Shocker from Ghulam Nabi Azad

Nothing more can explain the plight of Muslims in India than theassertions of former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Ghulam NabiAzad. On Wednesday Azad, in a function at Lucknow, said that the Hinducandidates of his party who used to invite him for campaigning inelections avoided him now. “Since the days of the Youth Congress, Ihave been campaigning across the country from Andaman to Lakshadweepand 95 per cent of those who used to call me were Hindu brothers andleaders, and just 5 per cent were Muslim brothers,” said Azad. “But inthe last four years, I have observed that the figure of 95 has droppedto just 20 per cent. This means that there is something wrong… Aajdarta hai admi bulane se… iska voter pe kya asar hoga… (Today peopleare afraid to call me… wondering what effect would I have on thevoter), Indian Express quoting Azad reported on Thursday. Azad’sstatement is direct indictment of communal polarization that is beingpromoted in the changing political culture across India. Ghulam NabiAzad is perhaps the senior most leader of the present Congressleadership. He has been associated with the Congress since the days ofSanjay Gandhi. He has occupied high positions in the party as also thegovernment. He had been minister in various Congress governments,party’s general secretary and presently he is leader of the oppositionin the Rajya Sabha. He enjoys an impeccable integrity as Indianpolitician. His revelations are shocking and serious. It is a gravereflection on the idea of India (secularism) it was founded on in 1947after the exit of British. Since the rise of BJP in power in 2014, India is a deeply divided state with Hindu majoritarianism beingpromoted as new idea India. The BJP and its allied group have openlybeen advocating for Hindu India, and some rabid and vocal Hinduleaders have even said that India would be a Muslim-free country by2021. Muslims all across the country are the prime target of Hinduzealots. In the name of cow protections, dozens of Muslims have beenlynched to death, mostly in BJP-ruled states with discreet silence bythe present dispensation at the centre. The silence of the centralgovernment, more particularly by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, isviewed as official approval to this new idea of India. The communal(anti Muslim to be direct and straight) has now penetrated deep intothe Indian society to such a scale where people like Ghulam Nabi Azadfeel unwelcome. With media on their side, the Hindu zealots arefinding it quite convenient to dug deep and strong the wells and wallsof communal hatred. Every evening debate is conducted on different TVnews channels to whip Muslims on one or the other issue. The divideseems unbridgeable as the people in power have a vested interest inpolarizing the country on religious bases. The BJP has largelybenefited in elections from the communal polarization. The onslaughtagainst Muslims is carried out mostly in the states where BJP is inpower. The silence of the government at the state as well as centrallevel is virtually serving as license to the Hindu killing squads.This does not auger well for a country acknowledged across the worldas tolerant and accommodative democracy. If one goes by the newsreports and opinion pieces in the international media about the risingHindu extremism, India is losing credibility drasticallyinternationally. This in all respects is a serious challenge for Indiato keep on its image of a tolerant nation. All is not however lost.There are still people who are worried about the drift India as anation is facing. The protests by right thinking people across severalstates of India, held in recent past, against the murderous assault onMuslims provide a hope. They however have to assert more forcefully toinfluence the public thinking to stop the rot.