find in criminal list 90% muslims
2) Muslims are connected with underworld
3) Muslims camouflage and run terrorist networks in India
4) Muslims are 1st to start a riot
5) Where ever they are in Majority. they will take over every thing like in J & K
6) Muslims are not accepting Vande Mataram as 2nd national anthem
The Editors says:

April 27, 2010 at 9:38 am

Your personal opinions display your bigotry and racism–the Sachaar report published on this site several times differs in its conclusions. Justice Sachar says that despite being 13% of the population, they have 3% jobs in Bharat–and their representation in the Lok and Rajha Saba is negligible.

Indian Muslims are ghettoized, and unable to get admission in good schools, colleges and are unable to find jobs. Justice Sacahr also says that the Muslims are as bad and sometimes below Dalits. The Muslim literacy rates are very low because schools are not built in the communities where the thrive.

Your personal opinion “Richie” are not worth much–because they are not backed by any credible report.
Valmik says:

April 27, 2010 at 10:07 am

It is time for you my dear neighboursas to how you treat your own minoritys? You have already annhilated Hindus. then came Sikhs and last Christians. You have also not spared Ahmadiyas, Kadiyanis or shias in your country. When you play rhetoric of Indian muslims, please introspect and see how many muslims you are killing by harvesting Taliban and allowing drones to fly over Vaziristan and swat to kill your own citizens. You pakistanis who know some english and by mercy of America and UK are feeling that you are leaders of Islam in world. WRONG You are opportunity seeker terrorist nation. Indian muslims are and will be happy in India till they comply to be Indians. You pakistanis dont shed crocodile tears for any muslims out side your country. You first of all take care of your semi illiterate, jihadi gun totting citizens.And also spare your young generation with some true real history. DOnt intoxicate em with your 7000 years old theory. Scratch your past and you will get ashamed that you are spitting on same culture once which was your mother
The Editors says:

April 27, 2010 at 10:20 am

Your comments are repetitions of your bigoted racism–and we reserve the right not to publish repeats

Inability to challenge the veracity of arguments, the temple indoctrinated Sovietized socialistic mindset chooses to do what the denizens of the world’s largest Nehruistocracy does best—point fingers at others.

In every human endeavor and statistic Pakistan is either better, or equal to India. In those few areas in which India is better, it is better only marginally. That from a country that was the most depressed part of South Asia during the colonial Raj.

The simple fact is that India is a millstone on South Asia. While the country starves–its Nero-like aristocracy is wasting $2 billion on a Russian rust bucket. Unable to produce a plane, it wants to spend $10 billion on 126 fighters–to pursue its wild maniacal dream of becoming a hegemonic bully. India buys pills in the shapes of guns, ships which would allow to continue its conquest in the revanchist madness of creating “Greater India”.

India is defying the US in Afghanistan insisting on perpetuating war in Afghanistan.

Little countries of Europe like Benelux have an economy bigger than India—a colossal conglomeration of 560 states forcibly cobbled together which represents the pullulating millions incarcerated in 22 states that want to be fifty—in varying degrees of independence from Delhi. India makes nothing and exports nothing that the world wants to buy—except the call centers (misnamed “IT”) which impact only 6 million of its citizens. Even after 20 years the “IT superpower” has not produced any software.

India today hosts most of the worlds poor. 75% of the population lives under $2 per day, and enslaves 450 million Dalits, Scheduled classes, and tribals who live as Untouchables–struggling to be accepted as humans. Today 40% of the country is in the hands of the Maoists—and half the population of Delhi, Kokota, Benaras, Mumbai, Lucknow etc sleep on the sidewalks—and the city gladly takes rents from those who live, die, and procreate on the sidewalk. This is the reality of India—and no Bollywood song and dance can hide it.

For fifty of its sixty years Indian growth was derisively called the “Hindu Growth rate”. The last decade was an anomaly–rising tides lift all boats.

The area comprising Pakistan was the most backward region of South Asia in 1947. Pakistan in 1947 had one dilapidated textile mill, one non-functional jute mill and one decrepit university. The literacy rate was 15%. Today it is 50%-65% while the Indian Muslims languish at 25%. Today Pakistan makes everything, has 150 universities, some of them world class like The Agha Khan University. In every human endeavor and statistic Pakistan is either better, or equal to India. In those few areas in which India is better, it is better only marginally.