Haqiqat Rai: The First victim of Blasphemy killed by Islamists on Basant Panchami for resisting mocking of Hindu Gods

The recent controversy surrounding Nupur Sharma’s utterances has stirred the communal atmosphere. After a series of death threats to her, two brutal killings took place in Udaipur and Amaravati further rocking the common man’s psyche. Most are under the impression that this tendency of taking the law into their own hands or giving a death threat. But as Dr Ambedkar rightly pointed out “Islam is a close corporation and the distinction that it makes between Muslims and non-Muslims is a very real, very positive and very alienating distinction. …. For those who are outside the corporation, there is nothing but contempt and enmity”.

If we go by history, there was exactly the same case as Nupur Sharma where a 12 year boy called Haqiqat Rai reacted to the provocation by fellow Muslim students and was stoned to death way back in 1734.

The present case of Nupur Sharma is similar to the incident of Haqiqat Rai, which dates back to 17th century Sialkot. His story becomes important today as it was one of the first cases of Blasphemy. Haqiqat Rai’s story elucidates how Islam has been operating in an organized structure and has been continuously targeting Hindus and their deities for centuries. Through his story, we will be to comprehend that when Hindus stood to protect their God and Goddesses from Islam’s derision, they had to pay a heavy price for it.

Haqiqat Rai was born in 1719 in a Hindu Khatri family in Sialkot now in Pakistan. The Hindu Khatris had helped Guru Nanak Sahib during the formation of Sikhism, also they followed the tradition of giving away their first child to the panth because it was the need of the hour, as they had to protect their religion from Islamic attacks and forceful conversions.

From the very beginning, Haqiqat Rai showed signs of devotion and dedication to the upkeep of Sanatan Dharma. He understood his religion well and was proud of his culture. He was seeking knowledge from his Guru Har Rai Acharya Ji. For any administrative work or for communication the knowledge of Persian was made mandatory under the Mughal rule. At the age of 12, Haqiqat Rai was sent to a Maulana to learn Persian. Haqiqat Rai was made a laughing stock by the other Muslim kids reading there. He was called a Kafir and his religion was ridiculed. Several times they would fight and they would be injured. Haqiqat Rai had complained to the Maulana about the behaviour of the kids towards him. But he never took cognisance of the matter. Haqiqat Rai continued keeping his patience.

One day after the completion of Friday prayers, the Muslim kids started to mock Hindu gods and Goddesses. They taunted Goddesses Durga and Shri Ram. This enraged Haqiqat Rai because he was continuously provoked by his Muslim classmates. Degenerating Hindu Gods and Goddesses was the limit of Haqiqat Rai’s tolerance level. He retaliated back by quoting facts about Bibi Fatima. Haqiqat Rai was deep observant and had always questioned the Muslim clerics about their religion in past. The Muslim classmates thrashed him for speaking out about Fatima. Haqiqat Rai returned home with a swollen and bleeding face.

On the other hand, the Muslim boys went and complained about Haqiqat Rai to the Maulana. The Muslim boys had also exaggerated the matter in Infront of the Maulana. Muslim clerics were furious and they sent the boys to call Haqiqat Rai. As he reached Haqiqat Rai was held by the Maulana and was beaten by the Maulana. Haqiqat Rai’s plead was ignored. The Muslim Clerics decided that he would be produced in front of Amir Beg the administrator of Sialkot so that he can be tried under Sharia Law. Qazi Abdul Haq blamed Haqiqat Rai was hurting the feelings of Muslim believers by insulting Fatima and this reason was enough for him to face severe punishment. Qazi Abdul Haq said that the only punishment suited in this case was pouring hot oil on Haqiqat Rai, who was merely 13 years of age. Haqiqat Rai’s parents wanted to save their only child from the punishment which was being meted out to him. Haqiqat Rai’s father Lala Bhagmal Rai offered to pay compensation to save Haqiqat Rai. Muslim clerics advised the administrator to accept Lala Bhagmal’s offer of donating his lands to them. But the butchers had some other plan in their mind, as Haqiqat Rai’s parents waited for some leniency for their son.

It was an auspicious day of Basant Panchami, Qazi Abdul Haq went on to say that Haqiqat Rai could save himself from this punishment by embracing Islam. The brave Haqiqat Rai who was a kid himself stood true to his religion and faith, he outrightly refused to get converted to Islam. Amir Beg the administrator ordered him to be hanged on a tree by his feet and beat him till the time he accepted Islam. But Haqiqat Rai refused with even more courage and determination. Haqiqat Rai said that he was very fortunate to be born in Sanatan Dharma and only fortunate beings get a golden chance to stay alive and die for their Dharma.

Amir beg decided to send Haqiqat rai to the governor of Lahore named Zakria Khan. Haqiqat Rai’s mother Goran was very deeply upset by this move. But she told his brave son, that she will lose her son after Haqiqat Rai’s death, but even more upsetting will be that she would be called a mother of a deserter, who left his faith to save his life. She said to her son, that she prefers that her son should sacrifice his life to upkeep the faith of his Sanatan Dharma.

Even after continuously torturing Haqiqat Rai to forcefully convert him into Islam, they were not successful in their heinous task. The Governor of Lahore gave him the ultimate punishment which comes under the Sharia law, which was to stone Haqiqat Rai unto death. Haqiqat Rai not even once showed any signs of fear, he stood firmed and embraced death with open arms to protect the integrity and identity of his Sanatan Dharma.

Soon after the founding of Islam, Arab Muslims first spread Islam through military conquests, which took place over a brief period of time. Only a small portion of the population who were placed under Arab Muslim rule, meanwhile, embraced Islam right away. Muslims did not constitute the majority of the population of the Islamic empires until many decades later, at the end of the eleventh century. The Idea behind this military campaign was to convert Dar-ul-Harb/Kufr (land of non-believers) into Dar-ul-Islam (land of Islam). The intolerance was quite visible in the three options that were given to the population upon which they invaded i.e. Convert to Islam, face death or pay Jaziya. To humiliate the non-believers their temples or places of worship were attacked and demolished. And if we look at the current population of the countries where the Muslims are in majority, most of them are not democratic and are governed in accordance to the Islamic rules and on the other hand wherever they are in minority they are constantly challenging the law of the land for example France, India and certain other countries. The very core of the Islam is that it is not open to ideas, syncretic or tolerant to the views which are just opposite to them. A recent case can be cited when Nupur Sharma spokesperson of national party appeared in a debate and when she was provoked by a fellow delegate who did say something derogatory about Hindu Gods, she quoted from the Hadith about the Prophet and this incident was termed as blasphemy. Her statement was: “The Prophet married Aisha when she was six years old and he consummated his marriage when she was nine years old.” – The revered Sahih al-Bukhari, 5134; Book 67, Hadith 70. Using derogatory word against Hindu Gods and Goddess is something which has been an established practise by certain artists and those belonging to different faith in the name of creative liberty or freedom of expression. Makbul Fida Hussian who used to paint nude pictures of Hindu Goddess was given the citizenship of Islamic Monarchy of Qatar, the country which objected to the statement that was quoted from Hadith. Nupur Sharma was sacked from the party and she also issued public apology.

But even after issuing public apology, she continues to receive threats from different quarters. There were several cases filed against her at different places like Kolkata, Hyderabad, Kashmir and at other places. Many calls were given to behead her and subsequently the bounty was announced. Even the Khadim of Ajmer Dargah appealed that whosoever beheads Nupur Sharma, that person will be awarded. These threats emerging from different quarters clearly indicate the medieval talibani mindset of certain section within Islam. These are nothing less than civilizational war imposed on India and their main aim is Ghazwa-e-hind.

For centuries, the sole purpose of invasions on Bharat by the Islamic states was to create Ghazwa-e-Hind and destroy Bharat’s culture, Vedic structure and their residents whom they refer to as Kafirs.