The General Elections 2009 are over. The winners have settled in their well cushioned chairs. The losers are not in a much different position: they too have comfortable chairs to settle in. The anticipatory slurp of the corporate world is also quite audible.
There is, however, a very large group which, having voted, is back to its unenviable status of being of intermittent and insufficient concern to even the winners, leave alone the losers: meet the poor and the wretched of India.
It is well recognised by political commentators that Indian Muslim community had a role to play in the impressive win of the Congress and the Trinamool as well as in the defeat of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), the Communist Parties, the Samajwadi Party (SP) and others. Because there were not many Muslim candidates put up by the contesting parties, their representation in the present Lok Sabha remains below even that in the last one. The Indian Muslims must by implication recognise that the democratic principle, ‘success and deliverance through numbers’ is not applicable to them. They must, therefore, find a new way in order that they may contribute to the renaissance of India. That way is that the God fearing from among them come forward through a new, inclusive, political party and lead in serving Indians in general but the poor and the wretched in particular; through the application of the universal / secular principles of Islam. This new party can nominate an advisory group consisting of well respected experts both from the country and from among the NRIs, etc. in various disciplines, so that it can give expert attention to all the problems that need solution.
One of the most potent principles of Islam crying out to be applied is the ‘zero interest’ principle. To be a presenter of this to the public, in addition to the academia, the corporates and the government, the Indian Muslims will have to think of a new method… in co-operation with all like minded groups … launched for the purpose of telling people why interest should be removed completely from all financial transactions.
Is a peaceful satyagraha this new method?
This principle and its attendant sub-principles have become ever more relevant because of the tsunami of the economic meltdown that has devastated the major economies and has hurt the Indian economy so much that it requires some time to recover to its full strength.
Another principle requiring the Indian Muslims’ attention and commitment is the ‘availability of free and quick justice’ to all, but particularly to the poor and the wretched. The Indian Muslims must find out what the impediments in the path of this objective are and then set about to alleviate and eventually help in eliminating these in co-operation with all like-minded formations.
Yet another principle is that of ‘presenting the right and the wrong with wisdom and humility’. This principle has great relevance to social, familial, political, business and other aspects of life. It is a matter of satisfaction that the vast majority of the Indian people, do follow many of the universal dos and donts of social and familial life – most of which are a part of Islam as well. This, however, cannot be said of the political, bureaucratic and corporate strands of life.
Many secular principles of Islam that are relevant to the role that the Indian Muslims must play, are also the secular principles of Hinduism and Christianity and other religions, and to that extent, cooperation among the Indian Muslims and other brother Indians, can be based on the bedrock of those common principles. Where Islam holds a different principle, it will remain the duty of the Indian Muslims and their leadership to try and convince others of the truth of that Islamic principle through reason.
Another aspect which requires to be debated in depth is: What is the degree and type of development that suits today’s India, which is in transition towards higher levels of development but is still very poor.
Let us select a model of development which does not matter if it is slightly lower but is inclusive of the poor? If the current model is say, that of the ‘car’, let us opt for an inclusive model which is say, that of the ‘horse’?
All this can be done only if the Indian Muslim community pulls itself up from its bootstraps and gets ready to define for itself and for the Indian Muslims, a completely new role.