DR. S. AUSAF SAIED VASFI takes stock of the RSS hijacking of Anna Hazare movement against corruption and concludes that it is nothing but the Sangh Parivar’s diabolic design to bring its political wing BJP once again to power.
Although the Indian Muslim leadership doesn’t believe in “Anna is India and India is Anna” or he is “second Gandhi” or “another JP” or his anti-corruption movement is the “second war of Independence”, the suave and soft-spoken peasant leader of Maharashtra enjoys respect in the principal minority. His persona is beyond reproach. Nobody suspects his bonafides. His integrity is beyond question.
What however is not beyond question is his inexplicable propensity towards doubtful characters and parties, who exploit him to the hilt to promote their own agenda. The banana-peel thrown by the Saffron on his campaign path is a case in point. According to the usually reliable sources, it was the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) and its political arm, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) that opened their bagfuls of money on the upkeep of the marathon gatherings at the Ramlila Ground. The white caps and T-shirts with “I am Anna” in bold letters, were flooded in the market place. Food was supplied by them in cooperation with some corporates, who saw their future in the Anna movement. They managed media and information like professionals.
ELABORATE ARRANGEMENTS
Elaborate arrangements were made to show Muslim children along with their skull-capped fathers at the Iftar and “maghrib” prayers in the sprawling maidan. The Saffron cadre’s, heavy attendance over there couldn’t escape the observers’ attention.
Was, and is, Anna unaware of the motivated strategy of Sangh Parivar and Saffron’s diabolical past?
Mr. S. Nehal Singh, an eminent columnist, in a 1300-word article says in The Asian Age (Aug. 24): “… the Anna phenomenon will need all its wisdom to guard against being hijacked by the BJP, its mentor, the RSS and the various affiliates of the Sangh Parivar, such as the Akhil Bhariya Vidyarthi Parishad, which has already indulged in depredations in its efforts to force schools to close on a particular day.
“Judging by the slogans being raised by the supporters of Hazare’s movements, a pro-Hindu and an implied anti-Muslim and (anti-minorities) tinge is already becoming apparent. It is no secret that the BJP is desperately seeking to return to power at the Centre after two successive defeats, but it is a new BJP under the thumb of the mentor, the RSS, which is setting the agenda for the party and the country.”
BENEFIT OF DOUBT
Does Anna deserve to be given the proverbial benefit of doubt for his Saffron slip? He is not a beginner. He is 74.
In a 1,000-word story, another analyst, Mr. Siddharth Bhatia drives home the important point: “… now the Dalits and Muslims have fully grasped what this agitation means. If carried through to its logical conclusion, it will take away the few protections they have under our fine Constitution. They have spotted the upper caste, communal thrust to the anti-corruption crusade and have stayed away from it. That is the “war of the comfortable” who want to keep the marginal elements out of India’s expanding economic pie, creating a monster that will be judge, jury and executioner will be one step – a big one but just one – towards that goal.
CLEARER CONTEMPT
Each and every Muslim organisation, be it the All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, or the All India Muslim Personal Law Board or the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind or the JamiatulUlaim-e-Hind, has genuine reservations on the subject. The Muslim leadership discerns a clear disdain and clearer contempt for every institution that stands for, or ensures dignified living in plural Bharat. The entire discourse of the so-called civil society appears to be against democracy, various freedoms and rights as well as law, legality and legitimacy. Assuming that all are corrupt, the Anna brigade paints black all the representatives. In the process, all the vital safeguards, life-saving assurances of the Constitution are trampled upon.
Mr. Varun Gandhi, who said in 2009 that he would cut the hand that dares to raise a finger against a Hindu, sends a chill down the Muslim spine. Muslims view a Modi in him, and cannot make common cause with the freaks who appear to be determined to rock the secular system.
ARCHED EYEBROWS
The All India Minorities and Dalit Intellectuals Forum rightly felt the RSS-BJP combine is trying to sneak into power through the back door. It is being done in the manner the JP movement was hijacked by the Saffron. The slogans they raise speak volumes about who they are and what is their ultimate goal. A case in point is “Bharat Mata ki Jai”. Heavily manned by our Hindu brethren, the Congress, the four Left parties, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal or the DMK or AIADMK don’t raise this or such slogans. Hence the arched eyebrows of Muslims.
The writer-activist Ms. Arundhati Roy says, Anna is not secular. He is mum on urgent concerns like farmer’s suicides and anti-Naxal Ops.
Maulana Mohammad Salim of Deoband has said: a group with suspect credentials cannot have Muslim sympathies. He complained Anna Hazare never speaks on Muslim issues. The Muslims cannot afford to undermine the trust in Parliament, judiciary and democracy.
METHODOLOGY OPPOSED
The AIMPL spokesperson, Dr. S.Q.R. Ilyas expressed the view: degrading Parliament is not in the interest of democracy.
To quote Maulana Jalaluddin Omari, the chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind: we agree with the need for a strong Lokpal but not with the method of pushing it.
In a nutshell: Muslims are not opposed to erasing off corruption. They are opposed to the methodology.
Ms. Seema Chishti recalls in a thought-provoking write-up in the Indian Express (Aug 24) that Youth for Equality took part in the Hindu Unity Day in Texas. Also present was Mr. Subramanian Swamy, more recently in the news for writing that Muslims should be denied voting rights if they do not accept their “Hindu legacy”. The Dalit activists and writers including Udit Raj, Kancha Ilaiah, John Dayal and Joseph D’Souza have argued for reservation in the Lokpal setup for SC STs, OBCs and minorities “to ensure that there is no injustice done to the backward and marginalized”.
MUSLIM CONCERNS IGNORED
The sad truth is Mr. Anna Hazare never opened his mouth on the questions of Muslim concern. Recall, if you can, any statement of the peasant leader on the police role in the riots, intelligence agencies role in the destruction of Muslim youth careers, the well-planned Babri Masjid demolition, the Abhinav Bharat’s hateful role in attacks on mosques and mausoleums.
Did Anna ever care to censure the erring state governments for not implementing the riot-probe reports’ implementation? Did Anna ever care to speak against the deliberate maligning of Islam in the name of criticising terrorism? Did Anna ever care to protest against the unjustified detention of Muslim youth, whose crimes have been publicly owned by characters like Aseemanand?
SELECTIVE SPEECH
This attitude of selective speech hurts Muslims, especially because Anna claims to be a Gandhian. Mahatma Gandhi was a giant, given to truth, courage and honesty of purpose. Now fast is a tool to terrorise. To the Mahatma, it was not the case. The renowned columnist, Mr. Inder Malhotra recalls: “The first Indian to go on a fast in the heart of Delhi against the government of Nehru and Sardar Patel was none other than the Mahatma. His two lieutenants had refused to transfer to Pakistan Rs. 55 crore this country was bound to give it under the Partition Agreement. Their argument that the money couldn’t be handed over while the first Kashmir War (1947-48) was on. On the second day of the fast, the cash was sent on Karachi post-haste.”
Mr. Anna! Did you listen?