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Growing Muslim Alienation In India


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The muslim community in India is continuosly feeling alienated by India, esp. by majority Hindu community. The angry voices are not restricted to poor or radicals. Even the educated and successful mainstrean have now started voicing their grudges. In past a well known Muslim intellectual criticised the Indian media for having strong "anti-muslim bias".

Here are a few recent news articles on Amarnath shrine board problem in J&K and the responses.

You can’t make only token gestures, says Shabana

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 16

Noted film actress Shabana Azmi, a social activist and a former MP, has described the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir as “a cauldron” and feared that the situation in the state could have repercussions on Hindu-Muslim relations in other parts of India.

Azmi was speaking to Karan Thapar in his Devil’s Advocate programme to be telecast by TV news channel CNN-IBN tomorrow. In reply to a question Azmi said, “It’s a cauldron, the situation has been allowed to go out of hand and there's a deliberate attempt to communalise it, which is a huge pity.” Asked by Karan Thapar whether this could spiral out of control and could create differences between Hindus and Muslims elsewhere in India, she said: “Absolutely, absolutely. I can see that happening, and that's why I am so distressed over what’s happening in Kashmir and for heaven's sake it should be brought to a stop, and this should have been brought to a stop right when it started with that nonsense.”

Shabana Azmi also spoke at length over discrimination against Muslims in India despite the Government expressing its commitment to a secular policy.

She alleged that Muslims are victims of discrimination. She cited her own instance and said, “I wanted to buy a flat in Bombay and it wasn’t given to me because I was a Muslim and I read the same about Saif (Saif Ali Khan.) Now, I mean, if Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi cannot get a flat in Bombay because they are Muslims, then what are we talking about?”

She said, “I think there is not enough understanding of the fact that in a democracy, how you treat the security of the minority must be a very important part for the success of a democracy. You can’t only make token gestures and actually let them be in the state that they are as the Rajinder Sachar committee report shows. So what has happened is token gestures are made but real issues are never addressed.’’

She blamed the Indian politicians for promoting a stereotype image of the Muslim community and not allowing moderate liberal Muslim voices to be heard. She said, “You look at the politicians, whether it is Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Indira Gandhi or anybody else. The minute it is a Muslim question, you will get all the dariwalas and all the maulvis only to speak.”

She also blamed the muslim community for allowing itself to listen to fundamentalists and said, “The community is also allowing itself to listen to fundamentalists, who actually are not their leaders at all.”

The noted film actress however denied the necessity of Muslims depending solely on leaders from their community. She said, “No, no, no, no. Jawaharlal Nehru was a leader of Muslims and that is the way it should be. You don’t need a Muslim leader for that.’’

Indian polity is being unfair to Muslims, says Shabana Azmi

New Delhi: In a stinging attack on the country’s polity, film actress-turned-social activist Shabana Azmi has accused it of being “unfair” to Muslims, making only “token gestures,” instead of addressing the real issues.

She also targeted the Muslim leadership, saying it had not bothered to “clear the air about what Islam actually is” and contended that Muslims should change the image of their religion and community.

Asked on Karan Thapar’s ‘Devil’s Advocate’ show on CNN-IBN whether the country’s politics had been “unfair” to Muslims, Ms. Azmi replied, “yes.”

On whether it was individual politicians, the system or political parties that were to blame, she said, “I think there is not enough understanding of the fact that in a democracy how you treat the security of the minority must be an important part of its success.”

“You can’t make only token gestures and actually let them be in the state that they are as the Rajinder Sachar Committee report shows. So what happens is that token gestures are made, but real issues are never addressed.”

Asked whether she would say that Muslims were “victims of discrimination,” she said she could not buy a flat in Mumbai “because I am a Muslim.” She said she had read that the same had happened to actor Saif Ali Khan.

On what being a Muslim meant to her, Ms. Azmi said: “I’ve been raised in a very liberal, bohemian family in which religion has not played any part at all. For me, being a Muslim really was about Urdu, about eating biryani and wearing shararas on Id. So the cultural aspect of me was Muslim otherwise, because I am not religious, the religion did not matter. After the riots following the Babri Masjid demolition, I suddenly had people saying, you are a Muslim and hurling it as an accusation … it was a self-consciousness that I have never before experienced … [what] it made me do is say ‘yes, I am Muslim and what do you want to do about it?’ That, I can say, is increasingly happening, particularly in the western world. A lot of young kids today are wearing the burqa, are taking on an identity which really they don’t feel. Just because when you push somebody against the wall that’s what they come up with”

Ms. Azmi, who is a five-time National Film Award winner, emphatically said that Muslims did not need their “own leaders” and to press her point she cited that Jawaharlal Nehru was “a leader for Muslims and that’s the way it should be.”

She accused the politicians of promoting a stereotypical image of the Muslim community and not allowing moderate, liberal Muslim voices to be heard.

“You look at all the politicians, whether it is Atal Bihari Vajpayee, whether it is Indira Gandhi, whether it is anybody, the minute it is a Muslim question, you will get the ‘dariwaralas’ and only all the Maulvis to speak,” said the former Member of Parliament.

Ms. Azmi observed that the moderate liberal voice was witnessing a resurgence in the country unlike in the past.

Ms. Azmi said she viewed “with exasperation, anger, hurt and bewilderment” the way the West looked upon Islam as a threat and treated Muslims as figures of fear and hate.

Talking against the backdrop of violent protests in Jammu and Kashmir over the Amarnath land transfer row, she cautioned that it could create differences between Hindus and Muslims elsewhere in the country and said the crisis should be brought to an end.

“Yes, and if our politicians haven’t woken up to it yet they really don’t know what’s happening,” she said when asked whether the situation in that State was a challenge to the country’s integrity and future.

She emphasised that “the Indian Muslims were in a safer place because the Indian Muslim has a stake and space in Indian democracy.”

“It’s a very huge thing that we are a part of a democracy and Indian Muslims can aspire to become a Shahrukh Khan or an Irfan Pathan or the President of India and that makes the Muslims far more hopeful and far less in despair than in other parts of the world,” the actor said. — PTI

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Cutting the Kashmir melon

Khushwant Singh

August 15, 2008

First Published: 22:22 IST(15/8/2008)

Last Updated: 18:33 IST(16/8/2008)

The sudden explosion of violence in Jammu & Kashmir over the trivial matter of some 40 hectares of forest land clearly shows a deep communal divide that has its roots in history. The state, as we know it, comprises of three regions, which we have treated as one administered from Srinagar and Jammu. This is entirely because ever since the annexation of Punjab by the British in 1849 and its sale to Maharajah Gulab Singh, it has been treated by his descendants as a Dogra fiefdom till India attained its independence in 1947. It is time we took a good look at the ground realities, however unpalatable they be, and found a solution that will be acceptable to all three regions as well as to India and Pakistan.

The three regions are geographically divided into the Valley of Jhelum, Jammu and Ladakh. They are also distinct from each other in religion, language, and perception of their future. The people of the Valley are over 90 per cent Muslims, speak Kashmiri and demand azadi (freedom) without defining its full implications. The people of Jammu are predominantly Hindu, speak Dogri, Hindi or Punjabi. They definitely do not want the kind of azadi the people of the Valley clamour for. Nor do the Ladakhis, who are Buddhists and speak their own dialect.

The core of the problem is the demand for azadi by the Muslims of the Valley. It can be met without upsetting their relationship with India. It is too small and landlocked to become a sovereign, independent state. Its economy is largely dependent on India which is the only outlet for its agricultural produce (fruit, saffron etc), its handicrafts, carpets and shawls. Most of its tourists come from or through India. There cannot be, nor need be, any break in its relations with India. India should and must give the Valley complete autonomy to manage its internal affairs without meddling with the administration of Jammu and Ladakh. India must continue its military presence but only to guard its borders against infiltrators from Pakistan and no more.

If the people of the Valley are agreeable to this kind of a settlement, I am sure Pakistan will accept it as well. We have had enough of ill will and violence — it has gone on for far too long. It must be put to an end, and the sooner the better.

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Dear Veer, thats an excelent topic. Its my prediction that in the next 3-5 years there is going to be disastrous muslim hindu conflict all over India which will lead to a civil war. There is no doubt about this in my mind. Muslims are treated second class citizens.

The flat thing that Shabana Azmi spoke off is very true. Its not only muslims, if u wear a round dastaar, have open beard, wear ur sri sahib and wear kurta pajama, u will find it very tough to get a room on rent in Delhi.

Indian majority has treated its minority in a very bad manner and now India is going to pay the price for it.

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Dear Veer, thats an excelent topic. Its my prediction that in the next 3-5 years there is going to be disastrous muslim hindu conflict all over India which will lead to a civil war. There is no doubt about this in my mind. Muslims are treated second class citizens.

The flat thing that Shabana Azmi spoke off is very true. Its not only muslims, if u wear a round dastaar, have open beard, wear ur sri sahib and wear kurta pajama, u will find it very tough to get a room on rent in Delhi.

Indian majority has treated its minority in a very bad manner and now India is going to pay the price for it.

There is an election in India due spring 2009, the Indian economy is going down due to the recession in many countries. The main political parties will try and whip hysteria to win votes as they have no other vote winners , expect more trouble. Even the Ram Rahim issues is being drawn out for political games, like the Nirankaris of the 70/80's.

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A Kashmiri Muslim speaks

Hindustan Times, Big story. Sunday August 17, 2008.

Our story starts with the previous Governer, S.K Sinha. That he had a soft spot for Hindutva was all too evident. He met VHP leaders often and increased the duration of the Amarnath Yatra dfrom 14 to 2 months. That was still was alright. But what could we say when the Raj Bhawan became the head of the Shrine Board he headed? The board brought in all yatra supplies from outside the state, sidelining local Muslims who have traditionally served the yatra and made enough money to last a year. And that was not all. The majority of men the Governer appointed to the board were Sangh Pariwar men from outside Kashmir. Why, you ask? Well, the land transfer to the board was to give these men a long-term foothold in the valley - short circulating Article 370 of the Indian Constitution that is supposed to guarantee us of controlling our own affairs.

65% of the population in J&K is Muslim. But you will find that most senior civil servents and police officers are Hindu. You know what message we get? 'We don't trust a Muslim to run important departments like Home or Finance'. No commissioner or secretary in the state govt is a Muslim. There have been only two muslim DGP ever. And the most important police posts are with non-muslims.

Jammu has been seeing development, the valley has been neglected. The govt has been soft on Jammu agitators and it has been brutal against us.

Oh, Kashmiri political parties have not been as pure as Gulmarg's snow either. The PDP has been playing dirty. It first approved the land transfer, then brought down the govt. The congress did nothing for the valley while Ghulam Nabi Azad was the Chief Minister. It did the right thing to rescind the land transfer. A by-product of the agitation here has been the bringing together the two Hurriyat factions.

All this is funny - if it was not such a tragedy. We went out of our way to help yatris when the agitation started in June. The yatra itself had nothing to do with the agitation itself. We felt betrayed when Muslims were killed in Jammu. For 20 years, we presumed that the people in Jammu sympathised with the horrible human rights abuse we have suffered. That presumpton has gone out of the window. That Hindus in Jammu killed even Muslims from beyond the valley - including the Gujjars, whom Indians used to claim as pro-Indian - once again showed us the true face of India. They hate Muslims.

Why else would Shivraj Patil (union home minister) have kept local fruit traders waiting for hours only not to meet them? Why else would Kashmiri Muslim MPs be thrown out before the all-party meeting with the Sangarsh Samiti in Jammu? We know why.

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Hear the Jammu Hindu

Hindustan Times, Big Story. Sunday August 17, 2008.

Those Muslims in the valley are so touchy. They have created a ruckus over facilities being built on just a hundered acres of land for Hindu yatris. Well, it is obvious isn’t it? They want to disrupt Amarnath yatra. They are fundamentalists who simply cannot stand any othe religion.

Kashmiri Muslims have always dominated the state since independence and the people of the valley have been pampered a lot. Look at all the allocations and development in the valley while we are neglected. There has never been a Hindu Chief Minister in 61 years. Come to think over it; not even a hindu minister in important portfolios. Even when Mufti Muhammed Syed had a Hindu Deputy Chief Minister; he gave more important portfolos to Muzaffar beig of his own party.

The PDP is anti-national. Its leaders protect terrorists. They raised the land transfer issue for cheap electoral benefits. They brought down the govt and caused this crisis. If we don’t protest they will hand us over to Pakistan. Afterall doesn’t PDP president Mehbooba Mufti openly talk of legitimizing Pakistani currency here?

Secessionist oraganisations like the Hurriyat are manufacturing an agitation on the highway at Pakistans behest. They just need an excuse to secede. The army should crush them. The govt must have an advisory committee of army officers to run states like Jammu and Kashmir. Otherwise, pseudo-secularists will finish this country.

The congress practiced vote-bank politics, pandering to minorities at our expense. The central and state govts took the land back from the Shrine Board under pressure from these fundamentalist Muslims. And then what happened? They spinelessly succumbed when Kashmiris demonstrated for four days. Have they responded to our agitation even after a month? Why can’t they agree to give a little plot of land to Hindus when there is such a strong public sentiment in favour of it?

Article 370 unnecessarily gives a special status to the state only to pander Muslims. Let’s be honest. It has weakened the integrity of the country. These terrorists in Kashmir hold us to ransom with threats of secession, and congress governments meekly bow before these anti-national threats.

Kashmiri Muslims killed Pandits and burnt temples in 1990, forcing an exodus. They snatched all the best jobs there from the Pandits. And still they are never satisfied. If we allow them to get away this time, there will be no space for Hindus and Hindu shrines in J&K today and in this country tomorrow. Is all this difficult for the Government of India to understand?

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SIKHS AND MUSLIM KASHMIRIS UNITED AGAINST INDIA

A great SHAME on the SIKH QOUM that not even 50 could turn up this year when last year we had around 300,more Kashmiris came to join a Sikh protest than Sikhs came - thanks to the usual idiots and their rivalrys amongst Jathebandia

august 15th LONDON ^

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhTq8UxFFvc

^

Kashmir

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