Dishonesty among the surveying agencies like Lokniti-CSDS is built up on the ruins of intellect where they dare not call spade a spade over intransigence of 25 per cent of Muslim community in the Indian democracy
Dr Pramod Pathak
There are three types of falsehood, an outright lie, the half lie and statistics. To these there is need to add the fourth type, the surveys and questionnaires. The recent article in The Indian Express Dec 7, 2016 is a case in point. Rahul Varma and Pranav Gupta have reported their findings, “In the ruins of Babri” and have come to the startling conclusions. The surveys were conducted by Lokniti – CSDS
(L-CSDS), a Delhi based organisation, with lofty aim of keeping track of fall out of Babri mosque episode in1992. In the beginning, the writer duo feigns ignorance of the fact that Mandir was alive in the memory of Hindus through Ram Chabutra for more than four centuries. Since 1992 till date is not that distant past to be forgotten. They have reported trend in opinion on the construction of only Mandir/Masjid at the disputed location by Hindus and Muslims since 1996. The change has been made perceptible with trendy questionnaire for each of these communities. They also refer to other report on the riots in Uttar Pradesh, where 12,000 riot incidents reported to have occurred over the period of 6 years. It is as high as 2,000 annually or on an average 6 riots a day. Who were involved in starting these riots? If
L-CSDS explores from the Government statistics of FIR records, majority of these were initiated by non-Yadav Hindus. Obviously the Hindus are to blame. But will these intellectuals go deep and trace the origin of the statistics? It was alleged by an ex-Police officer that under the Yadav regime in Uttar Pradesh, no FIRs are to be registered against the Yadavs and Muslims. In fact many more riots must have gone unreported from the rural areas where both the communities live cheek by jowl and where the local migrations took place. The educated village Hindu youth reported to be more reactive to the issue stems from this rot. Will
L-CSDS explore the reasons why Muslims population is not contemplating to migrate to the neighbouring Umma countries on the background of persistent rioting by Hindus whereas Muslims from Muslim majority
countries seek refuge in non-Muslim countries, India included?
Will L-CSDS conduct survey to explore as to what the Muslims feel over the treatment of Rohingya Muslims by Bangladesh Army? It is reported to have bayoneted the Rohingya Muslims to drive them back before they get the refugee status? Has L-CSDS conducted the survey among the Muslims from Gujarat after the riots in 2002 as to why they did not at all think of taking refuge in neighbouring Pakistan, the country supposed to have been formed for the well-being of fraternity of the Indian Muslims? It is well-known that the Kachchha border still remains porous and open to smuggling. That time too did they fear bayonetting threat from the Pakistan Army on the borders? The answer has already been given by a Muslim writer of Indian origin and frequent contributor to The Indian Express. He is Hasan Suroor. He writes in his book, “India’s Muslim Spring” that his friend Aqeel suggested to him to return to India as, “India is the safest and the best place for Muslims to live. Do come back” (page 34). Suroor indeed came back, wrote a book and went back for the reasons known to him. He was apprehended in UK for some problem. Why should Muslims not feel even more secure in Uttar Pradesh where they are accorded blanket immunity against FIRs under the Yadav regime. It is a problem for L-CSDS to explore. The Muslims are assured of the extra freedom in religious arena in Uttarakhand where they will now enjoy full 90 min time off from official duties. What more safeguards should be extended for religious minorities? Where in the world in the non-Islamic countries do the Muslims enjoy such a privilege? Now Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azami is asking for the same privilege in Maharashtra. As per the tradition, Muslims can compensate for the missed prayers later in the day. They need not miss their duty.
In India the Muslim community is now seeking seat reservations on the religious lines knowing fully well that it is against the constitution. There are Pasmanda Muslims in majority in Uttar Pradesh. Their forefathers did not leave India in the wake of partition. They enjoy these reservations. Here is need for the survey to be conducted by
L-CSDS to check with Pasmanda category of Muslims whether they would like to forfeit their reservation quota in favour of reservations on the religious lines? It surely is a part of Lokaniti.
Coming to changing trend on preference between Hindus and Muslims on Mandir-Masjid dispute after 2012, the survey questions were so framed to illicit negative answers. The example is, has discrimination against Muslims increased? From a common Muslim answer is expected to be yes. The duo has predicted the sinister outcome. They conclude that the large section of Muslims have lost hopes on the construction of Masjid implying that they will revolt in due course. The duo has overlooked the fact that post 2011 till today the Muslim Umma scenario all over the world has taken dip and that internecine sectarian wars among the Muslim Umma have taken toll of nearly million Muslim lives. Under these conditions Muslims here in India feel more safe and secured. They are now intransigent for the protection democratic system offers here. The growth of all Muslim political out fits like AIMIM in Maharashtra and Andhtra Pradesh and AIUDF in Assam is outcome of the numerical strength the Muslim community has achieved over the last few decades. They have become vote pattern tilting factors in elections. They are wooed by many political parties.
In a democracy like India, no
section of a society will ever feel fully satisfied and happy about the situation. Every caste and social group has some grievances or the other. Muslims are prompted to have more. Under these conditions a constantly churned issue like Mandir-Masjid is sure to evoke the expected response. In fact L-CSDS
surveys are built on the intellectual dishonesty about the controversy and have refused to come out of the ruins. They dare not explore the kafirophobia being systematically built up through madrasa education.
How the sermons in Mosques are used to incite youth for radicalisation (The Indian Express August 6, 2016), or how HUJI from Bangladesh is radicalising the Muslim youth along the Bengal-Bangladesh border towns! It dare not inquire the reasons and agents for radicalisation of home grown jehadis within the Muslim population. If ever they survey, they would hear vociferous negation from Muslim community, which will be false alarm on Hindu alertness. Will L-CSDS explore the rampant stalking of Hindu girls and ladies in Muslim dominated belt in Uttar Pradesh? It resulted in (Hindu) Bahu-Beti Bachao andolan in Hindu majority country? A close associate of Wendy Doniger and a co-author Sudhir Kakkar has grudgingly accepted that authors like him exercise certain caution while writing on Islam (Interview Feb 16, 2014). On the same lines, dishonesty among the surveying agencies like L-CSDS is built up on the ruins of
intellect where they dare not call spade a spade over intransigence of 25 per cent of Muslim community in the Indian democracy.
(The writer is a scholar of comparative religion and freelance writer)
